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Sam Bradford has eight victories as a starter and three offensive playbooks to show for his time with the St. Louis Rams.

No one said rescuing a struggling franchise would be easy, but the journey to this point has been more treacherous than anticipated.

Jeff Fisher's arrival as head coach this offseason represents a fresh start. Yet, as much as the Rams might want to forget their recent past, the experience Bradford has gained in 26 starts will be important to the success he might enjoy in the team's latest offense.

That was one takeaway from a telephone interview with Bradford on Tuesday. First, a little background.

The offense new coordinator Brian Schottenheimer is installing marks a dramatic departure from the one St. Louis ran under predecessor Josh McDaniels last season. It's closer in approach to the system Bradford ran during his rookie season, when Pat Shurmur brought a version of the offense Andy Reid had run in Philadelphia.

Adopting a system closer to the one Bradford ran during a generally successful rookie season sounds good in theory, but just last offseason, Bradford was genuinely excited about heading in another direction. He was ready to take the next step and sounded almost giddy when discussing the possibilities during an interview from Rams training camp.

"I really like it and I’m really comfortable with it because it’s a lot more like what I did in college," Bradford said at the time, speaking of McDaniels' offense. "Because we had progressions, but at the same time, we had certain plays where, 'OK, if they give us roll, we’re going to short-cut it and we’re going to work these two receivers and this concept, and if they give us [another coverage], we're going to short-cut this and work the three-man combination right here."

On he went.

Bradford welcomed the added responsibilities McDaniels entrusted him with, taking ownership of the pre-snap protection adjustments. Bradford, having relied on his offensive line to handle those calls during his rookie season, eagerly anticipated transitioning to the system Tom Brady had mastered under McDaniels in New England years earlier. He wanted to run the show, and the Rams had drafted him first overall in 2010 to do just that.

The approach under Fisher and Schottenheimer will be different.

St. Louis signed veteran center Scott Wells from Green Bay in part to handle the protection calls before the snap, lightening the load for Bradford. Fisher has stressed the role a strong ground game plays in protecting quarterbacks, particularly young ones, from punishment.

Why would Bradford, so eager to assume greater command of the offense under McDaniels, happily hand back control? This is where the experience he has gained over the past two seasons becomes critical in striking a balance between the power Bradford coveted under McDaniels and the relief he might gain from leaning on his center.

"My rookie year, when the center was making the calls, it's not that I was scared, but I was so new that I didn't see things, and sometimes I was hesitant to trump the center's calls," Bradford said. "This year, going into my third year, I'm more comfortable out there and will not have a problem [changing a call] if I see something -- the Mike [linebacker] over there."

So, while Bradford will give back some responsibilities, he will not necessarily lose ultimate control. Ideally, Wells' involvement would free Bradford's mind, taking off some pressure. And the 26 starts Bradford has made to this point, though most of them were painful, will inform his decisions.

"The longer me and Scott play together, the better it's going to be," Bradford said.

As a rookie, Shurmur's West Coast system focused on working through progressions regardless of the coverage. The Rams would do what they do, over and over, and opponents would have a hard time matching the precision and timing that would develop eventually.

That is the essence of the West Coast approach, but as Bradford indicated last offseason, the NFL has increasingly become a week-to-week league. Under McDaniels, the Rams hoped to reach a point where they could install 30 or 40 new plays in a given week, all based on where the opponent might be vulnerable. The offense would become less about what the Rams wanted to do and more about the opportunities they could exploit.

"There is no doubt I can learn from everything I went through last year -- playing with an injury, playing in that offense, learning from Josh and the things he taught me," Bradford said. "He did teach me a lot. ... Everything we can take from last year, I've taken, moved on and am concentrating on 2012."

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.

Mel Kiper Jr. is back with his third 2012 NFL mock draft for the first round.

We discussed the previous one before the combine and covered the updated one relating to the San Francisco 49ers, Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks.

The St. Louis Rams, owners of the second overall choice, round out the series.

2. St. Louis Rams: Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State

Kiper's give: Go ahead and put a big asterisk here, because I think this pick will be taken (most likely) by the Browns, with the Redskins also right there. The Browns can do a little more in terms of draft compensation, all things being equal, but if Dan Snyder really wants his man, I'd never assume he'd come in second in a bidding war. Blackmon we know could fit with the Rams, even if they draft at No. 4 or No. 6, just based on how the picks could line up.

