49ers
49ers WR Deebo Samuel described his performance in 2022 as “awful” and was willing to admit that his contract negotiation was a distraction. 49ers TE George Kittle added that things can only improve for Samuel from here.
“Just going through the tape, it was, ‘Look how sluggish and, like, how bad you look on tape,'” Samuel said, via The Athletic’s Matt Barrows. “Like I said, what happened last offseason kind of played a big role in that. I’ll never put nothing on tape like that again.”
Rams
Rams seventh-round DE Desjuan Johnson said he’s been learning from Aaron Donald and taking notes on his approach.
“I’ve been trying to be like a sponge, just trying to learn everything I can from him on the field and off the field,” Johnson said, via NFL.com. “Throughout college, I tried to model my game like him so everything he did, I was trying to do in college. But now I get to do everything right next to him. It’s not like I’m saying, ‘Oh, what is Aaron Donald doing?’ No, I’m sitting here watching what Aaron Donald’s doing. So, just taking notes, taking everything he does on the field and off the field.”
Seahawks
Seahawks HC Pete Carroll called DB Julian Love a very intuitive player that had a great grasp of the game. Carroll praised Love’s instincts as well as his athletic ability.
“He’s been fantastic,” Carroll said, via PFT. “I think he’s 26 or something, he’s a young kid still, a young man still. But he’s like he’s been around forever. He’s got great sense, great awareness, presence. He totally gets football, it makes sense to him, he’s an excellent communicator, really a gifted, smooth athlete with real quickness, and real quickness, and that comes from really great instincts. He looked great. I know that it’s been obvious to Quandre that he’s got a guy that really can command what’s going on. And so they’re sharing the duties and working together and growing. And so he’s another guy who made a great first impression on us.”
The feeling is mutual for Love, as he called Carroll a natural leader and praised him for being one of the best coaches in the game.
“He’s one of the best I’ve been around,” Love said. “I didn’t know much about him. I’m a Notre Dame guy. Obviously USC, you know of him. But just being around him, I can see why he has the respect that he has around the league and just around the football world, in general. I mean, sometimes I leave his team meetings and he gives you a nugget here or there. But, man, I want to say it to my kids one day. He’s that type of leader. I think he was born into it. And he’s just, I don’t know, he’s changed and improved with the times, which not every coach does. So I mean I’m really blessed to be able to play here.”
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