As we’re in prime offseason mode, I’ll try to include some links from around the NFL. Monday saw some news for the Vikings, Patriots, and the Aaron Rodgers saga isn’t ending anytime soon. We’ll also keep tabs on the rest of the NFC West.
So why should teams treat their training staffs any differently?
The 49ers training staff currently consists of Ben Peterson, who came from the NFL, and Dustin Perry, who came the University of Minnesota. Perry has been with the 49ers since 2017, and Peterson since 2019. Neither person has reduced the 49ers injuries.
In 2017, the 49ers lost 91.6 games due to injury. In 2018, they lost 97.2 games to injury. In 2019, they lost 95.8 games to injury. And in 2020, they lost a league-leading 166.6 games to injury.
Bad trend.
Florio sees “dysfunction” in 49ers’ offseason plan, calls it “a mess”
“You’re paying a premium just to be in position where you have the luxury of evaluating Justin Fields, Trey Lance, and Mac Jones,” Florio said. “That’s a lot to give up, and I just don’t know whether they didn’t think this through or whether they just got freaked out by passing on Patrick Mahomes, passing on Tom Brady when he wanted to come play for the 49ers last year, and they just wanted to be done with this. The whole thing is odd to me.”
Said Florio: “It just feels like this is a mess that’s got a chance to become a huge mess for the 49ers. It’s as unique as what’s going on with Aaron Rodgers and the Packers in that I don’t think we’ve ever seen anything like this before.”
Why the 49ers fell in love with safety Talanoa Hufanga: ‘He’s an old-school badass’
“His athletic ability and passion — I’ve never seen that combination at the level he had. It was almost like …” and here Ellingson searches for the right word, “it almost wasn’t fair. He probably should have been playing in college sooner. It was fun to watch, but like I said, it was kind of unfair at times, I felt like.”
Opposing coaches felt the same way. They heard the impacts and figured there must have been helmet-to-helmet contact.
“And (the hits) weren’t even close to that,” Sanders said. “Then he gets kicked out of a game. So then we have to appeal and say, ‘Hey, look at the film. Where’s the helmet to helmet?’ And it was just because he hit the kid hard and the shoulder pads popped.”
Kyle Shanahan explains why 49ers didn’t draft Patrick Mahomes
“Anybody who had a chance to take Patrick Mahomes or Deshaun who didn’t, everyone knows ... yeah, everyone wishes we had a time machine.”
“When I came here ... I think we had the 32nd-ranked defense, the 31st-ranked offense, didn’t have a quarterback, and that is risky,” Shanahan explained. “And you have the second pick in the draft and you look into all the stuff. Now, before I came here, I had a very good idea that we would be able to get a free-agent quarterback the next year, one that I knew you could win with. So you’re looking into these rookies, we’ve got the second pick in the draft, and no one at that time was considering those guys top-five picks, top-10 picks. But people knew that they had some ability.”
Matthew Stafford Looks Ready to Join NFL’s Elite Class of QBs in 2021
“I think I’ve been very happy,” McVay said late last week when asked about Stafford’s arrival. “Everybody says, ‘Man, you just seem like you’re in a better mood this offseason,’ and I said, ‘You’re damn right I am.’”
“I think the first thing you can tell, anybody that knows Matthew knows that it’s not too big for him,” McVay said last week. “He expects a lot of himself. I think he also understands how difficult this game is. In order to do things the right way, it’s one week at a time. But it’s not too big for him. He’s played at a high level for a long, long time. He’s going to raise the level of play of everyone around him. Guys are going to play well around him, and our jobs as coaches is going to be able to help bring out the best in these guys as well.”
Texas native Kyler Murray bluntly explains why he didn’t grow up a Cowboys fan
The Arizona Cardinals’ Kyler Murray is Texas born and raised, but those roots don’t extend to Dallas Cowboys fandom.
The quarterback didn’t hold back when explaining why he wasn’t a fan.
“They were always ass,” Murray told reporters at a Sports Illustrated release of his magazine cover (h/t Blogging the Boys).
More importantly, Warner has developed into a complete every-down defender who’s provided quality pass coverage in the middle of the field. In 2020, he earned Pro Bowl and All-Pro nods, logging 125 tackles, five for loss, six pass breakups, two interceptions and a sack.
Despite the wear and tear on Warner’s body as a presence on most plays, he’s yet to miss a game with 48 consecutive starts.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan seems eager to lock his star linebacker into a long-term deal.
Projected Extension: Four years, $75 million ($40.5 million guaranteed)
On Sunday evening, however, Bell addressed his Instagram reply on Twitter, saying that he “didn’t regret” making the statement — and said that he had a right to express his personal opinion.
And he also made it clear that he is not interested in clarifying the specifics about his issues with the Chiefs’ head coach.