ESPN NFL

NFL teams rarely select offensive guards among the top overall choices in a given draft.

Mike Pouncey (15th 2011) and Mike Iupati (17th in 2010) were the only projected guards drafted among the top 17 overall selections in the last 10 drafts.

Before that, Steve Hutchinson was on a short list of highly drafted guards as the 17th player chosen in 2001.

So, how seriously would the Seahawks consider selecting a guard, David DeCastro, with the 12th overall choice this year?

Kevin Calabro, Jim Moore and I spent about 10 minutes Monday discussing that and other issues relating to the Seahawks on 710ESPN Seattle (audio here).

History says 12th overall is earlier than teams select guards, but I would not rule out the possibility.

The Seahawks did not value guards at a high level, in theory, when Mike Holmgren and Ted Thompson decided to select Hutchinson. But they obviously thought Hutchinson was good enough to warrant an exception. On a side note, current Seahawks general manager John Schneider was the Seahawks' player personnel director at the time.

Note: The chart shows guards drafted among the top-17 overall picks since 1995. Robert Gallery and other tackles have moved to guard during their NFL careers. The chart shows only those players drafted as guards. Damien Woody, chosen 17th overall by New England in 1999, was a candidate for inclusion. He was drafted as a center, however.

Similarities between Matt Flynn and Matt Hasselbeck border on eery.

Flynn, like Hasselbeck in 2001, came to the Seattle Seahawks from the Green Bay Packers. Both were reunited in Seattle with personnel people they knew in Green Bay (John Schneider for Flynn, Ted Thompson for Hasselbeck).

Flynn is 25 years old. Hasselbeck was 26. Both quarterbacks, though unproven, appeared close to joining the Miami Dolphins before landing in Seattle.

Flynn's new coach, Pete Carroll, has a 14-18 record and one playoff appearance with the Seahawks. He has been on the job for 26 months. Hasselbeck's coach in 2001, Mike Holmgren, had a 15-17 record and one playoff appearance with Seattle. He had been on the job for 26 months when the Seahawks landed Hasselbeck.

For all the striking circumstantial parallels, three differences give Flynn an opportunity to enjoy early success, something that eluded Hasselbeck and nearly derailed his career with the team. All three factors are a direct reflection of Carroll and, to an extent, Schneider:

• Realistic expectations: Carroll has tempered expectations by declaring publicly that Flynn must compete for the job with Tarvaris Jackson. Holmgren anointed Hasselbeck, went on about the importance of the position, and suggested his own job security hinged on his new quarterback's performance. There's always pressure on quarterbacks, but Carroll isn't adding to the pressure on Flynn by suggesting he's their savior.
• Support system: Carroll and Schneider are further along rebuilding the roster, particularly on defense, than was Holmgren in 2001. This allows the current Seahawks to better support all their quarterbacks. This was by design and carried risk when the team opted to use its 2011 first-round choice for guard James Carpenter instead of quarterback Andy Dalton, figuring the line needed reinforcing before welcoming a young passer.
  .
  But the upside is that Carroll and Schneider have put together the NFL's youngest defense, one that ranked ninth last season and should only improve. When Hasselbeck arrived in 2001, Holmgren was patching the NFL's last-ranked defense with veterans John Randle, Chad Eaton, Marcus Robertson and Levon Kirkland. There wasn't a young talent base to build around on that side of the ball.
  .
  "Matt (Flynn) comes in at a time when our sights are set on a strong running game, a young offensive line we're excited about with depth, an attitude that plays off the defense-and-special-teams-style that we play, and that we all can feel," Carroll said Monday.
• Overall philosophy. Carroll wants to win with a strong defense and running game, whereas Holmgren was all about the quarterback.
  "We have never asked the quarterback to carry the whole show," Carroll said. "We want him to be part of this offense and part of this football team, and be the point guard and spread the ball around."

Questions remain regarding the current Seahawks' ability to develop a quarterback for the long term. That was Holmgren's strength, and one reason Hasselbeck eventually developed into a Pro Bowl player.

The NFL has become more of a passing league since then, opening for debate whether Carroll's philosophy is best for the current NFL landscape.

Those are subjects for another day. Improving the short-term chances for Flynn has to be the top priority. The Seahawks have done that. The rest is up to Flynn.

The Seattle Seahawks went through their first two seasons under Pete Carroll without paying true starting money to a quarterback.

That remains the case after the team reached agreement Sunday on a three-year contract with free agent Matt Flynn.

The deal maxes out at $26 million with incentives, but the average stands just north of $6 million per year. That is more than the team paid previous veteran acquisitions Tarvaris Jackson and Charlie Whitehurst, but not dramatically so.

Flynn did not get franchise quarterback money. Kevin Kolb got more from the Arizona Cardinals in eight months -- $19 million -- than Flynn will get from Seattle in three years unless he hits incentives. Flynn got probable starter money and no public promises.

Just ask Carroll.

"We are really excited to bring Matt in here to compete with Tarvaris," Carroll said in a statement released by the team.

Moderate bets on Whitehurst and Jackson have returned little during Carroll's first two seasons. A slightly larger bet on Flynn beats the dwindling list of alternatives. Peyton Manning wasn't interested in Seattle. Alex Smith became a more likely possibility late in the process, but the Seahawks weren't going to wait around, obviously.

