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Aldon Smith's 14-sack rookie season and Bruce Irvin's recent first-round selection have obscured another young NFC West pass-rusher with great potential.

Not for long, perhaps.

The St. Louis Rams' Robert Quinn, chosen 14th overall in 2011, showed up Monday among 12 second-year players to watch in 2012, according to Mel Kiper Jr.

"I fully expected Quinn to have a so-so rookie season after sitting out his entire final season at North Carolina," Kiper wrote. "But now comfortable, he could easily double the 5.0 sacks he notched last year. Too much talent to keep down."

Kiper's list features only players coming off less noteworthy rookie seasons.

Quinn had five sacks while playing 52 percent of the Rams' defensive snaps last season. He'll move from a situational role to the starting lineup, a transition signaled by James Hall's release from the team.

Quinn made more of an impact as his rookie season progressed, including on special teams, where his athleticism made Quinn a threat to block punts. Quinn was once the special-teams player of the week in the NFC and later the Rams' special-teams player of the year. He also ranked second on the team with 14 quarterback hits.

Quinn was the only NFC West player to make Kiper's short list. I've put together a few candidates from the rest of the division:

• Arizona Cardinals: Second-round choice Ryan Williams is the choice for now, with third-rounder Rob Housler also in the conversation. Both appear positioned to make significant strides. Williams, if healthy, will have additional chances to handle the ball. The Cardinals thought Williams was going to be a breakout player last season. A torn patella tendon ended his season. The team figured Housler would need a year of seasoning after making the transition from Florida Atlantic without the benefit of a regular NFL offseason.
• Seattle Seahawks: Receiver Kris Durham is one obvious candidate after missing all but three games last season with a torn labrum. He'll have a chance to earn a spot in the rotation this season. Four other 2011 picks became starters for Seattle (James Carpenter, John Moffitt, K.J. Wright and Richard Sherman). I removed them from consideration. That left Durham, Byron Maxwell, Pep Levingston and Malcolm Smith among choices still with the team.
• San Francisco 49ers: Daniel Kilgore's path to the starting job at right guard appeared clearer before tackle Alex Boone became a candidate for the spot. Kilgore, a fifth-round choice from Appalachian State, still might be the best candidate for a breakout season among the 49ers' choices (to the extent a guard can break out, that is). Second-round choice Colin Kaepernick would be a bolder projection. He likely will not play much unless Alex Smith struggles or suffers an injury. This assumes Chris Culliver, a regular contributor as a third-round choice, remains the third corner.

Enjoy your Monday night.

TheFault17 makes a welcome point after reading about Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson making a positive impression during rookie minicamps over the weekend.

"A third-round QB looks good against other rookies and undrafted players? Who would have thunk it?" he writes. "Not hating on Wilson at all, but there's way too much stock put in rookie minicamps. Is it September yet?"

It's definitely not September, but it's never too early for keeping things in their proper perspective.

A year ago, the NFL lockout led teams to cancel offseason camps entirely.

That did not stop Patrick Peterson from scoring four touchdowns on punt returns for the Arizona Cardinals. It did not stop Aldon Smith from leading the San Francisco 49ers in sacks with 14. It did not prevent mid-round picks K.J. Wright and Richard Sherman from becoming solid starters for the Seattle Seahawks.

Bruce Miller, a seventh-round pick from Central Florida, became the 49ers' starting fullback despite playing defensive end in college. Then there was undrafted free agent Doug Baldwin, who led the Seahawks in receiving.

Perhaps these rookies would have enjoyed even greater success with some additional on-field prep time in the spring. This year, I'll be interested in revisiting some of the rookie camp storylines to see which ones, if any, proved helpful.

