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One of the enduring records from the St. Louis Rams' Greatest Show on Turf years has been put on preliminary notice.

Those Rams teams scored at least 30 points in 14 consecutive regular-season games across the 1999 and 2000 seasons. The current New England Patriots have reached at least 30 in their last 10 games. They'll have to reach that total against Buffalo (road), Oakland (road), the New York Jets (home), Dallas (home) and Pittsburgh (road) to break the record.

The 1999 Rams scored at least 30 in their final six regular-season games. Their three postseason victories -- 49-37 over Minnesota, 11-6 over Tampa Bay and 23-16 over Tennessee in the Super Bowl -- showed they could win big games whether or not they were shootouts.

The regular-season streak of games with at least 30 points ended with a 27-24 defeat to the Carolina Panthers during a Sunday night game in Week 10 of the 2000 season. Kurt Warner and Marshall Faulk missed that game with injuries. Backup quarterback Trent Green passed for 428 yards and two touchdowns, but the game turned when coach Mike Martz chose to punt on fourth-and-6 from the Carolina 35 in the final seven minutes. John Baker's punt traveled just 8 yards.

Carolina still needed a fourth-down conversion and a late 46-yard field goal from Joe Nedney to prevail.

Cool note from ESPN Stats & Information: First-year San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh is the last quarterback other than Peyton Manning to start a regular-season game for the Indianapolis Colts.

That will change when Kerry Collins replaces an injured Manning in the Colts' lineup for Week 1.

The first preseason game I covered as an NFL beat reporter featured Manning making his first start against the Seattle Seahawks in the Kingdome. His very first pass found Marvin Harrison for a 49-yard touchdown. Preseason games are generally without much meaning, but could there have been a more fitting beginning for Manning?

For a fuller appreciation of Manning's durability and consistency in starting 227 consecutive games, I went through Pro Football Reference counting how many quarterbacks had started for current NFC West teams since Manning made his regular-season debut. There have been 48. That figure includes 14 for the St. Louis Rams, 13 for the 49ers, 11 for the Arizona Cardinals and 10 for the Seahawks.

A few notes on the 48 players to start for current NFC West teams since 1998:

• There have been two Brocks (Berlin, Huard), two Charlies (Frye, Whitehurst), two named Chris (Chandler, Weinke), two Jeffs (Plummer, Martin), three Johns (Friesz, Navarre, Skelton), one Jon (Kitna), two Matts (Hasselbeck, Leinart), two Shauns (Hill, King), three Steves (Young, Bono, Stenstrom) and two Trents (Dilfer, Green).
• Two, Young and Warren Moon, have been enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame since Manning's streak began.
• Dilfer and Warner started for more than one current NFC West team since Manning's streak began. Warner started 57 games for Arizona and 50 for St. Louis. Dilfer started 12 for Seattle and six for San Francisco.
• Hasselbeck has the most total starts for current NFC West teams with 131, followed by Marc Bulger (95 for St. Louis), Jake Plummer (73 for the Cardinals) and Jeff Garcia (71 for the 49ers).
• Smith -- Alex, not Troy -- owns the most starts among current NFC West players with 50, all for San Francisco.
• Eight of the 48 were one-and-done as starters: Berlin, Scott Covington, Ty Detmer, Glenn Foley, Friesz, Frye, Navarre and Weinke. Nineteen have made at least 10 starts.

The NFC West will have two starters new to the division in Week 1: Tarvaris Jackson and Kevin Kolb.

The chart shows start totals by team for the 48. The NFC West changed membership with realignment in 2002. I'm going back to 1998 for the four teams currently in the division.

The NFC West's dominance extends beyond fighter jets, croc files, athlete award eligibility, currency collection and retractable playing surfaces.

A look through the celebrity golf leaderboard from Lake Tahoe, Nev., shows Ken Whisenhunt, Jerry Rice and Marshall Faulk finishing among the top 20. Whisenhunt, who grew up around the game in Augusta, Ga., site of the Masters, was tied for 13th with 49 points in Stableford scoring, just ahead of Rice (15th) and Faulk (20th).

These guys need to get NFC West alumnus Trent Green out on the course a little more often. Green, former quarterback for the St. Louis Rams and three other teams, finished 80th in the 83-man field, barely beating the notoriously swing-challenged Charles Barkley.

Indeed, golf is a humbling game. It's tough to envision Barkley beating anyone after watching him swing a club. The retired NBA great did cruise past musician Jay DeMarcus (minus-83) and Sacramento Kings rookie Jimmer Fredette (minus-88).

Tony Romo, Chris Chandler, Mark Rypien, Billy Joe Tolliver and John Elway finished among the top 15 with at least 47 points. Fellow quarterbacks Joe Theismann, Trent Dilfer, Vinny Testaverde, Matt Ryan, Aaron Rodgers, Jim McMahon and Steve Beuerlein put up respectable or semi-respectable scores.

