NFC West: Tarvaris Jackson
Coach Pete Carroll's declaration that rookie quarterback Russell Wilson would compete for the Seattle Seahawks' starting job made waves over the weekend.
The NFC West mailbag is brimming with Wilson-related queries, so here goes.
Scott from Spokane, Wash., read that Wilson "throws open receivers" and wondered what that meant.
Mike Sando: That term reflects a quarterback's ability to complete passes to covered receivers by leading them to spots where the reception can be made. Quarterbacks with the ability to anticipate where a receiver might come open have advantages over those more comfortable throwing to receivers only after they've gotten open.
Wilson was competing against rookies in non-contact drills, so we must guard against reading too much into the results. He did repeatedly throw open receivers (and tight ends) during the camp, however. I was impressed, as were viewers with much sturdier credentials for evaluating the position (Brock Huard was one).
Miles from Seattle asks whether the Seahawks' three-man quarterback competition benefits the Seahawks.
Mike Sando: It benefits them unless they name Wilson the starter prematurely, thereby undercutting the veterans on the roster. It's no big deal if Wilson goes into the season as a backup. He has time. It's more telling for Matt Flynn or Tarvaris Jackson if they're unable to beat out a third-round rookie.
Carroll thinks encouraging competition at the most important position sends a strong message through the rest of the roster. He realizes the Seahawks do not have an established starter, so he sees less risk in making Flynn and Jackson fight for the job. If Flynn or Jackson cannot handle the pressure associated with competing against a rookie third-round choice, are they really the answer? That is a question Carroll might ask.
There is some risk, however. What if Wilson is a much better practice player than Flynn? What if Flynn is much better than Wilson in game situations? Wilson could, in theory, win the job without being the better option. Of course, there's nothing stopping the Seahawks from naming Flynn the starter anyway.
There's a point in time when a head coach is best off promoting stability and clarity at quarterback. The Seahawks aren't at that point just yet. The salary structure for existing quarterbacks on the team tells us what we need to know. None of the candidates is earning enough money to identify him as the undisputed starter.
Rob from Augusta, Ga., asks what the impact would be on the Seahawks if Wilson indeed won the starting job heading into the 2012 season.
Mike Sando: Making that move would undercut Flynn and Jackson while signaling the team's belief in Wilson as a franchise quarterback. I think it's unlikely the Seahawks will make such a determination so quickly. Wilson would have to be spectacular and significantly better than the other two, in my view.
Flynn is most likely to emerge as the starter this season. The team already knows what Jackson offers. The team has more time to develop Wilson, who is earning less money and might benefit from seasoning.
It's clear the Seahawks think Wilson, like Flynn, has starting potential. But if Wilson and Flynn are pretty much even in terms of immediate readiness and perceived long-term potential, giving Flynn the first shot would make sense. Entering the season as a backup would be far more damaging to Flynn, a veteran acquisition, than for Wilson, who is just starting out.
Hideo from Seattle asks whether the contracts for Flynn, Jackson and Wilson carry combined value similar to the contract for Kevin Kolb in Arizona. "No matter who is chosen to start," he writes, "it seems that if we use Kolb as a benchmark, the Seahawks seem to come out well, at least from a salary perspective."
Mike Sando: Did you have to rub it in, Hideo? Cardinals fans will love you for that.
Every situation is different. The Cardinals badly needed a quarterback last offseason. They had already gone through a quarterback nightmare while suffering through a 5-11 record in 2010. They were not starting over with a new head coach. They were at a different point in their development. Arizona knew acquiring Kolb was a gamble. Sure, the Cardinals would have preferred paying less for Kolb, but they paid what they had to pay for a shot at improving the position. The immediate results were disappointing. This year is pivotal.
As for your question, Kolb's cap number for 2012 is scheduled to be $10.5 million. I would expect the combined cap numbers for Jackson, Flynn and Wilson to fall short of that figure.
The NFC West mailbag is brimming with Wilson-related queries, so here goes.
Scott from Spokane, Wash., read that Wilson "throws open receivers" and wondered what that meant.
Mike Sando: That term reflects a quarterback's ability to complete passes to covered receivers by leading them to spots where the reception can be made. Quarterbacks with the ability to anticipate where a receiver might come open have advantages over those more comfortable throwing to receivers only after they've gotten open.
Wilson was competing against rookies in non-contact drills, so we must guard against reading too much into the results. He did repeatedly throw open receivers (and tight ends) during the camp, however. I was impressed, as were viewers with much sturdier credentials for evaluating the position (Brock Huard was one).
Miles from Seattle asks whether the Seahawks' three-man quarterback competition benefits the Seahawks.
Mike Sando: It benefits them unless they name Wilson the starter prematurely, thereby undercutting the veterans on the roster. It's no big deal if Wilson goes into the season as a backup. He has time. It's more telling for Matt Flynn or Tarvaris Jackson if they're unable to beat out a third-round rookie.
Carroll thinks encouraging competition at the most important position sends a strong message through the rest of the roster. He realizes the Seahawks do not have an established starter, so he sees less risk in making Flynn and Jackson fight for the job. If Flynn or Jackson cannot handle the pressure associated with competing against a rookie third-round choice, are they really the answer? That is a question Carroll might ask.
There is some risk, however. What if Wilson is a much better practice player than Flynn? What if Flynn is much better than Wilson in game situations? Wilson could, in theory, win the job without being the better option. Of course, there's nothing stopping the Seahawks from naming Flynn the starter anyway.
There's a point in time when a head coach is best off promoting stability and clarity at quarterback. The Seahawks aren't at that point just yet. The salary structure for existing quarterbacks on the team tells us what we need to know. None of the candidates is earning enough money to identify him as the undisputed starter.
Rob from Augusta, Ga., asks what the impact would be on the Seahawks if Wilson indeed won the starting job heading into the 2012 season.
Mike Sando: Making that move would undercut Flynn and Jackson while signaling the team's belief in Wilson as a franchise quarterback. I think it's unlikely the Seahawks will make such a determination so quickly. Wilson would have to be spectacular and significantly better than the other two, in my view.
Flynn is most likely to emerge as the starter this season. The team already knows what Jackson offers. The team has more time to develop Wilson, who is earning less money and might benefit from seasoning.
It's clear the Seahawks think Wilson, like Flynn, has starting potential. But if Wilson and Flynn are pretty much even in terms of immediate readiness and perceived long-term potential, giving Flynn the first shot would make sense. Entering the season as a backup would be far more damaging to Flynn, a veteran acquisition, than for Wilson, who is just starting out.
Hideo from Seattle asks whether the contracts for Flynn, Jackson and Wilson carry combined value similar to the contract for Kevin Kolb in Arizona. "No matter who is chosen to start," he writes, "it seems that if we use Kolb as a benchmark, the Seahawks seem to come out well, at least from a salary perspective."
Mike Sando: Did you have to rub it in, Hideo? Cardinals fans will love you for that.
Every situation is different. The Cardinals badly needed a quarterback last offseason. They had already gone through a quarterback nightmare while suffering through a 5-11 record in 2010. They were not starting over with a new head coach. They were at a different point in their development. Arizona knew acquiring Kolb was a gamble. Sure, the Cardinals would have preferred paying less for Kolb, but they paid what they had to pay for a shot at improving the position. The immediate results were disappointing. This year is pivotal.
As for your question, Kolb's cap number for 2012 is scheduled to be $10.5 million. I would expect the combined cap numbers for Jackson, Flynn and Wilson to fall short of that figure.
» NFC pressure points: West | North | South | East
» AFC pressure points: West | North | South | East
Examining who faces the most challenging season for the Seattle Seahawks and why.
Tarvaris Jackson earned the respect of his Seahawks teammates by playing through much of the 2011 with a torn pectoral muscle on his right side. Jackson never complained or made excuses. The injury made it tougher for Jackson to take hold of the starting job for the long term. The Seahawks' inability to make key plays in critical moments left them with a 7-9 record and kept them in the market for help at the position.
Jackson has gone from probable starter to potential roster casualty over the last two months. Seattle's signing of Matt Flynn from Green Bay in free agency made Jackson the presumed underdog in a two-man race for the starting job. The dynamic changed again when the Seahawks used a third-round choice for Wisconsin quarterback Russell Wilson, who subsequently impressed coaches during a recently completed rookie camp. Seahawks coach Pete Carroll is now talking about a three-man race for the starting job.
The Seahawks acquired Jackson primarily for his knowledge of coordinator Darrell Bevell's offense during a lockout-shortened 2011 offseason. Sure, they hoped Jackson might turn into something more than a stopgap, but they entered into that relationship with the shorter term in mind. That is one reason Carroll broke from his competition mantra by installing Jackson as the starter heading into camp.
Circumstances are different now. The Seahawks targeted Flynn and Wilson as potential franchise quarterbacks, not as stopgap solutions. The team has a pretty good idea what Jackson offers. Expectations are higher for Flynn and Wilson. It's now an upset if Jackson wins the starting job. It's probably an upset if the Seahawks pay him $4 million in base salary, the figure spelled out for 2012 in the two-year deal Jackson signed in July 2011.
This is looking like a most challenging year for Jackson.
» AFC pressure points: West | North | South | East
Examining who faces the most challenging season for the Seattle Seahawks and why.
Tarvaris Jackson earned the respect of his Seahawks teammates by playing through much of the 2011 with a torn pectoral muscle on his right side. Jackson never complained or made excuses. The injury made it tougher for Jackson to take hold of the starting job for the long term. The Seahawks' inability to make key plays in critical moments left them with a 7-9 record and kept them in the market for help at the position.
Jackson has gone from probable starter to potential roster casualty over the last two months. Seattle's signing of Matt Flynn from Green Bay in free agency made Jackson the presumed underdog in a two-man race for the starting job. The dynamic changed again when the Seahawks used a third-round choice for Wisconsin quarterback Russell Wilson, who subsequently impressed coaches during a recently completed rookie camp. Seahawks coach Pete Carroll is now talking about a three-man race for the starting job.
The Seahawks acquired Jackson primarily for his knowledge of coordinator Darrell Bevell's offense during a lockout-shortened 2011 offseason. Sure, they hoped Jackson might turn into something more than a stopgap, but they entered into that relationship with the shorter term in mind. That is one reason Carroll broke from his competition mantra by installing Jackson as the starter heading into camp.
Circumstances are different now. The Seahawks targeted Flynn and Wilson as potential franchise quarterbacks, not as stopgap solutions. The team has a pretty good idea what Jackson offers. Expectations are higher for Flynn and Wilson. It's now an upset if Jackson wins the starting job. It's probably an upset if the Seahawks pay him $4 million in base salary, the figure spelled out for 2012 in the two-year deal Jackson signed in July 2011.
This is looking like a most challenging year for Jackson.
St. Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke doesn't say much publicly. He generally doesn't convey emotions.
As a result, we're left to wonder to what degree he wants the Rams to remain in St. Louis.
Bryan Burwell of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch thinks the Rams' proposed stadium renovations indicate Kroenke is serious about keeping the team in town. Burwell: "Look very carefully at the plan. It is not an over-the-top, ostentatious, football-only counteroffer that attempts to thrust the Dome to the very top of the National Football League's most extravagant stadiums. It's not an outrageous plan that feels like the sort of crazy counteroffer whose sole intent is to blow up the entire process, thus allowing Kroenke to scoot off to Los Angeles as quickly as possible. What the Rams have put in front of us is a design whose intent is to make the Edward Jones Dome something that works for all of St. Louis, not just the football team." Noted: I also thought the Rams' proposal seemed reasonable under the circumstances. It's all part of a process that will continue, most likely, with arbitration beginning June 15. That arbitration would be binding for the Rams if the stadium authority accepted the arbiter's proposal. The Rams' lease would then extend through 2025. Otherwise, the Rams would go year-to-year on their lease beginning in March 2015.
Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports says Pete Carroll, like Tom Landry decades ago, seems to think competition at quarterback can be a healthy thing. Roger Staubach: "Coach Landry thought the quarterback just went in and executed the play the way everybody else does what they're supposed to do. He didn't understand that quarterback was different. It took him awhile to get that. … It got to the point where I really didn't care if it was me or not and I think Craig (Morton) felt the same. Yeah, you want to play, but both of us just wanted a decision." Noted: The Seahawks are not yet to that point, in my view. Matt Flynn owns two regular-season starts. Russell Wilson has never played in even an exhibition game. Tarvaris Jackson has the look of a journeyman at the position. Committing to one of them wholeheartedly at this point would be premature.
Brock Huard of 710ESPN Seattle came away impressed after watching Wilson's first practice with the team. Huard: "My first minicamp practice was spent just trying to call the play correctly. Wilson's first practice consisted of team, seven-on-seven, routes versus air and individual drills where it was difficult to find a misguided pass. Sure, he had a few passes tipped at the line and in the secondary, but his completion percentage was north of 80, and this is with guys he didn't even know by name. It would be fun to compare Wilson's initial camp with his draft-day peers: Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, Ryan Tannehill, Brandon Weeden, Brock Osweiler & Co. While Tannehill, like Wilson, has a background in his current offensive system, I can't imagine any of the rookie passers making more of an impression than Russell.
Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times offers thoughts on the Seahawks' recently concluded rookie camp. On Bruce Irvin: "The first day of practice was a little bit of a challenge in his conditioning, but even then, you saw bursts of that speed off the edge as he jetted around Alex Barron. Yes, Barron has been out of the league for a year, but we're also talking about a former first-round pick of a tackle. Irvin might not start right away, but he's going to have a role as a pass rusher right off the bat, and he showed this weekend he has the speed to make the most of it." Noted: That's good news for the Seahawks. I watched the first day of practice and thought Barron's length and experience created challenges Irvin would not have faced had he gone against rookies instead.
Clare Farnsworth of seahawks.com runs a photo showing Carroll as a college player, with the third-year Seahawks coach recalling how he found out no NFL team had drafted him back in 1973.
Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee offers thoughts on LaMichael James' upbringing in a tough neighborhood. Barrows: "I could just have easily written about the Texarkana neighborhood in which he grew up. James, in fact, credits both his grandmother and his home town with forging him into the man and the player he is today. That neighborhood is on the Texas side of town and is known as Beverly. James described it as a virtual war zone. ... I talked to one of his coaches and asked him if he thought James was embellishing a bit. No, he said, Beverly was that bad. His sister, Tasha, who is 16 years his senior and who is extremely protective of her little brother, wanted him to get as far away from Texarkana as he could."
Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle puts into perspective A.J. Jenkins' conditioning. Branch: "To those up in arms, I invite you to travel back to early June when Smith, the No. 7 overall pick, arrived at San Jose State during the lockout for his first workout with veteran teammates such as Justin Smith, Isaac Sopoaga, Ray McDonald and Parys Haralson. How'd that go for Aldon? Well, Sopoaga was still laughing about the rookie’s performance a week after he debuted."
Darren Urban of azcardinals.com checks in from the Cardinals' annual golf tournament. Urban: "There are serious golfers, like coach Ken Whisenhunt and kicker Jay Feely, some middle-of-the-road guys who all seemed to hit good shots when the cameras were around (at least, that’s what they were telling us) and other guys who you should be careful to be around when they are taking a shot (Um, Beanie, about that swing …)."
As a result, we're left to wonder to what degree he wants the Rams to remain in St. Louis.
Bryan Burwell of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch thinks the Rams' proposed stadium renovations indicate Kroenke is serious about keeping the team in town. Burwell: "Look very carefully at the plan. It is not an over-the-top, ostentatious, football-only counteroffer that attempts to thrust the Dome to the very top of the National Football League's most extravagant stadiums. It's not an outrageous plan that feels like the sort of crazy counteroffer whose sole intent is to blow up the entire process, thus allowing Kroenke to scoot off to Los Angeles as quickly as possible. What the Rams have put in front of us is a design whose intent is to make the Edward Jones Dome something that works for all of St. Louis, not just the football team." Noted: I also thought the Rams' proposal seemed reasonable under the circumstances. It's all part of a process that will continue, most likely, with arbitration beginning June 15. That arbitration would be binding for the Rams if the stadium authority accepted the arbiter's proposal. The Rams' lease would then extend through 2025. Otherwise, the Rams would go year-to-year on their lease beginning in March 2015.
Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports says Pete Carroll, like Tom Landry decades ago, seems to think competition at quarterback can be a healthy thing. Roger Staubach: "Coach Landry thought the quarterback just went in and executed the play the way everybody else does what they're supposed to do. He didn't understand that quarterback was different. It took him awhile to get that. … It got to the point where I really didn't care if it was me or not and I think Craig (Morton) felt the same. Yeah, you want to play, but both of us just wanted a decision." Noted: The Seahawks are not yet to that point, in my view. Matt Flynn owns two regular-season starts. Russell Wilson has never played in even an exhibition game. Tarvaris Jackson has the look of a journeyman at the position. Committing to one of them wholeheartedly at this point would be premature.
Brock Huard of 710ESPN Seattle came away impressed after watching Wilson's first practice with the team. Huard: "My first minicamp practice was spent just trying to call the play correctly. Wilson's first practice consisted of team, seven-on-seven, routes versus air and individual drills where it was difficult to find a misguided pass. Sure, he had a few passes tipped at the line and in the secondary, but his completion percentage was north of 80, and this is with guys he didn't even know by name. It would be fun to compare Wilson's initial camp with his draft-day peers: Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, Ryan Tannehill, Brandon Weeden, Brock Osweiler & Co. While Tannehill, like Wilson, has a background in his current offensive system, I can't imagine any of the rookie passers making more of an impression than Russell.
Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times offers thoughts on the Seahawks' recently concluded rookie camp. On Bruce Irvin: "The first day of practice was a little bit of a challenge in his conditioning, but even then, you saw bursts of that speed off the edge as he jetted around Alex Barron. Yes, Barron has been out of the league for a year, but we're also talking about a former first-round pick of a tackle. Irvin might not start right away, but he's going to have a role as a pass rusher right off the bat, and he showed this weekend he has the speed to make the most of it." Noted: That's good news for the Seahawks. I watched the first day of practice and thought Barron's length and experience created challenges Irvin would not have faced had he gone against rookies instead.
Clare Farnsworth of seahawks.com runs a photo showing Carroll as a college player, with the third-year Seahawks coach recalling how he found out no NFL team had drafted him back in 1973.
Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee offers thoughts on LaMichael James' upbringing in a tough neighborhood. Barrows: "I could just have easily written about the Texarkana neighborhood in which he grew up. James, in fact, credits both his grandmother and his home town with forging him into the man and the player he is today. That neighborhood is on the Texas side of town and is known as Beverly. James described it as a virtual war zone. ... I talked to one of his coaches and asked him if he thought James was embellishing a bit. No, he said, Beverly was that bad. His sister, Tasha, who is 16 years his senior and who is extremely protective of her little brother, wanted him to get as far away from Texarkana as he could."
Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle puts into perspective A.J. Jenkins' conditioning. Branch: "To those up in arms, I invite you to travel back to early June when Smith, the No. 7 overall pick, arrived at San Jose State during the lockout for his first workout with veteran teammates such as Justin Smith, Isaac Sopoaga, Ray McDonald and Parys Haralson. How'd that go for Aldon? Well, Sopoaga was still laughing about the rookie’s performance a week after he debuted."
Darren Urban of azcardinals.com checks in from the Cardinals' annual golf tournament. Urban: "There are serious golfers, like coach Ken Whisenhunt and kicker Jay Feely, some middle-of-the-road guys who all seemed to hit good shots when the cameras were around (at least, that’s what they were telling us) and other guys who you should be careful to be around when they are taking a shot (Um, Beanie, about that swing …)."
Russell Wilson served notice over the weekend that he'll factor into the Seattle Seahawks' quarterback competition right away.
That was easily the No. 1 development from NFC West rookie camps.
"He showed us enough," coach Pete Carroll told reporters Sunday. "He's in the competition. That is going to tax us, as we know, and it was already going to be taxing with two. But he’s showed us enough that we need to see where he fits in with these guys."
Matt Flynn and Tarvaris Jackson are the other candidates to start. The contract Flynn signed makes him the early favorite. Wilson, as a third-round draft choice this year, was going to factor into the equation. While there was very little chance Carroll was going to rule out anyone as a candidate so early in the process, Wilson did show enough during the rookie camp to justify inclusion. Carroll wasn't blowing smoke, in other words.
Wilson demonstrated during this camp an ability to throw open receivers by anticipating with his passes. That was not a strength for Jackson, the starter last season. Jackson was more apt to see a receiver open and then use his strong arm to rifle the ball to the target. Wilson also appears to have a strong arm (Carroll used the word "terrific" to describe it).
Some coaches prefer a quick resolution to a quarterback competition. I would expect Carroll to keep alive this one well into the summer.
"It's going to take us a long time to do this," he said. "It's going to be frustrating for you guys. You’re going tokeep asking and wanting to know and I’m just going to be more patient than you can imagine as we go through this process and we’ll just figure it out when we do."
Clare Farnsworth of seahawks.com offers highlights from the Seahawks' three-day camp.
Dave Boling of the Tacoma News Tribune says the Seahawks' 2011 injury problems on the offensive line could put them in position to have greater depth this season. Line coach Tom Cable: "We know we have a group, top to bottom, where your eighth or ninth guy can go in and win for you. So our depth got taken to a new level."
Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic offers notes on some of the players participating in Cardinals rookie camp on a tryout basis. Former Rams receiver Keenan Burton was one of them. Somers: "The Cardinals' positional needs, as well as a player's talent, will factor into the decisions to sign any of the tryout players. The Cardinals, for instance, might need an extra running back in organized-team activities because starter Beanie Wells is coming off a postseason arthroscopic knee surgery, and backup Ryan Williams isn't expected to participate much as he rehabilitates from a torn patellar tendon. So that helps the chances for tryout running backs such as Javarris James and Keola Antolin, a rookie from Arizona."
Also from Somers: Cornerback Jamell Fleming made an immediate positive impression on Cardinals defensive coordinator Ray Horton. Horton: "I don't remember (Fleming) making a mental mistake, which was great. We're going to start throwing more things at him, but he has the demeanor of an NFL guy. He reminds me of Patrick (Peterson). He came in and said, 'OK, this is what I am. I'm a pro football player.'"
Darren Urban of azcardinals.com looks at the Cardinals' approach to developmental quarterback Ryan Lindley. Coach Ken Whisenhunt: "After a couple of years ago, I hope we’ve learned you can never have enough at that position."
Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says Rams rookie linebacker Sammy Brown, signed as a free agent, is hoping to prove critics wrong after going undrafted. Questions about the consistency of Brown's effort hurt his stock. Brown on watching the draft: "When it got to the sixth and seventh round, I just said, 'Man, I don't even want to watch it no more.' I was mad. I see other people going. I see them picking punters, kickers. Am I that sorry? What have I got to do?"
Bryan Burwell of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch offers his take on the Rams' willingness to take chances on some players. Burwell: "If this plan works, the reward will be so much greater than the risk. Better yet, if it turns out these high-risk, high-reward guys can really play -- and if the plan of Jeff Fisher and Les Snead plan keeps most of them on the right path -- no one in St. Louis will care about anything else. The coach and the GM are smart enough and bold enough to know that."
Barry Bolton of cougfan.com says former Washington State head coach Paul Wulff has joined the San Francisco 49ers as an offensive assistant. Noted: Wulff competed against Jim Harbaugh and several 49ers assistants in the Pac-10 Conference. Wulff and 49ers assistant Michael Christianson both worked under Mike Kramer at Big Sky programs. Kramer worked on Wulff's staff in 2010.
Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee updates scouting changes involving the 49ers. Barrows: "The 49ers parted ways with Todd Brunner, their Northeast Area scout who had been with the team for 12 years, and he promptly was hired by his former boss, Scot McCloughan, with the Seahawks. Brunner handled most of the area scouting on the east coast and was the point man on recent picks like Anthony Davis and Cam Johnson."
Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle examines why Cameron Johnson fell to the seventh round, where the 49ers selected him, after analysts suggested the outside linebacker would be chosen much earlier.
Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com offers thoughts on the 49ers' receiver situation and rookie A.J. Jenkins in particular. Conditioning was a concern initially. Maiocco: "But in the afternoon, Jenkins rebounded nicely and put together a pretty solid showing."
That was easily the No. 1 development from NFC West rookie camps.
"He showed us enough," coach Pete Carroll told reporters Sunday. "He's in the competition. That is going to tax us, as we know, and it was already going to be taxing with two. But he’s showed us enough that we need to see where he fits in with these guys."
Matt Flynn and Tarvaris Jackson are the other candidates to start. The contract Flynn signed makes him the early favorite. Wilson, as a third-round draft choice this year, was going to factor into the equation. While there was very little chance Carroll was going to rule out anyone as a candidate so early in the process, Wilson did show enough during the rookie camp to justify inclusion. Carroll wasn't blowing smoke, in other words.
Wilson demonstrated during this camp an ability to throw open receivers by anticipating with his passes. That was not a strength for Jackson, the starter last season. Jackson was more apt to see a receiver open and then use his strong arm to rifle the ball to the target. Wilson also appears to have a strong arm (Carroll used the word "terrific" to describe it).
Some coaches prefer a quick resolution to a quarterback competition. I would expect Carroll to keep alive this one well into the summer.
"It's going to take us a long time to do this," he said. "It's going to be frustrating for you guys. You’re going tokeep asking and wanting to know and I’m just going to be more patient than you can imagine as we go through this process and we’ll just figure it out when we do."
Clare Farnsworth of seahawks.com offers highlights from the Seahawks' three-day camp.
Dave Boling of the Tacoma News Tribune says the Seahawks' 2011 injury problems on the offensive line could put them in position to have greater depth this season. Line coach Tom Cable: "We know we have a group, top to bottom, where your eighth or ninth guy can go in and win for you. So our depth got taken to a new level."
Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic offers notes on some of the players participating in Cardinals rookie camp on a tryout basis. Former Rams receiver Keenan Burton was one of them. Somers: "The Cardinals' positional needs, as well as a player's talent, will factor into the decisions to sign any of the tryout players. The Cardinals, for instance, might need an extra running back in organized-team activities because starter Beanie Wells is coming off a postseason arthroscopic knee surgery, and backup Ryan Williams isn't expected to participate much as he rehabilitates from a torn patellar tendon. So that helps the chances for tryout running backs such as Javarris James and Keola Antolin, a rookie from Arizona."
Also from Somers: Cornerback Jamell Fleming made an immediate positive impression on Cardinals defensive coordinator Ray Horton. Horton: "I don't remember (Fleming) making a mental mistake, which was great. We're going to start throwing more things at him, but he has the demeanor of an NFL guy. He reminds me of Patrick (Peterson). He came in and said, 'OK, this is what I am. I'm a pro football player.'"
Darren Urban of azcardinals.com looks at the Cardinals' approach to developmental quarterback Ryan Lindley. Coach Ken Whisenhunt: "After a couple of years ago, I hope we’ve learned you can never have enough at that position."
Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says Rams rookie linebacker Sammy Brown, signed as a free agent, is hoping to prove critics wrong after going undrafted. Questions about the consistency of Brown's effort hurt his stock. Brown on watching the draft: "When it got to the sixth and seventh round, I just said, 'Man, I don't even want to watch it no more.' I was mad. I see other people going. I see them picking punters, kickers. Am I that sorry? What have I got to do?"
Bryan Burwell of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch offers his take on the Rams' willingness to take chances on some players. Burwell: "If this plan works, the reward will be so much greater than the risk. Better yet, if it turns out these high-risk, high-reward guys can really play -- and if the plan of Jeff Fisher and Les Snead plan keeps most of them on the right path -- no one in St. Louis will care about anything else. The coach and the GM are smart enough and bold enough to know that."
Barry Bolton of cougfan.com says former Washington State head coach Paul Wulff has joined the San Francisco 49ers as an offensive assistant. Noted: Wulff competed against Jim Harbaugh and several 49ers assistants in the Pac-10 Conference. Wulff and 49ers assistant Michael Christianson both worked under Mike Kramer at Big Sky programs. Kramer worked on Wulff's staff in 2010.
Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee updates scouting changes involving the 49ers. Barrows: "The 49ers parted ways with Todd Brunner, their Northeast Area scout who had been with the team for 12 years, and he promptly was hired by his former boss, Scot McCloughan, with the Seahawks. Brunner handled most of the area scouting on the east coast and was the point man on recent picks like Anthony Davis and Cam Johnson."
Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle examines why Cameron Johnson fell to the seventh round, where the 49ers selected him, after analysts suggested the outside linebacker would be chosen much earlier.
Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com offers thoughts on the 49ers' receiver situation and rookie A.J. Jenkins in particular. Conditioning was a concern initially. Maiocco: "But in the afternoon, Jenkins rebounded nicely and put together a pretty solid showing."
David from Maryland wants to know what I expected from the St. Louis Rams' Sam Bradford as the quarterback prepares to play under his third offensive coordinator in three years, and with multiple new targets.
Mike Sando: Let's put a Mother's Day spin on this one, David. The hardest part of sports for any mother can be watching her child risk injuries during competition. The injury factor is critical for quarterbacks and the NFC West has demonstrated as much last season.
Alex Smith was the only NFC West quarterback to start all 16 regular-season games. He was the only one healthy enough to do so (to clarify, Smith was the only projected starter healthy enough to remain in the lineup all season; backups were healthy enough). His ability to hold up physically was the key to his season and a key to the 49ers' season.
Bradford suffered a thumb injury against Philadelphia in the season opener. He took a beating and eventually left the lineup for an extended period after suffering a high-ankle sprain against Green Bay. Bradford was much more impressive as a rookie in 2010. He was also much healthier, taking every snap.
Arizona's Kevin Kolb (toe, concussion) and Seattle's Tarvaris Jackson (pectoral) also had injury problems last season. Those injuries prevented them from reaching their potential.
The best NFC West quarterback in 2012 will probably be the healthiest one. There is some luck involved, but at least the Rams' new coaching staff plans to protect Bradford by putting greater emphasis on the run game. I'm expecting a better season from him as a result.
Mike Sando: Let's put a Mother's Day spin on this one, David. The hardest part of sports for any mother can be watching her child risk injuries during competition. The injury factor is critical for quarterbacks and the NFC West has demonstrated as much last season.
Alex Smith was the only NFC West quarterback to start all 16 regular-season games. He was the only one healthy enough to do so (to clarify, Smith was the only projected starter healthy enough to remain in the lineup all season; backups were healthy enough). His ability to hold up physically was the key to his season and a key to the 49ers' season.
Bradford suffered a thumb injury against Philadelphia in the season opener. He took a beating and eventually left the lineup for an extended period after suffering a high-ankle sprain against Green Bay. Bradford was much more impressive as a rookie in 2010. He was also much healthier, taking every snap.
Arizona's Kevin Kolb (toe, concussion) and Seattle's Tarvaris Jackson (pectoral) also had injury problems last season. Those injuries prevented them from reaching their potential.
The best NFC West quarterback in 2012 will probably be the healthiest one. There is some luck involved, but at least the Rams' new coaching staff plans to protect Bradford by putting greater emphasis on the run game. I'm expecting a better season from him as a result.
The Arizona Cardinals addressed primary needs at receiver and offensive tackle in the NFL draft last month.
They did not address every need, however. Arizona was the only team not to use at least one draft choice for a defensive lineman or linebacker, one reason Vonnie Holliday and Clark Haggans are expected to return for another season.
Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic says there's no rush to bring back either player. Somers: "Haggans, 35, started all 16 games last season but, if he returns, it will be as a backup. Holliday, 36, backed up Calais Campbell and Darnell Dockett last season. He played in all 16 games and finished with 16 tackles, 15 of them solo. The coaches were pleased with his production and think he could provide a similar level of play this season." Noted: Re-signing Haggans in particular would buy time for the Cardinals at outside linebacker, a position where the team has promising young players, but few established options.