RENTON, Wash. -- Where NFC West teams still have needs heading into the final four rounds of the 2012 NFL draft:

• Arizona Cardinals: offensive tackle. The team chose receiver Michael Floyd over tackle Riley Reiff in the first round. That was understandable, but without a second-round choice, the Cardinals weren't going to find a starting tackle in this draft, most likely. Taking cornerback Jamell Fleming in the third round drove home that reality.
• St. Louis Rams: outside linebacker. Other teams in the division have found starters after the first couple of rounds. Seattle did it with K.J. Wright in the fourth round last year. Previously, San Francisco found NaVorro Bowman in the third. The Rams have the first pick of the fourth round Saturday. Perhaps there's a linebacker worth taking there.
• San Francisco 49ers: guard. The 49ers traded back from the third round into the early fourth. Finding an interior offensive lineman isn't a huge priority at this point. Only seven linemen are active on game days, anyway. But if the 49ers saw one good enough to push Daniel Kilgore and Alex Boone for the starting job at right guard, that could be a consideration.
• Seattle Seahawks: tight end. The team lost John Carlson in free agency and decided against signing 32-year-old Visanthe Shiancoe before the draft. Shiancoe could still be a fallback, presumably, but with only three tight ends off the board in the first three rounds, that could be a position to consider.

Should be another fun day. I'm set up and ready to go. The video above does feature some NFC West talk. Jon Gruden's thoughts on Russell Wilson were interesting. Gruden likes the new Seattle quarterback's potential.

RENTON, Wash. -- There were no bold strikes up the draft board for NFC West teams Thursday night.

There was resignation among those hoping the St. Louis Rams would emerge with a No. 1 wide receiver for quarterback Sam Bradford. The Rams traded down instead, taking LSU defensive tackle Michael Brockers after wideouts Justin Blackmon and Michael Floyd vanished from the talent pool right before St. Louis picked.

There was the expected in Arizona, where the Cardinals went with Floyd over tackle Riley Reiff, no slam dunk but a widely projected scenario in recent weeks.

There was waiting in San Francisco, where the 49ers did not pick until No. 30, where they selected Illinois receiver A.J. Jenkins shortly after two top guards landed elsewhere.

And then there was utter shock in Seattle, where the Seahawks used the 15th overall choice for a player with more time logged in jail than in the mainstream media mock drafts circulating recently.

The Seahawks could have had pass-rushers Quinton Coples, Melvin Ingram or Chandler Jones, but instead they went with West Virginia's Bruce Irvin, a former junior-college transfer with a rough past, a sensational first step and a history with Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, who once recruited him to USC.

Irvin is not Charles Haley, Chris Doleman, Derrick Thomas or Dwight Freeney. He is not even Von Miller or Jevon Kearse. The Seahawks think he'll become that type of player quickly, however, and they are not shy about leaving that impression. It's an upset if Irvin fails to reach double digits in sacks this season, to hear the Seahawks speak of him.

"This guy comes off the ball like Dwight Freeney and Von Miller and Jevon Kearse," general manager John Schneider said.

Irvin is not for everyone. At 6-foot-3 and 248 pounds, he's a pure pass-rusher, not a player with the strength to anchor against the run on early downs. Irvin represents what Carroll wants for the "Leo" role manned capably by Chris Clemons in recent years. Irvin will play immediately as a situational pass-rusher. The plan will be to groom him as Clemons' successor eventually.

"He is exactly the makeup that you are looking for," Carroll said. "This goes all the way back to Charles Haley and Chris Doleman and Derrick Thomas. That is the kind of effect this guy has a chance to have. He has a lot to learn. He is going to have to grow up with us and learn our system. But the makeup of this player is so rare. He looks like a carbon copy of Von Miller rushing the passer."

Seattle spent big to retain run-stuffing defensive end Red Bryant in free agency. The money Bryant commanded means he'll be on the field for early downs. And with Clemons coming off an 11-sack season, that meant the Seahawks weren't looking for an every-down defensive end. They were looking for a player with a unique set of skills, and Irvin fits on that front. His 6.7-second time in the three-cone drill was the fastest for any player at the scouting combine.

"This position is so rare to find a guy that runs this fast," Carroll said.

Irvin follows a pattern in Seattle. Bryant is much bigger than the typical defensive end. Brandon Browner (6-4) and Richard Sherman (6-3) are taller than the typical cornerback. Kam Chancellor is the biggest strong safety in the league. Earl Thomas might be the NFL's fastest free safety. Linebacker K.J. Wright stands 6-4 and is rangier than most.

