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A couple weeks ago, Paul Kuharsky of the AFC South blog mentioned Ruston Webster and Randy Mueller as potential general manager candidates with coach Jeff Fisher in St. Louis.

Webster is off-limits after the Tennessee Titans made him GM.

Mueller remains in a front-office role with San Diego. Kuharsky mentioned Mueller in connection with Fisher because the Titans had interest in him before they ultimately hired Mike Reinfeldt in 2008, back when Fisher was Tennessee's head coach. Mueller, then with Miami, was not allowed to interview.

Fisher and the Titans met with Webster, Reggie McKenzie, Ron Hill, Mike Ackerley and Charles Bailey before hiring Reinfeldt. Webster and McKenzie are GMs, making them off-limits. Hill works for the NFL. Ackerley is with the Houston Texans. Bailey worked for the Jaguars and is out of the league.

The Rams could in head another direction entirely. These are some names with known connections to Fisher.

Before hiring Fisher, St. Louis interviewed the Atlanta Falcons' Les Snead as a GM candidate. The Rams also interviewed Ryan Grigson, subsequently hired by Indianapolis. Arizona's Steve Keim has also been under consideration, although his candidacy appeared more natural when the Cardinals' Ray Horton was a candidate to become head coach.

The news conference introducing Jeff Fisher as the St. Louis Rams' head coach, scheduled for Tuesday at 2 p.m. ET, should provide answers regarding organizational structure.

We should expect Fisher to control the roster and have say over who becomes general manager. We should also expect Fisher's contract to give him at least as much power as the GM.

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says Fisher will not have a title beyond head coach, but Fisher will have significant say over personnel to go along with a $7 million annual salary. Thomas: "After 17 years working for tightwad owner Bud Adams in Houston and Tennessee, Fisher wanted to make sure he had the resources to put together a strong coaching staff, be active in free agency and have a strong personnel department. Contrary to speculation, it looks like Fisher's only title will be head coach. He's not expected to have 'vice president' or 'executive vice president' attached to his name in St. Louis."

Also from Thomas: Gregg Williams and Brian Schottenheimer are expected to become Fisher's coordinators, although ESPN's Chris Mortensen says former Raiders coach Hue Jackson will interview on the offensive side.

Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch shields Schottenheimer from some of the blame over what went wrong with Mark Sanchez and the Jets this past season. Miklasz: "If we are to blame Schottenheimer for the stalled development of a young QB, then it's fair to give the OC just a nod of praise for what Sanchez did in the 2009-10 postseasons. In six games, with the Jets winning four, Sanchez completed 60.5 percent with 9 TDs and 3 INTs. He played very well in road wins at San Diego, Indianapolis and New England. He also played a good game in last season's AFC championship, completing 61 percent for 2 TDs and no picks in the loss at Pittsburgh."

Also from Miklasz: Rams owner Stan Kroenke hasn't done enough to allay fears of a future franchise relocation.

Andy Cordan of WKRN-TV Nashville says Fisher was recently first on the scene to a traffic accident that left two teenagers injured. Cordan: "Authorities said the 17-year-old driver of a Nissan Altima lost control, ran off the road, hit a pole and overturned. A 13-year-old passenger was thrown from the car and rushed to Vanderbilt Children's Hospital with critical wounds. Fisher didn't want to go on camera but spoke with Nashville's News 2 over the phone. He said he was on his way home when he saw the wreck and stopped. Knowing the teens were hurt, Fisher said he rendered aid the best he could, and stayed with them until medical personnel arrived."

Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News says 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh is embracing the magnitude of the moment as the 49ers prepare to play for a Super Bowl berth.

Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News says 49ers general manager Trent Baalke is extremely happy for quarterback Alex Smith. Baalke: "Like I told him after the game, I don’t know if I’ve ever been happier for an individual than I was for Alex to come through in those moments like he did and to have the type of game he had. And to just see the joy on his face. If anyone deserved it, Alex deserved it. (I’m) very appreciative that he was able to do that."

