Each Wednesday leading up to the NFL draft (April 22-24), the ESPN.com blog network will take a division-by-division look at key aspects of the draft. Today’s topic: Recent history.



Arizona Cardinals



Seven of the nine players Arizona has drafted among the top 50 picks since 2005 project as starters for the upcoming season. That’s not bad, although one of the seven — Antrel Rolle, selected eighth overall in 2005 — will do so for the Giants.



The Cardinals have generally done a good job in recent years finding and developing players throughout the draft.



Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (first round), Beanie Wells (first), Deuce Lutui (second), Calais Campbell (second), Early Doucet (third), Greg Toler (fourth), Steve Breaston (fifth), Tim Hightower (fifth), Ben Patrick (seventh) and LaRod Stephens-Howling (seventh) have become building blocks or at least promising prospects. All were drafted in the past four years. All but Lutui were chosen since Ken Whisenhunt arrived in 2007.



Two potential mistakes — drafting Levi Brown fifth in 2007 and Matt Leinart 10th in 2006 — could significantly affect the team this season now that Kurt Warner’s quick release and accurate throws aren’t around. The Cardinals aren’t set at either position. Another mistake — selecting nose tackle Alan Branch 33rd in 2007 — could lead the team to address that position early in 2010.



San Francisco 49ers



The 49ers have drafted four players among the top 11 picks since 2006, and three of them — Vernon Davis, Michael Crabtree and Patrick Willis — are either stars or heading in that direction. It’s the fourth guy — Alex Smith, selected first overall in 2005 — whose fate could determine whether the 49ers realize the fruits of recent draft classes.



San Francisco headed into the 2009 draft needing an offensive tackle and a pass-rushing outside linebacker. The team drafted neither, pouncing on Crabtree when he was available unexpectedly at No. 10. Tackle in particular remains a need heading into the 2010 draft. It’s an upset if the 49ers, with two first-round choices, let another draft pass without addressing that position in a meaningful way.



The 49ers have gotten old in the secondary, particularly at corner; they haven’t used a first- or second-round choice on a defensive back in any of the past five drafts. Of course, it’s tough to draft players in that range when sitting out the second round. The 49ers have selected only twice in second round since the 2005 hiring of Scot McCloughan, who was promoted to general manager before the 2008 season. San Francisco used both second-rounders for guards.



Seattle Seahawks



Success through the middle of the decade left the Seahawks picking later than their NFC West rivals. The team has selected only one player — Aaron Curry, the fourth overall choice in 2009 — among the top 25 overall picks since 2005.



Unlike the Colts, who have consistently drafted well late in the first round, the Seahawks have come away with Chris Spencer, Lawrence Jackson and Kelly Jennings with selections made in that range. Trading away a 2007 first-rounder for Deion Branch stands as another misuse of prime draft capital. No wonder the organization is starting over.



For all of the failures on the offensive and defensive lines, no Seattle draft choice since Shaun Alexander in 2000 has become a dynamic threat to score touchdowns. Coach Pete Carroll has lamented the lack of offensive firepower. The Seahawks must reverse that trend starting in the 2010 draft. They need playmakers.



Whether the Seahawks land Broncos receiver Brandon Marshall as a restricted free agent will largely determine how much flexibility the team has on draft day.



St. Louis Rams



The Rams haven’t selected a quarterback in the first five rounds since using a 1996 second-rounder for Tony Banks.



Lucking into Warner more than a decade ago stands as one of the great stories in NFL history. It’s not very repeatable.



The Rams know this. They also know the value of drafting a quarterback in the first round, even though risks can be high.



St. Louis has gone the safe route in recent drafts, using four of their last five first-round choices to build their lines. Too many of those early picks — Alex Barron, Tye Hill, Adam Carriker — haven’t worked out as planned. Chris Long and Jason Smith, linemen selected second overall in the last two drafts, do not appear to be dynamic talents even though both should start for years to come.



The Rams absolutely, positively need to find a difference-maker with the first overall choice.



No position affects a team the way quarterback does, one reason Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford could be tempting. It’s not like the Rams can count on finding a quarterback later in the draft, particularly this year. The question, really, is whether Bradford is promising enough to warrant such a high pick.

Each Wednesday leading up to the NFL draft (April 22-24), the ESPN.com blog network will take a division-by-division look at key aspects of the draft. Today’s topic: Recent history.



