NFC Notes: Cardinals, 49ers, Rams, Seahawks

Cardinals

• Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer writes the trade market for receivers has been all-but-silent so far, with Cardinals 2019 fourth-round WR Hakeem Butler the only name Breer has heard floating around. 
• Butler spent his entire rookie season on injured reserve with a hand injury. 

49ers

• In his latest 49ers’ roster projection, Eric Branch of the SF Chronicle expects San Francisco to cut WRs Jauan Jennings, Kevin White, Shawn Poindexter, and River Cracraft.
• On the 49ers offensive line, Branch lists the following players as being on the outside looking in: C Hronis Grasu, T William Sweet, T Jaryd Jones-Smith, G Kofi Amichia, G Ross Reynolds, and G Dakoda Shepley. 
• Some notable defensive line cuts include DE Dion Jordan, DT Kevin Givens, DE Alex Barrett.
• At cornerback, Branch expects the 49ers to cut Jamar Taylor and Dontae Johnson.

Rams

Rams’ HC Sean McVay says the kicking competition between Lirim Hajrullahu, Austin MacGinnis, and Sam Sloman will come down to the final practices.

“We want to use every little of the time that we have to really evaluate this,” McVay said, via Eric Williams of SI. “It’s certainly a very important decision for us, and we’ve got three guys that are very capable. The more opportunities that we can try to create to try and simulate those game experiences are what’s important. We’re going to take all of our time, and I think all of those guys have done a nice job. But it certainly is far from decided.”

McVay also says that reports of WR Cooper Kupp having a sprained ankle were incorrect.

“That report is inaccurate,” McVay said. “He does not have an ankle sprain. He had had some soreness in his lower leg that had been going on for the last couple of days. There was a specific play in which he communicated that he was feeling it, so we wanted to be cautious with him. We took an X-ray of his leg during the scrimmage, in which case I communicated to you guys there was nothing on that. We’re monitoring him because of some soreness in that leg, but an ankle sprain did not take place. I don’t anticipate any setbacks as far as for the Dallas prep, but with the goal of a player that has played as many snaps as him to be as fresh and ready to go for the 13th, we might limit some of his work this week.”

McVay also noted that rookie WR Van Jefferson would join the team’s three-receiver rotation if Kupp needed to rest. 

Projected starting S Taylor Rapp is expected to return to practice this week following a knee injury, but RB Darrell Henderson will continue to sit out with hamstring issues.

“I think he’ll still be out,” McVay said about Henderson. “He’s progressing right now. I would be surprised — those soft tissue injuries, especially with an explosive player like him, you don’t want to rush him back and then set him back potentially another couple weeks. He is making progress, but as far as being ready to compete, right now he’s day-to-day. I’d like to say that ideally, he ends up getting some work in toward the latter half of the week. But if he were to practice today, he would not be ready to go.”

• McVay said the team is working through tests on third-round OLB Terrell Lewis‘ knee and he will have more info later. Lewis has been out at practice recently. (Jourdan Rodrigue)
• McVay said negotiations with CB Jalen Ramsey are ongoing but he doesn’t have any further update beyond that. (Rodrigue)

Seahawks

Seahawks RB Chris Carson said he has not made any contact with the organization regarding a contract extension. 

“Not really, no,” said Carson of contract talks, via Brady Henderson of ESPN. 

Carson added that his contract is an issue that he is concerned about. 

“Of course it’s something that’s on my mind,” Carson said. “You see a lot of guys, they’re starting to get paid, but I try not to [let it] distract me from this season. I just try to push it away, but like I said, it is something that’s on my mind but I try not to let it affect me.”

Carson said he plans to wait and see how things play over over the next year.

“I mean, if everything plays out the right ways. I guess we’re just going to have to see,” Carson said. 

• Pro Football Network’s Tony Pauline says the belief is the Seahawks make the most sense for free-agent LB Clay Matthews. 
• Regarding his two-year, $23 million deal, Seahawks DT Jarran Reed said he felt like he had “unfinished business” with Seattle: “I didn’t want to leave Seattle. I felt I had unfinished business here.” (Curtis Crabtree)
• Seahawks CB Tre Flowers said he was initially upset when the team acquired CB Quinton Dunbar but understands Seattle enjoys adding competition to their secondary. (Condotta)
• Flowers feels he did “pretty good” last season and mentioned that it was his second season at the cornerback position: “I’m trying to just go with the punches [as opposed to] trying to over-think things.” (Brady Henderson)