NFC Notes: Buccaneers, Panthers, Miles Sanders, Bryce Young

Buccaneers

Bucs OC Dave Canales is adamant about infusing analytics into his approach offensively.

“Analytics is big,” Canales said, via Pewter Report. “If you’re not using advanced stats and analytics you are missing it. We have some great stuff from our video department. We don’t have an analytics department, but we have groups of people in scouting, and groups of people in video that provide us with these stats that we know we are looking for. So, we ask for [them]. They come with the cut-up. They come with the video that you can see this evidence.”

Canales added that analytics doesn’t replace film study, but is supposed to act as a supporting tool to reinforce positive or negatives in player performance.

“But what it does, same thing with the [NFL Scouting] Combine, it allows you to cover the outliers really quickly,” Canales said. “So, it shows you ‘This is really good.’ ‘This is really bad.’ The part in the middle is where it doesn’t help you as much. Because that’s the part that’s like, ‘Hey, these are all about average numbers.’ You’ve got to dig in, watch the film, decide what’s best. Decide what to do and what to stay away from.”

Canales continued saying that analytics can help the team put their players in the best position to succeed and also find the best players to fit what they want to do.

“It’s those outliers of say, for example, let’s just say 11 personnel shotgun runs are averaging 1.6 yards per carry against this defense,” Canales said. “‘Hey guys, we’re not running 11 personnel shotgun runs this week.’ Or 12 personnel play-action is averaging 14.2 yards per play. ‘Okay guys, hey, we are going to have 12 personnel play-actions.’ There are some things you can go right that analytics helps you. It’s the same thing with the scouting evaluation process. They allow you to see these metrics make these guys fall into a category of ‘Oh yeah, these players have been successful’ or ‘These players have historically not been successful.’ Unless you are looking for the diamond in the rough, and you just have a great feel for this receiver who runs 4.7 (second 40-yard dash), ‘He’s going to be a player,’ well then, you better know that. Now you really have to do the homework and see. But at least it gives you a starting point.”

Panthers

Right now, Panthers RB Miles Sanders is the undisputed No. 1 back on the team’s depth chart after he signed the biggest deal of any free agent running back this offseason. However, Sanders has always split time to this point in his career, including when he played for current Panthers RB coach Duce Staley in Philadelphia. Neither RB Chuba Hubbard nor RB Raheem Blackshear have Sanders’ resume to this point but HC Frank Reich didn’t dismiss the thought of them earning a larger role as the season goes on. 

Bryce Young

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler said Panthers first-round QB Bryce Young‘s “mental aptitude” has been on display through the offseason program, which will be required to learn new OC Thomas Brown‘s complex offense. 

“I was told his mental aptitude has been as advertised. That’s what he was known for during the draft process, as a mental savant. I was told with the Panthers’ offense is a hard install. It’s got shades of the Los Angeles Rams system from new offensive coordinator Thomas Brown,” said Fowler, via Dov Kleiman of BroBible.com.

Fowler, citing sources, said Young has shown an incredibly strong command of Carolina’s offense. 

“No new quarterback bats 100 in learning it in the first month, but I was told he was pretty darn close to 100 percent. So, the Panthers really believe that as long as he has command of the offense, they’re in good shape. They don’t need him to be a hero because this is a really good emerging roster.”