The lockout is in full force as we all know and now the players are filing briefs with the 8th District Court of Appeals. Apparently, they are using words such as, "boycott," instead of "lockout," in their documents, which would make what the owners are doing illegal due to the fact that they would be breaking anti-trust laws. Basically, the lockout isn't coming to a halt any time soon. Anyhow, here are some more projections of/from our NFC West rivals in this week's NFC West Roundup.
Gull Poll: Offensive Big Fish in Free Agency - Field Gulls
In a poll conducted over at Field Gulls, the SB Nation Seattle Seahawks blog, people voted on a number of possible free agents that the team may look to acquire once the lockout is over. Not surprisingly, ‘Hawks fans still believe that the offensive line must be addressed, which is not unlike the opinion that many Arizona Cardinals fans hold. In the poll, Robert Gallery obtained the most votes, while Davin Joseph came in a distant second. After that, Seahawks fans believe that a receiver to line up across from the budding Mike Williams would be appropriate. The two names that came up the most were not surprising, as these players each have immense talent and skill. Click the link and find out who else the Seahawks fans would like to see in Seattle, some of the names may surprise you.
What to consider on Charlie Whitehurst - NFC West Blog - ESPN
Mike Sando over at ESPN receives e-mails from some of his readers quite frequently, some of them asking him questions, others pointing out his mistakes. This particular e-mail is from a fan that could see Charlie Whitehurst as a viable starting option for the Seattle Seahawks next season, thus the need to bring in a big name free agent quarterback will be unnecessary. Sando agrees to a point and you can read his thoughts by clicking the link above. The Arizona Cardinals were in the running for Whitehurst’s services before the 2010 season and eventually decided to go with Derek Anderson instead. Whitehurst ended up costing Seattle a third round pick and a second round swap, while Anderson was just a waste of funds coming out of free agency after being cut by the Cleveland Browns. Whitehurst has not been able to justify what the ‘Hawks paid for him yet, but he may gain that chance in this upcoming season and beyond.
San Francisco 49ers 2010 Draft, One Year Later: Kyle Williams - Niners Nation
I decided to go with this story from Niners Nation due to the fact that many of us are from Arizona here at ROTB and a lot of us follow Arizona State University and their various sports departments. Kyle Williams, a former wide receiver from ASU, was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers last year in the sixth round and 49ers fans are starting to think he could have big things coming to him. Williams is seen as a dynamic return man, whether that is on punts or kick-offs, so keeping him on the roster would be a huge bonus for San Francisco. The former Sun Devil only played in one game last year and had one reception, but is looking to have a break out year in 2011. Hopefully he does well, but not well enough to help the 49ers in a drastic way.
Video: Regarding playbook secrets - NFC West Blog - ESPN
By now, many of the quarterbacks in the NFL have received playbooks. Whether that was by way of a third party, the brief lift in the lockout, or through illegal means, we do not know, but some signal callers will now be able to get a jump start and hold informal workouts while being able to call plays that will be used by their teams next year. Even quarterbacks that are not currently under contract such as Alex Smith and Matt Hasselbeck reportedly obtained playbooks from their old teams. This type of action tells us that Smith will likely return to the San Francisco 49ers and Hasselbeck will go back to the Seahawks, but what if they were to leave their respective teams and take the playbooks with them? Mike Sando discusses this possibility in a short video on the ESPN NFC West blog. Take a look at the link and see what he has to say. It really makes a lot of sense given the various circumstances that a team may be faced with and therefore the opposing team may not be able to prognosticate what play will be called.
St. Louis Rams coaches facing pay cuts too - Turf Show Times
News came out recently of how Arizona Cardinals owners will be forcing their staff to take pay cuts and even take mandatory furloughs. Well, for those of you that think the Bidwills are the only people cheap enough to do this, think again. St. Louis Rams coaches will be forced to take pay cuts as well, though it is reportedly not the head honchos such as Coach Steve Spagnuolo or GM Billy Devaney. Speculation is out there as to whether Spagnuolo, the lowest paid coach in the NFC West, is also taking a hit in the wallet. Whatever the circumstances are, it goes to show that the lockout hurts everyone and it needs to end soon.
Archie Manning gives St. Louis Rams QB Sam Bradford the stamp of approval - Turf Show Times
Sam Bradford is already developing into an elite quarterback in the NFL. We really do not need anyone to tell us this, as we have seen what he is capable of becoming on the field. What helps is that Archie Manning, father of professional quarterbacks Eli and Peyton, recently gave his, "stamp of approval," to the young star claiming he has a, "low-key personality," and that pressure does not scare him. At any rate, fans around the NFL will be looking forward to see what kind of body of work Bradford can create. Sam will more than likely be leading the Rams to some successful seasons, but hopefully none more successful than the Cardinals have had the past few years (sans 2010).