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

49ers

• When examining the 49ers’ potential 53-man roster, The Athletic’s Matt Barrows expects San Francisco to cut Jimmy Garoppolo if they cannot find a trade partner in order to avoid paying his $24.2 million base salary. 
• At running back, Barrows believes RB Elijah Mitchell is a “shoo-in to be the starter” if he’s healthy. 
• Regarding the tight end position, David Lombardi of The Athletic points out that TE Tyler Kroft is the only player on the bubble with guaranteed money at $25,000 for 2022 in comparison to Troy Fumagalli and Ross Dwelley, which could give him the edge for a spot on the active roster. 
• On the defensive line, Barrows could see Jordan Willis competing with Charles Omenihu for a spot while Maurice Hurst competes with Haasan Ridgeway. In the end, Barrows thinks Hurst and Willis make the cut. 
• Lombardi, however, writes to not be surprised if the 49ers keep 11 defensive linemen on the active roster. 
• Barrows could see CB Jason Verrett not being on the 49ers’ initial 53-man roster while he recovers from his injury but should have a “big role” later on. 
• Lombardi thinks that CB Dontae Johnson will start the season on the 49ers’ practice squad. 

Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals announced six internal promotions to their scouting department on Thursday. The full list includes:

• Glen Fox, Director of Pro Personnel.
• Josh Scobey, Director of College Scouting. 
• John Mancini, National Scout.
• Zac Canty, Central Regional Scout. 
• Ryan Gold, Assistant Director of College Scouting. 
• Alex Valles, Area Scout. 

Rams

Rams HC Sean McVay spoke with DT Aaron Donald this offseason and said he appreciated everything he’s done for the team, but he was adamant that he wouldn’t let Donald walk away if it was financially driven.

“When there was a possibility of it, he and I talked, and we have a great relationship. Something I really cherish. I mean, I love this guy and I’m so grateful for him,” McVay said via Rams Wire. “He called me and this was a possibility and I said, ‘Listen, if there’s anybody after eight years that has earned the right to be able to step away on his own terms because of everything you’ve accomplished, you want to spend more time with your family, if you’re ready for whatever these next endeavors in your life are gonna be,’ he’s gonna be successful at whatever he does. I say, ‘Hey, I have nothing but appreciation and respect for you. And you’ve changed my life for the better as a result of me getting the chance to coach you.

“However, if this is financially driven, shame on me, shame on you if we can’t get this thing figured out because we’ve got your agents, we’ve got our guys in the front office that are committed to trying to figure out a good collaboration where you get rewarded the way you deserve that also fits within our team, and then we’ve got a willing owner in Stan Kroenke that wants to try to be able to do that, and fortunately, we were able to get that done. And seeing him sign is something I’m really happy for.”