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Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider just finished an interview with SiriusXM radio in which he addressed Bruce Irvin's recent suspension for using performance-enhancing drugs.

A few highlights:

• Above and beyond: Schneider said the Seahawks through their player-development programs go "above and beyond what the league has done" to educate players on the PED issue. He called Irvin's situation "very disappointing" in that context.
• Addressed with team: Schneider and coach Pete Carroll sat down with Irvin to discuss the situation. Carroll addressed the situation with the team. Irvin also addressed the team. The Seahawks have an organized team activity (OTA) session open to reporters Monday. That begins at 11:45 a.m. PT and concludes at 1:30 p.m. PT.
• Body blows: Schneider said good organizations must overcome "body blows" such as the Irvin suspension. He called Irvin's suspension "a learning situation" and said it's one that "obviously needs to be addressed" while other players step up to fill the void. Seattle has suffered an NFL-high five PED-related suspensions under Carroll. Cornerback Richard Sherman avoided adding to that total by winning an appeal.
• Contingencies: Schneider mentioned backup linebackers Malcolm Smith and Michael Morgan as players the team could "move around" from a personnel standpoint while Irvin and possibly injured defensive end Chris Clemons miss time. He also singled out starting strong-side linebacker K.J. Wright as a player with versatility. Seattle was going to adjust its personnel use anyway after adding Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett in free agency. Irvin's suspension will force additional changes. Schneider: "We have to treat it quite honestly like he sustained a high-ankle sprain and you make those adjustments" whether in a game or navigating the offseason.

Bruce Irvin's suspension from the Seattle Seahawks for the first four games of the 2013 NFL season will force additional shuffling early in the season.

The team was already expected to be without starting defensive end Chris Clemons, who is recovering from knee surgery and could miss part of the season. Backup defensive end Greg Scruggs could miss the full season after suffering a knee injury more recently.

Seattle was already expected to alter its rotation after adding Cliff Avril, Michael Bennett and Tony McDaniel through free agency, plus defensive tackles Jordan Hill and Jesse Williams through the draft.

Veteran linemen on the Seahawks' roster combined for 43.5 sacks last season. Clemons (11.5), Irvin (8.5) and Scruggs (2.0) combined for 21.5 of them, or 49.4 percent. At least two and probably all three won't play early in the season.

Seattle's veteran defensive linemen combined to play 4,767 snaps for their teams last season. Players responsible for playing 3,317 of those snaps -- 69.6 percent -- remain available.

The picture changes if we consider only the three players best suited to fill the "Leo" defensive end position in coach Pete Carroll's defense. Avril, Clemons and Irvin are those three players. Clemons and Irvin combined to play about two-thirds of those snaps. The team doesn't necessarily have to play defense exactly the way it played defense last season. At this rate, that might not be an option, anyway.

Seattle's current defensive linemen combined for 16 sacks on third down last season. The currently unavailable Irvin (5.5), Clemons (4.5) and Scruggs (1.0) combined for 11 of them. Bennett (3.0) and Avril (2.0) had the other five.

Our post-draft amendments to pre-draft positional rankings continue with Matt Williamson, NFL scout for ESPN.com.

Up next: linebackers.

NFC West teams drafted six of them if we count the San Francisco 49ers' Corey Lemonier and the Arizona Cardinals' Alex Okafor as 3-4 outside linebackers, which we will do for the purposes of this exercise. We probably should have counted Seattle Seahawks seventh-rounder Ty Powell with the defensive linemen given that he projects to the "Leo" position, but there is some crossover with the linebackers as well.

The six draftees: Alec Ogletree (30th overall pick) to the St. Louis Rams; Kevin Minter (45th) and Okafor (103rd) to the Cardinals; Lemonier (88th) and Nick Moody (180th) to the 49ers; and Powell (231st) to the Seahawks.

Matt and I pick up the conversation from there.

Sando: I see you're keeping the rankings at linebacker in the same order even though the Rams added a potentially dynamic player at the position in Ogletree.

