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A few thoughts on known contract offers for restricted free agents in the NFC West:

• The Hyphen: The Cardinals announced a second-round tender for running back LaRod Stephens-Howling, meaning any team signing Stephens-Howling would have to give Arizona a 2012 second-round choice if the Cardinals declined to match the offer. Stephens-Howling was a seventh-round pick. The fact that Arizona values him at a second-round level reflects well on him, and on the team for drafting him.
• Amendola valued: Jim Thomas' report of a second-round tender for Danny Amendola suggests the Rams' new staff wants to keep the slot receiver. Amendola caught 85 passes in 2010, then suffered a season-ending elbow injury in the 2011 opener. He is 26 years old, has a good rapport with quarterback Sam Bradford and can contribute in the return game.
• Secondary values: Arizona safety Rashad Johnson and cornerback Greg Toler received original-round tenders. That means Johnson would fetch a third-round pick and Toler a fourth-rounder. The knee injury Toler suffered before last season suppressed his value.
• No Max Hall: The Cardinals retained rights to exclusive-rights free agents Rich Bartel, Alfonso Smith, Ronald Talley and Brandon Williams. They made no offer to Max Hall, a forgotten man in the team's quarterback race. Hall was once a player the Cardinals liked for his toughness and leadership, but his days in Arizona appear finished.
• 49ers' LB depth: San Francisco had only two RFA candidates, linebacker Larry Grant and receiver Brett Swain. The team has made no announcement on its tenders, but Grant appears likely to receive an original-round offer, pegging his value to a seventh-round pick, Matt Maiocco notes. Grant played extensively on special teams and filled it pretty well at linebacker when Patrick Willis was out. The 49ers should be able to match any offers, or they could look for depth in the draft. Looks like Swain is head headed for free agency.
• Seahawks have three: NFL Players Association records show Seattle extending a $1.26 million tender to kicker Steven Hauschka, allowing Seattle the right of first refusal. Guard Mike Gibson and cornerback Roy Lewis are the team's other RFAs. Lewis' agent said he has not yet received word from the team, which has until Tuesday to make RFA offers.

Looks like I've finally made it through a blog post without mentioning -- wait, who wrote that headline?

Here's a nightmare scenario for Arizona Cardinals fans: Kevin Kolb flounders while a reborn Matt Leinart leads the Houston Texans deep into the playoffs.

The 7-3 Texans' outlook minus injured starting quarterback Matt Schaub framed the biggest debate our voters faced in putting together ESPN's NFL Power Rankings through Week 10.

John Clayton ranked them fourth and Ashley Fox had them fifth. Paul Kuharsky ranked them eighth. I had Houston 11th and James Walker voted them 14th despite four consecutive double-digit victories and a No. 8 ranking last week.

"I was conflicted on the Texans," Fox said, "and decided to rank them based on past performance, rather than the potential for future failure. We will see."

Kuharsky, our AFC South blogger, suspects Leinart could outperform expectations fewer than two years after the Cardinals decided they were better off with Derek Anderson, John Skelton and Max Hall.

"I'm not going to jump to write off the Texans with the Schaub news," Kuharsky said. "Gary Kubiak knows quarterbacks and he loves Leinart."

Cardinals fans would be happy to offer their Leinart video collections. But as ESPN Stats & Information pointed out, Leinart has a slightly above average 52.9 Total QBR on 147 plays since 2008, counting playoffs. He completed 21 of 31 passes for 220 yards and a 73.9 QBR against Tennessee in his last regular-season start in 2009.

"The Texans missed on their last try at a quality backup with Dan Orlovsky," Kuharsky said. "I don't think they'll miss twice in a row. I expect they have enough to win with Leinart playing. But, like everyone, I need to see him play."

And now, a closer look at the rankings heading into Week 11 ...

Rising (12): Arizona Cardinals (+6), Oakland Raiders (+5), Tennessee Titans (+5), Chicago Bears (+4), Denver Broncos (+4), New England Patriots (+4), Seattle Seahawks (+4), Dallas Cowboys (+3), Jacksonville Jaguars (+2), Miami Dolphins (+2), New Orleans Saints (+1), Pittsburgh Steelers (+1)

Falling (15): Philadelphia Eagles (-6), Carolina Panthers (-5), Washington Redskins (-4), Baltimore Ravens (-3), Buffalo Bills (-3), Cleveland Browns (-3), Detroit Lions (-3), Minnesota Vikings (-3), New York Jets (-3), Kansas City Chiefs (-2), Tampa Bay Bucs (-2), Cincinnati Bengals (-1), Houston Texans (-1), New York Giants (-1), San Diego Chargers (-1)

Unchanged (5): Atlanta Falcons, Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts, San Francisco 49ers, St. Louis Rams.

Deadlocked: We broke two ties this week. Cincinnati prevailed over Dallas at No. 11 based on the second tiebreaker, overall record. Denver prevailed over Tampa Bay at No. 19 on the third tiebreaker, which team won most recently. The first tiebreaker, head-to-head results, did not come into play.

Like minds: All five panelists ranked the Packers first, the 49ers second and the Colts last.

Agree to disagree: Last week, eight spots separated the highest and lowest votes for the Bears. That margin shrunk to five this week, with Chicago moving into the top five for the first time this season. Walker and I ranked the Bears fourth. I've had them in the top eight for a month after admittedly underrating them earlier in the season.

"The Bears are going to be the playoff team no one wants to face in January," Walker said. "They’re not catching the Packers in the standings, so Chicago will be a dangerous wild card. The Bears match up with anyone because they can beat you with offense, defense or special teams."