All quarterbacks do not make for competitive golfers, however.

Green scored minus-65 points. Arizona Cardinals linebacker Joey Porter finished 78th at minus-61. Chiefs coach Todd Haley, the Cardinals' former offensive coordinator, tied with New England Patriots receiver Wes Welker for 64th at minus-9.

With any luck, it's about time to put away the clubs and tee up another kind of ball.

Examining the most crucial event in the history of every team in the division.

A longtime Cincinnati Bengals assistant named Bill Walsh was having a hard time convincing NFL teams to hire him as a head coach.

The Bengals had promoted another assistant, Bill "Tiger" Johnson, when Paul Brown retired after the 1975 season. Walsh spent 1976 as offensive coordinator with the San Diego Chargers before leaving the NFL entirely for the best head-coaching job he could get. Years later, Walsh accused Brown of conspiring to keep him from advancing.

While Walsh was building a winner at Stanford, the sputtering San Francisco 49ers were running through four head coaches in less than two calendar years. Young owner Eddie DeBartolo Jr. made Walsh the fifth in 1979.

"Caution should be exercised in proclaiming Bill Walsh the savior of the 49er franchise," Bay Area columnist Ed Jacoubowsky wrote at the time. "But the selection of Walsh as director of the club's football operations probably is the best step the young owner could have taken."

Probably? Let's make that a "definitely" in hindsight.

The organization would never be the same. Offensive football would never be the same. The balance of power in the league itself would shift for a decade, and then some. This was the most crucial event in 49ers history and more significant than any the team's current division rivals have experienced.

That message came through clearly at the SportsNation ballot box, where Walsh's hiring received significantly more votes than any other NFC West Flash Point among the more than 129,000 ballots cast across the division. The 49ers' Flash Points drew more than 44,000 votes, most in the NFC West, and Walsh's hiring commanded better than half of them.

"If the 49ers never hired Bill Walsh, they would not have changed the organizational structure of the team, how players are graded and drafted, how to prepare those players for the season and utilize them on the field of play," razzberry80 wrote. "Bill changed EVERYTHING. Joe Montana was the best, but without Bill Walsh, Joe is probably not drafted by the 49ers."

Another 49ers fan, servegmo, credited Walsh for drawing him in as a fan living in Costa Rica.

"He is the reason people from all over the world started watching football," servegmo wrote. "He put the 49ers in a position where they changed football as a whole -- the offseason preparation, the inclusion of black coaches, the practices, the West Coast offense, how he managed the draft (drafting the best players EVER at quarterback, wide receiver and safety). How many coaches can say that?"

The 49ers won three Super Bowls in 10 seasons under Walsh, who qualified as a football visionary in strategy, philosophy and personnel evaluation. Walsh became famous for scripting plays to separate in-game emotions from the decision-making process. His personnel moves and broader philosophy scripted more lasting success: five Super Bowls, including two won after Walsh retired from the sideline.

With full support from DeBartolo, who had learned from past mistakes, Walsh showed an exceptional eye for talent. Has any coach possessed a superior vision?

"When he drafted Ronnie Lott, he thought, 'He's a corner now, but he'll be a longtime All-Pro safety,'" former Walsh assistant and two-time NFL head coach Dennis Green said for this project. "When he drafted Roger Craig, he saw him as a fullback now, but a little small for the fullback we really needed, so we would draft a fullback and Craig would make the transition to running back.

"Bill did that sort of thing constantly when he thought players could fit in a certain way and be very unique players."

Walsh's hiring commanded 53 percent of votes cast for the 49ers' Flash Points, with "The Catch" ranking second at 37 percent. Of course, there never would have been such a signature play if Walsh hadn't put together a 1979 draft class featuring Montana in the third round and Dwight Clark in the 10th.

RAMS: Trent Green's injury pivotal

The Kurt Warner story might never have been told if the San Diego Chargers' Rodney Harrison hadn't knocked out Green with a severe knee injury during the 1999 preseason.

Fans voted that moment supreme with 49 percent of more than 28,000 votes. Only Mike Jones' Super Bowl-saving tackle against Kevin Dyson (36 percent) came close to challenging.

The comments section of the Rams-related item drew barely more than a dozen contributions, however. So much for exit polling.

"The ownership change [in 1972] precipitated everything that has happened to the Rams in 'modern' times," patdpenguin wrote. "The true answer to the question would be the ownership change, but as a lifelong fan, speaking with my heart, I would choose the Trent Green injury. Prior to that, the team had not proven anything, and was spinning its wheels."

SEAHAWKS: Paul Allen trumps all

The Seahawks were planning a move to Los Angeles during their darkest days of the 1990s, at one point even conducting free agency from an elementary school parking lot in Southern California.

