NFC Notes: 49ers, Cardinals, Odell Beckham, Brian Burns, Rams, Seahawks

49ers

• The Athletic did a mock trade exercise regarding Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey, with beat reporters for each team role-playing as general managers. The 49ers, Bills and Rams were the interested teams. 
• San Francisco’s offer was one of their third-round compensatory picks in 2023 and a fourth, reflecting their view that McCaffrey might be a one-year rental and that they need to preserve their 2023 second to reload the roster. 
• Panthers beat reporter Joe Person, standing in for GM Scott Fitterer, was underwhelmed by these options and believes Fitterer would be as well. He says it’s important for the Panthers to at least get one first-round pick and thinks there’s a chance teams could sweeten their offers closer to the trade deadline.

Cardinals

Rams

It still remains to be seen if the Rams will be bringing back WR Odell Beckham this season, with CB Jalen Ramsey saying he will be back when the time is right as both have said they stay in touch with each other.

“Maybe,” Beckham said about his communications with Ramsey. “Maybe, maybe not. No, I have, but I mean not about him, like football-wise. We don’t talk about football every time.”

“No, I ain’t got to check in,” Ramsey said. “I know what’s up. So we got a while anyway before Odell is back playing football, right? So he’s going to take care of himself, take care of his body, and when the time is right, I’m still confident that this will be home. But that’s up to him at the end of the day. Selfishly, obviously, I want him here. But I want what’s best for him, like as a friend of his. I want what’s best for him.”

• The Athletic did a mock trade exercise regarding Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey, with beat reporters for each team role-playing as general managers. The 49ers, Bills and Rams were the interested teams. 
• The Rams’ offer was a 2023 second and a 2024 third-round pick, with Los Angeles confident they’ll get at least one third-round comp pick in the next two years and willing to restructure McCaffrey to fit into their Super Bowl window over the next couple of seasons. However, their 2024 first is off the table. 
• Panthers beat reporter Joe Person, standing in for GM Scott Fitterer, was underwhelmed by these options and believes Fitterer would be as well. He says it’s important for the Panthers to at least get one first-round pick and thinks there’s a chance teams could sweeten their offers closer to the trade deadline.
• The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue, in a separate article, says her understanding is there’s nothing brewing on a potential trade between the Rams and Panthers for DE Brian Burns. However, she doesn’t think Burns is untradable, though it would certainly cost the Rams their 2024 first and more. 
• Other trade options to address Los Angeles’ pass rush, per Rodrigue, could include a reunion with Bears DE Robert Quinn or exploring if Denver is willing to move on from OLB Bradley Chubb, who’s in a contract year. 
• She also doesn’t expect the Rams to neglect the offensive line as the trade deadline nears, with the focus being bolstering the interior where injuries have hit hardest. 

Seahawks

• Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times doesn’t foresee the Seahawks making any big acquisitions ahead of the trade deadline in Week 8, as this year is more about giving the young players playing time. They could trade veterans like CB Sidney Jones, however. 
• Condotta mentions S Josh Jones also cut into LB Cody Barton‘s playing time as Seattle leaned on a “big nickel” package with three safeties. In that package, S Ryan Neal came down into the box, a role that would have been S Jamal Adams‘ if healthy. 
• Condotta adds the Seahawks won’t be able to get out of Adams’ contract in 2023, but his future beyond that will depend on how he recovers from his significant quad injury and how he performs when back on the field. 
• Seahawks HC Pete Carroll said CB Tre Brown (knee) is “really close” to returning but is still a “couple weeks away.” (Michael-Shawn Dugar)