NFC Notes: Buccaneers, Cowboys, Giants

Buccaneers

• Aaron Wilson reports that Buccaneers C Robert Hainsey will be ready for the first game of the season despite dealing with an ankle injury.
• Buccaneers HC Todd Bowles is ready to bring WR Chris Godwin back into the fold once he is cleared by the training staff: “If he’s healthy and he’s 100% and they give me the full green light, you’ve got to go. I think with an injury like that, you’re never going to know until you get hit below the waist.” (Joey Knight)
• Two more Buccaneers offensive linemen, Robert Hainsey and Nick Leverett, went down in the final preseason game with ankle and shoulder injuries respectively. Bucs HC Todd Bowles didn’t have any updates after the game: “Not yet. We’ll get some X-rays taken I’m sure in the next two days and we’ll find out.” (Laine)
• Bowles revealed veteran K Ryan Succop “probably” will be their starting kicker ahead of K Jose Borregales. (Laine)
• Bowles also has a winner in mind in the competition for No. 2 cornerback between Jamel Dean and Sean Murphy-Bunting but declined to tip his hand. 

Cowboys

Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy said that the team’s associate athletic trainer Britt Brown feels “real good” about WR Michael Gallup‘s recovery from a torn ACL. 

“You know how this fourth quarter goes in the rehab,” McCarthy said, via ProFootballTalk. “All I can tell you is when we have the meeting every morning, (associate athletic trainer) Britt Brown is obviously running the rehab, and he feels real good about Michael’s progress as far as his timeline and so forth. He hasn’t had any setbacks, and I hope we will continue to be blessed with that process. He’s doing really well.”

Giants

Giants WR Sterling Shepard expressed how happy he was to be back at practice after recovering from a torn Achilles. 

“This is my happy place,” Shepard said, via Fox Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano. “I’ve been itching, itching at the bit to get out there with the guys.” 

Giants HC Brian Daboll said Shepard can play multiple roles and praised his ability in several facets. 

“He’s been a good player,” Daboll said. “I think he can do a wide variety of things: good route runner, got quickness, intelligence, can read zone, read man, understands the coverages, has a lot of experience, played multiple roles. So I’m excited to get out here and work with him.”

Shepard added that he’s grateful to be a member of the Giants’ organization. 

“I love this place,” Shepard said. “I love everybody in this building. I’ve been here for seven years now, and it’s been a blessing just being here. You hear stories about other places around the league, and there’s no place like here. And this is where I wanted to be.”