Buccaneers
- Buccaneers DC Todd Bowles said he’s not focused on potentially getting another opportunity to be a head coach in the NFL: “I don’t look for the next job. You look for the next job, you don’t do the job you have.” (Joey Knight)
- Buccaneers second-year S Antoine Winfield Jr. said he’ll mostly line up at free safety in 2021. (Jon Ledyard)
Falcons
With the departure of Julio Jones, there’s a void in the Falcons’ receiving corps. Former undrafted WR Olamide Zaccheaus is one of the candidates to take on the No. 3 role. He’s flashed in the past but he knows that guarantees him nothing with a new staff coming in.
“A lot of people feel like [they have a shot],” Zaccheaus said via Scott Bair of the team website. “I’m going to come here and work hard for the team no matter what. I’m going to give 100 percent effort no matter what I’m asked to do. I’m all about building the team morale and helping the team win.”
Fortunately, so far Zaccheaus has made a positive impression on new HC Arthur Smith.
“We put a lot on his plate, and he can handle it,” he said. “He’s a smart dependable football player who can play multiple roles. Those guys are valuable. He can play different positions on the fly. He’s working to compete for a starting spot. That’s what you want. He’s dependable. That’s what he has shown so far.”
Panthers
It’s easy for Panthers TE Dan Arnold to stand out given he’s 6-6 and 240 pounds. But when he’s catching as many touchdowns as he has in practice recently, you can’t help but notice him.
“He’s a unique player in that he’s a receiver, tight end combination guy that you can use in a lot of different ways,” Panthers HC Matt Rhule said via the Athletic’s Joe Person. “I think all of our tight ends have gotten more involved this camp. I think Ian (Thomas) is having a fantastic camp. … We like our tight end room. But Dan — in those crucial, third-and-long situations — we’ve been able to find him.”
- Rhule noted CB A.J. Bouye is expected to miss two weeks due to a muscle strain. (David Newton)
Saints
- Per the Athletic’s Katherine Terrell, Saints HC Sean Payton thinks first-round DE Payton Turner has been better against the pass than the run so far: “But nonetheless he’s getting acclimated to what we’re looking for. He’s very coachable and we want him to keep going, keep trending the right way, and we want to keep working with him.”
- Saints second-round LB Pete Werner has gotten significant first-team snaps, though it’s unclear if the signing of Kwon Alexander will affect that: “You’re thrown in the fire right away so you have to learn a lot and you have to diagnose a lot of plays really quickly. So I’ve been put in spots and I have to pick it up and go. It’s a mental game, not nearly as physical although it was our first day of pads today, but it is a mental game. The people that know the defense are the ones that are going to be out there and play.”
- Terrell says Saints third-round CB Paulson Adebo has primarily been an outside cornerback with the second-string defense.
- Thanks to injuries at wide receiver, Terrell notes seventh-round WR Kawaan Baker now has a great shot at making the roster. Payton highlighted a potential special teams role as well: “For him it’s just learning the offense, the different formations. There is an abundance (of learning) for someone that has come from a different system. I know he’s a willing blocker and I think he’s someone who will help us in the kicking game too.”
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