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The most recent NFC West chat is heading into overtime thanks to Jeff from Seattle.

"I enjoyed it when the chat wrap used questions that weren't answered," Jeff wrote. "Any plans to bring that back to the feature?"

Sometimes there's not time, but this time, there is. It's May 24 and we -- OK, I -- recently ran a weather report, after all. The first section begins with a question about Kellen Winslow, but the answer touches on teams beyond Seattle. It also lets me break out a chart, always a plus.

Robert from Georgia asked whether Kellen Winslow's addition in Seattle will lead the Seahawks to use more personnel groupings with two tight ends.

"The way New England uses Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez is unbelievable," he wrote, "and while I am in no way trying to compare, does the addition of Winslow increase Zach Miller's production? Could Seattle have the second-best two-tight-end set in the NFL?"

That sounds optimistic. I expect the San Francisco 49ers to field the best two-tight end tandem in the division once again. Vernon Davis and Delanie Walker are very good together. Each is faster than his Seattle counterpart, although Winslow has obviously been more productive than Walker as a receiver (with quite a few more opportunities).

I've put together a chart showing how frequently NFC West teams and Winslow's former team, Tampa Bay, used two or more tight ends. John Carlson's injury suppressed the numbers for Seattle. The St. Louis Rams have a new coaching staff, so numbers from last season might not mean as much.

Seattle will use two-plus tight ends more frequently as long as Miller and Winslow are healthy. Winslow amassed 74 percent of his receiving yardage (565 of 763) as the only tight end on the field last season, according to ESPN Stats & Information. That figure mirrored the percentage of snaps when Tampa Bay used fewer than two tight ends, disregarding kneeldowns and spikes.

Miller's receiving numbers were going to climb anyway after he bottomed out at 25 receptions. Winslow has consistently been a 70-catch player. I would expect that figure to fall as he plays alongside another tight end to a degree he did not last season.

There is a chance Winslow will catch more passes than Miller.

Miller will likely be the in-line tight end, meaning he'll be more involved in run blocking. Winslow will be more of an H-back. That is consistent with assistant head coach/offensive line Tom Cable's vision for the offense.

Jacob from Missouri says it's easy to become optimistic while hearing good things from organized team activities and such.

"As a Rams fan, I could really use some optimism, but when is the best time to actually believe all the good things I'm hearing?" he writes.

Mike Sando: It's OK to believe the good things you're hearing now. Just remember to keep it all in perspective. For the Rams, pay close attention to the injury situation. This team was hit hard by injuries last season. It's important for the Rams to get through the offseason without starting to head down the path that led to the training room last season.

We should pay close attention to what the Rams are saying about Jason Smith at right tackle. We should listen for clues about Brian Quick's readiness to contribute right now, not just at some point in the distant future. We should pay attention to the source of information. When Jeff Fisher, a former defensive back, gushes over Janoris Jenkins and indicates he expects immediate contributions, that means something. I'd go ahead and buy into that a little bit.

Jeff from Fowler, Calif., asks whether NaVorro Bowman is the most logical young player to receive a contract extension from the 49ers.

Mike Sando: Yeah, I would think so. Dashon Goldson is operating on the franchise tag, so he could get a new deal as well. But he's been around a little longer. Bowman is younger and quickly became an All-Pro player. The 49ers should not feel pressure to do a deal with him right now, however. Bowman has the 2012 and 2013 seasons remaining on his contract. Waiting another year isn't disrespectful to Bowman. Why not get one more cheap season from Bowman and then reward him accordingly if Bowman backs up his strong 2011 season with another big year?

kualla83 from Phoenix asked whether the Arizona Cardinals' defense should be regarded on par with those from Seattle and San Francisco, even though those defenses were more consistent from start to finish.

"Obviously they have to prove it a little more on the field," he wrote, "but if the second half of last season is any indication of what is to come, I am really excited."

Mike Sando: First off, this question was one I answered in the chat. We had very few Cardinals questions and I answered them. FearTheTweetTweet even complained during the chat, asking whether I'd ever answer another Arizona question. I was looking for them and found only three (out of 140 questions, which was a low number for a chat anyway). So, we get a rerun of an answer.

It's fair to say the Cardinals should be optimistic based on the improvement they saw late in the season. It's fair to say the Cardinals have to prove it over the course of the season, which you indicated to be the case. The 49ers are in a different class defensively right now. Justin Smith and Patrick Willis were the two best defensive players in the division last season. The Cardinals do not have players quite on that level defensively. Now, they do have some very good players. The key variable, in my mind, is what production the team gets from its young outside linebackers. Again, there is reason for optimism there, but also much for the team to prove.

News that the San Francisco 49ers reached agreement on a new contract for punter Andy Lee came Tuesday after CEO Jed York offered an autographed football to the first person able to guess which acclaimed Niner had a new deal.