Also from Somers: catching up with Matt Ware.
Darren Urban of azcardinals.com revisits defensive coordinator Ray Horton's philosophy on cornerbacks. Horton: "Covering is the main job, but you want the physicality, get guys out of their game and let them know they will get it every play. As a defense, you have to have the tough guy mentality regardless. We don’t want an offense pushing us around, and if they get some calls, we have to live with that sometimes."
Clare Farnsworth of seahawks.com sizes up the team's wide receivers and says competition is running high. Farnsworth: "In fact, Ben Obomanu, Doug Baldwin and Ricardo Lockette were so hungry during the players’ extended break following the season that they traveled to Alabama to work out with Tarvaris Jackson."
Eric D. Williams of the Tacoma News Tribune takes a position-by-position look at the Seahawks' roster and has this to say about letting linebacker David Hawthorne leave in free agency: "Even with a nasty front that does a nice job of keeping the linebackers clean, someone has to scrape, fill the right gap and make the tackles. Along with doing that the past three seasons, Hawthorne was considered one of the more cerebral players on the team. And he also made game-changing plays, evidenced by his seven interceptions and six sacks in three years as a starter. Second-round draft choice Bobby Wagner has some big shoes to fill." Noted: Hawthorne's health had to be a key variable. The injury he played through last season affected his ability to move effectively.
Roger Hensley of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch asks colleagues what Rams coach Jeff Fisher will be watching most closely during the upcoming rookie camp. Jim Thomas: "About two-thirds of the players on the field will be undrafted rookies, but Fisher obviously will have his eyes on the 10 draft picks, particularly cornerbacks Janoris Jenkins and Trumaine Johnson. Are both capable of competing for a starting job right away? That seems to be the expectation. Ditto for wide receivers Brian Quick and Chris Givens. The sooner they get the playbook down, the sooner they help QB Sam Bradford. This will be their first taste of NFL football, albeit in a minicamp setting."
Bryan Burwell of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch supports Kurt Warner's recent comments about player safety.
Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com says Frank Gore is anxious to see new 49ers running back LaMichael James in action. Maiocco on Gore: "Gore, who turns 29 on Monday, enters his eighth professional season. He has 7,625 rushing yards -- the most for any 49ers player since the club became a member of the NFL in 1950. And he is just 33 rushing attempts behind the club's all-time leader Roger Craig."
Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee checks in with 49ers archivist Jerry Walker, who is collecting memorabilia for display in the team's Hall of Fame, set to open at the new stadium in Santa Clara. Barrows: "The hall of fame will be at least 15,000 square feet, and the team wants items from ticket stubs all the way up to big-ticket items like a trolley car or even perhaps a portion of the 'Niner Liner' aircraft that flew Montana and teammates to their first Super Bowl in Pontiac, Mich. The hall of fame is sure to be popular on game days. But, like recent hall of fames built in Green Bay, Foxboro, Ma. and elsewhere, the intent is to make a year-round destination, especially one for school field trips."
Taylor Price of 49ers.com says safety Donte Whitner expects the defense to play faster this season. Whitner: "This year you can expect guys to fly around a lot faster without hesitation and really understand what the scheme is and what we’re trying to do to offensive football teams. And I believe that we’re going to be the No. 1 defense in the National Football League this year. The guys believe it and we just have to go out there, work and prove it."
Monte Poole of Bay Area News Group says Alex Smith and the 49ers' offense are trying to close the gap with the team's defense.
Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle takes a closer look at 49ers first-round draft choice A.J. Jenkins. Branch: "Jenkins had 90 catches as a senior. The Illini’s second-leading receiver had 26. The disparity had something to do with the trust quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase had in Jenkins, an exacting route-runner."
They did not address every need, however. Arizona was the only team not to use at least one draft choice for a defensive lineman or linebacker, one reason Vonnie Holliday and Clark Haggans are expected to return for another season.
Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic says there's no rush to bring back either player. Somers: "Haggans, 35, started all 16 games last season but, if he returns, it will be as a backup. Holliday, 36, backed up Calais Campbell and Darnell Dockett last season. He played in all 16 games and finished with 16 tackles, 15 of them solo. The coaches were pleased with his production and think he could provide a similar level of play this season." Noted: Re-signing Haggans in particular would buy time for the Cardinals at outside linebacker, a position where the team has promising young players, but few established options.
Also from Somers: catching up with Matt Ware.
Darren Urban of azcardinals.com revisits defensive coordinator Ray Horton's philosophy on cornerbacks. Horton: "Covering is the main job, but you want the physicality, get guys out of their game and let them know they will get it every play. As a defense, you have to have the tough guy mentality regardless. We don’t want an offense pushing us around, and if they get some calls, we have to live with that sometimes."
Clare Farnsworth of seahawks.com sizes up the team's wide receivers and says competition is running high. Farnsworth: "In fact, Ben Obomanu, Doug Baldwin and Ricardo Lockette were so hungry during the players’ extended break following the season that they traveled to Alabama to work out with Tarvaris Jackson."
Eric D. Williams of the Tacoma News Tribune takes a position-by-position look at the Seahawks' roster and has this to say about letting linebacker David Hawthorne leave in free agency: "Even with a nasty front that does a nice job of keeping the linebackers clean, someone has to scrape, fill the right gap and make the tackles. Along with doing that the past three seasons, Hawthorne was considered one of the more cerebral players on the team. And he also made game-changing plays, evidenced by his seven interceptions and six sacks in three years as a starter. Second-round draft choice Bobby Wagner has some big shoes to fill." Noted: Hawthorne's health had to be a key variable. The injury he played through last season affected his ability to move effectively.
Roger Hensley of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch asks colleagues what Rams coach Jeff Fisher will be watching most closely during the upcoming rookie camp. Jim Thomas: "About two-thirds of the players on the field will be undrafted rookies, but Fisher obviously will have his eyes on the 10 draft picks, particularly cornerbacks Janoris Jenkins and Trumaine Johnson. Are both capable of competing for a starting job right away? That seems to be the expectation. Ditto for wide receivers Brian Quick and Chris Givens. The sooner they get the playbook down, the sooner they help QB Sam Bradford. This will be their first taste of NFL football, albeit in a minicamp setting."
Bryan Burwell of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch supports Kurt Warner's recent comments about player safety.
Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com says Frank Gore is anxious to see new 49ers running back LaMichael James in action. Maiocco on Gore: "Gore, who turns 29 on Monday, enters his eighth professional season. He has 7,625 rushing yards -- the most for any 49ers player since the club became a member of the NFL in 1950. And he is just 33 rushing attempts behind the club's all-time leader Roger Craig."
Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee checks in with 49ers archivist Jerry Walker, who is collecting memorabilia for display in the team's Hall of Fame, set to open at the new stadium in Santa Clara. Barrows: "The hall of fame will be at least 15,000 square feet, and the team wants items from ticket stubs all the way up to big-ticket items like a trolley car or even perhaps a portion of the 'Niner Liner' aircraft that flew Montana and teammates to their first Super Bowl in Pontiac, Mich. The hall of fame is sure to be popular on game days. But, like recent hall of fames built in Green Bay, Foxboro, Ma. and elsewhere, the intent is to make a year-round destination, especially one for school field trips."
Taylor Price of 49ers.com says safety Donte Whitner expects the defense to play faster this season. Whitner: "This year you can expect guys to fly around a lot faster without hesitation and really understand what the scheme is and what we’re trying to do to offensive football teams. And I believe that we’re going to be the No. 1 defense in the National Football League this year. The guys believe it and we just have to go out there, work and prove it."
Monte Poole of Bay Area News Group says Alex Smith and the 49ers' offense are trying to close the gap with the team's defense.
Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle takes a closer look at 49ers first-round draft choice A.J. Jenkins. Branch: "Jenkins had 90 catches as a senior. The Illini’s second-leading receiver had 26. The disparity had something to do with the trust quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase had in Jenkins, an exacting route-runner."
Life changed for Tarvaris Jackson when the Seattle Seahawks signed Matt Flynn and drafted Russell Wilson.
It's an upset, in my view, if Jackson remains with the team beyond his current contract, which runs through 2012. But it's also a little premature to suggest the team's offseason moves at the position will force out Jackson before the season. First the team needs to see what it has in Flynn and Wilson.
Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times thinks Jackson will remain with the team this season. O'Neil: "Seattle has not settled its quarterback situation. Not by a long shot. What the Seahawks have done is expand -- and hopefully improve -- the array of options they have with the immediate goal of improved quarterback play in 2012 and a long-term starter down the road. Maybe it is Flynn, who has passed for more yards in his first two NFL regular-season starts than all but one player in NFL history. Or perhaps it's Wilson, an incredible athlete who started for two different colleges in the previous two years in addition to playing professional baseball. And maybe -- just maybe -- it comes from Jackson who is recovered from the strained pectoral muscle that limited him the final 10 games of last season. Maybe he comes in for his second season in Seattle, cuts it loose and starts making plays in the fourth quarter." Noted: Josh Portis has practice-squad eligibility. Going with Flynn as the starter, Jackson as the backup and Wilson as the developmental third quarterback would seem to make the most sense. Wilson would seemingly have to make a big jump for a rookie to project in the No. 2 role right away.
Clare Farnsworth of seahawks.com says the team and eight of its draft choices saw benefits in reaching contract agreements sooner rather than later. Seahawks contract negotiator John Idzik: "It’s mutually beneficial. Obviously, we get our draft choices signed. But, from their end, they’re protected under their contract. They don’t have to concern themselves with these lengthy negotiations we’ve had in the past. Now, it’s just all about ball."
Brady Henderson of 710ESPN Seattle passes along thoughts from Seahawks defensive coordinator Gus Bradley regarding the team's secondary. Bradley: "Some guys have said, 'Well, they went to the Pro Bowl, and how is that going to affect them?' I know I got a text from Earl Thomas the other night, on Tuesday about 9:45 at night. He was trying to get the code for the DB room, to [watch] film. So right there that shows you their mentality. They'll sneak in here to try to get on the JUGS machine in the indoor practice facility at night. They're just driven that way. I think that's why we're so excited about this group."
Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic says the Cardinals haven't gotten enough from their 2009 draft class. Somers: "What stands out to me is that three of the eight players have never played a down in the NFL. Cody Brown was the biggest bust, a second-round pick who couldn't get on the field. And he played a position, outside linebacker, where the Cardinals needed help desperately. The Cardinals released him after one season, and Brown bounced around the league for a couple of years. He couldn't get on the field for anyone else, either. The Lions released him last February."
