NFC Notes: Buccaneers, Packers, Aaron Rodgers

Buccaneers

• Buccaneers TE Cameron Brate, who’s recovering from hip surgery, said Friday that he was cleared on Thursday and will be “100 percent for training camp.” (Greg Auman)
• Regarding the Bucs’ new defense, Brate said: “When you have that aggressive style of play, it puts a ton of pressure on the opposing offense. It’s something we had to deal with as an offense all spring. It was tough. I think they’re going to take big steps forward.” (Greg Auman)

Aaron Rodgers 

Packers QB Aaron Rodgers said in a recent interview with Chris Simms of NBC Sports that he’s excited about the new coaching staff.

“I am excited about it,” Rodgers said, via Zachary Jacobson of CheeseheadTV.com. “The most important thing with change is to embrace it. Being comfortable with the uncomfortable parts of it. When you’ve been in a system for so long, you have a way of doing things. The first part is being open to [change].

“That’s what I told [LaFleur] day one. I said, ‘I wanna be coached.'”

“It’s been fun. It really has been fun. I’ve got a great room. I’ve got [LaFleur] in the room, I’ve got Nathaniel Hackett — who’s a great guy — and I’ve got Luke Getsy, who I’ve known for a long time. Life’s good, it’s exciting.”

Rodgers seems to have bought into the team’s new offensive scheme.

“The scheme works,” Rodgers said. “The stuff they did against us this year against San Fran was unbelievable. We were watching on the sidelines going, ‘That’s pretty cool.'”

Packers

Packers president Mark Murphy mentioned in an interview with Gary Ellerson of The Fan that they made an aggressive attempt last year to trade for OLB Khalil Mack. However, the Raiders felt the Bears would end up with the better draft pick.

“Well the whole Khalil Mack thing. It’s not that we didn’t try,” Murphy said. “We were aggressive. We wanted to sign him. I think, ironically, the Raiders took the Bears offer because they thought they would be a better draft pick.“