Linebacker NaVorro Bowman would have been another logical candidate for a new deal among the five All-Pro players York offered as candidates. Patrick Willis (signed through 2016) and Justin Smith (2013) have already signed big-money deals. Bowman and kicker David Akers are signed through 2013.

Lee was the one All-Pro player on the 49ers without a deal past 2012. He set NFL single-season records since at least 1976 for gross (50.9 yards) and net (44.0) punting averages. His 54.2-yard net average at home against Seattle was the second-highest for a game since at least 1976, the first year such stats were tracked officially (minimum four punts). His 59.6-yard gross average for that game was the third-highest.

The 49ers could have let Lee's contract expire and then named him their franchise player at a relatively low cost. Getting a deal done with him shows good faith from the organization. It also makes available the tag for another player, although no obvious candidates come to mind. Naming Dashon Goldson as a franchise player for a second time would be one option, although at an inflated price.

The new contract should make Lee the highest-paid punter in the NFL, or close to it. He has earned that distinction while performing so ably despite playing home games outdoors.

No word yet on which person won the autographed football promised by York.

A few thoughts wrapping up Ben Roethlisberger's comments regarding the San Francisco 49ers possibly targeting his ankle, following my "NFL Live" conversation with Trey Wingo:

• Roethlisberger would be in better position to know than any of us watching the game from safer vantage points. Watching every play on video in no way replicates what Roethlisberger experienced staring down Justin Smith, Aldon Smith and the San Francisco defense.
• Nothing stood out as unusual when I re-watched every play, including some key plays from the coaches' tape featuring wider camera angles.
• The 49ers sent four or fewer pass-rushers 80 percent of the time, consistent with their averages for the season, according to Keith Hawkins of ESPN Stats & Information. They did not appear to be going out of their way to pressure Roethlisberger. They trusted their four-man rush.
• The Steelers used shotgun formations 77 percent of the time, up from 35 percent earlier in the season. That took pressure off Roethlisberger's injured ankle. It also gave Roethlisberger a better chance to protect himself.
• The comments Roethlisberger made were pretty harmless. The current climate regarding player safety threatens to distort. Of course the 49ers wanted to test Roethlisberger's injured ankle. That doesn't necessarily mean they did anything outside the rules.

Case closed? I don't see much more ground to cover from this game, at least.

First impressions on the San Francisco 49ers' performance in the 2012 NFL draft:

What I liked: The 49ers, having already kept together one of the NFL's most dominant defenses in free agency, made a concerted effort to improve on offense. Their first three picks went for a receiver (A.J. Jenkins), a running back (LaMichael James) and a guard (Joe Looney). The team is now in better position to succeed with quarterback Alex Smith and running back Frank Gore. Likewise, if Smith struggles and age catches up to Gore, the 49ers are in better position to succeed offensively with younger players at their positions. The team also fared well in trading back to acquire additional picks, including for next year.

Question marks: It's quite possible none of the 49ers' draft choices will win a starting job this year. A roster without many holes is partly responsible. The 49ers' low standing in the draft order was another factor. Whether Looney bounces back from a foot injury well enough to challenge for the starting job at right guard could be a key variable. Mostly, I'm interested in seeing what the 49ers saw in Jenkins, a relatively low-profile player who has nonetheless received high marks from personnel evaluators I've polled on other teams.

Trending: The 49ers have drafted only one defensive lineman over the past three years if we count 2011 first-rounder Aldon Smith as an outside linebacker. That is understandable given how well Justin Smith and Ray McDonald are playing. But with Smith turning 33 this season, McDonald having overcome serious knee injuries and 2008 first-rounder Kentwan Balmer long gone, the time is coming for San Francisco to address the position. The 49ers did find promising prospects in 2011 undrafted free agents Ian Williams and Demarcus Dobbs, taking off some of the pressure.

Veteran put on alert: Gore would be the logical choice here. He turns 29 in May, past the age when teams start looking for replacements. The 49ers have now drafted four running backs over the past three seasons, including James and 2011 fourth-rounder Kendall Hunter. San Francisco also signed veteran Brandon Jacobs in free agency. Gore started 15 games last season and topped 1,200 yards, but he peaked in November. This position has gotten more competitive.

USC tackle Matt Kalil possibly slipping to St. Louis at No. 6 in the NFL draft might count as a positive development, but it could also steer the Rams away from adding needed offensive weaponry for quarterback Sam Bradford.

And that might not be such a good thing from a need standpoint.

With the draft two days away, I reached out to Steve Muench of Scouts Inc. for thoughts on potential unwelcome or complicating developments for NFC West teams, based on their needs and where they are selecting in the draft order.

