What's the difference between going 7-9 and a spot in the NFL Play-offs?  For the San Francisco 49ers, the answer is defense, defense, defense.

     Oh, and about $40 Million in Cap Space.

     Over the first half of the 2006 Season, San Francisco gave up an average of just over 30 points a game, yet managed to to stay in the play-off hunt until Week 16.

     So when the 2007 Free Agency period began, the Niners moved quickly, signing Nate Clements-- the best Cornerback on the market-- to an 8- year, $46 Million contract.  Clements possesses superior one-on-one skills and a season spent playing the Tampa-2 Defense may have made him a better, more disciplined player.

     The 49ers also resigned Mark Roman and added former Eagle Michael Lewis, who hopes to rebound from last year's nightmare during  which he lost his starting job. All Pro Walt Harris is all the remains of the secondary that started the 2006 season.

     Aubrayo Franklin (Baltimore) will anchor the middle of the line as the Niners switch to the 3-4 system preferred by Head Coach Mike Nolan.  Tully Banta-Cain will likely start as the Right Outside Linebacker and Colby Bockwoldt  will add depth at Linebacker and intensity to the Special Teams.

     Despite getting Darrell Jackson in a trade with Conference rival Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco remains needy at the wide out position.  Ashley Lelie could emerge from his career-long slump, but the team is more likely to keep an eye on the waiver wire.

     Punter Andy Lee signed a six year deal with San Francisco after receiving a RFA offer from the Pittsburgh Steelers.  Lee has handled the Candlestick winds as well as any punter in 49ers history.

     The Seattle Seahawks opted for Safeties first, signing Deon Grant from Jacksonville and Brian Russell from the Browns.  Russell is coming off a nasty staph infection, but should be ready for the season opener against Tampa Bay.  Also coming back from injury is new  DE Patrick Kerney.

     Most of Seattle's shopping was done in-house.  The Seahawks retained OG Chris Gray, TE Will Heller, FB Josh Parry and WR Bobby Engram. They did sign Marcus Pollard to replace Jerramy Stevens, which should relieve Seahawk fans and condo owners throughout the Pacific Northwest.

     Still, injuries and a lack of depth are ominous signs on both sides of the line.  But the one who got away-- G Chris Dielman, who re-signed with the Chargers-- may haunt the Seahawks the most.

     The Cardinals are who you thought they were: a young, talented group trying to escape its troubled past.  That's okay fodder for an MTV "reality series," but not so touching a tale in the NFL.

     Last years, the Buzz-Saw Birds, spent big in free agency, opened a sparkling new stadium and rewarded their fan(s) by going 1-8 to start the season, failing to win a home game in America until Week  11.

     This year, they held the door open as perennial All-Underachiever Leonard Davis left for Dallas, then nodded appreciatively as G Mike Gandy and C Al Johnson walked in.  The Cardinals O-line improved toward the end of last year and should continue to do so in 2007 under new O-Line Coach Russ Grimm. How well the Cardinals run the ball may determine if Grimm gets a Head Coaching job in 2008.

     Terry Holt (Detroit) and Roderick Hood (Philadelphia) are under-rated, good character guys who will help stabilize the secondary.

     The St. Louis Rams continued to quietly dismantle the former Greatest Show on Turf.  Gone are Marcus Faulk (retired), Shawn McDonald, and Kevin Curtis.  Incoming: WR Drew Bennett and TE Randy McMichael, both solid and reliable receivers who will help keep the chains and the clock moving.  A change of scenery may help McMichael emerge as a free agency steal.

     The Rams' most significant moves, however, came toward the end of the 2006 season, when they extended the contracts of defensive stalwarts Leonard Little and Pisa Tinoisomao.  They then added depth  by signing LB Chris Draft (Carolina), S Todd Johnson (Chicago), and acquired DE James Hall in a trade with Detroit.

     St. Louis hopes that Dante Hall has enough spark in his legs to jump start the return game.  They also replaced cranky veteran P Matt Turk with the younger, sprier leg of Donnie Jones, Jr.