Inside the NFC.(NFL)

Larry Allen (Cowboys) gives the 49ERS a tough, experienced lineman to help protect QB Alex Smith. Allen has tremendous strength and the athleticism to overcome pass rushers. He's expected to play left guard. That means Justin Smiley will move to dght guard, where he played some as a rookie in 2004.... Expect the EAGLES to go with a lot of multiple-receiver sets and to spread the ball around. Newcomer Jabar Gaffney (Texans) is a reliable slot receiver with excellent hands and provides insurance in case Todd Pinkston is slow coming back from an Achilles' injury.... The CARDINALS were smart to retain LG Reggie Wells. Before suffering a broken ankle last season, Wells probably was the team's most consistent lineman. It's conceivable he could move to center if the team drafts a rookie guard who is ready to play dght away.... A big reason the BEARS matched the Bills' offer sheet to DL Israel Idonije is his versatility. Idonije, who played in about 25 percent of the defensive snaps last season, can play both end spots, the 3 technique tackle and nose tackle. He's able to play anywhere in the five-linemen package coordinator Ron Rivera introduced last season. Idonije has terrific size (6-6, 275) and long arms but needs to develop his football instincts.... COWBOYS K Mike Vanderjagt (Colts) made 23 of 25 field goals last season and was 7-of-8 on kicks beyond 40 yards. The knock on Vanderjagt: He struggles on kickoffs. Coach Bill Parcells wants his kicker to consistently place the ball inside the 5, so the team will consider adding a kickoff specialist, though probably not until the end of training camp. ... SAINTS free-agent pickup Mark Campbell (Bills) isn't a marquee tight end but has been a solid starter the past several seasons. He's equally reliable as a blocker and receiver, though the Bills didn't feature the tight end much in their offense.... The LIONS helped their defensive line by re-signing DEs Kalimba Edwards and Jared DeVries, but the team still has a lot of work to do on its offensive line. Relying on free-agent pickups G/T Rex Tucker (Rams) and T Barry Stokes (Falcons) to plug starting spots would be risky. Both have starting experience but have been hampered by injuries in recent seasons.... Tony Fisher (Packers) is an instant upgrade over free-agent departure Arlen Harris as the RAMS' No. 3 running back. Fisher lacks the explosiveness of some third-down specialists but is a solid blocker, which is important on blitz pickups, and a good receiver.... Now that Mike Flanagan is gone, it's likely young prospects Scott Wells, Junius Coston and Chris White will battle for the PACKERS' starting center job. Coston and White are athletic and physically capable of making blocks on the run. But Coston struggled to handle the offense as a rookie last season, and White needs to build up his body. Wells has starting experience, but his size (6-2, 300) makes him a liability ...