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The San Francisco 49ers are six times as popular as the St. Louis Rams, 4.8 times as popular as the Arizona Cardinals and 2.6 times as popular as the Seattle Seahawks.

That was one conclusion drawn from the latest ESPN Sports Poll gauging fans' favorite NFL teams.

Pollsters conduct 1,500 monthly telephone interviews with a nationally representative sample of Americans age 12 and older. Edwin Roman, ESPN's director of Consumer Insights, passed along the data ranking teams by which percentage of respondents favored them.

The Dallas Cowboys were first at 8.8 percent in first-quarter polling for 2012. The Green Bay Packers (7.2) were second, followed by the New York Giants (7.1), Pittsburgh Steelers (7.1) and New England Patriots (6.8). There was a big drop to the sixth-ranked Chicago Bears (4.2). New Orleans was next at 4.1, followed by the 49ers at 4.0.

The second chart sums the percentages for teams by divisional affiliation (10.3 percent identified no favorite team).

The NFC West ranked eighth, ahead of only the AFC South. Only the Jacksonville Jaguars (0.4 percent) trailed the Rams in popularity.

This would seem to confirm suspicions that the NFC West is not America's Division, and America's Team is indeed the Cowboys, not the 49ers, Seahawks, Cardinals or Rams.

The polling does match up with my perceptions for fan interactivity on the NFC West blog. We hear from more 49ers and Seahawks fans than Cardinals or Rams fans in the comments sections, chats, mailbag, etc. The polling also correlates with how long each NFC West team has resided in its current market.

That is also reflected in the AFC South's standing as the least popular division. Indianapolis and Tennessee are relocated franchises. Jacksonville and Houston are relatively recent expansion franchises.

I suspect this polling data might not be popular among Cardinals and Rams fans, but if the info is accurate, the backlash will be minimal.

Note: ESPN Sports Polls contacts Americans year-round via land line and cell phones in English and Spanish, reaching 390,000 Americans since 1994.

» AFC Scenarios: East | West | North | South » NFC: East | West | North | South

Yes, the start of training camps is two months away, but it’s never too early to consider the coming season. A look at the best-case and worst-case scenarios for the Cardinals in 2012:

Dream scenario (11-5): A full offseason of healing and playbook study lets Kevin Kolb prove the Cardinals knew what they were doing when they acquired him from Philadelphia last offseason. There's plenty of credit to go around. The team's decision to reassign assistant coach John McNulty from receivers to quarterbacks becomes a popular storyline. There's no doubt Kolb's mechanics have improved, but talent and good health are what win football games.

Michael Floyd's addition through the draft makes the Cardinals' passing game nearly impossible to defend, particularly with second-year back Ryan Williams emerging as the game-breaking runner Arizona was convinced it had drafted. Adding young linemen for Russ Grimm to develop also pays off, particularly as the season progresses. Bobby Massie looks like a keeper at right tackle. On the other side, Levi Brown picks up where he left off last season, proving Arizona was right in re-signing him to a five-year contract.

The transformation on defense surprises even the Cardinals. Yes, Arizona made strides on that side of the ball while winning seven of its final nine games in 2011. But there was no way anyone could have expected Sam Acho to challenge Simeon Rice's season franchise record for sacks since 1982 (Rice had 16.5 in 1999). With a healthy Dan Williams at nose tackle and Acho pumping up an already underrated pass rush, cornerback Patrick Peterson takes the next logical step in his development: picking off passes and returning them for touchdowns.

Winning at San Francisco in Week 17 delivers an 11-5 record and the NFC West title to Arizona, the team's third division crown in five years.

Nightmare scenario (5-11): No one can blame Gregg Williams or Jonathan Vilma for the concussion Kolb suffers in the Hall of Fame Game against New Orleans to open the exhibition season. Some in the Cardinals' organization welcome the switch to John Skelton, but with Ryan Williams and Beanie Wells predictably battling knee problems, the offense becomes one-dimensional. That's tough for a team with Brown and a rookie starting at tackle. Kolb's return after a few weeks means as much as it did last season -- nothing.

