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The following recently released and waived/injured NFC West players are eligible for practice squads if they clear waivers:

Arizona Cardinals

Jared Campbell, Marshay Green, Sean Jeffcoat, Ricky Lumpkin, Jeremy Navarre, Aaron Nichols, Bryant Nnabuife, Kris O'Dowd, Tom Pestock, William Powell, Steve Skelton, Kendall Smith, Thad Turner, Isaiah Williams, D.J. Young.

St. Louis Rams

Damario Ambrose, Tim Atchison, DeMarco Cosby, Tae Evans, Marlon Favorite, Pete Fleps, Cody Habben, John Henderson, Kevin Hughes, Randall Hunt, Thaddeus Lewis, Greg Mathews, Jeremy McGee, Ryan McKee, Jonathan Nelson, Fendi Onobun, Chase Reynolds, Van Stumon.

San Francisco 49ers

Chase Beeler, McLeod Bethel-Thompson, Brian Bulcke, Jack Corcoran, Phillip Davis, Derek Hall, Joe Hastings, Chris Hogan, Ronald Johnson, Alex Joseph, Chris Maragos, Cory Nelms, Xavier Omon, Konrad Reuland, Kenny Rowe, Sealver Siliga, Monte Simmons, Curtis Taylor, Kenny Wiggins.

Seattle Seahawks

Pierre Allen, Dorson Boyce, Chris Carter, Paul Fanaika, Maurice Fountain, David Howard, Michael Johnson, Jameson Konz, Mark LeGree, Ricardo Lockette, Michael Morgan, Josh Pinkard, William Robinson, Owen Spencer, Vai Taua, Patrick Williams.

A few younger players are not eligible, including former St. Louis Rams receiver Mardy Gilyard, who spent 11 games on the game-day roster last season. Players with no accrued seasons or fewer than nine appearances on game-day rosters in their only accrued season are among those eligible. Players can spend a third season on a team's practice squad as long as their team keeps its 53-man roster full at all times.

CHICAGO -- The Seattle Seahawks are gathering on the field near their sideline for some pregame mosh-pit action before their stretching session.

I've done a quick sleeve count to see which players have given in to the cold.

Eight Seattle players -- Mike Williams, J.P. Losman, Jordan Babineaux, Clint Gresham, William Robinson, Stacy Andrews, Jon Ryan and Olindo Mare -- are wearing long sleeves for Seattle. A couple defensive backs are wearing forearm pads.

Eight Bears players are also wearing sleeves: Brad Maynard, Jay Cutler, Caleb Hanie, Todd Collins, Greg Olsen, Corey Graham, Devin Hester and Patrick Mannelly.

We're up to 22 degrees from 16 degrees a few hours ago.

SAN FRANCISCO -- The Seattle Seahawks named injured receivers Mike Williams and Ben Obomanu inactive Sunday.

Playing without Williams, in particular, puts the Seahawks at a significant deficit as they try to improve their NFC West record to 4-1 against the San Francisco 49ers at Candlestick Park. Williams' presence on third down, in particular, helps the Seahawks sustain drives. Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck has played at a higher level lately -- more confidently, more efficiently -- with Williams in the lineup.

Seattle might now need to rely more heavily on its ground game. The ground game showed improvement against Carolina last week. The 49ers are allowing 3.6 yards per carry on the ground, however. That is the third-best average for any defense in the NFL this season.

Also inactive for Seattle: guard Breno Giacomini, guard Chester Pitts, tackle William Robinson, defensive lineman Amon Gordon and defensive lineman Jay Richardson. J.P. Losman is the third quarterback.

The 49ers' inactive players: kicker Joe Nedney, cornerback Tramaine Brock, running back DeShawn Wynn, cornerback William James, linebacker Thaddeus Gibson, tackle Joe Staley and tackle Alex Boone. David Carr is the third quarterback.

The Seattle Seahawks sought depth on their injury-depleted defensive line as they tried to shore up their run defense.

Part of their plan included releasing the first defensive lineman they selected in the 2010 draft.

E.J. Wilson, a defensive end from North Carolina, becomes a rare first-year casualty among 2010 NFL fourth-round choices.

The Pittsburgh Steelers released 116th overall choice Thaddeus Gibson, an outside linebacker was claimed off waivers by the San Francisco 49ers. The New Orleans Saints released defensive tackle Al Woods (123rd overall). Wilson became the third member of that fourth-round class to receive his release. Seattle drafted him with the 127th choice.

