NFC Notes: 49ers, Rams, Seahawks

49ers

49ers WR Deebo Samuel was one of 2021’s biggest breakout players, as he took a step forward not only as a receiver but as a versatile chess piece who was San Francisco’s most explosive running back as well. Behind the scenes, it was his work with former 49ers OC and new Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel that helped key that success.

The two would meet every Tuesday, a day the NFLPA has ensured players aren’t required to be in the facility, and go over aspects of the game plan. Before the season even began, McDaniel also set out a vision for Samuel that proved to be prescient for them both. 

“This past season, I had a talk with him in the offseason. I was meeting with Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo at 6 a.m. every day during training camp because we needed them to step up,” McDaniel said via NBC Sports’ Peter King. “I asked Deebo, ‘Are you the best player on the offense?’ He was like, ‘Yeah.’ I said, ‘The time is now. Do you really wanna be great? Greatness is hard. That’s why it’s great. It’s not easy. It’s a burden, really.’ …You know those days you feel like crap? Everybody else does too. Those are the days you’ve got to ask more of yourself, show more of yourself.

“Then I gave him a quote that he still says to me today. I said, ‘If you do that every day and stay healthy and take care of your body and all that extra leg work that the true great ones do, at the end of the season, you’ll be first-team all-pro and you’ll make me a head coach.”

Rams

• NBC Sports’ Peter King gets the sense from talking to people close to Rams DT Aaron Donald that it’s about 50-50 the veteran retires. 
• Rams assistant HC/RB coach Thomas Brown is expected to remain with the team after interviewing for the Vikings OC job. Los Angeles is also expected to keep assistant QB coach Zac Robinson, with a promotion. (PFT)

Seahawks

Former Seahawks LB K.J. Wright revealed that he went months without receiving a call from an NFL team before he signed a one-year contract with the Raiders.

“Yeah so, I put together a very, very… in my eyes, a Ring of Honor career,” Wright said, via SeahawksWire.com. “I just did, got the Super Bowls, got the Pro Bowls, almost got 1,000 tackles in Seattle… I’m, like, seven, eight away. I just had a stellar career. Cracked the [NFL] Top 100 for the first time, No. 67. But if you look at that list, I’m the only guy that was a free agent. I’m like, ‘How the hell did I put together this really good career, first of all, put together this really good year 10, and don’t nobody want me?’”

Wright also brought to light that he had discussions with Seahawks HC Pete Carroll about returning, which meant he would compete with linebackers Jordyn Brooks and Cody Barton.

“When it came down to sign with the Raiders, I called Pete,” Wright said. “I said, ‘Pete, I’ve got this offer on the table, I really don’t want to leave. I don’t want to leave, I want to stay in Seattle. ​​Is there anything we can do? I’ll take a lesser role, I understand you want to play Jordyn, I’ll come off the field. What can we do so I stay in Seattle?’ He’s like, ‘Ah KJ, I hate this. Let me talk to [general manager] John [Schneider] and let’s see if we can get something done…I gave the city everything I had. I gave these people every ounce in my body, and some stuff just doesn’t make sense, organization-wise, like, how and why do you let me leave the building when I’m willing to take a lesser role, when I’m willing to still give you all that I got? Like, why? It don’t make sense to me, especially when I extend the olive branch in saying: ‘Can we work something out?’”