NFC Notes: Giants, Rams, Vikings

Giants

• The Giants met privately with Wyoming LB Logan Wilson before his pro day, which occurred before the pandemic shutdown. New York has remained in contact since. (Matt Lombardo)

Rams

Regarding the Rams parting ways with RB Todd Gurley and WR Brandin Cooks this offseason, QB Jared Goff said it is “tough to lose friends” but understands the business of the NFL. 

“It’s tough to lose friends,” Goff said, via the team’s official site. “I think it’s always super tough to lose friends and teammates, and that’s part of the business. I’m in year five now and kind of getting [used to it], but at the same time, me and Brandin and me and Todd are extremely close and always will be. So it is tough from that standpoint, losing those guys. I understand there’s a business in this game and those two guys understand that as well, and that was a decision made. Whatever the decision is, we move forward. It’s hard definitely, just from a friends’ standpoint to lose those guys with different teams.”

Goff described that their offensive playcalling will likely change in order to structure their attack toward RB Darrell Henderson Jr and WRs Josh Reynolds, Robert Woods, and Cooper Kupp. 

“I’d have to wait to see who we get on the field to give you that answer [as to how the offense will be different],” Goff said. “I would expect some of the stuff that was tailored to Brandin and Todd to be not there anymore. That’s the easiest way to say it. There was a lot of runs that Todd really liked and a lot of stuff that we did to get Todd the ball in certain ways. Will we do that for Malcolm [Brown] and Darrell? Probably in different ways. But there was some stuff specific to Todd, and the same thing with Brandin. Some plays that he was really good that we really liked that he helped us a lot with that probably will be implemented with Josh and Woody [Robert Woods] and Cooper [Kupp] in different ways.”

Vikings

He might just be 25, but with five seasons already under his belt, Vikings DE Danielle Hunter finds himself the grizzled veteran of Minnesota’s defensive line. The Vikings said goodbye to Everson Griffen, Linval Joseph and Stephen Weatherly. While he’s sad to see his teammates go, Hunter is pragmatic about the realities of the NFL. 

“It’s a business,” Hunter said via ESPN’s Courtney Cronin. “It would be very unrealistic if you were able to keep a team the same way for X amount of years, but it’s a business. Guys have got to do what’s best for them, and sometimes the team has to do what’s best for them, and it’s just a part of life. We can only deal with the situation we have now, and that’s to make progress and change.”

That leaves Hunter as the veteran presence of the group and the next logical player to step into the leadership void that’s been created. 

“I learned a lot from [Griffen and Joseph] and I’ll definitely pass along what I’ve learned from them to the other guys in the group and the new guys that are coming in,” Hunter said. “I definitely see myself as turning into the leadership role of passing on the knowledge of what I’ve learned and teaching the younger guys that we get or the people in the future that we get the roots and the fundamentals of becoming a good defensive end or defensive lineman.”

• Yahoo Sports Charles Robinson said the Vikings have not had any talks with the Browns about a trade for WR Odell Beckham and the receiver isn’t on the block. 
• ESPN’s Adam Schefter confirmed his reporting was similar to Robinson’s. 
• Brown’s chief strategy officer Paul DePodesta put the final bow on the rumors: “It’s completely false.” (Mary Kay Cabot)
• Minnesota S Antoine Winfield Jr. said he recently spoke with Vikings director of scouting Jamaal Stephenson and DBs coach Daronte Jones. (Chris Tomasson)
• Darren Wolfson also reports that the Vikings had a virtual meeting with Temple C Matt Hennessy. Wolfson notes that Minnesota potentially prefers Hennessy as a right guard. 
• The Vikings have had discussions with Prairie View A&M QB Jalen Morton who is a candidate to be brought in as an undrafted free agent. (Chris Tomasson)