Allen wasn't much of an NFL fan at the time, but he rallied to the cause of keeping the team in Seattle. Allen led a push to secure a new stadium, contributing $130 million of his own money in exchange for $300 million in public funding, as part of a deal to purchase the team.

Within a couple years, the team had landed Mike Holmgren as coach and general manager. Multiple division titles and the first Super Bowl in franchise history followed.

"I went with Allen buying the team," DiLune2 wrote. "It is hard to point to any one of those [other] moments as the one point where it all changed. They were part of a long, ugly slide. Allen buying the team, though, was the one point in time where you can look and say, 'It all changed right there.'"

CARDINALS: Beating Eagles to reach Super Bowl

Sixty-eight percent of more than 26,000 Cardinals voters pointed to the team's victory over Philadelphia in the NFC Championship Game. No option for any team drew a higher percentage.

The runner-up for the Cardinals -- securing a new stadium in 2006 -- lagged with only 16 percent. But some felt strongly it should have prevailed.

"Wow, this is a slam dunk," longtime blog contributor Leesters wrote. "The stadium changed this team overnight. It went from the least competitive financial situation in the league to one of the best, in one year. Free agents could be afforded, better coaches, better home-field advantage. If it wasn't for this stadium, there would be no NFC Championship win."

What key event significantly changed the fortunes of the Rams -- for better or worse? Give us your take and we’ll give you our definitive moment on May 19.

Long before Kurt Warner was directing the Greatest Show on Turf, Bob Waterfield and Norm Van Brocklin were connecting with Elroy "Crazy Legs" Hirsch and Tom Fears for the Los Angeles Rams of the 1950s. They won a championship, too.

The Rams' 1951 title team sustained an 11-year stretch without a losing season. The Rams would remain successful for years under Sid Gillman, George Allen, Chuck Knox and Ray Malavasi, but none of those teams would win a championship.

The biggest trade in franchise history also earned a spot on the ballot. This swap involved owners, not players. The Rams and Colts traded ownership in 1972. Carroll Rosenbloom's death in 1979 left the Rams to his wife, Georgia Frontiere, who would later move the franchise to her native St. Louis. Her passing in 2008 precipitated the team's latest ownership change.

The Rams' 16 seasons in St. Louis have been eventful. Hiring Dick Vermeil, drafting Orlando Pace, acquiring Marshall Faulk and turning to Warner could all earn spots on the ballot. These were among the defining moments as the Rams brought a championship to St. Louis.

The drama associated with quarterback Trent Green's 1999 preseason injury and Mike Jones' Super Bowl tackle conferred special status to those two events. Green's injury was supposed to doom the Rams' season, but Warner intervened. And when Jones brought down Tennessee Titans receiver Kevin Dyson at the 1-yard line on the final play of Super Bowl XXXIV, the Rams were champions again.

If you vote Other, give us your suggestion in the comments area below.

The Rams' offseason roster overhaul has failed to produce immediate improvement in the standings.

The natural question is whether the organization went too far in pushing out higher-priced veterans.

I suspected they might have gone too far when they released linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa. I also thought they might have been premature in parting with Orlando Pace despite the tackle's steep salary and history of injuries.

The reality, though, is that the Rams got it right.

They have gone from being a bad, old team with significant salary-cap problems to being a bad, young team with a much brighter salary-cap future.

The younger players finding their way this season have a chance to help the team in the future. That wasn't the case in 2008, when losing got old, literally.

The Rams have the third-youngest roster in the league. They had the third-oldest last season. Their offense has moved the ball much better than I would have anticipated. A glaring lack of playmakers has turned the red zone into a dead zone, preventing the Rams from scoring enough points to compete on the scoreboard. But I think it's safe to say the Rams have the most promising young offensive line in the NFC West.

This team needs to find playmakers in the draft, plain and simple.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Kraig writes via Facebook: Sando, you pity the Rams, but you ridicule the Seahawks. You're a believer in the new 49er formula, although not always its execution. The Cards are an enigma, but undeniably talented. Interesting. But kicking the Seahawks when they're down is starting to stand out. What gives?

Mike Sando: Expectations frame the analysis. The Rams were a 2-14 team rebuilding. They parted with Torry Holt, Orlando Pace, Drew Bennett, Trent Green, Anthony Becht, Corey Chavous, Pisa Tinoisamoa, Brian Leonard, Gary Stills, Jason Craft, Ricky Manning, Fakhir Brown, La'Roi Glover, Dane Looker, Travis Minor, Dante Hall, Nick Leckey, Brett Romberg, Chris Draft and others. This was a total roster overhaul. I thought the Rams might have gone too far with a couple of these moves, but once the moves were made, the expectations were set accordingly.