Darren Urban of azcardinals.com thought outside linebacker was a primary need for the Cardinals in the draft. Urban: "It’s not like the Cards didn’t sack opposing quarterbacks last year. As a team, they had 42, tied for seventh in the NFL. The Cards had an NFL-best nine different guys with at least two sacks. The way defensive coordinator Ray Horton does things, pressure by committee works and is much harder for which to handle. But developing those linebackers, especially the rushers on the outside, is one of the keys to any 3-4 scheme. After passing in the draft, development will be one of the things to watch at the position."
Also from Urban: 2011 second-round pick Ryan Williams feels good about his return from a knee injury.
Matthew Hathaway of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch has details on plans to release proposals between the Rams and the local stadium authority. Hathaway: "The CVC maintains that -- as a party to the Rams' lease -- it legally is forbidden from making public any documents considered by the Rams to be confidential. If it does so, according the CVC, the Rams could use the disclosure as grounds to seek an immediate termination of the lease. In the lease, the state is considered a 'sponsor" of the Dome, along with the governments of St. Louis and St. Louis County. Every year since 2005, the three entities together pay off a $24 million chunk of the Dome's $720 million construction debt. Each of the governments also appoints commissioners to the CVC board." Noted: I didn't think the Rams were the ones insisting upon confidentiality.
Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com says Alex Smith spent time this offseason to work on his mechanics. Smith: "I saw a mechanics guru, or specialist down in L.A. I went there to kind of clean some things up with my motion. I'm really focused on getting my fundamentals better. Really didn't have time last offseason to do it."
Also from Maiocco: Rookie receiver A.J. Jenkins will arrive for the 49ers' camp this weekend with plans to stay in the area.
Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News says Jenkins will skip Illinois' commencement to attend the 49ers' rookie camp.
It's an upset, in my view, if Jackson remains with the team beyond his current contract, which runs through 2012. But it's also a little premature to suggest the team's offseason moves at the position will force out Jackson before the season. First the team needs to see what it has in Flynn and Wilson.
Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times thinks Jackson will remain with the team this season. O'Neil: "Seattle has not settled its quarterback situation. Not by a long shot. What the Seahawks have done is expand -- and hopefully improve -- the array of options they have with the immediate goal of improved quarterback play in 2012 and a long-term starter down the road. Maybe it is Flynn, who has passed for more yards in his first two NFL regular-season starts than all but one player in NFL history. Or perhaps it's Wilson, an incredible athlete who started for two different colleges in the previous two years in addition to playing professional baseball. And maybe -- just maybe -- it comes from Jackson who is recovered from the strained pectoral muscle that limited him the final 10 games of last season. Maybe he comes in for his second season in Seattle, cuts it loose and starts making plays in the fourth quarter." Noted: Josh Portis has practice-squad eligibility. Going with Flynn as the starter, Jackson as the backup and Wilson as the developmental third quarterback would seem to make the most sense. Wilson would seemingly have to make a big jump for a rookie to project in the No. 2 role right away.
Clare Farnsworth of seahawks.com says the team and eight of its draft choices saw benefits in reaching contract agreements sooner rather than later. Seahawks contract negotiator John Idzik: "It’s mutually beneficial. Obviously, we get our draft choices signed. But, from their end, they’re protected under their contract. They don’t have to concern themselves with these lengthy negotiations we’ve had in the past. Now, it’s just all about ball."
Brady Henderson of 710ESPN Seattle passes along thoughts from Seahawks defensive coordinator Gus Bradley regarding the team's secondary. Bradley: "Some guys have said, 'Well, they went to the Pro Bowl, and how is that going to affect them?' I know I got a text from Earl Thomas the other night, on Tuesday about 9:45 at night. He was trying to get the code for the DB room, to [watch] film. So right there that shows you their mentality. They'll sneak in here to try to get on the JUGS machine in the indoor practice facility at night. They're just driven that way. I think that's why we're so excited about this group."
Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic says the Cardinals haven't gotten enough from their 2009 draft class. Somers: "What stands out to me is that three of the eight players have never played a down in the NFL. Cody Brown was the biggest bust, a second-round pick who couldn't get on the field. And he played a position, outside linebacker, where the Cardinals needed help desperately. The Cardinals released him after one season, and Brown bounced around the league for a couple of years. He couldn't get on the field for anyone else, either. The Lions released him last February."
Darren Urban of azcardinals.com thought outside linebacker was a primary need for the Cardinals in the draft. Urban: "It’s not like the Cards didn’t sack opposing quarterbacks last year. As a team, they had 42, tied for seventh in the NFL. The Cards had an NFL-best nine different guys with at least two sacks. The way defensive coordinator Ray Horton does things, pressure by committee works and is much harder for which to handle. But developing those linebackers, especially the rushers on the outside, is one of the keys to any 3-4 scheme. After passing in the draft, development will be one of the things to watch at the position."
Also from Urban: 2011 second-round pick Ryan Williams feels good about his return from a knee injury.
Matthew Hathaway of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch has details on plans to release proposals between the Rams and the local stadium authority. Hathaway: "The CVC maintains that -- as a party to the Rams' lease -- it legally is forbidden from making public any documents considered by the Rams to be confidential. If it does so, according the CVC, the Rams could use the disclosure as grounds to seek an immediate termination of the lease. In the lease, the state is considered a 'sponsor" of the Dome, along with the governments of St. Louis and St. Louis County. Every year since 2005, the three entities together pay off a $24 million chunk of the Dome's $720 million construction debt. Each of the governments also appoints commissioners to the CVC board." Noted: I didn't think the Rams were the ones insisting upon confidentiality.
Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com says Alex Smith spent time this offseason to work on his mechanics. Smith: "I saw a mechanics guru, or specialist down in L.A. I went there to kind of clean some things up with my motion. I'm really focused on getting my fundamentals better. Really didn't have time last offseason to do it."
Also from Maiocco: Rookie receiver A.J. Jenkins will arrive for the 49ers' camp this weekend with plans to stay in the area.
Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News says Jenkins will skip Illinois' commencement to attend the 49ers' rookie camp.
Alex Smith had a sturdier look to him upon reporting for San Francisco 49ers training camp last season.
That was my first impression while watching Smith walk toward an interview podium between practices.
One of the quarterback's best friends on the team, left tackle Joe Staley, was standing nearby. I mentioned something about Smith's guns and Staley, ever the jokester, used the opportunity to tease Smith, striking body-building poses from a distance while Smith answered questions at a podium.
It's tough to say whether Smith was actually sturdier, but he did start all 16 games in a regular season for the first time since 2006. He started two playoff games as well. Smith's body held up through 18 starts, 51 sacks and 59 rushing attempts.
Other NFC West quarterbacks weren't as fortunate.
With Dan Graziano taking a closer look at Michael Vick's injuries, I decided to revisit the ones affecting NFC West passers in 2011, with special attention toward whether they could have been avoided.
Jackson and Kolb have competition for their jobs this year.
New Seahawks quarterback Matt Flynn hasn't played enough to demonstrate durability one way or another. His ratio of pass attempts (115) to sacks (12) over the last two seasons was about 9.6 to one, between those for Kolb (8.4) and Smith (10.1) last season.
Kolb's competition, John Skelton, appears durable. He's the biggest starting quarterback candidate in the division at 6-foot-6 and 244 pounds.
That was my first impression while watching Smith walk toward an interview podium between practices.
One of the quarterback's best friends on the team, left tackle Joe Staley, was standing nearby. I mentioned something about Smith's guns and Staley, ever the jokester, used the opportunity to tease Smith, striking body-building poses from a distance while Smith answered questions at a podium.
It's tough to say whether Smith was actually sturdier, but he did start all 16 games in a regular season for the first time since 2006. He started two playoff games as well. Smith's body held up through 18 starts, 51 sacks and 59 rushing attempts.
Other NFC West quarterbacks weren't as fortunate.
With Dan Graziano taking a closer look at Michael Vick's injuries, I decided to revisit the ones affecting NFC West passers in 2011, with special attention toward whether they could have been avoided.
- Sam Bradford, St. Louis Rams: Bradford suffered a season-altering high-ankle sprain on the Rams' final offensive play during a 24-3 defeat at Green Bay. Why would the Rams risk injury by having Bradford drop back to pass on fourth-and-12 during the final minutes of a blowout defeat? This was a fair question at the time. We could use this injury to argue that coaches need to protect their indispensable players when a game is out of reach. However, the Rams' offense was moving the ball effectively that day, finishing with 424 yards. Bradford had played every snap of every game the previous season, answering questions about durability. The Rams took possession near midfield with 5:37 remaining. It was too early to give up.
- Tarvaris Jackson, Seattle Seahawks: Jackson suffered a season-altering torn pectoral injury during an 11-yard scramble against the New York Giants in Week 5. Designed quarterback runs can keep a defense off-balance. Smith and the 49ers proved a well-timed keeper can change field position and swing momentum in the postseason. We could argue that Jackson should have done more to protect himself during the run against the Giants, but I thought the Seahawks' coaching staff took an undue risk in this situation. The Seattle offense had come to life against Atlanta the previous week, but with Jackson ailing, the Seahawks lost their next three games, failing to exceed 13 points in any of them. That stretch might have cost Seattle a winning record.
- Kevin Kolb, Arizona Cardinals: Kolb suffered a turf-toe injury during a Week 8 game at Baltimore. He stayed in the game, making it unclear exactly when he suffered the injury. Kolb was under pressure frequently, however. Pass protection was a problem. Kolb eventually returned, only to suffer a concussion during a Week 14 game against San Francisco. Kolb took an inadvertent knee to the helmet. These could have been fluke injuries. In general, though, Kolb would benefit from improved pass protection and better pocket instincts.
Jackson and Kolb have competition for their jobs this year.
New Seahawks quarterback Matt Flynn hasn't played enough to demonstrate durability one way or another. His ratio of pass attempts (115) to sacks (12) over the last two seasons was about 9.6 to one, between those for Kolb (8.4) and Smith (10.1) last season.
Kolb's competition, John Skelton, appears durable. He's the biggest starting quarterback candidate in the division at 6-foot-6 and 244 pounds.
Figuring out who makes the personnel decisions for the Arizona Cardinals isn't easy.
More than any team in the NFC West, the Cardinals seem to take a group approach involving general manager Rod Graves, coach Ken Whisenhunt, president Michael Bidwill, and vice president of player personnel Steve Keim.
All four have been together since 2007, when Whisenhunt became coach.
Dan Bickley of the Arizona Republic says Keim's role has grown, making him a logical candidate to succeed Graves in the GM role. Bickley: "Keim isn't a general manager by title. But he talks like one. He acts like one. He's not shy with his opinions. Recent draft classes reveal a franchise operating in sync, and a team enjoying a steady influx of young players. He knows what Ken Whisenhunt wants in a player, and over time, has earned the coach's trust." Noted: Sounds like an invitation to compare recent draft classes for NFC West teams. I'll take a look this week, although comparing one team's draft success against that of another can be tricky. For example, in recent seasons, the Cardinals have drafted later in the first round on average than any team in the division, about 19th overall since 2009. That compares to about eighth overall for St. Louis, 13th overall for Seattle and 15th overall for San Francisco.
