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The San Francisco 49ers realized a terrific return on investment by signing Carlos Rogers to a one-year deal in free agency last offseason.

Rogers put together a Pro Bowl season, positioning himself for a big payday.

The 49ers now have options. They could sign the 30-year-old corner at a premium price. They could seek another bargain at the position. They could try to sign Rogers once the market settles, provided he remains unsigned. They could identify younger talent at the position and proceed accordingly.

The team has already signed former Denver Broncos starter Perrish Cox to a two-year deal. Initial reports are linking the 49ers to former Kansas City cornerback Brandon Carr and Detroit Lions corner Eric Wright in free agency.

It's early and I would caution against making assumptions prematurely. I'll be watching to see how much money the 49ers invest in the position. Their current leadership released Nate Clements and the fat contract Clements signed as a free agent years earlier. That same leadership gave former starter Shawntae Spencer permission to seek a trade. The 49ers used 2011 third- and seventh-round choices on corners.

NFC West teams face a long list of top quarterbacks in 2012. The 49ers are scheduled to go against Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Matthew Stafford, Eli Manning and Drew Brees.

Purely from a football standpoint, they would likely be best off with Rogers. That doesn't necessarily make him the best value.

» NFC Stock Watch: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

FALLING

1. Mike Sims-Walker, ex-Rams WR: That did not take long. Sims-Walker went from key free-agent addition to dropping three passes against Washington to being named inactive to being released in a short period of time. Perhaps now we know why the Jacksonville Jaguars decided against bringing back Sims-Walker even though they lacked proven players at the position. Sims-Walker was the logical Rams receiver to go once the team acquired Brandon Lloyd from Denver. The team expects to welcome back veteran Mark Clayton from the physically unable to perform list at some point, too.

2. Lockout grace periods: It's tough for the San Francisco 49ers' division rivals -- and other teams -- to complain too loudly about the lockout setting them back. The 49ers have gotten to 5-1 despite changing over just about all of their coaching staff and installing new schemes. As Arizona Cardinals president Michael Bidwill said following his team's 1-4 start, "A lot of guys are making mistakes. Can you say, 'Well, gee, that is lack of offseason?' We're now into October. We now should be able to clean up those things. These are professional athletes and they have to rise to the occasion. And none of the other 31 teams had an offseason, either. We shouldn't be at that much of a disadvantage where we've only won one game."

3. Shawntae Spencer, 49ers CB: Spencer was a starter last season and arguably the best cornerback on the team. He's not getting on the field at this point because Carlos Rogers, Tarell Brown and rookie Chris Culliver are ahead of him on the depth chart. The 49ers did a good job addressing the position in the offseason. Had they stood pat, Spencer would probably be starting. Injuries have also set back Spencer this season.

RISING

1. Aldon Smith, 49ers OLB: The player San Francisco drafted in the first round is quickly becoming a candidate for defensive rookie of the year, along with Ryan Kerrigan of the Washington Redskins. Smith has 5.5 sacks over the 49ers' last three games. He is playing well and benefiting from the talent around him. Opposing offenses must funnel additional resources toward defensive end Justin Smith in particular.

2. Vic Fangio, 49ers defensive coordinator. The 49ers' defensive performance on the road against the Detroit Lions was mostly dominant. The defense provided a safety and held the Lions to two third-down conversions in 15 opportunities. Fangio and the personnel department deserve much credit for putting together the right mix of players on defense. Drafting Smith seventh overall and Culliver in the third round helped the defense right away. Other moves that have worked out well: adding Rogers to replace Nate Clements, moving NaVorro Bowman into the lineup at the expense of Takeo Spikes, signing and moving into the lineup Ray McDonald and remaking the safety position without losing Dashon Goldson. The 49ers took some heat for not signing Nnamdi Asomugha, but no one is complaining now.

3. Delanie Walker, 49ers TE: Walker now has touchdown receptions in consecutive games. He has three for the season after catching none since 2008. Years ago, when Trent Dilfer was still playing for the 49ers, I remember him saying Walker was one of the most talented players on the team. Year after year, Walker seemed on the verge of becoming a bigger factor, but it would never happen to the extent anticipated. It's looking like the new coaching staff is finding ways to get more key plays from Walker. His game-winning touchdown reception in the final minutes Sunday stands as a career highlight, but perhaps not for long.

