San Francisco 49ers owner Jed York speaks at a groundbreaking ceremony at the construction site for the San Francisco 49ers’ NFL football stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., Thursday, April 19, 2012. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

The NFL has made its decisions, and the 50^th and 51^st Super Bowls will be held in the San Francisco Bay Area and Houston.

Team owners voted in Boston today for the championship games that will be played in 2016 and 2017.

The 2016 game, or Super Bowl L, will be played at the 49ers’ new stadium in Santa Clara that is schedule to open in time for the 2014 season.

“We’re just excited that the owners voted for the Bay Area to host Super Bowl L,” 49ers CEO Jed York told the NFL Network. “It’s an awesome, awesome thing that they’ve allowed us to host one of the biggest games; the golden anniversary in the Golden State. We’re just really, really excited.”

Houston, meanwhile, was awarded the 2017 title game, or Super Bowl LI. Houston also hosted the Super Bowl in 2004.

“We had a wonderful time in 2004,” Texans founder, chairman and CEO Robert McNair told the NFL Network. “We love having the NFL in Houston and celebrating the Super Bowl. I think we are even better prepared this time. It is just going to be a wonderful celebration. We just look forward to having people from all over the world come to Houston.”

The Super Bowl will be played in East Rutherford, N.J., in the stadium shared by the Giants and Jets, in 2014. The 2015 game will be played at the home stadium of the Cardinals in Glendale, Ariz.

The NFL Draft is over, and so are the rookie minicamps that followed. It’s a good time to touch base with each of the four teams in the NFC West, which ESPN.com division blogger Mike Sando has done.

Here’s his bottom-line take on the Seahawks, as well as their NFC West rivals, and a link to his more in-depth analysis:

Seattle  – “The Seahawks appear better on paper for the moves they made this offseason, and they were already pretty good.”

San Francisco  – “The 49ers are still the team to beat the NFC West. They are still good enough to win the division and compete for the Super Bowl. It’s just that the road out of the division is more treacherous these days.”

St. Louis – “What went right outweighs what went wrong. I was reaching to find items in the latter category and resisted adding a note about the team being unable to keep (Steven) Jackson at a reduced salary. My feeling was that the Rams valued Jackson, but they were also ready to move forward with younger players. The Rams have made the NFL’s youngest roster even younger, so there are some short-term uncertainties surrounding this team. However, the longer-range plan is proceeding on schedule.”

Arizona – “The Cardinals are better at quarterback. They are younger throughout their roster. They are in position to improve.”

BYU linebacker Kyle Van Noy holds out the ball as he scores on a 17-yard interception return during the fourth quarter of the Poinsettia Bowl NCAA college football game against San Diego State, Thursday, Dec. 20, 2012, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)

The 2013 NFL Draft was completed on Saturday night, after seven rounds had been conducted and 254 players were selected over three days. So the first mock draft for 2014 couldn’t be far off, right?

Rob Rang at NFLDraftScout.com has done just that, and he has the Seahawks drafting from the 26^th spot in the first round and selecting BYU outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy.

Dane Brugler, Rang’s mock-mate, has the Seahawks going for Tennessee inside linebacker A.J. Johnson.

Their top pick overall? Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, to the Gus Bradley-coached Jaguars.

Now that the 2014 NFL Draft already has been conducted, complements of Chris Burke at SI.com, let’s move on to the 2014 NFL playoffs.

Exercise No. 2 in the horse-way-before-the-cart category comes from NFL.com, where readers already have voted the Seahawks into a wild-card spot – did anyone happen to catch how they did in the Sept. 15 home opener against the 49ers?

Spoiler alert: It’s the Seahawks against the Redskins in a rematch of last season’s wild-card game won by the Seahawks. The 49ers and Buccaneers are matched in the other NFC wild-card game, with the Packers and Falcons getting the first-round byes.

Voting runs through Thursday, so why not play along?

The post-draft power rankings are out at ESPN.com, and guess who remains at No. 1?

It’s the Seahawks, obviously, because they also held the top spot in the website’s pre-draft rankings.

