Sources: Palmer Wants out of Cincinnati...or Retire

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Sources reveal to ESPN's Chris Mortensen, that Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer will request a trade or contemplate retirement if no trade is made. Palmer has personally made no comment regarding the report by ESPN. Of course, the Bengals had no comment on the matter.

It's apparent why Palmer wants out. Mort provides the answer.

"Palmer has become the object of fan frustration in the past two years and sources said he has grown frustrated with the team's inconsistencies."

Here's the numbers for Palmer since being tabbed as the Bengals starting QB.

Year	G	GS	QBrec	Cmp	Att	Cmp%	Yds	TD	Int	Rate
2004	13	13	6-7-0	263	432	60.9	2897	18	18	77.3
2005*	16	16	11-5-0	345	509	67.8	3836	32	12	101.1
2006*	16	16	8-8-0	324	520	62.3	4035	28	13	93.9
2007	16	16	7-9-0	373	575	64.9	4131	26	20	86.7
2008	4	4	0-4-0	75	129	58.1	731	3	4	69.0
2009	16	16	10-6-0	282	466	60.5	3094	21	13	83.6
2010	16	16		362	586	61.8	3970	26	20	82.4
Career	97	97	42-39-0	2024	3217	62.9	22694	154	100	86.9

Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 1/23/2011.

After a fantastic 2005 season, Palmer's second in the NFL as a player (he sat his entire first season as he learned the ropes), Palmer's production has been in a steady decline. The numbers completely bear that point.

I can see why. Mort's sources state that Palmer is "frustrated". Over the past two years (at least) there's a reason Palmer may be frustrated. The Bengals have no offensive identity. The philosophy seems to change on impulse. In 2009, Cincy was primarily a running team with Cedric Benson carting the load. The Bengals were 10-6 and won the AFC North.

This past season, the Bengals snared Terrell Owens via free agency and drafted Jermaine Gresham and Jordan Shipley. Maybe the Bengals would evolve into a passing team. It never materialized and the Bengals finished 4-12. Since that magical 2005 season, Palmer's passer rating has declined in seasons where he was the full-time QB. The crowd at PBS has also shown its disdain over Palmer and his bad decisions and lack of accuracy.

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

If the Bengals decide to give in to Palmer's demands, look for Palmer to attempt a reunion with his USC head coach Pete Carroll in Seattle. Matt Hasselbeck is a free agent and even though Caroll says he wants Hasselbeck back in a Seahawks uniform, he could go the way of Palmer if he is available.

Here's what makes me laugh about this. If the sources are correct, Palmer is saying "deal me or I quit".

Yeah, I want that guy running my offense.

Update: Just about a half an hour ago, Joe Reedy of the Cincinnati Enquirer posted on his blog that the Bengals are currently not entertaining any offers for Palmer. Bengals team president Mike Brown did confirm that Palmer requested a trade.

Update #2: Palmer's agent, David Dunn, released a statement on the affairs between Palmer and the Bengals. Again, Reedy has this posted.

“Carson met with Bengals owner Mike Brown recently. They both expressed profound disappointment in how the team fared last season, and in how it has generally performed during Carson’s tenure with the team. Because of the lack of success that Carson and the Bengals have experienced together, Carson strongly feels that a separation between him and the Bengals would be in the best interest of both parties. Carson could not respect the Brown family any more than he does or be more appreciative of what the Browns have done for him and his wife Shaelyn and his family.”

You can consider this a bit of fluff. All the rights things were said, er, written. There isn't exactly the phrase "requested to be traded" in there, but "separation" was. Maybe it is time for Palmer to go elsewhere. He obviously doesn't want to be in Cincinnati any longer.

The Day After: Seahawks/Bears and Jets/Pats

Not a whole lot to say about the Bears/Seahawks tilt. It was pretty much done when Seattle fell behind 21-0 at the 10:01 mark of the second quarter after a Jay Cutler TD run.

Wait. There is.

The Bears will not receive the kudos they deserve because they beat a team with a losing record. For the entire season, the Seahawks finished 8-10. Doesn't matter that they gained 437 total yards. It was against a poor defense. Doesn't matter that the allowed less than 300 yards of offense to Seattle. It was against a poor offense.