Williamson: The 49ers have to stay No. 1, of course. They have the best linebackers in the league and they added Lemonier. He is a fast, long, skinny edge guy who doesn’t hold up real well against big guys. He gets off the ball well, not real fluid, doesn't change direction great, but beats you with speed and eats up space with long strides. A good looking prospect.

Sando: The race for No. 2 has to be closer after this draft.

Williamson: Those three are pretty close now. You look at the Rams vs. Seattle. I look at two of the Rams' three starters as being strong, even Pro Bowl types now. James Laurinaitis and Ogletree vs. Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright. I would give the edge to Seattle because I think Wagner is the best of the bunch and we do not yet know whether Ogletree will be a Pro Bowl-type player.

Sando: The Cardinals are fourth?

Williamson: It’s not easy. Minter compliments Daryl Washington extremely well. He is a real heady, tough guy and a leader. He stuffs the run better than average and looks like a two-down player who could possibly play more than that. I could see him on the field as an every-down guy while Washington is suspended. Ideally, though, he comes off. Washington is a total stud if he can stay out of trouble. Those two could form one of the better inside linebacker pairings in the league, but I still put them four.

Sando: It gets back to what you think of their outside linebackers.

Williamson: We have to operate under the assumption Arizona is a 3-4 team and they are still light as 3-4 outside linebackers. Nobody there scares me. They have a bunch of No. 2s. I liked Okafor as a late-second or third-round prospect, but not as a real difference maker. If you are going to be a 3-4 team, your outside linebackers are still a negative.

Sando: There is some uncertainty as to how the Cardinals are going to tweak this defense. It really could be more of a 4-3.

Williamson: If they trend to a 4-3, two of their three starters are very strong, like with the Seahawks and Ramss. If we pretend Seattle, St. Louis and Arizona all line up in a base 4-3, each would have two really good starters. I would rank those players in order as Washington, Wagner, Laurinaitis and Wright, then Ogletree and Minter. All six could go to the Pro Bowl, although it is a stretch to say that with Minter right now.

Sando: Earning league-wide honors as a linebacker from the NFC is tough duty. The 49ers had four linebackers earn spots on the Associated Press All-Pro teams last season. Aldon Smith, Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman were first-team selections. Ahmad Brooks was a second-team choice. The Cardinals' Washington was a second-team choice. I noticed you left off the Rams' Jo-Lonn Dunbar when listing the six non-49ers linebackers you liked.

Williamson: I like Dunbar -- not a ton, but he is serviceable. That position is not a hole for them.

Sando: We alluded to some uncertainty with how the Cardinals will play defense. I think Seattle is in transition at linebacker to some degree as well. The Seahawks appear likely to give Cliff Avril and possibly Bruce Irvin work at strong-side linebacker, in which case Wright would shift to the weak side. We'll have a better idea what Seattle and Arizona have in mind once training camps get going.

Another in a periodic series examining the roles of NFC North newcomers:

We have all debated the potential for Ziggy Ansah's immediate impact as a Detroit Lions defensive end in 2013. Ansah was a late arrival to football, a late bloomer on the NFL scouting scene and was drafted based on his athletic potential rather than his college body of work.

With that in mind, I thought it would be worth looking at how a few other NFL teams have approached the rookie years of pass-rushers drafted under similar circumstances. For various reasons, we can classify the New York Giants' Jason Pierre-Paul, the San Francisco 49ers' Aldon Smith and the Seattle Seahawks' Bruce Irvin in a similar category with Ansah.

Each player has his own story, but generally speaking, all three were drafted in the first half of the first round with limited résumés but extensive projections based on their physical attributes. The chart shows that none of them started a game and each played less than half of his team's defensive snaps. But even with that controlled playing time, they still combined to post 26.5 sacks between them as rookies.

The Lions have bid farewell to both of their 2012 starters at defensive end, Cliff Avril and Kyle Vanden Bosch, so there is plenty of opportunity for a rookie to earn a starting job. Veterans Jason Jones and Willie Young are also in the mix, and the Lions drafted an imposing defensive end in 6-foot-7 Devin Taylor who could also compete for playing time.

