NFC Notes: Buccaneers, Panthers, Derek Carr, Saints

Buccaneers

• Pewter Report is doing a running tracker of all the Buccaneers’ pre-draft meetings. Tampa Bay met with several offensive linemen for formal meetings at the Combine, including Oklahoma OT Anton Harrison, Ohio State OT Paris Johnson, Georgia OT Broderick Jones, USC OL Andrew Vorhees, Tennessee OT Darnell Wright and 
  Wisconsin C Joe Tippmann.
• Pewter Report adds the Buccaneers wanted to do a formal interview with Oregon C Alex Forsyth but weren’t able to fit it in their allotment. 
• Other formal interviews on offense include Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker, Alabama RB Jahmyr Gibbs, Ohio State WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba, TCU WR Quentin Johnston, USC WR Jordan Addison, Louisiana-Lafayette WR Michael Jefferson, Notre Dame TE Michael Mayer, Iowa TE Sam LaPorta, South Dakota State TE Tucker Kraft, Oregon State TE Luke Musgrave, Utah TE Dalton Kincaid, Purdue TE Payne Durham and Cincinnati TE Josh Whyle.
• On defense, Tampa Bay’s formal interview list included Oregon CB Christian Gonzalez, South Carolina CB Cam Smith, Illinois S Sydney Brown, Alabama S Brian Branch, Florida State S Jammie Robinson, Illinois S Quan Martin, South Carolina DL Zacch Pickens, Arkansas LB Drew Sanders, Indiana LB Cam Jones, Georgia OLB Nolan Smith, Kansas State OLB Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Iowa State OLB Will McDonald IV, Auburn DE Derick Hall and Missouri OLB Isaiah McGuire. 
• Rick Stroud reports that the Buccaneers have no plans to trade LB Devin White.

Panthers

• NBC Sports’ Peter King says Panthers owner Dave Tepper has made it clear internally he wants the team to draft a long-term solution at quarterback this year. It’s possible the Panthers might be willing to pay the Bears’ asking price to move up to No. 1, which would include at least two future first-round picks. 
• King adds that while Carolina is viewed as an overpay candidate, it’s still possible for cooler heads in the building to prevail.  
• The Athletic’s Joe Person writes his sense is the Panthers like Florida QB Anthony Richardson‘s raw talent but not enough to use a high pick on him. There was some buzz that Carolina would be willing to trade up to No. 3 with the Cardinals. 
• Person mentions the Panthers refuted a report that they reached out to the Packers about QB Aaron Rodgers, even in an exploratory sense. 
• In addition to preliminary talks about re-signing QB Sam Darnold, Person says Browns QB Jacoby Brissett is viewed as an obvious potential bridge starter given his history with HC Frank Reich.
• He adds 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo is a potential option but there are concerns about his injury history. Person has heard Garoppolo is supposedly asking for $25 million a year. 
• Panthers QB Matt Corral, who is recovering from a preseason Lisfranc injury that ended his season, might not be ready for the start of OTAs, per Person. 
• According to Person, the Panthers gave DC Ejiro Evero a three-year, $9.3 million deal, which puts him inside the top ten for defensive coordinators. 
• As far as potential free agent targets, Person mentions Chiefs WR Mecole Hardman is someone the Panthers have shown interest in. 

Saints

• Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio has the full contract details for new Saints QB Derek Carr‘s four-year, $150 million deal. Carr is due a $28.5 million signing bonus and base salaries of $1.5 million, $30 million, $30 million, and $50 million. 
• Carr’s 2023 and 2024 base salaries are fully guaranteed and his 2025 base salary is guaranteed for injury. He has a $10 million roster bonus in 2025 that is guaranteed for injury and becomes fully guaranteed in 2024, and his 2025 base salary also vests to a full guarantee in 2025.