See what I mean. I can go on, too. After the Bears jumped out to that 21-0 lead, the Seahawks outscored them 24-14 the remainder of the game. The last two TD Seattle scored were within the last 2:16 of the game.

In other words, the game wasn't near as close as the final would indicate. The Bears were up 35-10 with just a little over two minutes remaining. And do not attempt to say that the Seahawks made it respectable.

The Bears defense stifled the Seahawks running game and made the Seahawks one dimensional. And while Matthew Hasselbeck's numbers won't blow you away, he did play a good game. Cutler was just better. The Bears defense was better. Give them their due.

As far as the Jets/Pats, I was shocked. That's an understatement. I thought that when the war of words was launched, the would serve poorly for the Jets. Yes, I was wrong. The Jets backed up their brash behavior with a 28-21 win.

NFC Divisional Game: Seahawks/Bears

The Chicago Bears have a chance for accomplish two things in this game. One is to avenge a 23-20 loss at the hands of Seattle earlier this season. Second, and I'm not so sure this can be done, is silence some of their critics.

I say that last part because the Bears are hosting an 8-9 team. You could conceivably say that Chicago is in a no-win situation there. Still, a win in the playoffs means you play another week.

Game Time: 1:00 PM ET
Network: FOX
Announcers: Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa

When the Bears have the ball...

	Scoring (Rk)	Total Yds (Rk)	Pass Yds (Rk)	Rush Yds (Rk)
offense	20.9 (21st)	289.4 (30th)	188.4 (28th)	101.0 (22nd)
defense	25.4 (25th)	368.6 (27th)	249.6 (27th)	118.9 (21st)

One of the most frustrating things for Bears fans this past season was trying to determine what type of offense the Bears had? Mike Martz was brought in to upgrade the offense, but that didn't appear to be the case at the beginning even though the Bears were winning. QB Jay Cutler was getting pounded and the O line was porous at best.

Then a switch went was flipped. Martz changed up a few things. He changed protection schemes. He changed Cutler's drops and reads. He involved RB Matt Forte more. Both have made Cutler a better QB. Those games where Cutler reverts to just slinging the ball have diminished.

(Image: Monica's Dad via Flickr

And when Forte was integrated more in the offense, it become more formidable. Forte's 2009 was near the season he had in 2008 when Forte was the Bears offense. In 2009, defenses keyed on him and he was stifled. The second half of 2010 looked more like the Forte of '08.

But don't think the Bears are just about Cutler and Forte. WRs Johnny Knox and Devin Hester (yes, he is still learning AND improving) come along just like the rest of the offensive unit. And even though TE Greg Olsen has yet to live up to his status as a first round pick, he's become a fave of Cutler.

The bad news for the Seahawks defense isn't that it's not a good unit. It's that their best player, LB Lofa Tatupu, may not be available after suffering a concussion against the Saints. Today will be the day to determine if he's a go. If he can't that leaves a major hole in an already bad defense.

So how did Seattle beat New Orleans last week? The Saints had seven trips in the red zone. They scored four TDs. That's how. I thought turnovers would play a vital role, but they didn't. The turnover battle was even. The Seahawks may have to improve on that this week. The Bears can run the ball where the Saints had issues all season with the rushing attack.

There could be a saving grace here...will the "old" Jay Cutler return? If it does, the Seahawks defense could feat on picks.

When the Seahawks have the ball...

	Scoring (Rk)	Total Yds (Rk)	Pass Yds (Rk)	Rush Yds (Rk)
offense	19.4 (23rd)	297.8 (28th)	208.8 (19th)	89.0 (31st)
defense	17.9 (4th)	314.3 (9th)	224.2 (20th)	90.1 (2nd)

Last week, RB Marshawn Lynch pulled off one of the greatest runs in playoff history to more or less seal the deal. QB Matthew Hasselbeck had perhaps his best game of the season. It seemed that he rarely missed. When he did, the guy was covered and he was throwing it away.

