NFC Notes: Buccaneers, Falcons, Calvin Ridley, Saints

Buccaneers

• The Athletic’s Greg Auman does not expect Saints QB Jameis Winston to return to the Buccaneers in 2022, as he thinks both Winston and the team would prefer a fresh start with other options. 
• Auman is also optimistic about Tampa Bay’s chances of keeping WR Chris Godwin on a long-term deal. 

Falcons

Since announcing he was stepping away from the team to focus on his mental health, little to nothing has been heard from Falcons WR Calvin Ridley. That includes the team apparently, as Falcons owner Arthur Blank provided an update this week that wasn’t much of an update. 

“I will tell you what I know,” Blank said via the Athletic’s Josh Kendall. “I know we would love to have the young man back to play for us, but where that sits with him, I don’t know. At some point, with free agency coming up and then the draft, we have to have a full understanding about that. I think he and his agent understand that as well.”

“He’s a great player, he was a great teammate, he and (QB Matt Ryan) have wonderful chemistry together. He practiced hard, played hard,” Blank added. “As he continues his journey to mental health and being mentally well, we want to make sure we are there for him. We understand his situation and continue to be supportive. We will see where it takes us in the future.”

Ridley’s not the first athlete to step away, as Eagles RT Lane Johnson had to step away from the team to deal with his own mental health issues relating to anxiety, as he detailed later. Blank noted that nobody from the Falcons has been permitted to speak to Ridley directly due to health privacy laws. He referenced “trauma” that Ridley is processing, though other details were scarce. 

“We are here to support Calvin as he goes through this journey that he’s on, which is a difficult journey,” Blank said. “It’s not unique in America, it’s not unique on sports teams, there is a lot of trauma today. He is committed to resolving his issues and getting them behind him. That doesn’t mean they are necessarily out of his head, but they’re behind him and he’ll be able to function fully, not only on the field but off the field as well. Where that will take him, I don’t know. I know we have done everything we possibly could to be there for him, and we will see how that unfolds in terms of his future with us or somebody else in the NFL.”

Saints

New Saints HC Dennis Allen knows that the team needs to find their quarterback of the future and addressed the situation during a press conference.

“That’s going to be one of the first things that we do, is get together as a staff, as an organization, and evaluate that position,” Allen said, via NewOrleansSaints.com. “And then we’ll make the best decision for this organization. We want a winner. A guy that’s got a tireless work ethic, a guy that can help lead men. That’s what I see in the quarterback position. But that’s certainly something we’ve got to figure out.”