Buffalo Bills: It’s a safe bet their objective won’t be to draft defensive backs. The Bills have many shortcomings, but their secondary isn’t among them. Thanks to former head coach Dick Jauron’s obsession with defensive backs, the Bills have a glut there. Of the 18 players they selected the past two drafts, a third of them played cornerback or safety. The Bills are bleak at offensive tackle because they’ve chosen one, seventh-round project Demetrius Bell, in the past three years. In fact, you’d have to search back to 2002 to find a tackle they selected before the fifth round. The Bills are switching to a 3-4 defense this year, so it might be enlightening to know they haven’t selected any defensive tackles — let alone one who would be an effective NFL nose tackle — three draft classes in a row.



Miami Dolphins: The Dolphins still are trying to recover from their disastrous 2007 draft class. Only three players remain on their roster, a disappointing receiver (ninth overall pick Ted Ginn), a pedestrian defensive tackle (fourth-rounder Paul Soliai) and a punter (seventh-rounder Brandon Fields). That was the last draft conducted by former GM Randy Mueller. The Dolphins were in such disrepair, new football ops boss Bill Parcells focused on the staples. Of the 18 picks under Parcells, seven were linemen. Eleven offensive players were chosen, but only two running backs, two receivers and one tight end. That would suggest they’ll target defense in this year’s draft, but they’ve been aggressive in addressing their needs through free agency so far. Safety, outside linebacker and nose tackle are positions to watch — for now.



New England Patriots: The loose pattern the past three springs has been to draft defensive backs early and offensive linemen late. In that span, the Patriots selected a cornerback or a safety in the first or second round of each class and have taken five O-linemen (six if you count long-snapper Jake Ingram) in the fourth round and later. Only 11 of the 28 players they’ve drafted were offensive players, which is a significant reason why the Patriots have the NFL’s oldest group of players on that side of the ball. The trend would indicate it’s time to get younger there, especially in the backfield. The Patriots have selected one running back since 2007, calling Central Connecticut State’s Justise Hairston that year in the sixth round.



New York Jets: A look at the Jets’ three-year track record suggests they’re famished for draft choices. Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum has a fondness for bartering picks to move up in the draft order. As a result, they selected just three players last spring and four in 2007. So few incoming prospects hurts organizational development, and with so many positions seemingly set, the Jets need to focus on drafting as many rookies as possible next month. When they traded for cornerback Antonio Cromartie, they were sure to send a 2011 draft choice. They sent Kerry Rhodes to the Arizona Cardinals for a fourth-round pick this year and a seventh-rounder next year.

A coin toss is no way to settle any NFL game, let alone a classic playoff battle or, worse, the Super Bowl.



ESPN’s John Clayton and I can agree on that.



The prospect of Peyton Manning, Drew Brees or any elite quarterback never touching the football during overtime keeps league executives awake at night, or at least during meetings of the competition committee. There’s a decent chance those meetings will produce changes to overtime rules for the playoffs, a subject Clayton and I will try to resolve in regulation.



Mike Sando: Greetings, professor, and welcome to the NFC West blog. Aren’t you on the competition committee?



John Clayton: Not quite, Mike, but if I were, I’d be inclined to vote for change. The current overtime rules are fine for the regular season. Why have a cheap overtime victory in the playoffs?



MS: This might be a good time to formally introduce the proposed rules change. Both teams would get at least one possession in overtime unless one team scored a touchdown on the first possession. This would prevent a team from moving quickly into range for the winning field goal before the other team had a chance to get its offense on the field. And I get that part of it. No one wants to see kickers trump quarterbacks. But let’s also not forget about the first four quarters. Both quarterbacks have plenty of chances to win games during regulation. Let’s not tinker with rules lightly.



JC: What I like is it’s only going to be in the playoffs. Since 2002, there have been five times in the playoffs in which a quarterback turned the overtime coin toss into a victory. Quarterbacks are getting very good at taking drives down the field in two-minute situations. It’s becoming more frequent. It happened only once from 1958 until 2002.



MS: Right, but the new rule wouldn’t have affected all of those games. Peyton Manning never touched the football in overtime of the Colts’ wild-card playoff defeat at San Diego a year ago. His team scored 17 points in regulation, took a knee on the final play and then watched San Diego put together a 10-play, 75-yard drive to the winning touchdown. The right team won that game and the right team wins most of them. I can’t remember feeling shortchanged after watching a kicker win a playoff game in overtime. I’m also not a big fan of having different rules for the playoffs. Football should be football, right?



JC: Sudden death would turn into sudden deferral if the league applied this proposed rule to the regular season. At least in playoff games, you’re always trying to win.



MS: We’ve gone from 15 ties per season from 1962 to 1973 to less than one tie per season over the last 36. That’s a good thing.



