NFC Notes: Marvin Harrison Jr., Steve Avila, Cardinals, Panthers, Rams

Cardinals

Cardinals OC Drew Petzing said first-round WR Marvin Harrison Jr. will need to earn his spot just like everyone else on the team.

“In my opinion, he has to be like everyone else if he’s going to be the best version of himself,” Petzing said, via Around The NFL. “The way that he comes in and approaches his job, the way that he goes out there and practices, the way that he integrates himself into the team, if he’s going to be the best version of himself, I think those are the things he has to focus on. And that’s certainly what we’re going to emphasize.”

Petzing added that the team will figure out how to best utilize Harrison once they get him on the field.

“We gotta get out on the practice field and watch him move around and see what he does well, and make sure we’re trying to utilize the best of his abilities to operate our offense at a high level,” Petzing said. “I don’t think that’s going to change with him as with anyone else that walks into the building.”

Panthers

Panthers OC Brad Idzik said the team is going to start from scratch as they rebuild the wide receiver room.

“Just lookin’ at the group — from here forward, operatin’ with a blank slate,” he said, via Panthers Wire. “So we are starting from square one with every single guy and investing in ’em and his development this offseason. From a veteran who’s been around like Adam Thielen and Diontae Johnson, all the way down to a young guy like Jonathan Mingo goin’ into his second year—we’re just letting them show us, through the things they put on tape this offseason, what is there progression looking like now currently? So we’re just excited to really just strip these things down to the bolts and build things up one day at a time.”

Rams

2023 second-round OL Steve Avila is moving to center this season after playing his rookie year at left guard for Los Angeles. Avila will slide over to the middle of the offensive line after the Rams surprisingly re-signed RG Kevin Dotson and added LG Jonah Jackson from Detroit.

“I tried to learn everything as a center, because then you know who does what,” Avila said, via Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic. “And it got to a point where I had to not do that, because I really had to focus on my technique and what I was supposed to do and understanding the playbook. Now that I know more things, I’m now approaching more things from a center mindset. … It’s refreshing, because I (now) know a lot of the things. I played every snap. It’s good to see things from a different perspective and I learned a lot from Coleman Shelton and Brian Allen last year.”

“We don’t expect it today, I don’t expect it tomorrow, I don’t expect it by the end of OTAs,” Rams RT Rob Havenstein added. “It’ll be the same thing in training camp, just keep building and building and building — and I think Steve is going to do a great job.”