NFC Notes: Buccaneers, Falcons, Panthers

Buccaneers

• Bucs TE Rob Gronkowski said he still hasn’t made a decision on his playing career: “As of today, I haven’t made a decision yet on my football future. Just focused on my footwork skills for Gronk Beach.” (Jordan Schultz)

Falcons

Falcons HC Arthur Smith told reporters that first-round WR Drake London and TE Kyle Pitts should compliment each other well in their offensive attack.

“[London is] a good player. We’re obviously excited. We have a good vision for him,” Smith said, via Pro Football Talk. “He has to go out there and earn it, but they are different players, too. Again, look right out there and look at the numbers and say, oh, they are both tall, yeah, but they are different players. They complement each other well. We are excited. He’ll come in here, and he’ll add a lot to this offense and help us be more efficient. Obviously, we need to get more explosive, too. He brings that to the table as well.”

With London being drafted at No. 8 overall, Smith said the intent is for the rookie to be a significant contributor in 2022.

“[B]ut again, we’ll bring him on at his speed,” Smith said. “Certainly, when you put a pick that high on a player, there’s an expectation that this guy needs to contribute. No different than Kyle [Pitts] last year. But we have all been around it, and we are not going to expedite it. He is coming off of an injury last season, he’s good to go, which we still have to be smart as we bring him along and get to camp.”

Panthers

When asked about the quarterback position, Panthers GM Scott Fitterer said that they will look at “every opportunity” in the 2022 NFL Draft and also examine the trade market. 

“I think we’ll look at every opportunity out there. There are still some really good players in this draft and we’ll also look at every opportunity outside the organization,” Fitterer said, via ProFootballTalk.