For the most part, however, Muench liked where teams in the division stood. After discussing every NFC West team with him, I'll pass along highlights from our conversation, beginning with thoughts on the 49ers and working backward through the order:

Muench: I would think they will want a corner, but they probably will not reach for one. Dre Kirkpatrick will probably be off the board. Janoris Jenkins, that would be fascinating for me. I'm not sure how he would work out.

Sando: Jenkins was the choice for San Francisco at No. 30 when I chose for them in our recent ESPN Blogger Mock Draft. My thinking was that the 49ers had the leadership on defense to take a risk on a talented player with a few red flags.

Muench: That is one way of looking at it. My concern with him is that when he gets challenged and has someone get in his face, how is he going to react? If he reacts well, then you've won. If not, it goes south quickly and that is the concern. From what I have understood, I wouldn’t say he was coddled or babied at Florida, but he got away with a lot, and when he was challenged, the next thing you know, he’s at North Alabama. There was talk of him firing an agent. I'm just not sure he's that guy looking for redemption. Some guys, you just cannot get to. Now, at what point does the risk become worth the reward? Maybe it's at the end of the first round. He is a top 15 talent.

Sando: You're talking me out of Jenkins. Maybe he's not the type of guy an organization wants to hold up as a first-round selection. If the 49ers do not find a corner to their liking at No. 30, which direction do they go? They appear set at tight end, so Coby Fleener might be a luxury pick. They do have a need at guard.

Muench: Jeff Allen from Illinoi and Kevin Zeitler from Wisconsin are two guards they could take a look at -- guys who might normally go in the second round. They could consider a defensive end, like a Kendall Reyes from Connecticut, but it's hard to say you're looking to the future there, as well as Justin Smith is playing. It's a little early for Derek Wolfe from Cincinnati, maybe Devon Still from Penn State. Those are all guys that are fringe guys (first-round wise).

Sando: Nothing jumps out.

Muench: I think they can sit there and take the best available player.

What's going on: Our eight divisional bloggers are participating in an ongoing mock draft Monday. Each blogger can make selections or trade picks for the four teams in his division.

The latest: I selected North Alabama cornerback Janoris Jenkins for the San Francisco 49ers with the 30th overall choice.

My rationale: The 49ers have a strong head coach, a strong locker room and one of the best defenses in the NFL. Justin Smith and Patrick Willis give the 49ers impeccably strong leadership. This team appears to be in good position to take a chance on a player with clear off-field concerns, particularly if scouts are right about Jenkins' raw talent. I considered Stanford tight end Coby Fleener, but the 49ers love their current tight ends. They could easily extend Delanie Walker's contract, knowing he fits in their offense and brings great additional value on special teams. The 49ers could have taken a guard in this slot, but that's a position they should be able to fill later in the draft, or with Daniel Kilgore. Cornerback is a more valuable position. The 49ers face a long list of top quarterbacks in 2012. Jenkins gives them needed depth. Scouts say he can play man or zone well.

What's next for the NFC West: The Seattle Seahawks hold the 31st overall choice.

St. Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke will not have one foot in the Los Angeles market while negotiating for an improved stadium situation.

That was the net effect when Kroenke's bid to purchase the Los Angeles Dodgers fell short Tuesday night. The group led by Lakers legend Magic Johnson prevailed with a bid for $2.15 billion. Kroenke had been one of three finalists.

Tony Jackson and Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com have the details. Noted: Owning the Rams and the Dodgers would have put Kroenke at odds with the NFL's policy on cross-ownership. While moving the Rams to Los Angeles would have averted any conflict, it's not likely Kroenke could have made such a move anytime soon. But perceptions matter, and having Kroenke own the Dodgers would only strengthen long-held fears the Rams might move back to California.

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says Kroenke "bristled" when asked how involved he was in the Edward Jones Dome lease situation. Kroenke: "I’m the owner of the team. Unless you haven’t noticed, I've been involved 20 years. I've put a lot of my life, not just my personal (finances) at risk for this enterprise. And that might be something good to mention sometimes."

Brady Henderson of 710ESPN Seattle says incumbent quarterback Tarvaris Jackson is looking forward to competing with newcomer Matt Flynn for the Seahawks' starting job. Fullback Michael Robinson: "He was excited. He said, 'Mike, you know, this always happens to me and I'm ready for it to bring the best out of me.' "

Clare Farnsworth of seahawks.com checks in with former right tackle Steve August, who has this to say about his favorite moment as a player: "It would have to be beating the Dolphins in Miami in 1983 (in a divisional playoff game). And then winning the week before in the Kingdome (against the Broncos) in the first-ever playoff game. That was pretty awesome. But coming back from Miami, the fan support at the airport was just unbelievable. So I’d say experiencing that first playoff run for the Seahawks."

Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times explains the Seahawks' thinking at linebacker: "I'm going to say given the results we've seen with the players this team has grabbed, whether it's K.J. Wright or Malcolm Smith (if he stays healthy), that LB might be a position where they can 'find' guys rather than pay a premium."