By October, it's clear the Cardinals didn't do enough at tackle or outside linebacker to take the next step. Those offseason stories about a full offseason helping Kolb seemed justified at the time, but we should have known better. McNulty's coaching helps, but players revert to form under pressure and Kolb is no exception. He wasn't going to develop instincts all of a sudden, was he? Aldon Smith's three-sack game against Arizona on Monday night in Week 8 doesn't seem so bad when Clay Matthews collects four of them the following week.

For the second time in three seasons, the Cards finish 5-11 after getting blown out at San Francisco in Week 17. The quarterback questions persisting upon Kurt Warner's retirement continue to linger. Watching Peyton Manning in the playoffs doesn't help.

The San Francisco 49ers' NFC West rivals might as well start working on their divisional concession speeches.

That is because the 49ers, after one good season, suddenly tower over the Seattle Seahawks, Arizona Cardinals and St. Louis Rams by just about every meaningful on-field franchise marker.

That was my somewhat skeptical takeaway from the "NFL Future Power Rankings" projecting where teams are headed by 2015, using a weighted formula reflecting rosters, quarterbacks, drafts, front offices and coaching.

The 49ers, easily underrated while charging to a 13-3 record last season, appear overrated in relation to their division rivals by this ranking, in my view. Can we really say their front office blows away those for the other NFC West teams by an 8.5 to 5 margin across the board? A five-game cushion in the 2011 division standings says we can, but that will be a tough edge to maintain. Then again, last season did happen. It has to count for something, and the front office usually had the right answers.

"This category weighs each team's front office in terms of its ability to manage its roster and bring in new talent via free agency or trades," the methodology reads. "It also factors in a team's willingness to spend money, and a market's attraction to free agents. A 10 represents a team that has the ability to spend freely and obtain top-choice talent on a regular basis. A one represents a team that has little ability to spend, has no track record of bringing in quality free-agent talent or, worse, has spent big on free agents that have made little-to-no impact."

The 49ers hit big on Aldon Smith in the 2011 draft while finding outstanding free-agent value in Pro Bowl cornerback Carlos Rogers. They succeeded in keeping together their defense. CEO Jed York appears to have made the right move for a general manager even though fans were hardly chanting for Trent Baalke to assume the role. York and Baalke landed Jim Harbaugh as head coach.

On the flip side, the 49ers' front office has done less heavy lifting than the front offices for Seattle and St. Louis in particular. San Francisco stayed the course to a greater degree than those other teams, relying upon a new coaching staff to get more from Alex Smith and others. But the Rams remain in the early stages of a rebuild, while the Seahawks will need better on-field results to validate the high-impact moves they've made since Pete Carroll arrived in 2010. Seattle's unsettled fate at quarterback stands as another key variable.

Overall, the 49ers finished ahead of their division rivals in all five core categories except for one. They were second to St. Louis in projected quarterback strength. Having Sam Bradford gave the Rams 6.25 points out of 10 in that category, ahead of scores for Seattle (4.5) and Arizona (3.75).

I'll be curious to hear your thoughts on how these teams are set up for the future. I suspect a 2008 projection would have expected more from the Cardinals in 2011.

As the piece freely admits, these projections cannot anticipate everything.

"But they do provide some interesting conclusions about what's truly important to succeeding on a perennial basis in the NFL, specifically the value of a franchise QB," the piece notes. "And while some teams may experience a down year, the squads at the top of this list are well suited for sustained success over the long term."

Note: Gary Horton, Matt Williamson, Trent Dilfer and Mel Kiper Jr. worked with Bill Polian in putting together these projections.

OK, I'll admit to being hooked on the blow-by-blow Twitter coverage from NFC West organized team activities.

Beanie Wells' injury absence from the Arizona Cardinals' practice field came as no shock, but an absence of details did invite ominous thoughts.

Had the Cardinals' 1,000-yard rusher undergone a serious procedure calling into question his long-term availability? His agent, Sean Howard, offered comfort for Cardinals fans when reached Tuesday. Howard described the surgery as "a clean-out procedure" and said Wells did not undergo microfracture surgery or any other procedure requiring an extended recovery period.

The goal is for Wells to be ready for a full 16-game season and more, if necessary. As a result, Wells likely will not practice during OTAs.

