San Francisco 49ers

The San Francisco 49ers signed six of their draft picks, leaving first-rounder WR A.J. Jenkins as the only player still without a contract.

RB LaMichael James will probably not be used as a punt returner this season but he is now in the mix for goal-line duties. G Joe Looney is currently ahead of G Daniel Kilgore and OT Alex Boone in the battle for the starting job at right guard. OLB Darius Fleming adds depth and will try to make an impact on special teams. The same applies to FS Trenton Robinson. OT Jason Slowey agreed to terms on a four-year contract. The 49ers will likely move him to center to back up C Jonathan Goodwin if he survives the final cut. DE Cam Johnson could become an impact player if he shows the right attitude and effort.

Arizona Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals and their franchise player DE Calais Campbell agreed to a five-year contract. Terms of the deal will be released later today. Campbell would have earned $10.7m in 2012 but was threatening to hold out if he didn't receive a new long-term deal.

The 25-year old recorded 53 solo tackles, eight sacks and one interception last season. He also forced two fumbles and defensed ten passes.

Seattle Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks are nearly done signing all their draft picks. DT Jaye Howard became the ninth player to agree to terms, leaving RB Robert Turbin as the only remaining unsigned draftee. Howard is a pass rushing tackle and head coach Pete Carroll hopes that he becomes a disruptive force in the opponent's backfield.

The San Francisco 49ers released their final injury report for the Monday Night Football matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Like last week there are four players on the report who are all listed as questionable.

RILB Patrick Willis didn’t practice for a second straight week and will likely miss another game due to a hamstring injury. Larry Grant, who led the team in tackles against the St. Louis Rams and the Arizona Cardinals, will continue to start in Willis’ absence.

LT Joe Staley suffered a concussion in the first quarter of last week’s game against the Arizona Cardinals and was replaced by Alex Boone. Staley was a limited participant in practice on Saturday and could be a game-time decision. Alex Boone will replace him if the veteran isn’t available.

FB Bruce Miller (knee) and WR Braylon Edwards (knee) were limited participants in practice throughout the week but should be ready to play, though it remains to be seen whether Edwards will start.

The Pittsburgh Steelers ruled C Maurkice Pouncey out for the game with an ankle injury. LG Doug Legursky is expected to move to center and Trai Essex will start at left guard. QB Ben Roethlisberger is suffering from an ankle injury but practiced on a limited basis on Friday and Saturday. He is listed as questionable and will be a game-time decision. Charlie Batch will get the start if Roethlisberger is sidelined. RT Marcus Gilbert (illness) and S Troy Polamalu (hamstring) are listed as probable and expected to play. Both were full participants in practice on Saturday.

Free agency will be an extremely important part of this offseason. The brief lockout prior to the 2011 season affected each team and had an impact on roster decisions. As a consequence, teams signed a lot of players to one-year contracts. With more time available during this offseason teams have to make decisions on whether to re-sign these players to a long-term contract or if they prefer to browse the free agent market for positional improvements. This is an early attempt to look at San Francisco’s 21 free agents and evaluate their status.

OT Alex Boone (24)

Boone is an Exclusive Rights Free Agent (ERFA) at the end of the season, which means the 49ers can make him an offer at the three-year veteran minimum salary and he either takes it or leaves the NFL. This would increase his salary from $ 405,000 to $ 656,000 per season. Head coach Jim Harbaugh often mentioned that the offensive line consists of seven interchangeable players. Alex Boone is the number seven and should expect to receive an offer.

CB Tramaine Brock (23)

Like Alex Boone, Tramaine Brock is an ERFA at the end of this season. He missed three games with a hand injury this season and recorded 4 tackles and 2 interceptions as Carlos Rogers’ backup. He’s also part of special teams. There is little risk in offering him another year.

LOLB Ahmad Brooks (27)

Brooks is a starter and plays nearly every snap. This is his best season by far and he is on pace for 34 solo tackles and 8 sacks. He is part of one of the best linebacker corps in the league and has mentioned his desire to stay in San Francisco. Mario Williams (HOU) and Anthony Spencer (DAL) are the only players who could potentially be an upgrade at this position but Williams will break the bank in the offseason and Brooks is currently better than Spencer. The 49ers and Ahmad Brooks should agree to a contract extension in the offseason.

LB Blake Costanzo (27)

The linebacker is an important part of one of the best special team units the NFL has to offer. If the Niners and Costanzo are happy with this arrangement then they should definitely re-sign him.

WR Braylon Edwards (28)

The wide receiver came to the 49ers to resurrect his career but hasn’t impressed so far. In fact, he is still waiting for his first touchdown in a 49ers uniform. Granted, Edwards missed four games with a knee injury and suffers from an ailing shoulder now but maybe therein lies the problem. Even when he’s healthy he just doesn’t seem to click with QB Alex Smith the way the other receivers do. He won’t come cheap either, considering that his one-year contract is heavily incentive-laden. The 49ers could look into DeSean Jackson (PHI) if they are willing to spend big money, however, Michael Crabtree is finally emerging as a true number one receiver. My personal favorite is Dwayne Bowe (KC) who has all the skills a receiver needs. Other potential targets among the top free agents are Brandon Lloyd (STL) and Robert Meachem (NO), though I suspect the 49ers would have to open up the passing game to make the latter a good fit. If the 49ers have faith in Crabtree as their number one then they could turn their attention to FS Dashon Goldson’s sparring partner Early Doucet (ARZ), Andre Caldwell (CIN), Pierre Garcon (IND) or Deion Branch (NE), provided QB Tom Brady would allow him go.

WR Ted Ginn Jr. (26)

Ted Ginn Jr.’s main job is to return kick-offs and punts but he has also seen extended playing time due to Braylon Edward’s and Josh Morgan’s injuries. Ginn Jr. averages 28.6 yards per kick return, which ranks him 3^rd among kick returners, 11.4 yards per punt return (7^th) and caught 12 passes for 136 yards. Ted Ginn Jr. is one of the best returners in the league and part of a young and talented receiver corps. Both sides should agree to a contract extension.

FS Dashon Goldson (27)

The hard-hitting safety has 40 solo tackles and 3 interceptions on the season. His play is inspirational but he has to become a lot more disciplined. He got ejected after throwing punches at Arizona Cardinals’ Early Doucet and cost the team several 15-yard penalties throughout the season. There aren’t going to be any better free safeties available in free agency, i.e. Goldson should be kept unless his demands are unrealistic.

To be continued ...