San Francisco 49ers

OLB Darius Fleming suffered a torn ACL and is out indefinitely. The fifth-round draft pick just signed a four-year contract one day before the injury happened. Fleming is expected to start on the PUP list once training camp opens. Depending on his recovery and the plan the 49ers have with Fleming he could then be placed on injured reserve as the season progresses.

Darius Fleming was drafted to provide depth at the outside linebacker position. The 49ers were hoping he could make an impact on special teams after LB Blake Costanzo's departure to the Chicago Bears.

Arizona Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals had a busy day signing some of their draft-picks. OT Bobby Massie, G Senio Kelemete, CB Justin Bethel and QB Ryan Lindley agreed to terms on four-year contracts.

Bobby Massie could wind up starting at right tackle if he wins the position battle against RT Jeremy Bridges. Senio Kelemete will spend his rookie campaign as a backup because the Cardinals are set at both guard positions with LG Daryn Colledge and RG Adam Snyder. Justin Bethel won't see much playing time in Arizona's secondary but he is expected to become a special teams standout. Ryan Lindley has a lot of work ahead in order to become NFL-ready but he is competing with QB Richard Bartel for the number-three role.

Seattle Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks signed veteran OT Alex Barron. Barron was a former first-round pick of the St. Louis Rams where he started 74 games in five seasons. Two short stints with the Dallas Cowboys and the New Orleans Saints followed. The Saints released Barron with an injury settlement last October and he has been out of football since. He can play both tackle positions and will compete for a roster spot. It should be noted that Barron has a history of drawing a lot of penalties. Alex Barron's acquisition may indicate that OT James Carpenter won't be ready to play in 2012.

St. Louis' draft was much anticipated. In a trade with the Washington Redskins the Rams acquired their first-round picks from 2012 through 2014 and an additional second-round choice in this year's draft. As a result, St. Louis has the opportunity to acquire considerable talent over the next three years.

The Rams selected DT Michael Brockers (first round), WR Brian Quick (second), CB Janoris Jenkins (second), RB Isaiah Pead (second), CB Trumaine Johnson (third), WR Chris Givens (fourth), G Rokevious Watkins (fifth), K Greg Zuerlein (sixth), LB Aaron Brown (seventh) and RB Daryl Richardson (seventh).

Despite signing two defensive tackles in free agency the St. Louis Rams selected Michael Brockers in the first round of the draft. The competition will be fierce but Brockers may well end up starting on opening day. He was a standout at LSU and hopes to improve a run defense that ranked 31^st last season.

St. Louis' passing offense ranked 30^th last year. WR Steve Smith was signed to compensate for the loss of WR Brandon Lloyd but that's a big ask. The Rams are in need of a playmaker and Brian Quick has the skills to become one. He can catch the ball and is tough to tackle. He may have to work his way up the depth chart but the opportunity is there to make an immediate impact.

The Rams took their chances on Janoris Jenkins but feel he's worth the risk. He is a shutdown corner and, provided his encounters with the law are a thing of the past, could become a starter real soon.

Isaiah Pead is a small running back whose only downside is the lack of power. He will take some workload of RB Steven Jackson and could eventually become his successor. He features to play on special teams and can return punts.

Trumaine Johnson is a cornerback but the Rams consider using him as a safety. In fact, that's his best chance to win a starting job straight away. Johnson has all the necessary tools to succeed in the NFL.

Chris Givens won't likely see much playing time as a receiver but he'll be used on special teams and compete with Isaiah Pead for the return job.

Rokevious Watkins is a versatile offensive lineman who can play at the guard and tackle position. He is very big but the Rams will have their work cut out to turn him into an NFL player.

Greg Zuerlein will be St. Louis' kicker this season, which led the team to release K Josh Brown.

Aaron Brown will likely survive the cut, as he is only one of five linebackers on the current roster. Regardless, he may not be used much beyond special teams.

Daryl Richardson was the second to last selection in this year's draft and faces a tough task to make the team.

Although the Rams are not rebuilding, this year's draft was the first of three with additional early-round picks and subsequently an opportunity to acquire considerable prospects to fill the holes. St. Louis improved their offense and rushing defense but in the short term, there were more pressing needs than the secondary. 

The St. Louis Rams will look different in 2012, and I'm not just talking about the new uniforms. Reaching the playoffs this season would be an aggressive goal but the Rams may soon have a core of players that could turn the team into a contender for years to come.

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.

Some say the Seahawks had a bad draft, others like the choices they have made. After addressing the offense, i.e. quarterback position, and pass protection in free agency the Seahawks still needed a pass rusher, a potential replacement for LB David Hawthorne and one or two players who could make an immediate impact on special teams.

Seattle selected OLB Bruce Irvin (first round), ILB Bobby Wagner (second), QB Russell Wilson (third), RB Robert Turbin (fourth), DT Jaye Howard (fourth), LB Korey Toomer (fifth), CB Jeremy Lane (sixth), SS Winston Guy Jr. (sixth), DT J.R. Sweezy (seventh) and DE Greg Scruggs (seventh).

Seattle's first round choice has been much discussed. Bruce Irvin was expected to go early in the second round but this didn't stop the Seahawks from taking him with the 15^th overall pick. Fact is, the front office loves this guy and he fits right into Seattle's scheme. Apparently he was one of the best pure pass rushers in the draft. Although listed as a defensive end Irvin will be used as an outside linebacker. He could wind up starting from week one on.

