NFC Notes: 49ers, Rams, Seahawks

49ers

• The Athletic’s Matt Barrows mentions 49ers offensive QC coach Leonard Hankerson is a candidate to move into an expanded role. 
• He adds his impression is 49ers DL coach Kris Kocurek is happy in his current role and isn’t looking for any changes. 
• Barrows notes 49ers RB Trey Sermon has a lot of experience running read-option plays from college and that figures to be a bigger part of San Francisco’s offense in 2022, meaning there’s hope his role could increase. 

• Matt Barrows of The Athletic thinks that re-signing LG Laken Tomlinson or finding a suitable replacement at his position must be one of their priorities this offseason given they’ll require a strong offensive line with Trey Lance potentially taking over. 
• Barrows could see the Commanders being interested in Tomlinson given GM Martin Mayhew drafted him in 2015. 

Rams

• While at the Rams’ Super Bowl parade, impending free-agent OLB Von Miller yelled out that he’s not going anywhere: “We ain’t going nowhere. California knows how to party, baby!” (Greg Beacham)
• Ian Rapoport mentions that the structure of the team puts them in a good position to continue competing for a Super Bowl next season. 
• Although Los Angeles is $21.2 million over the salary cap, Rapoport points out that LT Andrew Whitworth‘s $13 million salary will come off the book given he’s likely to retire and can gain more cap space by doing “simple conversions.” 
• Rapoport adds that the $39 million in dead money in 2021 from Jared Goff, Todd Gurley, and Michael Brockers is also gone. 

• Bruce Feldman reports that Jeremy Springer will become the Rams assistant ST coach, who was most recently the ST coordinator at Ole Miss.
• Rams S Eric Weddle is becoming a high school football coach at Rancho Bernardo High School following his Super Bowl victory. (Ian Rapoport)

Seahawks

Seahawks’ new DC Clint Hurtt said that their defense will be “significantly” more aggressive in 2022. 

“The one thing that is going to be significantly different this year is we are going to be aggressive. We want that,” said Hurtt, via Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic. “The aggressiveness is going to come from our guys up front, getting after the passer, continuing being strong in the run game like we have been the past few years. That’s the mentality of the defense we want to have and our players respond to that mentality.”

Hurtt said he wants their pass rush and coverage to be equally productive going forward. 

“Obviously, that comes with one, how you coach it, and two, how you call it. The aggressiveness and attacking offenses but at the same time challenging the quarterback and making it harder on him, not just with our rush but with coverage. That’s where we want to make big improvements.”

Hurtt reiterated that he wants their pass rushers to be attacking the quarterback instead of dropping into coverage. 

“I don’t want to see big guys going backwards,” Hurtt said. “The guys will be attacking a lot more, going upfield and not working on backpedaling, I can promise you that.”

Hurtt called Seahawks S Jamal Adams a “difference-maker” and feels it’s his responsibility to put the safety in good positions. 

“Jamal is still a difference-maker,” Hurtt said. “How we use him, that’s going to be on me. It’s our responsibility, my responsibility, to make sure we put him in position so he can be at his very best.”