Buccaneers
- ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler mentions the Buccaneers liked QB Kyle Trask so much that the player thought he might go in the first round instead of the second.
- Trask’s camp also thought the Saints might have interest as well.
Falcons
Even though the Falcons drafted TE Kyle Pitts in round one, TE coach Justin Peelle thinks both Pitts and TE Hayden Hurst can play together in HC Arthur Smith‘s system.
“If you look at coach (Arthur) Smith’s past, he’s a multiple tight end, multiple personnel grouping (guy),” Peelle said, via D. Orlando Ledbetter. “Both of those guys, I’m fairly confident, will be on the field at the same time.”
Peelle said he’s seen improvement with Hurst over his first three years in the league.
“Hayden has gotten better,” Peelle said. “You can see his growth as well, getting better, constantly getting better. He’s a guy that plays with tremendous effort. It’s important to him, very unselfish…You can see him just getting better as well.”
- ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler says there was a sense that QB Trey Lance would have been the only player that would have caused the Falcons to reconsider taking Pitts, as they also spent a ton of time with him.
- Video from the Falcons’ draft room showed GM Terry Fontenot taking a call from the Lions inquiring about the No. 4 overall pick but Detroit did not increase their offer from an earlier discussion this offseason: “Yeah, we’re gonna pick. It’s the same as what we talked about? OK, yeah, we’re picking.” (Falcons Official Twitter)
- Falcons DL coach Gary Emanuel said Dante Fowler will be an outside linebacker this season. (Ledbetter)
- Falcons OLBs coach Ted Monachino said he is eager to work with Fowler: “I can’t wait to get my hands on him. I’m excited to get him going.” (Ledbetter)
- Falcons LBs coach Frank Bush mentioned that he believes in “blitzing from all over” and will lean on LB Deion Jones as an experienced rusher. (Kelsey Conway)
- Bush added that Atlanta will have a multiple defensive scheme and “keep people guessing.”
- Bush said he likes former fourth-round LB Mykal Walker and believes he is “ahead of the curve” in learning the Falcons’ defense. (Tori McElhaney)
Panthers
- ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler confirms the Panthers took WR Terrace Marshall in the second round after getting word the Saints wanted him. He adds Marshall was the top player left on the board for Carolina.
- He adds the Panthers likely would have taken LT Penei Sewell had he lasted one more pick.
- Panthers HC Matt Rhule wished former QB Teddy Bridgewater the best despite Bridgewater criticizing the Panthers coaching staff: “I’m sorry that maybe he doesn’t feel the same way about some things… but I feel really good about the way we practice and our process. Disappointed to hear he didn’t feel the same way.” (Jonathan Jones)
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