Hasselbeck must be protected (Image Matt McGee via Flickr)

Hasselbeck will be key if the Seahawks are to pull another upset. He has to have the same game tomorrow he had last week. In fact, the whole Seahawks offense must duplicate their efforts in order to win. But can they do such?

Yes, Lynch must pound the ball between the tackles. Yes, Hasselbeck must be around 70% for his completions. Yes, John Carlson must be a factor. Yes, the O line must protect the aging QB. Yes, Mike Williams cannot drop balls. All are musts for Seattle to win.

There will be one difference in this game, LB Lance Briggs. He didn't play the first time. He will be comping at the bit for this go around. And it's an experienced trio at linebacker, Briggs, Brian Urlacher and Pino Tinoisamoa is as good a trio you will find.

Where the Bears upgraded, obviously, was bringing in DE Julius Peppers. And as much as you might think that helped the pass rush, it has helped stopping the run. The Bears were only behind the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2010. That's improvement.

The secondary is a bit underrated. They're aren't a lot of names back there, but they can hang with these Seahawks receivers. In fact, I like CB Charles Tillman. Look for Tillman to be manned up against Mike Williams.

Something that's interesting is that Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll said he will punt to Devin Hester. I don't get that. Seattle has a good punter in Jon Ryan. He was one of the top placement punters in the NFL this season. And why put the kind of unnecessary pressure on your coverage teams?

And maybe Carroll is just blowing smoke.

The issue in this game will be can Seattle outscore Chicago. I'm not seeing it, but they did outscore the Saints last week and New Orleans does have a more potent offense that Chicago. But as I said, the Bears can run. If Jay Cutler has 60 pass attempts like Drew Brees did last week, it WILL be a Seahawks victory.

Seahawks Still Receiving No Respect

I was waiting for this to happen. Waiting for at least one person to slam my Seattle Seahawks and their dismal 7-9 regular season showing and how they didn't belong in the NFL playoffs, let alone host a playoff game. Bear with me here as my judgment may become a tad clouded. I am a huge Seahawks fan...and yes, I am still celebrating this win.

But as I said, here we are. We all know the Seahawks got the last laugh (kind of) against the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints. And along comes Business Insider Sports Page stating that the Seahawks win displays why the NFL playoff system needs a re-tooling and offers a solution...

The solution? Give each division an automatic playoff berth, but if a division winner finishes under .500, it should be forced to play its Wild Card game on the road.

That's your solution? If a team doesn't have at least a .500 record, you cannot host a game? Oh, but if you're 8-8, that's okay? News flash here. 8-8 is also a non-winning record. It's not a losing record, bit it's not a winning record either. That's also mediocrity which is, I suppose, the aim of this crack headed idea.

If you're wanting to "rid" those teams from hosting a game, how about they must hold a 9-7 record. That's a winning record, not 8-8.

To some extent, making the playoffs is based on record. I cannot understand (and I am not looking at this through rose-colored glasses) how people are screaming for all this change. As I said a couple days ago, this is the first time this has happened. It's the old "the sky is falling" thing, huh?

Wait. I do understand why all these negative vibes are flowing.

Your team got cheated, or so you think. I can thoroughly understand if fans of the New York Giants and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a bit bitter. They did post better records and are sitting at home. The Giants lost at Green Bay in week 16 and that pretty much sealed their fate.

The Bucs were the real unfortunate ones. They're in the same division as the Saints and #1 seed Atlanta Falcons. While we have seen three teams from one division make the "tournament", it's not a frequent occurrence. The Bucs had to have both the Giants and Green Bay Packers lose and the they had to best the Saints (which they did) to make the postseason parade.

And here's another thing. Are people upset because last season's "feel good story" is no more? That's part of it. The Saints were the darlings of the NFL last year. Every time you turned on your TV after their Super Bowl win, you got nothing but a screenful of Drew Brees. You tuned your radio to any sports talk station and the Saints were one of the first topics that were discussed.

That's almost all gone now. The only thing left is for people, Saints fans or not, to howl of the unfairness of the situation.

I can dispel that all right now.

