49ers acquire Anquan Boldin, NFC West arms race continues

It's a big day for the NFC West, well, half of the NFC West anyway. Hours after the Seahawks swapped a boatload of picks for Percy Harvin, the San Francisco 49ers positively stole Anquan Boldin from the Baltimore Ravens for the small price of a sixth-round pick basically nothing. The St. Louis Rams, meanwhile, released some players.

Who knows if the Rams made a call or not on Boldin. A sixth-round pick is an absolute steal, even with just one year left on his deal for $6 million. The Rams could have really used a receiver like that.

Boldin or not, the Rams have real issues at receiver. For the umpteenth year in a row, the team needs help at the position. Brian Quick and Chris Givens are the wild cards, second-year players being counted on for big breakout seasons. The loss of Danny Amendola and Brandon Gibson leave the team in a lurch, both from a talent and sheer numbers standpoint.

Free agency doesn't hold out much hope. Greg Jennings would make the most sense for the Rams, but his age and asking price don't mix with what the team is trying to do. Mike Wallace is the other big fish out there, but the asking price is steep.

Another option being talked about is making a play for Victor Cruz, i.e. giving up a first-round pick (No. 16) and making him an offer the Giants have to refuse. That too is an awfully steep price for a team without much cap space to work with this season.

Oh, and the need for a safety got even more pressing with these moves.