Says NFC West blogger Mike Sando, “The Seahawks used the draft to get stronger at defensive tackle and, surprisingly, running back.”

Sitting at No. 2 are the division rival 49ers – the two-time defending NFC West champion and 2012 NFC champion 49ers, who also had a strong draft. Offered Sando: “The 49ers stocked up on draft choices for the future, but they also found an immediate starter in safety Eric Reid.”

We’ve already asked coach Pete Carroll how he plans to handle these heightened expectations for a team that used the chip-on-the-shoulder motivation – individually and collection – so well in going 11-5 during the 2012 regular season, won the franchise’s first road playoff game since 1983 and came within 31 seconds of advancing to the NFC Championship game.

“It’s really crucial that we handle it well,” Carroll said. “That reality, it’s really important to own that. … As the praise comes, we handle it with humility. You understand it and treat it like it’s no big deal.”

Wide receiver Percy Harvin hauls in a pass as Phase 2 of the team’s Offseason Program commenced today at Virginia Mason Athletic Center

The NFL today released the offseason workout program dates for each of the League’s 32 teams, including rookie minicamp dates for the 11 drafted Seahawks and nine more that agreed to terms as undrafted rookie free agents.

Each club’s official, voluntary nine-week offseason program is conducted in three phases:

Phase One consists of the first two weeks of the program with activities limited to strength and conditioning and physical rehabilitation only. The Seahawks started this phase back on April 15 and recently concluded on April 26.

Phase Two consists of the next three weeks of the program. On-field workouts may include individual player instruction and drills as well as team practice conducted on a “separates” basis. No live contact or team offense vs. team defense drills are permitted. The Seahawks started this phase today.

Phase Three consists of the next four weeks of the program. Teams may conduct a total of 10 days of organized team practice activity, or “OTAs”. No live contact is permitted, but 7-on-7, 9-on-7, and 11-on-11 drills are permissible. For the Seahawks, this phase is set to start on May 20 and run through June 14.

Here’s a look at the team’s minicamp and OTA workout dates:

Rookie Minicamp: May 10-12

OTA Offseason Workouts: May 20-21, May 23, May 28-29, May 31, June 3-6

Mandatory Minicamp: June 11-13

These dates are tentative and subject to change.

Utah State wide receiver (No. 4, middle) is one of nine undrafted rookie free agents that has agreed to terms with the Seahawks

As soon as the 2013 NFL Draft came to a close, the undrafted rookie free agent frenzy began.

Less than four hours after the conclusion of this afternoon’s seventh round, the Seahawks announced they had agreed to terms with nine undrafted rookie free agents:

Pos.     Player                           College

WR      Matt Austin                  Utah State

T          Alvin Bailey                 Arkansas

DE       Kenneth Boatright        Southern Illinois

LB       Ramon Buchanan         Miami

LB       John Lotulelei               UNLV

SS        Ray Polk                       Colorado

G         Jordon Roussos            Bowling Green

RB       Dominique Whaley       Oklahoma

LB       Craig Wilkins                Old Dominion

With their second pick in the seventh round of the 213 NFL Draft, the Seahawks selected Harding University outside linebacker Ty Powell.

The 6-foot-2, 249-pound Harding was the 25^th pick in the round, and 231^st overall.

The Seahawks needed depth at linebacker, with Malcolm Smith expected to step into the starting spot on the outside opposite K.J. Wright.

Harding is the first player drafted from Harding in 30 years.

The Seahawks have four picks in today’s seventh, and final, round of the 2013 NFL Draft. They used the first to add depth to the offensive line by selecting Vanderbilt guard Ryan Seymour.

The 6-foot-4, 301-pound Seymour was the 14^th pick in the round, and 220^th overall. The Seahawks got the pick in the trade that sent middle linebacker Barrett Ruud to the Saints last year.

The Seahawks also are scheduled to make the 25^th, 35^th and 36^th picks in the round.