Qwest Field. Site of NFC Championship?
Image: Yincrash via Wikimedia Commons

Of all the home teams from this past weekend, only one home team won. One. Not Philadelphia. Not Kansas City. Not Indianapolis. Seattle.

And ponder this thought as scary as it may sound. If the Packers beat the Falcons and the Seahawks beat the Bears, guess where the NFC Championship game will be held?

Qwest Field.

Now wouldn't that turn the world upside down.

Seahawks Dump Saints, Jets Boot Colts

Honestly, did you see that one coming? If you're saying you did see the Seattle Seahawks defeating the New Orleans Saints, you're going to have to have some proof because no one will believe you. I am Seahawks fan and I don't believe you.

In my take on this game, I thought two things would be paramount for Seattle to win, the crowd and turnovers. The crowd prodded the Saints into a few illegal motion calls, the norm at Qwest Field, and the turnover margin was 0. Both favored the home team.

Hasselbeck had his best game
of the season against the Saints.
Image: Chad Riley via Flickr

Now, I did not anticipate the Seahawks putting up 41 points against the NFL's 4th rated defense. I also did not foresee QB Matthew Hasselbeck (22-35, 272 yds, 4 TD, INT) having as good a game as I've ever seen him have. I also did not think Marshawn Lynch (19 carries, 131 yds, TD) would be as big a factor. His TD run with 3:22 remaining was the deciding score...and what a run it was.

I did expect Saints QB Drew Brees to have a good game, but going 39-60 for 404 yards with 2 TD was a bit more than I thought. The Saints running game wasn't as much as they needed except for Julius Jones rushing for 2 TD. Reggie Bush sustained an injury and was never a factor. No QB should ever have to heave 60 passes.

But make no mistake about it, the Seahawks offense was the story in this one. If you had told me New Orleans would score 36 points, it wouldn't matter what you would tell me what Seattle would have. No one would guess 41. To put the offensive outburst into perspective, realize this.

The only main offensive stat the Seahawks were not ranked in the league's bottom third for the regular season was in passing. They ranked 19th with almost 209 yards a game. Hasselbeck surpassed that. The Seahawks averaged only 89 yards a contest for the 2010 season. Against the Saints, that number was 149, 60 yards above their average.

For next week, the Seahawks will be on the road either in Atlanta or Chicago. Pete Carroll might be thinking too bad the Qwest Field crowd can't travel with his team.

Then again, you never know. That's why they play the games.

And I can hear it again about Seattle being 7-9 and not only making the playoffs, but hosting a game.

In the nightcap, Rex Ryan and the New York Jets avenged last year's AFC championship game loss with a last second 32 yard field goal by Nick Folk to defeat the defending AFC champs, 17-16. Neither Super Bowl participant from last season will be returning.

This game was not a thriller in the pure sense. In fact, when the Colts scored a go-ahead, 50-yard field goal off the foot of Adam Vinatieri with 53 seconds to go, you thought it was over. There's no way Jets QB Mark Sanchez could lead the Jets back, right? The Jets are a defensive team ,right?

Did we witness the real "Sanchize"?
Image: Ed Yourdon via Flickr

I believed we all witnessed the cool that is Mark Sanchez. The former USC Trojan led the Jets on the game-winning, five play, 40 yard drive in that 53 ticks. Nothing rattled him at all. In fact, the last offensive play before Folk's heroics, Sanchez completed an 18 yard pass to Braylon Edwards.

Edwards did not get out of bounds, yet Sanchez showed composure in getting his offense to the line. It didn't really matter in the end as the Jets still had a timeout, but you want to keep the TO in case something goes awry.

Nothing did. Those that have grown to hate the Jets and Ryan will have another week to deal with the blowhard and his ego. If you're one of those, gear up for next week. Why? The Jets now have to go to New England.

Remember that "rant" Ryan had about Pats QB Tom Brady not studying as hard as Peyton Manning? Again, Ryan's boys must cash a check their coach wrote.

Soon, that check won't be able to be cashed.