The NFC West cornerback landscape was already barely recognizable from last season.

Marcus Trufant's placement on the Seattle Seahawks injured-reserve list, announced by the team Monday, signals another big change.

The Seahawks will have gone from Trufant and Kelly Jennings as their starters last season to Walter Thurmond and Brandon Browner for the remaining 11 games.

The Arizona Cardinals have gone from Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (traded) and Greg Toler (injured reserve) to Patrick Peterson and A.J. Jefferson. The St. Louis Rams have changed from Ron Bartell and Bradley Fletcher (both on IR) to Justin King and Al Harris. The San Francisco 49ers have gone from Nate Clements (released) and Shawntae Spencer (backup) to Carlos Rogers and Tarell Brown, with rookie Chris Culliver surpassing Spencer in the nickel defense.

Trufant, 30, has started at least 15 games in seven of his nine seasons, all with Seattle. He was generally playing well this season before back trouble sidelined him for the team's 36-25 victory against the New York Giants. The team was developing second-year corner Thurmond as a future starter. Thurmond was gaining ground in that pursuit already. Trufant's injury accelerates the process and draws attention to the fact that Trufant's time with the Seahawks could be waning.

NFC West teams went 0-3 last season against the teams they face in Week 5.

They lost those games by a combined 99-31 score.

Much has changed since then. Let's take a look:

Cardinals at Vikings

Score last season: Vikings 27, Cardinals 24 (OT)

Key play: Brett Favre's 25-yard touchdown pass to tight end Visanthe Shiancoe in the final minute of regulation tied the game, forcing overtime after the Cardinals had built a 24-10 fourth-quarter lead. Favre threw for a career-high 446 yards in the game.

Biggest change: Both teams have new quarterbacks, Kevin Kolb for Derek Anderson in Arizona, and Donovan McNabb for Favre in Minnesota. Also, the Vikings have a new head coach (Leslie Frazier) while the Cardinals have a new defensive coordinator (Ray Horton).

Storyline: McNabb keeps a home in Arizona and was available to the Cardinals when their quarterback situation was in flux, but the team showed no interest in him. He is now trying to hold off a change to rookie Christian Ponder.

Lineup changes for Arizona (12): Beanie Wells for Tim Hightower at running back, Kolb for Anderson at quarterback, Daryn Colledge for Alan Faneca at left guard, Rex Hadnot for Deuce Lutui at right guard, Todd Heap for Ben Patrick at tight end, Andre Roberts for Steve Breaston at receiver, Anthony Sherman for Reagan Maui'a at fullback (although the team opened its 2010 game at Minnesota without a fullback), Dan Williams for Bryan Robinson at nose tackle, Daryl Washington for Gerald Hayes at linebacker, Clark Haggans for Will Davis at linebacker, A.J. Jefferson for Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie at cornerback, Patrick Peterson for Greg Toler at cornerback.

49ers vs. Buccaneers

Score last season: Buccaneers 21, 49ers 0

Key play: Josh Freeman's 1-yard scoring pass to tackle Donald Penn midway through the fourth quarter put an exclamation point on the 49ers' first home shutout since 1977.

Biggest change: Jim Harbaugh has replaced Mike Singletary as the 49ers' head coach.

Storyline: Alex Smith gets a shot at Tampa Bay after watching Troy Smith struggle against the Bucs as the 49ers' starting quarterback last season. Troy Smith's approach centered around striking for big plays. The Bucs took away the big plays. Alex Smith gives the 49ers a chance to be more efficient.

Lineup changes for San Francisco (12): Alex Smith for Troy Smith at quarterback, Joe Staley for Barry Sims at left tackle, Adam Snyder for Chilo Rachal at right guard, Bruce Miller for Moran Norris at fullback, Isaac Sopoaga for Aubrayo Franklin at nose tackle, Ray McDonald for Sopoaga at defensive end, Ahmad Brooks for Manny Lawson at outside linebacker, NaVorro Bowman for Takeo Spikes at inside linebacker, Carlos Rogers for Nate Clements at cornerback, Tarell Brown for Shawntae Spencer at cornerback, Donte Whitner for Reggie Smith at strong safety.

