NFC Notes: 49ers, Trey Lance, Rams, Seahawks

49ers

49ers LT Trent Williams has a high amount of confidence in second-year QB Trey Lance and believes he can take the team far in his first season as a starter.

“Seeing him in the locker room now, I don’t really see a difference,” Williams said, via Jerry McDonald of the Bay Area News Group. “He carries himself extremely well, which is why he’s here, why everyone is so high on him. We all know his attributes as a quarterback. But I think the way he carries himself, the way he holds his head, the way nothing ever rattles him, that’s his key feature and I think that will carry him a long way.”

• Per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, other NFL evaluators have a tough time gauging Lance because he played so sparingly as a rookie. One AFC scout working with HC Kyle Shanahan will be important: “He’s in the best spot by far, but I don’t know if he’s ready. Coaching and system will help him tremendously.”
• This same scout added: “The throws he makes in flashes are insane. The athleticism and toughness to go along with it are real. He’s had time to get his feet wet while observing. I think that always ends up well for the ones with high ceilings like him.”
• Other evaluators Fowler talked to, like one NFC coach, were far less impressed with what they saw on tape in Lance’s limited action: “I think they were 100 percent taking Mac [
  Jones] until they saw their fan base [overreact].”
• 49ers DC DeMeco Ryans had high praise for Lance’s accuracy during practice after completing two consecutive 50-yard touchdown throws: “He’s putting the ball on money every time throws. The accuracy is there, the deep ball is there. I’m excited for Trey and what he can do. He’s setting himself up to have a real nice season.” (Cam Inman)

Rams

Ravens COO Kevin Demoff doesn’t know if having a top-loaded roster is sustainable forever, but he does believe that an aggressive team-building approach is.

“I don’t know that this model in particular is sustainable forever,” Demoff said, via Rams Wire. “To me, it’s not about, ‘Oh, this is the model we will always have.’ I think our model has been [being] aggressive in trying to build the best team that we can build. That is sustainable.” 

Seahawks

Seahawks HC Pete Carroll said that WR D.K. Metcalf missed Thursday’s mandatory minicamp as he recovers from foot surgery while also looking for a contract extension. 

“A decision he had to make,” Carroll said, via Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic. “We missed him. He had done a nice job contributing, being part of everything we’d done (earlier in the offseason), then he’s just not here. I can’t say much for what he hasn’t done here but we’d love to have him with us.”

As for Metcalf possibly holding out for a new contract, Carroll said called this time “crucial” towards getting a deal done.  

“We’re in kind of a standard, semi-quiet (time) right now, knowing that camp is coming up,” Carroll said. “These are crucial weeks to get something done. We’ll see what happens. Hope that we can work something out. We really intended to get that done.”