Now comes Irvin, who played wide receiver in high school before flunking out as a junior. Irvin was living on the streets for two years, at one point keeping his possessions in a bag. He spent a couple weeks in jail after allegedly robbing a drug dealer. Irvin pulled himself together, earned his GED and landed, eventually, on the football team at Mount San Antonio College.

"I went through a lot of stuff in my life," Irvin said. "I've seen a lot. The average person would not be on this call."

Nothing came of a more recent arrest for destruction of property.

"The Lord knew it was B.S.," Irvin said, drawing laughter from reporters huddled around a conference-call speaker at Seahawks headquarters.

A year ago, the Seahawks shocked draft analysts by selecting tackle James Carpenter with the 25th overall choice. Carpenter hadn't appeared in many first-round mock drafts, but the Seahawks weren't the only team with a first-round grade on him. Pittsburgh and Green Bay also liked him. An injury derailed Carpenter last season, making it tough to evaluate that choice. The Irvin selection was similar in that virtually no one projected the move.

So far, though, Carroll has usually been right when targeting specific defensive players for specific roles. And there is precedent within the division for surprise first-round selections making an immediate impact.

The 49ers selected Aldon Smith seventh overall last year when few projected the Missouri pass-rusher to San Francisco. Smith, unlike Irvin, was widely considered a top-15 prospect by analysts. Smith finished his rookie season with 14 sacks, finishing behind only Miller in defensive-rookie-of-the-year balloting, even though conventional wisdom suggested Smith would need time to develop.

Smith succeeded right away largely because the 49ers used him properly, asking him to do the one thing he could do best: rush the passer.

The bar has been set high for Irvin.

"I'm just a great athlete," Irvin said. "I'm going to do great things for this organization. The sky is the limit for me."

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 Syracuse defensive end Chandler Jones for the Seattle Seahawks with the 27th overall choice, acquired from New England as part of a deal involving the 12th pick.

My rationale: The Seahawks like defensive players with unusual physical characteristics. Jones has freakishly long arms and would upgrade a pass rush that was lacking in 2011. "Highly athletic, vine-armed, havoc-wreaking pass-rusher with rare dimensions and a developing frame to fill out and become a pass-rushing force," Nolan Nawrocki writes in his annual draft guide for Pro Football Weekly. Seattle still needs help at linebacker, but this draft is deep at that position, according to Seahawks general manager John Schneider. The team landed starting linebacker K.J. Wright in the fourth round a year ago. Finding an impact pass-rusher later would be more difficult. Jones fills a primary need, and he does so 15 selections later than the Seahawks were originally scheduled to select. That seems like a welcome development for the Seahawks, who get another chance to help themselves at No. 31.

What's next for the NFC West: The San Francisco 49ers hold the 30th choice.

The NFC West received only a belated dishonorable mention when Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. listed teams set up poorly for the 2012 NFL draft.

Atlanta, New Orleans, Oakland and the New York Giants made the list. Williamson generally likes where NFC West teams stand, and I would agree, but here are potential concerns for each team in the division:

• St. Louis Rams: The Rams are set up beautifully for the long term after acquiring additional first-round picks in 2013 and 2014. They could use a true difference-maker at wide receiver, a clear No. 1 to stand out from a group with pretty good depth. Drafting a wide receiver at No. 6 would make sense, but what if the Rams aren't comfortable with taking Justin Blackmon or Michael Floyd that early? Could they feel pressure to reach? I think they'll have the long term in mind. Coach Jeff Fisher and general manager Les Snead are just starting out. Sure, their team needs playmakers, but time is on their side. Having an additional second-round choice puts the Rams in even stronger position for this draft.


• Seattle Seahawks: The team has no fifth-round pick thanks to the Marshawn Lynch trade. But after signing quarterback Matt Flynn and helping the pass rush with Jason Jones' addition, the Seahawks should face little pressure to draft for need in the first round. The Seahawks would ideally move back from the 12th overall slot, adding picks -- perhaps a fifth-rounder to make up for the one Seattle sent to Buffalo. The team could use a starting middle linebacker. There's good depth at that position in this draft, meaning the Seahawks can come out OK even if Luke Kuechly is not available. Seattle found starting linebacker K.J. Wright in the fourth round of the 2011 draft, which had less depth at the position.


