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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."

Defensive coordinator Ray Horton isn't the only Arizona Cardinals employee expected to interview with the St. Louis Rams this offseason. Steve Keim, director of player personnel, has surfaced as a candidate on the general manager front, according to Mike Jurecki of XTRA Sports 910 in Phoenix.

This is good strategy by the Rams even if they're still focusing primarily on hiring Jeff Fisher as head coach and a Fisher-vetted candidate for GM. The team gets a chance to learn more about its rivals in the division -- rivals that went 6-0 against St. Louis this season and 20-4 against the Rams since 2007.

Keim's name has surfaced previously in media speculation surrounding jobs in the division. That was the case back before the Seattle Seahawks hired John Schneider as general manager. Keim never interviewed with Seattle. His standing took a hit when the Cardinals went 5-11 last season and 1-6 to open 2011. But with the Cardinals rallying to 8-8, the overall success Arizona has enjoyed since 2007 comes back into focus.

The Rams would be wise to check out other candidates in the division as well. San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Greg Roman and Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator Gus Bradley are two assistants I would investigate. Both have overseen units that have gone young over the last few seasons. The 49ers' overall success under Jim Harbaugh should make Roman appealing. Seattle's defensive improvement has been striking.

The fact that current Seahawks coach Pete Carroll retained Bradley from Jim Mora's staff and kept him in place as coordinator also speaks well of Bradley. How many defensive-minded head coaches retain the defensive coordinators they inherit from previous regimes? That is highly unusual.

Seattle's assistant head coach/offensive line Tom Cable also stands out as a candidate to consider. Cable's history with Oakland included some controversial moments, but the Rams would have to like the way Seattle's ground game kept getting strong production despite suffering injuries similar to the ones that undermined the Rams' offense.

The Seahawks' ability to identify and acquire young talent through the draft and off the street should make members of their personnel department appealing to the Rams. Vice president of football operations Will Lewis and senior personnel executive Scot McCloughan are the most experienced high-ranking members of Schneider's staff. Both were with the Green Bay Packers with Ron Wolf and Ted Thompson in the 1990s; McCloughan helped to acquire much of the 49ers' current talent while serving in senior positions with the team.

The 49ers' more recent success in the draft and free agency reflects well on Tom Gamble, the team's director of player personnel.

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

Each Thursday leading up to the NFL draft (April 28-30), the ESPN.com blog network will take a division-by-division look at key aspects of the draft. Today’s topic: Draft philosophy.

Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals expect their draft choices to address immediate needs even if the players they choose do not start right away. They pay less lip service to the "best player available" mantra than some teams.

"There is a line you walk between both of them, where you draft the best available player for your need," coach Ken Whisenhunt explained before the 2010 draft. "You always consider where your depth is, where your greatest margin of improvement is going to come, and that is kind of what we look toward when we do that."

The Cardinals put together two draft boards. One rates players on overall NFL potential. The other lists the 120 players Arizona would consider drafting, taking into account the Cardinals' needs as well.

San Francisco 49ers

General manager Trent Baalke puts an old-school emphasis on measurables in the belief that bigger, stronger athletes hold up better over the course of a season. His former boss, Scot McCloughan, shared the same philosophy, which he traced back to Ron Wolf.

I expect that philosophy to continue. It fits well with new coach Jim Harbaugh's belief in establishing a power running game to facilitate play-action opportunities.

The first three players San Francisco selected in the 2010 draft -- tackle Anthony Davis, guard Mike Iupati and safety Taylor Mays -- fit the "size matters" philosophy.

St. Louis Rams

The Rams feel good enough about the foundation they've built to tolerate more risk than they were willing to accept when GM Billy Devaney and coach Steve Spagnuolo were in the early stages of remaking the roster.

We saw that last year when the Rams used a third-round choice for cornerback Jerome Murphy and a fourth-rounder for receiver Mardy Gilyard. Murphy had been suspended from his college team for violating team rules. Gilyard was more flamboyant than most recent Rams choices. Draft analysts raised potential character concerns in both cases.

This is not to suggest the Rams have abandoned their core values. They are simply far enough along in the building process to expand their options.

Side note: Over the past two seasons, the Rams have used both first-round choices on players from the Big 12 Conference and both second-rounders on players from the Big Ten.

Seattle Seahawks

Any struggling team with new leadership will be active in addressing weaknesses.

The Seahawks have taken it to another level under coach Pete Carroll and GM John Schneider. These guys are energetic, aggressive and unapologetic. They would rather wheel and deal than stand pat, an approach that led to multiple trades in their first draft together.

The lockout will prevent teams from trading veteran players, limiting the Seahawks' options this year.

The team is more unified philosophically this year because offensive line coach Tom Cable shares more conventional views on prospects at his position. Cable's predecessor, Alex Gibbs, was more particular in what he wanted, affecting the overall approach.

Darren Urban of azcardinals.com says Steve Keim, the team's director of player personnel, places narrow parameters on the type of quarterback a team would draft fifth overall. Keim: "If you take one (with the fifth pick), to me, you have to be convinced that is 'The Guy.' He is 'The Guy' for the next 10 years, and you have no questions or concerns on both the ability side as well as the character and passion for the game and fit and intangibles. He has to be that complete player." Quarterbacks with those credentials get drafted first overall, and even then, it's tough to know for certain whether the player will meet expectations. If teams are going to miss on players that early, they would prefer to miss on non-quarterbacks. The stakes are lower.