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com notes that former 49ers owner Eddie DeBartolo Jr. will serve as honorary captain for the NFC Championship Game.

Also from Maiocco: Center Jonathan Goodwin has won the 49ers' annual Bobb McKittrick Award as top offensive lineman.

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee says Delanie Walker, if cleared to return, would give the 49ers a big boost on offense.

Alex Espinoza of 49ers.com runs through which 49ers earned spots on the annual all-NFL selections published by Pro Football Weekly and the Pro Football Writers of America. General manager Trent Baalke was top executive.

Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle says Harbaugh thought the Giants played harder than the Packers on Sunday.

Lowell Cohn of the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat says physical evidence from Jim Harbaugh's playing days, including a manged finger, connect the coach with his players. Cohn: "He is scarred because he was a player and he relates to his own players because he once did battle as they now do battle. It is a reality they share with each other, and even in retirement he is the real deal."

Keith Goldner of Advanced NFL Stats revisits comparisons between Smith and Trent Dilfer.

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic checks in with former Cardinals and Rams defensive back Aeneas Williams, who is grateful to be a candidate for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Williams: "We didn't win a whole lot of games, but I can say this, I had just as much enjoyment playing the game with the Cardinals as I did with the Rams. I'll never forget being around that team with Jake Plummer and those guys and finally breaking through, making the playoffs and winning in Dallas." Noted: Williams is definitely worthy of strong consideration. He came through in the clutch and was a playmaker for an extended period.

Sean Jensen of the Chicago Sun-Times says the Bears should consider the Seattle Seahawks' Will Lewis as a candidate to succeed Jerry Angelo as general manager. Jensen: "In the last 14 years, Lewis has worked alongside people such as Ron Wolf, new Oakland Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie, Packers GM Ted Thompson, Seahawks GM John Schneider and Tim Ruskell. Lewis is on the short list of GM candidates the Fritz Pollard Alliance -- an organization that helps to diversify the NFL -- is recommending to teams with vacancies, and he interviewed in 2010 to become the GM of the Cleveland Browns. And while the Packers are the 'it' team, the Seahawks quickly have overhauled their roster since Schneider took over. In 2010, they traded a fourth-round pick and a conditional selection to the Buffalo Bills for former first-round pick Marshawn Lynch. The transaction proved wise, as Lynch set career highs with 1,204 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns this season."

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says during a chat that he thinks the Rams are "seriously considering" making a play for Michael Vick this offseason. Vick would already know the Rams' offense, which Rams offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur brought from Philadelphia. Vick would sell tickets, a challenge for any team coming off a 1-15 record and lacking star power. Shurmur's relationship with Eagles coach Andy Reid could give the Rams access to more reliable information as to how Vick would fit into a new team. Vick would probably be better than any other quarterback on the Rams' roster. General manager Billy Devaney knows Vick from when both were with the Falcons. Those are all reasons for the Rams to consider Vick if the Eagles make the quarterback available.

Melissa Isaacson of ESPNChicago.com says former Rams and 49ers coach Mike Martz could be losing interest in coordinating the Bears' offense after the team has reached out to lots of candidates, but not him. Martz: "It sounds like there's something they want to do. I just want to move on. I just worry about Lovie (Smith). I just want to see him do well. That was the reason for my interest."

Neil Hayes of the Chicago Sun-Times says the Bears will hear about it if their offense struggles with someone other than Martz as coordinator. Hayes: "Maybe (Jay) Cutler is nixing Martz because Martz was critical of Cutler's demeanor during a news conference earlier this season. Should the quarterback be making this call? Former Lions coach and current Bears assistant Rod Marinelli butted heads with Martz when they both were in Detroit. Are the Bears going to let their defensive line coach scuttle this hire?"

ESPN's Adam Schefter says former NFC West assistants Al Saunders and Jim Zorn are candidates to interview with the Ravens.

