NFC Notes: 49ers, Aaron Donald, Rams, Seahawks

49ers

• Regarding the 49ers cutting RB Trey Sermon, GM John Lynch felt that RB Jordan Mason “made our team better” and Sermon wasn’t ready last season: “JP Mason just played too well and we feel he made our team better. Hard part of that, on Trey, been much chronicled, he wasn’t ready to play the way we needed him last year. He answered the bell and was ready this year.” (Cam Inman)
• As for trade talks involving Jimmy Garoppolo, Lynch said that they had “really serious talks” with 2-3 teams around the NFL Combine but discussions dissipated after the news of his shoulder surgery: “Combine time, there were really serious talks. Probably 2-3 teams that I felt this was going to happen. That’s when news broke (of shoulder surgery). Then things went the way they went. I’m glad we’ve arrived where we’re at … We’re happy he’s here.” (Cam Inman)

Rams

• Rams DT Aaron Donald downplayed the helmet-swinging incident during the team’s joint practices with the Bengals: “It was just a practice. It was football. I don’t really wanna go back to nothing negative that happened & talk about something that happened in a practice. My main focus is Buffalo.” (Rob Maaddi)

Seahawks

Seahawks HC Pete Carroll said that the quarterback competition between Geno Smith and Drew Lock will continue into the regular season. 

“Yeah, I think that they understand that, that it’s always on,” Carroll said, via Gregg Bell of The News Tribune. 

Carroll is confident that Lock has a “big future” despite missing out on the starting role this preseason. 

“He’s disappointed. He’s disappointed, you know,” Carroll said. “But I know he knows how we think of him, and how we trust he’s got a big future and all that. He knows by the way we’ve dealt with him from the start and coached him throughout, and really taken him all the way through to this point. He’s got a big-time future. He sees that, and he’s optimistic about it — as we are. He’s got a big-time future. He sees that, and he’s optimistic about it — as we are.”

Lock admitted that he feels disappointed to not earn the job. 

“As a competitor, you’re always disappointed. And I was disappointed. You want to be out there. You want to be playing with those guys,” said Lock. “You want to be able to step on the field and show you can do it.”

• ESPN’s Field Yates notes the Giants also put a waiver claim on Seahawks recently signed DE Darryl Johnson. New York was higher in the order, so they must have withdrawn their claim on Johnson after seeing the results of their other claims.