Sando's take: The Rams' maneuvering ability will depend upon how teams value Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III, and also upon which teams land veteran quarterbacks before the draft. Cleveland (picking fourth) and Washington (sixth) appear to be the prime candidates for moving into the No. 2 overall spot. Griffin's mobility would seem more valuable for Mike Shanahan's version of the West Coast offense than for the one Pat Shurmur runs in Cleveland. That wouldn't matter much if the Redskins landed a veteran quarterback. Having Peyton Manning land somewhere other than Washington would seem to give the Rams their best chance at maximizing trade value for the second pick. Kiper sent Blackmon to the Rams in his previous mock as well. The general idea makes sense. The Rams do need playmakers, no matter where they wind up picking in the first round. Their leadership is committed to Sam Bradford and must find weapons for him.

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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?

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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.

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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.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Coach Jeff Fisher answered succinctly when asked Friday whether the St. Louis Rams would "ever consider" trading quarterback Sam Bradford.

"That wouldn't be an option," Fisher said.

Fisher, speaking at the NFL scouting combine, fielded the question from an Ohio reporter.

The connection between Bradford and Cleveland Browns coach Pat Shurmur, the Rams' former coordinator, made for intriguing possibilities even though St. Louis has never wavered in its stance that Bradford represents its future at the position.

The Browns hold the fourth overall pick in the draft. They do not necessarily have a franchise quarterback. Bradford enjoyed a successful season by rookie standards when playing in Shurmur's system two years ago.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Among the lasting visuals from this Friday morning at the NFL scouting combine: West Coasters perched on their nightstands at 4 a.m. PT, eagerly awaiting coin-toss results for 2012 draft order.

I loved hearing from some of them via Twitter while the minutes counted down before Kansas City prevailed over Seattle for the 11th overall choice. The Seahawks will pick 12th, which some fans found appropriate in light of the 12th Man.

The difference between picking 11th or 12th should be relatively small, but it's a big deal to the teams and some of the die-hards. NFL officials tossed a special coin to break the draft-order tie. It was a fun way to begin the morning.

Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli arrived first. He ribbed his Seattle counterpart, John Schneider, by looking at his watch when Schneider arrived a few minutes before the scheduled 7:30 a.m. ET toss.

The ceremony took place behind closed doors. The parties dispersed after a few minutes and had little to say.

Also in the NFC West ...

Darren Urban of azcardinals.com sizes up the Cardinals' quarterback situation with Kevin Kolb and John Skelton competing. Urban: "I think John has earned the ability to be given consideration for the position, just because of what he did, his record and the way he played. But I also think we’ve got a lot invested in Kevin as well for that position. There is nothing wrong with competition. I think it makes both players, all players, better. If we can get somebody to beat Larry Fitzgerald out that guy will be a pretty good football player. There will be competition, absolutely."

Bob Young of the Arizona Republic recaps a wild week of reality television for Cardinals safety Adrian Wilson. Strange stuff. No idea what to make of it.

Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times updates the Seahawks' contract negotiations with various free agents. O'Neil: "Each NFL team has only one franchise tag, and the Seahawks could have two priority free agents in [Red] Bryant and [Marshawn] Lynch, which would seem to leave the Seahawks vulnerable to losing one. There's still time left, though, as the deadline for applying the franchise tag is March 5, and free agency doesn't begin until March 13."

Also from O'Neil: the Seahawks' quarterback outlook heading into the draft.

Clare Farnsworth of seahawks.com offers notes on free agency, the draft and injuries for Seattle. Farnsworth: "Tarvaris Jackson did not need surgery to repair the pectoral he tore during the Week 5 upset of the Super Bowl champion New York Giants, which John Schneider said surprised him. But he said that wide receiver Sidney Rice has had surgery on each of his shoulders -- one to repair the labrum he damaged during training camp and tried to play with, as well as an injury to the other that Rice had played with since entering the league in 2007 with the Minnesota Vikings."

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com offers a transcript from Jim Harbaugh's media session Thursday. Harbaugh on the unsigned Alex Smith: "Yeah, Alex is our guy. That's well-documented. He had a tremendous season. Definitely as a coach, you worry about a lot of things. And when the quarterback's not signed and is a free agent, that leads to some lost sleep. But I'm excited to be back at work, very excited to be here and see what kind of improvement we can make from year 1 to year 2, and I hope all our guys feel the exact same way."

