NFC Notes: Buccaneers, Falcons, Saints

Buccaneers

Buccaneers’ third-round RB Rachaad White said his goal is to earn the starting job as a rookie in 2022. 

“My expectation, my goal is I’m going in there competing,” White said, via BucsWire. “I want to be the starting running back. That’s how it go. I know I got Lenny in front of me. And you know I’m going to soak up a lot of knowledge from Lenny in that running backs room. and Giovani Bernard. That’s just the type of guy I am. You know, I’m always a competitor first.”

Falcons

Falcons GM Terry Fontenot spoke about the different competitions that would be occurring across the roster this offseason.

“I would say at any position on our depth chart, it’s all the same that right now we’re going to have going into camp we’re going to have 90 players all competing to be the 53 plus 16,” Fontenot said, via Pro Football Talk. “On a weekly basis, they’re going to be competing to get a jersey on game day to be one of the 48. That’s truly how we see this. We’ll continue to add competition at every position and that’s what’s really exciting about this.”

Fontenot also provided insight on why the team chose QB Desmond Ridder, the second quarterback taken in the draft.

“At that point, he truly was he was the best guy off the board, and we were excited to take him off because we spent time with Desmond as we did the other quarterbacks throughout the process,” Fontenot said. “I remember going into Cincinnati and after he worked out getting to sit in a room with him and we talked to him a lot and he went through how they brought that program to a different level. [H]e’s very selfless and humble and the way he talked about his teammates and the coaching staff and what they did I think is special, what they were able to do at Cincinnati raising that program to another level. [H]e does have a chip on his shoulder, he always has felt like he has something to prove, and he’s one of those guys that whether he goes in the first round or the seventh round, he’s going to be that type of worker that brings it every day. We’re excited to take Desmond at that time, excited about the time we spent with him, and we’re excited to get him here so we can go to work.”

Fontenot was asked if the fact that Ridder was similar to QB Marcus Mariota helped them with their decision on the second day of the draft.

“I wouldn’t say that that was a part of the consideration,” Fontenot said. “I would say we just evaluated the player, but it is cool to look at the quarterback room right now. There are not many quarterback rooms that look like that with Marcus and Desmond and also Feleipe Franks. I mean, they look good coming off the bus. Some big, athletic guys. But again, they’re all really good human beings as well. Marcus Mariota, as soon as he was here and found a house and he was in the building, and he’s been here working as much as he possibly can. Anything that he can legally do, he’s going to do it to try to be the best football player he can be. It’s been exciting to see him work. Desmond is wired that same way so that’s always important to us. It’s a big athletic-looking group.”

Saints

• Saints DB Tyrann Mathieu always wanted to return home to New Orleans: “This is the place I always wanted to be.” (Nick Underhill)