If nothing else, we know a template exists for a developing pass-rusher to be used in a focused way while still having a highly productive rookie season. I wouldn't be too worried about whether Ansah will be on the field for the first play of games. More important to me is if he is out there for the most important ones -- and if he can influence them.

Earlier: The Minnesota Vikings know they need to have a plan for receiver Cordarrelle Patterson's rookie season.

RENTON, Wash. -- Tis the season for NFL general managers to talk about the upcoming draft without tipping their hands.

The Seattle Seahawks' John Schneider and the San Francisco 49ers' Trent Baalke took their turns during pre-draft news conferences Wednesday. I was able to attend Schneider's session, which the team also streamed live on its website. A few notes and observations:

• Personalities: Schneider's occasional references to movies such as "Step Brothers" and "Tommy Boy" show why he fits so well with coach Pete Carroll, who counts comedian Will Ferrell among his buddies and occasional visitors to team functions (including, presumably, any Catalina Wine Mixers). These guys like to have fun. Schneider joked that he was hoping to spend the draft's first round at Dino's Pub across the street from team headquarters until team officials talked him out of it. Seattle doesn't have a first-round pick after trading it to Minnesota for Percy Harvin. Schneider said the revised first-round plan was to watch Harvin highlights on YouTube while other teams made their picks.
• Draft lessons: Schneider, asked about the boom-and-bust nature of players the team has drafted in the fourth round or thereabouts, pointed to a couple draft-related missteps he hoped to avoid in the future. Comparing a draft prospect to a veteran player with similar attributes has backfired in the past, he said, because it's tough to measure what's in a player's heart. Schneider also said it's a mistake to let a prospect's excellent production in college lull a team into asking fewer questions about the player. Schneider indicated that had happened to him in the past. He did not name names, but Kris Durham, E.J. Wilson and Mark LeGree were three underwhelming players the team selected in those rounds. Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor and K.J. Wright were among the success stories.
• Clemons' health: Schneider sounded optimistic about defensive end Chris Clemons' recovery from ACL surgery. He noted that Clemons proved to be a quick healer from foot/ankle surgery years ago. Clemons has a reputation on the team for being exceedingly tough when it comes to playing through pain. However, the team appears in position to carry Clemons on the physically unable to perform list, buying additional time before working Clemons into the lineup during the season. Adding Cliff Avril in free agency added flexibility.
• Carpenter's confidence: James Carpenter is a wild-card player for the Seahawks on their offensive line. The team would love for him to emerge as a starting guard. Health is the No. 1 concern. Carpenter has struggled to regain quickness and range after suffering a serious knee injury. Schneider said Carpenter is the strongest player on the team, but the challenge will be for Carpenter to regain confidence and flexibility in his legs. Carpenter did stay in the Seattle area this offseason, which should help from a conditioning and rehabilitation standpoint.
• 49ers watching: Fans and reporters have been paying close attention to the moves Seattle and San Francisco have been making since finishing one-half game apart in the standings last season. Schneider said he doesn't get caught up in what other teams are doing, but he did say he thought the 49ers fared well in adding Anquan Boldin, Glenn Dorsey and Colt McCoy specifically.
• Winfield fit: Seattle announced cornerback Antoine Winfield's signing. The Seahawks see Winfield as a slot defender whose addition fills a specific need while improving the team's defense against run and pass alike. He said Winfield's agent was very aggressive in pushing for a deal with Seattle. Schneider considered that an indication players are eager to join a strong Seattle defense. He theorized that Carroll's reputation for treating players as men has gotten around the league, making Seattle a more attractive destination.
• Grading the draft: Seattle and Washington are the only teams without first-round picks. Teams grade players differently, of course, and there will usually be players graded as first-round talents still available in the second round. Schneider said the number is usually two or three in a given year. He said there will usually be five to 15 players his teams gave second-round grades still available in that round. When the Seahawks used a 2010 second-round choice for receiver Golden Tate, they said at the time they had him rated as a first-round player.

That's it from here. Time to dive into that rush-hour traffic for the trip home.

Aaron from Chicago wants to know why the Seattle Seahawks keep acquiring personnel from his favorite team, the Minnesota Vikings.