John Crumpacker of the San Francisco Chronicle says former 49ers punter Tom Wittum, who passed away recently, still followed the team and attended games periodically.

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee passes along comments from 49ers president Jed York. York on playing the Broncos in London: "It's a tough trip, and hopefully we'll be able to have an East Coast road game the week before and be able to cut that trip in half and have a 6-hour flight to London as opposed to a 12-hour flight from San Francisco, which I think the San Diego Chargers did a few years ago."

Scott Kegley of 49ers.com checks in with linebacker Patrick Willis and punter Andy Lee as both arrived at the Pro Bowl.

Greg Bedard of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel checks in with new Seahawks general manager John Schneider, focusing on how the Packers will adjust without him. Ted Thompson, Reggie McKenzie and John Dorsey will pick up the slack. However, the Packers were admittedly a bit top-heavy after replacing former coach Mike Sherman, who had doubled as GM. Bedard: "McKenzie will become more involved with college scouting leading up to the draft, while Dorsey will be asked to contribute more to pro personnel during the season. Dorsey will deal more with agents, which was a major component of Schneider's duties. Also, Thompson will become more personally involved in trade talks. He often left McKenzie and Schneider to find deals and bring them to his attention."

John Morgan of Field Gulls links to an item with background information on new Seahawks strength and conditioning coach Chris Carlisle.

John McClain of the Houston Chronicle says former Seahawks offensive coordinator Greg Knapp is the new quarterbacks coach for the Texans. McClain: "Knapp and new offensive coordinator Rick Dennison are replacing Kyle Shanahan. He was offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Shanahan’s contract expired, and he went to Washington to become the offensive coordinator under his father, new Redskins coach Mike Shanahan."

Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times checks in with new Seahawks linebackers coach Ken Norton Jr., who wanted to coach in Seattle or San Francisco if he couldn't remain at USC. He is reunited with Lofa Tatupu. Norton: "Lofa has always been a very special guy to my heart. He was a guy I coached at USC, one of my first years at coaching. It was unfortunate to see him go down last year with the injury, but I'm expecting him to get this defense back to where it was before."

Cardinals safety Antrel Rolle says he thinks Kurt Warner will retire. Rolle: "Judging from conversations that I've had with him I think he understands that he's had a great, Hall of Fame career. I think football has taken its course. But he's the best teammate I've ever had. He's been a leader on and off the field." Warner has said he wants to feel good about retiring. Can he walk away and feel good about it? That is the key question.

Revenge of the Birds' Andrew602 passes along thoughts from Cardinals safety Hamza Abdullah, who played extensively in the divisional-round playoff game after Arizona lost Rolle to injury. Playing with Adrian Wilson was a highlight for Abdullah. Abdullah: "Oh, man, did I learn anything? I could talk to you about two or three hours just strictly on that. Adrian Wilson is a great safety, obviously. ... It's just a privilege. I really believe that God has blessed me to not only be with a great organization but to learn from a veteran like Adrian Wilson. To be honest with you, it doesn't get better than Adrian Wilson."

Dan Bickley of the Arizona Republic says Darnell Dockett vows to sign with another team in the NFC West if Arizona doesn't step up with a new contract for him. Dockett: "Honestly, I don't think they'll pay me. It's one thing to say there's a light at the end of the tunnel, but how many guys have been here who never reach that light? Look at Antonio Smith, Calvin Pace, Thomas Jones, Simeon Rice. Look at Anquan [Boldin]. Do you think going into his last season that he'll be interested in signing a contract at that time? You think I'll be anxious to sign a contract at that time? People say, 'Well, look what they did with [Larry] Fitzgerald.' Did you see the situation Fitzgerald had them in? Did you see what Kurt [Warner] had to go through? Kurt had to go to another team. Imagine that. An MVP quarterback took them to the Super Bowl for the first time in God knows how long, and he had to go to another team to get an offer to come back. Look at Karlos [Dansby]. They can't work out a deal with Karlos, because Karlos wants what he thinks he deserves, and the numbers don't lie. You know the saying: Men lie. Women lie. Numbers don't."