The Seahawks released Wilson to re-sign veteran defensive tackle Amon Gordon. There were no indications the Seahawks planned to sign Wilson to their practice squad.

Also: The Seahawks released guard Allen Barbre to sign tackle Will Robinson off the Washington Redskins' practice squad, an indication guard Mike Gibson could return from the injured list to replace left guard Chester Pitts (sprained ankle). Backup tackle Tyler Polumbus might also work at guard for Seattle.

The chart shows NFC West fourth-round draft choices from 2010. The 49ers traded their fourth-rounder to the Denver Broncos as part of a deal to acquire the 11th overall choice, used for tackle Anthony Davis.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Seahawks Player Released on Cutdown Pos. Current Team Capacity Brian Russell DB Jaguars Active Roster Marquis Floyd DB Browns Active Roster Kevin Hobbs DB Lions Active Roster Devin Moore RB Seahawks Practice Squad Jamar Adams DB Seahawks Practice Squad Mike Hass WR Seahawks Practice Squad Logan Payne WR Seahawks Practice Squad Baraka Atkins DL -- -- Brian De La Puente OL -- -- Brandon Coutu K -- -- Dave Philistin LB -- -- Jeff Rowe QB -- -- David Kirtman RB -- -- Courtney Greene DB -- -- Nate Ness DB -- -- Na'Shan Goddard OL -- -- Andre Ramsey OL -- -- William Robinson OL -- -- Joe Newton TE -- -- Jordan Kent WR -- -- Courtney Taylor WR -- -- Cory Withrow OL -- -- D.D. Lewis LB -- --

The tough decisions teams face in reducing their rosters to 53 players sometimes aren't so tough.

They were arguably tougher for the Seahawks than for other teams in the division.

Three of the players Seattle released on its initial cutdown to 53 players have joined active rosters elsewhere in the league. Aaron Francisco, cut by the Cardinals, and Phil Trautwein, cut by the Rams, are the only other initial NFC West castoffs to join active rosters for other teams.

Seattle's Brian Russell (Jaguars), Marquis Floyd (Browns) and Kevin Hobbs (Lions) currently reside on active rosters. The Seahawks re-signed to their practice squad running back Devin Moore, safety Jamar Adams, receiver Mike Hass and receiver Logan Payne.

The apparent drama at receiver left Jordan Kent and Courtney Taylor on the outside. Kent reached an injury settlement following his release. Taylor remains available. Neither player has eligibility for the practice squad.

Defensive lineman Baraka Atkins and kicker Brandon Coutu appeared close to earning roster spots. The Seahawks once thought Coutu might have trade value. That wasn't the case in the end.

Ex-Seahawks eligible for practice squad Pos. Jamar Adams DB Brandon Coutu K Brian De La Puente OL Marquis Floyd DB Na'Shan Goddard OL Courtney Greene DB Mike Hass WR Devin Moore RB Nate Ness DB Joe Newton TE Logan Payne WR Dave Philistin LB Andre Ramsey OL William Robinson OL Jeff Rowe QB

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

NFL teams can begin forming eight-man practice squads once released players clear waivers this afternoon.

The Seahawks faced tougher decisions on the reduction to 53 players because some of their young prospects, notably receivers Courtney Taylor and Jordan Kent, had no remaining eligibility for the practice squad following an injury-plagued 2008 season.

Defensive end Baraka Atkins, cornerback Kevin Hobbs and fullback David Kirtman are also among the recently released Seattle players without eligibility for the practice squad. Receiver Mike Hass also caught some fans' attention.

The chart shows recently released Seattle players who remain eligible. Safety Jamar Adams, kicker Brandon Coutu, safety Courtney Greene, receiver Logan Payne and tight end Joe Newton could be among the candidates.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Biggest surprise: Starting free safety Brian Russell, signed in 2007 after the Seahawks grew tired of assignment errors in the secondary, seemed to fend off a challenge from versatile backup Jordan Babineaux. That made Russell's release a surprise even though coach Jim Mora had said Babineaux would compete for the job in camp. The team went with Ben Obomanu as its fifth and final receiver, releasing Courtney Taylor and Jordan Kent. Rookie defensive linemen Nick Reed and Michael Bennett joined preseason surprise Derek Walker among 11 defensive linemen, prevailing at Baraka Atkins' expense -- a big surprise. Rookie seventh-rounder Cameron Morrah beat out Joe Newton as the third tight end. Veteran kicker Olindo Mare beat out second-year pro and 2008 draft choice Brandon Coutu in a close battle. The team cleared another spot by placing starting corner Marcus Trufant on the physically unable to perform list, helping corner Travis Fisher earn a spot among the initial roster. Keeping 11 defensive linemen meant keeping only six linebacker, costing versatile veteran D.D. Lewis a job.