Developing Flynn becomes the top priority for Seattle in 2012.

The Seahawks haven't had a truly ascending player at the position since Matt Hasselbeck was on the rise a decade ago. Flynn, like Hasselbeck, came to Seattle from Green Bay, and with limited experience.

Back then, coach Mike Holmgren said he would "sink or swim" with the decision to acquire Hasselbeck.

Carroll's comments about Flynn competing for the starting job suggest the Seahawks do not see the Flynn acquisition in a similar light. That's understandable. Holmgren saw the world through the quarterback position, while Carroll is a defensive-minded head coach trying to win with a strong ground game.

Flynn, 26, has a chance to prove himself and return to the bargaining table in three years, perhaps sooner if he plays well. Last offseason, Flynn might have gotten a Kolb-type windfall. But with Manning casting a shadow over the market and Seattle insisting upon a disciplined financial approach, Flynn will have to earn more of his money.

Give the Seahawks' current leadership credit for landing Flynn at a reasonable price. They did not rush into a bad contract to appease a restless public. There was no panic. Seattle remains in position to draft a quarterback or acquire another veteran if the Flynn experiment fails after one season.

But a team's leadership cannot go forever without finding the right quarterback. It's possible to strike out without swinging for the fences.

The St. Louis Rams commanded a premium from the Washington Redskins for the second pick in the 2012.

I haven't seen anyone, anywhere suggest the Rams offered the pick at a discount. They secured first-round picks in 2012, 2013 and 2014, plus a second-rounder this year.

But to hear Cleveland Browns president Mike Holmgren tell it, his team was offering at least as much. The problem for Cleveland, Holmgren suggested to Browns season-ticket holders, was the close relationship between the Rams' and Redskins' brass.

Jamison Hensley has the details on the AFC North blog, noting that Rams coach Jeff Fisher and his Redskins counterpart, Mike Shanahan, have a close friendship dating to their days with the San Francisco 49ers in the 1990s.

"I'm not sure anything we offered would have been good enough," Holmgren told Browns fans.

Holmgren was not necessarily complaining. He has benefited from similar connections, including when he helped the Seattle Seahawks acquire Matt Hasselbeck from Green Bay back in 2001.

The Miami Dolphins were offering the 26th overall pick in the 2001 draft to Green Bay. A deal appeared near when Holmgren called his old friends in the Packers' front office. Seattle got the deal done, sending the 10th overall choice and a third-rounder to the Packers for Hasselbeck and the 17th pick.

The trade helped reverse more than a decade of disappointment for Seattle. The Dolphins never did find a long-term quarterback.

Hasselbeck eventually became a Pro Bowl quarterback. The Seahawks entered that draft with no plans to select a guard, but when Steve Hutchinson was available at No. 17, they felt compelled to take him. He also became a Pro Bowl player.

The Packers used the 10th pick for Jamal Reynolds and the third-rounder for Torrance Marshall. Neither player made much impact. The Dolphins used the 26th pick for Jamar Fletcher, who started 12 games for five teams over eight seasons.

Even if Holmgren is right about the Rams-Redskins friendship playing a role, there's nothing to complain about. Relationships factor into personnel decisions regularly. The Browns, with former Philadelphia executive Tom Heckert as general manager, have made trades with the Eagles. The Rams are fortunate if their head coach has been around long enough to develop productive relationships around the league.

Tight end John Carlson's five-year contract agreement with the Minnesota Vikings leaves Seattle with three remaining draft choices from the Mike Holmgren era.

Red Bryant, Brandon Mebane and Ben Obomanu are the survivors.

The NFC North now outranks the NFC West in players entering the NFL as draft choices under Holmgren: Rob Sims and Lawrence Jackson in Detroit, Mansfield Wrotto and Chris Spencer in Chicago, and now Carlson in Minnesota.

Seattle drafted all of those players when Tim Ruskell was making the Seahawks' personnel decisions as the general manager. Carlson was the one Holmgren was most responsible for drafting. He pushed hard for Carlson because he badly wanted a versatile tight end for his offense.

Carlson set a franchise single-season receiving record with 55 catches as a rookie in 2008. Injuries, quarterback issues, roster atrophy and coaching turnover affected Carlson and the offense in subsequent seasons.

The Seahawks' current leadership was not opposed to bringing back Carlson, but the team's decision to pay $6.8 million per season to Zach Miller last offseason redefined where Carlson stood on the roster. There was less room for Carlson to become the player Holmgren envisioned when Seattle made Carlson a second-round draft choice.

John Carlson came to work one day last summer to discover the Seattle Seahawks were forking over big bucks for another tight end.

The situation went from bad to worse for Carlson when he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury requiring surgery. After sitting out the 2011 season and recovering, Carlson has lined up a visit with the Kansas City Chiefs, Bill Williamson notes on the AFC West blog.

Carlson, 27, illustrates the costs of quarterback and scheme instability.

The Seahawks used a 2008 second-round choice for him because their coach at the time, Mike Holmgren, thought Carlson could provide long-sought production at the position. The Seahawks have gone from Gil Haskell to Greg Knapp to Jeremy Bates to Darrell Bevell at offensive coordinator since that time. They have shifted away from quarterback Matt Hasselbeck and just about everyone else Holmgren brought to Seattle.

