NFC Notes: Cardinals, Rams, Seahawks

Cardinals

Cardinals QB Kyler Murray told the media that he isn’t buying into the idea that his team is having bad luck despite their three-game slide, noting that it has happened to other teams who were also counted out at the time.

“I don’t buy into the whole ‘cloud over us, we’re trying to get to the playoffs,'” Murray said, via AZCardinals.com. “The guys, mentality-wise, we were already there. We already knew we were going to be in the playoffs. It was more about executing in the game that we’re in. Nobody has been looking forward to the playoffs or anything like that. I just think we’ve got to execute, and we’ve got to be better. Individually, everybody has got to be better. People are making dramatic statements and all that stuff about the team. There’s nothing crazy that needs to be done. It’s just everybody has got to do their job. Everybody has got to be a little bit better. Stop turning the ball over, stop making mistakes, penalties, and stuff like that and we’ll be fine. There are tons of people out there who don’t have a clue what they’re talking about. When you win all that stuff gets swept under the rug. It’s like I said last year, we were winning, and we were still doing some of those same things and then we started losing and everybody started pointing them out and everybody is talking bad about us. It’s the same this year. You’ve got to do the little things right, no matter what you’re doing in life. People don’t have a clue but if you watch the film and you know what you’re looking we’re not far off. Me personally, I’m not panicking. I don’t think anybody on this team is panicking. Yes, we’ve lost three in a row. The Rams lost three in a row, everybody was counting them out, the Chiefs. It’s not a thing where it doesn’t happen. This is the NFL, it’s not easy. When you do things right and you don’t hurt yourself, you don’t beat yourself, I like us in those situations.”

• Cardinals DC Vance Joseph said first-round LB Zaven Collins could see playing time as an edge rusher this Sunday due to players being out with COVID-19. (Bob McManaman)

Rams

• Rams DL Aaron Donald had good things to say about DL Greg Gaines‘ 2021 campaign: “He surprised me a lot. I’m proud of him. He’s playing lights out for us right now. I don’t think there’s no nose tackle in the NFL playing better than Greg Gaines right now.” (Lindsey Thiry)

Seahawks

After their first losing season in a decade, it seems like big changes could be coming for the Seahawks this offseason. That includes potentially LB Bobby Wagner, who will count more than $20 million against the cap in the final year of his deal and has no guarantees remaining on his contract. Wagner has led the NFL in tackles and was named to his eighth straight Pro Bowl, but at 31, does he fit if Seattle rebuilds? 

“You think about it,” Wagner said via ESPN’s Brady Henderson. “You think about what the next year looks like and what the future holds because this was a season that I don’t think we all planned for. We didn’t plan for the season to go this way, so obviously there’s going to be some changes and whether or not I’m part of those changes, I don’t know.”

No matter whether it’s in Seattle or elsewhere, Wagner doesn’t have any plans to stop playing in the near future. 

“I feel like I’ve got a lot of room to grow as a player, to grow as a leader,” he said. “I feel like there’s a lot of new technology that’s going to let me play a little bit longer, so I’m excited to dive into [that] stuff, and I think we’ll see how it works out.”

• CBS Sports analyst and former agent Joel Corry writes Seahawks S Quandre Diggs is a franchise tag possibility this offseason given his long-term salary asks might exceed what Seattle is comfortable with. The tag for safeties is $12.9 million. 
• Seahawks DT Poona Ford is in the concussion protocol. (Bob Condotta)