"He's in shape and looks good," Howard said. "The doctors and the Cardinals have decided to play it safe. Rather than rush him back, the consensus opinion was to let him heal."

Before offering his list of five wideouts with the best hands, ESPN's Tim Hasselbeck explains why he thinks San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh offered such high praise for Michael Crabtree.

"If you look at the context, Randy Moss joins the team, you spend a fairly high draft pick on a wide receiver," Hasselbeck said. "It's part of massaging the guys on your roster to make them feel appreciated."

Cue the video for Hasselbeck's top five.

Yes, Larry Fitzgerald is on the list.

There's little sense in taking the bait when San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh tells a radio program Michael Crabtree "has the best hands I've ever seen on a wide receiver."

Anyone with a strong grasp of NFL history would place Cris Carter, Raymond Berry and Steve Largent on a short list for receivers with the surest hands.

Hall of Famer Ken Houston, speaking for a 2008 piece on all-time great wideouts, stood up for AFL stars Otis Taylor and Lionel Taylor.

"Lionel Taylor, I mean, he would catch a BB," Houston said.

Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson, speaking for the same piece, said Randy Moss, then with New England, had the best hands in the NFL at that time (2008).

"A lot of guys can catch," Thompson said then. "He can catch on any platform, as we say in scouting. He can adjust and catch it over the top of somebody's head, catch it falling down, and it doesn't matter if he is covered."

With Moss now on the 49ers, it is possible Crabtree does not posses the best hands among wide receivers on his own team.

Oops. I wasn't going to take the bait on this one, but now it's too late. Time to regroup.

Bottom line, I suspect Crabtree has impressed Harbaugh this offseason, and Harbaugh would like that to continue for as long as possible. By offering such strong public praise for Crabtree, Harbaugh is setting a standard for Crabtree to meet this season. He realizes Crabtree has the ability to meet that standard, or else he wouldn't make the statement.

We should all recall Harbaugh's calling quarterback Alex Smith "elite" and promoting him for the Pro Bowl last season. Then as now, Harbaugh was standing up for his guy. Smith enjoyed the finest season of his career and even outplayed the truly elite Drew Brees at times during the 49ers' playoff victory over New Orleans. The way Harbaugh backed Smith played a role in that performance, in my view.

Back to Crabtree. He has the ability to rank among the most sure-handed receivers in the game. He has not yet earned that status, but now he has little choice, right?

As the chart shows, Crabtree finished the 2011 season with 12.2 receptions per drop, which ranked 28th in the NFL among players targeted at least 100 times. Larry Fitzgerald led the NFL with 80 receptions and only one drop. Those numbers are according to ESPN Stats & Information, which defines drops as "incomplete passes where the receiver should have caught the pass with ordinary effort."

Crabtree suffered six drops last season by that standard, a few too many for the player with the best hands his head coach has ever seen on a wide receiver.

SeattleAztec from San Diego asks whether Matt Flynn might be the "most developed" quarterback in the NFC West after learning from Mike McCarthy in Green Bay.

"Alex Smith and Sam Bradford seem to be the least developed with having multiple offensive coordinators and no great vets to learn behind," he writes. "Kevin Kolb had a good upbringing in Philadelphia and Arizona has shown an ability to handle QBs, but Flynn had the benefit of learning in the Green Bay system. Learning behind Aaron Rodgers and Mike McCarthy will give him an advantage, assuming he wins the starting job. Thoughts?"

Mike Sando: Flynn's background with McCarthy and the Packers appealed to the Seahawks. McCarthy, with nothing more than a compensatory draft choice to gain from advocating for Flynn in free agency, gave glowing reviews in conversations with the Seahawks. Those conversations appear more credible based on Seahawks general manager John Schneider's long association and friendship with McCarthy.

"We really respect the job that they’ve done with their offense and their quarterbacking and Matt is a beneficiary of that, so therefore we are also," Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said after signing Flynn in March. "His process to learn as Aaron Rodgers has learned has really been helpful to him. There are a lot of similarities in their style of movement and decision-making, play and conscience that I think helps us."