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic identifies Texas A&M's Von Miller as his early favorite for the Cardinals with the fifth overall choice in the 2011 draft. He's not convinced the team will draft a quarterback at all, necessarily. The Cardinals would expose themselves to easy criticism if they ignored the position in the draft and acquired an underwhelming veteran. But if they did not value any of the available quarterbacks enough to draft them early, the criticism might be off-base.

Also from Somers: The Cardinals say they are having "ongoing" talks with Larry Fitzgerald regarding a new contract. Somers: "It would behoove the Cardinals to do it before the season starts. If Fitzgerald doesn't have a new deal by then, hitting the open market becomes an even more-attractive option for him."

More from Somers: Thoughts on the quarterback class and whether Arizona might draft one fifth overall. General manager Rod Graves: "One [question] is whether or not with that fifth pick, you can afford to have a player who won't make an immediate contribution to you."

More yet from Somers: Outside linebacker Joey Porter played more snaps than anticipated, making it tougher for the Cardinals to fault his individual contributions during a difficult season, coach Ken Whisenhunt said. That context is helpful in evaluating Porter, who would have benefited from playing on a better team.

Clare Farnsworth of seahawks.com says coach Pete Carroll expects more from receiver Mike Williams and running back Marshawn Lynch in particular. On Lynch: "He missed all the stuff and the principles and the foundation of how we put the thing together. He missed all of that missing camp. So there will be still a sense of newness for him. We’re excited about him coming back and we’re looking forward to it." Lynch mostly needs improved blocking. Seattle used 11 starting combinations on its offensive line last season, and the position was not very strong at its best.

Also from Farnsworth: big-picture thoughts from Carroll, including one about how the new offensive coaches, Darrell Bevell and Tom Cable, should experience a smooth transition. Carroll: "Even in terminology. There’s always some things you have to tweak. But the great majority of it, these guys absolutely know. They cross right over. Immediately, each guy can talk his offense and they know what the other is talking about. And it allows us to not have to change much. There’s a real continuity of thought in mind there to help our players move ahead. To wholesale shift and change everything, particularly in this year, it could be even harder."

More from Farnsworth: The Seahawks are looking for bigger offensive linemen this offseason now that Cable has replaced Alex Gibbs as offensive line coach. That's a better fit for the Seahawks' personnel department, which generally adheres to Ron Wolf's thinking about football being a big-man's game, particularly over the course of a season.

Eric D. Williams of the Tacoma News Tribune passes along comments from Schneider at the combine, noting that he met with the agents for defensive tackle Brandon Mebane. Schneider on Mebane: "Brandon played well. I think Brandon’s a steady pro. Definitely, we hope we can have him back. We talked to his guys last night, and we’re having good discussions with them." Just a guess here, but Mebane is presumably hoping to get paid as though he's more than just a steady pro.

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch profiles receiver Julio Jones, who could wind up catching passes from Sam Bradford after turning down a chance to play with him at Oklahoma. Thomas: "Some common themes at the combine are that the Rams are looking to add playmakers at every position; that there should be plenty of options -- particularly on the defensive line -- at No. 14 overall; and that they're willing to trade down. General manager Billy Devaney has said that there should be plenty of wide receiver options in the second round." The Rams have used first-round choices for offense in both seasons under coach Steve Spagnuolo. Adding a defensive lineman would certainly make sense, but passing over a potentially dynamic offensive playmaker would be tough. Building around Bradford is key.

Also from Thomas: Rams scout Luke Driscoll faces charges in Indianapolis after authorities allegedly found him intoxicated and urinating on a building at 3:20 a.m. Bars tend to be bustling with NFL types at night during the combine. Most of those bars have restrooms.

More from Thomas: Safety Oshiomogho Atogwe, released by the Rams, visited the Redskins and left without a contract offer. Thomas: "Buffalo may bring him in next week after the Bills return from the combine. Dallas and Denver are also interested but Dallas in particular isn't expected to bring in any free agents for visits until there is a new collective bargaining agreement."

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com checks in with 49ers executive Paraag Marathe for thoughts on the team's contract negotiations, strategic planning, stadium outlook and Marathe's evolving role with the team. Marathe was recently named chief operating officer. Marathe: "Where I'm able to have leadership is on the business side: marketing, business development, ticket sales, sponsorships."

Kevin Lynch of Niner Insider thinks 49ers coach, Jim Harbaugh likes quarterback Alex Smith more than the team's general manager, Trent Baalke, likes Smith. And that is logical, based on public comments from both men. The GM is going to take a bigger-picture view more of the time. And in the bigger picture, Smith isn't the answer. But in looking at the short-term options, a coach might see things differently. That is probably the case with Harbaugh.

Eric Branch of the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat wonders whether LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson could be the 49ers' choice with the seventh overall pick. Branch: "The Niners faced six signal-callers who ranked among the NFL's top 12 in passer rating last year and the results weren't pretty. Those quarterbacks completed 67.2 percent of their passes with 14 touchdowns and three interceptions. Passer rating: 110.6, which, loosely translated, means astronomical. This brings us back to Peterson, a dazzling combination of size and speed who won the Bednarik Award given to the nation's top defensive player as a junior this past season."

