NFC Notes: Deebo Samuel, 49ers, Rams, Seahawks

49ers

49ers HC Kyle Shanahan told reporters that their relationship with WR Deebo Samuel has “always been alright” and never got to a bad place. 

“I think it’s always been alright,” Shanahan said, via Pro Football Talk. “I know we go through the business part of this league and things like that. But I don’t think the relationship was ever too far away to not get it back to normal. And I think we’re working on that. Anytime you’re away from each other for a while, that’s always harder. But it’s good to get him back in here and start getting him around the guys again.”

“I think of a relationship with someone, that has to do with him and me — not statements, not Instagram, not people repeating stuff,” Shanahan added. “It has to do with the words that are coming out of my mouth to a man and him back to me and nothing else. And that’s never been a problem with me and him.”

Shanahan declined to get into Samuel’s trade request, but indicated extension talks are ongoing.

“I’m not going to get into that and you guys can ask Deebo to speak for himself on that,” Shanahan said. “But love our relationship with Deebo and hopefully that’ll help us be able to solve this contractually before we get to the season.”

• Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer writes the 49ers have been very careful about what they say on Samuel and have made it a point to work on the relationship. 
• He adds he gets the sense that the selection of third-round RB Tyrion Davis-Price was in part to help prove to Samuel they were serious about adding depth in the backfield to not have to rely on him taking carries between the tackles. 
• Now it’s up to Samuel to give his agency the go-ahead to work on an extension, as he hasn’t been willing to engage at all so far, per Breer. 

Rams

Rams HC Sean McVay saw RT Rob Havenstein’s return to form after a disappointing 2019 season where he was hampered by injury and now considers him to be a locker room leader. 

“I think he’s been outstanding the last two years,” McVay said, via RamsWire.com. “He’s taken over a leadership role, which really, he’s been leading. When you look at when Big Whit’s missed a handful of games the last couple of years, Rob has seamlessly asserted himself as that leader in addition to guys that we’re really counting on.”

McVay then commented on the maturity that has been shown by the group of incoming rookies.

“These are guys that you hope can become pro’s pros. They’re approaching things the right way,” McVay said of the incoming draft class. “They’re mature rookies, they’ve got a good look in their eye, they know how to come out and go to work. They know, ‘Hey, I’m gonna look at what these other veterans are doing and be able to mimic and emulate that, but put my own spin on it.’ And these guys like football, and that’s really important. The types of players and people we want to be able to onboard, so in these settings, you can appreciate how they work, and how they handle things in the classroom. And then once we get to Irvine where we’ll all be able to have a much better feel for when we’re playing real competitive 11-on-11 in a lot of the team settings, that’s when a lot of good things can come to life.”

Seahawks

Young Seahawks linebackers Cody Barton and Jordyn Brooks have big shoes to fill on a defense that has boasted some of the best players in the league over the years. 

New DC Clint Hurtt and veteran FB/LB Nick Bellore commented on what Barton and Brooks bring to the defense.

“Really good in the pass game,” Hurtt said of Barton, via Brady Henderson of ESPN. “He’s always had a great awareness for that. He’s got a background being a safety growing up, and then obviously working his way down into the box so you see some of those things with his awareness and picking up pass routes and the communication with guys on the back end. … The effort, the attention to detail for Cody has always been a part of it, but now he has a great opportunity, and he’s had a really nice spring so far.”

“We’re going to play young guys,” Hurtt added. “They’re going to get on the field. We got to get them ready. They’re the future. But at the same time, we got to make sure that the best players are out there.”

“He had an unbelievable season last year and he’s just continually gotten better, and you can see just the raw talent that he has,” Bellore said of Brooks. “He took the pieces, I think, from Bobby and K.J. that [they] kind of taught him along the way, and I think he’s just taken it and run with it. I think a guy that can run like that and cover like he does and hit as he does, I think the sky is the limit for him. It’s a game where someone has to step in and kind of fill those roles. I think we obviously have the guys to do it. They’re big shoes to fill.”

• Seahawks DT Shelby Harris‘ restructured contract converted $2 million of his $8.5M base salary in 2023 into a roster bonus that is owed on the fifth day of the 2023 league year. (Field Yates)