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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."

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

TAMPA, Fla. -- With Scott Linehan, Rick Dennison and Rob Chudzinski already out of the running, and with Dan Reeves weighing a consulting job with the Cowboys, the 49ers' search for an offensive coordinator continues to confound.

The team still might come away with a top-notch coordinator, but the list of known candidates has been dwindling by the day. Linehan turned down the 49ers' offer, instead taking a job with the Lions. Dennison decided to stay with the Broncos. Chudzinski became the Chargers' assistant head coach/tight ends.

Colts assistant Clyde Christensen, Ravens assistant Hue Jackson and former Boston College head coach Jeff Jagodzinski have also interviewed for the 49ers job. All remain available.

Niners coach Mike Singletary could be taking a deliberate, thorough approach to filling the job vacated when he fired Mike Martz four weeks ago. Singletary might also be having a hard time finding quality candidates willing to bypass other opportunities.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Dan Bickley of the Arizona Republic checks in with former Cardinals quarterback Jake Plummer, who is spending the weekend at a handball tournament in Seattle. Plummer: "Getting your (backside) kicked all the time was really rough, but (ownership) didn't care one way or the other. They just wanted a stadium. If we won, it was a bonus. But they were right. They have a stadium, and what they promised has become a reality. They have delivered on their word."

The Arizona Republic offers a question-and-answer session with Cardinals president Michael Bidwill, who says getting a new stadium helped turn around the franchise. Bidwill: "We believed so strongly that it would give us the great home-field advantage we'd been lacking, the revenue streams to compete with the rest of the NFL, and ultimately lead to the success we all wanted. Three seasons after opening the stadium, it's rewarding that that all of those things followed."

Bob McManaman of the Arizona Republic says the Cardinals' defense has held up its end.

More from McManaman, with Kent Somers: Anquan Boldin says his hamstring isn't a problem.

Also from Somers: a closer look at what makes Ken Whisenhunt an effective coach.

Also from McManaman: The decision to start Kurt Warner is paying off for Arizona.

More from McManaman: a look at Larry Fitzgerald, followed by a list of the 10 greatest Cardinals.

Paola Boivin of the Arizona Republic says Dennis Green also deserves some credit for the Cardinals' rise.

Mark Maske of the Washington Post says times have changed for the Cardinals. Years ago, leaving the organization seemed to be the first step toward a successful career. Ken Harvey, Jay Novacek and Tim McDonald proved as much.

Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times picks apart the "no respect" angle. Warner has his back when he says, "Why would we get a lot of respect when we haven't done anything to prove otherwise? It is what it is. It's a process. You're trying to earn respect, as an organization and as a team. It takes year-in and year-out consistency to earn that respect."

Jarrett Bell of USA Today checks in with the least objective reporter covering the NFL playoffs. Says the elder Larry Fitzgerald, a sports reporter by trade: "I understand there's no cheering [in the press box]. I'm there as an objective journalist. On the outside, that's what you see. But inside, I'm high-fiving."

Karen Crouse of the New York Times writes about the hurdles Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie overcame in reaching the NFL. Losing a kidney at age 5 was one of them.

Jim Corbett of USA Today looks at Whisenhunt's quick two-year rise in Arizona.

Bob Romantic and Scott Bordow of the East Valley Tribune debate which team will win the NFC Championship Game.

Also from Bordow: Cardinals defensive end Antonio Smith hopes his late mother's premonition comes true.

Mike Tulumello of the East Valley Tribune says Fitzgerald is well on his way to the Hall of Fame.

Mark Heller of the East Valley Tribune says the Cardinals are bracing for the Eagles' blitzes.

John Crumpacker of the San Francisco Chronicle says the 49ers appear close to hiring an offensive coordinator. Rick Dennison is no longer a candidate.

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee says the 49ers are waiting for former Rams coach Scott Linehan to accept their offer to become offensive coordinator.

Matt Maiocco of the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat expects Linehan to make a decision by the end of the weekend.

Jim Thomas and Bill Coats of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch try to make sense of the Rams' latest meeting with Cowboys offensive coordinator Jason Garrett. General manager Billy Devaney had said the interviews of head-coaching candidates were over. Devaney: "Jason didn't know much about St. Louis, and he wanted to look at the facility. We're not close to moving on Jason Garrett. I'm not even going to say he's the leading guy."

Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the Rams would be taking quite a risk by hiring Garrett as their next head coach. Miklasz: "This one floors me. If Garrett is destined to be the next head coach at Rams Park, I never saw it coming. I never took it seriously. I never realized the extent of the apparent man crush that Devaney has on Garrett. And maybe this is all just another head fake by Devaney. Again: who knows?"

Steve Korte of the Belleville News-Democrat says Garrett's visit could suggest he's the front-runner for the job.

Previously from Thomas: Leslie Frazier was looking like the No. 1 candidate.

Clare Farnsworth of the Seattle Post-I
ntelligencer says the Seahawks would rather not select an offensive tackle with the fourth overall choice. General manager Tim Ruskell: "I have never been fond of the high (pick) offensive lineman. It's not a sexy pick and you can't really show highlights."

John Morgan of Field Gulls explains why drafting a cornerback early might not make sense for the Seahawks. If they draft one fourth overall, what does that say about the team's investment in Josh Wilson and Kelly Jennings?

Chris Sullivan of Seahawk Addicts takes a look at a mock draft from the Sporting News as it pertains to the Seahawks.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Mike Singletary can't afford to be wrong on his choice for offensive coordinator. His decision to take a second look at Scott Linehan tells us the former Rams coach fared well enough in his first interview to remain a strong candidate.

Singletary and general manager Scot McCloughan appear to be in no hurry. They already spoke with quarterbacks coaches associated with coordinating candidates Rob Chudzinski and Rick Dennison. That suggests those candidates also fared well enough to remain relevant.

Given Singletary's inexperience as a head coach, the 49ers might be best served hiring a coordinator with experience.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee says the 49ers held a phone interview with Broncos assistant Pat McPherson, a candidate to coach quarterbacks for the 49ers. McPherson would likely coach the position if the team hired Broncos assistant Rick Dennison as offensive coordinator.

Matt Maiocco of the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat says the 49ers have discussed the possibility of hiring an offensive coordinator from within. Also, the Broncos might have interest in 49ers offensive assistant Adam Gase.

Daniel Brown of the San Jose Mercury News says McPherson served as position coach for Jake Plummer, who posted a 39-15 starting record with McPherson coaching the position.

Richard Obert of the Arizona Republic says the Cardinals continue to fight through personnel issues at tight end.

Also from Obert: Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb trains in Arizona.

Mike Hlas of the Cedar Rapids Gazette checks in with former Redskins and University of Iowa defensive back Matt Bowen for scouting reports on Kurt Warner and McNabb. Bowen played with Warner and against McNabb.

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic says Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie claims to be the fastest player on the Cardinals, and he's willing to back it up.

Darren Urban of azcardinals.com checks in with Steve Breaston, who disputes Rodgers-Cromartie's claim while declining to prove it until after the season.

Also from Urban: The Cardinals passed out shirts featuring a simple message. "PROVE IT," the shirts read.

Scott Bordow of the East Valley Tribune thinks Rodgers-Cromartie can become a perennial Pro Bowl cornerback. 

Clare Farnsworth of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer shares his thoughts on changes to the Seahawks' coaching staff. Farnsworth: "Seeing [Gil] Haskell go is almost as difficult as watching Holmgren walk away. Like [Mike] Holmgren, Haskell is a good coach and an even better person. But [Greg] Knapp's name as the eventual O.C. surfaced a year ago, when [Jim] Mora was named the head-coach-in-waiting. Knapp and Mora worked together previously in San Francisco and Atlanta, and it was imperative that Mora have his 'own guy' running the offense because his expertise is on the defensive side of the ball."

Judd Zulgad of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune says Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier emerged from his Rams interview hopeful the team would hire him as head coach. Frazier: "I felt really good about the interview. I had no second guesses about, 'Maybe I should have said this or that.' I put everything out there that needed to be out there and now it's a matter of if I'm the right fit for what they're looking for." 