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee says the 49ers could suffer from a lockout more than most teams this offseason. Barrows: "The 49ers are in an awkward position. They also are one of the teams that promise to suffer the most if owners dig in and pressure the players with a lockout that lasts through the summer or longer. They have an almost entirely new coaching staff that, in a normal year, would spend the offseason implementing new schemes on offense and defense. They also are without a starting quarterback."

Also from Barrows: 49ers defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said the team is "searching" at outside linebacker. Barrows: "None of the four 49ers outside linebackers who took meaningful snaps last season finished with more than five sacks."

More from Barrows: "Lord Fangio" was what Stanford players called him last season.

DALLAS -- Sixteen years have passed since Steve Young defined his legacy while leading the San Francisco 49ers to their fifth Super Bowl championship.

The 49ers haven't been back to a Super Bowl since and they haven't even sniffed the playoffs since 2002. That was four head coaches and one interim coach ago.

Ten quarterbacks have started games for the 49ers since 2000; the number was 12 for the previous 19 seasons, and two of those guys are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The losing and instability stand in stark contrast to the standards two other proud franchises, Green Bay and Pittsburgh, have set in reaching this Super Bowl. The Packers and Steelers have weathered downturns and gotten stronger.

What happened to the 49ers? Who deserves the blame? Why? What will it take to restore the 49ers' status? Those were the questions I asked on the blog Wednesday. There was no shortage of material in the comments section, but one of the shortest answers summarized most of the feelings.

"Bad ownership picking bad leadership picking bad coaches picking bad talent," Claatuop wrote.

Total system failure, in other words.

It's the ownership

Green Bay and Pittsburgh feature arguably the strongest, most stable ownership situations in the NFL.

The Packers have had the same basic philosophy toward personnel since Ron Wolf became their general manager in 1991. Wolf has long since retired, but the Packers' current GM, Ted Thompson, learned under him. Green Bay has likewise run a version of the West Coast offense since Mike Holmgren became their coach in 1992.

The Steelers have had three head coaches since 1969.

The 49ers enjoyed stable ownership until legal troubles forced Eddie DeBartolo Jr. to give up control of the team in 2000. The team posted winning records under coach Steve Mariucci in 2001 and 2002, but Mariucci was out after that season and the team hasn't had a winning record in any season since.

"For the 49ers, it all comes down to ownership," caseytb4949 wrote. "After the Eddie DeBartolo fiasco, ownership of the team transitioned to his sister, Denise, who had little interest in the 49ers. Her husband, who exerted practical control of the team, was and is not a football guy. What's worse, his ego was such that it precluded him from hiring sound football minds. He hired an inexperienced GM, Terry Donahue, and forced out a winning coach in Steve Mariucci. His GM then went on to completely gut the team's talent."

Harsh words, but the evidence supports the general idea, minus the ego part. Quite a few comments suggested the 49ers have put business before football since DeBartolo's departure.

"It was 'Eddie D' leaving and the departure from the Bill Walsh coaching/personnel tree," kingjames988 wrote. "When you move away from what made you great, you almost always end up with less success."

John York and Denise DeBartolo York have handed control of the team to their son, Jed. Jed York, as team president, has shown he values the 49ers' past and the values that made the organization great, but there's little evidence to this point he knows how to return the team to its previous standing.

Its' the leadership

The 49ers have bounced from one leadership team and front-office model to another.

They've handed over total control to a head coach (Mike Nolan). They've had a GM (Scot McCloughan) work with a head coach (Mike Singletary) who had final say over the 53-man roster. They've gone without a GM (after McCloughan left the team abruptly last year).

The current setup is more traditional, with new coach Jim Harbaugh working under new general manager Trent Baalke.

Frequently shifting leadership has made it tougher for the team to develop players and maintain a consistent philosophy. Bad luck has compounded matters, as when offensive coordinators Mike McCarthy and Norv Turner took head coaching jobs.

The 49ers sustained Walsh's philosophy on offense and overall, at least to an extent, into the last decade. But Walsh's influence was eroding all the while. And when Donahue took over as general manager in 2001, Walsh was available only as a consultant. He was out of the organization by 2005 and died in 2007.

"Going from Walsh to Donahue was a complete swing-and-miss, and he fired Steve Mariucci after a year where the Niners went 10-6 and won one of the most epic playoff games of all time," Joey Barrows wrote. " 'Mooch' was perfect for the Niners and bad management messed that up."

What started as a reasoned explanation turned into a more emotional rant mentioning Dennis Erickson, Tim Rattay, Ken Dorsey, the York family's ownership, Turner and Mike Nolan. It concluded with, "And don't get me started on Mike Singletary. Dear Lord."

It's the coach

Walsh set the standard. George Seifert sustained the legacy. Mariucci maintained offensive continuity. They all won.

The 49ers haven't had a winning season since Mariucci lost an internal power struggle.

Singletary projected strong leadership, but he had never been even a coordinator, let alone a head coach. Nolan had never been a head coach, either. In retrospect, the 49ers could have benefited from more seasoned leadership on the sideline, particularly without more experienced leadership in the front office.

"It seems that every department performed poorly after Mariucci left," catterbu wrote. "There is also a certain chicken-egg sort of scenario that has taken place. Instability with coaching leads to poor development of players since the same coaches are not there for very long, which leads to poor performance and firing of the coaches. It's the cycle that must be broken. I think that many of us 49ers fans still love the team, but have almost grown numb to the pain."