A look at the eight teams, including Chicago, producing disparities of at least five spots between highest and lowest votes:

• Texans (10): Clayton fourth, Walker 14th.
• Browns (7): Clayton 24th, Sando and Walker 31st.
• Redskins (6): Clayton 23rd, Walker and Fox 29th.
• Bears (5): Sando and Walker fourth, Fox ninth.
• Chiefs (5): Fox 19th, Sando 24th.
• Cardinals (5): Sando, Kuharsky and Fox 22nd, Clayton 27th.
• Seahawks (5): Sando 21st, Clayton and Kuharsky 26th.
• Vikings (5): Kuharsky and Walker 25th, Clayton and Fox 30th.

Power rankings histories: These colorful layered graphs show where each NFL team has ranked every week since the 2002 season.

Ranking the divisions: Teams from the NFC North fell from 10.7 to 11.3 in average ranking, but that was still good enough to keep the top spot among divisions, well ahead of the AFC North (12.5 average ranking). The NFC West, coming off its first 4-0 week since realignment in 2002, stands seventh this week, ahead of the AFC South.


A voter-by-voter look at changes of at least five spots since last week:

• Sando: Browns (-9), Eagles (-5), Cardinals (+7), Cowboys (+7), Raiders (+7), Seahawks (+7).
• Clayton: Ravens (-5), Panthers (-5), Lions (-5), Vikings (-5), Eagles (-5), Bears (+6), Titans (+6).
• Kuharsky: Eagles (-8), Panthers (-5), Lions (-5), Cardinals (+5), Bears (+6), Patriots (+8), Cowboys (+9), Broncos (+9).
• Walker: Eagles (-8), Redskins (-7), Cardinals (+5), Broncos (+5), Bears (+6), Raiders (+6), Seahawks (+7).
• Fox: Panthers (-6), Vikings (-6), Jets (-6), Redskins (-6), Cowboys (+5), Cardinals (+7).

For download: An Excel file -- available here -- showing how each voter voted this week and in past weeks.

The file includes a "powerflaws" sheet pointing out potential flaws in voters' thinking by showing how many higher-ranked opponents each team defeated this season.

Baltimore is the only one of our top eight teams with a victory over a team ranked higher this week. The sixth-ranked Ravens own two victories over the fourth-ranked Steelers. The Chargers are 18th and have not defeated any of the teams ranked higher than them. They are the only team ranked between 12th and 31st without at least one victory over a higher-ranked team.

A quick primer on the "powerflaws" sheet:

• Column Y features team rankings.
• Column Z shows how many times a team has defeated higher-ranked teams.
• Change the rankings in Column Y as you see fit.
• Re-sort Column Y in ascending order (1 to 32) using the standard Excel pull-down menu atop the column.
• The information in Column Z, which reflects potential ranking errors, will change (with the adjusted total highlighted in yellow atop the column).
• The lower the figure in that yellow box, the fewer conflicts.

LANDOVER, Md. -- Sunday wasn't the first time a long touchdown pass to Larry Fitzgerald gave the Arizona Cardinals a fourth-quarter lead they could not hold.

They lost Super Bowl XLIII when their defense let Pittsburgh go 78 yards for the winning touchdown with 42 seconds left.

Three years and two defensive coordinators later, the Cardinals' defense is statistically worse through two games than at any point since at least 1940. While Arizona's 22-21 defeat to the Washington Redskins at FedEx Field reflected shortcomings in all facets of the game, nowhere were the problems more glaring than on defense.

If new quarterback Kevin Kolb makes the Cardinals exciting again, their defense makes them a little too exciting.

The 21-13 lead Arizona took on Fitzgerald's 73-yard touchdown reception from Kolb was no match for a defense that has now allowed 932 yards through two games, including 455 to the Rex Grossman-led Redskins. Only 14 teams in the previous 70 NFL seasons have allowed as many yards through two games, according to Pro Football Reference (Green Bay has joined Arizona on the list this season).

And what about those late-game defensive struggles?

"When did we play defense the whole day, as opposed to late in the game?" coach Ken Whisenhunt responded.

Fair point.

Indeed, the inability to make critical stops late in the game followed an inability to make them earlier, save for a couple interceptions off Grossman in the first quarter.

Ex-Cardinal Tim Hightower had more first-half total yards (93) than the Cardinals (83).

The Redskins controlled the ball for more than 21 minutes of the first half, amassing a 253-85 lead in total yardage. Arizona trailed only 10-7 at that point because Grossman tossed two picks and the Cardinals' defense held up in the red zone, allowing only one touchdown in four series inside its own 20.

The defense did mix in a few glimpses of hope amid the overall carnage.

Arizona stopped the Redskins on the tying two-point conversion try with 5:17 remaining. Pro Bowl safety Adrian Wilson and veteran corner Richard Marshall picked off passes on each of Washington's first two drives. Jefferson made a diving breakup on a third-down play. Safety Kerry Rhodes collected a sack.

Yet, it's clear the Cardinals will get worse on defense before they get better. The stats say they already have. The 477 and 455 yards Arizona has allowed exceed all but two of the team's single-game totals from last season. That wasn't what the team had in mind when it named Ray Horton defensive coordinator during the offseason.

Outside linebacker Clark Haggans and Joey Porter combined for one quarterback hit, according to the NFL gamebook, and the Cardinals had only two for the game despite 44 drop-backs by Grossman. Rhodes' sack was the only one for Arizona.

A trip to 0-2 Seattle in Week 3 should stop some of the defensive bleeding, and the usual disclaimers apply after only two games.

