NFC Notes: Buccaneers, Falcons, Saints

Buccaneers

Buccaneers HC Bruce Arians said WR Antonio Brown is as healthy as he’s been in a while.

“This is the healthiest he’s been in a few years,” Arians said, via Pewter Report. “He probably needed that procedure and he wouldn’t do it. That first (surgery) is always tough. It’s amazing, I was talking to Emanuel Sanders last night and that was his first surgery – ever. At his age, it’s just amazing. It’s remarkable how he takes care of himself. He’s playing at a speed that we saw four or five years ago.” 

• Arians mentioned TE Tanner Hudson needs to pick it up in practice: “He needs to block somebody. Anybody…He’s regressed.” (Rick Stroud)

Falcons

• Scott Bair of the team website thinks former first-round OT Kaleb McGary should still be the favorite to start on the right side despite missing a fair amount of camp due to injury. 
• Falcons C Matt Hennessy and CB Fabian Moreau appear to have starting jobs locked up, per Bair. So do veteran safeties Erik Harris and Duron Harmon.
• At left guard, Bair writes that Josh Andrews still appears to be the favorite to start, although fourth-round C Drew Dalman has got some work behind him with the hopes of developing some positional versatility. 

Saints

• In his MAQB article, SI’s Albert Breer stated that he “wouldn’t be surprised” if the Saints traded WR Michael Thomas, while noting that before Thomas and RB Alvin Kamara‘s contracts, the team never paid a skill player more than $10 million per year. 
• Breer adds that while it’s circumstantial that the team has not paid up for skill positions, a large majority of it is philosophical, as HC Sean Payton believes more in paying to build up the offensive line around the QB, and finding skill position players to plugin.