John Clayton says the Rams' interest in Steve Spagnuolo and Jason Garrett shows money isn't a problem for the team in its search for a new head coach.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Ant from San Francisco writes: Sando, such a huge and understandable focus has been placed on the QBs throughout the playoffs but I noticed a familiar trend for all four teams still playing: they have great QBs on defense, their safeties. Reed, Polamula, Dawkins and Wilson are in the top five of play-making, turnover causing and experienced safeties in the NFL, along with Bob Sanders.

They're also all joined by athletic lesser named counterparts at the other safety spot. Having watched S.F. all year I can that when your safeties make zero game changing plays it costs a decent team perhaps two wins.

It stood out that the Carolina & San Diego safeties were slow in coverage and nonexistent in run support; the Tennessee safeties allowed two big pass plays right in front of them that could've been INTs and NY's made no plays of consequence. The QB battles in these playoffs have not been as one-sided as years past so perhaps this has been one of those small difference makers that turns a match up toward the lower seed. After all, other than health winning in the playoffs is all about match ups.

Mike Sando: Great observation. Other teams have won Super Bowls without great safeties. I think a strong pass rush can cover for the positions in the secondary. But the evidence you brought holds up very well in looking at the current playoff teams. One question: Were you wearing a Mark Roman jersey when you wrote this mailbag submission?

(Read full post)

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch identifies Cowboys offensive coordinator Jason Garrett as one of five finalists to become the Rams' head coach. Other finalists include interim Rams coach Jim Haslett, Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier, Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan.

Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News says the Rams have lined up an interview with  Spagnuolo. Vacchiano: "That will be the fifth interview for Spagnuolo, who has already met with officials for the Browns, Broncos, Jets and Lions. The Lions are reportedly interested in bringing him to Detroit for an interview this week, and a league source said the Jets might try to interview him for a second time, too."

Clark Judge of CBS Sports.com says the Cardinals should think about extending coach Ken Whisenhunt's contract.

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic says Whisenhunt plans no changes to the Cardinals' offense after losing tight end Stephen Spach to a knee injury. You might recall Leonard Pope making a 25-yard reception at Philadelphia on Thanksgiving.

More from Somers, with Richard Obert: Cardinals fullback Terrelle Smith relays a story about his cancer-stricken mother having a vision about Arizona playing for the NFC title at home. Smith: "Doctors say sometimes they get delusional and, at times, we thought she was. But now it lines up. It makes sense, and it tells me what to fight for every week." Smith's mother died last month.

Darren Urban of azcardinals.com says the Cardinals' 41-yard pass to Larry Fitzgerald owed its roots to a play drawn up on the team plane. The play -- Fake Toss, 339 Taxi Pass -- was such a secret that the team decided against running it during its walkthrough in Charlotte.

Clare Farnsworth of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer says new Seahawks coach Jim Mora is surrounding himself with assistant coaches he knows and trusts. Mora's first news conference as head coach is scheduled for Tuesday.

Rob Staton of Seahawks Draft Blog takes a deliberate look at potential draft options for the Seahawks with the fourth overall choice, balancing why certain options may or may not be feasible.

Matt Maiocco of the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat, citing a National Football Post report, says former Boston College coach Jeff Jagodzinski will interview to become the 49ers' offensive coordinator. Jagodzinski also worked previously on Mora's staff in Atlanta. Update: Jagodzinski is not a candidate.

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee sees similarities in the resumes of Jagodzinski and fellow candidate Rick Dennison. Update: Those similarities would be more interesting if Jagodzinski were indeed a candidate.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

The 49ers' search for an offensive coordinator continues Monday when the team plans to meet with Broncos offensive coordinator Rick Dennison, a source said.

Dennison, primarily responsible for coordinating the Broncos' running game, fits the 49ers' profile for the job in that his Denver teams have ranked among the NFL leaders in rushing several times over the years. Dennison spent the last 14 seasons under Mike Shanahan, including the last three as coordinator. He coached the offensive line from 2001 to 2007 and special teams from 1997 to 2000.

The 49ers have already interviewed Scott Linehan, Rob Chudzinski and Clyde Christensen for the position. All remain in the running. 

Coach Mike Singletary's desire to build the 49ers' offense around its line and running game made Dennison a person of interest.