No-brainers: The Seahawks also released safety Jamar Adams, guard Brian De La Puente, cornerback Marquis Floyd, tackle Na'Shan Goddard, safety Courtney Greene, receiver Mike Hass, cornerback Kevin Hobbs, fullback David Kirtman, running back Devin Moore, cornerback Nate Ness, tight end Joe Newton, receiver Logan Payne, linebacker Dave Philistin, tackle Andre Ramsey, tackle William Robinson, quarterback Jeff Rowe.

What's next: The Seahawks reduced to 52 players with these moves, but the team was expected to add veteran safety Lawyer Milloy for depth and experience.

Seahawks eligible for practice squad Pos. Perceived Status Jamar Adams DB Bubble Marquis Floyd DB Likely cut Courtney Greene DB Likely cut Michael Bennett DL Bubble Nick Reed DL Bubble Derek Walker DL Likely cut Kevin Brown DL Likely cut Red Bryant DL Keeper Aaron Curry LB Keeper Dave Philistin LB Likely cut Shane Simmons LB Likely cut Max Unger OL Keeper Mansfield Wrotto OL Keeper Na'Shan Goddard OL Likely cut Andre Ramsey OL Likely cut William Robinson OL Likely cut Kyle Williams OL Bubble Jeff Rowe QB Likely cut Mike Teel QB Keeper Dan Curran RB Likely cut Devin Moore RB Likely cut Brandon Coutu ST Bubble Cameron Morrah TE Bubble Joe Newton TE Bubble John Tereshinski TE Likely cut Michael Bumpus WR Bubble Deon Butler WR Keeper Mike Hass WR Bubble Logan Payne WR Bubble

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

The race among Seahawks receivers for the last couple roster spots features high stakes.

Contenders Jordan Kent, Ben Obomanu and Courtney Taylor are no longer eligible for the practice squad. One or two of them could be finished in Seattle, at least for now, if they fail to earn spots on the initial -- not even close to final -- 53-man roster.

Kent and Taylor each were active for at least nine games last season -- Obomanu was active for 12 in 2007 -- as the Seahawks worked through catastrophic injuries at the position. That made each receiver ineligible for future practice squads.

Deon Butler, Mike Hass, Logan Payne and Michael Bumpus are the current Seattle receivers with eligibility remaining. Butler is expected to emerge from camp as the fourth receiver behind T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Deion Branch and Nate Burleson.

The chart shows all 29 current Seahawks players with eligibility, arranged by position.

NFL teams must reduce rosters from 80 to 75 players Sept. 1. They must reduce to 53 players Sept. 5. They can begin forming eight-man practice squads Sept. 6 at noon ET.

As the NFL puts it:

After 12 noon, New York time, clubs may establish a practice squad of eight players by signing free agents who do not have an accrued season of free-agency credit or who were on the 45-player active list for less than nine regular-season games during their only accrued season(s).
A player cannot participate on the practice squad for more than three seasons.

The situation at tight end remains quite competitive, with Joe Newton and Cameron Morrah likely competing for one roster spot behind John Carlson and John Owens.

The Seahawks face tough decisions on the defensive line, with Nick Reed and Michael Bennett fighting for spots on the 53-man roster. Baraka Atkins is not eligible for the practice squad after playing 12 games as a rookie in 2007 and nine more last season.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

The Seahawks have a few tough decisions to make before reducing their roster to 53 players in less than three weeks.

The final spot or two at receiver remain unsettled. I see at least 10 defensive linemen worth keeping, but perhaps no more than eight offensive linemen. The final spots at all three general positions on defense -- line, linebackers and secondary -- could spur debate.

• Earlier: Rams, Cardinals, 49ers
  

The Seahawks aren't even certain which kicker will earn a roster spot, opening possible trade scenarios for teams with needs at the position.

Seattle Seahawks Week 1 Roster Counts since 2003 QB RB WR TE OL DL LB DB ST Fewest 2 5 4 3 8 8 6 7 3 Most 3 6 7 4 9 10 8 8 4 Average 2.8 5.3 5.3 3.2 8.8 9.3 7.0 7.8 3.2 Currently on roster 4 8 10 5 14 13 9 13 4

The chart provides a framework for how many players the Seahawks might keep at each position heading into the regular-season opener against the Rams.