The Cardinals are learning a new defensive scheme after a lockout-shortened offseason. They'll presumably overcome some of the communication issues that have given them problems during their 1-1 start. But there's also a good chance their aging outside linebackers will wear down over the course of the season. If the outside pass-rush isn't very good now, what about then?

The Cardinals' young cornerbacks, Patrick Peterson and A.J. Jefferson, are just beginning to learn what it's like to start every week in the NFL. Does a wall await them after 10 or 12 games?

The secondary appeared out of sorts when Grossman found Santana Moss for an 18-yard touchdown to pull the Redskins within 21-19 with 5:17 remaining.

What happened there?

"Just the corners, a miscommunication down low," Pro Bowl safety Adrian Wilson said. "We practiced the play probably 100 times. Whenever games and situations like that come up, we just have to make the play. We're going to live and die with those corners, regardless of what happens. We're not going to change who we have. We have what we have and we're going to roll with it."

Kolb's addition gives the Cardinals hope where there would have been none with Derek Anderson, John Skelton or Max Hall starting at quarterback last season.

After passing for 309 yards and two touchdowns in Week 1, Kolb sometimes overstepped the line between playing aggressively and taking undue chances. He invited at least two sacks when holding the ball too long. The Cardinals were fortunate to recover his fumble following one of them. Kolb also threw into coverage for an interception on a second-and-18 play from the Washington 24 while trailing by a field goal midway through the third quarter.

But when Fitzgerald hauled in Kolb's deep pass down the right sideline for a 73-yard touchdown and a 21-13 lead with 11:09 remaining, the Cardinals had to be feeling good about moving boldly to acquire a quarterback. Kolb knew he was going to take a hard shot to the back on the play because one Redskins defender was unaccounted for on the play. Kolb, aided immensely by Beanie Wells' physical second-half running, held the ball long enough for Fitzgerald to get deep on a slant-and-go the team had been setting up for some time.

It was the sort of play the Cardinals will need frequently this season, particularly if their defense continues to set the wrong kinds of records.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Three things to watch for in the Arizona Cardinals' preseason home game against the Denver Broncos at 10 p.m. ET:

1. Patrick Peterson's impact: The Cardinals' first-round draft choice returned an interception 34 yards for a touchdown in Arizona's most recent exhibition game. He slipped twice on another play, allowing a big gain. Sometimes it's tough to tell how players in the secondary are faring, particularly when watching on TV. Depending on the coverage, someone unfamiliar with the team's playbook will have a hard time saying with much certainty whether a cornerback handled his responsibilities correctly. Sometimes, a safety is to blame when a cornerback appears most culpable. Big plays are tough to miss, however.

2. Quarterback depth: Backups John Skelton (ankle) and Max Hall (shoulder) will not play. Hall is out for the season. The Cardinals will be happy at the position as long as starter Kevin Kolb remains healthy. But depth is a concern. Rich Bartel figures to play more extensively against the Broncos. He has improved his standing this summer and could be a candidate to unseat Skelton for the No. 2 role. The Broncos are coming off a strong pass-rushing game against Seattle. How well will the Cardinals' quarterbacks hold up?

3. Young pass-rushers. The Cardinals went into the 2011 draft thinking they might have a shot at pass-rusher Von Miller. That shot went away quickly when the Broncos made Miller the second overall choice. The Cardinals didn't value any of the other college pass-rushers enough to draft them fifth overall. As a result, Arizona is heading into its final game of the preseason trying to develop young pass-rushers with less impressive pedigrees. Second-year outside linebacker O'Brien Schofield is one of those younger prospects. Schofield has one of the Cardinals' six sacks in three exhibition games.

There was a time, way back in 2010, when the Arizona Cardinals thought Max Hall's leadership qualities and feel for the game might translate to success as a starting quarterback.

Three regular-season starts proved disastrous.

Now, with Hall suffering from a second injury to his non-throwing shoulder, the team waived him with an injury designation. Hall will revert to injured reserve once he clears waivers. He would also become eligible for an injury settlement if the Cardinals chose to cut ties with him.

Undrafted out of BYU, Hall impressed coaches during practices as a rookie. The Cardinals weren't anticipating needing Hall as a starter, however. But with Derek Anderson faltering and Matt Leinart no longer an option, the team made Hall its starter for a Week 5 game against New Orleans. The Cardinals, fueled by turnovers, won the game, but Hall absorbed a brutal hit near the goal line and fumbled.

Opponents couldn't wait to come after Hall, rushing him fearlessly. Hall never took all of the snaps at quarterback during his three starts.

John Skelton finished the 2010 season as the Cardinals' starter, entering this season as the No. 2 quarterback behind Kevin Kolb. Richard Bartel jumped past Hall into the third spot on the depth chart. With Skelton recovering from an ankle injury and Hall out, the team signed Brodie Croyle. I would expect Kolb, Skelton and Bartel to be the top three quarterbacks this season, health permitting.

Injuries to John Skelton and Max Hall would have significantly affected the Arizona Cardinals last season.

Not so much this week.

With Kevin Kolb entrenched as the starter and Richard Bartel having taken firm grasp of the No. 3 job, the Cardinals aren't panicking while Skelton and Hall recover from injuries this week.

The team has added Brodie Croyle, who ran a similar offense under former Cardinals assistant Todd Haley in Kansas City, as insurance heading into the third week of preseason. Skelton has an ankle injury. Hall's left shoulder is hurt. It's unclear whether they'll be available against San Diego on Saturday.

