Buccaneers
- Greg Auman reports the Buccaneers are giving new RB Giovani Bernard a base salary of $1.075 million with a $137,000 signing bonus. The contract will also cost $987,500 against the Bucsโ cap.
Falcons
- The Athleticโs Mike Sando had an NFL general manager project the top 10 picks and he believes Atlanta will take Ohio State QB Justin Fields to sit behind Matt Ryan for a season or two: โIf you told me Fields was going to be better than Trevor Lawrence in five years, I would say yes, that can happen.โ
- Other executives were split, noting the teamโs financial commitment to Ryan. One said the Falcons โcould do anythingโ with the pick, including trading down to amass more selections or sitting tight and taking Florida TE Kyle Pitts.
- The Falcons had QBs coach Charles London, WRs coach Dave Brock on-hand at Ohio State for Fieldsโ second pro day on Wednesday. (Albert Breer)
- Breer notes that Falcons GM Terry Fontenot, HC Arthur Smith and OC Dave Ragone attended Fieldsโ first pro day earlier this month.
- The Falcons also had assistant director of college scouting Dwaune Jones in attendance of Ohio Stateโs Wednesdayโs pro day. (Albert Breer)
Panthers
Panthers HC Matt Rhule said that new QB Sam Darnoldโs age is a big reason as to why the team traded for him.
โWith the way quarterback drafts are going right now โฆ thereโs a lot of guys coming out early, and so that first couple years in the NFL are like their junior, senior year of college,โ Rhule said, via NFL.com. โItโs not like 10, 15 years ago, guys like Peyton Manning, who played a ton of football. Some of the guys that are coming out, theyโve been in the NFL for two, three years and theyโre 22, 23. Some other guys coming out right now are 20, 21.
โI just think with Sam, heโs a young guy who came out early, and the football that heโs played up until now is kind of like his junior and senior year, except it happened at the National Football League level. Weโre not getting a guy whoโs 27, 28, not that thereโs anything wrong with that. But we have a guy thatโs still young, still has a lot of football left in him. If things work out the way we hope they work out, we have a young player who can hopefully be with us for a while.โ
Rhule also said that Darnoldโs natural throwing ability flashes on tape and enticed the team about the quarterback.
โI donโt think thereโs a game that you watch where he doesnโt make a play that makes you say โThere it is,'โ Rhule said. โI think his arm talent and his movement are a great fit for the players that we have here that heโll be playing with.โ
As for being the new Panthersโ quarterback, Darnold said that he is excited for a fresh start after an offseason full of trade rumors.
โYou go from being unwanted, and then all of a sudden the people in Carolina wanted me and obviously traded for me, and you go from being unwanted to wanted,โ Darnold said. โWhen the trade went down, obviously like I said, things didnโt work out the way I wanted to in New York, but I was just so excited for a fresh start and a new opportunity. It was bittersweet, but meeting the people around here and getting to know everyone, what the agenda is around here, Iโm just very thrilled and excited to get going.โ
โFor me personally, I believed I could make it work in New York. Now that the trade has happened, obviously that frame of thinking doesnโt do me any good anymore. Iโm ready to start here at Carolina and hit the ground running.โ
- Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap points out that the Panthers have the fifth-most workout bonuses in the NFL with potentially $1.9 million in commitments. A number of teams have announced that they donโt plan to attend the voluntary workouts next month, even though some players have these bonuses in their contracts.
- Panthers OC Joe Brady and QBs coach Sean Ryan were in attendance of Ohio State QB Justin Fieldsโ second pro day on Wednesday. (Albert Breer)
- Breer adds that Rhule, GM Scott Fitterer and director of pro personnel Pat Stewart attended Fieldsโ first pro day earlier this month. (Albert Breer)
Saints
Saints TE Adam Trautman had a steeper jump than most coming to the NFL, as he was Daytonโs first player selected since 1977. Trautman saw his snaps increase steadily as the year progressed and now he enters 2021 as the clear-cut No. 1 tight end on New Orleansโ depth chart. Trautman credits his improvement as a blocker for that, as he was PFFโs top-rated run-blocking tight end last year.
โYou know, they kind of eased me into it. And I as I [got] more comfortable, and [played] better, my big thing was to gain their trust so that they feel comfortable with me out there,โ Trautman said via ESPNโs Mike Triplett. โYou could sit behind a computer in the offseason and learn virtually and learn from the playbook, look at it all you want. But getting used to how we game-plan, what they expect from me in the game plan โฆ and reps for me more than anything.โ
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