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Jump ahead to 2015 and put yourself in John Schneider's seat as the Seattle Seahawks' general manager.

By then, you will have re-signed or lost elite players such as safety Earl Thomas and cornerback Richard Sherman.

Your quarterback, Russell Wilson, will be entering the final year of his rookie contract. Wilson will be eligible to sign a new one for the first time under the NFL's labor rules.

The same goes for Bobby Wagner, your starting middle linebacker, and Bruce Irvin, your highly drafted pass-rusher. All will cost much more than they're costing right now.

Your Pro Bowl left tackle, Russell Okung, will also be entering a contract year.

One receiver, Percy Harvin, will have a contract counting $12.9 million against the salary cap. Another, Sidney Rice, will have a deal counting $10.2 million.

Oh, and one other thing about this 2015 adventure: You'll have to decide whether to pay a $2 million roster bonus and $5.5 million salary for a running back entering his ninth season.

Marshawn Lynch is that running back, and right now, in 2013, he's about as good as they come, this side of Adrian Peterson. But you'll need younger, more economical alternatives for some of your best players down the line. These aren't the sort of immediate needs that show up in draft previews, but they're always lurking.

Now, thanks to one of the more surprising moves in the 2013 draft, the Seahawks have bought insurance for their future at the position most vulnerable to age.

Christine Michael, the Texas A&M running back Seattle unexpectedly selected 62nd overall Friday, must by rule sign a four-year contract through 2016. His deal will run past the contracts that Lynch and backup running back Robert Turbin signed last offseason. It will count far less against the cap than the $9 million Lynch's deal is scheduled to count in 2015.

Seattle probably did not draft Michael with the distant future in the front of its mind. One explanation trumps all others when determining why the Seahawks used a second-round draft choice for a running back with two perfectly good ones on the roster already. The team thinks Michael can be special.

"He was the highest-rated player on our board and we lost Leon Washington, so we were looking for a little bit of depth there, and he is just our kind of runner," Schneider said. "He's a tough, intense, up-field, one-cut guy, and he's just a very good football player, competitor."

Adding Michael does not imperil Lynch for the 2013 season, of course. It does provoke natural tendencies to wonder whether there's more to this story.

"I could be far-fetched here," Kevin from McKinney, Texas, wrote to the NFC West mailbag, illustrating how far the mind can wander, "but is it possible John Schneider and [coach] Pete Carroll are concerned with Lynch's future effectiveness due to the new lowering of the crown rule? It seems to me that is a big part of his game and significantly contributes to his yards after contact."

There is no way the rulebook pressured Seattle into drafting a running back.

Carroll and other coaches fear officials will struggle enforcing the new rule preventing runners from lowering their heads and delivering an aggressive blow to the opponent with the top of the helmet. The rule could affect Lynch, but league officials said they discovered only a few would-be violations per week when studying tape from last season.

The Seahawks selected Michael because they thought he was the best back in the draft and well-suited to their offense. They wanted additional depth for their running game, which will remain the focus of their offense. They have to realize that Lynch's back spasms, while manageable to this point, could become more problematic with additional wear and tear. And they surely realize that Lynch's occasional off-field troubles dating to his time with the Buffalo Bills could recur, inviting sanctions.

Adding Michael doesn't mean the team thinks less of Lynch or Turbin, a 2012 fourth-round choice. There are no indications the team is anticipating a Lynch suspension in relation to his DUI arrest last offseason.

Still, I would bet against Lynch playing out the final year of his deal when Michael and Turbin figure to be available at a significant discount.

Seattle was fortunate in 2010 to have a running back of Lynch's caliber and young age (then 24) become available by trade at reasonable cost. The team was wise to re-sign Lynch one year ago to a four-year deal featuring $17 million in guaranteed money.

This marriage should be good for both parties for the next couple of seasons.

Lynch's deal pays him $7 million in salary with an $8.5 million salary-cap charge in 2013. It carries a $5 million salary and $7 million cap number in 2014. The team will have a decision to make at that point because Lynch's deal includes a $5.5 million salary and a $2 million roster bonus with a $9 million cap figure for 2015, the contract's final year.