Seahawks at Giants

Score last season: Giants 41, Seahawks 7

Key play: With Seattle already down 14-0 in the first quarter, the Giants returned Leon Washington's fumbled kickoff return to the Seattle 4, setting up Ahmad Bradshaw's touchdown run on the next play.

Biggest change: Tarvaris Jackson is the starting quarterback for Seattle. Charlie Whitehurst was a fill-in starter for Matt Hasselbeck when the teams played last season.

Storyline: The Seahawks' so-far-unproductive ground game faces a Giants run defense that has struggled. Seattle's young line improved in pass protection last week. Can it take a step forward in run blocking this week?

Lineup changes for Seattle (16): Sidney Rice for Deon Butler at receiver, Jackson for Whitehurst at quarterback, Russell Okung for Chester Pitts at left tackle, Paul McQuistan for Mike Gibson at left guard, Max Unger for Chris Spencer at center, John Moffitt for Stacy Andrews at right guard, James Carpenter for Sean Locklear at right tackle, Zach Miller for John Carlson at tight end, Brandon Mebane for Junior Siavii at defensive tackle, Alan Branch for Craig Terrill at defensive tackle, Red Bryant for Kentwan Balmer at defensive end, K.J. Wright for Aaron Curry at linebacker, David Hawthorne for Lofa Tatupu at linebacker, Leroy Hill for Hawthorne at linebacker, Brandon Browner for Kelly Jennings at right cornerback, Kam Chancellor or Atari Bigby for Lawyer Milloy, depending on Chancellor's availability.

Kam Chancellor's huge hit on Arizona Cardinals tight end Todd Heap during the Seattle Seahawks' 13-10 victory Sunday drew a 15-yard penalty for unnecessary roughness.

"It was as clean a hit as you can get," Seahawks coach Pete Carroll told reporters Monday.

I've been going through the rulebook and replaying the hit before making a judgment. I've also watched again the video NFL officials showed to players differentiating between illegal hits on defensive players and hits delivered within the rules.

Carroll appears to be right. I can't imagine what officials could have instructed Chancellor to do differently.

Heap was taking an angle on Seahawks safety Earl Thomas during Thomas' interception return. Heap's head was turned back to Thomas, who had not yet passed him, when Chancellor drove his shoulder into Heap's shoulder area, flattening him. Chancellor did not launch himself through the air at Heap. He did not strike Heap in the head or neck area.

Chancellor's play was similar to the block Chicago's Earl Bennett put on Seahawks punter Jon Ryan last season. The NFL video prepared for players shows Bennett's hit as an example of a legal play.

"Nice adjustment made here to play within the rules and avoid blowing an opponent up," NFL executive vice president Ray Anderson says while narrating the video.

Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt wasn't asked about the block on Heap during his news conference Monday. Carroll said he thought players, coaches and NFL officials were going through a transition period figuring out rules changes and points of emphasis.

"I saw a hit on a little recap game where a quarterback was running -- I think it was (Drew) Brees or something -- he was running and he got pounded as he went down," Carroll said. "It looked exactly like helmet-to-helmet and they waived it off as no penalty on the play because the quarterback was still trying to make yards. ... I think everybody's trying to figure it out the best they can."

Two hits on NFC West quarterbacks did not draw penalties when I thought they should have, but as Carroll said, some of these situations are difficult to interpret.

On one, Cincinnati's Nate Clements struck San Francisco's Alex Smith with a helmet-to-helmet hit. On another, Cardinals defensive end Calais Campbell picked up Seattle's Tarvaris Jackson, then slammed him onto the turf with great force. Upon consulting the rules, though, protections against plays such as the one Campbell made seem to apply only to quarterbacks while throwing or right after throwing.

"A rushing defender is prohibited from committing such intimidating and punishing acts as 'stuffing' a passer into the ground or unnecessarily wrestling or driving him down after the passer has thrown the ball," the rulebook states in part. "When tackling a passer who is in a defenseless posture (e.g., during or just after throwing a pass), a defensive player must not unnecessarily or violently throw him down and land on top of him with all or most of the defender’s weight. Instead, the defensive player must strive to wrap up or cradle the passer with the defensive player's arms."