The third preseason game is generally when teams play their starters longest. That could leave less time for backups to play anyway this week. Bartel has fared well enough to overtake Hall for the third job. The Cardinals probably wouldn't mind seeing more of him anyway.

Croyle, 28, started 10 games over five seasons with Kansas City. He has eight touchdown passes with nine interceptions for his career.

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. -- Kevin Kolb has accomplished something not even Kurt Warner always managed during his five-year run with the Arizona Cardinals.

He has brought clarity to the quarterback position.

What a relief for Arizona.

This training camp marks only the second in five under coach Ken Whisenhunt with a clearly defined, secure starter behind center.

Matt Leinart was the man in 2007 until an injury sidelined him. Whisenhunt propped up Leinart heading into camp the following year, but Kurt Warner won the job and kept it through 2009. Warner's retirement thrust Leinart back into the starting role again last offseason. The team cut him following a nondescript 2010 camp.

Tension and uncertainty have surrounded the position most years. That changed when the Cardinals traded for Kolb and signed him to a five-year, $63 million contract. Just as Kolb was desperate for a starting job while parked behind Donovan McNabb and Michael Vick in Philadelphia, the Cardinals have been starved for quarterback stability.

"When you look in his eyes, you can tell he really wants it," receiver Larry Fitzgerald said. "We're going to follow his lead."

There is some blind faith involved. Kolb has only seven regular-season starts to his credit. He played well in some, not as well in others.

Can he get it done? It's too early to say. It did become clear right away upon visiting camp that Kolb is comfortable with himself and adept at relating to teammates. That separates him from Leinart and 2010 starter Derek Anderson.

It was telling, I thought, when newly signed guard Daryn Colledge cracked wise on Kolb's fat salary.

"I'll blame one of my cadence [misunderstandings] on him," Colledge joked. "I'll do that right away since he makes more money than me."

There's an obvious comfort level with Kolb already, even if Fitzgerald resisted his new quarterback's attempts to enjoin him to chew tobacco. Kolb clearly has the requisite moxie. Then again, so did Max Hall. A quarterback must play well for any of it to matter.

"He has that 'it' factor, the confidence quarterbacks that need to be successful in this league," said new Cardinals linebacker Stewart Bradley, who was also Kolb's teammate with the Eagles. "He can make all the throws, he has all the intangibles."

THREE HOT ISSUES

1. Where's the pass-rusher? The Cardinals went into the 2011 draft thinking pass-rusher Von Miller would be their guy with the fifth overall choice. They badly needed pass-rush help after relying too heavily upon aging outside linebackers Joey Porter and Clark Haggans. Miller seemingly would have been the perfect fit. Plans changed when Denver made Miller the second overall choice. While Arizona was perfectly happy taking LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson at No. 5, not getting Miller meant the team would have to wait another year before targeting an elite pass-rush prospect. It's an area the team will have to address next offseason even if O'Brien Schofield and rookie Sam Acho exceed expectations. In the meantime, new defensive coordinator Ray Horton appears destined to live out what his recent predecessors experienced. It's tough fielding a 3-4 defense without sufficient talent on the outside. Then again, if Miller had been there for Arizona at No. 5, the team wouldn't have gotten Peterson. In that case, the Cardinals could not have justified trading Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie to the Philadelphia in the Kolb deal. The Eagles then might have asked for and received greater compensation through 2012 draft choices.

2. Who is the No. 2 receiver? Only Larry Fitzgerald remains from the 2008 Arizona receiving corps featuring three 1,000-yard wideouts, but the Cardinals do not sound particularly concerned. They considered adding Braylon Edwards in free agency, but they weren't interested enough to close the deal, particularly for a player with off-field issues. Andre Roberts and Early Doucet are the favorites to fill the No. 2 void created when Steve Breaston signed with Kansas City. The team is also expecting free-agent newcomer Todd Heap to provide a receiving option at tight end that has not existed previously under Whisenhunt in Arizona. Still, the Cardinals lack proven depth at wideout behind Fitzgerald. Durability is a concern for Doucet. Roberts showed promise as a rookie last season, but is he ready to contribute for a full season?

3. Does Kolb fit the scheme? The West Coast system Kolb learned during his time in Philadelphia differs from the one Whisenhunt installed in Arizona. I questioned heading into free agency whether Arizona would be the best landing spot for Kolb. In general, proponents of traditional West Coast systems seek to run the same plays from different formations with more precision than the defense can muster. Out-executing opponents trumps out-scheming them. A quarterback can become as good as the system allows him to be. The Cardinals' offense relies upon matching route concepts to specific coverages. Kolb: "I like the way they put it on the quarterback to get into those concepts. As long as your quarterback can think quick on his feet, a lot of times you are going to be in the right play in the right position. It just clicks with me. ... Look at what Kurt did. He understood it. He did it at the top level and look how successful they were. There is never a ceiling of how good you can get. It’s just however much you can handle as a quarterback. That is what is exciting for me."

BIGGEST SURPRISE

Cornerback depth appears OK. Trading away Rodgers-Cromartie and losing Michael Adams to knee surgery would have sent the team into a panic last summer. That hasn't been the case so far. Former receiver A.J. Jefferson has caught the Cardinals' attention. He's even running with the starters pending Peterson's ascension. Free-agent addition Richard Marshall and Greg Toler combined for 29 starts last season. Peterson gives Arizona a special athlete and a player mature beyond his years. The biggest question is whether Arizona can generate a pass-rush sufficient enough to put the cornerbacks in favorable situations. Adams is expected back in a few weeks.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT

Adrian Wilson's injury. The Cardinals plan to announce Monday whether Pro Bowl strong safety Adrian Wilson will require surgery following a Saturday injury to his elbow/biceps area. Wilson will miss time even if surgery isn't necessary. That's a setback for Wilson personally after an injured abductor slowed him last season. It's a setback for the defense because Horton, the new defensive coordinator, needs Wilson to execute some of the blitz packages planned for 2011. Third-year pro Rashad Johnson would likely start if Wilson were unavailable.

