ESPN NFL

Todd McShay set off alarms as he considered if NFL teams drafting sixth (St. Louis Rams) and 10th (Buffalo Bills) might consider selecting wide receivers with those choices.

The alarms grew louder as McShay, speaking in the video above, noted that Oklahoma State's Justin Blackmon, widely rated as the top receiver in the 2012 NFL draft, did not possess prototypical size.

Blackmon, though obviously talented, doesn't fit the physical mold for receivers drafted among the top three overall choices over the past 25-plus years. We discussed the reasons back at the combine, when the Rams held the second overall choice and Blackmon was a consideration for them.

The Rams subsequently traded the second overall choice to Washington. They now hold the sixth overall choice. Blackmon would be a more logical value there than at No. 2, except for those alarms going off.

Consider recent draft history.

First, take a look at receivers drafted among the top five overall choices since 2000, listed in the first chart below.

Three of the seven are superstars: Calvin Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald and Andre Johnson. Another, A.J. Green, is coming off an impressive rookie season. Braylon Edwards has enjoyed sporadic success. The other two, Charles Rogers and Peter Warrick, fell far short of expectations.

Those seven players have combined for 12 Pro Bowl appearances (Fitzgerald 5, Johnson 5, Johnson 1, Edwards 1).

The next set of receivers, listed below, were drafted sixth to 15th overall. I selected that range because three NFC West teams -- the Rams, Seattle Seahawks (12th) and Arizona Cardinals (13th) -- hold picks in that area.

The 16 players listed in the second chart have combined for two Pro Bowls, one by Roy Williams and the other by Koren Robinson as a return specialist in Minnesota, long after Robinson had bombed as a receiver.

Receivers talented enough to command selection among the top few overall choices have fared better than the ones with enough question marks to push them down into the next tier.

That is something to consider when weighing how the Rams, Seahawks and Cardinals should use their first-round selections, even if the Rams did land Torry Holt with the sixth overall choice in 1999.

The list of available unrestricted free-agent receivers continues to dwindle.

The St. Louis Rams aren't going to find the playmaking help they covet on a list featuring Plaxico Burress, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Patrick Crayton, Rashied Davis, Deion Branch, Jerheme Urban, Bryant Johnson, Roy Williams, Greg Camarillo, Jerricho Cotchery, Mark Clayton, Roscoe Parrish, Michael Clayton, Courtney Roby, Michael Spurlock, David Anderson, Legedu Naanee, Devin Aromashodu, Donnie Avery, Maurice Stovall, Andre Caldwell, Ted Ginn Jr., Steve Smith (Philly version), Jerome Simpson and Devin Thomas.

Roger Hensley of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch asked colleagues how the Rams will address the issue. Jim Thomas: "There’s not much left at the position in free agency. The wide receiver shelves were cleaned out quickly, so barring a trade of some kind -- which seems unlikely -- the Rams are almost limited to getting help via the draft. And at No. 6 overall, there’s no guarantee that Justin Blackmon of Oklahoma State will be available. So yes, the team is in a bit of a predicament at wide receiver."

Also from Thomas, regarding Mike Wallace: "He has a first-round tender. And you can only use your original first-round pick as compensation. The Rams no longer have their original first-round pick after trading down with Washington. So they can't acquire Wallace through the regular process of restricted free agency. Now, the Rams could always offer less in a sign-and-trade situation. But why would the Steelers want less than a first-rounder? They put the tender on him in an attempt to keep him." Noted: The Rams could, in theory, offer the sixth overall pick, but that would be a steep price to pay.

Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch thinks the Rams should steer clear of Tim Tebow.

Howard Balzer of 101ESPN St. Louis says the Rams' search for a backup quarterback continues in the absence of attractive options.

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com quotes 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh regarding Harbaugh's relationship with Alex Smith: "It's been good -- strong relationship, as always. It's a very strong relationship."

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee has this to say about the situation with Smith: "It's unclear if Smith agrees with Harbaugh that they are as tight as they've ever been. The team's offer did not exactly mesh with Harbaugh's statements of devotion during and after the season. While it's all but certain Smith will be the 49ers' quarterback this season, it also leaves an opening for backup Colin Kaepernick to take over before the three years are complete. Kaepernick has been a regular at the 49ers' training facility this offseason."

Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle says the 49ers have ruled out Tebow, according to CEO Jed York.

Darren Urban of azcardinals.com says Early Doucet's re-signing means the Cardinals will return their top receivers from last season. Urban: "Doucet set career-highs in 2011 with 54 receptions, 689 yards and five touchdowns in his fourth NFL season, playing in 16 games for the first time. He came up with a pair of long touchdown catches against Carolina (70 yards) and San Francisco (60 yards) and scored on a game-winning screen pass in Philadelphia."

Also from Urban: The Cardinals have little salary-cap room, and there are tradeoffs associated with gaining flexibility.

Brady Henderson of 710ESPN Seattle quotes Seahawks coach Pete Carroll as saying Peyton Manning reached out to the Seahawks while figuring out which team to join. Carroll: "He had contacted me about wanting to talk about coming here. By the time we got down to where we had our chance he had already set his sights on going in the direction wound up going, with Denver."

Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times looks at the market for free-agent linebacker David Hawthorne. O'Neil: "Hawthorne has led Seattle in tackles each of the past three years, but right now, the market for free-agent linebackers looks to be a little softer than some expected." Noted: Looks like we're approaching that period where players reset their expectations before taking deals for less than they had hoped.

Clare Farnsworth of seahawks.com puts together an overview of free agency from the Seahawks' perspective.

Wide receivers Vincent Jackson, Pierre Garcon, Reggie Wayne, Robert Meachem, Eddie Royal, Laurent Robinson, Josh Morgan, Eric Weems and Harry Douglas have found new homes after hitting the NFL's free-agent market.

Franchise tags essentially removed from consideration Dwayne Bowe, Wes Welker and DeSean Jackson.

Others, such as Marques Colston, re-signed before free agency.

Teams still searching for help at the position -- that would be pretty much everyone but Seattle in the NFC West -- are left with a picked-over group of free agents.

Jerome Simpson, Plaxico Burress, Brandon Lloyd, Legedu Naanee, Devin Aromashodu, Roy Williams, Mario Manningham and Early Doucet are the only ones remaining to have played at least half of their team's offensive snaps during the 2011 season.

As the chart shows, Burress was particularly effective in the red zone for the New York Jets. He converted first downs 38 times in 45 receptions for the third-highest percentage among wide receivers with at least 40 receptions, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

Burress is also up there in age. He's among 12 available wideouts already in their 30s: Hines Ward (36), Burress (34), T.J. Houshmandzadeh (34), Kevin Curtis (33), Patrick Crayton (32), Deion Branch (32), Rashied Davis (32), Donte Stallworth (31), Jerheme Urban (31), Bryant Johnson (31), Lloyd (30) and Williams (30).

Of them, Lloyd has visited the San Francisco 49ers.

Nine more are 29 years old: Greg Camarillo, Keary Colbert, Mark Clayton, Jerricho Cotchery, Roscoe Parrish, Michael Clayton, Courtney Roby, Michael Spurlock and Braylon Edwards.

Still interested?

OK, let's check out 18 others, all younger than 29: David Anderson, Legedu Naanee, Devin Aroshamodu, Donnie Avery, Anthony Gonzalez, Maurice Stovall, Derek Hagan, Mike Sims-Walker, Ted Ginn Jr., Andre Caldwell, Steve Smith, Doucet, Brett Swain, Chaz Schilens, Simpson, Manningham, Devin Thomas and Kevin Ogletree.

Schilens visited Arizona and San Francisco. Manningham visited the 49ers and the St. Louis Rams.

I've also broken down the available wideouts by drafted round:

• First: Williams, Burress, Ginn, Stallworth, both Claytons, Johnson, Gonzalez and Edwards
• Second: Avery, Thomas, Simpson, Smith, Parrish, Branch, Colbert
• Third: Roby, Doucet, Hagan, Stovall, Manningham, Caldwell, Curtis, Sims-Walker, Ward
• Fourth: Cotchery, Lloyd
• Fifth: Legedu Naanee
• Sixth: none
• Seventh: Houshmandzadeh, Crayton, Schilens, Aromashodu, Anderson, Swain
• Undrafted: Davis, Urban, Camarillo, Spurlock, Ogletree

Only a handful of the available receivers project as starters. None would qualify as an outright game-breaker.

The Rams in particular need playmakers, but in looking at what is available, how many would qualify as dramatically better than what they already have? Austin Pettis, Brandon Gibson, Danario Alexander, Dominique Curry, Greg Salas and restricted free agent Danny Amendola are their current wideouts.

Initial thoughts after ESPN's John Clayton told me that former Jaguars receiver Reggie Williams will participate in the Seahawks' upcoming minicamp on a tryout basis:

• Seahawks coach Pete Carroll appreciated Williams' talents when both were in the Pac-10.
• Williams has some local appeal in Seattle after dominating at the University of Washington.
• Seattle has nothing to lose by giving Williams a shot.
• Williams has much to prove.
• The Seahawks' new regime probably will not rule out players with troubled pasts to the degree previous general manager Tim Ruskell once did.
• Seattle needs help at receiver, pending the addition of Brandon Marshall or another proven talent at the position.

I went through the 2004 class of drafted receivers and noted that, well, it wasn't a great class all the way through. Larry Fitzgerald and Roy Williams are the only guys with Pro Bowls. Lee Evans has done good things for the Bills. A couple of others have shown flashes.

Some background info from Clayton: "The former Lakes High School and former University of Washington star was the ninth player selected in the 2004 draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars. He caught 189 passes during his Jaguars career. Williams had some off-the-field problems in Jacksonville that included an arrest for marijuana possession, a DWI and another possession charge. Williams didn’t play football in 2009 but he’s ready to return to the field. At the age of 26, Williams welcomed the chance to return to his home turf. To participate in the minicamp, Williams had to sign an injury waiver with the team. If the three-day workout does well, he could be offered a contract."

