Until the lockout is lifted, we have a bunch of speculation on what could happen to teams and draft grades on players that have never seen the field while in the NFL. Some of these rumors have a lot of merit, but like all rumors, they must be taken with a grain of salt. With that, here is your NFC West Roundup.
Pete Carroll on Quarterbacks - Field Gulls
Over at Field Gulls, many fans are asking some of the same questions we are here at Revenge of the Birds. The main question is: Who will be our quarterback this year? For the Seattle Seahawks, they only have Charlie Whitehurst under contract as of now and they are looking to enter the sweepstakes for the coveted Kevin Kolb. Other names that have been floated around as possibilities are Carson Palmer and before the draft there were even some murmurs of Matt Leinart reuniting with his old coach Pete Carroll. There is also the possibility of bringing back Matt Hasselbeck, but who knows when that could happen given the lockout that is in effect. So for now, we all wait in limbo as the players and the owners battle it out in court. Hopefully for the Arizona Cardinals, the Seattle Seahawks don’t enter in with a strong bid for Kolb, since that looks like the direction Ken Whisenhunt and management are looking.
On the Airwaves: John Schneider, the Seahawks, and Rookie Free Agency - Field Gulls
Along with quarterback rumors, Seahawks fans are looking forward to seeing who Seattle brings in as an undrafted rookie free agent once the lockout ends. John Schneider, the GM for the Seahawks, discusses gaps at the defensive and offensive fronts in this interview on a local radio station. Also, he says that the team is looking to bring in some secondary assistance as well as some linebacker aid. Players such as Martin Parker, Anthony Gray and Darren Evans (who played with Ryan Williams at Virginia Tech) have come up on some radar screens for Seahawks’ writers. Regardless of who they bring in, it will still take at least a couple more good drafts for the Seahawks to even consider themselves in contention.
49ers Defensive Personnel: Perfect fit for 4-3 "under" scheme? - Niners Nation
A very refreshing piece over at Niners Nation that discusses how the defensive personnel for the San Francisco 49ers might be better suited in a different scheme. Like Arizona Cardinals fans, 49ers fans are contemplating whether a switch to a 4-3 scheme would possibly work out better than the current 3-4. What is different about this 4-3 "under" scheme is that it is quite similar to the 3-4 and as the writer describes, it would fit the various players in the 49ers defense to a tee. This post is chalk full of great football information, so I am HIGHLY recommending it. It’s a great read.
Andrew Luck, Colin Kaepernick And The Jim Harbaugh Offense - Niners Nation
Colin Kaepernick was recently drafted in the second round by the San Francisco 49ers. The former Nevada quarterback seemingly has all the tools needed to be successful at the next level. On top of all that, he is working with potential first overall pick in 2012, Andrew Luck. Luck was the premiere quarterback under Jim Harbaugh’s offense at Stanford. Harbaugh likes to run a West Coast Offense and anyone that has watched Stanford knows that Andrew Luck can run that offense flawlessly. Kaepernick will probably do pretty well in this system as he is athletic (for the many rollout passes) and he can become mobile if necessary. Getting Luck to agree to work with Kaepernick is a very smart move on the part of the San Francisco 49ers. If and when training camp ever opens, Kaepernick will have a jump start being that he already has a playbook in hand and now a teacher that can relay messages from Harbaugh as to what he needs to be learning.
St. Louis Rams DE Robert Quinn: Defensive Rookie of the Year? - Turf Show Times
Nobody truly knew where Robert Quinn would fall in the draft after missing his last season at the University of North Carolina. After the St. Louis Rams selected him at fourteen, people began to wonder what kind of player he could be as a defensive end across from Chris Long. Quinn, while at North Carolina, developed a means of getting to the opposing quarterback with ease. Whether he was lined up against a tackle or a guard, he was always able to use his combination of quickness, strength and intelligence to get a sack. So this has many people asking: Could Robert Quinn win the Defensive Rookie of the Year award? He has all the tools to do so along with having a coach that is known for having a deadly pass rush in Steve Spagnuolo. In any case, whether he wins this prestigious award or not is not the problem. The problem is how will the Arizona Cardinals makeshift offensive line be able to stop a guy like this? If they can’t, it could be a long two games against the Rams this year.
NFL Free Agents: Can the St. Louis Rams find any help on the list of free agents? - Turf Show Times
The St. Louis Rams have been looking for a second back to compliment all-star Steven Jackson for a long time now. Once the league year technically begins and free agency is open, it is possible that they could find their guy through those means. Players like Ronnie Brown from the Miami Dolphins and Darren Sproles are names that could be possible fits for the Rams offense. Also of need, the Rams are in search of a veteran safety. The only name that I have repeatedly heard is Quintin Mikell, which I spoke about in a previous NFC West Roundup. With the lockout in place, the Rams will still have to wait like the rest of the NFL to sign free agents.