Michael, a luxury buy at present, should be much more than that by then.

Kam Chancellor has a new contract with the Seattle Seahawks. Defensive teammates Earl Thomas, Richard Sherman and K.J. Wright can become free agents after the 2014 season. Each could be in line for a new deal in the next year or so.

Sherman's name and contractual future came up in conversation Monday when Brock Huard, Danny O'Neil, John Clayton and I got together for a segment on 710ESPN Seattle .

How much can a team justify paying a top cornerback? That will be a question for the Seahawks to consider when it comes to paying Sherman. Darrelle Revis, Champ Bailey, Brandon Carr and Cortland Finnegan have all been earning at least $10 million per season. Revis, Carr, Joe Haden, Finnegan, Johnathan Joseph and Brandon Flowers have all gotten at least $20 million guaranteed.

The chart shows the NFL cornerbacks with the highest average salaries in the first three years of their contracts. The figures for Revis will be revised once details are known regarding his new deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Sherman has made it clear he thinks there isn't a cornerback better than him in the NFL. He's been a bargain as a fifth-round draft choice. And while Sherman has sounded grateful over the opportunity Seattle has provided for him, expectations for a new contract should be exceedingly high if Sherman continues to play at a high level. Someone would pay top dollar for what he can provide.

It could be the Seahawks. The next couple drafts will be critical in giving the team cheaper alternatives at a few positions. Cornerback is one of those positions. Wide receiver is another. The team will want to have options at those positions while deciding how much to pay Sherman, Sidney Rice and possibly Golden Tate for the long term.

Re-signing strong safety Kam Chancellor was a priority for the Seattle Seahawks this offseason.

Coach Pete Carroll said so during the NFL owners meeting in Arizona last month.

It should come as no surprise, then, that the Seahawks have reached agreement on a new contract with Chancellor, who otherwise could have become an unrestricted free agent following the 2013 season. The Seahawks have called a news conference for 5 p.m. ET at team headquarters. ESPN's John Clayton reported the agreement Monday. I'll make sense of financial terms once they're on file with the league and easier to examine in their full context.

"It's a great day today," Chancellor tweeted before news broke.

Chancellor, a fifth-round choice in 2010, becomes the first Carroll-era Seahawks draft choice to sign an extension.

Left tackle Russell Okung and free safety Earl Thomas, the team's first-round picks in 2010, remain under contract. Golden Tate, a second-rounder in 2010, is entering the final year of his deal amid questions about how the team might allocate its finances at receiver for the long term following Percy Harvin's acquisition this offseason.

Chancellor, Okung and Thomas have earned Pro Bowl honors, making Seattle the only team with three such players from its 2010 draft class. A foot injury slowed Chancellor last season. He underwent surgery in January and was expected to be at full strength in 2013.

The Seahawks under Carroll and general manager John Schneider have re-signed Red Bryant, Brandon Mebane, Chris Clemons, Marshawn Lynch and Max Unger to significant contracts. Bryant, Mebane and Unger were draft choices left over from the team's previous leadership. Clemons and Lynch were acquired by trade.

Harvin signed a new deal following his acquisition by trade. Zach Miller and Sidney Rice were high-profile signings in free agency previously.

Chancellor carries added value beyond the typical safety for his unusual combination of size (6-foot-4 and 230 pounds) and coverage ability. His coverage seemed to suffer through injury last season, including when the Atlanta Falcons' Roddy White got behind the coverage for a touchdown in the playoffs. But when healthy, Chancellor covers ground better than anticipated for a safety with such unusual size. And he has remained a tone-setting presence in the secondary, including when he blasted San Francisco 49ers tight end Vernon Davis during a prime-time game late last season.

While the Seahawks could reasonably find another starting-caliber safety -- the 2013 draft supposedly has quite a few of them -- they would have a hard time finding one able to provide specifically what Chancellor provides to their defense. The team also seems to value Chancellor for his leadership and approach to the game. The Chancellor-Thomas pairing is one they want to keep.