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee asks whether the 49ers' can maintain their chemistry this offseason amid potential changes.

Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle says 49ers general manager Trent Baalke remained in character after signing a contract extension.

Also from Branch: a look at the competition for veteran long-snapper Brian Jennings.

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the Browns could be a trading partner with the Rams for the No. 2 overall pick. Browns coach Pat Shurmur, formerly of the Rams' staff: "Yeah, we're willing. With two first-round picks we have flexibility. We can just stand pat and take two really fine players, guys that we would hope to be starters for us. (But) having two first-round picks, you have flexibility if you want to do something."

Also from Thomas: USC's Matt Kalil could be a fit for the Rams. Thomas: "He certainly will be a player the Rams study with the No. 2 overall pick in the draft. True, in Jeff Fisher's 16 full seasons as head coach at Tennessee, the Titans never selected an offensive tackle in the first round. Then again, the Titans had an anchor at left tackle for 13 seasons in Brad Hopkins, including Fisher's first 11 seasons as head coach. It's not as if the Rams have gone nuts selecting offensive linemen in the first round, either. In 17 seasons in St. Louis, the Rams have had 20 first-round picks and used just three of them on offensive tackles. Orlando Pace, taken first overall in 1997, made seven Pro Bowls, was voted to the NFL's all-decade team for the 2000s, and is a potential Hall of Famer."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Count Frank Cignetti's expected hiring as quarterbacks coach in St. Louis as the latest career parallel between the Rams' Sam Bradford and the San Francisco 49ers' Alex Smith.

Both were No. 1 overall draft choices.

Both began their careers under first-time head coaches with backgrounds on defense.

Both started as rookies.

Both watched their original offensive coordinators take head coaching jobs elsewhere after one season. Mike McCarthy left the 49ers for Green Bay in 2006. Pat Shurmur left the Rams for Cleveland in 2011.

Both appeared fortunate when their teams landed high-profile replacements. Norv Turner replaced McCarthy. Josh McDaniels replaced Shurmur. Turner and McDaniels had been head coaches, but both were best known for calling plays.

Smith and Bradford would experience coordinator changes once again while entering their third seasons. Turner left the 49ers to coach San Diego. McDaniels left St. Louis to rejoin New England.

In a coincidence of coincidences, Bradford and Smith will have approached their third NFL seasons with Cignetti as their new position coach, provided the Rams make official Cignetti's expected hiring. Cignetti coached Smith and the 49ers' quarterbacks in 2007. The Rams have targeted him to work with Bradford this season.

These circumstantial parallels will not necessarily produce the same results. Many other variables come into play.

Mike Nolan was entering his third and final full season as the 49ers' head coach in 2007, whereas Jeff Fisher is entering his first season with the Rams. The coaching situation in St. Louis appears more stable than the one Smith encountered in 2007, when the 49ers were breaking in a first-time coordinator and Nolan was nearing the end.

The Rams' new coordinator, Brian Schottenheimer, has much more experience.

Still, the parallels between Smith and Bradford through two seasons are uncanny, at least.

Smith suffered a serious shoulder injury during his third season. He missed the 2008 season before rebounding to throw 49 touchdown passes with 27 interceptions in three subsequent seasons.

Frustrated New York Jets fans might chuckle over the St. Louis Rams' interest in their team's ousted offensive coordinator, Brian Schottenheimer, for the same job in St. Louis.

Frustrated Miami Dolphins fans might feel similarly about the Jets hiring their team's former coach, Tony Sparano, as offensive coordinator.

Such is life in the NFL, where the scapegoats are often indistinguishable from the true villains. Was Schottenheimer the reason the Jets' offense went backward and the team finished 8-8? Tough to say.

Rams fans should know this: The Jets were not yet ready to cut ties with struggling quarterback Mark Sanchez. They weren't going to fire head coach Rex Ryan. They weren't going to stand pat, either, after their offense plummeted in the league rankings and Sanchez failed to develop on schedule.

Schottenheimer, once an occasional head coaching candidate, was the odd man out.

