NFC Notes: Arthur Blank, Todd Bowles, Buccaneers, Falcons, Panthers

Buccaneers

Despite some smaller additions at cornerback, the Buccaneers still could use help there as the draft approaches. Tampa Bay HC Todd Bowles admitted their need at the position and said they will add at least one cornerback in the draft.

“We don’t have a lot of depth,” Bowles said, via Kevin Patra of NFL.com. “That’s crystal clear — we don’t have a lot of depth. We hope to address that at some point in the draft, as well. We didn’t sign many in free agency. We signed (Kindle) Vildor, we signed Bryce (Hall) — he’s coming off an injury and we’ve got to see what Vildor can do, obviously. We’re going to address that in the draft.”

“Like I said, everybody’s position is up for grabs. I think Zyon is probably 1A, 1B because Zyon (McCollum) stayed healthier during the year. (Jamel) Dean has to get healthy. He comes in and he plays — he can’t play half a year, every couple of years. He understands he has to stay healthy and he’s doing everything he can to be healthy, but we have to have some depth there just in case. If somebody comes in and competes with him, he’s going to have to compete.”

Falcons

Atlanta missed the postseason in 2024 after a 6-3 start, where they held a two-game divisional lead after nine weeks. Falcons owner Arthur Blank expressed his disappointment in the season and preached consistency when discussing whether HC Raheem Morris or GM Terry Fontenot is on the hot seat this season.

“Raheem certainly understands I was disappointed,” Blank said, via ESPN’s Marc Raimondi. “Terry certainly understands I was disappointed. And it wasn’t a long conversation, but it was a very clear conversation with both of them.”

“Every year for everybody is a crucial year. So, I don’t want to say the NFL is ‘Not For Long.’ I don’t believe in that, because I fundamentally do believe — and I’ll make this point really clear — the most successful teams in the National Football League, you go back to the last 10 years, 20 years, 100 years — and we’ve studied it — are teams that have long-term sustainability between their coaches and their general managers. And usually the right kind of quarterback.”

Panthers

The Panthers signed Division I basketball player Colin Granger as a TE despite not having much prior football experience. Granger talked about not pursuing football in high school and his excitement to go back to hitting people.

“My freshman year of high school, I had just stopped playing football. The head football coach called me out of class every single day, and he wanted me to play football,” Granger said, via Joseph Person of The Athletic.

“I’m excited to go get hit. I used to love hitting people in football. It’s a grown man’s league. I know it’s gonna hurt a little bit more now. But guess what, I’m big now and I’m only getting bigger. I just want to go out there and pop someone or get popped, get put on my ass and just feel it. Be immersed in the game. Get that first hit out of the way and I think I’ll be fine.”

NFL veteran OT George Fant started a business where he identifies and trains college basketball players to play professional football. Fant outlined what he likes about Granger and touched on his ability to learn things quickly.

“I just saw Colin kind of pop off the screen to me. (Initially) I thought he could be a guy that could play offensive line like a Lane Johnson kind of guy,” Fant said. “Once I got him to Kentucky, though, and I got to see him run around, I knew right away he was a tight end.”

“Right away he bought in and was the kind of guy you didn’t have to tell something twice. Once you were able to show it to him, he took it and learned from it right away and got better.”