Can a seventh-round pick even make the roster? Yes, and the prove is in some of the team’s previous seventh-round selections, a group that includes linebacker Malcolm Smith (2011) and guard J.R. Sweezy (2012), who finished last season as starters; running back David Sims (1977), who scored 14 touchdowns in 1978; free safety John Harris (1978), who intercepted 10 passes in 1981; linebacker Sam Merriman (1983), who led the club in special-teams tackles in 1984; tackle Ron Mattes (1985), who started from 1986-88; defensive end Michael McCrary (1993), who had 13.5 sacks in 1996; and kicker Josh Brown (2003), who averaged over 100-points per season from 2003-07.

The Seahawks had one pick in the sixth round of the 2013 NFL Draft today and used it to select LSU running back Spencer Ware.

The 5-foot-10, 229-pound Ware was the 26^th pick in the round, and No. 194 overall. The Seahawks also selected LSU cornerback Tharold Simon in the fifth round.

Ware had 367 yards rushing and 230 receiving last season, when he started four games.

The Seahawks have four picks in the seventh, and final, round.

Ware joins the players previously selected in the sixth round by the Seahawks, a group that includes defensive end Michael Sinclair (1991), kick returner and Olympic sprinter Michael Bates (1992), tight end Itula Mili (1997), defensive tackle Craig Terrill (2004), tight end Anthony McCoy (2010) and cornerbacks Byron Maxwell (2011) and Jeremy Lane (2012).

With their third selection in the fifth round of the 2013 NFL Draft, the Seahawks picked Rice tight end Luke Willson.

The 6-foot-5, 252-pound Willson was the 25^th pick in the round, and 158^th overall. Earlier today, the Seahawks selected Alabama defensive tackle Jesse Williams and LSU cornerback Tharold Simon with the fourth and fifth picks in the fifth round.

The Canadian-born Willson joins a list of previous fifth-round draft choices by the Seahawks that includes All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman (2011), Pro Bowl-caliber strong safety Kam Chancellor (2010), special-teams standout Don Dufek (1976), guard Edwin Bailey (1981), Pro Bowl kick returner Bobby Joe Edmonds (1986), kick returner Charlie Rogers (1999), Pro Bowl special-teams player Alex Bannister (2001) and defensive tackle Rocky Bernard (2002).

The Seahawks made back-to-back picks in the fifth round of the 2013 NFL Draft today, taking LSU cornerback Tharold Simon one pick after selecting Alabama defensive tackle Jesse Williams.

The 6-foot-2, 202-pound Simon was the fifth pick in the round, and 138^th overall. The pick was acquired from the Raiders in the Matt Flynn trade last month.

Simon has the size the Seahawks like in their corners.

He joins a list of previous fifth-round draft choices by the Seahawks that includes All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman (2011), Pro Bowl-caliber strong safety Kam Chancellor (2010), special-teams standout Don Dufek (1976), guard Edwin Bailey (1981), Pro Bowl kick returner Bobby Joe Edmonds (1986), kick returner Charlie Rogers (1999), Pro Bowl special-teams player Alex Bannister (2001) and defensive tackle Rocky Bernard (2002).

With day two of the 2013 NFL Draft in the books, we take a look back at the moves made around the NFC West, continuing with the San Francisco 49ers.

The Niners started by adding depth to their rotation along the defensive line with the selection of Cornellius “Tank” Carradine, the draft’s 40th overall selection, listed as a defensive end out of Florida State University.

Carradine, who measures 6-foot-4, 273-pounds, started 12 games for the Seminoles in 2012, recording 80 total tackles and 11.0 sacks. But he tore his ACL late in the season, an injury that caused him to miss much of the pre-draft process.

San Francisco let defensive linemen Isaac Sopoaga and Ricky Jean-Francois go in free agency, so the pick fills a need for the club.

To arrive at the edge-rusher Carradine, the 49ers dealt pick No. 34 to the Tennessee Titans in exchange for picks No. 40 (Carradine) and No. 216 (seventh-round), as well as a 2014 third-rounder.

With the 55th pick in the draft, the 49ers targeted tight end Vance McDonald out of Rice University. The 6-4, 268-pound McDonald fills another need for the Niners after tight end Delanie Walker signed with the Tennessee Titans in free agency this offseason.  McDonald was primarily used as a receiver out of the slot position while at Rice and seems to be an obvious replacement for the versatile Walker. The Niners traded up with the Green Bay Packers to select McDonald, so the tight end was clearly on the club’s radar.