Cornerback Antoine Winfield was the latest addition to the "Minnesota West" roster in Seattle.

"Ever since we controversially signed Steve Hutchinson from them," Aaron writes, "it has seemed as though the Seahawks go out of their way to snatch whatever Vikings they can to stick it to us. It started with them signing Nate Burleson, then Sidney Rice and Heath Farwell, Darell Bevell and Tarvaris Jackson (for whatever reason). They even outbid us for T.J. Houshmanzadeh a few years back. They signed Ryan Longwell at the end of this past season. Obviously, it has continued with Percy Harvin and now Winfield."

Sando: It's a remarkable pattern, but there's likely no revenge factor. The people running the Seahawks during the Hutchinson controversy are long gone from the organization. They were involved in adding Burleson and Houshmandzadeh, but they had nothing to do with the Seahawks' more recent deals for Rice, Farwell, Bevell, Jackson, Harvin or Winfield.

Bevell's hiring as the Seahawks' offensive coordinator stands out as a factor behind the team's decisions to sign Rice and trade for Harvin.

John Schneider's presence as the Seahawks' general manager since 2010 provides a strong link to the NFC North in general. Schneider, after spending much of his career with the Green Bay Packers, played a role in Seattle adding former NFC North players such as Breno Giacomini, Will Blackmon, Cliff Avril, Steven Hauschka, Brett Swain, Frank Omiyale and others. Also, Schneider and Bevell were together in Green Bay. However, Seattle has added many more players without ties to the Vikings or the NFC North.

For a while, the Detroit Lions signed or otherwise acquired a long list of players with Seahawks ties. There were some connections between the organizations -- former Lions coach Rod Marinelli and former Seahawks GM Tim Ruskell shared a history with Tampa Bay, for instance -- but some of the overlap defied explanation.

Tyler Polumbus, Burleson, Will Heller, Rob Sims, Lawrence Jackson, Maurice Morris, Julian Peterson, Trevor Canfield, Marquand Manuel, Kole Heckendorf, Kevin Hobbs, Logan Payne, Chuck Darby, Keary Colbert, Billy McMullen, Travis Fisher, Cory Redding, John Owens, Joel Filani, T.J. Duckett, Kevin Kasper, Etric Pruitt and Mike Williams were among the players to play for both organizations.

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

A look at the top under-the-radar move made by each NFC West team thus far this offseason:

Arizona Cardinals: A soft market for cornerbacks helped the Cardinals sign former San Diego Chargers starter Antoine Cason to a one-year, $1.5 million contract. Scouts Inc. gave Cason a 79 grade, tied with Chris Gamble, Brent Grimes, DeAngelo Hall and Quentin Jammer for highest among corners on the market this offseason. Arizona has rotated corners through its lineup with moderate success in recent seasons. There's no sense in overpaying when Patrick Peterson is anchoring the other side as a top-five overall selection. Cason has good size at 6-foot-1 and 195 pounds. He is on the younger side (turns 27 in July). He has never missed a game in five NFL seasons. He has started 45 of 48 games the past three years. Cason should provide an upgrade from 2012 starter William Gay.

St. Louis Rams: The Rams made waves by signing Jake Long and Jared Cook to deals with a combined $35 million in guaranteed money. Their move to bring back defensive end William Hayes on a three-year deal was important, too, even though it went under the radar. St. Louis led the NFL in sacks last season. Hayes had seven of them while playing 34.2 percent of the defensive snaps. He combines with Chris Long (11.5 sacks in 2012) and Robert Quinn (10.5) to give St. Louis a strong pass-rushing combination at defensive end.

San Francisco 49ers: Glenn Dorsey is too big to go under the radar, but anyone familiar with his time in Kansas City wouldn't think much of his signing in San Francisco. The 49ers seem to have big plans for Dorsey, however. They gave him a modest deal totaling $6 million over two seasons, a reflection of how far Dorsey's stock has fallen since the Chiefs made him the fifth overall choice in 2008. Dorsey wasn't to blame for the scheme change in Kansas City that made him less valuable to the defense. The 49ers run a base 3-4 defense that wouldn't seem to suit Dorsey's strengths as an up-the-field tackle, at least on the surface. I do think San Francisco has a specific role in mind for Dorsey, increasing the chances he makes a positive impact as a low-cost player with obvious talent.

