NFC Notes: Buccaneers, Falcons, Panthers, Saints

Buccaneers

Buccaneers GM Jason Licht said they still believe they have all the pieces to be competitive this coming season, and for that reason they won’t definitively shut the door on Tom Brady if he ever wants to come back. 

“We still feel like we have a chance to win this year,” Licht said via Peter Schrager. “We’re in a division where we think we can compete. We have a lot of players that are free agents. We have a lot of priorities. It just depends on how the puzzle fits together. We want to win this year. We want to compete this year for the title, but we also want to keep our eye on the future, too. We don’t want to mortgage too much too soon. It’s just going to depend on what the market bears, but we’re going to bring a lot of these guys back. We always leave the light on for a guy like Tom Brady. Tom was a special player, a special person. Right now we’re trying to make our plans to move forward.”  

Falcons

• USC WR Drake London has met with the Falcons at the combine. (Gabe Burns)
• Ole Miss QB Matt Corral said the Falcons were the second team he had a formal interview with, adding that he would be crazy to not want to learn from veteran QB Matt Ryan. (Tori McElhaney)
• Ohio State WR Chris Olave said he has met with the Falcons during his time at the combine. (Dan Parr)
• Pittsburgh QB Kenny Pickett also says he’s met with the Falcons this week. (Matt Verderame)
• Alabama WR Jameson Williams said the Falcons were one of his first meetings, adding that conversation was flowing and things went well. (Thor Nystrom)
• Arkansas WR Treylon Burks also met with Atlanta during his time at the combine. (Ryan McDowell)

Panthers

• Per the Athletic’s Joe Person, Panthers GM Scott Fitterer said they would be open to playing RB Christian McCaffrey more in the slot as a receiver: “Maybe that does take a little bit of wear off his body. The one thing I know is we’re a better team when he does have the ball in his hand. He’s a playmaker from anywhere, whether it’s the slot or coming out of the backfield.”
• Fitterer declined to discuss Texans QB Deshaun Watson, pointing out he’s under contract for another team. (Person)
• Regarding the three-year, $16.5 million deal for TE Ian Thomas, Fitterer said the team was comfortable giving a “mid-level contract” for what they see as an ascending player: “The way he plays for us is as an inline blocker who has the ability to get down the seam. He’s hit 20+ miles per hour on the GPS. The guy can really run when he opens up. He’s got receiving skills, he probably has not shown that as much the past year or two…because of the offensive issues.” (David Newton)
• Fitterer mentioned they have not had a sitdown conversation with QB Cam Newton to discuss their plans for next season yet. (Newton)
• He also described the starting quarterback job for next season as “open.” (Person)
• Fitterer admitted there is a sense of urgency the Panthers are approaching this coming season with: “Winning can’t happen fast enough around here. There is urgency.” (Jonathan Jones)
• Panthers K Zane Gonzalez is someone Fitterer mentioned they would like to bring back. (Person)
• Although the idea of moving S Jeremy Chinn back to linebacker was discussed, Fitterer says they’re leaning toward keeping him in the secondary since they have Shaq Thompson and re-signed LB Frankie Luvu. (Person)
• Fitterer said talks with CB Stephon Gilmore are “ongoing,” while the team will be “happy for him” if DE Haason Reddick cashes in with a bigger deal in free agency. (Cameron Wolfe)
• Liberty QB Malik Willis says that he has met with the Panthers during the combine. (Matt Verderame)
• North Carolina QB Sam Howell has also met with the Panthers. (Person)
• Pittsburgh QB Kenny Pickett talked about catching up with HC Matt Rhule during the combine. (Person)

Saints

• Ohio State WR Chris Olave says he met with the Saints at the combine. (Dan Parr)