• Arizona Cardinals: Teams prefer to enter a draft with at least one pick in every round and no glaring needs. The Cardinals have no second-round choice. They also have a clear need for an offensive tackle. That combination could put pressure on the Cardinals to select a tackle in the first round. What if there are no tackles worthy of the 13th overall selection? Arizona has done a good job favoring value over need in multiple instances over recent drafts. Taking running back Ryan Williams in the second round last year comes to mind as one example. Ideally, the Cardinals would move back in this draft, pick up a second-round choice and still find a tackle to further solidify their line. They might have to move back into the early 20s to get a second-rounder, unless they were comfortable giving up later-round picks as part of a deal.


• San Francisco 49ers: The 49ers have one pick in every round, and no glaring needs. Picking 30th overall isn't very exciting, but neither are the 49ers' needs. They could use an interior offensive lineman (yawn). They could find room for the right receiver, cornerback or safety. Depth for the front seven could be nice. What about running back? Oh, and if tight end Coby Fleener is there, he could make sense too. The 49ers could go in just about any direction, a good thing for a team coming off a 13-3 season. The only complaint is picking so late, but that's a small price to pay for winning.

Any other concerns for these teams? These are the ones that come to mind for me.

Trading down in the NFL draft to acquire additional picks sounds good in theory.

Sometimes, it's tough finding a trading partner. Other times, sacrificing quality for quantity hurts a team's prospects.

But in every case, making an effort to trade down requires a team to trust its ability to find quality players later in a draft -- often in the middle rounds.

This is the range where the Seattle Seahawks' Pete Carroll and John Schneider have fared well since taking over the team before the 2010 draft. The team has used seven fourth- and fifth-round choices during that time, most in the division. Those picks have produced a Pro Bowl safety (Kam Chancellor), a very good starting cornerback (Richard Sherman), a starting linebacker (K.J. Wright) and two players coming off injuries (Kris Durham, Walter Thurmond).

I would expect Durham to make a push for playing time in 2012 and make it tougher for Mike Williams to keep a roster spot.

Arizona has also done well drafting in the fourth and fifth rounds. Sam Acho came on strong as a pass-rushing outside linebacker last season, collecting seven sacks, the second-most for a Cardinals rookie since sacks became an official stat in 1982. Another outside linebacker, O'Brien Schofield, gained momentum as the 2011 season progressed, finishing with 4.5 sacks. Anthony Sherman met expectations as a starting fullback while John Skelton finished the season with four fourth-quarter comeback victories.

I've included in the chart below information for St. Louis, but the Rams have new leadership, so those choices tell us nothing about the team's ability to maximize draft choices in the middle rounds. The San Francisco 49ers have used only two picks in the fourth and fifth rounds since 2010. They have one in each round this year.

Overall, I'd say Seattle and Arizona have done well enough in the middle rounds recently to consider trading back in the draft to acquire additional picks in that range. It's a little early to make any declarations about the 49ers or Rams along those lines.

Hitting on picks in this range provides insurance against the occasional whiffs early in a draft, while also building critical depth.

ESPN's Trent Dilfer played for the Seattle Seahawks years ago, but he had serious questions about them last offseason.

Dilfer criticized their 2011 draft class, specifically the decision to draft offensive lineman James Carpenter over quarterback Andy Dalton.

But with fifth-round cornerback Richard Sherman emerging as part of a strong Seahawks secondary, Dilfer has pointed to the Seahawks as a potential surprise team in 2012.

Dilfer, Chris Mortensen and Mel Kiper Jr. focused on several other potential surprise teams in the "On the clock" video above. Dilfer explained his thinking on the Seahawks later in the segment. He likes Matt Flynn's addition and Seattle's ability to play pass coverage.

Quarterback perceptions can be volatile.

In my view, negative perceptions regarding Kevin Kolb have made it easier for analysts to discount the Arizona Cardinals' 7-2 record to finish last season. The feel was quite different last offseason, before Kolb had played for the team and struggled.

Leroy Hill's return to the Seattle Seahawks on a one-year deal means two-thirds of the team's 2011 starting linebackers are in place.

It does not alleviate the need to address the position in the draft.