That doesn't necessarily mean Flynn will be the "most developed" quarterback in the division. A few thoughts on what the other NFC West quarterbacks have going for them:

• Smith (49ers): Jim Harbaugh should know the position better than any head coach in the division. Smith has more experience than any quarterback in the division. Harbaugh and Smith meshed well last season. Offensive coordinator Greg Roman and quarterbacks coach Geep Chryst round out what looks like a solid support group. Smith has finally had time this offseason to work on his mechanics. He's getting a second season in the offense. Spending one season with McCarthy and a second with Norv Turner probably counts for something, too, despite the passage of time.
• Kolb (Cardinals): Kolb did not practice with the Cardinals until 38 days before the 2011 opener. That made it tough for Kolb to learn a new system and settle into the role. Injuries derailed Kolb once he finally did get experience in the system. The Cardinals fired quarterbacks coach Chris Miller and promoted receivers coach John McNulty to the position. Arizona valued McNulty enough to block Tampa Bay from pursuing him as its offensive coordinator. The team's new receivers coach, Frank Reich, was an NFL quarterback for 14 seasons. What does it all mean? It's a little early to tell.
• Bradford (Rams): New coordinator Brian Schottenheimer was with Mark Sanchez previously. One line of thinking says Schottenheimer led Sanchez as far as Sanchez could go, then took the fall when Sanchez failed to carry more of the offensive load. Another line of thinking says Schottenheimer couldn't get Sanchez past a certain point. Bradford is on his third coordinator in as many seasons. The Rams went through 2011 without a quarterbacks coach. The new quarterbacks coach, Frank Cignetti, coached the 49ers' Smith under coordinator Jim Hostler in 2007. That was one of the worst offensive seasons in 49ers history. Hostler took the blame. It's tough to fault Cignetti in that context, but also tough to offer a strong endorsement without seeing results.

Circling back to the original question, we could make a case that Flynn should be the most developed quarterback in the division.

Other factors go into success, of course. Bradford and Smith were No. 1 overall choices, indicating that teams thought they were more talented than Flynn, a seventh-rounder who drew moderate interest in free agency this offseason. And if the Seahawks were convinced Flynn were the answer, they would have had less reason to use a third-round choice for a quarterback after signing Flynn.

I do think Flynn's background with the Packers was crucial for the Seahawks. Schneider's first-hand knowledge of Green Bay's quarterback training techniques was a factor.

RENTON, Wash. -- Aldon Smith, Patrick Peterson and Doug Baldwin lit up the NFL, relatively speaking, as NFC West rookies last season.

Smith's 14 sacks led the 49ers. Peterson's four touchdowns on punt returns tied an NFL record. Baldwin led the Seattle Seahawks in receiving as an undrafted free agent.

Great work, guys, but what's next?

"One of the biggest things I keep hearing from people is not to have a sophomore slump," Baldwin said Thursday following a 45-minute voluntary Seahawks practice.

With that in mind, Baldwin has recommitted to perfection in every practice: no drops, no blown assignments.

"Right now, I'm working on my third perfect day," he said. "I think I have so much to prove, and so much more that I'm capable of."

A quick look at how Baldwin, Smith and Peterson can build on their early momentum:

• Baldwin: One emphasis for 2012 will be for Baldwin to process information more quickly based on a firmer grasp of his responsibilities within a certain play and against specific defensive looks. Baldwin: "For me, it's knowing my assignment earlier and making sure I can read the defense quicker, and not being distracted by the disguises that defenses try to throw at us. Just becoming more a student of the game, making sure that when we have a certain player we're going against, making sure I study him more than I did last year." That will be especially important, because opponents now have much more information on Baldwin, a relative unknown as a rookie.
• Smith: Collecting 14 sacks as a situational player was impressive. Smith figures to have additional opportunities to rush the passer as he becomes more of an every-down player. He'll also have to show an ability to defend against the run on early downs. Smith will have to become more familiar with opponents' tendencies from less predictable down-and-distance situations, and from more varied personnel groupings. An uncanny ability to stay on his feet even after getting knocked off-balance should serve Smith well in the transition. Analyzing his second season will require more than simply consulting the sack numbers.
• Peterson: The impact Peterson made on special teams overshadowed his growth as a cornerback. Teams will presumably be more careful about punting to Peterson. Longer term, Peterson figures to make his greatest impact in the secondary. Forcing additional turnovers and remaining aggressive without incurring as many penalties seem like reasonable goals for Peterson heading into his second season. The talent is obviously there. Peterson is supremely confident. While Smith's role is changing and Baldwin will no longer benefit from being unknown, Peterson appears on course to continue on the trajectory he set last season.