Percy Harvin and Anquan Boldin are new to the NFC West this offseason. Larry Fitzgerald remains the standard for wide receivers in the division, however, and his Arizona Cardinals own the NFC West's top wideouts overall.

That is the way Matt Williamson sees things, anyway. Williamson, who scouts the NFL for ESPN.com, was eager to discuss this position after his rankings generated debate when published Monday night. The chart at right reproduces those rankings for reference.

So, after discussing rankings for quarterbacks and running backs earlier Tuesday, we push forward with receivers.

Williamson: I don't know how you would argue against Arizona as No. 1. Larry is the best guy in the division. I like Michael Floyd, I like Andre Roberts. That is a pretty good threesome. Fitz makes them No. 1, and right off the top, St Louis has to be four. The Rams don't compete with the other three teams in this one.

Sando: No arguments here. The Rams do have potential at the position with Chris Givens and Brian Quick, but there's not as much to go on. The Arizona guys will benefit a great deal from Carson Palmer's arrival as quarterback. Last year was really the first time the quarterback play was so bad in Arizona that Fitzgerald couldn't get his numbers. Palmer isn't Kurt Warner, but he's a lot closer to Warner than what the Cardinals played with at quarterback most of last season.

Williamson: Everyone talks about Palmer getting crushed behind that offensive line, but Bruce Arians can scheme that up. Ben Roethlisberger took hits in Pittsburgh when Arians was there, but they still had a great offense throwing deep with a bad offensive line. That was even more true with Arians in Indy last year.

Sando: Palmer gets the ball out, too. Let's jump forward to the Seahawks and 49ers. Ranking Seattle's wide receivers over their San Francisco counterparts sparked a ton of debate. That's just the nature of the division right now. You can't say one thing nice about the Seahawks without 49ers fans taking offense, and vice versa. It's a lot of fun. For this discussion here, we're basically talking about Harvin, Sidney Rice and Golden Tate against Michael Crabtree and Boldin.

Williamson: I'll take Harvin every day over Crabtree and that is not a knock on Crabtree. Harvin is more dynamic, more versatile. He frightens defenses way more. You can do so much more with him. He has big-play ability and is just a better football player. When I rank the wide receivers in this division, it goes Larry, Harvin and Crabtree, but Harvin is closer to Fitz than Crabtree is to Harvin.

Sando: Are you projecting bigger things for Harvin now that he has a better quarterback?

Williamson: Harvin was unbelievable last year with the Vikings and no one was paying attention. He was one of the five best players in the league last year, until he got hurt. He doesn't have to be the typical 1,000-yard receiver to be effective. He factors as a returner, a decoy and getting the ball to him however you can, including as a runner. Defensive coordinators will lose sleep all week preparing for him.

Sando: The 49ers were also in on the Harvin trade talks, but they weren't willing to give up what the Seahawks gave up. They did get Boldin. Do you like the move?

Williamson: I like Boldin. I like the fit, too. I love Boldlin as a run blocker. They have all those diverse schemes in the run game. They will use Boldin like the Steelers used Hines Ward, but times 10. He will spring a lot of runs. He is almost a tight end, a 4.7-flat guy. He doesn't get open. He beats people for the ball.

Sando: A.J. Jenkins is a key variable with this receiving group in San Francisco. The 49ers got nothing from him as a rookie last season. Jenkins hardly played. But as a first-round pick, 30th overall, he should begin to factor this season.

Williamson: I think he is a diamond in the rough still. They loved him 365 days ago. He is more of a Colin Kaepernick guy than an Alex smith player. I'm not ready to brush dirt on him. It would be nice if the 49ers had a true deep threat. They don't have their burner any more. I'm not sure Mario Manningham even counts. Jenkins could be that guy.