The Seahawks, in announcing one-year deals for Hill and fellow linebacker Matt McCoy, can still easily justify using an early-round draft choice for a linebacker later this month.

Hill started all 16 games last season, the first time he played every game in a regular season. He played 87 percent of the defensive snaps and had four sacks, Hill's highest total since collecting 7.5 as a rookie third-round choice in 2005.

Hill remains the favorite to start on the weak side. Coach Pete Carroll has said he would prefer to keep incumbent starter K.J. Wright on the strong side, although Wright could also play the middle if necessary.

Veteran Barrett Ruud, signed from Tennessee in free agency last week, provides insurance at middle linebacker after starter David Hawthorne left for New Orleans. It's an upset, however, if the Seahawks do not seek a starting linebacker at some point in the draft.

"As Carroll said to me last week, linebackers in free agency moved off the board slowly because there are some very interesting linebackers in the draft," wrote CBSSports.com draft analyst Pat Kirwan, a longtime Carroll associate.

Good morning, NFC West.

We've had some great discussions in the comments sections of various entries. I checked in around 3 a.m. ET -- hey, it's earlier here on the West Coast -- and joined a conversation about what the Seattle Seahawks might be thinking in the first round of the upcoming draft.

Some were discussing Tony Pauline's contention that Seattle could draft safety Mark Barron, then move Kam Chancellor to outside linebacker. That seems like unnecessarily messing with a good thing.

SEAFENCEmwa said he wanted Seattle to draft defensive end Courtney Upshaw to help the pass rush. Ian 202128 noted that some have questioned whether Upshaw would fit in the Seahawks' defense.

My take: Seattle has done a good job adapting scheme to players, specifically with Red Bryant. Pete Carroll likes guys with unique or unusual traits. Chancellor is huge for a safety. Earl Thomas is blazingly fast for a safety. K.J. Wright is on the tall side for a linebacker. Richard Sherman and Brandon Browner are huge for corners. Bryant is monstrous for a defensive end. Etc.

We'll continue these sorts of conversations for all the NFC West teams when the next NFC West chat gets going Thursday at 1 p.m. ET.

See you there.

Seattle Seahawks fans might recall linebacker David Hawthorne, then an emerging player, firing his agent and waiting til the last minute before signing a new contract in 2010.

Hawthorne was an exclusive-rights free agent at the time, meaning he had one choice: take a minimal one-year offer or hold out.

Exclusive-rights free agents usually re-sign as a matter of course, but not Hawthorne.

That series of events came to mind Tuesday when the New Orleans Saints announced they had reached agreement with Hawthorne as an unrestricted free agent.

A humbling market for inside linebackers suggested the Seahawks might be able to re-sign Hawthorne at a bargain rate, but pride sometimes intervenes. Players forced to take less money than anticipated sometimes feel more comfortable doing so elsewhere.

It's too early to say whether that was the case with Hawthorne. Initial news reports said contract terms were not available.

While Hawthorne led the Seahawks in tackles over the past three seasons, the Seahawks made other players higher priorities this offseason. They re-signed Red Bryant to a $35 million deal. They signed Matt Flynn for three years and $19 million.

Hawthorne visited Detroit and New Orleans. With the Saints, he joins former Seahawks teammate Will Herring. Hawthorne also gets a chance to start at middle linebacker if and when incumbent Jonathan Vilma serves a bounty-related suspension, as yet unannounced. Update: The Saints also signed Atlanta Falcons free-agent middle linebacker Curtis Lofton, so I'm not sure where Hawthorne will project in New Orleans. He played the weak side in Seattle previously.

The Seahawks are hurting for experienced depth at linebacker, but their leadership has welcomed the opportunity to address needs in the draft. K.J. Wright, a fourth-round choice in 2011, played well enough right away for the team to feel good about dumping Aaron Curry. Malcolm Smith, a seventh-rounder in 2011, is another young prospect.

Seattle appeared likely to address linebacker in the 2012 draft with or without Hawthorne in the picture. Boston College's Luke Kuechly is one option in the first round. The Seahawks have also fared well finding defensive starters in the middle rounds, from Wright to starting cornerback Richard Sherman, to Pro Bowl strong safety Kam Chancellor.

