NFC Notes: Buccaneers, Falcons, Panthers

Buccaneers

Buccaneers GM Jason Licht is relieved now that QB Tom Brady has decided to rejoin Tampa Bay, yet has no idea if he will play beyond the 2022 season.

“We’ll get to that when we get to it,” Licht said, via NFL.com. “Right now we’re focused on what we have and what we need to do in the next few days. We have some work to do, and we’ve got some plans. There are several ways to go about it, but I don’t want to get into too much of what we’re doing. We’ve got several alternatives that we can do, and we’re confident that we’ll be able to get it done. A sense of relief. We were all excited. I think probably the same as any fan here has been and any person on staff here. We’re all very excited. Why wouldn’t you be?”

• Brady is expected to restructure his contract in the near future to create additional cap space to add players to the team. (Jeff Howe)

Falcons

• The Athletic’s Dan Duggan reports new Falcons OLB Lorenzo Carter‘s one-year, $3.5 million deal includes $2 million guaranteed and a void year that the Falcons added to push half of his $2 million signing bonus to 2023.
• The Falcons signed QB Marcus Mariota to a two-year, $18.75 million deal that includes $6.75 million guaranteed. It also includes a $5 million signing bonus and salaries of $1.75 million guaranteed, $9 million, and a 2023 $3 million roster bonus on the fifth day of the 2023 league year. (Aaron Wilson)
• Falcons RB Cordarrelle Patterson‘s two-year, $10.5 million contract with the team includes a $5 million signing bonus, a 2022 salary of $1.25 million, and a $3.75 million cap hit in 2022. In 2023, the deal has a $4.25 million salary and a $6.75 million cap hit. (Doug Kyed)
• The Falcons re-signed CB Isaiah Oliver to a one-year, $2.185 million deal with $530,000 of the base salary guaranteed. (Aaron Wilson)
• Former Falcons QB Matt Ryan talked about what this past week has been like: “I didn’t like everything I heard but you don’t always like what you hear sometimes. But they were professional and handled it well. I knew at some point I was going to have to make a decision on whether or not I would stay.” (Mike Garafolo)
• He added there was only one place he really wanted to go and that was Indianapolis. (Stephen Holder)
• Falcons GM Terry Fontenot and OC Dave Ragone were at Pittsburgh’s pro day to scout QB Kenny Pickett. (Jim Nagy)
• Atlanta announced they have moved pass game specialist T.J. Yates to WR coach and moved former intern Mario Jeberaeel to assistant offensive line coach.

Panthers

• Panthers CB Donte Jackson signed a $35.18 million deal that includes an $11 million signing bonus and $16.757 million guaranteed. The contract includes salaries of $1.035 million, $4.722 million, $4.722 million, and up to $1.7 million in per game active roster bonuses annually. (Aaron Wilson)
• Panthers LB Cory Littleton signed a one-year, $3.6 million deal that includes a $2 million signing bonus, a salary of $1.5 million, and a void year in 2023. (Wilson)
• Panthers DE Marquis Haynes signed a two-year, $5.5 million deal that comes with $2.035 million in total guarantees, a 2022 cap hit of $1,955,000, and a 2023 cap hit of $3,545,000. (Brad Spielberger)
• Panthers GM Scott Fitterer and OC Ben McAdoo were at Pittsburgh’s pro day to scout QB Kenny Pickett. (Jim Nagy)