Carlson's production as a receiver suffered. He went from 55 receptions as a rookie to 51 the following year to 31 in 2010. The Seahawks have said they value him, but the money they gave Zach Miller last offseason told everyone which tight end Seattle valued the most.

Miller went from averaging about 60 receptions per season in Oakland to a 25-catch year with Seattle in 2011. He was strong as a blocker, but the drop in receiving production showed Carlson had company among Seattle tight ends struggling to produce in the passing game recently.

The Seattle Seahawks owned the NFC West for years because their owner, Paul Allen, was so clearly superior to his peers in the division.

It was Allen who pushed through a stadium referendum precipitating his purchase of the team in the late 1990s. It was Allen's ownership that enabled the team to hire Mike Holmgren in 1999, another watershed moment for the franchise.

Those two owner-driven events set up the team for seven division titles during a 12-year period, including five in a row beginning in 2003.

Visions of Allen's Seahawks squirming while Peyton Manning visited the Arizona Cardinals over the weekend might not mean much if Manning signs outside the NFC West or agrees to visit Seattle after all. But with Arizona holding a clear edge over the Seahawks at this point in the process, the shrinking ownership gap in the division is worth our attention.

Allen hasn't necessarily slipped even though his fortune, once estimated to exceed $30 billion, has reportedly shrunk to less than half that amount. He remains the wealthiest NFL owner by a wide margin. He helped finance a state-of-the-art waterfront facility that opened in 2008. He gives football decision makers wide latitude and ample resources.

But with the Cardinals' Michael Bidwill and the San Francisco 49ers' Jed York securing new stadiums and winning division titles recently, the Seahawks' competitors have gained ground. Stan Kroenke's ascent in St. Louis has brightened the Rams' outlook as well.

For Arizona, getting Manning to visit was nice. Getting him to sign with the team would more emphatically validate the the Cardinals' progress as an organization.

Bidwill, like York, has a familial reputation to live down.

"(Bidwill) is hugely aware of our fan base and how his dad is viewed," a team source told ESPN's Chris Mortensen and Adam Schefter over the weekend. "He came to work with this team to get the stadium built. It took him a long time to get that done, but he did. He is a driven young owner that wants to totally change this franchise's image."

Winning back-to-back division titles while making a Super Bowl appearance affirmed Bidwill's long-held stance that stadium revenue would change how the team could operate. But the Cardinals' 13-19 record over the past two seasons has lent credence to the idea that the team basically lucked into Kurt Warner's career revival.

Beating out John Elway and others for Manning would be another game-changer, comparable to the day Seattle landed Holmgren and, to an extent, when the 49ers secured Jim Harbaugh. Holmgren and Harbaugh were the hottest coaching candidates at the time. Manning, though coming off neck surgeries that might still threaten his career, outranks both in NFL history.

The Cardinals need him. They bet big on Kevin Kolb last offseason, and are running a fat deficit on the investment, with few promising signs. John Clayton's recent report about the team losing confidence in Kolb sounded ominous. Coach Ken Whisenhunt might still need to win the bet on Kolb, but the cost of losing it would disappear if Manning signed with the team.

Finding a quarterback requires taking chances. Manning would be the safest bet in NFL history without the neck surgeries. He still appears to be a safer gamble than putting down another $7 million to continue the relationship with Kolb, a payment that comes due at week's end. Paying Kolb in the absence of Manning would not necessarily prevent John Skelton from winning the starting job.

A year ago, the Kolb experiment gave the Cardinals an opportunity to find out whether Whisenhunt could identify and develop quarterbacks. To what degree had he shaped Ben Roethlisberger in Pittsburgh and, later, Warner in Arizona? That question becomes far less relevant if the Cardinals can close a deal with Manning.

Bidwill's father made a run at Joe Montana in 1993. This time, the Cardinals appear to have a legitimate chance. Times have changed, but by how much? Manning's decision will provide one measure.

The Washington Redskins and St. Louis Rams cannot be sure what they'll get from the picks they agreed to exchange Friday night.

It's safe to say the Redskins' ability to position themselves for a potential franchise quarterback drove up the price St. Louis commanded for the second overall choice.

The first chart shows what Oakland paid when moving up from 10th to second in the 1997 draft for defensive tackle Darrell Russell.

The Raiders paid far less than the Redskins gave up for the second pick in the draft this year, a pick Washington is expected to use for Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III. In 1997, Oakland acquired the second and 166th picks from New Orleans for the 10th, 39th and 107th picks, plus receiver Daryl Hobbs, who had six career touchdown receptions and would play only 14 additional games during his career.

Also in 1997, the Rams acquired the No. 1 overall choice from the New York Jets for the sixth, 67th, 102nd and 207th picks. That is far less than the Redskins paid for the second pick this year, but there was no quarterback atop the 1997 draft. The Rams took left tackle Orlando Pace that year.

The second chart shows what the Redskins will pay for the second pick this year. For trading purposes, a first-round pick next year equates roughly to a second-rounder this year. It's not like the Rams acquired three 2012 first-rounders.