Re-signing veteran linebacker Leroy Hill is another option for Seattle.

Brock Huard, Mike Salk and I spent 13-14 minutes Thursday discussing where the Seattle Seahawks stand heading toward the 2012 NFL draft.

One question: Should the team focus on adding a front-line receiver to help new quarterback Matt Flynn, or should finding pass-rush help (and possibly linebacker help) stand as top priority?

I lean toward making pass-rush help a higher priority while the team finds out whether Flynn has the ability to maximize the existing weapons and make full use of additional ones.

The chart shows which players accounted for the Seahawks' 33 sacks last season.

Five of the players with at least 3.0 sacks are unsigned and/or will not return.

Anthony Hargrove has agreed to terms with Green Bay, Leroy Hill is unsigned and Raheem Brock is not expected back. Jason Jones, signed from Tennessee, should help pump up the numbers to a degree. But there's definitely room for another contributor.

Audio here.

NFC West thoughts as NFL free agency runs through its second day:

• The Seattle Seahawks' free-agent visit with Steve Hutchinson calls attention to the team's situation at left guard. Robert Gallery's $5 million salary and $1.5 million bonus represent a steep price. If the Seahawks are going to pay $6.5 million for a left guard in 2012, Hutchinson would appear to be the better value. Re-signing Paul McQuistan for depth at guard and tackle could also make sense. Update: The Seahawks have announced Gallery's release and McQuistan's re-signing.
• Free-agent quarterback Chad Henne canceled his visit to the Seahawks after reaching an agreement on a contract with Jacksonville. Seattle still plans to meet with Matt Flynn, but the team has proven it will show restraint at the position when dealing with unproven prospects. That was the case last offseason when Seattle resisted acquiring Kevin Kolb. Flynn fits into a similar category.
• The San Francisco 49ers continue to consider a long list of options at wide receiver. Brandon Lloyd, Chaz Schilens and Mario Manningham are possibilities. Eddie Royal could become an option as well, Matt Barrows reports. The 49ers obviously hope to cover themselves at the position in free agency, taking off pressure to target any one position early in the draft.
• Former 49ers guard/tackle/center Adam Snyder gives the Cardinals improved depth on their offensive line. Losing him can be a positive for the 49ers if it forces them to seek an upgrade at the position. Veteran players such as Snyder are easy to coach. Sometimes teams get comfortable with them at the expense of upgrading. The 49ers came out OK last offseason after losing center David Baas to the Giants.
• The Seahawks and St. Louis Rams both have interest in former Tennessee Titans defensive lineman Jason Jones. Jones struggled at defensive end last season. He would play tackle with the Rams or Seahawks. St. Louis has the greater need. Seattle could use Jones as depth behind Red Bryant and as an inside pass-rusher.
• Seahawks linebacker David Hawthorne plans to visit New Orleans. The Saints should know him well. Hawthorne had a combined 21 tackles and one interception against New Orleans in two games during the 2010 season (one in postseason). He faced the Rams six times when new Saints defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo was head coach in St. Louis. Hawthorne is an NFL success story as an undrafted free-agent-turned-starter. Seattle needs help at linebacker whether or not Hawthorne returns. K.J. Wright can move from the strong side to the middle if needed.
• The Cardinals remain largely in a holding pattern while awaiting a decision from Peyton Manning. Other veteran free-agent quarterbacks are signing deals around the league. That's no big deal for Arizona if the Cardinals are comfortable paying a $7 million bonus to keep Kolb. But if Manning signs elsewhere and Arizona wants to sign a cheaper alternative to Kolb, the pickings could be slim. Matt Hasselbeck comes to mind if Manning lands in Tennessee.
• The Rams' interest in former Houston Texans tackle Eric Winston has led to a potential visit.

Thanks for coming along.

The Arizona Cardinals, aggressive in free agency one year ago, watched from the sideline Tuesday while other teams signed players.

They had fewer perceived needs, for one, but they also needed to know whether Peyton Manning planned to sign with them.

