NFC Notes: John Lynch, Puka Nacua, 49ers, Rams

49ers

So far this offseason, the 49ers have hunted for free agency bargains and bolstered their special teams. With the 11 picks that they have in the draft, GM John Lynch hopes to fill holes in the roster.

“We’re not drafting that high, but I think there are a lot of good football players across the board,” Lynch said, via Nick Wagoner of ESPN. “There are some stronger positions than others.”

Lynch notes that the team needs to focus on the offensive tackle position as LT Trent Williams will be 37 next season and is coming off a serious ankle and heel injury.

“We have to insulate ourselves for [Williams] or anyone else,” Lynch added. “That’s something we’ll look hard at in the draft … we care very much about that.”

Rams

Rams WR Puka Nacua is now the team’s top target with WR Cooper Kupp headed to Seattle, with Nacua noting that he has built his chemistry with QB Matthew Stafford and had attended early morning film sessions with Stafford and Kupp.

“The first pass Matthew threw to me, I dropped,” Nacua said, via RamsWire.com. “We weren’t on the same page. Like, that was my first opp and I missed it. We ran a little under route, and I cut in and he threw it a little bit behind me but I didn’t stop because, like, I didn’t know he wanted me to stop. So I get my hands out, but I drop it. He looks at me and gives me a thumbs-up immediately after. I’m like, ‘I’m not getting subbed out? They’re not about to take me out of the game? He said good job and I dropped the ball? That doesn’t make any sense.’ But that gave me so much confidence because I mean, shoot, I had 15 targets in my first game, I had 10 catches, I had 120 yards, and it felt unreal.”

“From that moment on, it just felt like a flow state,” Nacua added. “Matthew, he was just helping me so much. Like, we talked every morning when we go out there to practice, whether it was at practice, at our walkthroughs, trying to sit with him at the lunch table, just so we could be on the same page because until Coop came back, we were trying to figure out how it was going to operate. It was just so fun.”

Rams

Rams WR Drake Stoops explained that he got suspended because he took half of an Adderall in order to stay awake while driving home, which caused him to fail a PED test.

“It’s not steroids or anything like that, and I would never try to gain an unfair advantage or cheat the game or the process in any way like that,” he said, via Rams Wire.

Stoops added that the Rams were supportive after learning about his suspension. It will make it harder for Stoops to make the team as a former undrafted free agent, however.

“When I reached out to the Rams, they were nothing but supportive and great about it,” he said. “They’ve had my back the whole entire way, and that means the world to me. So, I’m excited to have that behind me now and go forward and just put my best foot forward.”