Still, Washington becomes the first team since at least 1980 to give up three first-round picks while moving into the top five picks in a draft, according to ESPN Stats & Information. But as the football adage goes, virtually no price is too high for a franchise quarterback. The Rams think they have one already in Sam Bradford. That was a primary reason they were willing to deal the second pick this year.

Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. sees this as a win-win trade for Washington and St. Louis. He sees Cleveland as a big loser for failing to land the second pick despite having at its disposal selections more valuable than the ones Washington traded, starting with the fourth overall pick. Griffin seemed to fit the Mike Shanahan offensive profile better than the Mike Holmgren/Pat Shurmur profile, however. That made the Redskins a more likely trading partner, I thought.

The Washington Redskins look like an early favorite to acquire the second overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft from the St. Louis Rams.

Jim Thomas' update for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch covers quite a few angles.

Another came to mind while reading the piece. What if the Redskins were the only team drafting among the top six with serious interest in Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III?

Such a thought seemed improbable while Griffin was lighting up the NFL scouting combine recently, but a post-combine report from Fox Sports' John Czarnecki lingers in my mind.

According to Czarnecki, Browns president Mike Holmgren and the team's coaching staff aren't necessarily sold on Griffin.

Under this thinking, Holmgren would prefer a quarterback to fit his system, not the other way around. Griffin's winning personality and phenomenal athleticism might make him a great prospect, but would the Browns see him as an ideal fit for their system -- enough so to justify parting with significant draft capital to get him?

Holmgren is not the Browns' coach, but he is particular about his offense and quarterbacks. He hired Pat Shurmur as head coach in part because Shurmur shared his vision for offense. Then again, Shurmur worked under Andy Reid in Philadelphia. Reid has obviously adapted his offense for a range of quarterbacks, notably Michael Vick.

All of this might be over-thinking things. My AFC North colleague, Jamison Hensley, thinks the Browns have little choice but to make a strong play for Griffin. That would serve the Rams well.

But if the Browns aren't all in for Griffin, what team represents the Redskins' competition for the second pick?

Minnesota picks third and Tampa Bay picks fifth. Both teams have invested in quarterbacks recently. Jacksonville, which picks seventh, has publicly committed to Blaine Gabbert as its franchise quarterback. Miami picks eighth, and as Thomas notes, the Dolphins might not be interested in dealing with St. Louis after the teams battled over Jeff Fisher. Miami also has ties to free-agent quarterback Matt Flynn.

Carolina picks ninth and already has Cam Newton. Buffalo picks 10th and has already publicly ruled out trading up for Griffin. Kansas City holds the 11th choice and could have interest even though Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli has said Matt Cassel is the clear starter. Seattle (12th) and Arizona (13th) hold the next two picks, and both can forget about the Rams sending a franchise quarterback their way.

Griffin might be worth taking second overall. That doesn't necessarily mean the market will allow the Rams to maximize the value of that choice.

The Rams do not necessarily need to make a killing in a trade. Griffin isn't in their plans, so they could conceivably get the player they really wanted a little later, plus whatever comes their way by trade. That would still represent a net gain.

Things to consider while the Rams weigh their options.

Tigre from "South of the Border" asks about new provisions allowing NFL teams to carry over unused salary-cap space to future years. He wonders why a team would ever decide against carrying over some of the unused allotment.

Mike Sando: NFL teams have, for years, tried to push unused cap space into future seasons. They previously did this by writing into players' contracts "likely to be earned" incentives that were, despite the label, very unlikely to be achieved. John Clayton explained the practice in detail back in 2004.

The new labor agreement legitimizes how teams carry over unused cap space. Teams simply tell the league how much unused cap space they would like to carry over.

Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt recently explained some of the particulars. Clayton provided numbers as they pertain to the 2012 season in this update.

Any team failing to carry over unused space might appear cheap, but carrying over the maximum would not necessarily make a team less cheap. It would not affect spending, only the amount a team could spend.

Salary-cap machinations are not always straightforward. A team could conceivably decide against carrying over unused room to accommodate late-hitting incentives, a contract option or the acceleration of guaranteed money.

---

Charlie from St. Louis asks whether the Rams might be wise to "secretly" make Sam Bradford available to teams intending to draft Griffin. "Don't get me wrong," Charlie writes, "I think Bradford will be a good player. But given how expensive he is, the new regime in St. Louis could make a shrewd move by starting over with Robert Griffin III."

Mike Sando: The Rams are on the record saying they will not trade Bradford. The rest of us are free to debate the merits of that stance, so here goes.

First, would such a move even be doable? I think it would be.

The Browns might logically prefer Bradford to RG3. Browns coach Pat Shurmur already has a strong background with Bradford from Shurmur's time as the Rams' offensive coordinator. As impressive as RG3 has been to this point in the process, the Browns would know with greater confidence what they were getting with Bradford, a player they know well. Bradford also has a verifiable track record in the West Coast offense Cleveland is running, a selling point for Shurmur and also for Browns president Mike Holmgren.

There would be risks. The Rams have already said Bradford is off-limits. Dangling him as trade bait would damage the new regime's relationship with Bradford if such a trade fell through. Also, Bradford's traded contract would count nearly as much against the Rams' salary cap as it counts right now.