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic takes a round-by-round look at the best draft choices in Cardinals history since the team came to Arizona for the 1988 season. Somers on the third round: "Cornerback Aeneas Williams (1991) -- Another easy one, even though the Cardinals have had some decent luck in this round. But Williams likely will be the first Hall of Famer in the team's Arizona history. Runner up -- Safety Adrian Wilson (2001). A fixture in the starting lineup since 2002, Wilson is coming off one of his best seasons. This was not an easy choice because end Darnell Dockett (2004) is pretty good, too. Linebacker Gerald Hayes (2003) and receiver Ricky Proehl (1990) had productive careers."

Darren Urban of azcardinals.com says restricted free agent Greg Toler is eager to bounce back from a knee injury. Toler recently signed his one-year qualifying offer.

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com says the 49ers' workout with former Cardinals guard Deuce Lutui was the latest indication San Francisco is looking for a low-cost fallback for second-year guard Daniel Kilgore. Maiocco: "Lutui, a second-round pick of the Cardinals in 2006, has appeared in 93 games with 72 career starts. In July, Lutui (listed at 6-foot-4, 338 pounds) signed with the Cincinnati Bengals as a free agent but did not pass the physical, reportedly showing up overweight. The Cardinals re-signed Lutui, who spent last season backing up right guard Rex Hadnot." Noted: Lutui is plenty talented. He can be a good starting guard. Lutui has not been consistent enough in his approach to stay in the lineup, however, and his relative lack of versatility makes him less valuable as a backup. That is why the Cardinals preferred to sign Adam Snyder from the 49ers.

Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle says durability is a key for the 49ers' defense. Branch, upon discovering that the team's defensive starters missed a combined eight games last season: "It was the continuation of a trend. In 2010, the 49ers’ defensive starters missed two games due to injury. In 2009, they missed 11. In 2008, they missed three games. Yes, Justin Smith isn’t the defense’s only iron man. Nose guard Isaac Sopoaga, for example, has missed two games since 2005. Linebacker Parys Harlson has started 56 of the Niners’ past 57 games. Safety Dashon Goldson has started 46 of 48 games since 2009 and linebacker Patrick Willis started 75 of his first 76 career games prior to last year’s hamstring injury."

The Seattle Seahawks and St. Louis Rams take two of the NFL's youngest rosters into the free-agent signing period Tuesday.

The first chart shows where teams in the division rank after subtracting from rosters those players scheduled to become unrestricted free agents at 4 p.m. ET. I also eliminated from consideration kickers, punters and long-snappers because age variations matter less at those positions.


Levi Brown, Justin Bannan, Jason Brown, Fred Robbins, James Hall and Ron Bartell were among the players I removed from rosters based on reports indicating their releases were imminent.

A relatively small difference in average across 50 or 60 players can give us a general feel for a roster. NFL careers can be short. Every year counts. That is why general managers and salary-cap analysts pay attention to where their teams stand in these areas.

The Rams have the youngest offensive players in the league. The Seahawks have the youngest defensive players by a wide margin. The 49ers have the oldest specialists, and their overall team age increased after adding 35-year-old receiver Randy Moss.

Last offseason, the Rams patched their roster with veterans signed to one-year deals. In retrospect, that reflected a team with less young depth than would have been ideal.

The Cardinals have the second-oldest offensive linemen in the NFL. That is not always bad. The New York Giants have the oldest offensive linemen on average; they just won a Super Bowl. AFC champion New England has the fourth-oldest players at the position.

Having an older line is tolerable and even preferable if that line has strong talent and has played together for years. But the combination of advanced age and below-average talent signals an inability to improve over time.

The Cardinals will presumably add younger linemen through the draft and possibly free agency.

The 49ers, though strong along the defensive line, have the fourth-oldest players at that position when we count Aldon Smith as an outside linebacker. That is one area the team could address for the future. Justin Smith, arguably the NFL's best defensive lineman, turns 33 before the season and has started 171 consecutive games, 92 more than any active defensive lineman in the NFL.

The chart below shows age ranks for teams by position and overall, counting specialists.
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Facebook friend Jonathan makes a simple request of the San Francisco 49ers: get Mike Wallace.

"How valuable could the 30th pick be?" he asks.

This is the most enticing argument for chasing after a young, talented restricted free agent such as Wallace, who might qualify as the best deep-threat receiver in the NFL. NFC West fans might remember Wallace's 95-yard touchdown reception against Arizona last season, or his 53-yard reception against Seattle, or his 46-yarder against St. Louis.

Wallace would give the 49ers the deep-threat wideout their rotation has been lacking.

