NFC Notes: Bryce Young, Chase Young, Buccaneers, Panthers, Saints

Buccaneers

• Buccaneers GM Jason Licht on trading CB Carlton Davis to Detroit: “We felt like it was an opportunity for us to get a really good pick and to add some youth … We wish Carlton the best. He’s a good player when he’s out there on the field.” (Greg Auman)
• Tampa Bay signed LB Lavonte David to a one-year, $8.5 million fully guaranteed contract that includes a $4 million base salary and a $4.5 million signing bonus. (Over The Cap)

Panthers

Panthers HC Dave Canales said before he begins developing Bryce Young as a quarterback, he wants to connect with him on a personal level given the emotionally exhaustive rigors of the NFL season. 

“We just try to connect on a personal level, and then what I’m trying to do is I’m trying to just build that emotional currency because I’m going to need to start drawing from that as we start to face challenges to get into the offseason,” Canales said, via the team’s official site. “You know, we start to talk about footwork and talk about protections and critiquing this and that. I think the more that we can create a relationship, it really softens the message versus when it’s just like player-coach, it’s kind of clunky, and it’s a little bit abrasive when it’s just like you’re constantly just correcting these football things, but you don’t have the basis of a relationship to lean on.”

Canales is glad Young went through a difficult rookie season and is confident it will help him build as a professional. 

“Everyone says he’s such a nice kid, you know, he’s such a nice guy and all this,” Canales said. “And it’s like, yeah, but there’s an edge there, and you don’t get to, you don’t play at the level of football that he has played without having an edge, without having that confidence in yourself. To be able to be introspective, to learn the hard lessons, and to be able to communicate it, and see it with a hopeful mindset. I think that’s one of the things that I’ve learned about him. He’s like, I’m glad I went through this past year. I’m glad I had the challenges of this because this is very different than anything that I’ve experienced up to this point, you know, and to feel him and to hear his hopefulness for where we’re headed, it’s exactly what you would hope to hear from your quarterback and, and from a guy that, that sees the best for himself going forward.”

Saints

Saints HC Dennis Allen said they signed DE Chase Young knowing he required surgery on his neck and is confident he’ll be able to recover from his injury. 

“We knew that he was going to have this surgery,” Allen said, via John DeShazier of the team’s site. “And I think the good thing for all of involved was, everybody that we talked to felt like, it’s not a matter of if he’s going to heal and be fine. It was just a matter of when. And so, I think we’re comfortable with the timelines that we have and yet, it’s a human body. It’s going to heal at its own rate. But I know he’s going to do everything he can to get himself back and get himself ready as quickly as possible.”

Allen pointed out Young came back from an injury to be highly productive for the 49ers. 

“Here’s a guy who came in, he was Defensive Rookie of the Year and then he basically missed two seasons due to injury. And then came back last season – he started off kind of on fire in Washington and was having a lot of success, got traded at the trade deadline. I think he was credited with a sack in the Super Bowl (against Kansas City), and I think he was involved in an intentional grounding, which in my mind is like two sacks in the Super Bowl. I do think this is still a young, developing player, which is exciting for me.”

As for Cameron Jordan undergoing an ankle injury, Allen expects the veteran defensive end to be ready for their spring program. 

“I don’t think it’s going to be anything that’s going to keep him out of the spring,” Allen said. “I do think when you have a guy like Cam who’s getting a little older, how much do we do with him in the spring, how much do we do with him in training camp, I think those are all things that we’ve got to take into account when we’re dealing with a more veteran player.”