NFC West News

The St. Louis Rams made a lot of moves in the 2013 offseason that legitimize the team's chances to succeed in the upcoming season.

According to tweets from CBS Sports reporter Jason La Canfora , the San Francisco 49ers are in talks with TV analyst Eric Mangini for a consultant job with the team.

18, 2012, file photo, Seattle Seahawks defensive end Bruce Irvin watches from the sideline during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers in San Francisco.

On Wednesday, Dallas Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said he wouldn't rule out signing any unrestricted free agents, but added that if there was a move, it wouldn't be anything significant.

She said, however, it's going to put her in "a bit of a pickle" each Friday night during the upcoming high-school football season.

Rolando McClain 's early retirement from the NFL comes three years after the Oakland Raiders made him the eighth overall choice in the 2010 draft.

Some of the complications associated with evaluating St. Louis Rams quarterback Sam Bradford also apply to the team's offensive coordinator, Brian Schottenheimer.

School: University of Arizona When you started with Bonneville Phoenix: Fall 2008, right before Cardinals Super Bowl run Favorite sports memory: Being at Game 7 of the 2001 World Series with my dad Favorite all-time athlete: Larry Centers Favorite sports movies: The Sandlot, Rookie of the Year, Jerry Maguire Most crushing sports moment: Kurt Warner ... (more)

Feb 3, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; A general view of a goal line pylon with the Super Bowl XLVII logo at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

Jan 26, 2013, Honolulu, HI, USA; NFC cheerleaders Vanessa Smith , Tecoya Gordon , Melissa Armstong , Heidi Isaacson , Michelle Love and Lauren Spires pose at Ohana Day for the 2013 Pro Bowl at Aloha Stadium.

The NFC West, once considered a joke among the NFC, is now the new 'black and blue' division.

There is a new coach and new excitement in Arizona. But will any of the Cardinal players respond and have a breakout season in 2013? After six years in the desert, the Arizona Cardinals decided it was time to move on from head coach Ken Whisenhunt.

May 14, 2013; Tempe, AZ, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer drops back to pass during organized team activities at the Cardinals Training Facility.

Last week, Ramblin' Fan wrote a reflective article on Titus Young , after being arrested twice in the same day; once for suspicion of driving under the influence, and another time for hopping the fence at the impound lot in an attempt to go and get his vehicle.

The off-season programs are well underway, and the NFC West is no exception. Each team will be working diligently to uncover a way to exceed expectations this year.

You might recall our March discussion from the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference regarding NFC West team-building strategies.

Albert Pujols, Howie Kendrick, Josh Hamilton and Mike Trout all homered off Jeremy Guthrie, and Los Angeles handed the Kansas City right-hander his first loss in 19 starts with a 6-2 win on Tuesday.

Now that rookie minicamp has come and gone , what's a Seahawks fan to do between now and the next set of workouts? Well, for now, spend your lunch break reading a bit about what has become one of the trendiest teams in the NFL.

The Atlanta Braves have a legitimate chance at closing their lengthy road trip on a positive note with Tim Hudson slated to take the mound Wednesday against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the finale of a three-game series at Chase Field.

What went right: A soft free-agent market allowed Seattle to add Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett on short-term deals, strengthening the team's pass rush, its No.