Buccaneers
- The Athletic’s Greg Auman doesn’t think the Buccaneers have ruled out selecting a running back in the 2022 NFL Draft despite bringing back Leonard Fournette, Ke’Shawn Vaughn, and Giovani Bernard.
- In the end, Auman expects Tampa Bay to use Fournette as their “primary back.”
- Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports believes that a team such as the Buccaneers could have an interest in QB Baker Mayfield as a backup in 2022 and look for him to take over the following year if QB Tom Brady would opt to retire in 2023.
- Washington TE Cade Otton said he had a formal Combine interview with the Buccaneers. (Justin Melo)
- The Buccaneers hosted Auburn CB Roger McCreary for a visit this week. (Auman)
Falcons
Falcons veteran CB Casey Hayward is happy to be with his new team and said he isn’t putting much thought into what people on the outside are saying about the roster, which is in dire need of a new quarterback and wide receivers after trading QB Matt Ryan and losing WR Calvin Ridley for the season due to suspension.
“We’re grown men, we’re going out there to try to win each and every game no matter how people view the roster or not,” Hayward said, via AtlantaFalcons.com. “For me, I just go out there and compete no matter if people think we can win or can’t win. Our goal is to go out there and try to win every game. Not saying that we will, but that’s the goal so who cares what the outside thinks about the roster and things like that. Maybe we don’t win games and maybe we do, but our goal is to win them.”
Saints
Saints QB Jameis Winston said that he had “tough conversations” with the organization after their pursuit of Deshaun Watson, but thinks it led to his extension to stay in New Orleans.
“I think that was the best part of this free agency process with me is because there were a bunch of tough conversations that I had with our coaches and with people on the business side of everything,” Winston said, via Katherine Terrell of The Athletic. “And I know if their pursuit of Deshaun didn’t happen, I would not have been able to have that growth and those conversations with people in important roles. So I’m actually thankful that everything turned out how it did because we did have to have tough conversations. We had to have conversations that probably I didn’t want to have or that they didn’t want to have. But it ended up leading to this now.”
Saints GM Mickey Loomis explained that they were exploring their options with Watson before turning to re-sign Winston.
“Jameis was unsigned at the time and he’s exploring his options and … we have to explore our options at the same time until you have someone in the boat, so to speak. I don’t think it was anything unusual,” said Loomis.
Winston added that he was able to reach a “compromise” with the Saints in order to return.
“I think we had a compromise, I think we were good,” Winston said. “But now it’s just the action. Like, right, all the tough stuff is done. It’s just going out there, it’s me getting healthy and it’s us going out there and winning games, and making everybody happy. Because that’s what it’s about. That’s how they keep their jobs on the business side, that’s how DA (Dennis Allen) stays the head coach, and that’s how I stay the quarterback.”
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