A few considerations:

• Price: The 49ers would have to pay Wallace enough for two things to happen. One, Wallace would have to sign an offer sheet, forcing the 49ers to outbid any other suitors. Two, the deal would need to be structured so that Pittsburgh would not match it. The 49ers would then have to send their first-round choice, 30th overall, to the Steelers.
• Fit: The 49ers have carefully identified which players in their locker room to hold up as leaders. Patrick Willis, Joe Staley and Vernon Davis have gotten lucrative long-term deals. Justin Smith and Frank Gore have also been highly paid. Smith is the perfect example of a free agent from another team who was worth the investment. The 49ers would have to feel good about how Wallace would react to a payday. Signing him affects dynamics at the position, putting Wallace over Michael Crabtree and the other receivers.
• The pick: It's easy to discount the value of that 30th choice because so many draft choices fail to pan out. But that is why teams employ personnel departments. The 2009 first round was largely disappointing, but the Green Bay Packers nonetheless landed B.J. Raji and Clay Matthews. Tennessee stood pat at No. 30 and drafted Kenny Britt, who averaged 17.5 yards per reception with 15 touchdowns before suffering a season-ending knee injury early last season. Niner fans will point to the 2004 draft, when San Francisco took receiver Rashaun Woods at No. 31. But a look at receivers drafted from the 28th through 32nd picks since 2001 shows Woods was more exception than rule. Hakeem Nicks, Britt, Craig Davis, Anthony Gonzalez, Michael Jenkins and Reggie Wayne were the other receivers in that group.
• The offense: Would the 49ers maximize their investment in a deep-threat receiver? Would Wallace open up their offense, taking them to another level? Or would the nature of the 49ers' approach and potential limitations at quarterback leave us wondering why Wallace's production had failed to carry over?

I'd have a hard time criticizing the 49ers if they made a strong play for Wallace. They need help at the position. Wallace is only 25 years old. Wallace is established and ascending.

It's true that receivers often disappoint, but very few in Wallace's position hit the market. The new labor agreement gives the best restricted free agents more freedom. This would seem to be a relatively low-risk proposition for the 49ers as long as Wallace's personality and work ethic checked out.

A reminder as NFL teams name franchise players: Teams can withdraw the designations if players decide against signing the corresponding one-year offers.

That came to mind Friday upon reading Matt Maiocco's report suggesting Dashon Goldson had no immediate plans to sign the San Francisco 49ers' one-year franchise offer worth an estimated $6.2 million.

Teams rarely withdraw franchise designations, but plans can change. Leroy Hill found out the hard way back in 2009, when the Seattle Seahawks used a first-round choice for Aaron Curry, then withdrew an $8.3 million franchise offer from Hill, who was suddenly scrambling as a free agent after the draft.

We all saw what happened to Goldson last offseason. He found nothing palatable in free agency, then re-signed with the 49ers for one year and $2 million. The lockout made for unusual circumstances. Goldson might find the market more favorable this year.

But I see no advantage for Goldson in withholding his signature. Any team signing him to an offer would face losing two first-round draft choices if the 49ers declined to match. Teams simply do not trade two first-round choices for the right to pay good safeties.

Signing the franchise offer makes the money guaranteed. Not signing the offer means it could disappear if circumstances changed.

Goldson has a Pro Bowl on his resume, so he is more accomplished than Seattle's Hill was back in 2009. But neither was a player the team absolutely had to keep. The Seahawks, like the 49ers now, had more options than the player.

The 49ers appear unlikely to withdraw the tag, but they will get by just fine this offseason with or without Goldson under contract. Goldson has more at stake.

I see less reason for Arizona's Calais Campbell to sign the Cardinals' franchise offer, which has been projected to be around $10.6 million. There is virtually no chance the Cardinals would withdraw the tag, and if they did, Campbell would command big money from teams hungry for young defensive linemen of his caliber.

In Seattle, meanwhile, the Seahawks are expected to use the franchise designation on Marshawn Lynch if a long-term deal remains elusive. The deadline for naming franchise players is Monday.

Certain former San Francisco 49ers coaches thought Ahmad Brooks the linebacker could not learn their defense.

"A few coaches said that and told me that personally," Brooks said Tuesday. "That has always been a lie."

Brooks would not name the coaches Tuesday, and the story was not about them, anyway. The story was about the 49ers' new staff liking Brooks enough to sign him through 2017.

"I feel like this is where I should be," Brooks said. "These are the people that gave me a chance to go out there and get this contract."

Brooks had been a situational pass-rusher under the previous staff. He grew into that role and performed it well, but it was not clear whether Brooks would remain effective if asked to become an every-down player. The current staff, led by defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, was obviously happy with the results after Brooks collected seven sacks in 16 starts.

"I just feel comfortable playing in this system," Brooks said. "(Fangio) doesn't ask for a lot. It is just easy to me."