For the Rams, hiring Schottenheimer would return them to the general digit-based offensive system St. Louis ran with great success during the Mike Martz years. Sam Bradford would be learning a third scheme in three pro seasons. Then again, if Bradford had pleaded with Fisher to retain the previous system, the Rams could have kept Josh McDaniels, in theory.

Those seeking a better feel for Schottenheimer's coaching roots and what happened with Sanchez should check out Jenny Vrentas' piece in the Newark Star-Ledger from October. Basically, the Jets were asking more from Sanchez this season, and the results were insufficient.

Schottenheimer began his pro coaching career with the Rams in 1997, spent several years in the college ranks and then hit stride at the NFL level with San Diego beginning in 2002. He worked under Cam Cameron there, serving as quarterbacks coach for Drew Brees.

The Jets hired Schottenheimer in 2006. Reading through the ESPN.com story at the time will show just how circular these coaching hires can be. Fisher's former coordinator in Tennessee, Mike Heimerdinger, preceded Schottenheimer with the Jets. Schottenheimer beat out another familiar name, Pat Shurmur, for the Jets job.

The Rams appear unlikely to hire Schottenheimer or anyone else as coordinator without first making official Fisher's hiring as head coach. The sides are working out the particulars on a contract.

The chart shows Jets offensive stats under Schottenheimer. Sanchez was the quarterback for the three most recent seasons, when completion percentages fell.

NFC West life does exist outside the divisional playoff round. Our latest chat provided a platform to look beyond the San Francisco 49ers' matchup with the New Orleans Saints.

Kyle from New Jersey asks which coaching candidate could turn around the St. Louis Rams with the right personnel in place.

Mike Sando: Jeff Fisher and Steve Spagnuolo could. My point is that the personnel must improve for any coach to succeed there. Just about all we learned about the personnel in 2011 was negative. The Rams are close to starting over on their offensive line. They need more top-line talent at receiver. They need a young running back. They need outside linebackers and defensive tackles. They could use cornerbacks, too, now that Ron Bartell and Bradley Fletcher are coming off serious injuries.

Gino from Ohio asks about the Seattle Seahawks drafting a quarterback.

Mike Sando: In theory, they have to. In reality, they might do so only if they can get one early. They already have their short-term starter in Tarvaris Jackson. They already have a developmental quarterback they like in Josh Portis, unless their feeling on him have changed. With Jackson coming back as no worse than the No. 2, and with Portis in place, the Seahawks do not really have room for another backup quarterback. They need someone with the potential to start relatively quickly, and it's no sure thing they will find one drafting 11th or 12th overall.

Chris from Broadview Heights, Ohio asks whether the Cleveland Browns, with ex-Philadlephia executive Tom Heckert advising Mike Holmgren and Pat Shurmur, might send some of their draft bounty to Arizona for quarterback Kevin Kolb.

Mike Sando: That is a good "talker" but not something I expect to happen. Too many things would have to come about. Tom Heckert, Mike Holmgren and Pat Shurmur would have to like Kolb. Arizona would have to pay a $7 million bonus to Kolb in March just to have him on its roster heading into the draft. The Cardinals would have to feel good about drafting a quarterback early, something they have not done under coach Ken Whisenhunt.

49ertime from California asks about the Saints' ability to cover tight ends. He asks whether we should expect good things from Vernon Davis.

Mike Sando: I see opportunities for the 49ers in this area. Davis had some productive games late in the season. He needed time to grasp the offense and has turned a corner in that regard, according to Davis and offensive coordinator Greg Roman. That makes sense. Meanwhile, the Saints' Roman Harper is banged up and could not run with Davis, anyway. I do think this is an area for the 49ers to exploit.

Thanks again to those who contributed. Appreciated, as always. I'll be heading over to 49ers headquarters shortly to catch Jim Harbaugh's post-practice interview session. I'm sure he'll pass out full game plans to all.

There's so much more to the typical NFL play than what we see in the highlights.

Brock Huard of 710ESPN Seattle regularly puts together videos explaining some of the layers. Those interested in learning more about the game -- the strategy behind a specific motion, how to read basic coverage, what makes a good route runner -- need not follow a specific team to appreciate a former quarterback's perspective on the game.

So, pull up a chair and let him walk you through one of the key plays in the NFC West from Week 13. Doug Baldwin's 29-yard scoring reception against St. Louis featured a rookie receiver exploiting a backup nickel corner through play design and execution.

