NFC Notes: Cardinals, Rams, Aaron Donald, Seahawks

Cardinals

• The Cardinals sent VP of player personnel Quentin Harris and DC Vance Joseph as representatives to the NFL’s front office and coaching diversity accelerator program. (Jonathan Jones)

Rams

• ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler says the Rams are currently working on a record-breaking new deal for DT Aaron Donald that will make him the league’s highest-paid defensive player. It will be an extension that repackages the three years remaining on his deal with a raise. 
• Fowler adds Donald’s retirement contemplation was real, so if the Rams don’t meet his asking price, it’s still possible for him to walk away. 
• Once Donald’s deal is done, the Rams will give WR Cooper Kupp a raise, though he’s not expected to draw as hard a line as Donald. 
• Rams S Jordan Fuller said that he feels recovered from the ankle injury he sustained in Week 18 which required surgery: “I’m feeling good, progressing well, on track with everything, so that’s a positive.” (ProFootballTalk)
• The Rams sent senior personnel exec Ray Farmer and assistant HC/TE coach Thomas Brown as representatives to the NFL’s front office and coaching diversity accelerator program. (Jonathan Jones)

Seahawks

Seahawks HC Pete Carroll is excited about second-round RB Kenneth Walker and envisions him being a big part of the offense moving forward.

“Ken can do everything we need him to do, there’s no question,” Carroll said, via Fox Sports. “We’ve seen him on film. We’ve seen him play the game. We needed to see how he learned and how he picked things up, and he’s going to just roll right through it.”

Walker transferred from Wake Forest to Michigan State. He said that he wanted to be in a pro-style offense to help him get acclimated to the NFL. Carroll agrees that Walker playing under that system at Michigan State helped prepare him for the NFL, and also complimented his athletic abilities.

“He’s a rocket,” Carroll said. “He caught the ball really well, too, which we are really excited about. Our offense, the terminology and the concepts that we have run, he’s run before. He was well-prepared at Michigan State coming to us. He understood the terminology to some extent, too, so it’s really going to facilitate him being comfortable with the transition. We will expect no issues there at all. He will be able to go. He was very bursty, very quick.“

Carroll alluded to a running back by committee rotation with Rashaad Penny and perhaps even Chris Carson if he’s healthy all getting work, while also noting that he’s fine with rolling with the hot hand.

“We like playing multiple guys, and we don’t have any problem with that at all,” Carroll said. “I’ve said it to you a million times. I’m fine going with who is hot.  But also, we have to find a way to keep our guys healthy. That’s why the rotation is so important, so we don’t overwork them, particularly early in the year, so we can keep the good momentum building.“