NFC Notes: 49ers, Cardinals, Kyler Murray, Rams, Seahawks

49ers

• 49ers HC Kyle Shanahan said he expects Trey Lance and Sam Darnold to both take first-team reps this offseason while Brock Purdy is out. (David Lombardi)
• Shanahan notes the following on the team’s starting quarterback job: “With Brock being hurt, (Trey Lance) has a chance to regain that.” (Lombardi)
• Shanahan says the team will find out more about Purdy’s prognosis after three months: “Based on how he’s healing from surgery, it could be six months, eight months. Leaves the door open for Week 1, and Week 4, whenever he’s ready.” (Ian Rapoport)

Cardinals

Cardinals HC Jonathan Gannon told reporters on Tuesday that he’s expecting DeAndre Hopkins to be their starting “X receiver” in 2023. 

“Right now, I’m operating under the premise that Hop’s our starting X [receiver] and people are going to have to defend him,” Gannon said, via ESPN.com. 

“He’s been great, and I’m looking forward to getting to work with him, too. So, everyone that has a jersey right now, I’m looking forward to coaching and fitting them all in together.”

• Gannon would not put a timeline on QB Kyler Murray‘s return. “You’re always wrong when you do that. So, whenever he’s ready to play, he’ll play.” (Josh Weinfuss)
• Gannon added that they want Murray to be fully ready both physically and mentally before returning. 
• Gannon said they are prepared to enter the offseason with Colt McCoy and David Blough as their quarterbacks until Murray gets back. (Josh Weinfuss)
• According to Gannon, DC Nick Rallis has the freedom to run the defense but he still wants to be kept in the loop: “I did not want a copy and paste job from Philly bc there’s things that I wanna see done better and things that you need in 2023 that we didn’t need in 2021 and 22.“
• Gannon mentioned everyone has a chance to start for them in response to a question about whether Josh Jones can supplant Kelvin Beachum at right tackle. (Josh Weinfuss) –
• Dennis Daley has told Gannon he’s more comfortable at guard, even though he can play tackle too.

Rams

• Rams GM Les Snead said the team has kept WR Odell Beckham Jr. in their discussions during free agency. They have outlined what they want to do contractually but comes down to what he decides and where he wants to play. (Jourdan Rodrigue)
• Rams HC Sean McVay says QB Matthew Stafford is healthy and ready for football: “There will be no limitations. He’ll be ready to roll.” (Andrew Siciliano)
• Cincinnati WRs Tyler Scott and Tre Tucker both met with the Rams the night before their pro day. (Tony Pauline)

Seahawks

• Seahawks HC Pete Carroll said in an interview on SiriusXM NFL Radio they had been working on getting a deal done with LB Bobby Wagner for a while: “Getting this thing done with Bobby was something we had intended the whole time, but it took us a while to figure it out and see how it was all going to work.” 
• Carroll added while it helped that Wagner was able to put the Seahawks releasing him last year in the past, he always tries to keep up a positive relationship with former players: “In the NFL, most of the time guys get released before it’s all over with…but that doesn’t mean that’s the end of your relationship. With my guys, I’m going to be there at the end of it, I don’t care what they say, what they do, flip you this off, flip you that off, I don’t care.”
• Carroll told NFL Media’s Steve Wyche he’s having a great time researching the top quarterbacks in this class. He said they absolutely are taking a different approach this year with the No. 5 pick and a reasonable shot at getting one of the top guys: “This is different. I can’t recall the intensity of it being…like this, this is really something with all the quarterback excitement and the great players that are there.”
• Carroll said they’ve kept veteran QB Geno Smith abreast of what they’re thinking and they’re not worried about him reacting poorly if they draft a quarterback: “He’s just trying to win. Geno knows we’re just trying to win, and this is how we compete.”
• Added Carroll: “We’ve said for years that we’re going to get in every single opportunity that’s out there…well here we are with the No. 5 pick and there’s legitimately four great prospects coming out at the quarterback spot. We may never have this opportunity again, so we’ve gotta maximize it.” 
• Carroll said they’re still hoping to re-sign DL Poona Ford: “Hopefully we can keep talking. We’d love to have him back. We need him to come back.” (Bob Condotta)
• Carroll mentioned the signing of Julian Love doesn’t mean they’re moving on from Jamal Adams and their goal is to play a lot of three-safety looks. (Michael-Shawn Duger)