Saturday NFL Playoff Games: Saints/Seahawks

The opening week of the NFL playoffs commences tomorrow. And what an intriguing first game we have, the defending Super Bowl champs, the New Orleans Saints (11-5) traveling to Seattle to take on the Seahawks (7-9) at Qwest Field. Upon the opening kickoff the Seahawks will make dubious NFL history. They will become the first team with a losing record to host a playoff game.

Game time: 4:30 PM ET
Network: NBC
Announcers: Tom Hammond and Mike Mayock (Yep, same guys that do Notre Dame games for NBC)

This is a rematch of a week 11 affair in which the Saints defeated the Seahawks, 34-19. That game was played at the Superdome.

When the Seahawks have the ball...

	Scoring (Rk)	Total Yds (Rk)	Pass Yds (Rk)	Rush Yds (Rk)
offense	19.4 (23rd)	297.8 (28th)	208.8 (19th)	89.0 (31st)
defense	19.2 (7th)	306.2 (4th)	193.9 (4th)	112.3 (16th)

Looking at merely the raw numbers here, you have to wonder how the Seahawks will be able to move the ball. The way in is to run the ball. Problem is, the Seahawks can't. They do have two nice running backs in Marshawn Lynch and Justin Forsett. Plus, the longer your offense stays on the field, the less the Saints O is. With Matthew Hasselbeck being names the starter, that does help. Hasselbeck has started 9 playoff games during his career with a 4-5 record.

Look for the wily vet to go one of two ways: He's able to nitpicks his way through an excellent pass defense OR he throws four picks and the Seahawks look terrible.

And that's no ordinary defense. The Saints actually improved their D from '09 to '10. Much improved. In looking at the above table, here are the Saints defensive rankings (going across the table): 13th, 25th, 26th, 21st. Fourth from 21st overall? That's mind boggling. That isn't only a tribute to the personnel, how about defensive coordinator Gregg Williams? The guys had another year to adjust to his style and has that ever paid off.

Biggest issue for New Orleans will be if starting safety Malcolm Jenkins can give it a go. After being the Saints first round pick in 2009 as a corner, Jenkins successfully made the switch. He's been the secondary's best player this season.

When the Saints have the ball...

	Scoring (Rk)	Total Yds (Rk)	Pass Yds (Rk)	Rush Yds (Rk)
offense	24.0 (11th)	372.5 (6th)	277.6 (3rd)	94.9 (28th)
defense	25.4 (25th)	368.6 (27th)	249.6 (27th)	118.9 (21st)

Everyone has been heaping on the Saints offense this season. There's been some reasons why the champs have struggled, but this offense could even struggle more in this game than last week against the Buccaneers. And, yes, I am considering the fact that Seattle possesses a porous defense. But they will struggles for various reasons.

Can Bush be "the guy"?
Image by Cvalentine via Flickr

First, Chris Ivory and Pierre Thomas were placed on IR this past week. That leaves Reggie Bush and former Seahawk Julius Jones to tote the rock. Ivory led the team in rushing during the regular season with 719 yards. Thomas was second with only 269. That leaves the load to Bush and Jones, who combined had 343. Injuries ravaged the Saints backfield all season.

And Drew Brees of 2010 wans't the Drew Brees of 2009 either. He threw more picks (11 in '09 to 22 in '10), a lower completion percentage (70.6 in '09 compared to 68.1 for '10) and less passes of 20+ yards (69 in '90 with 57 for '10). Still, Brees, out of necessity, threw for almost 275 more yards in 2010 (4,388 in '09 and 4,620 in '10).

Yes, it will boil down to Brees and his ability to avoid the pick and the Saints must establish some facet of a running game just to keep Seattle's Swiss cheese defense honest.

The X factor is without a doubt the Seattle crowd. Even though Qwest Field is an open air stadium, it has been said repeatedly that this is the loudest crowd in the league. Pete Carroll and the rest of the Seahawks better hope that's the case or it could be a long game.

