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Top rookies stare down sophomore slumps1 hour ago
RENTON, Wash. -- Aldon Smith, Patrick Peterson and Doug Baldwin lit up the NFL, relatively speaking, as NFC West rookies last season. Smith's 14 sacks led the 49ers. Peterson's four touchdowns on punt returns tied an NFL record. Baldwin led the Seattle … |
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Money no object for NFC West coaches6 hours ago
The San Francisco 49ers' Jim Harbaugh, known to walk past the first-class cabin to his seat in coach, should be relieved to have missed Forbes' list of 10 highest-paid coaches. 2012 Forbes Salary Estimates Harbaugh's three NFC West contemporaries made t… |
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Programming note: Chat moved to Friday6 hours ago
A chance to check out the Seattle Seahawks' organized team activities Thursday has led me to push back the NFC West chat one day. We'll convene at 4 p.m. ET Friday. I'll post the link ahead of time, and we can go from there. What loose ends from around … |
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Around the NFC West: The new Alex Smith7 hours ago
Alex Smith's commitment to improving his throwing mechanics promises to turn analysts into amateur position coaches during the upcoming NFL season. Every touchdown pass or interception will invite questions about whether Smith's shoulders were square or… |
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Looking forward to Fisher's relative candor23 hours ago
An established head coach can feel more comfortable speaking his mind. That could be one underrated benefit to Jeff Fisher's hiring in St. Louis this offseason. Fisher is entering his 20th season as an NFL head coach. He has served for years on the NFL'… |
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Second thought on some, but not CampbellMay 16 (yesterday)
NFL rosters turn over quickly. It's no shock to see a team's draft class disperse after five or six years. Sometimes it takes a special player to thrive through injuries, coaching changes, temptations and other issues that can send a promising career in… |
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Report: Paul Allen entertaining offers for Seahawks, BlazersMay 16 (yesterday)
Mike Florio, profootballtalk.com Dwight Jaynes of Comcast Sports Northwest recently dropped a bombshell regarding the status of the Seattle Seahawks and their basketball cousins, the Portland Trail Blazers. Jaynes says that there is a “persistent rumor” that both franchises are avail… |
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Ignorance driving NFL concussion fears?May 16 (yesterday)
George Koonce's recent guest column opened eyes to issues NFL players face upon leaving the game. The former Green Bay and Seattle linebacker used research and personal experience to illustrate costs associated with investing disproportionately in their… |
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101ESPN St. Louis audio: Miklasz ShowMay 16 (yesterday)
The St. Louis Rams' stadium situation dominated my weekly discussion with Bernie Miklasz on Tuesday. We're both taking a big-picture view of the proceedings with an emphasis on process. Neither of us sees reason for panic among Rams fans at this early s… |
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Around the NFC West: Campbell cashes inMay 16 (yesterday)
Calais Campbell had many things on his side heading into contract negotiations with the Arizona Cardinals. Campbell is young (25 years old). His career appears to be ascending. He can rush the passer. He can play the run effectively. He's smart and, by … |
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Campbell’s real guarantee is $17 millionMay 16 (yesterday)
Mike Florio, profootballtalk.com … |
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Raiders sign Owen SchmittMay 15 (yesterday)
Michael David Smith, profootballtalk.com Owen Schmitt’s tryout in Oakland went well. The Raiders announced on Tuesday that they have signed Schmitt, a free agent fullback who played the last two seasons with the Eagles after playing two seasons before that for the Seahawks. Schmitt played in a… |
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Seahawks, ex-first-rounder Barron reach dealMay 15 (yesterday)
Associated Press, ESPN.com The Seattle Seahawks have agreed to terms with veteran offensive lineman Alex Barron following Barron's tryout during Seattle's rookie minicamp last weekend. |
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Jeff Fisher: Janoris Jenkins will be “a really good player really soon”May 15 (yesterday)
