NFC Notes: Buccaneers, Falcons, Panthers

Buccaneers

• NBC Sports’ Peter King believes Buccaneers QB Tom Brady is retiring and it’s only a matter of time until the veteran confirms it himself. 
• A team official acknowledged to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer if Brady does retire, the team will likely rip the band-aid off and not be as aggressive re-signing players as it would have been with Brady.
• Buccaneers OT Tristan Wirfs is hopeful he won’t need surgery on his injured ankle, with rest and PRP therapy being sufficient. (Greg Auman)

Falcons

• Tori McElhaney of the team website lists pass rusher as the top need for the Falcons given nearly all of their outside linebackers are on expiring contracts, including Dante Fowler. She adds they could use another starting outside cornerback. 
• As far as pending free agents, McElhaney notes there will be key decisions with RB Cordarrelle Patterson, WR Russell Gage and LB Foye Oluokun. All could potentially get more than Atlanta is willing or able to pay in free agency. 
• Another key pending free agent is CB Isaiah Oliver, though McElhaney thinks it might be easier to bring him back given he missed all but four games with a knee injury.
• McElhaney points out the Falcons will need to make other additions to their receiving corps even if WR Calvin Ridley isn’t traded. Additionally, HC Arthur Smith loves multi-tight end sets and currently, Kyle Pitts is the only one set to be back in 2022.  

Panthers

• Per the Athletic’s Joe Person, Panthers GM Scott Fitterer commented on the decision to exercise QB Sam Darnold‘s fifth-year option that looked bad at the time and horrific in hindsight: “We committed a second, a fourth-round pick and another-round pick (a sixth). We wanted to show some confidence in him. We thought he’d come in and play at a consistent level. So that’s why we picked that up.”