NFC Notes: Cardinals, Rams, Bobby Wagner, Seahawks

Cardinals

Cardinals HC Kliff Kingsbury revealed during mandatory minicamp that he thinks RB Eno Benjamin has the ability to be a starting running back.

“Eno Benjamin has been tremendous,” Kingsbury said, via CardinalsWire.com. “(He is) another guy who never had an offseason and he’s out there and looks like he could be a starting running back.”

Rams

Rams LB Bobby Wagner is already studying the difference between Los Angeles’ defensive scheme and the one he has spent his entire career in with Seattle.

“I think every defense is built on speed, but I think the biggest thing was with Pete, we were super Cover 3,” Wagner said, via RamsWire.com. “Everybody knew it was Cover 3 and we were in the mindset – maybe kind of cocky a little bit – that we were going to line up and we were going to make you beat us. We rarely made any checks. It was like, we’re gonna play deep, make you throw the ball short and we’re gonna rally and we’re gonna hit you and pay for it. No team is patient enough to work the ball down the field like that. They want to take shots, it’s an offensive-driven league. I would say that’s changed because there are so many more coaching staffs that had the Cover 3 so teams figured out ways to beat that Cover 3. This defense, we have a lot more coverages, we have a lot more checks, we have a lot more adjustments to certain things to get us out of those tough downs and I’m excited for that. I’m excited to learn that and be able to check that and again, it’s a chess game between the quarterbacks.”

Seahawks

Seahawks DC Clint Hurtt said DT L.J. Collier is having a strong offseason thus far and thinks he’ll continue being an influential member of their run defense.

“Sometimes for young guys, particularly with defensive linemen, it’s such a technical position,” Hurtt said, via Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic. “It takes time for those guys to learn things and figure it out, to come into this league and for things to kind of slow down for them. Out of the entire group of guys on defense, he’s had one of the better springs out of everyone. Really excited for him and where he’s going. Continue to be strong in the run game. He’s come in bigger, stronger and faster than what he has been in previous years. Been rushing the passer really well. Just want to continue to see him stack days.”

Seahawks EDGE Darrell Taylor had high praise of ILB Cody Barton and is “stepping up” into a larger role. 

“Oh my god, that dude flies around,” third-year edge rusher Darrell Taylor said Tuesday. “That’s what I’ve seen from the first day I got here. Him stepping up and everything now, it’s exciting to see.”

Hurtt said S Ugo Amadi is going well with his route awareness, attacking the ball, and communicating with his teammates. 

“A lot of these things that we’re doing are familiar to him schematically,” Hurtt said. “His awareness with routes, seeing the ball and communicating with guys and the pickups is where he’s strong at.”