Also from Bickley: The Cardinals have reason to consider legal action after losing 3,200 parking spots at University of Phoenix Stadium.
Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee runs through the San Francisco 49ers' undrafted free-agent class. Barrows: "Among the standouts are the three Stanford players, Chris Owusu, Matt Masifilo and Michael Thomas, and running back Jewel Hampton, whom I wrote about earlier in the week. Also of note is Clemson's Kourtnei Brown, who has Aldon Smith-like dimensions and who ran his 40-yard dash in the 4.6-second range."
Also from Barrows: Perrish Cox's legal troubles aren't finished. The cornerback, acquitted on criminal sexual assault charges, faces a civil suit stemming from the case.
Clare Farnsworth of seahawks.com says the Pacific Northwest Football Hall of Fame welcomed Marcus Trufant and Jacob Green as members. Trufant: "This is a very cool deal. Just the whole organization in general is a good deal. There are a lot of important people here who have done a lot of good things in this area for a long time -- and they haven’t done it to make a lot of money, they’re doing it for the community and they’re doing it for the kids. So just to be mentioned in the same light as those people, it’s a big deal to me."
Also from Farnsworth: a look at the Seahawks' quarterback competition. Coach Pete Carroll: "There’s no timeline. The format is really just to do everything I can to organize it and orchestrate it so that they get a legit shot at showing what they can do with all the guys that are available. We’re going to have to mix and match it, and just make it a real cool process, and hopefully it will show itself somewhere down the road and we'll figure it out then."
Dave Boling of the Tacoma News Tribune says Carroll seems to be welcoming the quarterback competition in Seattle, counter to the way most coaches view uncertainty at the position.
Art Thiel of Sports Press Northwest says the Seahawks haven't had a quarterback competition like their current once since Matt Hasselbeck and Trent Dilfer were competing a decade ago.
Liz Mathews of 710ESPN Seattle passes along thoughts from Seahawks linebacker Leroy Hill regarding the evolution of his game. Hill: "I wanted to hurt you and hit you harder than you hit me. That's how I played, and I think it caused a lot of injuries early on in my career. Now that I'm getting older, I'm more about making the tackle -- just get the man down. I want to play the way that I played, just in a more veteran way, you know?"
Brock Huard of 710ESPN Seattle thinks Gus Bradley, the Seahawks' defensive coordinator, projects as a head coaching candidate. Noted: Not many coordinators keep their jobs when a team changes head coaches. Bradley did, remaining in the role after the switch from Jim Mora to Pete Carroll. Mora had planned to name Dan Quinn coordinator, but Bradley impressed him so much during his interview that Mora decided to make him coordinator instead.
Albert Breer of NFL Network runs through Rams GM Les Snead's priority list for St. Louis this offseason: "Snead, formerly personnel director for the Atlanta Falcons, was hired by the Rams in mid-February. His self-imposed directive since then has been to focus on four aspects of roster management. They were, in order, to assess the strengths and weaknesses of his new club; deal the second pick in the draft; prepare for and complete free agency; and then do the same with the draft. ... Snead can unpack and find a place to live now. His vision for the Rams, in this job he spent the better part of two decades preparing, is beginning to take shape."
Katie Felts of KDSK.com checks in with new Rams coach Jeff Fisher.
More than any team in the NFC West, the Cardinals seem to take a group approach involving general manager Rod Graves, coach Ken Whisenhunt, president Michael Bidwill, and vice president of player personnel Steve Keim.
All four have been together since 2007, when Whisenhunt became coach.
Dan Bickley of the Arizona Republic says Keim's role has grown, making him a logical candidate to succeed Graves in the GM role. Bickley: "Keim isn't a general manager by title. But he talks like one. He acts like one. He's not shy with his opinions. Recent draft classes reveal a franchise operating in sync, and a team enjoying a steady influx of young players. He knows what Ken Whisenhunt wants in a player, and over time, has earned the coach's trust." Noted: Sounds like an invitation to compare recent draft classes for NFC West teams. I'll take a look this week, although comparing one team's draft success against that of another can be tricky. For example, in recent seasons, the Cardinals have drafted later in the first round on average than any team in the division, about 19th overall since 2009. That compares to about eighth overall for St. Louis, 13th overall for Seattle and 15th overall for San Francisco.
Also from Bickley: The Cardinals have reason to consider legal action after losing 3,200 parking spots at University of Phoenix Stadium.
Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee runs through the San Francisco 49ers' undrafted free-agent class. Barrows: "Among the standouts are the three Stanford players, Chris Owusu, Matt Masifilo and Michael Thomas, and running back Jewel Hampton, whom I wrote about earlier in the week. Also of note is Clemson's Kourtnei Brown, who has Aldon Smith-like dimensions and who ran his 40-yard dash in the 4.6-second range."
Also from Barrows: Perrish Cox's legal troubles aren't finished. The cornerback, acquitted on criminal sexual assault charges, faces a civil suit stemming from the case.
Clare Farnsworth of seahawks.com says the Pacific Northwest Football Hall of Fame welcomed Marcus Trufant and Jacob Green as members. Trufant: "This is a very cool deal. Just the whole organization in general is a good deal. There are a lot of important people here who have done a lot of good things in this area for a long time -- and they haven’t done it to make a lot of money, they’re doing it for the community and they’re doing it for the kids. So just to be mentioned in the same light as those people, it’s a big deal to me."
Also from Farnsworth: a look at the Seahawks' quarterback competition. Coach Pete Carroll: "There’s no timeline. The format is really just to do everything I can to organize it and orchestrate it so that they get a legit shot at showing what they can do with all the guys that are available. We’re going to have to mix and match it, and just make it a real cool process, and hopefully it will show itself somewhere down the road and we'll figure it out then."
Dave Boling of the Tacoma News Tribune says Carroll seems to be welcoming the quarterback competition in Seattle, counter to the way most coaches view uncertainty at the position.
Art Thiel of Sports Press Northwest says the Seahawks haven't had a quarterback competition like their current once since Matt Hasselbeck and Trent Dilfer were competing a decade ago.
Liz Mathews of 710ESPN Seattle passes along thoughts from Seahawks linebacker Leroy Hill regarding the evolution of his game. Hill: "I wanted to hurt you and hit you harder than you hit me. That's how I played, and I think it caused a lot of injuries early on in my career. Now that I'm getting older, I'm more about making the tackle -- just get the man down. I want to play the way that I played, just in a more veteran way, you know?"
Brock Huard of 710ESPN Seattle thinks Gus Bradley, the Seahawks' defensive coordinator, projects as a head coaching candidate. Noted: Not many coordinators keep their jobs when a team changes head coaches. Bradley did, remaining in the role after the switch from Jim Mora to Pete Carroll. Mora had planned to name Dan Quinn coordinator, but Bradley impressed him so much during his interview that Mora decided to make him coordinator instead.
Albert Breer of NFL Network runs through Rams GM Les Snead's priority list for St. Louis this offseason: "Snead, formerly personnel director for the Atlanta Falcons, was hired by the Rams in mid-February. His self-imposed directive since then has been to focus on four aspects of roster management. They were, in order, to assess the strengths and weaknesses of his new club; deal the second pick in the draft; prepare for and complete free agency; and then do the same with the draft. ... Snead can unpack and find a place to live now. His vision for the Rams, in this job he spent the better part of two decades preparing, is beginning to take shape."
Katie Felts of KDSK.com checks in with new Rams coach Jeff Fisher.
RENTON, Wash. -- Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll was definitely joking when he said Deuce Lutui, the team's new guard, checked in at 208 pounds for the offseason conditioning program.
But when Carroll indicated Lutui had indeed dropped considerable weight, the coach was serious. Carroll also dropped a shocker when he said Lutui, notorious for his weight troubles while with the Arizona Cardinals, had become a vegan.
That's right, a vegan.
There were so many other angles to cover following the Seahawks' 45-minute voluntary workout for veterans Friday, but none could match this one for the double-take factor. Lutui's long history of weight issues invite skepticism. I followed up with Carroll twice in an effort to make sure the coach wasn't joking. He stuck with his story, but conceivably could have been kidding.
Weight troubles had, after all, derailed Lutui's signing with Cincinnati last offseason, leading the Bengals to fail him on a physical examination. The Cardinals valued Lutui as a starter for years, but they grew weary of the weight issues, relegating the former second-round draft choice to a backup role in 2011.
Lutui signed with Seattle this offseason and was reunited with Carroll, his former coach at USC. He was also reunited with the Trojans' former strength coach, Chris Carlisle.
"Deuce Lutui, he is a joy to have out here," Carroll said. "He has got such a great spirit. He always did. We looked at opportunities to get him on this club just because of that. He looks good. His weight is down -- I mean, way down from where he can be. He's a vegan, too, now, so he has really made a big turn, if you can imagine, yes."
Several reporters blurted out responses conveying surprise.
"Yeah, I wouldn't make that up," Carroll said.
Or would he? I'm not buying this one all the way. Lutui was not available for interviews. The team had a small window between its on-field session and meetings. Carroll, Flynn and Jackson were the ones made available.
The offensive players wore dark jerseys Friday, so there might have been a slimming factor to the visual, but all in all, I thought Lutui looked pretty good.
On to other subjects:
That's it for now. The NFC West chat begins at 3 p.m. ET.
But when Carroll indicated Lutui had indeed dropped considerable weight, the coach was serious. Carroll also dropped a shocker when he said Lutui, notorious for his weight troubles while with the Arizona Cardinals, had become a vegan.
That's right, a vegan.
[+] Enlarge
AP Photo/Greg TrottCoach Pete Carroll says the Seahawks were happy to add former Cardinals guard Deuce Lutui to the roster.
AP Photo/Greg TrottCoach Pete Carroll says the Seahawks were happy to add former Cardinals guard Deuce Lutui to the roster.Weight troubles had, after all, derailed Lutui's signing with Cincinnati last offseason, leading the Bengals to fail him on a physical examination. The Cardinals valued Lutui as a starter for years, but they grew weary of the weight issues, relegating the former second-round draft choice to a backup role in 2011.
Lutui signed with Seattle this offseason and was reunited with Carroll, his former coach at USC. He was also reunited with the Trojans' former strength coach, Chris Carlisle.
"Deuce Lutui, he is a joy to have out here," Carroll said. "He has got such a great spirit. He always did. We looked at opportunities to get him on this club just because of that. He looks good. His weight is down -- I mean, way down from where he can be. He's a vegan, too, now, so he has really made a big turn, if you can imagine, yes."
