As Sam Bradford and a gaggle of players from the St. Louis Rams get together in Arizona for another series of informal lockout workouts, I thought it seemed like as good a time as any to take a stroll around the rest of the division. Mostly, we want to take a moment to point fingers and laugh at the misfortune of the other teams in the division, deserved or otherwise.
San Francisco
It's almost too easy when players like Michael Crabtree hand you a gem like shoe-gate. Crabtree, not unanimously liked by his teammates, failed to join them on the field for informal practices because new shoes were hurting his feet. He also took a veiled shot at free agent Alex Smith, who is organizing the workouts, questioning his status with the team. Say what you will about the Rams not having a "number on wide receiver" they're better off not having a guy this self-centered on the roster. You have to wonder if at some point in time the new coaching regime in SF won't sour on Crabtree, as soon as they can find an adequate replacement. It could provide an entertaining sideshow throughout the season.
Seattle
Matt Hasselbeck, a free agent, has been the driving force for the Seahawks' informal lockout workouts. He organized them, ran them, taught the classes, etc. Naturally it fueled speculation as to whether or not he'd be back in Seattle. Doubtful say any number of NFL insiders. Running the practices is good marketing for the free agent, reminds teams that he can be a leader and maybe even still get the job done. Peter King says Minnesota will take a look; Jason LaCanfora says Tennessee. Jesus lookalike and ostensible starting QB Charlie Whitehurst has been criticized by some in the media for missing a golden opportunity in ceding the leadership to Hasselbeck. Sure he beat the Rams
Arizona
Not having a QB at least means no QB controversy, but this ain't the bright side edition. Their pass protection stinks, and they've done nothing to fix it. It seems likely they'll overpay for a free agent guard to replace Faneca, but that's just the tip of the iceberg for their needs up front.