49ers

The 49ers traded three first-round picks in the 2021 draft to move up from pick No. 12 overall to acquire QB Trey Lance, the same draft in which now-backup QB Mac Jones went 15th overall. Jones reflected on the journey of ending up in San Francisco after all, saying that they could have just taken him at pick 12 instead and joking that he’s probably not worth three first-round picks.

“I remember, like, all the hype leading up to it, but yeah, I think everything happens for a reason,” Jones said, via the Bussin’ With The Boys podcast. “I’m here where I’m at now, and I did think they traded up for somebody, and I knew it was one of two people, and I was one of the people. So, I guess if you’re a gambling man, it’s a 50-50 shot at the start.”

“You could have just picked me at 12. I don’t know if I’m worth three first-round picks, but s—, sign me up.”

Jones believes San Francisco was looking to acquire him when he was initially traded from New England to Jacksonville.

“I think, even the year I got traded, they were trying to get me back in San Francisco, from Patriots to Jaguars. So they were trying to get me to San Francisco then, but they ended up not doing it.”

49ers

49ers QB Mac Jones credited HC Kyle Shanahan for helping to get his career back on track.

“Kyle … he knows football and he’s like, ‘This kid got screwed. I can get this kid back on track,‘” Jones said, via Niners Wire. “I feel like he really saw that and honestly, he did, and now I’m going to keep doing that. I really appreciate it ’cause Kyle, it’s always been me and Kyle and I feel like that was always supposed to happen.”

Cardinals

• Cardinals OT Paris Johnson Jr. is entering the final year of his rookie contract before playing under his fifth-year option in 2027. Josh Weinfuss of ESPN notes that the organization has a history of giving some of its longer contracts around the start of training camp, making an extension for Johnson still on the table.