Harbaugh has succeeded as a head coach at the college level. He has expertise on offense, something the 49ers haven't had in a head coach since Dennis Erickson replaced Mariucci. The 49ers ranked fifth in yards and ninth in points under Erickson while going 7-9 in 2003, but they parted with quarterback Jeff Garcia after the season.

Which leads to the next problem area.

It's the quarterback

One of the greatest 49ers, retired receiver Jerry Rice, offered his thoughts Thursday morning between appearances on ESPN. He pointed to management problems and the 49ers' decision to draft Alex Smith over Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers with the first overall choice in 2005.

"I mean, there are certain draft choices that you make or you don't make and it's going to cost you," Rice said. "This guy (Rodgers) was right there at Cal. He wanted to be a 49er. But we decided to pass on him and go with Alex Smith. This is not all his fault, but Alex Smith at Utah was more of just a shotgun passer. That is a whole different scenario there. Then with him having so many offensive coordinators and stuff like that, it was major."

The 49ers won at least 10 games in every non-strike season between 1981 and 1998. Young played only three games in 1999 before retiring.

Joe Montana and/or Young were the quarterbacks during that brilliant run from 1981-1998. The 49ers had limited success with Jeff Garcia in subsequent years, but they haven't acquired or developed the right quarterback. Sometimes it's that simple.

"The Niners were once a team that was built upon a strong mixed offense," SFDM12 wrote, "but over the years they have had some key ingredients, but always lack one important piece: a stable quarterback that can handle the pressure and deliver."

Having the wrong quarterback magnifies problems that might not matter so much otherwise, whether it's losing a coordinator or making a mistake in the draft. Rice thinks the quarterback issue is even bigger now than when he played, because players are less apt to rally around a lesser one.

"When I played the game, if it was not Montana or Young, I had to do whatever I had to do to make that guy under center better, and I took pride in that," Rice said. "But with the guys today, they are not going to do that. If they feel you are not capable of doing it, they are not going to waste their time. You are done. It's a whole different generation of guys. I'm not saying they don't love the game, but I could tell with the Niners that they did not feel confident that this guy was the leader and they could win games with him."

For that reason, and because the 49ers have pretty good talent elsewhere on the roster, Rice said he thinks the 49ers should pursue a veteran quarterback.

The road back

The 49ers' ownership isn't likely to change. The leadership and coaching positions appear set.

Quarterback remains a massive question mark.

Harbaugh has a five-year contract and a clear offensive philosophy. He should be able to offer some continuity on offense, at least. And he has said he'll reach back into the West Coast tradition Walsh established three decades ago.

"That was the philosophy he was using at Stanford," Rice said. "It is very simple where these players can just go play football. I think that is going to help. I think having a GM in place is going to help because it takes some of the pressure off Jim Harbaugh."

They will, of course, need the quarterback.

"Since the hiring of Nolan, they have at least tried to do the right thing, and the roster talent has grown immensely," WakeTripper wrote. "With Jed at the helm, there seems to be a new attitude, more similar to the 'Eddie D' days. And now, capped with the hiring of Harbaugh and his desire to bring back the West Coast Offense, us longtime fans can at least have hope that the Niners can regain their team identity and return to their former status as one of the great teams in the league."

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic says the Cardinals will not hire a defensive coordinator until after the Super Bowl. Coach Ken Whisenhunt: "I interviewed a couple of guys at the Senior Bowl and felt good about that. But there are guys on both teams I'm interested in talking to after the Super Bowl." Whisenhunt confirmed Todd Bowles' candidacy.

Darren Urban of azcardinals.com wonders which Green Bay assistants could appeal to Whisenhunt. Urban: "What is interesting will be who he might look at from Green Bay, since there has long been speculation on who he will target with the Steelers. The Packers run a 3-4. Does he try to talk to defensive line coach Mike Trgovac, who was a DC in Carolina for six seasons? Safeties coach Darren Perry, with whom Whisenhunt coached with in Pittsburgh? Assistant head coach Winston Moss? (These are just guesses, of course. We’ll see what happens after the Packers and Steelers actually play)."

Clare Farnsworth of seahawks.com checks in with general manager John Schneider for thoughts on how the Senior Bowl fits into draft-related analysis. Schneider reflected on what Ron Wolf told him years ago. Schneider: "He always used to say, 'An all-star game can only help somebody, it can’t hurt somebody.' Because really what you’re focusing on is how they played in the fall. Some of the biggest mistakes, just from a pure evaluation standpoint, that I have made have been from all-star games -- because the guy had a real nice week at the Senior Bowl. So I might have gone the other way, and not really truly stuck with my feelings on how I felt about him in the fall."

Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times has this to say about Seattle's search for quarterback help: "People are going to spend a lot of time talking about the four quarterbacks who are considered potential first-rounders, but Andy Dalton is one of two quarterbacks Seattle could be targeting later in the draft. The other is Christian Ponder from Florida State. Both of those QBs had great three days of practice. In fact, if you were going to evaluate the quarterback play strictly on the three days of practice, Ponder and Dalton performed more consistently than Jake Locker."

Doug Farrar of Sportspress Northwest wonders whether Ponder could be the right fit for Seattle's offense.

