Buccaneers
Bucs OC Dave Canales went in-depth on his philosophy that he’ll be bringing to Tampa Bay as the play caller on offense. He compared the team using play-action for chunk plays to a boxer taking knockout punches.
“Honestly I would say you’re going to probably get three-to-five great play action shots a game,” Canales said, via Pewter Report. “That’s out of 60-some odd plays. So it’s not that much. But you’re waiting for the right opportunity. You’re waiting for them to put the gloves down and then it’s like the knockout punch right. You think about a boxing match. And that’s what I always say about Russell [Wilson]. He was such a heavyweight fighter because he was so patient, he was so patient, and then he would run [the ball]. And they’re like, ‘Why is he running all the time? Because he didn’t get the right look. And then they would be flat-footed at safety and he would launch it to Tyler [Lockett] or DK [Metcalf] for a 60-yard, 40-yard, 35-yard bomb. And it was like a heavyweight fight. How many real knockout punches happen? Three-to-five. It’s not haymaker after haymaker. It’s like you’re on the card, you’re on the card, you’re on the card, you made a mistake – boom! He goes to the ground. Did he get up? That’s the feel of it. That’s the ‘why’ behind the tempo. That’s the ‘why’ behind the run game and being able to play to our strengths – keep [our] defense on the sideline. Let them rest. It’s quick completion. Don’t get tired, throw that flat again. Throw that flat again. The clock’s ticking. The defense is sitting there. The runs…slowly…okay, they’re starting to inch up. Somebody tell me. Okay, we’re ready – and then boom! You try to hit them that way.”
Canales also addressed the importance of taking what the defense gives them even if that results in only a short gain.
“And then just like the [play-action] boot game, you know I tell my guys if you have a guy open in the flat, just take it,” Canales said. “He may get two yards. But guess what? All 11 on defense have to redirect from where they were, chase flat to the other side of the field and try to make the tackle. If the guy gets eight or nine [yards], you may have eight or nine guys chasing him down the field that far.”
Canales also said that QB Kyle Trask has sneaky mobility and was impressed with his work outside of the pocket.
“I was pleasantly surprised by his mobility in the boot game,” Canales said. “Being able to pull up when he has a dirty edge. That’s just if you have a pressure or a defensive end plays out of it and he’s in your lap. To watch him be able to twitch up, find a platform and find a completion or throw it away. Those are some of the things I didn’t know I was getting, but he handled it great and we drilled the heck out of it.”
Falcons
A few Falcons players commented on the excitement surrounding first-round RB Bijan Robinson, including G Chris Lindstrom, DT Grady Jarrett and RB Cordarrelle Patterson.
“Here’s a cool thing: he texted the offensive line when he got drafted,” Lindstrom told Scott Bair of AtlantaFalcons.com. “He said that he’s really happy to work with us. I’ve only known him for a little while, but he has been pretty amazing around the building. I think all that speaks to who Bijan is and everything he’s about. He’s amazing. You don’t pay much attention when you’re on the field because you’re doing your job but, when you step back and watch, you can see how good he is. He’s great.”
“Certain dudes, you can just see the way they move,” Jarrett said of Robinson. “That it’s special the way you carry yourself. He’s going to be a heck of a player. He’s put so much tape out already through his college career but I am sure they are going to have a great plan for him. I don’t see him missing a beat. The better he does, the better for the team. I think just the movement skills. When you’ve been in the league going on nine years now you know with certain guys just look different.”
“There’s not much you can tell a guy like that,” Patterson added. “He’s just so humble and rooted in his faith. He has come in and he’s not nervous. He has adapted well and has learned the playbook so quickly. As y’all have seen, he’s out there everywhere. There’s not one spot he can’t play on this field. I’m excited to see that man do what he’s supposed to do.”
Panthers
NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe explained that the team is impressed with second-round WR Jonathan Mingo and his budding chemistry with first-round QB Bryce Young.
“I can tell you this — talking with people in the building, they’ve been very impressed with Jonathan Mingo, their second-round pick,” Wolfe said, via Panthers Wire. “He’s developing chemistry with Bryce Young. Actually talked with Thomas Brown, their offensive coordinator, before practice and he mentioned one thing that surprised him about Mingo is that he’s more fluid than maybe they initially expected. He’s not this stiff, big receiver even though he’s one of the bigger impact players. And so expect Jonathan Mingo to have a big role within this team.”
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