With a new head coach and a younger roster, the Rams were going to struggle for a while. I thought 0-7 was likely and said so on the blog. The fact that the Rams are 0-6 is bad, but not a shock. It's Year 1 of a total rebuild. The Seahawks did not see themselves in the same light. Holding them to the same standard as the Rams would have been a bigger insult to the Seahawks than holding them accountable as I have tried to do.

Seattle thought injuries were pretty much to blame for a 4-12 record. The team thought Walter Jones would be fine this season. The team thought depth at tackle would be fine after re-signing Ray Willis. I thought the team needed to do more to shore up the position. Sean Locklear had missed a few games in the past, Willis has had knee issues and Jones was coming off surgery at age 35. I questioned whether the team could stay healthy in predicting a 7-9 record when schedules came out, upgrading the outlook slightly when Matt Hasselbeck seemed to pass a few injury-related milestones.

The outlook for Seattle darkens when we consider advanced ages for some of these injured players. Jones and Patrick Kerney are into their 30s. Both needed to play at a high level for Seattle to succeed. The fact that both are dealing with injury problems should surprise nobody. It was entirely predictable even if there was a chance both might beat the odds.

I think it's an even worse sign for Seattle if we start judging them with the same standards applied to the Rams. It's not that bad.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Chris Myers and Charles Davis get the call for Fox when the Rams face the Vikings at the Edward Jones Dome in Week 5. Kickoff is Sunday at noon CDT. Myers generally works with Trent Green, but Fox juggles its crews during the baseball playoffs.

Week Team Opp. Network Crew Crew Rank 1 STL SEA Fox Ron Pitts, John Lynch, Rob Desir 6 of 7 2 STL WAS Fox Sam Rosen, Tim Ryan 5 of 7 3 STL GB Fox Chris Myers, Trent Green 7 of 7 4 STL SF Fox Ron Pitts, John Lynch, Nischelle Turner 6 of 7 5 STL MIN Fox Chris Myers, Charles Davis 7 of 7

CBS has eight crews. Fox has seven. The networks rank their crews, with higher-ranked ones drawing more attractive assignments such as Super Bowls, playoff games and marquee matchups.

Earlier: Rams in 2008.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

We've got the NFC West covered in Week 4. John Clayton will be in Indianapolis for the Seahawks-Colts game. I'll be in San Francisco to see the Rams and 49ers. An NFC West checklist heading into games Sunday:

• Update your NFC West Gridiron Challenge lineup.
• Earn a spot on the Wall of Fame by leaving correct score predictions for NFC West games.
• Revisit late-week thoughts on Week 4 games involving division teams.
• Check out NFL Countdown predictions.
• Check out Expert Picks.
• Check out Bill Simmons' thoughts, including this doozy on a certain division: "By the way, no truth to the rumor that Fox is working on new technology that will allow Chris Myers and Trent Green to announce all the NFC West games simultaneously."
• Check out live coverage for Week 4 games beginning at 1 p.m. ET Sunday.

I'm traveling this afternoon and early evening. Will check back as time permits. One other thing: Hats off to Cardinals receiver Sean Morey for taking a leadership role in the fight against concussions.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Chris Myers and former Rams quarterback Trent Green get the call for Fox when the Rams face the Packers in the Edward Jones Dome on Sunday. Kickoff is at 1 p.m. ET.

Week Team Opp. Network Crew Crew Rank 1 STL SEA Fox Ron Pitts, John Lynch, Rob Desir 6 of 7 2 STL WAS Fox Sam Rosen, Tim Ryan 5 of 7 3 STL GB Fox Chris Myers, Trent Green 7 of 7

CBS has eight crews. Fox has seven. The networks rank their crews, with higher-ranked ones drawing more attractive assignments such as Super Bowls, playoff games and marquee matchups.

Earlier: Rams in 2008.

	Kyle Terada/US Presswire
	Shaun Hill emerged with the 49ers' starting job after a nondescript competition with Alex Smith.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

The close of NFL training camps provides an opportunity to revisit NFC West camp previews. The previews set criteria by which each team's training camp would qualify as a "downer" or a "success" -- although the criteria wasn't necessarily exclusive. I'll republish the criteria and follow it with a verdict, continuing with a look at the 49ers.

Camp will be a downer if ... both quarterbacks flounder and veteran Damon Huard appears to be the best option. Unlikely? Perhaps. But the scenario isn't as laughable as it should be. Neither Hill nor Smith distinguished himself during the competition a year ago. Even if Mike Martz was playing favorites when he installed J.T. O'Sullivan as the starter, the fact remains that O'Sullivan enjoyed the strongest preseason of the three. The new offensive system should better suit Hill in particular, and the 49ers have declared this quarterback race a two-man affair, ruling out Huard as a contender. Still, after years of backing up Trent Green, Tom Brady and Dan Marino, Huard wound up starting three of the first five games in Kansas City last season when the unaccomplished Brodie Croyle and Tyler Thigpen were his primary competitors.