What could the Rams get for Bradford? Could they get the fourth overall pick from Cleveland, or would they have to settle for a package worth less? That is tough to know, and pivotal to any imaginary deal.

---

Craig from Knoxville has a theory as to why the Cardinals did not offer more power to Todd Haley, letting Haley go to Pittsburgh. He thinks adding Haley would have made it tougher for the team to bring on another strong personality in Peyton Manning. "I know Haley and Kurt Warner were a good mix," Craig writes, "but that was because they grew together. If we signed Haley, I think that would have been negative toward Manning."

Mike Sando: Interesting point. Ultimately, I think coach Ken Whisenhunt wasn't comfortable rearranging his offensive staff and essentially demoting the current coordinator, Mike Miller. It would have been a bit awkward. The team did make a Manning-friendly move by adding Manning's former position coach, Frank Reich, as receivers coach.

---

Ryan from Atlanta wants to know what Ahmad Brooks' new contract with the San Francisco 49ers means for teammate and fellow outside linebacker Parys Haralson.

Mike Sando: Haralson and Brooks played on opposite sides. The plan was for Aldon Smith to take Haralson's starting job no matter what happened with Brooks. Haralson is scheduled to earn $2.45 million in base salary and $300,000 in offseason bonuses. The combined number is not prohibitive for a part-time player or backup. We can safely say Haralson's playing time will decline and his future with the team is in some question.

---

Fox from San Jose says New Orleans' Marques Colston and Carl Nicks could hit the market if the Saints use their franchise tag for quarterback Drew Brees. Under that scenario, he wonders whether Nicks could fit for the 49ers in free agency.

Mike Sando: Doubtful, in my view. Nicks would cost a lot of money. The 49ers drafted Daniel Kilgore with the thought Kilgore could grow into the starting role at right guard if needed. San Francisco has not been a team that overspends in free agency, at least of late. Signing Nicks would go against their recent approach.

---

Joey from Hawaii asks whether Brock Osweiler would be a good second-round choice for the Seahawks. Would he be better than current third-stringer Josh Portis? Or should the Seahawks keep building their roster, then do what it takes to land Matt Barkley in 2013?

Mike Sando: The Seahawks have been 7-9 twice while rebuilding. They probably aren't going to finish with a poor enough record in 2012 to position themselves for Barkley or another top quarterback. They cannot put off the decision simply because Barkley could be an option next year. Osweiler does have the mobility Seattle's Pete Carroll values in quarterbacks. Todd McShay says Osweiler is highly competitive, another must for Carroll. Based on those things, then, Osweiler might be an intriguing prospect.

---

Jason from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho thinks Seattle should try to acquire the second overall pick from the Rams, then shop it around. They could always take RG3 in that spot. Jason thinks Matt Flynn or Peyton Manning will go to Miami, leaving Washington and Cleveland desperate. He does not think the Seahawks can "out-Alex Smith" the 49ers with Tarvaris Jackson behind center.

Mike Sando: The Rams most likely will not trade the second overall pick to a division rival. The Seahawks most likely will not give up what it would take to get into that No. 2 spot. Those are my opinions. Why would the Rams arm a division rival with a potential franchise quarterback?

---

Nick from Salt Lake City asks whether teams with interest in Robert Griffin III might "call the Rams' bluff" in the 2012 draft. Instead of acquiring the No. 2 overall choice from St. Louis, these teams might trade into the third spot, figuring the Rams weren't going to take a quarterback, anyway. Nick asks whether the Rams might get more value by drafting Robert Griffin III, then trading his rights.

Mike Sando: The question shows why the Rams will want to trade the pick before the draft and possibly before free agency. There's no use taking undue chances when getting value for the choice is the most important thing. The Rams do not need to get a huge bounty in return. They need a fair trade.

Any team trading into the third spot to select Griffin would have to worry about the Rams trading the second pick to another team with the same intentions. But if the Rams wait around, some teams will have addressed their quarterback situations, perhaps in ways that diminished their appetite for Griffin. That could lower the price for the second pick.

---

Fabian from Germany asks whether the Rams should trade the second overall choice, plus the first pick of the second round.

Mike Sando: Depends what they could get in return. They would not want to give away too much quality just to acquire additional picks.

The San Francisco 49ers signed David Akers, Carlos Rogers, Donte Whitner, Jonathan Goodwin and Braylon Edwards as unrestricted free agents from other teams last offseason.

None signed for more than $4.25 million per season.

That track record could remove the 49ers from serious consideration for the big-name wide receivers scheduled to hit the market next month. Those options could be diminishing anyway.

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com says Kansas City's decision to sign former Oakland Raiders cornerback Stanford Routt could indicate the Chiefs will use the franchise tag on receiver Dwayne Bowe, winnowing down the list of free agents San Francisco might consider this offseason. Maiocco: "Bowe is another significant wide receiver who will probably not be on the open market for the 49ers to explore. And without Bowe available, it might drive up the prices for the other receivers, most notably Vincent Jackson. Also, it could make it more difficult for any team wishing to make a run at restricted free agent Mike Wallace, as his price could be rising, too." Noted: I would not expect the 49ers to sign a high-profile wideout from another team to a lucrative deal. Last offseason, the 49ers bowed out of the Nnamdi Asomugha sweepstakes and came out ahead by signing Rogers to a one-year deal. That course seems likely at receiver as well.