Several reporters blurted out responses conveying surprise.
"Yeah, I wouldn't make that up," Carroll said.
Or would he? I'm not buying this one all the way. Lutui was not available for interviews. The team had a small window between its on-field session and meetings. Carroll, Flynn and Jackson were the ones made available.
The offensive players wore dark jerseys Friday, so there might have been a slimming factor to the visual, but all in all, I thought Lutui looked pretty good.
On to other subjects:
- The quarterback competition between Matt Flynn and Tarvaris Jackson is under way, with third-round choice Russell Wilson scheduled to join the fun once rookies report. Jackson, as the incumbent, took the initial snaps and was the first to speak with reporters afterward. But Carroll stressed that this was the most open competition he'd had since Matt Leinart and Matt Cassel were competing at USC.
- Quick initial impression on Flynn and Jackson: Flynn appeared more accurate, while Jackson appeared to have the stronger arm. There wasn't much to go on, but those impressions line up with expectations.
- Third- or fourth-team quarterback Josh Portis isn't getting many reps. The team is giving additional reps to Flynn, helping him to learn the system.
- Receivers Sidney Rice and Mike Williams were not present. They're rehabbing from injuries. Cornerback Walter Thurmond watched from a scooter, his injured lower leg in a boot. Tackle James Carpenter watched practice, but his knee will not be ready until the season, if then. Russell Okung and John Moffitt participated. Rules mandating light on-field duty with no contact during the second phase of the voluntary conditioning program are allowing Okung and Moffitt to ease their way back from injuries.
- Newly signed defensive tackle Jason Jones is tall (6-foot-5) and lean (276 pounds). One look at him and there's no question of his primary role. It'll be as a pass-rusher.
- Receiver Golden Tate, trying to build on a strong finish to last season, made a one-handed grab in stride. Catching the ball in an environment so relaxed means little, but it beats the alternative, especially for a young player trying to build momentum.
That's it for now. The NFC West chat begins at 3 p.m. ET.
Just a reminder: The NFC West chat, rescheduled from Thursday, begins at 3 p.m. ET Friday right here.
I'm planning to chat from Seattle Seahawks headquarters. The team has a short workout session scheduled, followed by media access to quarterbacks Matt Flynn and Tarvaris Jackson. The chat falls afterward.
On a side note, all four NFC West teams have mandatory minicamps from June 12-14.
I'm planning to chat from Seattle Seahawks headquarters. The team has a short workout session scheduled, followed by media access to quarterbacks Matt Flynn and Tarvaris Jackson. The chat falls afterward.
On a side note, all four NFC West teams have mandatory minicamps from June 12-14.
Gary Horton of Scouts Inc. 
singled out the San Francisco 49ers' passing game as one of the NFC's three most improved units this offseason.
Randy Moss, Mario Manningham, A.J. Jenkins and LaMichael James are among the newcomers he expects to upgrade that area.
A look at the areas where the 49ers' competitors have the greatest potential for improvement, in my estimation:
That's how I see it, anyway. Now it's your turn.
singled out the San Francisco 49ers' passing game as one of the NFC's three most improved units this offseason.
Randy Moss, Mario Manningham, A.J. Jenkins and LaMichael James are among the newcomers he expects to upgrade that area.
A look at the areas where the 49ers' competitors have the greatest potential for improvement, in my estimation:
- Arizona Cardinals: wide receiver. Michael Floyd's addition as a potential strong No. 2 wideout could upgrade two receiving spots by casting Andre Roberts into more of a slot role, which could suit him better. Floyd projects as the flanker, with Larry Fitzgerald remaining at split end most of the time. We should also mention the Cardinals' offensive line, simply because the team now has a few young players to develop. I'm just not sure how much Adam Snyder and rookie Bobby Massie will upgrade the right side initially.
- Seattle Seahawks: quarterback. Adding Matt Flynn in free agency and Russell Wilson through the draft dramatically changes the outlook for the position in Seattle. We cannot know what Flynn or Wilson will become, and that is the point. The team will not go through another season with Tarvaris Jackson and Charlie Whitehurst as the only viable options. That is progress. The Seahawks' pass rush deserves mention, too. Adding Bruce Irvin and Jason Jones changes the dynamic. A healthy Dexter Davis could be a factor, too.
- St. Louis Rams: defensive line. The Rams also addressed their secondary, which was going to improve simply through better health. But with defensive tackles Kendall Langford and Michael Brockers joining the rotation, St. Louis now has four young starters on its line. Chris Long and 2011 first-round choice Robert Quinn are the others. The team still needs help at linebacker, but the brightened outlook at defensive tackle provides the foundation for improved run defense. That's important in a division featuring Marshawn Lynch, Frank Gore, Beanie Wells and others.
That's how I see it, anyway. Now it's your turn.
Will Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Flynn live up to his Green Bay hype?
J.C. Colom asked the question via Facebook, and initially I was reluctant to answer it. Some things must wait until the regular season because there's not enough evidence to form a solid opinion, as Brett Schumacher pointed out before pleading with me to avoid quarterback-related questions.
But an answer came to mind. A theory, really.
What we've seen from Flynn, the presumed starter even though he hasn't yet won the job, suggests he'll be more aggressive than 2011 starter Tarvaris Jackson. He'll take more chances. That seemed to be his nature with Green Bay.
Some of that could reflect the advanced state of the Packers' offense overall and the types of games Flynn participated in while completing 55 of 81 passes for 731 yards with nine touchdowns and two interceptions in two starts. That is obviously an unsustainable pace; he's not going to pass for 72 touchdowns with 16 interceptions over a full season. Things will even out if Flynn plays as aggressively as he played while posting that 9-2 ratio.
I'm anticipating a point in the 2012 season when Flynn and coach Pete Carroll must reconcile the gap between a quarterback's aggressive mindset and a defensive-minded head coach's emphasis on avoiding mistakes even at the expense of productivity.
Carroll and Matt Hasselbeck needed time to develop a full understanding in 2010. The two hit a stride for a few weeks, with Hasselbeck playing his best against Arizona and New Orleans. Hasselbeck finished strong in the playoffs, leading the Seahawks past the Saints in the wild-card round.
Flynn will likely experience peaks and valleys over the course of a season. Most quarterbacks do. We'll raise additional questions along the way.
J.C. Colom asked the question via Facebook, and initially I was reluctant to answer it. Some things must wait until the regular season because there's not enough evidence to form a solid opinion, as Brett Schumacher pointed out before pleading with me to avoid quarterback-related questions.
But an answer came to mind. A theory, really.
What we've seen from Flynn, the presumed starter even though he hasn't yet won the job, suggests he'll be more aggressive than 2011 starter Tarvaris Jackson. He'll take more chances. That seemed to be his nature with Green Bay.
Some of that could reflect the advanced state of the Packers' offense overall and the types of games Flynn participated in while completing 55 of 81 passes for 731 yards with nine touchdowns and two interceptions in two starts. That is obviously an unsustainable pace; he's not going to pass for 72 touchdowns with 16 interceptions over a full season. Things will even out if Flynn plays as aggressively as he played while posting that 9-2 ratio.
I'm anticipating a point in the 2012 season when Flynn and coach Pete Carroll must reconcile the gap between a quarterback's aggressive mindset and a defensive-minded head coach's emphasis on avoiding mistakes even at the expense of productivity.
Carroll and Matt Hasselbeck needed time to develop a full understanding in 2010. The two hit a stride for a few weeks, with Hasselbeck playing his best against Arizona and New Orleans. Hasselbeck finished strong in the playoffs, leading the Seahawks past the Saints in the wild-card round.
Flynn will likely experience peaks and valleys over the course of a season. Most quarterbacks do. We'll raise additional questions along the way.
First impressions on the Seattle Seahawks' performance in the 2012 NFL draft:
What I liked: The Seahawks, after getting much bigger in their first two seasons under Pete Carroll, added welcome speed to their roster in this draft. Pass-rusher Bruce Irvin, chosen 15th overall, had the fastest 3-cone time for any player at the NFL scouting combine. "If you look at it, our slowest guy was an offensive lineman at 4.85 (seconds in the 40-yard dash)," Carroll said. "There's great speed in this draft for us, and that's really exciting across the board, and it's going to help our special teams enormously."
Question marks: What about the offense? Seattle used a league-high seven choices for defense. One of the three offensive players selected, seventh-round guard J.R. Sweezy, was a defensive lineman in college. Another offensive pick, quarterback Russell Wilson, projects as a backup for at least this season. Fourth-round running back Robert Turbin has a chance to help as the backup to Marshawn Lynch. But it's unrealistic to think this draft will provide immediate help where the Seahawks needed it the most, on offense. This team is banking on improved quarterback play, a healthy Sidney Rice and better luck with injuries on the offensive line.
Trending: Carroll, hired in 2010, entered this draft having drafted offensive players with four of the five picks he possessed in the first three rounds. The precentage of defensive players chosen with those picks was the lowest in the NFL over the two-year period in question. The trend changed in this draft when the Seahawks used their first-round pick for Irvin and their second-rounder for Utah State linebacker Bobby Wagner. Seattle's defense already ranked among the NFL leaders in yards and points allowed. This unit should be even better in 2012.
Veteran put on alert: Quarterback Tarvaris Jackson comes to mind immediately. We know the Seahawks will save a roster spot for the newly acquired Matt Flynn. We know NFL teams do not release rookie quarterbacks chosen in the third round, assuring a spot for Wilson. We do not know what the future holds for Jackson or Josh Portis. It's too early to draw conclusions. Jackson is in the running for the starting job, after all. The position just got more competitive, however.
What I liked: The Seahawks, after getting much bigger in their first two seasons under Pete Carroll, added welcome speed to their roster in this draft. Pass-rusher Bruce Irvin, chosen 15th overall, had the fastest 3-cone time for any player at the NFL scouting combine. "If you look at it, our slowest guy was an offensive lineman at 4.85 (seconds in the 40-yard dash)," Carroll said. "There's great speed in this draft for us, and that's really exciting across the board, and it's going to help our special teams enormously."
Question marks: What about the offense? Seattle used a league-high seven choices for defense. One of the three offensive players selected, seventh-round guard J.R. Sweezy, was a defensive lineman in college. Another offensive pick, quarterback Russell Wilson, projects as a backup for at least this season. Fourth-round running back Robert Turbin has a chance to help as the backup to Marshawn Lynch. But it's unrealistic to think this draft will provide immediate help where the Seahawks needed it the most, on offense. This team is banking on improved quarterback play, a healthy Sidney Rice and better luck with injuries on the offensive line.