OBSERVATION DECK

• Beanie Wells still projects as the starting running back heading into the season even though rookie second-round choice Ryan Williams has impressed. Every negative play from Wells invites skepticism regarding his ability to meet expectations as a 2009 first-round draft choice. That was the case when Wells fumbled during the first full-contact goal-line session of camp. Wells bounced back with energized runs the following day, though, and he knows the offense better than Williams at this point.
• Williams looks like the better pure runner. Where Wells is more of a downhill runner with straight-line tendencies, Williams has shown he can cut effortlessly, even at high speed. One of Williams' coaches from Virginia Tech told the Cardinals he had never coached a more talented player.
• Nose tackle Dan Williams was another lockout victim. He reported to camp heavy and out of shape. Williams came on strong as a rookie late last season. Like a lot of big guys, however, he would have been much better off spending his offseason operating within a structured conditioning program.
• The lockout could prevent third-round choice Rob Housler from contributing much as a rookie. Housler needed a full offseason to work on his blocking and smooth his adjustment from Florida Atlantic. The Cardinals take pride in developing players from smaller programs, but there simply wasn't enough time to get Housler up to speed this offseason. Heap's addition removes pressure in the short term.
• Fifth-round choice Anthony Sherman came advertised as the best fullback in the 2011 draft. It's tough to argue with that assessment after watching Sherman early in camp. He was popping people left and right. Sherman also projects as an outstanding special-teams player, another plus. Fewer teams are keeping fullbacks on the 53-man rosters, but the Cardinals will happily find a spot for Sherman. I could see them keeping four tight ends, with free-agent addition Jeff King providing flexibility through his ability to shift into the backfield as a lead blocker. Under that scenario, Arizona would go with Heap, King, Housler and Stephen Spach as its tight ends. Wells, Williams, LaRod Stephens-Howling and Sherman would be the backs.
• It's tough to envision Hall returning as part of the 53-man roster. John Skelton is clearly ahead of Hall as the No. 2 option behind Kolb. Richard Bartel looks like a better prospect, too. Hall's presence in the lineup for three starts last season sent defenses into feeding frenzies. They couldn't wait to come after him. Fewer teams are likely to keep three quarterbacks on their 53-man rosters, anyway, after the NFL modified rules for game-day rosters.
• Right tackle Brandon Keith is coming off knee surgery and is still shaking off the rust. The Cardinals need solid play from that position in the regular-season opener against Carolina. Panthers defensive end Charles Johnson gave right tackles problems last season. He had three of his 11.5 sacks against NFC West teams, including one against Arizona when Keith was on injured reserve. Also last season, Johnson knocked out San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith with a shoulder injury.
• It's only a matter of time before Bradley supplants Paris Lenon at inside linebacker. Bradley and returning starter Daryl Washington will be asked to blitz from the inside and also to cover. The Cardinals need to find creative ways to use them as pass-rushers given the situation at outside linebacker. The scheme Bradley played in Philadelphia took his eyes off the quarterback a fair amount of the time. Bradley, a defensive end as a freshman in college, wants more chances to rush the passer. He has the size (6-foot-4, 258 pounds) to .
• Keep an eye on rookie receiver DeMarco Sampson, a seventh-round choice from San Diego State. Sampson keeps making impressive catches in practice.
• The Cardinals' offense figures to change in complexion following so many additions at running back and tight end. The reality, though, is that Kolb likes operating from four-receiver personnel groupings. We could still wind up seeing the Cardinals spreading the field as they did before suffering personnel losses at receiver.
• Defenses tend to outpace offenses early in camp. That hasn't been the case for Arizona. Fitzgerald offered one possible explanation: the team has been running the same offense since 2007, but the defense is new.

Jesse Reynolds, an Arizona Cardinals fan deadlocked in a debate over quarterbacks, turned this way for a resolution.

"I have searched everywhere but haven't been able to find the data that supports (or contradicts) my argument that the Cardinals were one of the most-blitzed teams last year because no one feared our quarterbacks," Jesse wrote to me via Facebook. "Could you help find the numbers? I'm sure other NFC West teams' fans would love to know their numbers, too."

Blitz numbers usually tell us which defenses were more aggressive. But if we flipped our perspective, as Jesse suggested, we could find out which quarterbacks commanded the most respect, at least by this measure. Where to turn? Keith Hawkins of ESPN Stats & Information put me in touch with colleague Jason Starrett, who came through with numbers for all 32 teams and for 40 individual quarterbacks.

Thanks to Jason, Jesse is going to win his argument by a knockout.

Opponents blitzed the Cardnials 37.2 percent of the time overall, the sixth-highest percentage in the league. Oakland (39.8), St. Louis (39.4), Chicago (38.4), Carolina (37.5) and Baltimore (37.5) faced blitzes more frequently.

We defined blitzes as plays when defenses rushed five or more defenders.

As the first chart shows, Max Hall, John Skelton, Jimmy Clausen, Colt McCoy and Sam Bradford -- all rookies playing for losing teams season -- faced blitzes most frequently.