I'll have more on Baldwin a bit later Thursday. Meanwhile ...

Jerry Brewer of the Seattle Times says the benefits of winning outweigh the benefits losing brings in superior draft status. Brewer: "A year ago, before the Seahawks played the St. Louis Rams in a season finale with a playoff berth at stake, many fans preferred a high draft pick to a postseason bid, knowing how incomplete that 7-9 team was. Well, the Seahawks made the playoffs, pulled off a historic upset and advanced a round. Then, with supposedly weaker draft resources, they went out and drafted four players who have turned into starters and then signed undrafted free agent Doug Baldwin, who is the team's leading receiver. The Seahawks are younger and more athletic than they've been in years."

Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times says the Seahawks are unapologetic about focusing on the running game even as the NFL becomes more pass-oriented. Line coach Tom Cable: "Not everybody has a Tom Brady or a Peyton Manning. Really, there's some elite guys who have those gaudy numbers, but everybody else is floundering, and they don't know, 'Do we run it today or do we throw it today? Let's try this.'"

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic says the Cardinals' defense was modeled after the Steelers' unit and is starting to play more like it as well. Browns coach Pat Shurmur did say the Cardinals play their coverages a little differently. Noted: Patrick Peterson was considered best suited for press coverage. He seemed to be playing off the receiver earlier in the season. I haven't noticed to what degree that has changed. Peterson has definitely played aggressively, drawing penalties at times.

Darren Urban of azcardinals.com takes a closer look at the Cardinals' defense and passes along this quip from defensive lineman Darnell Dockett: "Once we fully learn the defense, it’ll be over for a lot of people." Noted: I'll have a detailed look at the Cardinals' defensive improvements a bit later Thursday.

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says Rams quarterback Sam Bradford is still struggling on his sprained ankle and might not play against the Bengals. Bradford: "The past two games I've gone out there, I feel like we've gone backwards. That is a bit frustrating, but in my opinion as long as it's good to go, as soon as it feels right, I want to be out there with my team trying to help them win."

Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch points to a "perfect storm" of negative factors conspiring to make life rough for Bradford. Miklasz: "The Rams owe it to their fans, and to Bradford, to put him in position where he has a viable chance to succeed. Last season the Rams ran the kind of offense that put Bradford in position to make plays, and to grow. And -- with the help of a soft schedule and a disruptive defense -- the Rams won seven games and were one win from making the playoffs. That guy, Bradford, is still there. It's up to the Rams to make this right."

Howard Balzer of 101ESPN St. Louis says shutting down Bradford for the season could be a wise move in the near future.

Grant Cohn of the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat passes along Steve Young's thoughts on how Alex Smith and the 49ers can improve in the red zone. Young says he learned the hard way that quarterbacks cannot simply manage the offense in the red zone. They must create, which requires taking chances. Noted: This dovetails with the thinking that San Francisco needs to take more chances in that area of the field. The team has appeared willing to settle for field goals. A strong defense has allowed that approach to work quite a bit this season.

Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News says Smith's need for structure and a script contrasts with the approach that has worked best for Tim Tebow.

Daniel Brown of the San Jose Mercury News says ESPN's Ron Jaworski does not see improvements to Smith's fundamentals this season.

Todd Haley's firing from the Kansas City Chiefs pushes St. Louis Rams offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels into the spotlight as a potential replacement.

Last offseason, the Rams lost coordinator Pat Shurmur to Cleveland largely because Browns president Mike Holmgren knew and trusted Shurmur.

McDaniels' strong ties to Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli make him a person to watch even though the Rams' offense has averaged fewer than one touchdown per game.

The Chiefs named no replacement for Haley in announcing the firing. McDaniels is in Seattle for the Rams' Monday night game against the Seahawks. He worked with Pioli in New England. McDaniels was the New England Patriots' offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach when the team went 10-5 with current Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel in the lineup.

The fact that two people worked together in the past doesn't necessarily make them a match. But if the Chiefs wanted to stick with Cassel, McDaniels could make sense for them.

Three NFC West teams went into the most recent NFL offseason with unsettled quarterback situations.

Among the potential options: acquiring veteran Kyle Orton from the Denver Broncos. It never happened, but Orton's viability is worth revisiting now that the Broncos are releasing him.

