NFC Notes: Buccaneers, Falcons, Saints

Buccaneers

• Per the Athletic’s Greg Auman, Buccaneers HC Bruce Arians says the team plans to use “12 personnel” — two tight ends, two receivers and one running back — as its base offense in 2020. 
• Arians added to expect a healthy dose of “13 personnel” with three tight ends as Tampa Bay looks to maximize the skills of Rob Gronkowski, O.J. Howard, Cameron Brate and Antony Auclair.
• Arians mentioned the Buccaneers are “probably not” going to add veteran depth along the interior offensive line, as they’re content with Zack Bailey, Aaron Stinnie and Anthony Fabiano. (Auman)
• The Buccaneers will not be able to hold planned joint practices with the Jaguars or Titans this preseason. (Auman)

Falcons

Falcons QB Matt Ryan is excited about the team adding former Rams RB Todd Gurley during the offseason and has already worked with his new running back “a handful of times.”

“I’ve gotten to work with Todd and he’s awesome,” Ryan told Vaughn McClure of ESPN. “Really, really good guy. A hard worker. He’s super-smart. The stuff I was telling him one day, the next day he had it done. I was really impressed with his ability to retain information. You don’t have to tell him twice. He’s on it. I think he’s going to be an awesome fit for us. And I’m glad we have him.”

Ryan also added that he has stayed ready for a return to the Falcons’ facilities this offseason.

“I’m ready to go back whenever,” Ryan said. “That’s been my mindset through this whole thing: to make this as normal of an offseason in terms of my training, my throwing, getting myself ready to go. Whenever they let us know, I’ll be ready to go. But I’m not informed enough to know or have a gut feeling for when that’s going to happen.”

Saints

• Katherine Terrell of The Athletic writes that while the Saints have enough cap room, she does not see the team pursuing free agent Jadeveon Clowney.
• She could, however, see the team signing a veteran cornerback to add depth to their defensive backfield.
• While Terrell admits that keeping four quarterbacks doesn’t make a lot of sense for most teams, she’s also skeptical that the Saints would allow seventh-round pick Tommy Stevens to be available to interested teams as a member of their practice squad. With this in mind, she thinks New Orleans will find a role for him.