Five things I noticed while watching the San Francisco 49ers during their 13-8 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 3:

• Brooks commanded double-teams. The Bengals funneled significant resources toward blocking 49ers outside linebacker Ahmad Brooks, particularly on passing downs. Brooks made them pay for failing to double him on a first-quarter play deep in 49ers territory. Brooks chased down quarterback Andy Dalton and forced a poor throw that was nearly intercepted. Later, the Bengals paid for leaving running back Bernard Scott alone against Brooks in pass protection. Brooks beat Scott easily and blasted Dalton hard enough to knock off the quarterback's helmet. Brooks was active against the run as well.
• Offensive line struggling. Right tackle Anthony Davis and right guard Chilo Rachal were erratic in all phases. Alex Smith and Frank Gore would have been more consistent if the 49ers had even average players on the right side of their line, provided those average players were consistent. Geno Atkins and Frostee Rucker were among the Bengals' defensive linemen feasting on the opportunities. The Bengals also pushed back center Jonathan Goodwin, impinging upon the pocket. Left tackle Joe Staley drew a false-start penalty. He also gave up a critical sack in the red zone, allowing immediate pressure against Smith's blind side. The 49ers have too many early draft choices invested in their line to suffer through these sorts of performances.
• Michael Crabtree up and down. The 49ers receiver finished with only three catches for 24 yards. He also dropped a third-down pass while the 49ers were trailing 3-0 in the second half. There was good to go with the bad. Crabtree made difficult catches to sustain drives. I'm still not sure whether he stepped out of bounds on the touchdown reception officials disallowed. The official standing in the back of the end zone did throw his cap right after Crabtree stepped on or near the end line. Replays were inconclusive. Earlier, I noticed Crabtree making an effort as a blocker.
• Carlos Rogers very active again. The 49ers have to be happy with Rogers after another solid performance from the veteran corner. Rogers seems to be everywhere. He had two pass breakups and an interception.
• Nate Clements should hear from the NFL. The former 49ers cornerback, now with Cincinnati, blasted Smith with a hit that included helmet-to-helmet contact. The only flag on the play was for holding against Rachal. This looked like an illegal hit under current rules. Smith suffered a mild concussion a week earlier. How he avoided one here was a mystery to me.

Having no Monday night game or travel during the day is letting me get to these "five observations" items earlier in the week.

The San Francisco 49ers' offense never ran a play from scrimmage during the first two games while trailing on the scoreboard.

That changed in Week 3 when the Cincinnati Bengals took a 3-0 lead. That lead has stood through the first half.

This game has done nothing to change perceptions about the 49ers lacking punch or ambition on offense. The stats have been ugly for both teams. Alex Smith is averaging 4.4 yards per attempt. Frank Gore is averaging 3.4 yards per carry -- up from the 49ers' first two games, but still lagging behind expectations.

Smith has taken more punishment than the 49ers would like him to take. A hit from former teammate Nate Clements, now with the Bengals, appeared to include contact on or near Smith's helmet, at least from the replay I saw on TV. The only flag on the play was for holding against the 49ers. I'll be interested in seeing more definitive replays given the emphasis on protecting quarterbacks, or at least star quarterbacks.

Smith, who suffered a concussion in Week 2, stayed in the game.

A few recent NFC West moves are coming into focus with an assist from NFC schedule makers. A quick run through some of them:

