NFC Notes: Buccaneers, Panthers, Saints

Buccaneers

Buccaneers’ HC Bruce Arians isn’t worried about not getting to see players at the combine. He says that you can certainly have your heart broken by players in Indianapolis and that it is all about what appears in a player’s tape.

“I think for me, it’s always been what’s on tape — now let’s do the background on the person,” Arians said, via Joey Knight of the Tampa Bay Times. “You go to the combine, you fall in love with those guys in shorts, they run a 4.3. You look at the film though, they don’t run 4.3… and that guy that ran 4.6, he’s the fastest guy on the field. So the tape doesn’t lie. You can fall in love and get your heartbroken at the Combine.”

• Greg Auman of The Athletic is stuck between WR Chris Godwin and LB Shaquil Barrett for the Buccaneers’ use of the franchise tag but believes the younger Godwin is the more likely candidate. 

Panthers

• Joseph Person points out that one thing helping the Panthers in a potential trade for Texans’ QB Deshaun Watson is how much cap space they have cleared in 2022.
• Jason Fitzgerald of OTC notes that they don’t need to continue clearing cap space at this point to take on his $10.54 million cap hit, but this could help them acquire talented pieces to put around him.

• Joe Person of The Athletic notes that the Panthers would likely franchise tag RT Taylor Moton, rather than let one of the top tackles of this year’s free-agent class walk away from the team.

Saints

• Former Saints’ T Zach Strief will join the team as an assistant OL coach. (Mike Triplett)
• Strief said of leaving the broadcast booth to accept the position with the Saints: “You know what? Why keep pretending that I don’t want that time to be in my single biggest passion, which is football? And I’ve come to terms with that and that’s the direction I want to go.” (Katherine Terrell)
• Nick Underhill notes that Brendan Nugent was previously an assistant OL coach and could replace new Lions’ HC Dan Campbell as the Saints’ TE coach.
• Notre Dame DE Adetokunbo Ogundeji has a future meeting scheduled with the Saints. (Chris Rosvoglou)
• Jeff Duncan reports that the Saints will likely move veteran OL coach Dan Roushar to TE coach/running game coordinator and promote assistant OL coach Brendan Nugent to OL coach.