NFC Notes: 49ers, Cardinals, Seahawks

49ers

49ers RT Mike McGlinchey played somewhere in the mid-290s last season, which is on the lighter side for an offensive tackle. On the one hand, it helped McGlinchey be more mobile and excel as a run blocker in San Francisco’s predominantly zone-blocking scheme. On the other, it led to some issues in pass-blocking, as McGlinchey was so worried about getting bull-rushed he’d stop his feet and allow rushers past him instead. He’s focused this offseason on adding weight to get up to 315-320 pounds and says he feels much more confident as a result. 

“It was made clear by my coaching staff that no matter what we do in the offseason and how much weight I put on, it will not be (worth it) if I lose what I’m really good at,” he said via the Athletic’s Matt Barrows. “So I feel very confident in my game right now. I’m very excited to get it going.”

Cardinals

Cardinals RB Chase Edmonds is expected to get the first crack at starting reps, but admits he hates the term “RB1.”

“Honestly, I hate the term RB1,” Edmonds said via Bob McManaman of AZCentral.com. “I feel like for me personally, my first years coming in here I felt like I was already the short-end-of-the-stick kind of deal. I always felt like in football you get what you deserve. And everybody in that (running back) room is going to get and earn what they do in training camp.”

The Cardinals signed RB James Conner to a one-year deal this offseason, and while he’ll likely have an opportunity to carve out a role within the offense, HC Kliff Kingsbury will make sure he plays to each players’ strengths.

“We’ll play to their strengths,” Kingsbury said. “James is obviously a bigger back and Chase will have an opportunity to do some great things. We want to make sure we’re calling plays that both those guys are comfortable with when they’re in and kind of tailor it to them.”

While Edmonds spent the first few years of his career in a change-of-pace role, he added weight this offseason to handle the rigors of being the “bell-cow back.”

“I tried to put on a few pounds and lean out a little bit like two or three pounds. That may not sound like a lot to an outsider, but to me, it was enough to get the job done. I’m like around 205 right now,” Edmonds said.

Seahawks

Seahawks QB Russell Wilson seems to be a fan so far of the new offense OC Shane Waldron is installing in Seattle, noting there are some similarities to what they’ve done in the past. 

“Well, it’s all West Coast, so we have a lot of similar thoughts and ideas and everything that we’ve done,” Wilson said via NFL Media. “We have been able to do a lot of great things over the past several years and I think that, you know, we want to be able to keep a lot of that good stuff that we’ve done but also bring a little bit of change of pace, change of look here and there.”

Wilson went on to praise the offseason additions of TE Gerald Everett and G Gabe Jackson, which should allow them to continue to be effective in both the passing and running game. 

“It’s been fun for us,” Wilson said. “We want the versatility to be able do it all. It’s going to come through the running game, it’s going to come through the passing game, it’s going to come through explosive plays and all the different things that we can do. We have a lot of versatility and it starts up front — it starts with that key part of it and it starts with guys making plays. At the end of the day, to go where we want to go, it’s gonna come down to one, two plays here and there, And it starts right now.”