Here's a quick look at which Seahawks players I might keep on the cutdown to 53 players:

(Read full post)

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

RENTON, Wash. -- Ten things I saw during the Seahawks' first minicamp practice since the draft:

• Third-round choice Deon Butler diving to catch a 50-yard touchdown pass after outrunning cornerback Kevin Hobbs. Butler definitely has speed. Bonus note on receivers: Nate Burleson, who underwent reconstructive knee surgery last season, is practicing.
  
• Tight end John Carlson controlling defensive end Lawrence Jackson off the line, then turning Jackson and driving him to the ground.
• Former Seahawks owner John Nordstrom chatting with current CEO Tod Leiweke while watching practice as a guest of the team.
• Receiver Deion Branch and newly signed fullback Justin Griffith hopping up a hill while rehabbing injuries. Branch recently underwent a cleanup operation on his knee.
• Newly signed cornerback Ken Lucas picking off a pass in his first practice with the Seahawks since the 2004 season. Lucas appears very trim, as usual, but he said he wasn't in practice shape just yet. OK, a confession: I did not see the Lucas pick. But coach Jim Mora credited him with one, and it's possible I was watching another portion of practice when it happened. I did see Marquis Floyd pick off a pass.
• Undrafted free agent Michael Bennett lifting and tossing tackle William Robinson, easily the most impressive feat of the always entertaining pass-rush drills.
• Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck threading a ball over the middle in rhythm to receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh. Expect to see that combination a few more times.
• Seventh-round draft choice Nick Reed, at 247 pounds, hustling around the field, but still looking too small to play defensive end in the NFL.
• Linebacker Leroy Hill harboring no apparent animosity after the Seahawks withdrew the franchise-player designation from him.
• Brian Russell running with the first team at safety, same as last season. Some Seattle fans have asked whether Jamar Adams might be a candidate to take Russell's job.

That was 10 things. One more: According to Hasselbeck, Butler also held up well when offensive coordinator Greg Knapp called on the rookie repeatedly during meetings. Also according to Hasselbeck, former Seahawks teammate Bobby Engram and Engram's wife put in a good word for Butler. Engram and Butler both played at Penn State, although years apart.

Finally: First-round choice Aaron Curry worked with the starters, but I didn't see anything out of the ordinary. He definitely looks the part, but it's early.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

A quick look at 53-man rosters from Feb. 1, date of Super Bowl XLIII, provides a reference point for seeing how NFC West teams have changed so far this offseason.

I'll conclude with Seattle.

Gone from the Seahawks' 53-man roster and injured reserve list in the 58 days since the Super Bowl (12):

Offense

Charlie Frye, QB

Koren Robinson, WR

Maurice Morris, RB

Leonard Weaver, FB

Steve McKinney, C

Floyd Womack, OL

Bobby Engram, WR

Will Heller, TE

Defense

Howard Green, DT

Julian Peterson, LB

Rocky Bernard, DT

Special teams

Jeff Robinson, LS

(Read full post)

Seahawks OL Pos. Age Status Chris Gray G 38 UFA Walter Jones LT 35 Signed Steve McKinney C 33 UFA Mike Wahle LG 31 Signed Floyd Womack G 30 UFA Sean Locklear RT 27 Signed Chris Spencer C 26 Signed Ray Willis RT 26 Signed Na'Shan Goddard T 25 Signed Rob Sims RG 25 Signed Steve Vallos C 25 Signed Kyle Williams T 24 Signed Mansfield Wrotto G 24 Signed William Robinson T 24 Signed

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

The Seahawks' ability to bring back Ray Willis on a two-year deal significantly upgrades their depth at two and possibly three positions on the offensive line.

Willis appeared likely to find a starting job elsewhere when free agency opened. The Redskins liked him. They considered adding him as their starting right tackle. The money apparently didn't line up with Willis' expectations, which was a break for Seattle.

Willis has starting experience at right guard and right tackle. His presence buys security for the Seahawks on multiple fronts.

