NFC West Notes: Cardinals, 49ers, Seahawks

Cardinals

Cardinals QB Kyler Murray has been in the coaching staff’s ears about taking former teammate, Oklahoma WR CeeDee Lamb, in the first round of the draft. Lamb said he’d be thrilled to reunite with Murray, but he doesn’t expect to have to wait long if Arizona bypasses him with the eighth pick. 

• Louisville OT Mekhi Becton met with the Cardinals at the Combine. (Mike Jurecki)
• Iowa OT Tristan Wirfs had a formal interview with the Cardinals at the Combine. (Jurecki)
• Alabama OT Jedrick Wills has a formal interview scheduled with the Cardinals at the Combine. (Jurecki)
• Georgia OT Andrew Thomas met with the Cardinals Tuesday at the Combine. (Jurecki)
• Arizona State RB Eno Benjamin had a formal interview with the Cardinals at the Combine. (Jurecki)

49ers

49ers HC Kyle Shanahan said he is hopeful that WR Dante Pettis will improve over the offseason after taking a “step back” in 2019. 

“I think he took a documented step back in his second year (and) I’ve been around a lot of players who have done that,” Shanahan said, via Matt Barrows of The Athletic. “The players I’ve been around — which is a ton — they go one way or the other. They keep being like that, then they usually filter out. Or it’s a wake-up call for them and they come back and you kind of see it in April. It’s like, ‘OK, this guy treated January to April so much different than before.’ Then it usually changes their career.”

Shanahan wants Pettis to make the improvements 49ers CB Ahkello Witherspoon did after returning from a foot injury. 

“Ahkello, with the way he came back last year (in) the offseason, I mean, he looked different,” Shanahan said. “And you can tell he was on a mission. And that’s why the first few games of the year before he got hurt, he was playing on an extremely high level. And that’s what I expect to happen with Dante.”

Shanahan said he is unsure if 49ers WR Jalen Hurd will be recovered from a stress fracture in time for the start of the team’s offseason program on April 20. 

“We’ll see,” Shanahan said. “I would hope so. It’s been a while. I know we’re waiting on a few more things. I don’t know that for sure. But I would expect him to (be ready).”

• Shanahan mentioned the team would not release WR Marquise Goodwin despite a $4.9 million cap hit in 2020: “We wouldn’t release Marquise. He’s too valuable. I know he fell out of the rotation last year, then he had an injury (and) wanted to go on IR so he could get it cleaned up.”
• Shanahan added the team could explore trading Goodwin if they need salary or if he’s beaten out in camp: “Marquise is a guy who can play in this league. If he’s on this team, he’s going to be competing with that group and, if not, I feel pretty confident another team would want him.”
• LSU C Lloyd Cushenberry said he will meet with the 49ers at the Combine. (Twitter)

Seahawks

Seahawks legend Marshawn Lynch came out of retirement late last season after a positional emergency for Seattle at running back due to injuries. Lynch obviously wasn’t his prime self, but he did help keep the ship afloat for the Seahawks as they made it to the divisional round of the playoffs. With some injury question marks still at running back, Seahawks HC Pete Carroll didn’t rule out Lynch making another return to Seattle, though likely not for a while. 

“We’ll see,” Carroll said via Gregg Bell of the Tacoma News Tribune. “Never say never. . . .I’m not going to rush him back to offseason, that’s for sure. That’s never been one of his strengths.”

Regarding DE Jadeveon Clowney‘s expiring contract, Carroll said the organization is still hopeful to re-sign him. 

“We’re going to try. We’re trying to get it done. He had a fantastic season. We’d love to have him back,” said Carroll, via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times.