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the Rams are deciding whether to raise ticket prices for 2011. Thomas: "In recent years, the Rams have ranked in the bottom third of the NFL in annual revenue. In terms of ticket prices, only seven NFL teams had lower prices than the Rams' per ticket average of $65.80 in 2010, according to a study by Team Marketing Report. In an unprecedented act since the franchise moved to St. Louis in 1995, the Rams lowered prices on about two-thirds of the seats in the Edward Jones Dome in 2010. Even so, the Rams struggled to meet sellout requirements all season, needing corporate help to get all eight home games on local television."

Nick Wagoner of stlouisrams.com continues his look back at the Rams' 2010 season.

David White of the San Francisco Chronicle checks in with former 49ers defensive coordinator Greg Manusky for thoughts on acquiring outside linebackers for a 3-4 defense. Manusky: "There's not enough to go around. It's getting harder to find those guys because there's so many more teams that want them. Some of these guys are going to get picked higher than they would have because the pool is getting limited. Teams will start reaching."

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee says the 49ers do not plan the type of roster overhaul Seattle made after changing over its coaching staff. General manager Trent Baalke: "We're still working through with the coaches exactly what they're looking for at each position. … But the systems on both sides of the ball should marry up very well with the personnel that we have now and the personnel that we've been looking for."

Reporters at the NFL owners meetings in Florida caught up with Packers general manager Ted Thompson and asked him about possibly adding outgoing 49ers GM Scot McCloughan at some point.

Green Bay would be one logical destination for McCloughan given his strong ties to Thompson. The two worked together in Green Bay and Seattle.

McCloughan has said he lost sight of family during his tenure with the 49ers, an indication he might want to take some personal time.

The Packers are one of several logical landing spots. McCloughan has also worked closely with Titans GM Mike Reinfeldt, Browns president Mike Holmgren, Seahawks GM John Schneider and former Packers GM Ron Wolf, who lives in Florida and has a close association with Dolphins executive vice president Bill Parcells.

McCloughan hasn't formally left the 49ers, of course, but his situation could gain some clarity when team president Jed York takes calls from reporters during a conference call scheduled for Monday at 8 p.m. ET.

DAVIE, Fla. -- The Saints' first media session of Super Bowl week has been pushed back nearly 2 hours from the originally scheduled time.

Rainy weather led the Saints to seek an indoor practice facility. Instead of working out at the University of Miami on Monday afternoon, as previously scheduled, the Saints relocated to the Dolphins' indoor facility. New Orleans will have to practice elsewhere once the Colts arrive because this is where Indianapolis scheduled its practices all week.

It's seemingly possible, then, that the Colts could be the only team able to escape rains this week. We'll learn more from Saints coach Sean Payton, who is scheduled to address reporters at 5:30 p.m. ET. Update: Payton indicated the league had made a plan that could allow both teams use of indoor facilities.

In the meantime, I've dipped into the NFC West mailbag, where a common theme has dominated recent submissions.

Jericho from Tacoma, Wash., writes: Hey Sando, the possibility of a Julius Peppers signing for the Seahawks has just entered my mind. With Paul Allen's money bags, the current abysmal pass rush, and the lack of a CBA for the 2010-2011 season, this makes too much sense to not happen. Thoughts?

Mike Sando: That is the sort of move a team makes to compensate for poor drafting. On the one hand, general manager John Schneider comes from a personnel tree featuring Ted Thompson, Mike Reinfeldt and others who believe in building through the draft and avoiding the big-money deals in free agency. Schneider and new coach Pete Carroll also want to go young. On the other hand, Schneider described himself as more aggressive than Thompson. Schneider also comes from Green Bay, where his first mentor, Ron Wolf, made a bold move for another dominant defensive end, landing Reggie White in one of the most significant moves in NFL history.

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Kyle from Tempe, Ariz., writes: It seems pretty evident that 49ers general manager Scot Mcloughan wants to build through the draft. That being said, there could be some serious value in grabbing a guy like Julius Peppers in free agency. I hope they re-sign Aubrayo Franklin, but if they don't, isn't grabbing a solid DE a necessity this offseason?

Mike Sando: Franklin plays the nose and the 49ers can always use their franchise tag on him if need be. They will keep him one way or another. Adding Pepppers would help, but you're right about the 49ers viewing themselves as having grown to a point where they do not have to overpay for need, particularly on defense.

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Ryan from Phoenix writes: Hey Mike, tell me what you think of this off-season headline: "Cardinals sign Julius Peppers to boost pass rush." As a life long Cardinals fan, I think it would be pretty sweet to see this happen now that it seems likely he's gonna hit the open market.

Mike Sando: The Cardinals probably are not going to pay some of their own players much. It's tough to envision them making the type of play needed to land Peppers. Calais Campbell and Darnell Dockett are much cheaper, no matter how much it pains Dockett to read this sentence.

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Josh from Los Angeles writes: Hey Mike, have you heard anything out of the Rams concerning who they might draft? I know it's kind of early, but any clue as to which way they may be leaning? I personally think they should go with Ndamukong Suh because he is the best defensive tackle prospect since Warren Sapp, but that's me. What are your thoughts and which way do you think they will go?