Michael David Smith, profootballtalk.com Jeff Fisher was confident when the Rams drafted Janoris Jenkins that they got a good NFL cornerback, and he’s even more confident about that now. Fisher said on ESPN’s NFL 32 that the Rams did a tremendous amount of research into Jenkins — who was k… |
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What Rams get with veteran linebackerMay 15 (yesterday)
Mario Haggan started 32 consecutive games for the Denver Broncos over the 2010 and 2011 seasons. Then Von Miller showed up. A scheme change in Denver also marginalized the 32-year-old Haggan, who landed in St. Louis and could start for the Rams at stron… |
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Cardinals sign four draft picksMay 15 (yesterday)
Josh Alper, profootballtalk.com The Cardinals have jumped into the pool with most of the other NFL teams and started signing their draft picks. The team sent out a statement Tuesday that they have signed four of their seven draft picks from last month. Tackle Bobby Massie, guard Senio… |
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On fifth-rounder Fleming's knee injuryMay 15 (yesterday)
Durable veterans have helped the San Francisco 49ers field one of the NFL's toughest defenses. Losing outside lienbacker Darius Fleming, a fifth-round choice in 2012, to a potentially season-ending injury will not affect their plans for the coming seaso… |
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Rams are “discounting” Sam Bradford’s 2011 seasonMay 15 (yesterday)
Josh Alper, profootballtalk.com The Rams are under new management this season and they aren’t just looking to fix the things that went wrong under the old bosses. They are trying to erase the memories of them altogether. One of the biggest things to go awry for the Rams in 2011 was qu… |
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Money was a factor in Bell’s decisionMay 15 (2 days ago)
Mike Florio, profootballtalk.com Last week, Jacob Bell walked away from the NFL after eight seasons. But he now admits to Peter King of SI.com that, if Bell were due to earn big money this year, he likely would have kept playing. Under the deal Bell signed in 2008 with the Rams, he wa… |
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Guest column: Surviving life after the NFLMay 15 (2 days ago)
Former NFL linebacker George Koonce recently submitted to Marquette University a doctoral dissertation on transitioning from life outside the game. This column represents his personal experience, as told to NFC West blogger Mike Sando. I had a wonderful… |
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Pressure point: CardinalsMay 15 (2 days ago)
Examining who faces the most challenging season for the Arizona Cardinals and why. The 2012 season should be less challenging for Kevin Kolb than the one that came before it, but Kolb still qualifies for consideration on a varied list of NFC West player… |
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Pressure point: RamsMay 15 (2 days ago)
Examining who faces the most challenging season for the St. Louis Rams and why. Jason Smith should be hitting his prime years as an offensive tackle for the Rams. There's a chance that will be the case, unlikely as it seems after three underwhelming sea… |
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Pressure point: SeahawksMay 15 (2 days ago)
Examining who faces the most challenging season for the Seattle Seahawks and why. Tarvaris Jackson earned the respect of his Seahawks teammates by playing through much of the 2011 with a torn pectoral muscle on his right side. Jackson never complained o… |
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Pressure point: 49ersMay 15 (2 days ago)
Examining who faces the most challenging season for the San Francisco 49ers and why. Frank Gore ranked sixth among NFL rushers with 1,211 yards last season, at one point rushing for at least 100 yards in five consecutive games. He earned Pro Bowl honors… |
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Around the NFC West: Kroenke's intentionsMay 15 (2 days ago)
St. Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke doesn't say much publicly. He generally doesn't convey emotions. As a result, we're left to wonder to what degree he wants the Rams to remain in St. Louis. Bryan Burwell of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch thinks the Rams' p… |
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St. Louis believes Rams’ stadium wish list would exceed $700 millionMay 15 (2 days ago)
Mike Florio, profootballtalk.com When the Rams submitted on April 30 their proposal for changes to be made to the Edward Jones Dome in the hopes of making it a first-tier stadium, the team included no estimate regarding the cost of the improvements. Since then, St. Louis has crunched t… |