Darren Urban of azcardinals.com says Williams' rehab from a broken arm is progressing slowly and steadily, with Williams recently passing the 100-pound mark in the bench press, a weight just about anyone in relatively good health could press without much trouble. Urban: "Williams actually believes his weight has been one of the easiest things to handle since he got hurt that miserable day against the 49ers, when the helmet of teammate Stewart Bradley slammed into his arm, shattering the bone to the point he needed two rods to be inserted. His foray into the bench press has been important, a 'sign of encouragement' for a man who normally benches more than 300 pounds. Right after the surgery, Williams said he was told he could only pick up things like a bottle of water, 'and only the 16-ounce bottle, not the 20-ounce one.' Living everyday life and doing things like getting dressed was difficult."

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says former St. Louis Cardinals running back Stump Mitchell interviewed to coach running backs on Jeff Fisher's staff amid questions about whether Mitchell will return as head coach at Southern University. Thomas: "A versatile player, Mitchell was an accomplished receiver, punt returner and kickoff returner, finishing with nearly 11,000 all-purpose yards and scoring 42 touchdowns. He even threw a 15-yard TD pass in 1986. At the conclusion of his playing career, Mitchell was a head coach at the high school and college (Morgan State) levels in the 1990s before joining Mike Holmgren's inaugural staff in Seattle as running backs coach in 1999. He was with the Seahawks for eight seasons then joined Washington's staff as assistant head coach/running backs coach in 2008."

The Associated Press says former Seahawks guard Steve Hutchinson could become a salary-cap casualty for Minnesota as the Vikings implement a youth movement. Hutchinson says he played "great" last season after an injury rehabilitation slowed him in 2010. Hutchinson has one year remaining on the controversial contract he signed with Minnesota after the Seahawks named him their transition player following their 2005 Super Bowl season. Noted: Hutchinson would upgrade Seattle's line if he returned to the Seahawks, but with Robert Gallery under contract and familiar with the team's blocking scheme, the team does not have an immediate need at left guard. Second-year right tackle James Carpenter is a candidate to play there after Seattle re-signed Breno Giacomini amid expectations Giacomini will remain at right tackle.

Brady Henderson of 710ESPN Seattle suggests recent comments from Seahawks general manager John Schneider could indicate an unwillingness to draft Ryan Tannehill or another quarterback with the 11th or 12th overall choice. ESPN's Todd McShay had this to say about Tannehill: "He still has a lot to learn in an offense that struggled this year at times and was very inconsistent in terms of the supporting cast, but I think with his athleticism, his arm, his ability to make throws on the run and create after the initial play breaks down, there's a lot of potential there. And certainly if you have time to develop him properly he has a chance to be a really good starter in the NFL."

Kurt Warner's declaration regarding Eli Manning's Hall of Fame credentials probably caught your attention this week. The subject made for a compelling First Take discussion, available in the video above.

It was the first time I could recall one high-profile quarterback questioning another's credentials in such stark terms and backed by statistical research. Warner and Manning were once teammates, after all.

Another former NFC West luminary, Mike Holmgren, made no headlines with his comments to Sports Radio KJR's Dave Mahler regarding Bill Parcells' credentials for the Hall. But his emphatic support for Parcells raised questions about Holmgren's own credentials.

A few thoughts on Warner, Holmgren and their comments:

• Warner said he "fully disagrees" with the notion that Manning's second Super Bowl title makes him worthy for the Hall of Fame. He pointed to Manning's career NFL passer rating (82.1), his 16-plus picks in five of eight seasons and a 58 percent completion rate as evidence. Warner then defined a quarterback's Hall worthiness this way: "Every time you step on the field, you're a game changer, you're a difference maker. And I don't believe Eli Manning has been that guy until this year."

Manning vs. Warner

QB	Manning	Warner
Seasons	8	12
W-L	69-50	67-49
Playoff W-L	8-3	9-4
Super Bowls	2	3
SB Wins	2	1
SB MVP	2	1
Pro Bowls	2	4
NFL MVP	0	2
Comp.	2,291	2,666
Att.	3,921	4,070
Pct.	58.4	65.5
Yards	27,579	32,344
YPA	7.0	7.9
TD-INT	185-129	208-128
NFL rating	82.1	93.7



• Warner was that type of guy, of course, and that makes his comments sound self-serving. Manning's career is not close to finished. It's far too early to judge his career in the context of Canton. If Warner felt such conversations were premature, he could have said so without shooting down Manning.
• For fun, consider that quite a few quarterbacks have earned enshrinement with NFL passer ratings and completion percentages lower than those for Manning, albeit in vastly different eras. There is no statistical cutoff for automatic enshrinement. Many factors are taken into account.
• Holmgren expressed his support for the 2012 Hall class and his former player, Cortez
  

  Parcells vs. Holmgren

  Coach	Parcells	Holmgren
  Seasons	19	17
  W	172	161
  L	130	111
  T	1	0
  Pct.	.569	.592
  Division titles	8	8
  Playoff W-L	11-8	13-11
  Playoff pct.	.579	.542
  Super Bowls	3	3
  SB wins	2	1

  
  
  Kennedy, in particular. He then said: "Every year you look at the group going in and everyone has their opinions. I thought Bill Parcells should go in. I was startled he did not go in. ... He is one of the best coaches to ever coach this game. But it happens. It is good conversation around the water cooler. Of the players that went in, you wouldn’t have much argument."
• Parcells took four franchises to the playoffs. Holmgren took two. Both took two organizations to the Super Bowl. Parcells won two titles. Holmgren won one. If Parcells is an obvious choice for the Hall eventually, what does that make Holmgren?
• Parcells' career also matches up fairly closely with Mike Shanahan's career in games, victories and Super Bowl titles. But there are obviously other factors, all making for interesting discussion.