• Kelly Jennings to Cincinnati: The Seattle Seahawks traded Jennings to the Bengals in part because they wanted to get bigger at cornerback. They were tired of seeing Jennings struggle more than a bigger corner might against Larry Fitzgerald and other big receivers. With Jennings gone, 6-foot-4 corner Brandon Browner will get his first look at Fitzgerald in Week 3. Jennings, meanwhile, will not have to worry about facing the San Francisco 49ers' biggest receiver, Braylon Edwards, this weekend. Edwards will miss the 49ers-Bengals game and possibly others after undergoing knee surgery, coach Jim Harbaugh announced. Jennings missed the opener with a hamstring injury and did not factor statistically in Week 2.
• Kevin Kolb to Arizona: Seattle seriously considered acquiring Kolb from Philadelphia two years ago, and less seriously this offseason. The Cardinals traded starting cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and a second-round draft choice to the Eagles for Kolb. They also made Kolb very wealthy. Kolb leads the Cardinals into Seattle in Week 3 for a game that will offer some evidence as to which team took the right approach. Quarterback problems doomed Arizona to an 0-2 record against Seattle last season.
• Various 49ers to Cincinnati: Manny Lawson, Nate Clements and Taylor Mays landed in Cincinnati after leaving the 49ers. Lawson and Clements are starting. A knee injury has prevented Mays from playing so far this season. The 49ers' pass defense struggled with Clements on the team last season. It struggled even more with the game on the line against Dallas in Week 2. Keeping Clements wasn't a realistic option for the 49ers given contractual dynamics. Clements won't have to face Edwards, and it's unclear whether fellow 49ers receiver Michael Crabtree will play after aggravating a foot injury. Lawson's sack totals were an item of interest annually when he was with the 49ers, but he's no longer playing outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme.
• Justin Bannan to St. Louis: Bannan spent last season with Denver, but he was with Baltimore for the previous four seasons. The Rams have allowed more rushing yards than any team in the league through two games, a surprise given the team's emphasis on improving that area through various personnel moves. Bannan's addition was one of those moves. One of the NFL's better runners, Ray Rice, is coming to St. Louis in Week 3.
• Alan Branch to Seattle: Thanks to pendulum80 for noticing I'd left this one off initially. Branch has so far been a welcome addition to the Seahawks' run defense as a starting tackle. He says he's a better fit for the Seahawks' scheme and it's tough to argue at this point, although consistency will be the key for Branch. He played well at times for Arizona as well. Can he play well for Seattle all season? I'm thinking he'll be ready to go Sunday.
• Mark LeGree to Arizona: This one's a non-factor in terms of game-day impact, but in case you had not heard, the Seahawks' 2011 fifth-round pick did sign with the Cardinals' practice squad.

Of all these moves, the one involving Kolb carries the most interesting ramifications.

Greg Toler, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Nate Clements and Kelly Jennings were among the starting cornerbacks for NFC West teams in Week 17 last season.

Only Toler remains with his team from that group, and he's on injured reserve. Another Week 17 starter at corner, Shawntae Spencer, has missed extensive time to injury.

Steve Kelley of the Seattle Times checks in with one of the NFC West cornerback replacements, and an improbable one at that: 6-foot-4 CFL alum Brandon Browner, the favorite to start opposite Marcus Trufant when the Seattle Seahawks visit the San Francisco 49ers in Week 1. Kelley: "Watch him in practice or preseason this summer and you had to wonder how so many teams could have been so wrong about him. In a league where wide receivers are getting taller, Browner, at 6 feet 4, 225 pounds, seems like a natural. But in the past five years he had auditioned for Miami, Philadelphia, Minnesota and the Seahawks and never gotten a call back."

Eric D. Williams of the Tacoma News Tribune provides an interview transcript from his meeting with Seahawks coach Pete Carroll. Carroll on why he named Tarvaris Jackson the starting quarterback outright: "Our commitment to Tarvaris is really a commitment to the execution of a really good plan, and to put a team together in very short order. And because of the coaching shifts there are things that made that come to the surface. … I think it’s the best competitive thing we can do for our club to make him the quarterback right now, and not worry about an open competition and dividing reps and stuff. There’s just no time. … It wouldn’t be fair to the rest of the team or our fans -- everybody that’s following us. … And I love what Tarvaris can do. I think he’s a fantastic player. I’m just hoping that we can support him properly and play good around him so he can get rolling for us, and that hasn’t quite happened yet."

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic profiles new Cardinals quarterback Kevin Kolb. Guard Rex Hadnot played with Kolb in college and had this to say: "I couldn't tell you what it is about him. His parents have instilled something in him for him to be able to come into a situation, adapt and achieve great success. When I heard about the acquisition, I was excited."

Also from Somers: The Cardinals are expected to announce Chester Taylor's addition Monday.

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says veteran guard Hank Fraley is out after the Rams reached a contract agreement with Tony Wragge. Thomas: "Fraley, 33, was due to make $1 million in base salary this season. He appeared in seven games last season, mainly on special teams."

