NFC Notes: 49ers, Cardinals, Rams

49ers

The 49ers used a third-round pick on a running back for the second consecutive year, selecting Tyrion Davis-Price out of LSU even though they traded up in the third round for Trey Sermon last year and got nearly 1,000 rushing yards from sixth-rounder Elijah Mitchell. Sermon was a non-factor as a rookie and Mitchell missed five games, continuing a theme of injury woes for San Francisco which is what GM John Lynch cited as a factor in picking Davis-Price.

“There’s plenty of room for these guys,” Lynch said via ESPN’s Nick Wagoner. “Most seasons we’ve used four, we’ve used five. … We emphasize the run game here and we want versatile backs. I think we have that with our collection of guys, and we’re excited about that group.”

Davis-Price also brings a size element that San Francisco’s backfield largely lacked in 2021. He will play in the 220-225 range. Sermon is around 215 and Jeff Wilson, who missed half the season due to injury, is 213. 49ers WR Deebo Samuel was actually the team’s biggest and most powerful ball carrier last season but relying on him less as a running back will be important going forward. That’s where Davis-Price can fit in. 

“I love delivering the blow,” Davis-Price said. “I don’t like getting tackled. I know it happens but I hate getting tackled. I love bringing the contact to them so that they don’t want to tackle you. In the first, second quarter they might take it a little bit, but eventually they don’t want any more of it. That is always my mindset, to go and attack the defender and wear them out, make them quit.”

Cardinals

Cardinals GM Steve Keim said that owner Michael Bidwell is extremely aggressive and puts team building at the forefront of his priorities.

“He just gets it,” Keim said, via Cards Wire. “He is extremely aggressive. When we talk about going to get players, he’ll fly his plane and go get them. It’s great to have that kind of passion. A guy that comes to the office every day.”

Rams

Rams WR Cooper Kupp is excited to have a new partner in crime in former Bears WR Allen Robinson.

“Working with A-Rob has been incredible,” Kupp said during his Monday press conference. “It’s his mental aptitude of what he’s able to grasp already. And just being able to dialogue with him, about how he sees the game has been really fun. I think the cool thing, watching A-Rob’s tape, he’s a lot bigger than I think people think that he is. He’s a big dude that can do a lot of things that smaller receivers do. I’m excited about being about to have someone like that, who can do those things, be a big body, big target.”

“His football aptitude is incredible. But his willingness to spend the time here and learning this thing, because he doesn’t just want to know the offense — he wants to understand the offense,” Kupp added. “And there’s a difference between knowing what to do and knowing how to do it. And he wants to know how to do it and how to do it as efficiently as possible, as effectively as possible. So I’ve got a great appreciation for that.”