Seahawks Slink into NFL Postseason

So the now 7-9 Seattle Seahawks "won" the NFC West Division after an anything but stout victory over the upstart St. Louis Rams Sunday night. It marks the first time that a division winner will enter the NFL playoffs sporting a record that's below .500

Now, numerous people are spouting off saying that something needs to change. There's no way a blow .500 team deserves to even make the NFL playoffs. Some suggest that the United States biggest sport is missing on this issue.

Before I go to far, let me state that I am a fan of the Seahawks. And, yes, I'm a sheepish about this whole deal. Still, one of the prizes for winning your division, no matter how stinking weak it is, is making the postseason parade.

Now, back to the task at hand...

To suggest that the NFL is flubbing here is completely off the mark. We've not had a sub-.500 division winner advance on in the past, but get this through your thick noggins...it's the first time.

Did you get that? It's the first freakin' time.

Why is everyone so up in arms over this? Even as a Seahawks fan, I can easily answer that.

There are two teams in the NFC (New York Giants and Tampa Bay Buccaneers) that sport a 10-6 record and must sit at home and observe (if they can stomach it) the playoffs. I honestly feel bad for those teams, but there have also been instances where a team holding a better record than a divisional winner didn't make the playoffs.

Back in 2008, the New England Patriots were 11-5 and missed the postseason. The San Diego Chargers were 8-8 and won their division. Where was all the mass hysteria over that? Not as widespread because at least that team had a .500 record.

The better avenue to pursue is a simple "reseeding" of the teams, right? Not so sure I'm on aboard with that either. Another of the prizes for winning your division is hosting at least one home playoff affair such as Seattle (7-9) will do against the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints (11-5). I do think the "reseeding" aspect will be at least visited in the very near future. But give it all a rest those of you screaming for a change. This is a rarity that a sub-.500 team hosts a playoff game.

If it happens in 2011, if there is a 2011 season, then your cries could be constituted as valid.

NFC West Primer

The last of the primers has us visiting the NFC West. A lot has changed with defending champ Arizona. Can they repeat?

Can Leinart captain the Cards offense?

Arizona Cardinals
2009 record: 10-6, 1st in division
Head coach: Ken Whisenhunt
Key Additions: QB Derek Anderson, G Alan Faneca, K Jay Feely, LB Joey Porter
Key Losses: LB Karlos Dansby, K Neil Rackers, S Antrel Rolle, WR Jehreme Urban, WR Anquan Boldin

1. Okay. Is Matt Leinart really ready to be "the guy" in Arizona?
We've seen nothing to indicate he is. That being said, Leinart did have the honor of sitting behind a future Hall of Famer in Kurt Warner. If Leinart were to ask for advice, we know Warner will give it. Leinart has lost the job before and the signing of Derek Anderson, no matter how terrible he's played the last two seasons, should serve as yet another form of motivation. It all depends how Leinart approaches things. If he's canned for Anderson, it's high time the Cards move on at the position.

2. Can the Cards defense overcome the losses of Rolle and Dansby?
This is almost as critical as the retirement of Warner. Both Dansby and Rolle were sensational for Arizona. Bringing in Porter is a good move, but I'm not sold on it. Being able to draft former Horned Frog LB Daryl Washington could be just the right fix the Cards linebacking corps needs. The secondary will suffer from Rolle departing. Rolle has great instincts and quickness. I know they still have Adrian Wilson but he can't play everywhere. If Darnell Dockett and Company can bring QB pressure, the lack of depth in the defensive backfield won't be as noticeable.

3. Can Beanie Wells be the guy to take the bulk of the carries?
Wells was bitten by the injury bug when he was at Ohio State. Beanie averaged a good 4.5 yards a carry last year. It's not so much about Beanie being able to be the true #1 back as much as it is can the Cardinals rush the ball with consistency. Wells could get to 1,100 yards with good health and good blocking...and a commitment to run.

Warner's absence will still be the biggest one felt in 2010.

Smith must now show he's an NFL QB.