That is a sign of good coaching. To suggest that Brooks hasn't changed would be unfair to his previous coaches, however. If Brooks is like most people, he's more mature now, at age 27, than he was in his early 20s. Still, there is some risk in handing millions to a player with Brooks' history. He was kicked off the team at Virginia after two failed drug tests, entered the supplemental draft and lasted only two seasons with Cincinnati.

The Bengals released Brooks in 2008.

"I felt like a girl broke up with me and broke my heart," he said. "It can also be a blessing in disguise. I didn't see it at the time. It paid off. I continued to work, came in here and worked hard."

The 49ers claimed Brooks off waivers, released him when they needed room on the roster for a receiver, then brought him back. Brooks made an immediate impact as a situational pass-rusher, tackling Minnesota's Percy Harvin for an 8-yard loss in Brooks' first game with the 49ers. He had a three-sack game against Arizona on "Monday Night Football" later in that 2009 season. He became a full-time starter for the first time last season.

Playing with some of the most talented defensive players in the NFL has helped, of course. Brooks took note of that.

"When you are (with) guys like Ray McDonald, I can roam around," Brooks said. "I can mess up, but Ray can make me look good, like I didn't mess up. That lets me do things I could not do if with another team."

Brooks' deal, announced by the team, firms up the left side of the 49ers' defense. It comes about seven months after the 49ers signed McDonald to a five-year deal that signaled McDonald's ascension into the starting lineup at left defensive end.

Brooks and McDonald will be playing together for some time, it appears.

"Me and Ray communicate on every play, especially when it is third down," Brooks said.

INDIANAPOLIS -- On the field, the best NFL cornerbacks are often no match for Larry Fitzgerald.

Keeping up with the Arizona Cardinals' Pro Bowl receiver off the field can be a challenge, too.

Fans and media pulled at Fitzgerald from every direction Thursday while he navigated ESPN's various media platforms before heading over to the Super Bowl's Radio Row.

"Larry, I came all the way from Pittsburgh!" one fan shouted, pleading for an autograph.

"You said you would sign when you came out," another yelled.

Fitzgerald stopped to sign, but the media wave carrying him along wasn't as patient. Fitzgerald joined "Mike & Mike in the Morning" before answering chat questions and fulfilling obligations related to his promotional contract with Visa. The gig required trading his cutting-edge wardrobe for a black golf shirt with a corporate logo.

A short drive from ESPN's Super Bowl headquarters to the main NFL hotel provided an opportunity to speak with Fitzgerald about his team and the changing NFC West.

The Cardinals went from 1-6 to 8-8. What was your takeaway from the season?

Larry Fitzgerald: We didn't do a good job focusing in. The attention to detail wasn't there early on. Too many turnovers. A lot of those mistakes caused us to lose a lot of games early. The coaches and the players did a good job staying the course, understanding the formula wasn't broken. We can get it turned around.

Is there a danger of assuming a carryover from the fast finish?

LF: No. We're not naive like that. We'll have some confidence going into this year, but all in all, teams are going to get better and we need to address some needs and get better ourselves.

What did you learn about the quarterback situation in Arizona?

LF: I think we've got two good quarterbacks on the roster. That is a good problem to have. A lot of teams don't have that. Kevin (Kolb) is capable of good things. He has the ability to make it happen. John (Skelton) got good experience, got better and was able to perform for us. We know we have two quarterbacks that can win for us.

How do you think the Seattle Seahawks have changed the most under Pete Carroll?

LF: They are much more physical, much more physical. At the Pro Bowl last week, they had three guys from their secondary, Brandon Browner and Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor. When you look at Chancellor, Chancellor is 6-foot-3, 230 pounds and a phenomenal athlete with good ball skills, good range. Earl Thomas is like a young Troy Polamalu, flying around and making plays. And Brandon Browner is the biggest cornerback I've ever seen in my life. He can play, too. He can cover. I really like the young rookie they have, (Richard) Sherman from Stanford. He is going to be a good player. Obviously, when they get Marcus Trufant back, that will only make them deeper. They challenge you at the point of attack. They want to pressure you and make things uncomfortable for you at the line of scrimmage, and their whole philosophy has changed. It's fun to play against them.

What about the San Francisco 49ers under Jim Harbaugh?

LF: They just, defensively, they don't do a lot of tricky things. They're not going to give you a lot of different coverages. What they do is they play with their coach very well. Their safeties are much improved. Donte Whitner had a phenomenal season, probably his best season as a pro. (Dashon) Goldson is playing at an All-Pro level. Carlos Rogers was a great addition. Hopefully, he goes and gets the money in the free agent market.

Somewhere else?