The fact that these three rookies shined following a lockout-shortened offseason suggests they're in position to continue producing.

The San Francisco 49ers' Jim Harbaugh, known to walk past the first-class cabin to his seat in coach, should be relieved to have missed Forbes' list of 10 highest-paid coaches.

Harbaugh's three NFC West contemporaries made the list, with the St. Louis Rams' Jeff Fisher and the Seattle Seahawks' Pete Carroll earning a reported $7 million annually.

Coaches presumably do not make available their contracts or tax returns, so these listings qualify as unofficial. They are generally consistent with media reports, at least.

The Arizona Cardinals' Ken Whisenhunt checks in at tied for eighth ($5.8 million).

Note that the listings include sports beyond football, but not including hockey. Five of the 10 highest-paid coaches have won championships: Bill Belichick, Mike Shanahan, Doc Rivers, Gregg Popovich and Mike Tomlin.

Harbaugh, who promoted a blue-collar culture complete with work shirts last season, reportedly earns $5 million per season. That would rank Harbaugh among the higher-paid coaches in the NFL, but with 14 regular-season and postseason victories last season, the price tag has been a bargain to this point.

Carroll and Fisher would have to produce 19.6 victories in a season to match the $357,142-per-victory average for Harbaugh. Whisenhunt would have to produce 16.2 victories.

» NFC pressure points: West | North | South | East
» AFC pressure points: West | North | South | East

Examining who faces the most challenging season for the Arizona Cardinals and why.

The 2012 season should be less challenging for Kevin Kolb than the one that came before it, but Kolb still qualifies for consideration on a varied list of NFC West players with tough roads ahead. Quarterback is a difficult enough position without the added burden of unrealistic expectations. The $12.4 million annual average Arizona paid to Kolb demanded immediate production, and at a high level. Kolb struggled, raising the stakes for 2012.

Kolb should benefit from the added preparation time this offseason affords players in general. Last year, Kolb remained property of the Philadelphia Eagles until late July. Rules prevented him from practicing with his new teammates until Aug. 4. This year, Kolb gets a full offseason to master the offense. The Cardinals also expect Kolb's fundamentals to improve now that the detail-oriented John McNulty has shifted over from receivers coach to handle quarterbacks.

Kolb faces at least three tough challenges.

First, he must hold off John Skelton for the starting job. Skelton faces no pressure as a 2010 fifth-round draft choice earning $490,000 in base salary. Skelton scored points with fans and the team for his role in a few fourth-quarter comeback victories last season. Skelton has also proved durable, which leads into the second challenge for Kolb: staying healthy. Concussions have knocked Kolb from the lineup in Philadelphia (2010) and Arizona (2011).

Finally, Kolb enters what is clearly a make-or-break year for him with no assurances that the Cardinals can protect him adequately. Arizona has questionable pass-protection credentials at both tackle spots. Kolb did not demonstrate much feel for the pocket last season. The Cardinals did add weaponry for Kolb by using a first-round pick for Michael Floyd. Floyd, unlike Kolb, will be given a couple of years to develop.

TheFault17 makes a welcome point after reading about Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson making a positive impression during rookie minicamps over the weekend.

"A third-round QB looks good against other rookies and undrafted players? Who would have thunk it?" he writes. "Not hating on Wilson at all, but there's way too much stock put in rookie minicamps. Is it September yet?"

It's definitely not September, but it's never too early for keeping things in their proper perspective.

A year ago, the NFL lockout led teams to cancel offseason camps entirely.

That did not stop Patrick Peterson from scoring four touchdowns on punt returns for the Arizona Cardinals. It did not stop Aldon Smith from leading the San Francisco 49ers in sacks with 14. It did not prevent mid-round picks K.J. Wright and Richard Sherman from becoming solid starters for the Seattle Seahawks.

Bruce Miller, a seventh-round pick from Central Florida, became the 49ers' starting fullback despite playing defensive end in college. Then there was undrafted free agent Doug Baldwin, who led the Seahawks in receiving.