Mike Sando: I'll be speaking with Billy Devaney and Steve Spagnuolo later in the week. They will not tip their hand this early, most likely, but I tend to think they could be inclined to select Suh as a needed cornerstone up front on defense. The team addressed its offensive line last offseason. The defensive line needs to be a priority now, even though last year's first-rounder, Chris Long, showed significant improvement in 2009. Suh would make a lot of sense for a Spagnuolo-coached team, I think.

Then I could see the Rams trying to find a somewhat reasonably priced veteran quarterback to help get them through the season. That would be based on the idea that there doesn't seem to be an obvious No. 1-type quarterback available this year.

Seahawks general manager John Schneider expanded on his philosophy during a recent interview with John Clayton on 101ESPN Seattle. New Seahawks coach Pete Carroll did the same thing during a recent interview with KJR950's Mitch Levy.

Thoughts and highlights:

• Schneider favors taller cornerbacks to combat the growing number of large receivers in the NFL. This was the approach Seattle took when Schneider and one of his mentors, Ted Thompson, were with the Seahawks several years ago. Ken Lucas and Ike Charlton are among the taller corners Seattle selected under that mindset.
• Schneider favors bigger receivers. Schneider said it's a "big man's league" and this has "more to do with corner and receiver than any other position."
• Finding linebackers, running backs, defensive linemen and offensive linemen is more about finding people to fit schemes. Seattle will pursue offensive linemen and running backs to fit the zone blocking scheme, for example.
• The Seahawks could draft quarterbacks regularly, independent of perceived need. Another mentor for Schneider, Ron Wolf, believed in drafting quarterbacks frequently, developing them and then deciding whether to promote them or trade them. Ty Detmer, Mark Brunell and Matt Hasselbeck were examples from Schneider's early years in Green Bay.
• Carroll cleared up confusion over whether the Seahawks were considering incorporating 3-4 principles on defense, something Carroll alluded to during the news conference to introduce Schneider. The team will run a 4-3 scheme. The team might deploy its 4-3 defense with some personnel that might project more naturally in a 3-4 alignment. Hence references to "elephant" linebackers such as Brian Cushing, formerly of USC and now with the Texans. Background info here.

New Seahawks general manager John Schneider brings personnel values consistent with those of mentors such as Ron Wolf and Ted Thompson.

My efforts to profile GMs produce charts such as the one below.

The chart shows how many players at each position Schneider's teams have drafted by round. Schneider wasn't the ultimate personnel authority while working for the Packers (1993-1996, 2002-2009), Chiefs (1997-1999), Seahawks (2000) and Redskins (2001). But the values he learned while working for those teams will influence the Seahawks' approach to the draft, even if coach Pete Carroll has greater authority.

The chart begs for elaboration. Schneider's teams have drafted five offensive linemen in first rounds, for example, but none since his Seahawks selected Chris McIntosh in 2000. Carroll will presumably want to address left tackle and other issues on the line, but how early?

If new Seahawks line coach Alex Gibbs has pushed his teams to draft linemen in the first round, and I'm not saying he has, it hasn't worked very often. Duane Brown, drafted by Houston in 2007, and George Foster (Denver, 2003) stand as the only offensive lineman Gibbs' teams have selected in first rounds since he broke into the NFL with Denver in 1984.

Of course, we could also phrase this another way: Gibbs' teams have used first-round choices for offensive tackles twice in the last seven drafts.

I'll make available for download this Excel file featuring information on every player Schneider's teams have drafted since 1993. This file will open to a pivot table with instructions for how to analyze the information. Note that a second sheet within the workbook lists all the players in question.

I'll study this more closely as the draft approaches, while preparing similar files for other teams. Please share your findings as well. Together we can provide context for how teams make decisions.

That would be Lance Lopes.

In a couple of weeks, the Seahawks' general counsel has gone from little-known planner of the team's new headquarters to little-known architect of the team's evolving football hierarchy.

It's tough to imagine the organization hiring USC's Pete Carroll as head coach and Green Bay's John Schneider as general manager without Lopes there to see through both moves. Lopes' brother works in the athletic department at USC, providing a trusted link between the Seahawks and Carroll. Lopes and Schneider worked together in Green Bay from 1993 to 1996 and again with Seattle in 2000, the likely key to Schneider's candidacy with the Seahawks.

The Seahawks' hiring of Carroll and Schneider enhances Lopes' profile on the football side of operations.

The head coach and GM at least partially owe their hiring to a man whose online job description says only: "Lopes administers the legal affairs for both the Seahawks and First & Goal Inc. He also handles special projects for the organization, including the construction of VMAC, the club's new headquarters and development of the WaMu Theater in Qwest Field Event Center."

Who is Lopes? He went to college in Oregon, spent seven seasons with the Packers in the 1990s and then returned to the Northwest as general counsel for the Seahawks.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel had this to say when Lopes resigned from the Packers in May 2000: "Lopes, who played a major role in the Packers' stock sale in 1997, was hired in 1993 as legal counsel. He was given new and additional roles the last two years, including working on player contract negotiations and helping the front office with salary cap issues."

While with the Packers, Lopes took over contract negotiations from Mike Reinfeldt after Reinfeldt followed Mike Holmgren from Green Bay to Seattle in 1999. Lopes then joined Reinfeldt and Holmgren in Seattle, where he has remained. The Seahawks had hired Schneider as player-personnel director in April 2000, a month before Lopes resigned from the Packers, citing an opportunity on the West Coast.