Seattle Seahawks: The Seahawks made high-profile moves almost exclusively this offseason. They landed Percy Harvin, Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett before trading away quarterback Matt Flynn. There isn't much from which to choose in the under-the-radar category. Defensive tackle Tony McDaniel, signed from the Miami Dolphins as a cheaper alternative to Alan Branch, will have to suffice. McDaniel has been mostly a backup and rotational player during his seven NFL seasons. "He has great length with good power and plays with good pad level," Scouts Inc. wrote in its review of him. "He isn't a quick-twitch athlete and is inconsistent to get off blocks and show range to the pile. He has limited pass-rush skills and hasn't made great progress given his time in the NFL." How's that for under the radar?

The Seattle Seahawks agreed to terms with Tony McDaniel on a one-year deal based on what the veteran offers their defensive line. Price was another big consideration.

McDaniel's salary on a one-year deal will surely fall below what Alan Branch earned on a recently completed two-year deal. All else equal, I presume the Seahawks would have preferred to keep Branch. Perhaps they can get him on the cheap at some point in the future.

For now, though, it's looking like the Seahawks added a veteran defensive tackle with their budget in mind.

The Seahawks have built a young defense with an especially affordable back seven. They rank 30th in projected 2013 cap dollars committed to cornerbacks. They're 15th in that category at safety. But the rankings are in the top five at defensive tackle and defensive end thanks to the contracts for Chris Clemons, Michael Bennett, Cliff Avril, Red Bryant and Brandon Mebane. Adding a cheaper defensive tackle made sense in that context. We'll see if McDaniel provides more than insurance.

"His length hinders his ability to play with good pad level, and he lacks great lateral agility in space," Scouts Inc. wrote of the 6-foot-7 McDaniel before last season. "He does flash power at the point of attack defending the run and pushing the pocket. McDaniel continues to make progress but is still raw."

McDaniel has started five games in seven NFL seasons. Branch has started 31 games over the past two seasons. However, Branch was considered a disappointing second-round choice in Arizona, where he started three games in four years, before signing with Seattle. He played well for the Seahawks. Could McDaniel emerge, too? I don't know, but if McDaniel signed on a bargain deal, as anticipated, then we should set expectations accordingly.

It's not yet clear how much the Seahawks will count on McDaniel. Jaye Howard is a young defensive tackle the team hopes to develop. Seattle could draft for the position as well. I'd be surprised if the Seahawks invested a significant sum for a veteran at the position, however. That wouldn't seem to fit in the bigger picture.

A few things to consider amid an increase in trade chatter regarding Seattle Seahawks backup quarterback Matt Flynn:

• Little pressure: The Seattle Seahawks can afford to keep Flynn on their roster from a salary-cap standpoint. However, somewhat unexpected deals with Percy Harvin, Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril did consume $13.45 million in cap space for 2013.
  

  2013 Matt Flynn Salary Cap Charges

  Team	SEA	Other
  Flynn in SEA	$7.25M	--
  Flynn traded	$4.0M	$5.25M
  Flynn released	$6.0M	TBD

  
  
  
  Trading Flynn would clear $3.25 million in cap space -- not a huge number, but an amount the Seahawks could push forward into 2014 if the space went unused.
• No release: Cutting Flynn would not make sense for the Seahawks on a few fronts. The team would save only $1.25 million in cap space. The team would still be on the hook for $2 million in guaranteed salary for the upcoming season. Flynn would then be free to sign with another team, perhaps even a division rival. Seattle might get worse in the No. 2 role without saving enough money or cap space to justify the move.
• Cap specifics: The chart shows the salary-cap charges relating to Flynn for the 2013 season, depending on scenario. Flynn has a $5.25 million base salary in 2013, with $2 million of that figure guaranteed. Any team acquiring Flynn via trade would have to pay the $5.25 million unless the sides worked out a renegotiated deal. Flynn's salary jumps to $6.25 million in 2014, the final year of the contract.