Perhaps these rookies would have enjoyed even greater success with some additional on-field prep time in the spring. This year, I'll be interested in revisiting some of the rookie camp storylines to see which ones, if any, proved helpful.

A few considerations on the Arizona Cardinals' defense after the team reached agreement with franchise player Calais Campbell on a five-year contract:

Line solidified: The Cardinals' starting defensive line is under contract for the next three seasons. Hard as it is to fathom given his youthful exuberance, Darnell Dockett turns 31 later this month. He has missed only one game in eight seasons. Third-year nose tackle Dan Williams becomes the key variable on the line. How well he plays in returning from a broken arm will be critical to the defense.



Key variables at linebacker: The team is mostly going young at this position except for Paris Lenon, who remains the best option at inside linebacker at age 34. Will a full offseason enable Stewart Bradley to overtake Lenon? The odds seem against it based on what we saw from both players last season. Bradley took a pay cut but remains a factor. Re-signing Clark Haggans could provide insurance at outside linebacker, where Sam Acho and O'Brien Schofield remain unproven despite showing promise to this point.

Finding another corner: I've listed A.J. Jefferson as the projected starter opposite Patrick Peterson, but that is hardly a given. The team has several candidates, but no clear favorite for the job. Teams use more than two corners in combination frequently, so perhaps it's less important which ones wind up starting in the base defense. William Gay, Greg Toler, Jefferson and Jamell Fleming are options, with 5-foot-8 Michael Adams projecting in more of a rotational role because of his size. Fleming, a third-round pick, will get a chance to play multiple positions in the secondary, according to coordinator Ray Horton.

The Arizona Cardinals won seven of their final nine games last season.

They scored a significant victory Thursday by reaching agreement on a five-year deal with defensive end Calais Campbell.

Re-signing Campbell became the team's top offseason priority after Arizona's unsuccessful run at free-agent quarterback Peyton Manning.

Campbell's status as the Cardinals' franchise player removed urgency from the negotiations. Getting a deal done anyway shows both parties made a good-faith effort. That's refreshing, given how frequently the franchise tag drives a wedge between player and organization. The parties could have waited out one another, in which case Campbell might have slipped away in the future.

Campbell, 25, is a rarity in the NFL for his ability to rush the passer (14 sacks over the past two seasons) as a 3-4 defensive end. His 6-foot-8 frame lets him clog passing lanes. It also makes him a threat to block field-goal attempts.

Arizona now has both its defensive ends under long-term deals. Darnell Dockett re-signed in 2010 and remains under contract through 2015. Campbell, Dockett and 2010 first-round nose tackle Dan Williams combine to give Arizona great potential up front. Williams is the key variable now.

The Cardinals have scheduled a news conference Friday to announce Campbell's deal.

Brandon from St. Paul, Minn., wants to know how contracts work for undrafted free agents.

"I could be mistaken," he writes, "but I can't imagine many receive multi-year deals. What happens when someone like Doug Baldwin proves to be a huge asset?"

Mike Sando: Baldwin became the first undrafted rookie free agent since Bill Groman in 1960 to lead his ream in receptions and receiving yardage.

That was great for Baldwin, but arguably even better for the Seattle Seahawks.

The collective bargaining agreement requires undrafted rookies to sign three-year deals. Baldwin received a $17,500 signing bonus on a deal averaging about $470,000 per year. That's great money in the real world, but not for an NFL player leading his team in key statistical categories.

Baldwin is pretty much stuck. The Seahawks hold his rights for the next two seasons. At that point, they can tender him as a restricted free agent, discouraging other teams from making offers. The team could seek an extension at any time, but I see little reason for the Seahawks to do that at this point.

Brandon's question is a good one as teams hold camps for drafted and undrafted free agents. All four NFC West teams have rookie camps beginning Friday. The undrafted free agents will sign three-year deals. Quite a few others will participate in camps on a tryout basis, with three-year deals potentially awaiting them.

Securing mandatory three-year deals for undrafted free agents stood as a small victory for NFL owners in labor negotiations. Teams can terminate those contracts at any time without paying future salaries, but players have no realistic recourse if they perform well enough to stick around. Holding out wouldn't make any sense.