JC: The current rule was put together in 1974 to stop ties, and it worked. That is the function of these rules. It minimizes the chance for ties. At least when you get into the playoffs, there are no ties. They will play until somebody scores. And then it starts to make sense to take advantage of a chance to have a second possession, the chance to neutralize a field goal. Why have a cheap overtime victory in the playoffs as opposed to one where you earn it? In the regular season, if you go to a mandatory two possessions in OT, now all of a sudden you’re eating 8 minutes off the clock and there’s a better chance for a tie because there’s no second OT.



MS: I’m not feeling much urgency on this one. There’s too much emphasis on everything having to be perfectly fair. The current rules aren’t perfect, but this is football, not the legal system. I didn’t have a problem with Brett Favre never touching the ball in overtime against the Saints in the NFC Championship Game. The Vikings botched the end of regulation and deserved to lose and we all know what happened the last time Favre had possession in a playoff game. He threw it to the other team.



Winning or losing by a field goal is part of football. There’s nothing cheap about a kicker coming through in the clutch and getting mobbed by his teammates. Those kicks aren’t gimmes under pressure, as kickers demonstrated last postseason. They’re dramatic precisely because the game’s outcome hangs in the balance. I also think it’s vital for the league to consider unintended consequences for any rule change. More on that in a bit. Before we go any further, what are the odds of this rules change even passing when owners get together in Orlando for their spring meetings later this month?



JC: I would give it only about a 45 percent chance even though it’s a good proposal. The main problem for passage is that there are a lot of traditionalists in the NFL — the Bidwills in Arizona, Mike Brown in Cincinnati. They are typically going to say no because they don’t like change. There has always been a block that was against replay and a block against rules such as this one. But that 45 percent chance is the best chance for an overtime rules change in many years.



MS: Let’s say the new rule passes and the allegedly great threat of cheap overtime field goals in the postseason is ended. The final minutes of regulation in a tie game might feel a little different. I wonder if teams might be more inclined to play for overtime, perhaps lowering the stakes in regulation. We should also consider how games might change after one team scores a field goal on the first possession of overtime. The second team would never punt, but there might be less drama in the knowledge that an answering field goal would buy additional time.



JC: As you know, Mike, I think one of the great parts of the game now is how the elite quarterbacks work the two-minute offense. The beauty of this rule change is that I don’t think it’s going to change it too much. Because of the possibility of a team losing the coin toss and giving up a touchdown drive that might lose the game, I think the quarterbacks will still drive for the winning score in regulation rather than just settle for overtime. That would be different in the regular season. Teams without elite quarterbacks would turn defensive and just settle for the overtime game. In the playoffs nowadays, you have to have an elite quarterback. You’re only talking about one or two playoff games a year in overtime. I’m not concerned as much about watching the punter. I’m concerned about seeing the elite quarterback. This rule change should pass because it doesn’t dampen the excitement of a playoff game. That might happen if you just go to the two-possession rule. The touchdown factor for the first possession puts this one over the top.



MS: We’re out of time, which can only mean one thing. Let’s flip a coin and settle this thing. Where’s Phil Luckett when you need him?

Recently released Browns quarterback Derek Anderson would certainly fill a void in Seattle or Arizona, but I think the Cardinals in particular could be better off with a far more accurate passer already familiar to the NFC West.



Marc Bulger has been beaten up and beaten down during his past few seasons with the Rams. There’s a chance he’s finished. There’s also a chance he could recover if given time to start anew without immediate pressure to carry a franchise or even start.



Some thought Kurt Warner was finished when he left the Rams after a horrible 2002 season and a one-start showing in 2003. Bulger was never as good as Warner at his best, but he was good enough from 2002 through 2006 to prove he could succeed with a strong supporting cast. The Cardinals have a strong enough supporting cast on offense to give Bulger a chance.



The problem, at least for now, is that Bulger remains under contract to the Rams. But he’ll come available at some point unless the Rams improbably decide to pay him $8.5 million in salary or Bulger improbably accepts a pay reduction.



Will another NFC West team be waiting?

It didn’t take long for former Cleveland Browns quarterback Derek Anderson to generate interest in the free-agent market.



According to a league source, Anderson has scheduled visits with the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday and the Arizona Cardinals on Friday.



The Browns released Anderson this week after the team made a trade with Seattle to land quarterback Seneca Wallace. Cleveland also avoided a $2 million roster bonus and a base salary of $7.45 million by cutting the former Pro Bowler.



