NFC

Sporting News, The, Feb 21, 2000 by Mark Schlabach, Joe Menzer, Lee Shappell, John Mullin, Mickey Spagnola, Tom Kowalski, Tom Silverstein, Don Banks, Jeff Duncan, Neil Best, Mark Eckel, Jim Thomas, Mike Triplett, Roy Cummings, Paul Woody

SIGN IN, PLEASE: The Rams signed Nutten, a restricted free agent, to a three-year, $3.065 million contract and re-signed TE Ernie Conwell to a three-year, $3.9 million deal. Conwell played in only 7 percent of the team's offensive plays last season as he recovered from reconstructive knee surgery. But by the Super Bowl, it was clear that he was completely healthy. Conwell, who was the starting tight end for most of three seasons (1996-98), is a much better blocker than incumbent Roland Williams, though Williams has better hands. --Jim Thomas

San Francisco

SLICE AND DICE: With the unenviable problem of being $24 million over the salary cap, the 49ers cut SS Tim McDonald, LB Lee Woodall and DE Marvin Washington and restructured 14 contracts, most notably QB Steve Young's. The end result? They now are roughly $3.4 million under the cap--barely enough to try to re-sign DT Junior Bryant, TE Greg Clark and their upcoming draft picks. The biggest question left: What to do with WR Jerry Rice? If the team decides to waive him, it likely will wait until June 1, at which point most of his signing-bonus dollars would shift to the 2001 cap.

LIKELY MOVES: The 49ers likely will look to Zack Bronson to replace McDonald at strong safety, or may slide over FS Lance Schulters, leaving Bronson to compete with Pierson Prioleau at free safety. ILB Winffed Tubbs likely will replace Woodall at outside hacker. And re-signed CB Monty Montgomery should push for playing time.... Just like in the old days, the 49ers are mortgaging their future to ease cap woes. Among the restructured deals were extensions that will pay OL Ray Brown until he is 43 and LB Ken Norton until he is 40. G.M. Bill Walsh says it will he four years before the team is healthy under the cap.... The retirement of FB Tommy Vardell means a promotion for Fred Beasley, who ran for 276 yards and four touchdowns last season.--Mike Triplett

Tampa Bay

STAY THE SAME: The change in offensive coordinators won't result in a change of philosophies. Coach Tony Dungy wants the offense to be a little less conventional next season, but he still wants to run the ball and feature FB Mike Alstott and RB Warrick Dunn as the primary weapons. So the first priority of the new coordinator will be to mesh his philosophies with Dungy's desire to use a primarily run-oriented attack. But the coordinator's chief goal will be to improve the passing game, which ranked 30th overall last season. Dungy wants to make better use of wideouts, especially Bert Emanuel and Jacquez Green, who developed into a deep threat. Candidates to replace Mike Shula include Panthers running backs coach Chick Harris, Colts quarterbacks coach Bruce Arians, Broncos receivers coach Mike Heimerdinger and Saints quarterbacks coach Mike McCarthy.

BACK HOME: The decision to re-sign WR Yo Murphy is worth noting. Before being lost to the Vikings in a late-season roster adjustment, Murphy was the Bucs' top kick returner. He consistently displayed the fearlessness and straight-ahead running style the Bucs like. The team lost him to Minnesota when it tried to sneak him through waivers and re-sign him to the practice squad. The return game was an area of concern after he left, so the team is glad to have him back. --Roy Cummings