Camp will be a success if ... Hill validates his 7-3 record as the 49ers' starter, right tackle Marvel Smith makes it through training camp healthy and the push toward a full-time 3-4 defense validates Parys Haralson and Manny Lawson as promising pass-rushers. Hitting on all three of those might be asking a bit much, but getting two of them right might be enough, particularly if the 49ers feel good about the quarterback situation.

The verdict: The 49ers' camp qualifies as a downer on these fronts. The team never came close to installing Huard as the starter, but Hill and Alex Smith did not make convincing cases for the job. Hill's leadership and 7-3 starting record made him the easy choice, virtually by default.

Marvel Smith scarcely practiced during camp before retiring. Adam Snyder's strong play at Smith's projected spot (right tackle) mitigates Smith's demise, although depth at the position is a concern. Haralson has shown more pass-rush ability than Lawson to this point, but coach Mike Singletary said the 49ers would need to scheme their way to a more consistently effective rush.

• Also: Cardinals, Rams, Seahawks.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Frank Cusumano of 590 The Fan in St. Louis caught up with former Rams coach and 49ers offensive coordinator Mike Martz. I found the audio in the media player on their site, but did not see a direct link to it.

Martz offered his thoughts on a range of subjects, saying he thought a healthy and committed Brett Favre would make the Vikings an elite team.

Martz on the Vikings: "The only thing missing is that quarterback, and it is missing. The guys they have there now are really 2s and 3s. ... For Brett, this doesn't make sense if he is not completely healthy or if he is not sure he wants to come back. Then it would be a catastrophe for the club and Brett. If he is healed and ready to go, then I think this is a wonderful thing."

Martz on Kyle Boller starting while Marc Bulger is hurt: "You know how I feel about Mark. I just think he is exceptional. I think he is so unusual in so many ways. I think he can do so many things. Kyle, this is just about his time. I think it takes four years in the league, sometimes five, for guys to really get it. It did with Trent [Green], it did with Kurt [Warner]. It's his time. He's had a lot of experience. When guys get a little bit down at a club and they change clubs, it gives them new life and I think there's a real chance that will happen with Kyle."

Martz on the Cardinals: "I think they have a chance to be an elite NFC team. This past season, I thought Kurt played exceptionally well. I thought he played even better the year before, though the team wasn't as good. I think Kurt is playing better than he ever has right now. I think he's playing better than he did even with us when we went to the Super Bowl.

"I think that as you look back at his career and you look at Kurt when this whole thing is done, he does something better than anybody in the league has ever done. He sees things so well and can digest it and make good decisions with accuracy better than anybody I have ever seen. He is truly unusual. I think he's got this year left and if he can stay healthy, the arm feels good, he has defied the odds his whole career, so who is to say he doesn't have this year and another year, anyway?

"I do think they needed a running back bad. I don't know if they've got that guy down there. Time will tell. The offensive line has improved. Defensively, I've always felt like [Arizona] has been really talented on defense. Just a little confused at times. They were weak in the secondary. They have bolstered that now with the young corner that they got last year. This is going to be a strong NFC team, no question about it."

(Read full post)

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

The finger injury Marc Bulger suffered during a routine center exchange Monday morning -- a non-displaced fracture that could sideline him for two weeks -- comes after the quarterback played through more violent collisions than he would care to remember.

Not that center exchanges are non-contact affairs.

Quarterbacks have a hard time recovering from finger and hand injuries because taking snaps from center involves a contact more forceful that we might realize watching from afar. The center snaps the ball with significant force because he needs his snapping hand for blocking and self-defense -- as soon as possible.

It's the sort of thing a quarterback doesn't think about much until he breaks a finger.

Bulger's absence from the lineup will allow the Rams to get a much better feel for how backup Kyle Boller fits in their system. Boller should be better prepared to replace Bulger if needed at any point during the regular season.

The decision to sign Boller seemed like a good one for the Rams as they tried to get younger -- releasing Trent Green -- without handing the backup job to a player with no experience. Boller's status as a 2003 first-round choice means he has more physical ability than some backups. Now he'll get a chance to see how that talent projects to Pat Shurmur's West Coast system.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the Rams are treating their exhibition opener as an exhibition opener. The outcome doesn't matter much, but the team would like to set a positive tone in Steve Spagnuolo's first game. Spagnuolo: "But I will say this: It doesn't matter whether you're playing pickup basketball in the backyard, or playing your brother in cards, it's competition and everybody wants to win. We'll approach this thing as if it's a competition. We want to compete, compete at the highest level, and then let it play itself out."