San Francisco 49ers
2009 record: 8-8, 2nd in division
Head coach: Mike Singletary
Key Additions: QB David Carr, CB Karl Paymah
Key Losses: T Tony Pashos, CB Walt Harris, WR Arnez Battle

1. Are the 49ers as legit as people think?
Tough to really tell. You know the Niners will play defense because of the guy in charge. It's the offense that concerns me. QB Alex Smith has yet to prove he's a starter in the league. The Niners to give Smith a bit of help in the draft by presenting him two excellent lineman (Anthony Davis and Mike Iupati). The recent signing of Brian Westbrook was facilitated with Glen Coffee abruptly retiring. That may be an even bigger plus with Westbrook being a dual threat. And don't forget that WR Michael Crabtree will be around for the whole season.

2. Is too much being asked of Davis and Iupati?
While watching the draft, a couple of "experts" said that Iupati was a bit more of a project than Davis. One Iupati starts downhill, defenders better watch out or it's a pancake. I was a bit taken aback that San Fran traded up to #11 to get Davis. He most likely would have been there at #13. Davis could get thrown in to the fire as the left tackle and the protector of Smith's backside.

3. How much will Westbrook add to the offense?
You can't imagine how big I feel this deal is. If anything, Westbrook can add the experience factor to the team. He can also serve as a mentor to Frank Gore. That's scary. Gore is already one of the best backs in the NFL and Gore has already learned from Westbrook. The Niners consulted with Gore before making the move. Not surprised Gore said yes.

I didn't feel the defense had any issues.

Seattle needed life and found it in Carroll.

Seattle Seahawks
2009 record: 5-11, 3rd in division
Head coach: Pete Carroll
Key Additions: RB Leon Washington, TE Chris Baker, G Ben Hamilton, QB Charlie Whitehurst
Key Losses: WR Nate Burleson, DE Cory Redding, FB Justin Griffith, S Deon Grant

1. Can QB Matthew Hasselbeck stay healthy?
The Seahawks made attempts to bolster the offensive line by drafting T Russell Okung and singing Hamilton from Denver. The retirement of Walter Jones will echo this season, but Okung could be the next great lineman to play in the Emerald City. It also depends on the health of C Chris Spencer. With Rob Sims being dealt, Spencer must now show he was worthy of being a high draft choice.

2. Are the Seahawks ready for Carroll's "rah-rah" attitude?
They better be. In fact, they need it. Infusing enthusiasm is Carroll's calling card. That alone could garner the Seahawks an extra win or two this season. Carroll says he was ready to return to the NFL to give it another go. It may take a year or two and people forget that Carroll had a winning record overall before he went to USC.

3. How deep are the Seahawks at wide receiver?
Very deep. They were hoping to move Deion Branch and his contract, but no one would bite. We'll never see the Deion Branch that was in New England, but this group can flat out play. Mike Williams has been the surprise so far. Branch, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Deon Butler, second round pick Golden Tate and Williams give new offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates and Hasselbeck more than enough weapons at the position.

The Seahawks will bounce back a bit in 2010.

Bradford may be under pressure to start
immediately. The Rams should ease him
into that role.

St. Louis Rams
2009 record: 1-15, 4th in division
Head coach: Steve Spagnuolo
Key Additions: LB Na'il Diggs, CB Kevin Dockery, QB A.J. Feeley, DT Chris Hovan, G Hank Fraley, LB Bobby Carpenter
Key Losses: T Alex Barron, LB Paris Lenon, WR Ruvell Martin

1. Will #1 overall pick Sam Bradford start on opening weekend?
That's a lot to ask from a kid that missed a lot of playing time last year. I think the Rams made an excellent move by bringing in Feeley until Bradford is ready. Bradford may surprise me and get the nod for the first game. I'd find a way to get both Bradford and Feeley playing with the starters during preseason just to see where everyone fits.

2. More than one win?
No one can predict just one win, but the reality is harsh. I see two games that I think (I stress, think) the Rams might be favored to win (week 7 @ Tampa Bay and week 15 v. Kansas City). They have Arizona in week 1, pay a visit to an improved Oakland team in week 2, host the Washington Redskins in week 3. Tough start to the season. The Rams host Seattle in week 4 and that might be a third game where the Rams could be viewed as a favorite as Seattle historically does not play well in St. Louis.

