NFC Notes: Buccaneers, Cowboys, Eagles, Falcons

Buccaneers

• Buccaneers CB Brent Grimes (groin) and first-round DT Vita Vea (calf) both returned to practice on Thursday. (Greg Auman)
• Tampa Bay lists S Chris Conte (Knee), T Demar Dotson (Knee), WR Chris Godwin (toe), LT Donovan Smith (knee) and DT Vita Vea (calf) as being limited Thursday.
• Buccaneers QB Ryan Fitzpatrick (Knee), CB Brent Grimes (groin) both put in full practices while DE Jason Pierre-Paul (Knee) and DT Beau Allen (foot) did not practice.

Cowboys

Cowboys DC Rod Marinelli said that passing game coordinator Kris Richard made the team’s defensive play calls in Week 2.

“All week [we talk about the play-calling], and I’ll say, ‘Hey, take it, Kris. You got it. Let’s go. You got a good feel of the back room,‘” Marinelli said, via Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News. “Because he has to feel pressure-wise if we can hold up, all those things. The thing I’ve always believed in, and it’s one of our standards here, is it’s about the team. The team to me is everything. Every decision you make is how you get the team better. Some of the things he can do he makes us better. So I’m really glued to that.”

• Cowboys WR Cole Beasley showed up on the injury report Thursday with an ankle issue and put in a limited session.

Eagles

Eagles QB Carson Wentz, who is set to return for Week 3’s game after suffering an ACL injury last year, says he’s hoping to “pick up where we left off last year.”

“I just want to pick up where we left off last year,” Wentz said, via Philly.com. “We had a lot of big plays last year when we were in situational football. Third down, red zone, things we really excelled in last year. Those are things we want to keep building on. … At the end of the day, I, and really this whole offense and this whole organization, always have high expectations. We expect to start fast, play fast, be clicking.”

• Meanwhile, Nick Foles was asked about dealing with the demotion now that Wentz is back and why he chooses to be supportive: “A lot of people will say why didn’t you demand this? That’s just not who I am. I want my daughter when she’s older to look back and be proud of her daddy.” (Zack Rosenblatt)
• Eagles RBs Jay Ajayi (back) and Darren Sproles (hamstring) both did not practice on Thursday.

Falcons

• Falcons WR Julio Jones said of his calf injury: “I’m good. It’s just precautionary. I just felt some tightness in the game.” (Kelsey Conway)
• Falcons RB Devonta Freeman (knee), WR Julio Jones (calf), DE Takkarist McKinley (groin), LB Corey Nelson (calf), and DE Derrick Shelby (groin) all did not take part in Thursday’s practice.
• Meanwhile, Falcons WR Russell Gage (knee) and G Ben Garland (calf) put in limited sessions.