NFC Notes: 49ers, Panthers, Saints

49ers

Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports ranks the 49ers’ 10 undrafted free agents in likelihood to make the team’s active roster this year as follow:

1. DL Darrion Daniels
2. WR Chris Finke
3. RB JaMycal Hasty
4. CB DeMarkus Acy
5. RB Salvon Ahmed
6. DB Jared Mayden
7. LB Jonas Griffith
8. FB Josh Hokit
9. TE/DE Chase Harrell
10. QB Broc Rutter

Panthers

• Per WFNZ’s Kyle Bailey, Panthers GM Marty Hurney confirmed they weren’t going to trade down once they saw DT Derrick Brown was on the board: “With him there, we really were not going to move. I think Matt Rhule and I see the same philosophy as far as when you go to defense, you start from the front back.” 
• Hurney repeated his praise for Brown’s ability to take over a game, along with how he was blown away by his character and thought there was no way he would get to Carolina’s pick at No. 7. 
• Responding to criticisms of the pick involving Brown’s poor three-cone drill and the value of taking a potential run-stuffer with a limited ceiling as a pass rusher as a top pick, Hurney said Brown will do a lot to free up other players and is a three-down player. 
• Hurney was also shocked second-round DE Yetur Gross-Matos was available where he was and it was an easy pick for the Panthers to rebuild their defensive line: “For Gross-Matos to be there at 38, again I hate to say it, but I was surprised he was there. We had him as a first-round guy….he is just at the tip of the iceberg as a football player.” 
• Hurney touted second-round S Jeremy Chinn‘s ability to play multiple roles, from safety to nickel defender, as a big reason they traded up for him: “His versatility is going to be extremely valuable to us.”
• Asked why the Panthers were attracted to S Kenny Robinson in the fifth round, Hurney responded: “Ball skills.”
• Hurney also described his philosophy this offseason, as fans and others around the league have been confused if Carolina is rebuilding or trying to be competitive in 2020. Hurney says both: “Make one good decision at a time to build a football team that can be competitive. We understand that coming in we had a lot of areas of need and we still have areas of need. But we want to try and build the best football team that we can for this year while still building for the future.”

Saints

• Katherine Terrell of The Athletic mentions that the chances are low that the Saints bring back CB Eli Apple after his contract with the Raiders fell through.
• Terrell also says that since they have effectively drafted his replacement in G/C Cesar Ruiz, G Larry Warford could opt not to take a pay cut from the Saints and compete for a starting job elsewhere after securing his release. Warford will count for $7.7 million against the Saints cap in 2020.
• There is also a possibility that Warford could be traded before training camp if there was a team willing to complete the deal, according to Terrell.
• Terrell is unsure whether seventh-rounder Tommy Stevens will make the 53-man roster, at which point he could be claimed or signed by the Panthers, who reportedly had planned on signing him as an undrafted free agent.