A few thoughts after Minnesota Vikings free-agent cornerback Antoine Winfield told ESPN's Josina Anderson he had reached agreement on a one-year deal with the Seattle Seahawks:

• The fit: Winfield projects as the replacement for Marcus Trufant as the Seahawks' primary slot corner. Richard Sherman is unquestionably the No. 1 cornerback on the team. Brandon Browner projects as the other starter. Seattle still has plans and hopes for younger corners on the team, notably Jeremy Lane. Walter Thurmond, if healthy, could be part of the mix. DeShawn Shead is another young corner with potential. Trufant, 32, is a free agent and not expected back. The Seahawks could still draft a corner. They could decide to release Winfield after training camp, even. This is a one-year deal without significant salary-cap ramifications.

• Seahawks' Oldest Players

  Rank	Player	Age
  1	Antoine Winfield	35.8
  2	Chris Clemons	31.4
  3	Jon Ryan	31.3
  4	Heath Farwell	31.2
  5	Michael Robinson	30.1
  Source: ESPN Stats & Information

  Veteran presence: Winfield, who turns 36 on June 24, becomes the oldest player on the Seahawks' roster by more than four years. His addition adds a veteran voice to the defensive backs' meeting room in Seattle. He is older than Lane by more than 13 years. Sherman recently turned 25. Browner, though 28, has started less than full two seasons in the NFL. From afar, this might look like a case of Seattle seeking a veteran corner to help settle down the frequently outspoken Sherman. I've never sensed worry from coach Pete Carroll on that front, however. Trufant was a veteran corner, but Seattle wasn't trying to re-sign him. Winfield qualifies as a special case, an older player with a specific set of skills for Seattle to fit into its defense.
• Minnesota West: Winfield joins receivers Sidney Rice and Percy Harvin, plus offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell, as high-profile Seahawks with ties to the Vikings. All were together in Minnesota as recently as 2010. Those ties could have helped Winfield feel more comfortable about changing teams for the first time since he left the Buffalo Bills for Minnesota following the 2003 season. The Seahawks are an attractive destination on the merits, however. Winfield accepted a one-year contract. He presumably could have gotten a one-year deal elsewhere, including in Minnesota.
• 49ers rivalry: Adding Winfield will strengthen perceptions that the Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers are trying to one-up each other this offseason after one half-game separated them in the 2012 standings. Some of these moves appear coincidental. To review, Winfield agreed to terms with Seattle a week after the division-rival 49ers signed another older former Pro Bowl corner in Nnamdi Asomugha. In both cases, the signing teams waited out the cornerbacks, signing them to one-year deals. The 49ers previously traded for receiver Anquan Boldin hours after news broke that Seattle was acquiring Harvin. Both teams recently added backup quarterbacks who entered the NFL as early-round picks. Both made those moves after trading away the backup quarterbacks they had previously signed as starters.

Earlier: A few thoughts on Winfield.

Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. envisions new San Francisco 49ers cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha matching up with Sidney Rice and Larry Fitzgerald in the NFC West, but not against a shiftier receiver such as Percy Harvin. He also thinks the 49ers will be smarter than the Philadelphia Eagles were when it comes to using Asomugha properly. Niners fans are going to like what they hear from Williamson in the video above.

» NFC Eight in the Box: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

How does each team look at wide receiver and what still needs to be done?

Arizona Cardinals: Larry Fitzgerald, Andre Roberts and Michael Floyd comprise a solid top three. LaRon Byrd and Kerry Taylor are the only other receivers on the roster. First-year coach Bruce Arians has said receiver is one position he doesn't worry about. Floyd's continued development after an encouraging finish to the 2012 season will be important. The former coaching staff envisioned moving Roberts to the slot, with Fitzgerald and Floyd on the perimeter. That could still happen. Arians also plans to move Fitzgerald around the formation the way he moved Reggie Wayne in Indianapolis last season. Drafting a receiver for depth would make sense, but there's no need to chase one early. The Cardinals released veteran Early Doucet, who struggled with drops last season.