PHOENIX -- Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll understands why people suspect his team is loading up for a one- or two-year shot at the Super Bowl.

Just don't expect him to buy the implication Seattle is sacrificing the future for the present.

"The last thing I would want to convey is that we were trying to take our big shot right now," Carroll said Wednesday from the NFL owners meeting. "That's not it. We tried to do it last year. We're trying to do it this year."

Trading the 25th and 214th picks to Minnesota along with a 2014 third-rounder brought Percy Harvin to Seattle in spectacular fashion. The Seahawks then signed Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett in free agency to bolster their pass rush.

The move to get Harvin was the definition of aggressive. Avril and Bennett carried much lower price tags.

Seattle was much more active in the trade market back in 2010, at least in terms of volume.

"If you have watched the way [general manager] John [Schneider] and I have operated, we have gone for it every chance we've gotten," Carroll said. "We have set out to compete at every single opportunity that presents itself and make the most of it.

"Because of good management on John’s end of it, we had some cap room to do some things. We have just fit things together that also were part of the long-range plan. We have a very young football team that we need to tend to as their time comes up with contract issues, and we have that all mapped out and planned out."

Carroll also rejected the implication that Seattle was making moves after deciding what it would take to overcome San Francisco in the NFC West.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no," Carroll replied. "That's what you think. We have to get better. The last thing we are going to do is evaluate how we are based on everybody else. To me, that is one of the worst mistakes you can make. The other factors -- who won the league last year -- I could care less. We can’t control that."

PHOENIX -- A few NFC West notes before heading to the airport for a trip home following the NFL owners meeting, which concluded Wednesday:

Arizona Cardinals: The team is leaving open the door for signing Cleveland Browns unrestricted free-agent receiver Josh Cribbs, who is recovering from knee surgery. Cribbs visited the Cardinals this week, but he could be weeks away from passing a physical. ... The Cardinals have signed nine players at a combined charge of $12.9 million against the 2013 salary cap after clearing $13 million in space by releasing Kevin Kolb and Kerry Rhodes. The nine: Rashard Mendenhall, Jerraud Powers, Drew Stanton, Antoine Cason, Jasper Brinkley, Lorenzo Alexander, Rashad Johnson, Matt Shaughnessy and Yeremiah Bell. ... Coach Bruce Arians said he sees six quarterbacks in the 2013 draft with clear potential to stick in the NFL for the long term. Arians also said he thought the Cardinals could win regular-season and playoff games with Stanton as the starter. The team could still add to the position, of course, but Arians plans to name a starter sooner rather than later -- definitely before training camp.

St. Louis Rams: The Rams expect to add another big running back after parting with Steven Jackson. Coach Jeff Fisher wants second-year back Daryl Richardson to get more touches, especially as a receiver. He also expects more from 2012 second-round pick Isaiah Pead. ... Fisher said he goes strictly by feel with no regard for advanced stats when making in-game decisions such as when to go for it on fourth down. ... The Rams will look to re-sign veteran safety Quintin Mikell, who was released with salary-cap savings in mind. The team's other starting safety from last season, Craig Dahl, signed with San Francisco last week. ... Fisher sees receiver Chris Givens as more than a deep threat, noting that one of Givens' five receptions covering 50-plus yards came on a slant route. ... Fisher, unlike Pittsburgh Steelers counterpart Mike Tomlin, thinks the read option will be around for a while.

San Francisco 49ers: Coach Jim Harbaugh gushed over receiver Ricardo Lockette, a physically gifted prospect signed last season after stints on Seattle's practice squad and 53-man roster. "There is something special there -- I can feel it," Harbaugh said. Lockette had 44- and 61-yard receptions for Seattle late in the 2011 season. ... Colin Kaepernick is the 49ers' undisputed starting quarterback, but Harbaugh would like to make the position more competitive after Alex Smith's departure by trade. Harbaugh said the quarterback position is "no sacred cow" in terms of being immune from competition. ... Harbaugh and his brother, John, spent Sunday afternoon playing in the hotel pool like a couple of kids. "Did you see us breaking all the rules on the slide?" John Harbaugh asked. "It was a race down the slide. Two guys diving at the same time and racing down the slide. The only time we didn't go down [the slides] together was when we had two kids stacked on us."