A few considerations:

• Orton would be subject to waivers, meaning teams with poorer records would have priority in claiming him.
• Any team receiving Orton on a waiver claim would inherit his contract, which has $2.5 million in salary remaining for this season.
• Kansas City, Houston, Chicago, Indianapolis and Washington have immediate needs for starting quarterbacks.
• Orton will want to play for a team with a shot at the playoffs. He cannot control where he goes via a waiver claim, but any team acquiring him will have to gauge Orton's receptiveness to the situation.
• The Arizona Cardinals have committed to Kevin Kolb, but they have little invested in a backup. John Skelton is coming off a tough game. Orton would be affordable within the Cardinals' salary structure. He would upgrade depth, but could also threaten to undermine Kolb, a risk the team might not be willing to take.
• The St. Louis Rams are committed to Sam Bradford, but they probably would have parted with backup A.J. Feeley had the lockout not wiped out the offseason. Feeley fit with former Rams coordinator Pat Shurmur. Orton and current Rams coordinator Josh McDaniels were together in Denver, so Orton would know the offense.
• The Seattle Seahawks have pretty much given up on Charlie Whitehurst. It's unlikely Whitehurst will return in 2012. Why not accelerate the process by adding Orton to the mix for the remainder of the season? Seattle figures to draft a quarterback, with Tarvaris Jackson returning in some capacity. There might not be a spot for Orton, but Seattle's personnel department hasn't been afraid to churn the roster.
• The San Francisco 49ers are pleased with Alex Smith, obviously, but they could use veteran depth at the position. Orton would provide that depth. But with a 9-1 record, the 49ers would not succeed on a waiver claim unless Green Bay were the only other team submitting one.

I doubt Orton will land in the NFC West. Teams already had a chance to pursue him, and did not. Orton would add valuable depth for every team in the division, however.

Five things I noticed while watching the St. Louis Rams' most recent game, a 13-12 road victory over the Cleveland Browns:

• The Rams' one playmaker at wideout. Brandon Lloyd's addition gives the Rams a receiver good enough to beat man coverage, even in compressed areas. Lloyd beat the Browns' Joe Haden for a 7-yard touchdown on a third-and-3. This was a passing situation, but the Rams tightened their formation and made Lloyd the only viable receiver. He was the only one they needed and the only one on the team able to make such a play regularly.
• Sacks aren't everything. Chris Long has five sacks in the Rams' last three games, leaving him one sack away from setting a career single-season high with nine. His run defense caught my attention in the second quarter. Long beat right tackle Tony Pashos to the inside and had a clear path to stop running back Chris Ogbonnaya. Pashos grabbed Long around the neck and held him. Long carried the 326-pound Pashos a few steps and made the tackle anyway.
• Inexcusable coverage lapse. The Rams led 10-6 with 23 second left in the half when they allowed a 52-yard reception to Greg Little down the middle of the field. The Rams rushed four. The Browns kept six players in for protection. A seventh, Ogbonnays, released parallel to the line of scrimmage. The Rams should have had six defenders against three vertical receivers. How can this happen? We might expect more errors such as this one given all the injuries at cornerback for St. Louis.
• Phil Taylor gave Rams' guards trouble. The Browns' rookie first-round draft choice showed up at key moments in the fourth quarter. He beat Rams right guard Harvey Dahl before delivering a frightening hit on Sam Bradford to force an incomplete pass. Then, with the Rams facing third-and-3 at the Cleveland 9 with 8:17 left, Taylor beat left guard Jacob Bell for a sack. Taylor looked like the type of player the Rams should target in the 2012 draft.
• Minimizing the fluky nature of defeat. Yes, the Rams needed the Browns to botch a 22-yard field goal in the final minutes. Cleveland was fortunate it came to that, in retrospect. The Browns fumbled two plays before the missed field goal. They muffed a handoff between McCoy and tight end Alex Smith, who had subbed into the game at fullback when an injury sidelined Owen Marecic. Rams fans critical of former coordinator Pat Shurmur would have had fresh material had the Rams messed up a handoff to the tight end under Shurmur's watch. The missed field-goal wound up overshadowing everything, but why handoff to a tight end?

I'm heading to the airport shortly for a late flight to San Francisco for the Cardinals-49ers game Sunday.