St. Louis Rams: Chris Givens, Brian Quick and Austin Pettis are the top three. Nick Johnson and Raymond Radway are the only other receivers on the roster. The Rams are eager to develop young players. Givens had five receptions of at least 50 yards during his 2012 rookie season, matching the combined total for wide receivers from every other team in the division. Pettis made a difference around the end zone. The Rams still must add to the position after letting Danny Amendola and Brandon Gibson leave in free agency. Having two first-round picks should give the Rams an opportunity to consider a highly rated prospect at the position. It's clear the team is committed to youth regardless. We should remember, too, that recently added tight end Jared Cook lines up at receiver quite a bit. He made all but six of his 42 receptions from the slot last season.

San Francisco 49ers: Michael Crabtree and Anquan Boldin are clearly the top two receivers. Mario Manningham is coming off ACL surgery, took a pay reduction recently and might not figure prominently this season. The 49ers, like the Rams, could use more contributions from a receiver drafted early in 2012. A.J. Jenkins, chosen 30th overall and three spots before the Rams selected Quick, did not catch a pass during his rookie season. What's ahead for him? The 49ers aren't saying much. No one is quite sure. Coach Jim Harbaugh recently sounded more excited about former practice-squad wideout Ricardo Lockette, whose size-speed combination sets him apart from most prospects. Lockette flashed ability with Seattle previously, but his career never took off with the Seahawks. Kyle Williams, Chad Hall, Joe Hastings and Marlon Moore are the other receivers on the roster.

Seattle Seahawks: The addition of Percy Harvin changed the outlook for the position quite a bit. He and Sidney Rice appear to be the top two receivers, but Golden Tate is gaining momentum heading into his contract year. Rice and Tate each caught seven touchdown passes last season. Both averaged 15-plus yards per reception. Doug Baldwin needs improved health to factor as a slot receiver. Even then, opportunities could be scarce. The team thinks Phil Bates and former Cardinals receiver Stephen Williams have the potential to become contributors. Bryan Walters, Charly Martin and Jermaine Kearse are the other receivers on the roster. Drafting for the position would help for long-term planning given Tate's contract situation. Also, injuries have limited Harvin, Rice and Baldwin at times in recent seasons. Rice did stay healthy last season, however.

The annual salary-cap figures for Percy Harvin's new contract with the Seattle Seahawks provide an opportunity to take a bigger-picture look at how he fits.

The chart shows annual totals for prominent skill position players on the team. There are columns for Harvin, Sidney Rice, Zach Miller, Marshawn Lynch, Golden Tate and Russell Wilson. I've highlighted the 2013, 2014 and 2015 seasons to show how the combined totals rise incrementally over that span.

Tate becomes a free agent after the 2013 season. He set career highs last season with 45 receptions for 688 yards and seven touchdowns.

Harvin's arrival has the potential to create better matchups for Tate, who is adept at breaking tackles, and for others. It's fair to wonder what kind of deal Seattle might offer him with healthy sums committed to other skill players.

The figures in the chart represent salary-cap charges. They reflect base salaries plus roster bonuses plus portions of signing and option bonuses. They do not necessarily represent how much cash a player receives in a given year.

The NFL salary cap is around $123 million this year. Seattle's spending limit is closer to $136 million after the team carried over $13.2 million in unused cap space from last year.

Drafting and signing good players allows teams to avoid absorbing cap charges for players no longer on the roster. That is one key to pushing forward unused cap space. Seattle also benefits from having Wilson signed to such a reasonable deal as a Pro Bowl quarterback.
 

We'll be sizing up NFC West receiving corps all season after Percy Harvin and Anquan Boldin joined the division this week.

In the video above, AFC North blogger Jamison Hensley and I took an initial look at the Boldin trade's impact on the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers.

I've separately put together a chart comparing 2012 receiving totals for Boldin and new teammate Michael Crabtree against those for incumbent Seattle Seahawks receivers Sidney Rice and Golden Tate. Harvin's addition to that group has the potential to free Rice and/or Tate for expanded production. Harvin had that effect for Rice when the two were together with Minnesota in 2009.

We'll touch on that angle more as time permits.

» NFC Free Agency: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

The Seattle Seahawks are sending their 2013 first- and seventh-round draft picks to the Minnesota Vikings for receiver Percy Harvin, according to Fox's Jay Glazer. The deal could also include a future selection.