Also from Thomas: five things to watch during the Rams' opener. The Rams should tackle better than most teams would in an opener because they've been tackling in practice.

More from Thomas: Former Rams quarterback Trent Green misses the game while making a transition to broadcasting.

Turf Show Times' VanRam wants to see how the Rams' run defense holds up Friday night.

Tim Klutsarits of examiner.com reveals five things he'll watch for during the Rams' exhibition opener. Receivers made the list.

The 49ers' Web site provides a transcript from Mike Singletary's session with reporters. Alex Smith will get a chance to work with the first-team offense, same as Shaun Hill.

Matt Maiocco of the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat answers questions regarding the Michael Crabtree situation. Signing sometime before the regular-season opener would make the most sense for Crabtree. Otherwise he'll be forfeiting first-year salary for every game he misses.

Also from Maiocco: Singletary sounds "mighty comfortable" with Adam Snyder at right tackle.

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee says the 49ers have not cleared Marvel Smith to participate fully in practice. Barrows: "There's a sense, and Smith agrees, that he may have tried to come back too fast in the past."

Also from Barrows: Isaac Bruce participates in a program to educate Brits on the NFL.

Daniel Brown of the San Jose Mercury News checks in with 49ers rookie Kory Sheets, who is looking forward to his preseason debut.  Sheets has gone from college star to "nobody" status as an NFL rookie, part of the deal.

Also from Brown: Snyder has a "sizeable lead" over Marvel Smith at right tackle.

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic says Matt Leinart was happy with his 2009 preseason debut. Coach Ken Whisenhunt liked how his defense stopped the Steelers early.

Also from Somers: The Cardinals ran the ball only 16 times against the Steelers.

Darren Urban of azcardinals.com says Brian St. Pierre will be the first quarterback off the bench for the Cardinals in their next exhibition game. Whisenhunt also said St. Pierre didn't get much help from teammates Thursday night. ESPN analyst Jon Gruden blamed St. Pierre's interception on receiver Jerheme Urban for failing to sell a deep route.

Greg Johns of seattlepi.com says Seahawks rookie Aaron Curry will get extended playing time in the exhibition opener Saturday night.

Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times says Patrick Kerney returned to Seahawks practice after resting an unspecified injury for two days. The Seahawks have been cautious with Kerney to this point. I'd be a little surprised if he played Saturday night.

Steve Kelley of the Seattle Times says Kerney views his recent shoulder injuries as fluke situations that are unlikely to recur. Kerney: "I got injured the exact same way both times. I was coming around the left edge, going across my body to get to the quarterback's arm. It's just a weak position for the shoulder and the odds of getting caught the same way twice in 10 games is slim. But it happened. It's the heat of the moment. The heat of the play. You're working hard, you beat your guy. You're excited. Now you're going to do whatever you've got to do to get the quarterback on the ground or get the ball out. It didn't work so well, those couple of times. But I went eight out of my 10 years without getting my arm caught that way. I look to go a few more years without it happening."

Eric D. Williams of the Tacoma News Tribune says Brandon Roy was a guest at Seahawks practice. Also, Curry will play about three quarters and get some work at right defensive end.

John Morgan of Field Gulls liked what he saw from Curry in pass-rush drills Monday. Owen Schmitt's issues in protection apparently showed themselves again.

 

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Arizona Cardinals

Division Camp Previews • Tuesday: NFC North | AFC North • Wednesday: NFC East | AFC East • Thursday: NFC South | AFC South • Friday: NFC West | AFC West MORE • Camp battles: AFC | NFC • Schedule: Training camp dates

Training camp site: Northern Arizona University (Flagstaff, Ariz.)

Campfires: Coach Ken Whisenhunt isn't afraid to make first-round draft choices earn their starting jobs. He benched Matt Leinart coming out of camp last season, then made talented rookie Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie wait until near midseason before becoming a full-time starter. The trend could continue this summer as rookie first-round choice Beanie Wells practices with the Cardinals for the first time.

Wells projects as the long-term replacement for Edgerrin James at running back, but Ohio State's late graduation prevented him from participating in minicamps and organized team activities. That means the adjustment period for Wells could take a little longer. Expect Tim Hightower to enter camp as the tentative starter.

Meanwhile, the situation at tight end remains a mystery. Arizona is carrying six tight ends on its roster, one behind the league high. Ben Patrick, the player coaches have tried to develop as a player versatile enough to help as a receiver and blocker, faces a four-game suspension to start the season. That could open the door for Anthony Becht, Leonard Pope or Stephen Spach to seize the starting job. I don't see a clear favorite, particularly with Patrick serving a suspension and Spach coming off knee surgery.

	Jeff Mills/Icon SMI
	Will Beanie Wells be able to avoid the injuries that plagued him in college?