Trending: Carroll, hired in 2010, entered this draft having drafted offensive players with four of the five picks he possessed in the first three rounds. The precentage of defensive players chosen with those picks was the lowest in the NFL over the two-year period in question. The trend changed in this draft when the Seahawks used their first-round pick for Irvin and their second-rounder for Utah State linebacker Bobby Wagner. Seattle's defense already ranked among the NFL leaders in yards and points allowed. This unit should be even better in 2012.
Veteran put on alert: Quarterback Tarvaris Jackson comes to mind immediately. We know the Seahawks will save a roster spot for the newly acquired Matt Flynn. We know NFL teams do not release rookie quarterbacks chosen in the third round, assuring a spot for Wilson. We do not know what the future holds for Jackson or Josh Portis. It's too early to draw conclusions. Jackson is in the running for the starting job, after all. The position just got more competitive, however.
» NFC draft analysis: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South
The shift in NFL disciplinary emphasis from off-field behavior to on-field safety should serve the NFC West well over the coming months.
The division took calculated gambles early and often in the 2012 NFL draft, selecting players with rap sheets as varied as the players' on-field skill sets.
But player safety is trumping player behavior as the prevailing NFL issue these days, and NFC West teams aren't likely to draw much scrutiny for their decisions, at least initially.
Five of the first 10 players NFC West teams selected had, at various times, faced accusations relating to drunken driving (Michael Floyd), robbery (Bruce Irvin), marijuana possession (Janoris Jenkins), attempted strangulation (LaMichael James) and resisting arrest (Trumaine Johnson).
They were not all charged nor convicted. They are not necessarily bad guys, of course. But each carried red flags into the evaluation process. Each represents a heightened risk for his new NFC West team.
What's going on here?
A theory: Pete Carroll, Jeff Fisher and Jim Harbaugh, in particular, are three of the higher-profile, more highly paid coaches in the NFL. Higher-paid coaches tend to have more power (Carroll and Fisher demanded personnel influence as a condition of employment). Coaches also tend to listen to their assistants. They might be more apt to take chances, confident in their ability to manage players.
Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt, also well-compensated and facing a pivotal year at quarterback, has made it clear that he's a believer in drafting with character in mind. He also might need to win his bet on Kevin Kolb, perhaps one reason the Cardinals, having done their homework on Floyd, took the first calculated gamble among NFC West teams.
Arizona made Floyd the second receiver drafted, taking him at No. 13. Irvin went to Seattle two spots later, followed by Jenkins to St. Louis (39th), James to San Francisco (61st) and Johnson to the Rams (65th).
BEST MOVE
The Rams' pre-draft move to trade back four spots from the second overall pick set up their next three drafts, beginning with this one.
Moving back again from sixth to 14th overall brought a 2012 second-rounder in return, leaving the Rams with six of the first 96 overall selections -- the most for any team in recent seasons (New England had six of the first 97 picks in the 2009 draft).
With three second-round choices this year, the Rams felt comfortable taking a chance on Jenkins, a player widely regarded as a first-round talent. Jenkins might have the ability to make this draft for the Rams, but taking him at No. 39 and amid so many other early selections insulated the team from undue risk.
The Rams move forward with four first-round selections over the next two drafts. They're in position to get better the right way through the draft.
RISKIEST MOVE
There were a few candidates for consideration, including the Cardinals' decision to draft a wide receiver instead of an offensive tackle at No. 13.
But Irvin's selection with the 15th overall choice stands out given his background, one-dimensional nature and the surprise factor associated with his selection.
Irvin dropped out of high school, lived on the streets for two years, was arrested on robbery charges and more recently was charged with disorderly conduct. His life and career have been trending in the right direction for a few years, but with so few analysts projecting Irvin for the first round, the Seahawks can expect louder than usual criticism if Irvin fails to develop.
Seattle could have drafted Fletcher Cox, Quinton Coples, Michael Brockers, Melvin Ingram or Chandler Jones among the defensive players available when the Seahawks were scheduled to select with the 12th overall choice. They traded back and took Irvin after Philadelphia took Cox at No. 12 and St. Louis took Brockers at No. 14.
MOST SURPRISING MOVE
We could double up on Irvin in this space, but the 49ers deserve a mention as well.
They made Illinois receiver A.J. Jenkins a surprise selection with the 27th overall choice. Analysts knew San Francisco might consider a receiver in the first round, but if any of them projected Jenkins as a possibility in that slot, that would be news to me.
Personnel people I've spoken with said they liked Jenkins. The Rams reportedly had him ranked not far behind Justin Blackmon, the first receiver selected.
Receivers Stephen Hill, Alshon Jeffery and Rueben Randle drew more mention before the draft. All were available when the 49ers selected Jenkins, as were Brian Quick and Ryan Broyles, all taken in the second round. The 49ers will get an up-close look at Quick, drafted by the Rams. But Jenkins was the player they wanted.
FILE IT AWAY
The quarterback situations in Seattle and Arizona have become more competitive.
The Seahawks used a third-round choice for Wisconsin's Russell Wilson, a strong-armed quarterback with fantastic intangibles. Concerns over Wilson's 5-foot-11 height knocked him down draft boards, but a third-round pedigree in Seattle should put Seahawks quarterbacks Matt Flynn, Tarvaris Jackson and Justin Portis on notice.
Arizona used a sixth-round choice for San Diego State quarterback Ryan Lindley. The Cardinals have shown a willingness to let less-heralded quarterbacks compete for playing time. John Skelton and Max Hall over the last couple seasons come to mind. With Kolb and Skelton battling for the starting job, Lindley arrives as a potential alternative for the future.
The 49ers did not head into this draft needing to draft a quarterback, but this is a good time to recall the move they made to acquire Colin Kaepernick in the second round a year ago. Alex Smith is the incumbent starter, but his contract gives the 49ers an easy out after one or two seasons.
The shift in NFL disciplinary emphasis from off-field behavior to on-field safety should serve the NFC West well over the coming months.
The division took calculated gambles early and often in the 2012 NFL draft, selecting players with rap sheets as varied as the players' on-field skill sets.
But player safety is trumping player behavior as the prevailing NFL issue these days, and NFC West teams aren't likely to draw much scrutiny for their decisions, at least initially.
Five of the first 10 players NFC West teams selected had, at various times, faced accusations relating to drunken driving (Michael Floyd), robbery (Bruce Irvin), marijuana possession (Janoris Jenkins), attempted strangulation (LaMichael James) and resisting arrest (Trumaine Johnson).
They were not all charged nor convicted. They are not necessarily bad guys, of course. But each carried red flags into the evaluation process. Each represents a heightened risk for his new NFC West team.
What's going on here?
A theory: Pete Carroll, Jeff Fisher and Jim Harbaugh, in particular, are three of the higher-profile, more highly paid coaches in the NFL. Higher-paid coaches tend to have more power (Carroll and Fisher demanded personnel influence as a condition of employment). Coaches also tend to listen to their assistants. They might be more apt to take chances, confident in their ability to manage players.
Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt, also well-compensated and facing a pivotal year at quarterback, has made it clear that he's a believer in drafting with character in mind. He also might need to win his bet on Kevin Kolb, perhaps one reason the Cardinals, having done their homework on Floyd, took the first calculated gamble among NFC West teams.
Arizona made Floyd the second receiver drafted, taking him at No. 13. Irvin went to Seattle two spots later, followed by Jenkins to St. Louis (39th), James to San Francisco (61st) and Johnson to the Rams (65th).
BEST MOVE
The Rams' pre-draft move to trade back four spots from the second overall pick set up their next three drafts, beginning with this one.
[+] Enlarge
Joe Robbins/Getty ImagesManuevering for additional picks meant the St. Louis Rams could take a chance on defensive back Janoris Jenkins.
Joe Robbins/Getty ImagesManuevering for additional picks meant the St. Louis Rams could take a chance on defensive back Janoris Jenkins.With three second-round choices this year, the Rams felt comfortable taking a chance on Jenkins, a player widely regarded as a first-round talent. Jenkins might have the ability to make this draft for the Rams, but taking him at No. 39 and amid so many other early selections insulated the team from undue risk.
The Rams move forward with four first-round selections over the next two drafts. They're in position to get better the right way through the draft.
RISKIEST MOVE
There were a few candidates for consideration, including the Cardinals' decision to draft a wide receiver instead of an offensive tackle at No. 13.
But Irvin's selection with the 15th overall choice stands out given his background, one-dimensional nature and the surprise factor associated with his selection.
Irvin dropped out of high school, lived on the streets for two years, was arrested on robbery charges and more recently was charged with disorderly conduct. His life and career have been trending in the right direction for a few years, but with so few analysts projecting Irvin for the first round, the Seahawks can expect louder than usual criticism if Irvin fails to develop.
Seattle could have drafted Fletcher Cox, Quinton Coples, Michael Brockers, Melvin Ingram or Chandler Jones among the defensive players available when the Seahawks were scheduled to select with the 12th overall choice. They traded back and took Irvin after Philadelphia took Cox at No. 12 and St. Louis took Brockers at No. 14.
MOST SURPRISING MOVE
We could double up on Irvin in this space, but the 49ers deserve a mention as well.
They made Illinois receiver A.J. Jenkins a surprise selection with the 27th overall choice. Analysts knew San Francisco might consider a receiver in the first round, but if any of them projected Jenkins as a possibility in that slot, that would be news to me.
Personnel people I've spoken with said they liked Jenkins. The Rams reportedly had him ranked not far behind Justin Blackmon, the first receiver selected.
Receivers Stephen Hill, Alshon Jeffery and Rueben Randle drew more mention before the draft. All were available when the 49ers selected Jenkins, as were Brian Quick and Ryan Broyles, all taken in the second round. The 49ers will get an up-close look at Quick, drafted by the Rams. But Jenkins was the player they wanted.
FILE IT AWAY
The quarterback situations in Seattle and Arizona have become more competitive.
The Seahawks used a third-round choice for Wisconsin's Russell Wilson, a strong-armed quarterback with fantastic intangibles. Concerns over Wilson's 5-foot-11 height knocked him down draft boards, but a third-round pedigree in Seattle should put Seahawks quarterbacks Matt Flynn, Tarvaris Jackson and Justin Portis on notice.
Arizona used a sixth-round choice for San Diego State quarterback Ryan Lindley. The Cardinals have shown a willingness to let less-heralded quarterbacks compete for playing time. John Skelton and Max Hall over the last couple seasons come to mind. With Kolb and Skelton battling for the starting job, Lindley arrives as a potential alternative for the future.
The 49ers did not head into this draft needing to draft a quarterback, but this is a good time to recall the move they made to acquire Colin Kaepernick in the second round a year ago. Alex Smith is the incumbent starter, but his contract gives the 49ers an easy out after one or two seasons.
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Mike Sando
Sando joined ESPN.com in 2007 after nine seasons covering the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma (Wash.) News Tribune. He lives in the Seattle-Tacoma area with his wife and two sons.