Also from Thomas: NFL teams made waiver claims on Rams castoffs, an indication the talent level is improving in St. Louis. The team hoped to sign quarterback Thaddeus Lewis to its practice squad, but former Rams offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur knew about Lewis and claimed him for the Browns. Rams general manager Billy Devaney: "We were hoping he wasn't claimed, but we fully understood that he played good enough in the preseason where I know he opened some people's eyes. And Pat's certainly familiar with him in Cleveland."

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com says the NFL has not decided whether to suspend 49ers receiver Braylon Edwards, who pleaded guilty to DUI.

Also from Maiocco: It's looking like the 49ers will sign inside linebacker Tavares Gooden, released by the Ravens. Gooden was a third-round choice in 2008. Would his coach with the Ravens, John Harbaugh, provide a scouting report to his brother, 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh?

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee highlights stark differences between current 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh and former coach Mike Singletary. Singletary was all about the big picture. Harbaugh is all about the little things. The team hasn't even used the giant hill Singletary had built for conditioning drills. Noted: Head coaches set the tone, obviously, but details surely mattered to Singletary as well. He just didn't want to be the one in charge of them. There's a different feel and standard when the head coach is involved at the most detailed level.

Also from Barrows: updates the 49ers' practice squad signings.

Five things to know about the San Francisco 49ers, straight from our newly published 2011 preview:

1. The clock starts anew: As frustrating as the past decade has been for 49ers fans and the organization as a whole, none of that serves as a relevant reference point for Jim Harbaugh. This will be a season of discovery for him. If the team reaches the playoffs, great. But the Harbaugh era is only beginning and there is much to figure out, starting at quarterback.

2. Patience is the name of the game: The 49ers could have drafted Jake Locker, Blaine Gabbert or Christian Ponder with the seventh overall choice. All three quarterbacks went in the five slots immediately after the 49ers made outside linebacker Aldon Smith the seventh overall choice. After the draft, the 49ers could have engaged Arizona in a bidding war for Kevin Kolb. They passed. Harbaugh was content grabbing Colin Kaepernick in the second round and bringing back Alex Smith for a seventh season with the team. The 49ers showed patience again during free agency, reaching into the bargain bin while letting some of their own starters sign elsewhere uncontested. They appear to be in no rush.

3. The running game is king: The 49ers' lack of urgency at quarterback could at least partially reflect their desire to lean hard on the ground game. In that respect, the philosophy hasn't changed much from Mike Singletary to Harbaugh. San Francisco will continue to emphasize a power scheme on offense. Harbaugh brings many more variations within the running game. He's installing a short-passing game that will give Smith bailout options should he find no one open on vertical routes. But running the football will remain the top priority. Frank Gore has a new contract and should be happy about his role in the offense. He's going to get the ball plenty this season.

4. Braylon Edwards is an X factor: The one-handed, diving grab Edwards made for a 32-yard gain during preseason trumped any catch I can recall a 49ers wideout making in recent seasons. It was the sort of play the 49ers badly need their receivers to make. Smith isn't an elite quarterback. He isn't going to elevate the play of those around him. He needs playmakers to make him look better. Edwards has shown he has the ability to do that. His addition gives the team another big target with the physical traits to stretch a defense. Tight end Vernon Davis had been the only 49ers player with that ability

5. The defense is surprisingly new: Nate Clements, Aubrayo Franklin, Manny Lawson, Travis LaBoy, Takeo Spikes and Taylor Mays figured prominently into the 49ers' defensive plans at various points last season. None remains with the team. The middle of the defense has a fresh look with Isaac Sopoaga moving to nose tackle, NaVorro Bowman replacing Spikes at inside linebacker and the 49ers making a concerted effort to build depth at safety. Most changes were designed to upgrade the pass defense. Opposing quarterbacks Tony Romo, Michael Vick, Josh Freeman and Matthew Stafford will put those changes to the test before the 49ers hit their bye in Week 7.

A few thoughts on NFC West rosters after calculating age ranks for NFL teams based on the rosters I maintain:

• The chart ranks teams from oldest to youngest, excluding special-teams players who can sometimes play into their 40s. The first column shows overall rank, counting offensive and defensive players. The third and fourth columns show where teams rank on each side of the ball. These are for starters and backups. In some cases, teams might plan to release older backups on the reduction to 53 players.