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic says the team will remain in a holding pattern until the Manning situation gains clarity. Their approach to creating room under the salary cap hung in the balance. Somers: "If he picks the Cardinals, the team likely will let Kevin Kolb go, saving itself from paying the bonus [$7 million to Kolb by Friday]. If Manning chooses another team by then, the Cardinals probably will keep Kolb and pay the bonus. If Manning hasn't picked a team by then, the Cardinals have a difficult choice. Do they let Kolb go and gamble that they will get Manning? How confident would they be entering the season with John Skelton and Rich Bartel as the only quarterbacks on the roster? Or, do they keep Kolb and end their pursuit of Manning?" Noted: Kolb would obviously be out if the team signed Manning. But the bonus payment is large enough to raise questions independent of any decision Manning makes. Paying the bonus would be more difficult if the Cardinals werent' sure whether Kolb would be better than backup John Skelton, who is scheduled to earn $490,000 in salary for the 2012 season.

Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the Rams' needs transcend any one position. Also: "I don't think Gregg Williams' status will impact free agency. By now it seems obvious that the NFL will wallop Williams hard with a lengthy suspension. Even with the bounty-system scandal, Williams is popular, and will remain popular, among NFL defensive players that have worked for him. Sure, that could be a selling point. But it's not as if the Rams have a coaching staff of wallflowers out there. Fisher, Dave McGinnis and other assistants, including Chuck Cecil, are live wires. They'll have no problem creating the kind of jacked-up, tough-guy mindset that appeals to defensive players. And if McGinnis takes over as defensive coordinator, let's just remember that he's always been a respected and admired coach in the league. And we'll say it one more time: money tends to buy loyalty."

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the Rams' were aggressive in landing Cortland Finnegan, but the situation at receiver remained unsettled. He says the Rams were trying to set up a visit with Robert Meachem before the free-agent wideout from New Orleans reached agreement with San Diego.

Jeff Gordon of stltoday.com looks at recent Rams roster moves.

Howard Balzer of 101ESPN St. Louis updates the Rams' outlook in free agency. Balzer: "The Rams are expecting a visit Thursday from Detroit quarterback Shaun Hill and possibly tackle Eric Winston, who was released Tuesday by the Houston Texans."

Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times says the Seahawks' apparent interest in Chad Henne came as a surprise. O'Neil: "Henne, 26, is scheduled to visit Jacksonville before departing for Seattle, where he's expected to arrive Wednesday. Henne had a 13-18 record as the starting quarterback the past three seasons in Miami."

Also from O'Neil: What is David Hawthorne worth to Seattle? O'Neil: "Maybe the Seahawks plan to go young at that position. K.J. Wright -- a fourth-round pick last year -- is the only starting linebacker currently under contract for 2012, and then there's Malcolm Smith, a seventh-round pick who runs well, but has had trouble staying healthy. In two years, we've seen that Seattle is willing to tighten its belt and make changes, but we haven't seen what kind of linebackers the Seahawks want to invest in and keep around. In that regard, Hawthorne's free agency is something worth watching."

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com offers a quick free-agency scorecard for the San Francisco 49ers. Maiocco: "The 49ers' defense appears to be set with the late push Tuesday night to re-sign cornerback Carlos Rogers. ... The only change to the lineup in 2012 is the anticipated promotion of outside linebacker Aldon Smith to take Parys Haralson's starting job at right outside linebacker. General manager Trent Baalke said the 49ers plan for Smith, a pass-rush specialist as a rookie in 2011, to take a full-time role."

Also from Maiocco: various 49ers notes, including one about special-teams ace Blake Costanzo, who signed with Chicago. Maiocco: "The 49ers want their special-teams players to be able to play defense, too, and the personnel department did not consider Costanzo as an option at inside linebacker, if he were needed behind Patrick Willis or NaVorro Bowman."

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee runs through the 49ers' first day of free agency. Barrows: "Day One of free agency began and ended without a deal for quarterback Alex Smith, another player the team wants back. For the first time since the 49ers drafted him in 2005, Smith has no formal contract or deal in hand with them, although there is a three-year offer on the table. Team president Jed York on Monday seemed confident the two sides would reach a compromise but said the 'ball's in his court,' an indication the 49ers feel Smith and his representatives are the ones holding up a contract."

Frequent hand-wringing over the Seattle Seahawks' quarterback situation has struck a nerve with some.