Bobby Wagner is another player who went earlier than predicted, as he was thought to be a late third-round pick or early fourth-rounder. Regardless, at the time the Seahawks were on the clock Bobby Wagner was the best available inside linebacker. Wagner can play on the inside as well as the outside and the Seahawks hope that he can follow into David Hawthorne's footsteps.

Russell Wilson is a very interesting pick. He is supposed to develop as QB Matt Flynn's and QB Tarvaris Jackson's backup but the Seahawks are convinced that he could lead an NFL offense straight away if he had to.

The Seahawks have already signed eight of their ten draft picks and would love to get a deal done with Robert Turbin as well. Turbin is a fast and powerful runner and is expected to replace RB Marshawn Lynch on the occasional down. The Seahawks would like to use him on special teams as well.

Jaye Howard is a versatile defensive lineman and a good scheme fit.

Korey Toomer is a fast, athletic and versatile linebacker who can even play at the defensive end position. He is a good scheme fit and exactly the type of player head coach Pete Carroll likes.

Jeremy Lane may not make an immediate impact but has the talent to develop into a starter eventually.

Winston Guy Jr., J.R. Sweezy and Greg Scruggs will face a fierce battle for a roster spot and could easily find themselves playing elsewhere.

It appears the Seahawks didn't always get the right value for their picks but Pete Carroll and GM John Schneider went out to get certain players at certain positions, with disregard for their projected draft rankings. Rest assured though, Carroll and Schneider did their homework on these players. They knew what holes they had to fill and which players would best fit them. The Seahawks also deserve credit for acquiring additional draft picks.

The Seahawks look improved after the draft but analysts will continue to insist that they could have assembled more promising talent. A lot of pressure is particularly on Bruce Irvin and Bobby Wagner to silence these critics. That said, what is preventing Irvin and Wagner from having a Hall-of-Fame career in the NFL?

Left guard Daryn Colledge kindly offered to answer questions regarding Arizona's most recent draft. The 30-year old joined the Cardinals in 2011 and started all 16 games for the team. He spent five seasons with the Green Bay Packers and won Super Bowl XLV.

Daryn Colledge liked the decision to draft WR Michael Floyd in the first round: "I think that any player that can make our offense more dynamic is a huge gain. Plus the chance to help free up Larry [Fitzgerald] is a plus," he said

Would you have picked a different player in the first round if you had been in charge of the draft? "I love our choice. I believe our defense is playing great. The chance to add weapons on offense always makes me happy," Colledge said.

There have always been talented players in draft history that were picked in the later rounds. With a deep pool of talented offensive tackles in this year's draft do you think the Cardinals chose wisely? "I like the guys we picked," Colledge responded. "We have guys who can contribute now and we also have a couple of projects that can turn into real steals."

Daryn Colledge is happy with Arizona's draft. The Cardinals did indeed select interesting prospects, who should improve their passing game and the offensive line. In eight months we will know if these players were the missing pieces to another postseason appearance for the Cardinals.

The Arizona Cardinals were entering the draft in need of pass protection and a better running game as well as rushing defense. They did not address any of these areas in free agency, making this the main focus in the draft.

Arizona selected WR Michael Floyd (first round), CB Jamell Fleming (third), OT Bobby Massie (fourth), G Senio Kelemete (fifth), CB Justin Bethel (sixth), QB Ryan Lindley (sixth) and OT Nate Potter (seventh).

Michael Floyd was the best player available, apart from DE Chandler Jones, and the second best receiver in the draft after WR Justin Blackmon. I would have preferred OLB Shea McClellin or ILB Dont'a Hightower but Floyd could form a dangerous receiver-tandem with WR Larry Fitzgerald, provided he wins the starting job and QB Kevin Kolb can step up his game.

CB Jamell Fleming joins a crowded defensive backfield. He is athletic and versatile but needs to work on his tackling skills. Considering there will be fierce competition for the starting jobs I don't even see Fleming emerge as a nickel back. Could head coach Ken Whisenhunt plan to use him as a safety?

There were concerns about Bobby Massie's work ethic but there is no doubt about his talent. Getting him in the fourth round of the draft had to be a relief for the front office. He should be able to provide Kevin Kolb with better pass protection and subsequently make him a more successful passer.

Senio Kelemete is a versatile offensive lineman and provides depth. He may not make an immediate impact but could turn out to be a valuable addition if he develops over time.

Justin Bethel will find it hard, if not impossible, to see some playing time in Arizona's defensive backfield but he can prove his worth on special teams, where he's expected to become an important part of.

Considering the Arizona Cardinals are happy with their quarterbacks, Ryan Lindley likely won't wear a Cardinals uniform once the season kicks off.

Nate Potter is a work in progress and provides depth at best. It wouldn't come as a surprise if he got cut as some point.

Getting Bobby Massie justifies taking Michael Floyd in the first round of this year's draft. The Cardinals potentially improved their passing game and the offensive line. They still appear to have one of the weakest rushing defenses in the league and opponents will take advantage of it. The drafted players should make the Cardinals a better team in 2012 but a lot depends on Kevin Kolb. If he can improve the team will be improved.