Rams offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur to be their new head coach. The Associated Press story on the signing notes, “Shurmur’s arrival was greeted with mostly a collective yawn by Browns fans …”

January 16, 2011: Chicago comfortably beats Seattle at Soldier Field, 35-24, bringing the 2010 season to a close for the NFC West.

January 19, 2011: St. Louis hires Josh McDaniels, formerly of the Broncos, to be its new offensive coordinator.

January 21, 2011: With their season over, the Seahawks sign three players to future contracts. One of them is 27-year-old Calgary Stampeders cornerback Brandon Browner, who has made the CFL’s all-star game each of the previous three seasons.

March 11, 2011: The extensions of the previous collective bargaining agreement run out.

March 12, 2011: The NFL locks out its players.

March 18,2011: The 49ers conduct a private workout with Nevada quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

April 27, 2011: The final mock drafts from Mel Kiper, Todd McShay, Rick Gosselin, and Mike Mayock all predict that the 49ers will use the seventh overall pick on Missouri quarterback Blaine Gabbert. Plugged-in 49ers beat writer Matt Maiocco notes that the 49ers would move on from Smith if they used their first-round pick on Gabbert. Gabbert attracted pre-draft praise from Harbaugh, who called his pro day performance “dazzling.” And a poll of front-office executives by legendary Packers beat writer Bob McGinn names Gabbert as the best quarterback available in that year’s draft, finishing narrowly ahead of Cam Newton. Kaepernick finishes seventh on that list.

April 28-30, 2011: The 2011 NFL draft occurs under the specter of an