See you at the water cooler.

Greg from Seattle thought Victor Cruz's first-quarter non-fumble in the Super Bowl, rendered irrelevant by a penalty for 12 men on the field, resembled the forward-progress call involving Ahmad Bradshaw that hurt San Francisco during the 49ers' game against the Giants two weeks ago.

"The only discernible difference I saw was that there were two men involved on Bradshaw's fumble two weeks ago," Greg wrote. "If this week's play had been ruled a fumble while the Niners were not permitted even to challenge, I would have been outraged. Curious to hear your perspective."

Mike Sando: I had the exact same thought, but it was a fleeting one because of the penalty. The 49ers weren't necessarily victimized by a horrible call, in my view. It seemed like one of those unlucky ones, along the lines of the chop-block call against Frank Gore in Baltimore. I disagreed with the call against Gore and thought the 49ers caught a bad break on the Bradshaw ruling. The Cruz play looked similar when watching the game live. (Update: Gore chop block was obviously at Baltimore; I mistakenly wrote Philadelphia originally).

Former NFL officiating boss Mike Pereira, now a Fox analyst, offered this take: "Without this penalty, fans would have been left wondering why the play in San Francisco was ruled forward progress and this one wasn’t. In my opinion, both plays should have been ruled forward progress and not fumbles."

I dislike the forward-progress ruling when it's close. Rules require players making receptions to hold onto the ball through the conclusion of the play. Why not enforce the same standard for players running with the ball? If officials think forward progress has been stopped, then they should blow the whistle. Had the whistle blown when Bradshaw lost the ball? How about when Cruz lost the ball? If not, the play was live, right?

I'm open-minded on this, but that's how it looks from this angle.

---

Bruce from Port Angeles, Wash., was among several writing to express satisfaction after seeing Cortez Kennedy become the second longtime Seattle Seahawks player enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He appreciated whatever work was done in presenting Kennedy's credentials to the selectors.

Mike Sando: The Mount Rushmore of Seahawks history would include Steve Largent, Kenny Easley, Kennedy and Walter Jones, in my view. Shaun Alexander deserves consideration as well, but I think those other guys were the elite of the elite in the pure ability to dominate their opponents.

Easley, Kennedy and Jones played extremely physical positions, too, so their dominance was a cut above simply by the nature of their jobs. I tend to favor candidates who flat-out dominated even when two or three opponents at a time matched up against them. Kennedy fit that criteria.

Kennedy's candidacy suffered some from the Seahawks' struggles during the 1990s. The team kept hiring offensive-minded head coaches in an effort to fix that side of the ball, going from Chuck Knox to Tom Flores to Dennis Erickson to Mike Holmgren during Kennedy's tenure.

Holmgren's arrival in 1999 led to an 8-2 start and playoff appearance that season. Kennedy had 6.5 sacks and two interceptions that year, with three of those sacks during Holmgren's return to Green Bay on the Monday night stage. Overall, Kennedy appeared in prime time only five times during his career. For that reason, many of the selectors rarely saw him play.

One key to Kennedy's enshrinement was making sure the selectors had the relevant facts and testimonials before them. Presenting Kennedy was straightforward. His credentials made it so.

---

Ted from San Carlos thought Wes Welker was taking far too much criticism for the pass he failed to catch with four minutes remaining in Super Bowl XLVI. He questioned whether I had even watched the game. "How could you blame Welker for that 'drop' when the pass was terrible? Brady had a wide-open Welker and made a bad pass. It would have been a GREAT catch had he caught it. This is on Brady."

Mike Sando: Welker blamed Welker. He is a credible source on the subject. The ball hit both of his hands.

---

Suzy from Dallas says Welker "manned up" and took the blame for missing what would have been a "miracle" catch. "When you review the tape," she wrote, "please retract your entire story (like a man)."

Mike Sando: David Tyree made a miracle catch in Super Bowl XLII. Welker has a clear opportunity to make this catch. He is one of the best receivers in the NFL. Many sources, including the Boston Globe, have described this pass for what it was, a bit behind Welker, but catchable. If Welker had made that catch, people would not be talking about it in the vein they discuss Tyree's catch. Not even close.

---

Andy from Syracuse was among several fans asking whether the 49ers' move to Santa Clara on game days will result in a name change.

Mike Sando: They will still be the San Francisco 49ers. Their headquarters have been in Santa Clara for years. The team's history and heritage is very important to team persident Jed York. Santa Clara is not that far away.

