NFC Notes: Buccaneers, Grady Jarrett, Falcons, Panthers

Buccaneers

• Buccaneers HC Todd Bowles says RT Tristan Wirfs is “day to day” with a strained oblique and should be ready for Week 1. (Greg Auman)
• Bowles on cutting down the roster to 53 players: “Some people had a chance to step up this week. Some people may not have. We’ll have those discussions this afternoon.” (Auman)

Falcons

Falcons DT Grady Jarrett said they are pushing themselves in training camp as they ramp up to the regular season. 

“We’re pushing the envelope. We’ll be pushing our bodies to that max, and I love it,” Jarrett said, via Scott Bair of the team’s official site. “You have to embrace it and know it’s going to pay off when the season starts. When you have that high-intensity back-to-back-to-back, it forces you to push yourself physically and mentally. I’m excited about it, and I’m accepting the challenge. That’s my job, to push my guys to bring it every single day.”

Jarrett thinks that their joint practices are a “good proving ground” for their players.

“It’s a good proving ground, especially with one less preseason game,” Jarrett said. “These joint practices become that much more important, to see real competition in one-on-ones and team periods.”

Jarrett mentioned that DT Jalen Dalton and DE Abdullah Anderson are playing well in training camp. 

“Dalton’s coming on strong. Anderson, too,” Jarrett said. “They’re making their presence felt every day. You can see the respect they’re gaining with our teammates by putting in good work on a daily basis. We have a good group, a better one than people think.”

Panthers

Panthers HC Matt Rhule still hasn’t decided if QB Baker Mayfield will be the starter in Carolina, or if the job will go to incumbent QB Sam Darnold.

“Not yet,” Rhule told reporters, via Pro Football Talk. “You know, not prepared for anything right now other than watching this tape. Like I said all along, when we know we know, and we’ll announce something when it’s right.”

“The ones didn’t play and those guys [Mayfield and Darnold] are both competing to be with the ones, so we wanted to make sure they had a chance,” Rhule added. “We didn’t want to put one or two guys out there and play them behind the second offensive line.”