Seattle Seahawks: The Seahawks think former Cardinals receiver Stephen Williams could have a bright future. ... Defensive end Cliff Avril's addition could affect the Seahawks' needs at linebacker. Coach Pete Carroll compared Avril in body type to Brian Cushing and Clay Matthews, two players Carroll coached at USC. He said Avril could play strong-side linebacker at times. That arrangement could work because K.J. Wright has the flexibility to play the weak side, something Wright already does in the nickel defense. Those roles will sort out through training camp. ... Carroll said he "reached out" to Richard Sherman after the cornerback's contentious exchange with Skip Bayless on ESPN's First Take. Carroll said they discussed humility and said Sherman is "working on ways to express himself." Carroll supported Sherman and said the team has no concerns with the All-Pro corner. I'll revisit that one separately.

PHOENIX -- What is the old saying? Sometimes, the best deals are the ones you don't make.

Last year around this time, the Detroit Lions offered defensive end Cliff Avril a three-year contract worth $30 million in lieu of making him their franchise player. Avril declined and played out the season with a $10.6 million salary and salary-cap number.

It's impossible to know the exact structure of the Lions' offer, but it's safe to assume Avril would have had a lower cap number in 2012 and a significantly higher one for this season. So in the end, his unchallenged free-agent departure this month allowed the Lions to use the cap space for at least two and maybe three other players. And as we'll note, it also provided a startling revelation of Avril's true value on the market.

Upon closer inspection of the numbers, Avril's two-year contract with the Seattle Seahawks could be viewed as a one-year, $6 million deal. (That total includes a $4.5 million signing bonus and a $1.5 million base salary.) The second year is guaranteed only for injury, meaning the Seahawks could release him before the fifth day of the 2014 waiver period and not owe him additional money, as long as he is not injured.

Avril will count $3.75 million against the Seahawks' salary cap this season, and Lions general manager Martin Mayhew told local reporters at the NFL owners meeting that "it probably would have cost us two players to bring him back." That's not an exaggeration when you realize that the 2013 salary cap numbers for running back Reggie Bush ($2 million) and defensive lineman Jason Jones ($1.83 million) add up to a total of $3.83 million.

This isn't to render a judgment on whether Avril made a good decision to turn down the Lions' offer. We like to use salary-cap numbers and financial figures to tell bigger stories, and the lesson here is simple. The Lions have some work ahead of them in replacing Avril on the field, but from a long-term perspective, they were fortunate he turned down last year's offer.

PHOENIX -- The Seattle Seahawks did not necessarily anticipate Cliff Avril becoming available to them at a discount price.

A soft market for defensive ends delivered Avril to Seattle on a two-year deal.

Contract details provide additional perspective.

Avril will receive a $4.5 million signing bonus and $1.5 million base salary this season. He's scheduled to receive a $7 million salary in 2014, bringing the two-year total to $13 million.

The structure provides Seattle with flexibility after one season. The first-year charge against the salary cap is a modest $3.75 million. That figure includes half of the $4.5 million signing bonus plus the full 2013 base salary. That 2013 cap charge is low enough for Seattle to comfortably carry Avril and injured incumbent starter Chris Clemons ($8.2 million cap hit in 2013) on the roster this year while figuring out where both players stand in 2014.

Avril's contract carries a $9.25 million salary-cap charge in 2014. Clemons' deal is scheduled to count nearly $9.7 million against the cap that year. Carrying both those charges would not be impossible, but neither would it necessarily be ideal.

The contracts for Avril and Clemons would allow Seattle to part with one or even both following the 2013 season without incurring massive cap charges. Releasing Avril after one season would leave $2.25 million counting against the 2014 cap. Releasing Clemons after the 2013 season would produce a $2.16 million charge against the 2014 cap.

Extending either player's contract would allow Seattle to lower the 2014 cap hit if the team chose to go that route.

