NFC West Notes: 49ers, Cardinals, Rams

49ers

49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo says he’s not feeling any pressure to live up to the massive contract extension he signed after only five games as a starter in San Francisco.

“No pressure to live up to it,” Garoppolo said via Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk. “It’s more I put pressure on myself to perform at a high level, regardless of the situation. I don’t know. It’s kind of something I was born with or whatever you want to call it. It’s the competitor in you. You want to go out there and perform at a high level. That’s why we put in all this time, to be honest. You have to. You can’t just throw the helmet out there and expect to get a W. You’ve got to earn it. That’s one of the great things about this league is nothing is given. You’ve got to earn everything you get.”

Cardinals

• Following the six-game suspension for CB Patrick Peterson, Cardinals free-agent CB addition Robert Alford is expected to step into the No. 1 corner role for the first portion of the season, per Bob McManaman of the Arizona Republic.
• Veteran Tramaine Brock, second-round rookie Byron Murphy and second-year UDFA Chris Jones will compete for the No. 2 corner role across from Alford. 
• McManaman says the Cardinals could also sign a veteran corner after releasing CB David Amerson in something of a surprise move. 
• McManaman mentions D.J. Swearinger and Budda Baker are locked in as the starting safeties. 

Rams

Rams RB Todd Gurley says everything is fine and he has no concerns about his knee heading into the 2019 season.

“It’s good, man. It’s good,” Gurley said via NFL Media’s Kevin Patra. “I’m just like, hey, we’re going to find out in training camp, you know? Once training camp comes, you’ve got the preseason, but you don’t have a lot in preseason.”

Gurley added he doesn’t plan to change his running style to avoid further punishment on his body. 

“No, man,” Gurley said. “For me, I’ve been doing this my whole life, so it would be so hard for me to even try to change my style of play. That’s not even me. I don’t even know how to describe my game. I’m just going to keep doing what I can do until I can’t do it no more. That’s why we play this sport. But I’ve been feeling good. I’m definitely not going to change anything. I’m going to come with that same mindset like third and 1, fourth and 1, I’m gonna try to go get it. So I’m just excited. I know it’s always been a lot of talk going on this whole offseason, so it’s just like, hey, it’s the offseason. That’s what everything is supposed to be about: speculation and reporting. Once the season comes, you gonna see what happens.”

He might be more concerned about his offensive line, as he says he misses C John Sullivan and G Rodger Saffold who the Rams allowed to leave in free agency this year.

“Our off days together. It was cool, they taught me so much,” Gurley said via Rams Wire’s Cameron DaSilva. “To be able to be with Saffold my three times rushing for 1,000 yards and Sully to expand my brain and make me so much more knowledgeable as a running back and knowing defenses, being in the right position and protection. He taught me so much.”