Both Arizona and Seattle could be attractive options for Anderson. The Cardinals lost Kurt Warner to retirement, and Anderson could provide insurance if Matt Leinart falters. In Seattle, Matt Hasselbeck has battled injuries in recent years, and the team just lost its backup in Wallace.



Anderson had his best year for Cleveland in 2007, when he threw for 3,787 yards and 29 touchdowns.

A new Tuesday feature on the ESPN.com NFL blog network.



Will the trade for three-time Pro Bowl receiver Anquan Boldin make the Baltimore Ravens an elite offense next season?



Boldin brought up an interesting point this week during his introductory news conference with the Ravens.



Despite leaving former Arizona Cardinals teammate Larry Fitzgerald, Boldin believes he could see less coverage in Baltimore.



“The way they run the ball here is unbelievable. They’re just the opposite here of what we were in Arizona,” Boldin explained. “[The Ravens], they will see eight-and-nine-man fronts, and [the Cardinals] see six, seven, eight guys in the secondary. So, hopefully when guys try to stack the box, that’s when I will come into play.”



Boldin is the missing link that should take a decent Baltimore offense and make it great next season.



For the past year, Boldin to the Ravens was often talked about but never came to fruition. Last weekend that scary thought became a reality when Baltimore traded its third- and fourth-round picks in 2010 to Arizona for Boldin and a fifth-round pick.



Offensively, the Ravens have a versatile offensive line, a strong running game with Pro Bowl tailback Ray Rice, and a budding quarterback in Joe Flacco who is eager to reach his potential. After failed attempts in the past, the Ravens finally landed the guy who could tie everything together.



“We had some dialogue with Arizona, but nothing as extensive as it got to be on Friday starting at about noon our time,” Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome said. “We actually started to discuss different ways of making a trade. The other time was just a courtesy call, and every time I would make that call, ‘We love Anquan, we want to keep Anquan, he is a big part of what we are getting done,’ and I respected that. But this time the call was made there was a different answer to me, which started the dialogue.”



For Newsome, this was a rare opportunity to cover up a past mistake.



Baltimore has one of the NFL’s best front offices and doesn’t miss often. But Newsome admits not taking Boldin, a second-round pick in the 2003 draft, was one of his biggest gaffes.



According to Newsome, Boldin didn’t fit the team’s “measurables.” Boldin was previously injured in college, wasn’t the tallest receiver available and ran a slow 40 time. To this day, Boldin is not considered a blazer.



Therefore, the Ravens traded out of the second round that year to move up and take quarterback Kyle Boller with the No. 19 overall pick. Boldin was taken by the Cardinals in the second round and the rest is history.



“I think in this situation I got blinded a little bit, and didn’t appreciate the football player as much as I should have,” Newsome said. “It took me seven years, but I finally got it right.”



Boldin now comes to Baltimore with high expectations and a four-year, $28 million contract. The Ravens were one of the final eight teams in the NFL last season and lost in the divisional round to the AFC champion Indianapolis Colts.



With a stout running game and top-five defense already in tow, Baltimore’s goal this offseason is to build an offense that can also win shootouts, if necessary. Boldin, with five career 1,000-yard seasons, is a major step in that direction. But there is still work to be done.



One of the underlying advantages of the Boldin trade was the fact Baltimore retained its first- and second-round draft picks this year. That offers the Ravens flexibility to continue to add to their offense.



With the No. 25 overall pick, there should be good options at receiver and tight end. Several potential offensive targets include Oklahoma tight end Jermaine Gresham, Notre Dame receiver Golden Tate and Illinois receiver Arrelious Benn.



Baltimore also remains open to re-signing veteran receiver Derrick Mason, who could fit as the team’s No. 2 receiver opposite Boldin. Both players recorded 1,000-yard seasons in 2009. Mark Clayton and Donte’ Stallworth, who is returning from a year-long suspension, also are options in the passing game.



With one more receiver and perhaps another tight end added to the mix, there is not much Baltimore’s offense shouldn’t be able to accomplish in 2010. But the addition of Boldin takes the unit to a new level.



“I just feel like I add a piece to this offense,” Boldin said. “I know one thing that I was really looking at when looking at a team is … I wanted to go somewhere where one, I had an opportunity to win a championship — and I feel like I have that here. Two, a place that plays defense, runs the ball well, and has a great young quarterback.



“And I think Baltimore fits that to the ‘T.’”

Charlie Whitehurst shares something in common with any quarterback the Cardinals might draft this year.



He has never attempted a pass in a regular-season NFL game.