That means the Seahawks are trading cheap labor as represented by draft choices for the right to overpay an established player from another team. This generally is not a good trade-off, especially for a team that has drafted as well as Seattle has drafted. However, Harvin is a special talent. He is also just 24 years old. That combination could justify the exception Seattle made in closing this deal.

Seattle holds the 25th choice of the first round. The team drafted offensive tackle James Carpenter in that slot two years ago. Any team would rather have Harvin than Carpenter or the equivalent of Carpenter, but that is a simplistic way of looking at the situation.

The Seahawks have drafted four Pro Bowl players over the past three seasons. All four are under contract at low cost. Drafting another Pro Bowl-caliber player at low cost would beat paying top dollar for a player with some potentially serious question marks. Harvin has been injured. He was often unhappy in Minnesota. The Vikings traded Harvin presumably because they weren't interested in meeting his contract demands.

The Vikings should feel good about getting strong value for a player they might have lost or failed to maximize. This deal looks like a win for Seattle, as well.

Harvin, who turns 25 in May, gives an already-dangerous Seattle offense another dimension. I doubt Seattle's NFC West rivals are excited about this deal. They would probably rather prepare for the 25th pick in the draft than prepare for Harvin, who is a threat to score as a receiver, runner or kickoff returner. Harvin has 20 touchdowns as a receiver, four as a runner and five as a kick returner.

Seattle, best known for building its defense through the draft, has now put together its offensive weaponry largely from other teams' rosters.

Running back Marshawn Lynch was acquired from Buffalo. Receiver Sidney Rice was signed from Minnesota in free agency. Tight end Zach Miller was signed from Oakland, also in free agency. Fullback Michael Robinson was a free-agent addition from San Francisco. Now comes Harvin. Quarterback Russell Wilson's already bright prospects just got brighter.

That did not take long. Fifty-five minutes after our wouldn't-this-be-fun post linking Percy Harvin to the NFC West, it's looking very much like Harvin is headed to the Seattle Seahawks for draft choices.

ESPN's Adam Schefter called Seattle the front-runner at 12:45 p.m. ET. Fox's Jay Glazer reported a trade agreement in principle at 1:02 p.m. ET. According to Glazer, the Seahawks and Vikings have agreed to a trade involving draft choices and pending Harvin passing a physical examination. NFL.com's Ian Rapoport subsequently reported at 1:10 p.m. ET that Harvin was en route to Seattle and that a deal was done.

My thoughts on Harvin and Seattle, as posted earlier Monday:

"Seattle has salary-cap flexibility and ample trade ammunition via 10 draft choices, second-most in the NFL. In a perfect world, adding more of a downfield perimeter threat might make more sense than adding Harvin.

"Still, the Seahawks have demonstrated a willingness to pay for young free agents on offense (Sidney Rice, Zach Miller). The team could use another weapon for quarterback Russell Wilson.

"Coach Pete Carroll frequently says he values players with unique skill sets. His defense is filled with players unusually proportioned or otherwise equipped for their positions. His quarterback is unconventional. Harvin is truly a unique player in the NFL. He has scored touchdowns rushing, receiving and in the return game. He can line up just about anywhere in the formation, from the slot to running back.

"Seattle has a connection to Harvin. The team's offensive coordinator, Darrell Bevell, held the same job with Minnesota when the Vikings drafted Harvin in 2009. Imagine the options for an offense featuring Wilson, Marshawn Lynch, Harvin, Rice, Golden Tate and Miller."

I don't know what the Seahawks would give up in the deal, or what they would pay Harvin. But I think the deal makes a great deal of sense for some of the reasons outlined above, and a few outlined below.

Seattle stepped into a championship window last season with Wilson's development as a top quarterback. Wilson will play the next couple seasons under the bargain-basement contract he signed as a rookie third-round draft choice. Having relatively little money tied up in Wilson and very little tied up on the NFL's top-ranked scoring defense gives the team flexibility that won't exist to the same degree in a few years.