---

Darren from Vacaville, Calif., did not like reading in our recent Super Bowl losers story the word "outclassed" to describe the Los Angeles Rams during their Super Bowl defeat to Pittsburgh following the 1979 season. "This team had the feared Steelers on the ropes," he wrote.

Mike Sando: I'm going to grant you this one. I actually did not write that part of the item. Jamison Hensley and I worked on that together. He wrote the part on the Rams. I saw it and did not disagree strongly enough to talk to him about adjusting it. It was a reasonable take given the Rams' status that season as a 9-7 team without its starting quarterback, Pat Haden.

Sorry, no Arizona Cardinals questions this time. There weren't any fresh ones atop the mailbag. My flight is making its way across the country. Figured I'd better file this while the laptop battery was strong, the wireless was working, etc.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Thirteen modern-era NFL players were finalists for enshrinement Saturday in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Only one was named offensive or defensive player of the year during his career.

That was the Seattle Seahawks' Cortez Kennedy. His eight Pro Bowls, all-1990s selection and overall dominance made my job as his presenter quite simple. State the facts and let Kennedy's career do the talking. Picking the final five out of 15 modern-era finalists is always tough, however, because it usually requires leaving off worthy candidates.

The 43 other selectors and I met for more than seven hours before identifying Kennedy, Chris Doleman, Dermontti Dawson, Curtis Martin and Willie Roaf as the class of 2012. Jack Butler made it as a seniors candidate.

A few thoughts on the process and the results:

• This class made it through at a good time. Larry Allen, Michael Strahan, Jonathan Ogden, Warren Sapp, Bryant Young, John Lynch and Steve McNair become eligible for the first time in 2013. Shaun Alexander, Derrick Brooks, Marvin Harrison, Rodney Harrison, Tony Dungy and Mike Holmgren join the list in 2014. Isaac Bruce, Edgerrin James, Walter Jones, Junior Seau, Chris Samuels, Kurt Warner, Ty Law and Orlando Pace are among those eligible beginning in 2015.
• Former St. Louis Rams
  and Arizona Cardinals
  cornerback Aeneas Williams should feel great about cracking the final 10 in his first year as a finalist. Williams had 55 career interceptions and scored nine touchdowns. He was a big-time playmaker for bad and good teams alike.
• The situation at receiver remains a mess and it's not going to get easier with Harrison becoming eligible in a couple years. Voters are having a tough time deciding between Cris Carter and Andre Reed. Both made the final 10 this year. Reed made the final 10 last year as well. Having both crack the final 10 this year made it harder for one of them to break through. Voters were more likely to choose one wideout when forced to pick only five players.
• Former San Francisco 49ers owner Eddie DeBartolo Jr. did not make the reduction from 15 to 10. I think it's tougher for voters to quantify how owners and even coaches -- think Bill Parcells, who missed the cut from 10 to five -- contributed to their teams' success. The discussions for Parcells (55-plus minutes) and DeBartolo (42-plus minutes) were more than twice as long as the discussions for other candidates. Hall bylaws prevented voters from considering the legal troubles and suspension that preceded DeBartolo's exit from the game.
• DeBartolo was a finalist in part because he hired Bill Walsh, promoted a winning culture, cared tremendously for his players and helped win five Super Bowls. He spent this weekend with former 49ers player Freddie Solomon, who is in the final days of a battle with cancer. The 49ers' renewed success this past season also reflected well on DeBartolo, who has become a tremendous resource for current team president Jed York, his nephew.
• Electing one pass-rusher (Doleman, who spent part of his career with the 49ers) to the Hall could give former 49ers and Dallas Cowboys pass-rusher Charles Haley an easier time in the future. But with Strahan joining the conversation in 2013, Haley faces stiff competition again. Former Rams pass-rusher Kevin Greene did not make the final 10 despite 160 career sacks.

It's been a whirlwind day. Hall bylaws prevent me from sharing specifics about what was said in the room during the proceedings. The Hall also asked voters not to reveal their votes outright. I voted for five of the six players enshrined on the final cut and supported others. As always, however, reducing to only five in the end required leaving off candidates I hope will make it in the future.

There are good reasons relatively few prominent NFL players transition into coaching.

Salaries are much lower for coaches, especially at the entry level. Hours are much longer. There is very little glory compared to the rush players experience routinely on the field.

Any highly-paid player making the transition probably loves the work.

Former Seattle Seahawks receiver Bobby Engram comes to mind. He's joining the Pitt staff as receivers coach after spending 2011 as an offensive quality control coach for the San Francisco 49ers.

Quality control coaches often do the dirty work, including recording detailed play-by-play information for use with video systems. It is tedious work. Hours are long. Salaries are far lower than what other assistants earn. But as Jon Gruden, Steve Spagnuolo and others have proven, starting out at the bottom can result in getting the top job eventually.

Engram, 39, grew up in South Carolina and played at Penn State. He's obviously serious about coaching.

Playing for Joe Paterno in college and Mike Holmgren in the NFL gave Engram a strong coaching pedigree during his playing days. Working under Jim Harbaugh with the 49ers added more seasoning.

Engram will work under Paul Chryst at Pitt. Chryst's brother, Geep, is the 49ers' quarterbacks coach.