The Niners closed the draft’s second day by adding Corey Lemonier out of Auburn. Listed at 6-foot-3 and 255 pounds, Lemonier will likely play outside linebacker in San Francisco’s defensive scheme, even though his draft profile has him listed as a defensive lineman.

The Seahawks have traded their second-round draft choice to the Ravens, allowing Baltimore to select Kansas State linebacker Arthur Brown with the 56^th pick overall.

The Seahawks moved into the Ravens’ No. 32 spot in today’s second round (62nd overall) and also got picks in the fifth (165^th overall) and sixth (199^th) rounds.

Good morning, Seahawks fans, and welcome to day two of the 2013 NFL Draft. After not selecting in yesterday’s first round, the Seahawks hold two picks today (Round 2, No. 56 overall and Round 3, No. 87 overall). The action revs back up at 3:30 p.m. PT.

In the meantime, here’s what’s “out there” about the Seahawks and around the League for Friday, April 26.

Jerry Brewer of the Seattle Times says the Seahawks trading their first-round draft pick to acquire wide receiver Percy Harvin was the right move.

Eric Williams of the Tacoma News Tribune recaps the Seahawks’ quiet first day and offers up some second-round targets for Seattle.

John Boyle of the Everett Herald details the moves made around the active NFC West on the draft’s first day.

ESPN.com NFC West blogger Mike Sando was hard at work while the rest of us in the Seahawks media room were spectating yesterday’s first round (kidding, kind of), and he shares his thoughts on the Rams, 49ers, and Cardinals first-round selections.

Grantland.com’s Bill Barnwell tries to make sense of the draft’s first day, noting surprises, trade winners and losers, and what to watch for on day two.

Former University of Washington Husky standout cornerback Desmond Trufant – the younger brother of longtime Seahawk Marcus Trufant – went to the Atlanta Falcons, who traded up with the Rams to grab him at No. 22.

A 49-year-old NFL Draft streak was snapped yesterday when a running back was not taken in the first round for the first time since 1963.

NFL.com has a round-by-round look at the 2013 NFL Draft order after last night’s picks and draft-day trades.

NFL.com Around the League editor Gregg Rosenthal breaks down what he believes to be the draft’s top 20 remaining players.

Seahawks.com’s live coverage of the draft will continue later this afternoon, but you can read Clare Farnsworth’s recap of day one here.

Stay plugged in to our draft central for all the latest news surrounding your Seahawks and the rest of today’s draft.

We leave you with the reactions from several Seahawks players via Twitter as they followed last night’s first round:

Congrats to @percy_harvin for being our first round pick…we do a great job of drafting every year…#seahawks—
Earl Thomas (@Earl_Thomas) April 25, 2013

…. And with the Seahawks First pick in the NFL draft they select @Percy_Harvin

#GoHawks—
Doug Baldwin Jr (@DougBaldwinJr) April 25, 2013

I'm excited about all the new competition that's coming to the NFC WEST!!!—
Earl Thomas (@Earl_Thomas) April 26, 2013

NFC West best division hands down. #NFLDraft—
Doug Baldwin Jr (@DougBaldwinJr) April 26, 2013

Congrats to @Ky1eLong and @Dionj96 for getting selected in the first round! #goducks—
Max Unger (@MaxUnger60) April 26, 2013

Congrats to Desmond Trufant, it runs in the family @ExperienceTru—
Kameron (@Kam_Chancellor) April 26, 2013

You got the whole state of WV behind you nobody else matters! #WVU #GenoSmith—
Bruce Irvin (@BIrvin_WVU11) April 26, 2013

Still say we had the best first round pick of the draft……—
Earl Thomas (@Earl_Thomas) April 26, 2013

Don't worry draft-able dudes, I wasn't drafted and I'm sitting in a suite at the Mariners game with @JonRyan9 . Everything will be ok.—
Carson Wiggs (@Wiggy_Bank) April 26, 2013