• Arizona Cardinals: Earlier in the preseason, Kevin Kolb referred to the Cardinals as a young team. They do have young players, some of whom played extensively last season and should be better for it. But the Cardinals have the sixth-oldest roster in the league overall. Vonnie Holliday (35), Clark Haggans (34), Joey Porter (34), Paris Lenon (33), Floyd Womack (32), Adrian Wilson (31), Todd Heap (31) and Nick Eason (31) are some of them. The team has also favored veteran offensive linemen, including veteran backups.


• St. Louis Rams: The Rams got older on purpose, adding seasoning to their defense through players added on one-year deals. Al Harris (36) is the oldest non-specialist on the team. James Hall (34) and Fred Robbins (34) remain valuable contributors. Both start. Rookie Robert Quinn will likely replace Hall at some point. Drafting a defensive tackle in the first round of the 2012 draft could make sense, too. Some of the Rams' additions could come at the expense of incumbent veterans such as Hank Fraley (34 next month) and Na'il Diggs (33).


• San Francisco 49ers: The 49ers have gotten younger this offseason, particularly on defense. They subtracted Takeo Spikes (34), Aubrayo Franklin (31 this week), Travis LaBoy (30), Brian Westbrook, Nate Clements (31), Brian Westbrook (32 next month), William James (32), Barry Sims (36) and Demetric Evans (32 next month).. Fulback Moran Norris (33) is their oldest non-specialist. The team has only six non-specialists in their 30s, half as many as the Cardinals have.


• Seattle Seahawks: The Seahawks have been getting younger by design over the past two seasons. Like the 49ers, they have only six non-specialists in their 30s, with none older than 33 (Raheem Brock). They have subtracted Sean Locklear (30), Matt Hasselbeck (36 next month), Stacy Andrews (30), J.P. Losman (30), Brandon Stokley (35), Lawyer Milloy (37), Chester Pitts (32) and Craig Terrill (31). Most general managers want to make their teams younger when starting out. In Seattle, the head coach is also amendable to that approach. But a few players such as Brock (33), Junior Siavii (32), Colin Cole (31), Marcus Trufant (30) and Atari Bigby (30 next month) have kept the Seahawks defensive ranking from sinking further. Seattle is 16th oldest on that side of the ball.

I've sprouted a couple new gray hairs just typing in some of these names. Might be time to squeeze in an afternoon workout.

Panic would have set in last season if the San Francisco 49ers had gone into a game without five defensive starters and a promising young backup safety.

Aubrayo Franklin, Takeo Spikes, Nate Clements and Dashon Goldson each started 16 games for the 49ers in 2010. Taylor Mays was a player the team hoped to develop. He made six starts.

Only Mays remained with the team by Thursday, and his future became murky following reports the 49ers had informed all NFL teams Mays was on the trading block. The team confirmed it was shopping Mays.

Goldson, though still a free agent, knows he will not be back after the team signed safeties Donte Whitner and Madieu Williams.

What is going on here? The 49ers are going backward on defense in the short term, by all appearances. But they are moving forward with a new coaching staff looking for its own players. Sometimes teams know what they do not want before they have what they need. That could be the case for the 49ers. Only the coaching staff knows whether newly signed players on defense fit better than the ones they're replacing.

The market has justified the 49ers' reluctance to secure Franklin and Goldson with lucrative long-term agreements. Both players languished on the market. Franklin took a one-year deal from New Orleans. It's looking like Goldson will settle for an underwhelming deal as well.

The 49ers arguably would have been better with both players on their roster, at the right price. But for first-year coach Jim Harbaugh, throwing piles of cash at players unfamiliar to him would have anointed those players as pillars of his new program. He wasn't going to do that, and I understand why.

Age was an obvious issue with Spikes, who might have departed anyway. Clements' salary-cap figure made it impractical for the 49ers to keep him around. Once players get cut, they often look for work elsewhere. Clements did just that, agreeing to terms with Cincinnati.

The 49ers obviously do not think Mays fits their new defensive system. That is unfortunate for Mays and for the team, but also the price of turning over a coaching staff. New coaches tend to want new players.