As the second chart shows, five highly experienced quarterbacks -- Peyton Manning, Jake Delhomme, Drew Brees, Matt Hasselbeck and Tom Brady -- faced blitzes least frequently.

Hall and Skelton combined to start seven games for Arizona. Teammate Derek Anderson ranked 17th among the 40 players listed in terms of being blitzed most frequently.

In looking at the charts, a few names showed up in surprising places.

The San Francisco 49ers' Smith ranked higher than expected on the list of quarterbacks facing blitzes less frequently. Was he really "commanding respect" the way Brady commanded respect? Of course not. Does he really qualify as a wily veteran such as Delhomme or Hasselbeck? The answer is "no" on that front as well.

Likewise, quarterbacks such as Hill and Henne wouldn't provide a strong deterrent to blitzing, would they? Why would Green Bay's Rodgers face blitzes more frequently than them?

Other variables come into play. Some teams blitz more frequently than others regardless of opponent. A quarterback facing these teams more frequently would see his numbers shift accordingly.

How well an offensive line picks up blitzes could influence how a defense attacks. How well receivers adjust to blitzes could matter, as could the confidence a defensive coordinator has in his secondary during a given week. A quarterback's running ability and ability to read defenses accurately could factor.

Overall, I'd say it's telling to see the Cardinals' Hall and Skelton blitzed so frequently, particularly relative to the numbers for the more experienced Anderson. It's also telling to see some highly experienced quarterbacks blitzed so infrequently by comparison.

The final NFC West chat before the 2011 NFL draft came and went amid a flurry of NFL developments. I'll break out some highlights here and offer additional thoughts afterward.

Keith (Dallas, TX): If the 49ers draft Blaine Gabbert (aka less-intelligent Alex Smith) at #7, should I burn all my SF gear at the end of the first round tonight or wait until the final pick of the draft Saturday?

Mike Sando: You should hope that Jim Harbaugh's feel for quarterbacks and ability to work with them allows Gabbert to become a successful quarterback. And you should feel grateful the team finally appears to have some philosophical stability on the offensive side of the ball. There's no reason to compare Gabbert to Alex Smith, because the 49ers are in a much different situation now.

Jordan (STL): Mike, love the blog. I'm finding too much of the analysis by the 'experts' way too one-dimensional on Rams needs. This is a team that is still rebuilding and is more than a WR away from taking the next step. They need a replacement for Atogwe, a guard to move the chains on short yardage, two LBs and youth and depth on the DL. Personally, I'd like to see them move up to the 8-10 range to go get Robert Quinn, who I think will be a Pro Bowler and team up with Chris Long to make an awesome tandem. But my point is this: isn't Rams nation getting carried away with Julio Jones?

Mike Sando: It's hard to quantify what "Rams Nation" is thinking overall. The need for a receiver is obvious, but not overriding. Your knowledge of the team lets you see some of the other needs clearly. I'd love to know what Steve Spagnuolo thinks of Quinn's game against the run. As a pure pass-rusher, though, Quinn gets high marks. One consideration: Should a team move into the top 10 for a higher-risk player? Quinn missed the 2010 season. He has a benign brain tumor that may or may not become a problem in the future. He does not help the situation at defensive tackle. He does not give Sam Bradford another weapon. These are some of the issues the Rams would have to weigh.

Zona fan (Arizona): Hey how is in more of a need of a QB, the Seahawks or Cards? And who drafts one rather then gets one in FA?

Mike Sando: The Cardinals' need is greater, in my view, because Seattle could still re-sign Matt Hasselbeck and also because Pete Carroll is entering only his second season with Seattle. He has a little time. Ken Whisenhunt has job security and a deal through 2013, but after the whole Matt Leinart-Derek Anderson-rookie quarterback fiasco last season, I think the stakes are higher for Arizona -- particularly with Larry Fitzgerald on the verge of possible free agency. Seattle is more likely to draft one because the Cardinals do not seem to have a later-round need; John Skelton and Max Hall are already developmental prospects.

Derrick (Tacoma): Hey Mike, I've heard a lot about Ryan Mallett and his character issues, problems being a leader/getting along with guys in the locker room, and how his lack of mobility doesn't fit with what the Seahawks want in a QB. I've also been hearing about how amazing his arm is. It sounds like he could fall quite a bit so my question is, how far would he have to fall for the Seahawks to not be able to pass on him despite all the perceived negatives? Mid 2nd round? late 2nd round? Or would it HAVE to be 3rd round?

Mike Sando: First we would need to ask whether Mallett's limitations on the mobility front would disqualify him altogether. I suspect it would have to be late second round or third round, but I question whether they would have interest at all.

Coming soon: I'll be breaking out selections associated with six recently updated mock drafts, while adding my own NFC West projections. I've got the Cardinals taking a cornerback, the 49ers taking a pass-rusher, the Rams taking a defensive lineman and the Seahawks taking an offensive lineman. The goal is to entertain enough scenarios over a long enough period of time to enable linking back to the ones that wound up making sense. There are far too many possible scenarios to predict them with any certainty.

Mel Kiper's fifth mock draft for 2011 provides the foundation for discussing how NFC West teams might proceed this offseason.

I'll conclude with a look at his plans for the Arizona Cardinals, who hold the No. 5 overall choice.

5. Arizona Cardinals: Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU

Kiper's give: This is a spot where I'll stamp a big "TRADE POSSIBILITY" tag on my notes as the picks start to come off the board. But if the Cardinals don't make a move for a pick that could turn into Kevin Kolb or some other veteran quarterback, Peterson is the guy they should take. He's the best overall talent in the draft.