3. Will RB Steven Jackson have to be the offense again in 2010?
Seems like he's been the Rams offense the last two seasons. If the Rams are to be successful from the offensive side of the ball, the passing game will have to evolve to avoid Jackson getting dinged. No question Jackson is a pure stud. Opposing teams know he's getting the ball and they still can't stop him. Oh, and having the receivers step up will help, too. Jackson also led the Rams in receptions in '09.

Gotta walk before you can run.

1. San Francisco. I'm sold.
2. Arizona. No Warner is a big problem.
3. Seattle. If the offense gets going, the could threaten for 2nd.
4. St. Louis. Just not enthused about them (except Jackson).

Next for the Seahawks, Carroll

With the resignation of Pete Carrol at USC and know being announced as the next head coach for the Seattle Seahawks, one has to wonder how much "power" Carroll will have in the organization.

I'm not so sure he'll have total control. Seattle has the "been there, done that" tag when the Mike Holmgren era began in 1999. That was not a good strategy for the long haul. As a Seahawks fan, I questioned the move then and I question the possibility of Carroll getting that now. To me, you have to have a seaparate GM and coach and they must find a way to work together. Mike Sando of ESPN.com has the very same take on the situation.

The house cleaning in Seattle has not gone without it's questions. Why is Carroll leaving USC? Does he know that USC is facing major penalties from the NCAA and he's taking this time to "get out of Dodge"? Was Carroll actually forced out due to those same possible sanctions? Was firing Jim Mora after only one year fair? Did Mora lose the Seahawks locker room?

We most likely will never know the answer to any of those questions. But that's for another day.

What will Carroll do with a team that has lost a step or two to the rest of their division? That's the real question that must be answered. Obviously, the Arizona Cardinals are now the class of the NFC West considering they're the back-to-back division champs.

First, get a GM that knows how to properly evaluate talent. As Sando points out, Floyd Reese (right) seems like a logical fit. As a GM for the Tennessee Titans, Reese worked along side of Jeff Fisher. Reese knows how that type of "checks and balances" works within a front office. Reese served this past season as the Senior Football Advisor for the New England Patriots. Reese had a front seat for how the Patriots run their organization and that may translate into a return as an NFL GM. He's also highly respected in NFL circles. That brings credibility if Reese were to be named as Seahawks GM.

Upon announcing that Carroll would be the next Seahawks head coach, Seahawks CEO Tod Leiweke offered this as posted on seahawks.com:

“We now turn our full attention to the hiring process for a general manager. Our intended structure is for Pete and the new GM to work in a collaborative capacity on football matters.”

Almost sounds like an Reese endorsement, doesn't it?

Next, the success of an NFL head coach is highly predicated on the effectiveness of his assistants. Select good assistant coaches, Pete. Carroll is taking Jeremy Bates (left) from his USC staff to serve as offfensive coordinator. It was Bates that helped develop Bears QB Jay Cutler when they were together in Denver. Cutler had mild success in Denver and a lot of that has been attributed to Bates. With Bates going to Seattle, that means that Gregg Knapp is now out.

But there are many more positions to fill, and Carroll has to be "spot on" with his hires. Don't rule out the possiblity that the new GM may provide a bit of aid since Carroll has been out of the NFL for a while. Don't forget that Vikings DC Leslie Frazier was brought in to interview for the head coach position. While many say this was merely to satisfy the Rooney Rule (and it sure does look like it), was it an audition for bigger and better things that could head Frazier's way? I'm just asking.

Finally, Carroll must earn respect from the Seahawks roster. For some odd reason, it appeared that Jim Mora never did. If the reports are true that Mora did lose the locker room, he surely wasn't being respected. This may be the hardest step in the process. We all know Carroll has massive charisma, but well will that translate to an NFL locker room? Some are already suggesting that it won't. Getting in good with QB Matthew Hasselbeck is just a suggestion, Pete.

On the surface, it looks like Seattle made a "knee jerk" reaction in dismissing Mora, giving him only one season.

The Seahawks brass had to have their eyes on Carroll for a long time to pull such a reaction.