"After seeing the 'Why not trade up for a QB' piece, I have to say I am getting a little frustrated with all the talk of how Seattle HAS to get a QB," Javier from Renton, Wash., wrote.

Javier then ran through all the first-round quarterbacks drafted from 1998 through 2007, noting that only about one-third of them met expectations.

"My question to you is, would you make a trade for a 34 percent chance on getting a franchise QB?" Javier asked.

There's no sense in taking the wrong quarterback just to say you addressed a need. But would you rather have a 34 percent chance or a zero percent chance? At some point, a team has to risk failure for a shot at success.

History might ultimately vindicate Seattle for drafting James Carpenter over Andy Dalton last year. Which one would you rather have right now? Only one of them has a shot at becoming a top quarterback.

The Seahawks haven't drafted even one quarterback since Pete Carroll became head coach. That has actually helped them build up their roster in a short period of time.

Instead of taking a chance on quarterback Ricky Stanzi in the fourth round last year, they found a starting linebacker in K.J. Wright. Instead of using a fifth-round pick for quarterback Nathan Enderle, the Seahawks found a terrific cornerback in Richard Sherman.

Instead of taking a chance on Tim Tebow in the 2010 first round, the Seahawks found a Pro Bowl safety in Earl Thomas. They took Golden Tate when Colt McCoy was available. They took Walter Thurmond when Mike Kafka was on the board. They went with Kam Chancellor when they could have had John Skelton.

Most of those moves were the right ones under the circumstances. The team does need to find a quarterback, however.

Hashem from Palestine thinks the Arizona Cardinals should cut ties with Kevin Kolb and go all in for Peyton Manning. He thinks Skelton would benefit from working under Manning, and he thinks the Cardinals are built to win now.

Mike Sando: What if Manning isn't ready for minicamps or training camps? What if he never plays again? What if he plays one more season and never recaptures previous form? Those scenarios seem plausible given Manning's long layoff and repeated surgeries.

The risk would be worth taking if the Cardinals thought Kolb would be no better than Skelton. If Arizona does think Kolb can become a top player, however, it's tougher to part with him amid serious questions about Manning's health.

Arizona must make a decision on Kolb by March 17. What will teams know about Manning by then?

---

Brian from Visalia, Calif., wonders whether the St. Louis Rams would consider trading Sam Bradford to Cleveland, where Bradford would be reunited with Pat Shurmur. Under this scenario, the Rams' new leadership would draft its own quarterback.

Mike Sando: We discussed this during the regular season, before the Rams made a coaching change. The Browns have additional picks this year, giving them leverage for trading. They need a quarterback. Bradford would fit with Shurmur.

I do not think the Rams would do this, however. Salary-cap implications would come into play. To my knowledge, the team still thinks Bradford will become a top quarterback.

These are fun scenarios to consider, but in my opinion, Bradford will stay put.

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Bill from Clearwater, Fla., wants to know which direction the Rams might go in the draft with Jeff Fisher and Les Snead in place.

Mike Sando: Bill asked this question a few days ago. I honestly did not see it before putting together an item addressing this very subject.

Fisher and Snead have worked for teams that never (Fisher) or rarely (Snead) used a first-round choice for an offensive lineman. Fisher and defensive coordinator Gregg Williams will want to add swagger to the defense. Fisher and Snead will want to add a playmaking element to the offense.

What the Rams do in free agency will influence their draft plan. I lean toward thinking the Rams will wind up with Oklahoma State receiver Justin Blackmon, figuring they need help for Bradford. But it's still too early to have a great feel.

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Steven from Lakeville, Minn., wants to know which players, besides their own, the San Francisco 49ers might target in free agency. He thinks New Orleans Saints guard Carl Nicks would shore up the line for years to come, allowing them to target receivers and defensive backs in the draft.

Mike Sando: I'm thinking the 49ers will target middle-tier free agents. Carlos Rogers was one of them last offseason, and a good one. Nicks would be a luxury signing and more expensive than the free agents San Francisco has targeted recently. I would expect the 49ers to develop their younger offensive linemen instead. Daniel Kilgore is a candidate to start at right guard if he develops this offseason.

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