NFC Notes: Buccaneers, Falcons, Saints, Payton Turner

Buccaneers

• ESPN’s Jenna Laine lists Buccaneers RB Giovani Bernard as a veteran cut candidate, noting with Leonard Fournette, third-round rookie Rachaad White and former third-rounder Ke’Shawn Vaughn, Bernard could be squeezed out of a spot. 

Falcons

Falcons inside linebackers coach Frank Bush says that second-round LB Troy Andersen has a decent learning curve in front of him, as he makes the transition from Montana State to the NFL.

“The key right now is to help him get to the athlete he is. He’s in learning mode right now. He’s trying to figure this thing out. We like him as a linebacker and that’s what he was as he finished up at Montana State, he does not know our language. We have to school him up on how we do things. The faster he learns that, the faster he’ll be himself on the field. He’s trending up. He’s doing the right things. I can only say good things about him. He’s humble. He’s there to learn every day and never takes anything for granted. He’s starting to show his skill set the more he learns,” Bush said, via AtlantaFalcons.com.

Bush added that they’re focused on playing the best guys this season, so Anderson will need to earn his opportunities from here.

“We’re looking to put the best guys on the field. If he’s one of the best guys in our room, he’ll be out there. But it’s a process. We don’t want to give him the MVP trophy and we don’t want to discard him just yet. It’s process. I like where he is in the process. He’s a humble kid. He’s extremely intelligent. He’ll get used to our system. We just have to stick with the process. I’m happy with him and where he’s at,” Bush said.

Saints

Saints DE Payton Turner has been cleared from a season-ending shoulder injury that required surgery last year and he says he’s ready to bounce back from it in 2022. 

“Not the rookie season I wanted with the injury and everything,” Turner said during a youth football camp, via Aaron Wilson of PFN. “I’m ready to bounce back this year. We’ve got a great coach in DA (Dennis Allen) and a great culture in the locker room.

“I’ve got my strength back. I had the shoulder surgery, that was the biggest thing. I’m football-focused: back to pass rush, run technique, quick hands, getting back in the game. Consistency, I think I’ll be there every week. That’s the aim. That’s the goal: get after the quarterback, stop the run every game, and do things every week to help the team win.”

Turner is a converted interior defensive lineman who decided to lose weight in college to move to edge rusher.

“I’ve only played on the edge for three years,” Turner said. “I just keep getting better at it.”

“I ate a lot when I first got to school,” Turner added. “Originally, I wasn’t on the edge. I played 4i in the old scheme, and I got up to 290 pounds. My sophomore year, I dropped some weight, and I didn’t know if I would play on the edge. I broke my foot and missed spring ball and the summer.

“It turned out we needed help on the edge. They thought I was quick enough to play on the edge. I think I have a lot of room to grow, and that’s the only way I can go. I think playing defensive tackle helped me be more physical in my transition to the edge.”