Schneider brings strong personnel bloodlines to the Seahawks. He learned under Ron Wolf and Wolf's protege, current Packers GM Ted Thompson -- another former Seahawks executive. Schneider has also shown he can work with high-profile coaches. He took a job with the Chiefs in 1997, when Marty Schottenheimer was head coach, and he worked with Schottenheimer again in Washington. That suggests Schneider earned Schottenheimer's trust and that Schneider can do the same with Carroll.

The dynamics are critical after CEO Tod Leiweke pointed to "collaboration" and cooperation among leadership as a top priority.

Carroll made it clear during his introductory news conference that he would be the top football power broker in the organization. Did that make Schneider a better fit as GM than an older and more established candidate such as Floyd Reese, the other finalist for the job? Schneider, listed at 38 in his Packers bio, is much younger than Reese (61) and Carroll (58). Might he be more willing to take a background role? Might Reese have been more apt to want control over contract negotiations and the other areas he oversaw during a long run as the Titans' GM?

None of it will matter as much if the Seahawks win.

Side note: The Seahawks hired Lopes months after long-time team executive Randy Mueller left to become GM in New Orleans. Lopes had caught passes from Mueller during Linfield College's run to the NAIA Division II title in 1982.

Choosing John Schneider over Floyd Reese as Seahawks general manager would qualify as a mild upset on the surface.

Reese was the one with known ties to new coach Pete Carroll. Schneider was the one with ties to the previous Seahawks administration, having worked in Seattle under Mike Holmgren.

Seahawks general counsel Lance Lopes would be the common thread through Carroll and Schneider. Lopes' brother worked with Carroll at USC. Lopes and Schneider worked together in Green Bay.

Reese had more experience than Schneider -- he is more than 20 years older -- but Schneider has a strong personnel lineage with roots in the approach Ron Wolf used to remake the Packers. Schneider has worked closely with Packers GM Ted Thompson, Holmgren's former right-hand man in Seattle.

More to come.

Todd writes via Facebook: I am struggling with the reports of division and hesitancy on the part of the Seahawks with respect to bringing back Mike Holmgren. The Seahawks were a mediocre team for 15 years post-Chuck Knox. They might have (had) talent, but they always seemed to play beneath it. I think that was extremely true of the Erickson years in particular.

Paul Allen ownership and Holmgren coaching and even his personnel choices made the Seahawks relevant. Holmgren is the most sucessful coach in Seahawks history and there are people in the organization that think it would be better if he were with the Browns? I can only think it might be better for those people as individuals. How can it not be beneficial to have someone with that degree of history and football knowledge with your team?

Mike Sando: Mike Holmgren is a credible leader. I think he is a good administrator. I think he could be effective as the top man running an organization. It's important to acknowledge and appreciate the many good things Holmgren accomplished in Seattle. It's also important to resist embellishing his record as general manager in the name of sentiment.

Seattle was 31-33 in four years under Dennis Erickson. Seattle was 31-33 in four years with Holmgren as coach and general manager. Holmgren was fired as general manager. He did not win a postseason game until he had completed seven full seasons as head coach. I believe most good coaches with sufficient resources will win eventually if given enough time. Seven years is an eternity in the modern NFL.

By comparison, Jon Gruden stepped into a far more dysfunctional situation with Oakland in 1998. He went 38-26 in four seasons, winning two playoff games and leaving the Raiders -- 28-36 in the four seasons before his arrival -- in position for a Super Bowl run. In Green Bay, Holmgren went 38-26 in his first four regular seasons, collecting four playoff victories and sharing the credit with GM Ron Wolf.

For Seattle, bringing back Holmgren under the right terms could indeed make sense. Holmgren would not be coach and general manager, so the dynamic would be different. Holmgren brings credibility. He could help the Seahawks find their next quarterback. He could hire a GM with a strong background to do the scouting grunt work (Ted Thompson was that man for him in Seattle).

But if the Seahawks are wary about turning over their entire operation to a "football czar" with grand plans, I can see why. They think the current structure and operation is not broken. They think the organization has grown to a point where it's bigger than any one person. They gave sweeping powers to Holmgren once already. They should consider their options and make sure the fit is right.

I do not think Holmgren will rush into a deal with Cleveland. If he does, he'll probably command more power than the Seahawks feel comfortable granting to any one person. Seattle would be staying true to its stated values, while Holmgren would be getting the power he craved.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic says the Cardinals are "at least several weeks away" from negotiating a new contract for receiver Anquan Boldin. Somers: "[GM Rod] Graves traditionally has refrained from negotiating contract extensions until the regular season is well under way. By doing that, he can see the makeup of the final roster and take care of personnel moves necessitated by injuries. Also, Graves downplayed the team's interest in free agent offensive tackle Levi Jones. The Cardinals last talked to Jones' agent in May."

Also from Somers: Graves anticipates smooth negotiations with first-round choice Beanie Wells.

More from Somers: a look at the quarterback situation in Arizona. What if the team lost Kurt Warner to injury? Somers: "My guess is the Cardinals could survive if [Matt] Leinart had to play. The offensive schemes might change a bit, because no one sees the field as well as Warner or is as accurate when throwing under pressure. Would the offense be as explosive without Warner? Probably not. But Leinart is smart enough to get the ball to his talented corps of receivers."