If left tackle Walter Jones experiences additional knee trouble, Sea
ttle could move right tackle Sean Locklear to the left side, with Willis stepping in at right tackle. If Rob Sims or the currently unsigned Floyd Womack isn't the answer at right guard, Willis can help at that position as well.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

As a followup to the item about injury situations that matter, here's a quick look at the players on injured reserve for each team in the NFC West:

• Seahawks (11): center Chris Spencer, defensive end Patrick Kerney, receiver Logan Payne, guard Rob Sims, receiver Nate Burleson, receiver Ben Obomanu, long snapper Tyler Schmitt, tackle William Robinson, linebacker Wesly Mallard, cornerback DeMichael Dizer, guard Chris Gray.
• Rams (10): center Nick Leckey, receiver Dante Hall, receiver Drew Bennett, fullback Brian Leonard, cornerback Ricky Manning, tight end Randy McMichael, cornerback Justin King, guard Mark Setterstrom, tackle Brandon Gorin, tackle Rob Petitti.
• 49ers (6): tackle Jonas Jennings, cornerback Shawntae Spencer, fullback Zak Keasey, quarterback Alex Smith, linebacker Jay Moore, tackle Damane Duckett.
• Cardinals (2): linebacker Ali Highsmith, guard Scott Peters.

Note that some players leave IR through injury settlements or waivers (the Cardinals' handling of center Al Johnson comes to mind). The players listed above remain on injured reserve.

I also went through and counted how many players for each team have started all 12 games for their teams this season. The counts:

• 49ers: 11
• Cardinals: 10
• Seahawks: 6
• Rams: 6

Kurt Warner is the only quarterback in the division to start every game for his team this season. The Cardinals have remained remarkably healthy in terms of not losing key players for extended periods. They have their share of players battling through injuries -- Mike Gandy on a bad ankle, Adrian Wilson with a bum shoulder -- but key players remain available.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Receiver Billy McMullen has joined nine other Seattle players on injured reserve as the Seahawks matched Baltimore for the most players on IR heading into Week 7.

Seattle's list features four receivers: McMullen, Logan Payne, Nate Burleson and Ben Obomanu. All but Obomanu started a regular-season game for the Seahawks this season. Obomanu surely would have started had he not been injured during the exhibition season.

Also on IR for Seattle: guard Rob Sims, guard Chris Gray, long snapper Tyler Schmitt, tackle William Robinson, cornerback DeMichael Dizer and linebacker Wesly Mallard.

A quick look at IR lists for the other NFC West teams:

• St. Louis (7): tight end Randy McMichael, fullback Brian Leonard, guard Mark Setterstrom, offensive lineman Brandon Gorin, tackle Rob Petitti, cornerback Justin King and cornerback Ricky Manning.
• San Francisco (5): fullback Zak Keasey, cornerback Shawntae Spencer, quarterback Alex Smith, linebacker Jay Moore and tackle Damane Duckett.
• Arizona (2): center Al Johnson and offensive lineman Scott Peters.

The Rams' IR list includes several players expected to contribute this season. McMichael was a big part of the offense. King was likely going to be the third corner. Manning was playing extensively after injuries sidelined King and Tye Hill. Setterstrom and Gorin comprised much of the team's depth on the offensive line.

Team NFC West player on injured reserve Pos. Starter ARI Al Johnson OL Yes ARI Scott Peters OL No SEA Rob Sims OL Yes SEA Nate Burleson WR Yes SEA Chris Gray OL No SEA Ben Obomanu WR No SEA Tyler Schmitt LS No SEA William Robinson OL No SEA Wesly Mallard LB No SEA DeMichael Dizer CB No SF Alex Smith QB No SF Jay Moore LB No SF Damane Duckett OL No STL Justin King DB No STL Mark Setterstrom OL No STL Brandon Gorin OL No STL Rob Petitti OL No

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

NFC West teams are carrying 17 players on injured reserve lists. That ranks tied for second with the AFC South by my count, trailing only the AFC North (23).

Seattle has eight players on IR, most in the league. This includes two players I had listed as starters, tied with Jacksonville for most in the league. The Jaguars lost both starting guards.

These figures count only players currently on IR lists. Teams have placed other players on IR, only to waive them once the players became healthy. Some teams have reached injury settlements with players, sparing those players from IR.

Arizona and San Francisco have remained quite healthy so far. The Rams lost key depth at cornerback and along the offensive line. The Seahawks have lost key depth at receiver and on the offensive line.

NFC West teams have no players on their physically unable to perform (PUP) lists. I'm counting 16 players on PUP across the league, including six in the AFC South.

Players on IR get paid. In most cases, they cannot return until the following season.