Camp will be a downer if ... Wells doesn't immediately prove he can avoid the long list of injuries that affected him in college. Arizona needs a more dynamic runner to run its offense the way Whisenhunt and offensive line coach/running game coordinator Russ Grimm want to run it. Wells has the physical ability to provide that missing element. Can he stay on the field and will he fight through some of the ailments that await every running back in the NFL?

The preferred scenario would include Wells breaking a few long runs during the preseason, setting up the play-action passing game that worked so well for Arizona when the team showed more balance in the playoffs last season.

Camp will be a success if ... the reconfigured coaching staff takes control of the team and helps Arizona build on the momentum from its Super Bowl season.

Whisenhunt has stressed continuity during the first two years of his tenure. He kept the same five starters on the offensive line even though right guard Deuce Lutui had penalty problems and center Lyle Sendlein sometimes struggled while playing through a shoulder injury. While the approach worked, continuity wasn't an option for the coaching staff once the Chiefs hired offensive coordinator Todd Haley head coach.

Whisenhunt's decision to fire quarterbacks coach Jeff Rutledge and defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast shook up the staff considerably more.

Warner will miss the rapport he enjoyed with Haley. The two appeared inseparable at times and the relationship seemed to benefit Warner on the field. Can the newly configured staff fill the void or otherwise find ways to keep Warner and the offense rolling?

Money men: Key players Karlos Dansby, Anquan Boldin and Darnell Dockett want lucrative long-term deals.

Franchise player rules will force Dansby to wait, and he should be content "settling" for a one-year franchise deal worth nearly $9.7 million. The volatile Dockett has also committed to letting his play do the talking, a good sign for the team.

While Boldin put aside his concerns to produce last season, his situation bears monitoring. Another year without a new contract probably equates to a higher frustration level. Boldin, generally the consummate pro, might have a harder time dealing with the situation -- particularly if the team fails to meet expectations.

---

San Francisco 49ers
Training camp site: 49ers headquarters (Santa Clara, Calif.)

	Kyle Terada/US Presswire
	Can Shaun Hill distinguish himself to claim the starting QB job?

Campfires: The 49ers have quite a few position battles for a team that finished strong and feels good about its chances for contending within the division.

The quarterback race will rightfully command the most attention. Coach Mike Singletary said the players will know whether Shaun Hill or Alex Smith should be the starter, at which point Singletary will merely affirm what they know. That means Smith's status as the No. 1 overall draft choice in 2005 will not afford him any advantage in the competition. Hill's 7-3 record as the 49ers' starter over the last two seasons gives him the edge.

On defense, Dashon Goldson would have to flop or suffer another injury for the older and less athletic Mark Roman to take back his job at free safety. Dre Bly has the edge over Tarell Brown at right corner. Kentwan Balmer, the 49ers' first-round choice in 2008, could push for a starting job at left defensive end.

Camp will be a downer if ... both quarterbacks flounder and veteran Damon Huard appears to be the best option. Unlikely? Perhaps. But the scenario isn't as laughable as it should be. Neither Hill nor Smith distinguished himself during the competition a year ago. Even if Mike Martz was playing favorites when he installed J.T. O'Sullivan as the starter, the fact remains that O'Sullivan enjoyed the strongest preseason of the three.

The new offensive system should better suit Hill in particular, and the 49ers have declared this quarterback race a two-man affair, ruling out Huard as a contender. Still, after years of backing up Trent Green, Tom Brady and Dan Marino, Huard wound up starting three of the first five games in Kansas City last season when the unaccomplished Brodie Croyle and Tyler Thigpen were his primary competitors.

Camp will be a success if ... Hill validates his 7-3 record as the 49ers' starter, right tackle Marvel Smith makes it through training camp healthy and the push toward a full-time 3-4 defense validates Parys Haralson and Manny Lawson as promising pass-rushers.

Hitting on all three of those might be asking a bit much, but getting two of them right might be enough, particularly if the 49ers feel good about the quarterback situation.

On the receiving end: It's a little surprising to see the 49ers emerge with their deepest group of receivers in years after committing to Singletary's smashmouth approach. The change to Singletary and offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye was all about making smarter use of the players general manager Scot McCloughan and former coach Mike Nolan had acquired in recent years.

That meant -- and still means -- forging an identity in the ground game. Yet, while receivers Michael Crabtree, Isaac Bruce, Brandon Jones and Josh Morgan will not be battling Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin for Pro Bowl berths this season, they do give the 49ers better potential than they've enjoyed recently.

Singletary's smashmouth roots should not and likely will not dissuade the 49ers from making frequent use of those receivers.

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Seattle Seahawks

	Kirby Lee/Image of Sport/US Presswire
	The Seahawks must get Matt Hasselbeck through training camp unscathed.

Training camp site: Seahawks headquarters (Renton, Wash.)