The Chargers’ backup quarterback, on the Cardinals’ radar as a restricted free agent, was tendered to a third-round choice. The Cardinals have an extra third-rounder from the Anquan Boldin trade, but the team could conceivably attempt to work out alternative compensation with San Diego should Arizona decide to pursue Whitehurst.



NFLDraftScout.com’s analysis on Whitehurst coming out of Clemson in 2006 called him a “good competitor who is a quiet leader, but has total control of the huddle” and a quarterback with “a snappy overhead delivery and a fluid follow-through rather than a windmill type that most tall passers display.”



Some of the negatives listed could be outdated, the assumption being Whitehurst has worked to correct them under Norv Turner and the Chargers’ offensive staff.



Matt Leinart is the only quarterback on the Cardinals’ roster.



Using a third-round choice for Whitehurst, 27, could make more sense than using one for a college prospect. Though inexperienced, Whitehurst would be better prepared to play in a regular-season game.



The chart shows third-round quarterbacks drafted since 2000. Not many have succeeded. One exception: The Texans acquired 2004 third-round choice Matt Schaub from the Falcons when Schaub had minimal experience.

The moves teams make in free agency can be predictable based on personal connections.

• The Cardinals hired Donnie Henderson to coach their secondary. When Antrel Rolle signed with the Giants, the Cardinals quickly acquired Kerry Rhodes from the Jets. Who was the Jets’ defensive coordinator when the team drafted Rhodes in 2005? Henderson.
• The Rams hired Pat Shurmur as their offensive coordinator before last season. When the Rams sought a veteran quarterback this offseason, the team signed A.J. Feeley. Who was the Eagles’ quarterbacks coach when Feeley was a backup in Philadelphia? Shurmur.
• The 49ers watched free agent Arnaz Battle leave in recent days. Battle joined recently fired 49ers special-teams coach Al Everest with the Steelers.
• The Seahawks spent Saturday visiting with Broncos restricted free agent Brandon Marshall. Their new offensive coordinator, Jeremy Bates, coached Marshall previously in Denver.

So many of these moves are somewhat predictable if we pay close enough attention to the connections. St. Louis made another reconnection Monday when they signed defensive tackle Fred Robbins, who played for Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo when both were with the Giants. The Cardinals reportedly have interest in linebackers Joey Porter and Larry Foote, who played for the Steelers when Arizona’s Ken Whisenhunt was a coach for Pittsburgh. On and on it goes.

It makes sense for teams to seek players they know will fit their systems. I also think teams can value familiarity too much. Sometimes it’s easier for a coach to plug in a known part than to put in the work needed to develop a younger or more talented player.

Despite spending his entire career with the Arizona Cardinals, new Baltimore Ravens receiver Anquan Boldin is not a stranger to the AFC North.



According to ESPN Stats & Information, Boldin played six career games against his new division rivals — the Cleveland Browns, Cincinnati Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers. Currently the Browns and Steelers both lack quality depth at cornerback, although the draft and free agency could change that.



Paired with former teammate Larry Fitzgerald, Boldin was the second option in Arizona’s offense, but could have more balls thrown his way next season as the top option for Baltimore and quarterback Joe Flacco. This also means Boldin will face more No. 1 cornerbacks in the AFC North like Pittsburgh’s Ike Taylor and Cincinnati’s Johnathan Joseph.



Last season, Boldin caught 84 receptions for 1,024 yards and four touchdowns with the Cardinals. It was the fifth time Boldin eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark in his career.

The Buffalo Bills have contacted free-agent outside linebacker Joey Porter to gauge his interest about playing in their new 3-4 defense, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.



The Miami Dolphins cut Porter on Friday. Schefter reports Porter will visit with the Arizona Cardinals on Thursday, but there’s no word on whether he’ll grant the Bills an interview.



Bills defensive coordinator George Edwards spent the previous five years coaching the Dolphins’ linebackers. Although Edwards handled inside linebackers the past two years, he worked enough with Porter to have an opinion on the sort of impact the four-time Pro Bowler can make. Porter will turn 33 this month.



Buffalo will be a tough sell to Porter. When he was talking his way off the Dolphins’ roster before the Super Bowl, he stated he wanted to play closer to his hometown of Bakersfield, Calif., and named the Cardinals, San Diego Chargers and San Francisco 49ers as favored destinations.



One of Porter’s daughters has autism. He frequently would make cross-country flights from South Florida on his regular-season off days to be with his family in California. In October 2008, Porter and his wife opened a center in downtown Bakersfield for special-needs children.