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Larry Fitzgerald has been providing glimpses into his ongoing workout regimen through periodic Twitter updates. I'd like to thank Facebook friend Kevin for pointing out Darren Urban's link to Jim Trotter's more detailed accounting of Fitzgerald's efforts.

Fitzgerald has organized workouts in Minnesota, arranging for Jerry Rice and Cris Carter to provide coaching. He credits former offensive coordinator Todd Haley for stressing the importance of avoiding complacency. Trotter lists Brandon Marshall, Lee Evans, Greg Jennings, Michael Clayton, Sidney Rice, Brian Robiskie, DeAngelo Hall, Malcolm Jenkins, Matt Spaeth, Dominique Byrd and James Laurinaitis among those who have attended, with Tony Romo possibly planning to attend next week.

I'm not sure of each player's connection to Fitzgerald, Minnesota or this workout program in general, but it's a good sign when players take the initiative to seek out this type of training. Laurinaitis will likely start as a rookie linebacker for the Rams. Byrd is battling for a roster spot as a tight end in Arizona and to change his image (Carter called him a wide receiver in a fat man's body, according to Trotter).

Lots of players work out effectively and without the fanfare associated with Rice or Carter. Still, the fact that Fitzgerald would organize these workouts, even providing food for players at his home, reinforces everything we've learned about Fitzgerald's work habits and approach.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic says Kurt Warner plans to start visiting other teams after failing to reach an agreement with the Cardinals. Also from Somers: "According to NFL sources, the Cardinals are ready to open talks with strong safety Adrian Wilson's agent about a contract extension. Wilson has one year left on his contract."

Darren Urban of azcardinals.com says Warner's visit marks a "significant development, if for no other reason than it should move the needle in terms of negotiations with the Cardinals."

John Crumpacker of the San Francisco Chronicle quotes newly signed 49ers receiver Brandon Jones as saying he can provide a deep threat. Crumpacker expects the 49ers to draft another receiver after the first round.

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee downplays the 49ers' interest in Kurt Warner while reading between the lines in free agency. He thinks Chris Canty would be an ideal fit for the 49ers' defense even if it meant relegating Kentwan Balmer to a backup role again.

Daniel Brown of the San Jose Mercury News says the 49ers are willing to find out whether Warner is bluffing. Agent Mark Bartelstein says Warner doesn't use other people.

Nick Wagoner of stlouisrams.com says Jason Brown is already talking about getting to work as a new leader on the Rams' offensive line. Wagoner: "The Ravens viewed Brown's switch back to center as a means to lower his value on the free agent market. While the dollars going to guards has been steadily on the rise in recent years, Brown believes he helped re-establish the market for centers with the help of his agents."

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch quotes the Rams' new center on the relationship between linemen and the quarterback. Brown: "You have to have the faith in your offensive line to where you say, 'Hey, I know these guys are going to give me the seconds that I need in order to get this ball off.' You know what? We have to bring that back (in St. Louis)."

Jim Flynn and Scott Reynolds of Pewter Report say Bucs receiver Michael Clayton could have earned more money from the Seahawks, according to a radio report.

Mike Parker of Seahawk Addicts thinks the Chiefs' trade for Matt Cassel could put them in the market to draft receiver Michael Crabtree, perhaps affecting the Seahawks' draft plans. The Chiefs also need to address their defense, however, and Aaron Curry could be their man.

Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News says former Seahawks defensive tackle Rocky Bernard was looking for a fresh start. Bernard: "I was looking for a fresh start. Last year was really rough. It was so frustrating. I thought a change of scenery would be good. I'm really, really excited to be coming to the Giants. I wanted to go to a team that has had a lot of success and has a really good defense. That's what the Giants have. It feels good to be part of a great organization. They're a good football team."

Doug Farrar of Field Gulls quotes John Morgan of Field Gulls as saying Bernard's performance dropped off in 2008 for reasons largely beyond the defensive tackle's control. Morgan: "Defensive tackles who can rush the passer, hold the point and tackle opposing backs are rare and valuable. Red Bryant has a lot to live up to."

Mike Klis of the Denver Post says the Broncos' deal with Cardinals free-agent running back J.J. Arrington might fall through.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Matt Maiocco of the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat says he has not yet confirmed the 49ers' anticipated agreement with fullback Moran Norris.

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee says the 49ers are not among the teams pursuing free-agent defensive lineman Igor Olshansky.

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic says the Cardinals have no free-agent visits scheduled, but he thinks the team will work out a deal with Kurt Warner in the not-too-distant future.

Darren Urban of azcardinals.com suggests Drew Rosenhaus is putting out information about Bryant McFadden possibly visiting the Cardinals in the near future.

Clare Farnsworth of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer expresses skepticism over reports about the Seahawks targeting Jonathan Stinchcomb and Michael Clayton. For good reason.

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the Rams plan to begin negotiations on a deal to bring Ravens center Jason Brown to St. Louis.

Updating previous reports, the Cardinals' J.J. Arrington has agreed to terms with the Broncos. We should have that on our AFC West blog shortly. And here it is.