Campfires: The Seahawks weren't going to pretend that first-round choice Aaron Curry would have to prove himself in camp to earn a starting job. They put the fourth overall choice in the lineup from the beginning. No suspense there.

Most positions in Seattle appear settled. The situation at receiver should produce intrigue with Nate Burleson, Deion Branch and rookie burner Deon Butler fighting to get on the field with T.J. Houshmandzadeh and tight end John Carlson. Injuries will probably help sort out the situation. Burleson is returning from ACL surgery. Branch is entering his first full season since undergoing his own ACL procedure.

Don't be surprised if rookie second-round choice Max Unger pushes for playing time somewhere in the interior of the offensive line. He projects as the long-term starter at center if Chris Spencer plays out his contract and leaves following this season. If S
pencer holds the job, Unger figures to find his way onto the field in one of the guard spots, perhaps this year.

Camp will be a downer if  ... quarterback Matt Hasselbeck's back injury flares up at any point along the way. Hasselbeck and the Seahawks say the quarterback has long since overcome the problems that helped limit him to seven starts last season. They didn't know the extent of the problem a year ago when they assured fans that Hasselbeck would be fine for the regular season. The issue is under control now, they say, but the very nature of back injuries should raise at least some concern heading into a pivotal season for the organization. 

Camp will be a success if ... Hasselbeck, left tackle Walter Jones and defensive end Patrick Kerney put to rest concerns about their long-term health. Beyond the obvious injury storylines, this camp becomes a success for Seattle if Curry validates coach Jim Mora's opinion that the linebacker's pass-rushing abilities are indeed far stronger than anticipated on draft day.

Seattle badly needs to restore its pass rush to better compete against the Cardinals' passing game in a broader effort to overtake Arizona in the division. Kerney is the key, but the Seahawks are also counting on pressure from other sources: Brandon Mebane, Cory Redding, Lawrence Jackson, Darryl Tapp and possibly Leroy Hill. Significant pass-rush help from Curry would offset Julian Peterson's departure while making it easier for the Seahawks to justify having drafted a linebacker fourth overall.

Learning curve: By all accounts, the two years Mora spent in the background watching Mike Holmgren operate should leave him better prepared to handle his second head-coaching job. The way Holmgren handled everything from players to the media differed quite a bit from the more freewheeling approach Mora displayed with the Falcons.

Lessons learned? Yes, but it will be interesting to see how the Seahawks' leadership -- operating without Holmgren for the first time since 1998 -- will respond under pressure if things go wrong early.

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St. Louis Rams
Training camp site: Rams Park (Earth City, Mo.)

	G. Newman Lowrance/Getty Images)
	Will Marc Bulger be able to regain his old form behind a revamped offensive line?

Campfires: The Rams need to figure out what they have at receiver, linebacker and left cornerback after overhauling their roster.

Torry Holt, Orlando Pace, Drew Bennett, Trent Green, Anthony Becht, Corey Chavous, Pisa Tinoisamoa, Brian Leonard, Gary Stills, Jason Craft, Ricky Manning, Fakhir Brown, La'Roi Glover, Dane Looker, Travis Minor, Dante Hall, Nick Leckey and Brett Romberg were among the former starters and role players cast aside in the makeover.

None was irreplaceable. Getting rid of them was the easy part. Identifying and developing adequate replacements will take time.

Camp will be a downer if ... top draft choices Jason Smith and James Laurinaitis aren't ready to contribute right away. Coach Steve Spagnuolo has taken it slowly with both rookies, but he likely will not have that luxury once the regular season gets going. Smith and Laurinaitis probably must play and play well for the Rams to avoid trouble.

Laurinaitis' development is critical because the Rams appear so thin at linebacker after releasing Tinoisamoa. Even if Laurinaitis plays well, the Rams' depth at linebacker could betray them. 

Camp will be a success if ... quarterback Marc Bulger finds comfort behind an upgraded offensive line. Bulger can be a highly accurate passer when opposing defensive linemen aren't pounding the confidence out of him. The player who topped 4,300 yards passing with 24 touchdowns and eight interceptions three years ago hasn't resembled even remotely the scared soul seen under center for the Rams too often over the last two seasons.

The Rams' should start to regain some swagger on the line with 320-pounder Jason Brown taking over at center and the personably intense Smith at tackle. Right guard Richie Incognito won't be the only starter with some snarl, in other words. That should help provide improved protection for Bulger and leadership for the offense.

Fantasy spin: Running back Steven Jackson should not hurt for opportunities now that the Rams have landed a 320-pound center (Brown, free agent from the Ravens) and a 258-pound fullback (Mike Karney, late of the Saints). The Rams will try to develop their young receivers, but rarely should any of them represent a more formidable option than Jackson. And if he gets some luck with injuries, look out.