Darren Urban of azcardinals.com offers a few notes, including one about Boldin's high school naming a stadium after him. Urban, following up a previous item, also thinks it'll be tough for Early Doucet or Brandon Keith to break through this season. 

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says Ronald Curry brings needed experience to the Rams. Thomas: "One veteran NFL personnel man, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said Curry -- who turned 30 on May 28 -- has lost a step, but is still more than simply a possession receiver."

Will of ramsherd.com weighs in on the Curry trade: "Even if Curry does not become a world-beater, his mere presence -- and a healthy 50 or more catches, with a handful of end zone grabs -- could go a long way toward stabilizing this offense, and fueling hopes for the 2009 season."

Tim Klutsarits of examiner.com says Curry's size differentiates him from most receivers on the Rams' roster. Tim Klutsarits: "I will give credit to the Rams that they are looking to make some moves with the wide receiver position and maybe you can catch some lightning in a bottle with Curry. The problem of course is that the Rams don't have any real established receivers and there are not really any great options just hanging around on the waiver wire for the Rams to fix the problem."

Kevin Lynch of Niner Insider sizes up the 49ers' situation at cornerback, wondering whether Shawntae Spencer can recover from knee surgery well enough to challenge for playing time. He also notes that the 49ers aren't carrying a cornerback shorter than 5-foot-10, reflecting a philosophy general manager Scot McCloughan learned from mentor Ron Wolf. I can't recall off the top of my head the last 49ers defensive back shorter than 5-10. Can you?

David Fucillo of Niners Nation consults Football Outsiders in trying to figure out Michael Crabtree's projected production for 2009. Seeing Crabtree practice with the 49ers and play in exhibition games will certainly help.

John Morgan of Field Gulls on the injury situation at linebacker for Seattle. The team appears healthy at the position.

Jim Moore, writing for Sports Northwest, checks in with Seahawks receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh. Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck: "He's very physical. If you get one-on-one man coverage, he's a big-body receiver. He knows how to set a guy up. He knows how to create separation. He definitely has kind of a swagger about him. When the ball's in the air, he expects that it's his ball, and so far, he's come down with it most times. I'm still learning him. We're probably still learning each other a little bit, but I think so far, he's been everything we expected him to be."

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

A first-round scenario to consider when the NFL draft begins Saturday: The Lions draft Matthew Stafford, the Rams take a tackle, the Chiefs address their defensive line and the Seahawks draft Aaron Curry. Under that scenario, might Texas Tech receiver Michael Crabtree fall to the 49ers at No. 10? And if he did, would the 49ers take him?

The possibility came to mind as I looked at 49ers general manager Scot McCloughan and the receivers his teams have drafted since 1994. The names, listed in the chart by overall selection, shed light on McCloughan's philosophy.

Draft Rd. Pick McCloughan's Team Receiver College Conference 2001 1 9 Seahawks Koren Robinson N.C. St. ACC 1996 2 56 Packers Derrick Mayes Notre Dame Independent 2007 3 76 49ers Jason Hill Wash. St. Pac-10 2000 3 80 Seahawks Darrell Jackson Florida SEC 1999 3 82 Seahawks Karsten Bailey Auburn SEC 2006 3 84 49ers Brandon Williams Wisconsin Big Ten 1995 3 90 Packers Antonio Freeman Virginia Tech ACC 2001 5 140 Seahawks Alex Bannister E.Kentucky Ohio Valley (I-AA) 1994 5 146 Packer Terry Mickens Florida A&M MEAC (I-AA) 1998 5 150 Packers Corey Bradford Jackson St. SWAC (I-AA) 2004 5 157 Seahawks D.J. Hackett Colorado Big 12 1994 6 169 Packers Jay Kearney W.Virginia Big East 1995 6 173 Packers Charlie Simmons Georgia Tech ACC 2008 6 174 49ers Josh Morgan Virginia Tech ACC 2005 5 174 49ers Rasheed Marshall W.Virginia Big East 2000 6 175 Seahawks James Williams Marshall C-USA 1994 6 181 Packers Bill Schroeder Wisc.-LaCrosse WIAC (II) 1999 7 213 Packers Donald Driver Alcorn ST. SWAC (I-AA) 1997 7 213 Packers Chris Miller USC Pac-10 2005 7 223 49ers Marcus Maxwell Oregon Pac-10 2003 7 224 Seahawks Taco Wallace Kansas St. Big 12

McCloughan's mentor in Green Bay, Ron Wolf, shied away from drafting receivers early. He perceived the position as a risky one.

If we look at McCloughan's history, which overlapped Wolf's tenure in Green Bay, we see his teams drafted only one receiver -- Koren Robinson at No. 9 in 2001 -- among the top 55 overall selections since 1994. McCloughan's teams have drafted five receivers between the 76th and 90th choices, zero in the fourth round and 10 between the 140th and 181st choices.

While the 49ers might be tempted to take Crabtree at No. 10, history says McCloughan might target the position in other rounds. The 49ers hold the following picks: 10, 43, 74, 111, 146, 171, 184, 219 and 244. McCloughan's history suggests he might look for a receiver at 74 and then at 146 or later. Taking Crabtree, Jeremy Maclin or another receiver at No. 10 would go against the most firmly established precedent.