NFC Notes: Cam Akers, Jonathan Gannon, 49ers, Cardinals, Rams

49ers

• Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports lists five players that the 49ers are hoping to see improvements from this season, including DE Drake Jackson, CB Deommodore Lenoir, RG Spencer Burford, DT Javon Kinlaw, and WR Danny Gray.
• According to Matt Barrows, the 49ers have met three times with UCLA QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson. 

Cardinals

Cardinals HC Jonathan Gannon isn’t accepting any ideas that the team is in a rebuilding phase and said they are only looking forward to winning games this coming season. 

“Let me just say — I just cringed when you said that word,” Gannon said, via CardsWire.com. “Our sole focus is to win football games. That’s in our thought process of what can we do on a daily basis whether it be through the acquisition of players or what we’re doing with our players now. Our sole focus is to win football games, so that’s what we’re doing.”

Rams

Rams QB Matthew Stafford is hoping that RB Cam Akers is able to build off of his previous successes as the team enters the 2023 season. 

“It was an interesting perspective being on the sideline at the end of the year watching him. I thought he did an unbelievable job setting the tone in the run game for us,” Stafford said, via RamsWire.com. “He was running physically, making big plays, doing all the things we really needed him to do. Looking for him to continue to build off of that. Obviously, he had a massive injury the year before and was able to get himself back there late, but I think you talk to guys that have had those injuries, it’s the more time the better. You’d love to see that surge at the end of the year continue into this year, and that’s going to take hard work. I’ve been in here working out on and off for a while now. I see him every time I’m in here so that’s a good thing for me to see.”

“Just making sure I do my part,” Akers said. “Obviously it’s my fourth year, contract year, big year for me personally, so just making sure I do whatever I need to do to be at my best for this team and for myself. That’s why you’ve been seeing me here. You’re going to continue to see me here.”

• Ryan Fowler reports the Rams had a private meeting with Boston College S Jaiden Woodbey.
• Fowler notes that Rams assistant HC Jimmy Lake, ST coordinator Chase Blackburn, and LBs coach Chris Shula were present at the meeting with Woodbey.