LF, laughing: Somewhere else. Tarell Brown is playing a lot better. (Chris) Culliver, the rookie, played well for them. And you don't even have to mention Patrick Willis. He is their bell cow, he is their leader and the person who makes that whole thing go. NaVorro Bowman, he had an All-Pro season. Justin Smith played lights-out for them, and then their rookie, Aldon Smith, is going to be a force to be reckoned with for many, many years. They are only getting better. We have got to match that firepower.

And then the St. Louis Rams will be different with Jeff Fisher.

LF: They have the infrastructure there. They have the quarterback already in place. Steven Jackson is one of the best. Sam Bradford is a phenomenal talent. Defenisvely, they are getting better over there as well. With coach Fisher coming in, the coach from the New Orleans Saints (Gregg Williams, new defensive coordinator), defensively, you know what that is going to be about. They are going to be bringing a lot of pressure. They are going to cause some turnovers.

The games between San Francisco, Seattle and Arizona became bloodbaths at times late last season.

LF: The divisoin is getting better. Two years ago, people looked at the NFC West as the armpit of the league, so to speak. Now, teams are playing much better. The games are physical now. That is good because you want the competition, you want to have great division rivalries. That is a lot of fun, like the NFC East. I don't care if Washington is playing at New York, you can get beat. We want to build it up that way, too.

Your Week 17 game against Seattle comes to mind. You had nine catches for 149 yards, but it wasn't easy.

LF: I was pretty banged up going into the week and banged up coming out of it. It was a meaningless game for both of us, but that showed the competition. Going out and competing is still a lot of fun.

Justin Smith, Patrick Willis, Steven Jackson, Adrian Wilson and Larry Fitzgerald were among the current NFC West players I considered best qualified the ESPN.com/ESPN The Magazine's NFL Any Era team.

There were other less-accomplished players I felt fit the mold, including Chris Clemons, Chris Long, James Laurinaitis, etc.

But when ESPN shared with me an advance copy of the list, Smith's exclusion bothered me the most. Willis made it at No. 7, and rightly so. The top four positions have not yet been revealed, but No. 94 for the 49ers is not among them.

"If I could exchange myself today and give it to somebody else, I would give it to Justin and I would be off of it," Willis said of his Any Era selection. "Because honestly, he is who makes me who I am. This guy, he really makes my world a lot easier."

Anyone watching the 49ers closely during their recent postseason run got to see how Smith plays every week. Smith had 10 tackles, two sacks and nine quarterback hits in those games. He drove both opponents' left tackles straight backward into their quarterbacks, dragging down Drew Brees and mauling Eli Manning.

"He is no prima donna d-tackle," Willis said. "This guy is the real deal. He is not 400-and-some pounds and just sitting there like a big glob. He is not 270 pounds where he is just trying to swim a gap. This man is 300 pounds on the money and he is going to go right through you."

Smith has started 171 consecutive regular-season games. The way Smith's neck and head fill his helmet creates an old-school look.

"Those are the types of guys I want to play with," Willis said. "Hard-nosed guys. You get guys that just want to be pass rushers or you get guys who don't want to move. I don’t think you are a complete guy. Justin is a very complete d-tackle to me. Man, I’ll tell you what, he has been the heart and soul of this defense."

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Justin Smith probably said it best following the San Francisco 49ers' 20-17 overtime loss in the NFC Championship Game.

"Life goes on," said the Pro Bowl defensive end. "It's not the end of the world. It's hard to swallow, but they beat us. They were better than us today and they deserve to go to the Super Bowl. That's just the bottom line. That's how this game shakes out. It's hard to swallow, but what else are you going to do?"

Here is what we're going to do on the NFC West blog:

• I'll spend Monday at 49ers headquarters. Players will be available for interviews. Coach Jim Harbaugh is expected to hold his usual day-after-game news conference.
• We'll move into offseason mode quickly, focusing more on the draft, what could happen in free agency, team needs, coaching staffs, etc.
• I'll head to Indianapolis for Super Bowl week beginning Sunday. Hall of Fame voting is scheduled for one day before the New York Giants and New England Patriots play. I'll present Cortez Kennedy's case as the representative for the Seattle market.

Shorter term, I'll put together the Around the NFC West item, technology willing. I've had some internet connectivity and browser issues at the hotel this morning, but those appear to be resolved.

SAN FRANCISCO -- Surely it could not end this way for the San Francisco 49ers.

A fumble during a punt return, in overtime? The New York Giants recovering the ball and kicking a gift 31-yard field goal to reach Super Bowl XLVI against New England?

Never in a hundred years could Jim Harbaugh's mighty men let it end this way: 20-17 at Candlestick Park, their usually impeccable special teams letting them down twice.

"It's tough, real tough," running back Frank Gore said.

Imagine how Kyle Williams feels. The 49ers' second-year backup receiver muffed one punt before his killer fumble. Those mistakes led to 10 points for the Giants.