Baldwin wasn't the only undrafted rookie to make an impact in the NFC West last season. The 49ers were happy with defensive linemen Demarcus Dobbs and Ian Williams. They'll have left guard Mike Iupati's younger brother, Andrew, in camp on a tryout basis this weekend, Matt Barrows reports.

Seattle's Brandon Browner was undrafted and new to the NFL last season, but he had played professionally in Canada.

Deuce Lutui, a newcomer to the Seattle Seahawks after six seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, brings more to the table than fork and spoon.

The longest-tenured guard in the NFC West is an Eagle Scout and a former finalist for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award.

He owns 72 regular-season starts and four more in the playoffs, including one in a Super Bowl. His college teammates once voted him most inspirational player.

Prodigious girth has nonetheless defined Lutui's career, to the point that visions of him adopting a vegan diet seemed farcical. They were accurate more in spirit than in fact.

Incorporating vegan principles into his diet has indeed helped Lutui reach his playing weight (340 pounds) months earlier than usual. But he has not stopped eating animal products entirely. Lutui, in consultation with a nutritionist, still eats fish and chicken to maximize his protein intake. Protein shakes after workouts are also allowed.

Red meats and dairy products are on the do-not-eat list.

"A lot of people wouldn’t call it vegan, but as the vegan concept goes, it is something I eat pretty much vegan throughout the week," Lutui said over the phone Tuesday."I've been at this for four months, and so I've lost tremendous weight."

Breakfasts are heavy on fruit. Giant salads loaded up with beans, tomatoes and avocado often carry meals later in the day. Brown rice is another staple.

Lutui was born in Tonga, where size matters ("Sometimes, I just think my background being Tongan, I’m a thick person," he said). Lutui said he weighed 396 pounds upon reporting to USC, where his line coach, Tim Davis, encouraged personal growth with a saying Lutui ate up: "Mass moves ass." Lutui sometimes played at 370 pounds in college, dropping into the 330s for the scouting combine.

Now, at age 29, NFL teams are convinced Lutui must cut weight to remain productive.

"It has always been a part of me to play big," Lutui said. "I had to humble myself to see what coaches are seeing out there."

Lutui started four-plus seasons for Arizona before becoming a free agent one year ago. He declined to discuss the circumstances surrounding his near-signing with Cincinnati last offseason.

"There has been some stuff, I'd really rather not say," he said.

The Bengals reportedly backed out of the deal over weight concerns. Lutui returned to the Cardinals on a one-year deal as teams and players scrambled following the lockout. Arizona had also grown weary of the constant weight battles. The team signed former San Francisco 49ers guard Adam Snyder this offseason.

"My strength on the field speaks for itself, but being born 13 pounds, coming from an ancestry of big men, it is definitely -- I have changed my whole life," Lutui said. "I come from the land of kings that eat like kings. The first king of Tonga was a 7-footer."

King George Tupou I attended no scouting combines in his day, making it tough to verify his measurables. But cultural and physiological factors are certainly at play with Lutui. He carries 340 pounds the way another lineman might carry 300 or 315.

"My best game weight is 340 and that is still big for a lineman, but for a Tongan, it’s pretty small," Lutui said. "You check out my other brothers on the field, Haloti Ngata and these guys. They are playing at 350-plus and they’re pretty good."

Lutui expects to compete at right guard, the position he played for Arizona. That is where the Seahawks' John Moffitt started before suffering a knee injury last season. Seattle would seem to have a more clearly defined opening at left guard after releasing 2011 starter Robert Gallery. But it's early. Lutui still must re-establish himself after the first zero-start season of his career.

Wherever he winds up on the line, Lutui figures to be in a better place. Getting back together with Pete Carroll, his old college coach, has made for a comfortable transition.

"He is the only coach in the NFL who really knows who Deuce Lutui is," Lutui said. "I came at him at 396 (in college), but he has really honored me for my strengths and I’m going to honor him by playing at a weight that is under the radar.

"I am stepping into my prime. I haven't even yet scratched he surface of that. I am so optimistic about this year as far as my training has been. I can’t wait to prove to this organization who I am and who they are getting."