Sando's take: Kiper had Missouri quarterback Blaine Gabbert landing with the Cardinals in his previous mock. Before that, it was Texas A&M pass-rusher Von Miller. All these projections make sense on various levels. Gabbert would fill an obvious need at quarterback. Miller would fill an obvious need for a pass-rusher. Peterson would qualify as a value selection -- arguably the best overall player in the draft, albeit at a position of less value than the others. I have a hard time envisioning the Cardinals taking a chance this early on a quarterback they had serious questions about. I have a harder time envisioning them going into the 2011 season with John Skelton and Max Hall as their top two quarterbacks. Unfortunately for Arizona, the lockout prevented it from exploring other options before the draft. What do the Cardinals think about Gabbert? That's the No. 1 question in this scenario. Need and positional value do come into play.

» NFC Draft Watch: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Each Thursday leading up to the NFL draft (April 28-30), the ESPN.com NFL blog network will take a division-by-division look at key aspects of the draft. Today's topic: biggest team needs.

Arizona Cardinals

Quarterback stands out as the most obvious need for the Cardinals after Arizona suffered through a rough 2010 season with Derek Anderson, Max Hall and John Skelton under center. Acquiring a veteran passer in free agency or trade would clear the way for Arizona to focus on other areas in the draft. But if the labor impasse continues through April, the Cardinals will face more pressure to find one in the draft.

Beyond quarterback, the Cardinals need fresh talent at outside linebacker to improve their pass rush and perimeter run defense. They need help at offensive tackle, where Levi Brown hasn’t played to his status as the fifth player drafted in 2007. Their starting interior offensive linemen are without contracts for 2011, so that area is another concern.

Arizona does not have a starting-caliber tight end. Inside linebacker is another position needing attention.

San Francisco 49ers

Quarterback, cornerback and outside linebacker rank among primary needs for a team that has invested five first-round picks in its offense since 2006, including three over the past two drafts.

David Carr is the only quarterback under contract to the 49ers for 2011. Starting cornerback Nate Clements will not return under his current contract. Will Alex Smith come back for another year?

While San Francisco’s front seven has been strong, the team hasn’t had a player reach double digits in sacks since Andre Carter had 12.5 in 2002. That was also the last time the 49ers posted a winning record. New defensive coordinator Vic Fangio likes to build around a pass-rusher and a cover corner.

Nose tackle could become another concern. Starter Aubrayo Franklin played last season as a franchise player. The balloon payment Washington paid to Albert Haynesworth pumped up the projected franchise value for defensive tackles, making it prohibitive for the 49ers to name Franklin their franchise player for a second consecutive season, should the designation exist in a new labor agreement.

St. Louis Rams

The Rams are set at quarterback and picking late enough in the first round -- 14th overall -- to let the draft come to them. They’re in position to benefit when a highly ranked player falls unexpectedly. They should not feel pressured to reach for a position even though they do have needs.

It’s important for the team to arm Sam Bradford with a more dynamic outside receiving threat. Injuries severely weakened the position last season. Front-line talent was lacking at the position even when most of the Rams’ wideouts were healthy.

Defensive tackle and outside linebacker jump out as two additional primary needs. Finding a defensive end to develop behind James Hall would also make sense. Landing a right guard in the draft would solidify the offensive line while letting 2010 starter Adam Goldberg back up multiple positions. The team also needs safety help after letting Oshiomogho Atogwe leave. Finding a change-of-pace back to supplement Steven Jackson's contributions might count as a luxury.

Seattle Seahawks

Quarterback will be a primary need if the Seahawks fail to re-sign Matt Hasselbeck. The position needs to be stocked for the long term even if Hasselbeck does come back for an 11th season with the team.

Restocking the offensive line must take priority no matter what happens at quarterback. The Seahawks’ running game has disappeared in recent seasons, putting too much pressure on the rest of the offense. Drafting left tackle Russell Okung sixth overall a year ago was a start. Seattle needs to find answers at both guard spots and probably right tackle (assuming Max Unger returns from injury and takes over at center, as expected). Adding Robert Gallery in free agency could take off some pressure in the draft. Gallery played under Seattle's new line coach, Tom Cable, in Oakland.

The cornerback situation needs attention. Marcus Trufant’s salary jumps significantly, raising questions about how the team will view him coming off an inconsistent season. Another corner Seattle chose in the first round, Kelly Jennings, is without a contract and lacks the size Seattle prefers at the position.

Earlier: Carson Palmer isn't going anywhere just yet, but if the Cincinnati Bengals' quarterback gets his way, he'll be playing elsewhere in 2010.

How would he fit in the NFC West?

Following up

Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. has studied Palmer closely. I caught up with him since the previous post and wanted to pass along highlights from our conversation.

Matt Williamson: Palmer is not an easy guy to talk about. I was very skeptical of him in 2009, and frankly, nobody else was. Everybody else thought he was still Carson Palmer, the Bengals are winning the division, things are great. What happened in 2009, though, was they were an extremely good running team with Cedric Benson and a physical offensive line, and the defense was really good, so they did not have to do much at quarterback. When they played the Jets in the postseason, that really got exposed. Darrelle Revis took away one receiver. Carson had to do a lot of things, and he could not. I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt because they did lack weapons.

Mike Sando: That changed in 2010. The team added Terrell Owens, Jordan Shipley and Jermaine Gresham. But the Bengals struggled. How did your opinion on Palmer evolve?