"You hate to be the last guy that had the ball, to give it up that way in that fashion and to lose a game of this magnitude," Williams said. "It is what it is."

Coach Jim Harbaugh used the word "cruel" to describe the Giants last week. The adjective applies more succinctly to the postseason rivalry between these teams.

Roger Craig's late fumble doomed the 49ers to a 15-13 defeat in the NFC title game 21 years ago. More than a decade passed before Trey Junkin's unfortunate field-goal snap for the Giants delivered a 39-38 victory to the 49ers in the wild-card round. And now, Williams.

Cruel, indeed.

"It's hard to swallow," 49ers defensive end Justin Smith said, "but what else are you going to do?"

Upgrade at wide receiver, for starters.

Williams, Michael Crabtree, Ginn and Brett Swain combined to catch eight passes for 51 yards on 29 targets in two playoff games. That is unacceptable.

Williams and Swain get a pass. They're young. They're backups. Ginn gets a pass. He was injured. That leaves Crabtree, the 10th player chosen in the 2009 draft. He was invisible in two playoff games, erased completely on Sunday by Giants cornerback Corey Webster.

It's tough to blame quarterback Alex Smith for Crabtree's irrelevance when Smith was completing game-changing passes to tight end Vernon Davis throughout the playoffs.

Smith targeted Crabtree 10 times in the divisional round against New Orleans. Crabtree turned those chances into four receptions for 25 yards. He lost at the ball more than once.

Crabtree caught one pass for 3 yards Sunday. A postgame interview wasn't productive, either.

"Sometimes you just gotta move the ball, man," Crabtree said. "You gotta make plays. You gotta give people a chance to make plays. You gotta make plays."

Give people a chance to make plays? Crabtree did not appear to be running wide open through the secondary in either of these playoff games.

Smith had problems, too. After completing 2 of 7 passes for 79 yards in the rain-soaked first half, he struggled with windy conditions thereafter.

"I felt great in the first half going either direction," Smith said. "I personally struggled with going from soaking wet in the first half and then in the second half, it dried out and your hands dried out and you're licking them the whole time in the second half, trying to get some of that tack."

Mother Nature wasn't the only one mixing it up on Smith. When these teams played in Week 10, the Giants gave the 49ers opportunities downfield by playing single-high safety looks designed to stop the run. That led to more one-on-one matchups outside.

"They just mixed it up a lot more, played a lot of two-high (safety) this game on first and second down, a lot of third down, especially those third-and-longs that we could not convert," Smith said.

On the surface, this season would end how it began, with the 49ers realizing just how much Ted Ginn Jr. meant to them. Ginn's two return touchdowns in Week 1 held off a late Seattle rally only days after the team had pressured him into accepting a pay reduction. Ginn's injury-related absence Sunday forced the less accomplished, less seasoned Williams into punt-return duty.

The results were disastrous, the lessons simple.

The 49ers were horrible on third down most of the season. They were worse against the Giants, converting one time in 13 chances. Touchdown passes to Davis covering 73 and 28 yards should have been enough on a day when the 49ers held Eli Manning and the Giants to 3.9 yards per play -- the lowest figure for a Giants offense since a Dec. 14, 2008 meeting with Dallas, a span of 52 games, counting playoffs.

Under less cruel and less unusual circumstances, the 49ers would have made up for their third-down issues by hawking the ball and forcing turnovers. But a secondary that had picked off 24 passes in 17 games fell all over itself trying to collect passes Manning threw right to them. Dashon Goldson collided with Carlos Rogers to foil one sure pick. Goldson and Tarell Brown collided to wreck another freebie.

Even when the 49ers appeared to force and recover an Ahmad Bradshaw fumble, head linesman Mark Hittner ruled San Francisco had stopped Bradshaw's forward progress before the ball came out.

"Every play that happened in the game, except that one, was played out to the completion of the play," Harbaugh said.

That was as close as the 49ers came to complaining about factors beyond their control. They lost this one more than the Giants won it. That is what hurt them the most.

A successful first season under Harbaugh guarantees nothing for the future. The rest of the NFC West appears to be gaining. The offseason will give the 49ers' future opponents time to figure out what this coaching staff sprung on the NFL so impressively this season.

The 49ers are unlikely to encounter a lower Super Bowl bar than the one they tripped over Sunday. All they had to do was beat a 9-7 team at home.

Pregame talk casting the Giants as a red-hot team amounted to nothing. The 49ers jumped to a 7-0 lead in the first nine minutes. They led 14-10 late in the third quarter and tied it late in the fourth without making a third-down conversion until the final play of regulation. The Giants did little to win the game late until forcing that fumble and centering the ball for Lawrence Tynes' winning kick.

"This is the hardest loss of my career in football, especially with it being so close, being in it the whole game," left tackle Joe Staley said. "A lot of missed opportunities."