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic says the Cardinals are focused on themselves, not the 49ers. Steve Breaston: "They need to watch us, basically. We're ahead. We're in the position that as long as we win games, it doesn't matter what anyone else does."

Eric D. Williams of the Tacoma News Tribune lists 11 potential candidates to become the Seahawks' next general manager: Mike Holmgren, Randy Mueller, Tom Heckert, Ruston Webster, Steve Keim, Bill Kuharich, Ted Sundquist, Reggie McKenzie, Les Snead, Jimmy Raye III and Eric DeCosta.

Dave Boling of the Tacoma News Tribune says the 49ers appear more talented than the Seahawks heading into their matchup Sunday. Boling: "The Niners even lose better than the Hawks. They lost close at Minnesota (27-24) and at Indianapolis (18-14), sites of two extreme defeats for the Seahawks (35-9 at the Vikings and 34-17 at Indy). I would still suggest the Seahawks have the advantage at quarterback, although the Niners’ Alex Smith (84.7) currently has a better passer rating than Matt Hasselbeck (81.0)."

Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times says Tim Ruskell's resignation reminds the Seahawks that jobs are on the line down the stretch. Hasselbeck: "We all know what's at stake. Every single guy in that locker room realizes that just like every other year, how you play will determine your status for the next year. Whether you're in this league or not, whether you're starting or not, whether you're on this team or not. That's unchanged."

Taylor Price of 49ers.com says the 49ers' Delanie Walker is happy for all of the attention Vernon Davis is getting these days.

John Crumpacker of the San Francisco Chronicle says 49ers coach Mike Singletary wants his defense to improve its tackling. There's no excuse for the 49ers to be a poor tackling team given how much hitting they did during the offseason. Takeo Spikes: "Tackling is a mindset. I don't care how much you work on it in practice, at the end of the day, it's getting 'em down. What can you change in a week's time?"

Matt Maiocco of the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat says how the Seahawks defend Walker could be a key variable Sunday. Much depends on whether the 49ers continue to shy away from their base offense featuring two backs. Jim Mora: "I've always had a lot of respect for him, and he's developed into a tenacious player. The combination of him and Vernon and [Josh] Morgan and Michael [Crabtree], and [Frank] Gore in the backfield, that's a lot of weapons. They've done a nice job of making you defend the whole field. Walker is a fine player. He might get overshadowed a little bit, but we have a lot of respect for him." More here.

Also from Maiocco: catching up with Nate Davis.

Daniel Brown of the San Jose Mercury News says the playoffs are a realistic goal for the 49ers.

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the Rams remain unsettled in key areas heading into the final five games. Thomas: "Even if he recovers from his fractured shin bone in time to play a couple of games, quarterback Marc Bulger probably won't have enough time to reinvent himself in the eyes of the coaching staff and front office. Any decision on retaining him, or moving in another direction, will largely be based on what already has transpired."

Also from Thomas: Oshiomogho Atogwe's matchup with Bears quarterback Jay Cutler is a key one.

Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says former Rams coach Mike Martz should be working in the NFL. Miklasz: "Martz's innovations in the passing game inspired a new generation of younger NFL coaches and coordinators. NFL teams are combining to average 66 passes and 471 yards passing per game this season, the second-highest averages since the 1970 merger. Even traditional smash-mouth teams (Pittsburgh) are airing it out and bombing away."

Bill Coats of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch checks in with the Rams' first-year coordinators. Coats: "(Steve) Spagnuolo never had served as a head coach at any level when the Rams tapped him to take over a franchise that had lost 27 of 32 games the previous two seasons. In turn, Spagnuolo hired two men who never had served as coordinators in the NFL: Ken Flajole and, on offense, Pat Shurmur. Toss in a rookie special-teams coordinator, Tom McMahon, and the expression 'starting from scratch' had real meaning."