Matt Williamson: He pretty much failed every test. He really struggled. His decision-making was poor. The ball doesn’t come out of his hand half as well as it did in his prime. There were very few who could throw as well as Palmer could throw, so he had some room for error. But all the things that went right for the Bengals two years ago -- the defense and running game -- those things all evaporated, too. He was asked to do a lot more, and he was exposed.

Mike Sando: And yet it was still easy to point to other factors. Owens and Chad Ochocinco weren't the most precise route runners. Shipley and Gresham were rookies.

Matt Williamson: There is some of that. That organization is dysfunctional. But in the end, he doesn’t throw the ball as well as he has in the past. I am pretty comfortable with the evaluation of the guy that he is more the problem than the answer. His decision making was bad. If there was a stat for near-interceptions or dropped interceptions, he would have been near the top of the league this year. He had a ton of them. But then, against San Diego in Week 16, he looked like the 2005 version of Palmer.

Mike Sando: I remember the game. The Chargers were playing for a postseason berth. We kept hearing about Philip Rivers' great record in December. Owens and Ochocinco sat out, and it was as though Palmer were liberated. He had a monster game with four touchdowns and no picks. The Bengals won.

Matt Williamson: The Bengals had nothing to play for and Palmer was throwing lasers all over the field. Now I’m like, 'Maybe the guy has just battled a lot of injuries over the last couple years and that was he first time he was healthy in the last two years.' Those are things we would never know. All of a sudden, that late in the year, slinging the ball like that, I'm back to the drawing board. But he doesn't generate power from his legs like he used to. His lower body has failed him and maybe he just happened to feel good one day.

Mike Sando: Seattle could find itself in a more exaggerated version of the same dilemma. Matt Hasselbeck was lights-out in the playoffs. What should we make of it? One game for Palmer, it's not much to go on.

Matt Williamson: If I had to put a grade on any player in the league, Palmer is the one that would be most difficult to grade. There are a lot of extenuating things there. If you put him in Arizona or San Francisco, it would not shock me if he came back strong. He might be a massive upgrade for those teams. He is not old. He is a high-character guy, he is smart, he is from the West Coast. If he is healthy, he can sling it and get it to Larry Fitzgerald or Vernon Davis and Michael Crabtree.

Mike Sando: The Bengals have said they aren't trading him. That probably means they are not trading him. But Palmer's contract calls for him to earn $11.5 million in salary for 2011. That's a lot for a struggling team to pay a 31-year-old quarterback who wants out.

Matt Williamson: If you are the Bengals and you look so far behind the Ravens and Steelers in the AFC North, I would not condone giving Palmer that money for a repeat performance from last year. He was a much better fantasy quarterback than real quarterback. They fell behind and he threw against prevent defenses a lot of the time. If you are Arizona or San Francisco, maybe you could buy it. You are not going to give a first-round pick for the guy. He has shown a glimpse lately. I would probably take Palmer over Hasselbeck, too. But that should not eliminate the idea of drafting a quarterback.

» NFC Wrap-ups: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Arrow indicates direction team is trending.

Final Power Ranking: 28
Preseason Power Ranking: 20

Biggest surprise: The Cardinals spent all offseason grooming Matt Leinart to replace the retired Kurt Warner, only to bench him during the exhibition season and release him on the mandatory reduction to 53 players. Arizona might not have been much better in the standings with Leinart on the roster, but the 2006 first-round draft choice surely would have been better than Max Hall or John Skelton. He probably would have been better than Derek Anderson, too. Coach Ken Whisenhunt suggested after the season that he wouldn't have handled the situation differently, in retrospect. That seems unreasonable.

Biggest disappointment: A defense with a seemingly enviable mix of hard-nosed veterans and ascending young players fell far short of expectations. The Cardinals allowed an additional 27.2 yards and 6.8 points per game from last season. Strong safety Adrian Wilson struggled in coverage. Veteran outside linebacker Joey Porter wasn't much of a factor. The linebackers overall had problems. Calais Campbell and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie dropped off. A shoulder injury slowed Darnell Dockett. Arizona gave up 100-yard rushers regularly on its way to a No. 30 ranking in run defense and No. 29 ranking in defense overall. Staff changes could await.

Biggest need: Quarterback, by a wide margin. The Cardinals hold the fifth overall choice in the 2011 draft. Perhaps they'll select a quarterback. They will have to sign a veteran regardless. The team had interest in former St. Louis Rams starter Marc Bulger last offseason, but the team had already signed Anderson by the time Bulger finally hit the market. It's tough to say whether Bulger might provide what the Cardinals need at the position. He looks a lot more appealing after watching Anderson, Hall and Skelton combine for 10 touchdown passes in 16 games.

Team MVP: Larry Fitzgerald. The Cardinals' best player started slowly as he battled back from a knee injury suffered during the exhibition season. Fitzgerald gained momentum as the season progressed. He finished with 90 receptions for 1,137 yards and six touchdowns despite the situation at quarterback. His yards per reception rebounded somewhat following a dramatic decline in that category from 2008 to 2009.

Crossroads season awaits: Despite a rough economy and a fan base heavy on out-of-state transplants, the Cardinals have avoided local television blackouts for all their home games since University of Phoenix Stadium opened in 2006. Keeping the streak alive could become tougher next season if the Cardinals fail to make the necessary upgrades this offseason. Whisenhunt's challenge this offseason appears straightforward. He needs to push for meaningful changes at a time when labor uncertainty and economic concerns have some NFL owners retreating.

My weekly look at where NFC West quarterbacks stand (trending arrows indicate general direction, not necessarily a change in ranking from the previous week):