The Seahawks aren't talking about releasing Avril or Clemons after just one season. The team has high expectations for both players. However, the contracts carry protection for the team if plans change.

NFC West teams have signed, re-signed or acquired 18 players since the NFL's free-agent signing period opened not quite one week ago.

The division has favored adding relatively young players.

The 18 players average not quite 28 years old, a figure inflated by the additions of 35-year-old safety Yeremiah Bell (Arizona Cardinals) and 32-year-old receiver Anquan Boldin (San Francisco 49ers).

Sixteen of the 18 are not yet 30 years old. Fourteen of the 18 are not yet 28. The median age for the full group is 27.5.

The chart ranks these 18 players by age and team. I've listed the ages to the tenth of a year to differentiate players recently having birthdays from those about to have them.

Five of the 18 players are reportedly earning more than $5 million per season. Of those, Boldin is the only older player. Jake Long (28 in May), Cliff Avril (27 in April), Jared Cook (26 in April) and Percy Harvin (25 in May) were the other higher-paid additions to this point in the signing period.

By definition, unrestricted free agents have played at least four NFL seasons. Most will be close to 26 or 27 years old when hitting the market for the first time.

PHOENIX -- The San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks have snagged the most NFC West headlines during free agency.

The St. Louis Rams, 2-1-1 against those NFC West heavyweights in 2012, should not be forgotten after landing Jake Long on a reported four-year contract.

This move goes a long way toward stabilizing an offensive line that has used 16 different starters over the past two seasons. Long, a four-time Pro Bowl choice in five years with the Miami Dolphins, gives the Rams someone with the credentials to match up against Aldon Smith, Justin Smith, Chris Clemons, Cliff Avril, Bruce Irvin, Calais Campbell and any other pass-rushers NFC West opponents might send St. Louis' way.

The Rams have now filled their No. 1 need heading into the draft. That makes it easier for the team to emphasize value over need when the team uses its eight picks, including two in the first round.

"You never want to go into a draft just desperate because then you will end up drafting a position and those are just two letters in the alphabet," Rams general manager Les Snead said from the NFL owners meeting earlier Sunday. "At the end of the day, it's the player that is playing the position that determines whether he is good, very good, excellent, rare, just above average."

Financial terms of Long's contract cannot be known with much certainty until the deal is on file with the NFL and NFL Players Association.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch and NFL Network described the deal as for four years and for as much as $36 million. That sounds like $9 million per season, but if $36 million is the maximum value, the Rams secured Long for less in likely compensation. That would be a victory for St. Louis because it's tough landing top talent from another team in free agency without paying a premium. The fact that the deal spans four years, a relatively short period, suggests the deal carries less bonus money, another advantage for the Rams.

The Dolphins were interested in re-signing Long and it appeared their chances increased when Long returned to Miami without a contract following three days visiting the Rams. But in a conversation earlier Sunday, Snead said the the Rams and Long were "still chatting" and that Long remained in play for the team.

We can score this as another offseason victory for the Rams over the Dolphins. Last offseason, St. Louis beat out Miami in the race to hire coach Jeff Fisher. Two years ago, the 49ers beat out Miami for another high-profile coach, Jim Harbaugh.

Long, the first overall pick in the 2008 draft, comes to the Rams with injury concerns. Biceps and triceps injuries forced him to miss six games over the past two seasons. He finished both of those seasons on injured reserve after missing no games over the first three-plus seasons of his career.

Long turns 28 in May. He should be entering the prime of his career, health permitting. The Rams will install him as their starting left tackle. They could move incumbent Rodger Saffold to right tackle, or they could try Saffold at guard if the team's options at right tackle improve through the draft or free agency.

The Rams have now made two substantial investments to upgrade their offense. They signed Tennessee Titans tight end Jared Cook to a deal averaging $7 milion per season, and now they have found a cornerstone for their offensive line. Some will say the team still must upgrade at running back and wide receiver after watching Steven Jackson and Danny Amendola depart, but the Rams do not sound convinced their needs are dire in those areas. More on that Monday.