NFC Notes: Buccaneers, Eagles, Lions, Panthers

February 21, 2018

Buccaneers

Jenna Laine of ESPN lists Dion Lewis, Carlos Hyde, Frank Gore, Isaiah Crowell, LeGarrette Blount, Jerick McKinnon, Jeremy Hill and Rex Burkhead as some running backs to watch for the Buccaneers in free agency.
Laine mentions that the Bucs could re-sign RB Charles Sims at the right price to be a change-of-pace back for them.
Ultimately, Laine believes Tampa Bay would be best served looking toward the draft for a game-changing running back. Some names who could be worth watching for the Bucs include USC’s Ronald Jones II, Georgia’s Sony Michel and Nick Chubb, Auburn’s Kerryon Johnson, Notre Dame’s Josh Adams, Oregon’s Royce Freeman, and San Diego State’s Rashaad Penny.
Laine reports that Buccaneers CB Jude Adjei-Barimah (patellar fracture) has been cleared by his surgeon to return to football and he will be ready to participate in OTAs. He spent all of last year recovering from a patellar fracture in his right knee. Depth was an issue at corner for the Bucs last year, and him playing outside and nickel certainly helps.
The Buccaneers have hired former Falcons LB Stephen Nicholas as their new defensive quality control coach. (Greg Auman)

Eagles

Teams have told Mike Freeman of B/R that Eagles QB Nick Foles should command at least a first-round pick on the trade market after leading Philadelphia to a Super Bowl win.
Freeman says that there’s still a chance some team could make a huge offer for Foles, but as of now, it’s hard to imagine any team parting with multiple first-round picks for him, as some had suggested.

Lions

While there was some talk a few weeks ago that the Lions may not be willing to franchise DE Ezekiel Ansah this offseason, multiple executives who spoke with Jason La Canfora aren’t buy it.

“It’s a no brainer to me,” an AFC executive tells La Canfora. “They have plenty of cap room and they don’t have a lot of other options to get pass rush. What am I missing?”

“Ansah won’t hit the market,” another executive tells La Canfora. “The first move Matt Patricia makes is letting his best rusher walk out the door? Really?”

We have him featured in our Top 100 – 2018 NFL Free Agents list.

Panthers

According to Jason La Canfora, if the bidding for the Panthers’ franchise gets up to around $2.5 billion, it’s unlikely to be a minority owner.
La Canfora mentions UFC baron Frank Fertitta as someone to watch along with NASCAR mogul Bruton Smith or Levine family.