Harvin comes with some baggage. He has been a high-maintenance player for various reasons while with Minnesota. However, Carroll is a flexible coach. Harvin will come to Seattle knowing Bevell and Rice, who were with him in Minnesota. He'll get to grow with Wilson, who has already shown himself to be a dynamic leader.

The Seahawks have credibility in making this move. They've made very few bad ones under Carroll and general manager John Schneider. Wilson's presence as a dynamic player and leader puts Seattle in position to maximize its investment in Harvin.

Assessing potential NFC West landing spots for receiver Percy Harvin in case the Minnesota Vikings trade him amid a lingering contract dispute:

Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals appear set at wide receiver with Larry Fitzgerald, 2012 first-round pick Michael Floyd and 2010 third-rounder Andre Roberts.

Arizona is installing a vertical passing game resembling the one coach Bruce Arians ran with Andrew Luck in Indianapolis. The Vikings have used Harvin as more of a horizontal threat, relying on him to gain yards after the catch.

Harvin caught the ball 4.1 yards past the line of scrimmage on average last season, according to ESPN Stats & Information. That was the lowest figure in the NFL among 76 qualifying wide receivers and well below the 11.6-yard average for those players.

Harvin would help Arizona, of course, but the fit appears better elsewhere.

St. Louis Rams

The Rams have quickly gained significant cap room by subtracting from the books Steven Jackson, Wayne Hunter and Quintin Mikell. Those players were scheduled to earn $17 million in salary for the 2013 season alone. The Rams could lose receiver Danny Amendola in free agency. Another starting wideout, Brandon Gibson, is expected to sign elsewhere. Receiver looks like a position of need.

The Rams have a promising mix of young receivers featuring Chris Givens, Brian Quick and Austin Pettis. Harvin would not give the Rams a prototypical No. 1 receiver, but he would give them something they haven't had on offense recently: a player opponents had to develop their defensive plans around. The Rams' return game badly needs a boost as well.

St. Louis has two first-round picks, giving the team flexibility.

San Francisco 49ers

The fit from a scheme standpoint is captivating. Imagine the fun Jim Harbaugh and Greg Roman could have in the ground game with Harvin available to them. The possibilities are nearly endless. The 49ers have plenty of draft capital, including an additional second-round choice among their league-high 12 selections.

San Francisco hasn't shown much interest in acquiring high-priced players from other teams, however. The 49ers have instead focused on paying their own players.

Paying big money to Harvin would complicate looming talks with Michael Crabtree, who already gives San Francisco one of the best yards-after-catch receivers. Seattle wouldn't have to worry about that dynamic as much because the team already paid Sidney Rice. Still, imagine defending a 49ers offense featuring Colin Kaepernick, Vernon Davis, Crabtree, Frank Gore, LaMichael James, Harvin and whatever players the 49ers add through the draft.

Seattle Seahawks

Seattle has salary-cap flexibility and ample trade ammunition via 10 draft choices, second-most in the NFL. In a perfect world, adding more of a downfield perimeter threat might make more sense than adding Harvin.

Still, the Seahawks have demonstrated a willingness to pay for young free agents on offense (Sidney Rice, Zach Miller). The team could use another weapon for quarterback Russell Wilson.

Coach Pete Carroll frequently says he values players with unique skill sets. His defense is filled with players unusually proportioned or otherwise equipped for their positions. His quarterback is unconventional. Harvin is truly a unique player in the NFL. He has scored touchdowns rushing, receiving and in the return game. He can line up just about anywhere in the formation, from the slot to running back.

Seattle has a connection to Harvin. The team's offensive coordinator, Darrell Bevell, held the same job with Minnesota when the Vikings drafted Harvin in 2009. Imagine the options for an offense featuring Wilson, Marshawn Lynch, Harvin, Rice, Golden Tate and Miller.

NFL teams spent Sunday watching running backs and wide receivers work out at the NFL scouting combine. As always, teams are looking for players with big-play ability.

But what is a big play?

In my experience, NFL teams tend to see them as runs covering 12-plus yards and passes covering 16-plus yards.



Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch used different measures in a recent piece suggesting the St. Louis Rams need to find a game-breaking player in the draft. But the idea is the same across the board. The longer the play, the better for offenses.

I've put together a couple charts showing where NFC West teams stood last season in big plays, using NFL teams' definition of them. The Rams had 102, which is about the same as they had in 2011 (100) and 2010 (100). They had 89 in 2009.

Rams quarterback Sam Bradford led the NFC West with 66 of these 16-plus completed passes. Seattle's Russell Wilson was second with 64. San Francisco's Colin Kaepernick (41) and Alex Smith (32) combined for 73. John Skelton (26), Kevin Kolb (20), Ryan Lindley (12) and Brian Hoyer (4) combined for Arizona's total of 62.

The San Francisco 49ers had 126 total big plays, up from 108 in each of the previous two seasons. Seattle had 121, a rise from 95 in 2011, 100 in 2010 and 80 in 2009. Arizona had 84, down from its totals in 2011 (103), 2010 (102) and 2009 (122).

The first chart shows totals for last season. The chart below shows individual NFC West leaders, also from last season.

The Seahawks and 49ers pumped up their totals for rushing with additional quarterback runs covering at least 12 yards. Wilson (14) and Kaepernick (11) combined for 25 of them. Smith added two for the 49ers. Kolb had five. Bradford had three.

We can revisit in the future whether the 12- and 16-yard cutoffs are most meaningful. I just know those are the cutoffs teams cite when evaluating players and offensive production.

» NFC Eight in the Box: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Welcome to Eight in the Box, an NFL Nation feature that will appear each Friday during the offseason. This week’s topic: Who will be each team’s biggest salary-cap casualty this offseason?

Arizona Cardinals: Quarterback Kevin Kolb is scheduled to earn $9 million in salary from the Cardinals in 2013. Barring a trade, which appears unlikely, Kolb will accept a reduction in salary or receive his release. The Cardinals might be best off keeping Kolb at a reduced rate. But the fact Kolb finished last season with an 8-3 ratio of touchdowns to interceptions doesn't mean he was playing at a high level for Arizona. Kolb has posted a Total QBR score of 30.6 or lower in nine of his 14 starts with the Cardinals (50 is considered average). Kolb was significantly above average in two of his 14 starts -- victories over Philadelphia and Carolina. Arizona has paid $20.5 million to Kolb over the past two years. The team isn't going to give him another $9 million in salary this year.

St. Louis Rams: Running back Steven Jackson is scheduled to earn $7 million in salary for the 2013 season. I would expect the Rams to release Jackson if Jackson declined to accept less money. It might not come to that, however. Jackson has the ability to void his contract, and that seems like the most plausible scenario. Jackson found out last season the Rams weren't interested in extending his contract. If and when he realizes the team isn't interested in paying $7 million to him for 2013, Jackson would have clear incentive to opt out. That would not make him a cap casualty in a direct sense, but the effect would be the same. Safety Quintin Mikell's $6 million salary and $9 million cap figure make him a candidate for renegotiation. Also, journeyman tackle Wayne Hunter is scheduled to earn nearly $4 million.

San Francisco 49ers: Kicker David Akers is scheduled to earn $3 million in salary for the 2013 season. It's hard to envision the 49ers paying that amount to Akers given the kicker's struggles last season. They would have to consider their options at the position even if Akers were earning less money. The relatively high salary for Akers makes this one easy to foresee. Quarterback Alex Smith also has a relatively high salary for a backup ($7.5 million), but the 49ers are looking to trade him. They do not want to release him. Jonathan Goodwin, Carlos Rogers and Parys Haralson also have high enough cap figures to invite questions of value.

Seattle Seahawks: The Seahawks have more cap room than any team in the NFC West. They have a dozen players with 2013 cap figures projected at $2.9 million or higher, but none of the 12 appears to be a candidate for release even though Zach Miller ($11 million cap figure) and Sidney Rice ($9.7 million) are eating up $20 million together. Looking further down the salary scale, it's safe to assume the team won't pay $2.3 million in salary to backup receiver Ben Obomanu.