Before January, there was some thought Harbaugh was coming in merely to fix the offense. The 49ers already had the makings of a strong defense. They needed help in the secondary, but an overhaul appeared unlikely. Harbaugh would attempt to figure out the quarterback situation, coach up the offense and push the 49ers over the top in the NFC West.

Those things still might happen, but it's tough to see coming. The heavy turnover on defense adds new variables to the equation.

The Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers are taking opposite approaches to free agency and the trading period this offseason.

Arizona keeps adding players, from quarterback Kevin Kolb to guard Daryn Colledge to tight end Todd Heap and others. San Francisco keeps subtracting them, from linebacker Takeo Spikes to nose tackle Aubrayo Franklin, center David Baas, outside linebacker Manny Lawson, cornerback Nate Clements and possibly free safety Dashon Goldson.

Both teams could be operating in the best interests of their respective organizations, but fans usually feel better when their teams are active in the market. Those wishing their favorite teams were as active as Arizona has been can pretend the following quote came from their teams' general managers, and not from Cardinals president Michael Bidwill.

"We knew we wanted to step in and be very aggressive, and we weren’t going to let the market settle or anything like that," Bidwill told reporters at Cardinals training camp. "We just wanted to go out there and put our best foot forward, really go out there and take a shot at some of the best players across the league."

Cardinals fans know what 49ers fans are going through. Last offseason, they watched their team wave goodbye to high-profile players such as Karlos Dansby, Antrel Rolle and Anquan Boldin. But after finishing 5-11 in 2010, the Cardinals felt as though they needed to act decisively.

"I think we really improved the team over the last several days," Bidwill said.

The Cardinals wanted to add a quarterback quickly, but several days passed before the trade for Kolb went through. Fans and analysts, including former Cardinals tight end Anthony Becht, questioned whether the organization was being sufficiently proactive in upgrading the one position Arizona had to address.

"We felt like there was a lot of aggressiveness that people would eventually see, in terms of seeing how we executed the plan," Bidwill said. "We had a lot of [salary-cap] space to work, we intended to use it, and to go out there and not only take care of the free-agency market and executing a couple of trades, but also leave space so that we could extend some key veterans later this training camp."

The Cardinals went though last season with significant cap space. Their payroll plummeted. Some other teams also cut back as a potential lockout loomed. Holding back again this offseason would have carried additional risk for the Cardinals. Sitting back and suffering through another down season would have fed perceptions that gains made during coach Ken Whisenhunt's initial years would be fleeting.

This offseason, no one can fault the Cardinals for a lack of trying.

Aubrayo Franklin's one-year agreement with the New Orleans Saints gives San Francisco fans another reason to lament the 49ers' approach to free agency.

Don't shoot the messenger, folks.

Franklin helped anchor a 49ers defense that was strong against the run. His presence on the line made life easier for Pro Bowl linebacker Patrick Willis.

I can see why the 49ers weren't willing to give a lucrative long-term deal to Franklin. No other team was apparently willing to give him one. That is telling. Unfortunately for San Francisco, the psychology at work in a situation such as this one often leads to a player's departure. If Franklin was going to show up for work after signing a disappointing deal, he was more apt to do so in another locker room. That is human nature.

The 49ers will now have new starters at every level of their defense. Takeo Spikes is gone. Nate Clements is gone. Dashon Goldson could still go. And now Franklin.

Nate Clements' departure to the Cincinnati Bengals erases another cornerback from the San Francisco 49ers' list of options.

Antonio Cromartie remains available. Asante Samuel could be available by trade.

The 49ers had released Clements in a long-anticipated move to avoid absorbing a massive hit to their salary cap. Bringing back Clements at a reduced rate was an option until Saturday.

Our free-agent tracker for Insider subscribers lists available corners. Most of the higher-profile ones are off the market.

I'll be at 49ers camp beginning Monday and am anxious to get a better feel for the situation while there.

In the meantime, I'm heading back to the Seahawks' second practice of the afternoon. In accordance with new rules limiting how frequently teams can practice in pads, Seattle is holding a walk-through session without any contact. Players are wearing no pads. They're not even wearing helmets. In fact, players are going through drills wearing ball caps. I've never seen anything like it during an NFL training camp.