NFC Notes: Buccaneers, Panthers, Saints

Buccaneers

• Adam Schefter reports that a Buccaneers’ assistant coach has tested positive for COVID-19 and two other Tampa Bay assistants have been quarantined. Schefter adds that the Buccaneers’ assistant coach who tested positive is asymptomatic.
• Jets S Jamal Adams tells Ryan Clark (per Field Yates) that he would love to play for the Buccaneers and be reunited with former HC Todd Bowles. 

Panthers

• Panthers OC Joe Brady on if he will give RB Christian McCaffrey more rest than usual this season: “Christian had 429 touches this past year. That’s a lot, obviously. But if there is one person that can take it . . . it’s Christian McCaffrey. A lot of it will come down to the rest of the personnel on our team and figuring out how we can utilize. . . . But Christian will get his touches.’’ (David Newton)
• Brady also said of McCaffrey: “To label him strictly a running back is an injustice to him. … He can play literally any position on the football field. It’s going to be to our advantage to be able to do that.” (Myles Simmons)
• Brady added that he can’t wait to work with WR Curtis Samuel: “Curtis is a playmaker. He fits the mold of what we’re looking for.’’ (David Newton)
• Brady declined to address whether the Panthers will give QB Colin Kaepernick a tryout, noting that those decisions belong to HC Matt Rhule and GM Marty Hurney: “Those are questions for Coach Rhule and Marty.” (David Newton)
• Brady said QB Teddy Bridgewater is running meetings because of the way he can communicate and his understanding of the offense: “He lights up the room, he’s intelligent. His football IQ is through the roof.” (Myles Simmons)
• Brady is excited to see what a “dynamic wide receiver” like D.J. Moore can do in the offense this year and notes that he has a clear vision of what he wants to see from him in 2020. (Myles Simmons)
• Brady said of WR Robby Anderson being more than just a speed receiver: “He has great hands. Can make plays with the ball in the air, and after the catch.” (Joe Person)

Saints

Saints WRs coach Ronald Curry mentioned that Saints’ second-year WR Deonte Harris should progress in their offense now that he’s complete his first full season in the NFL. 

“We like to bring the young guys along slow, put him at one position, bring him in and kind of back Ted Ginn up doing some reverses and things of that nature,” Curry said, via Katherine Terrell of The Athletic. “But just getting to know him a little better. He missed a lot of training camp time with the hamstring. It was slow for him to get going, and it’s hard that we didn’t have a offseason this past offseason. So it’s kind of been hard to say how much he’s grown, but I’m pretty sure he’s somewhere putting in work. … He’ll come in and his role will expand. If you’ve been in our offense or around this team you know that guys fall into a role, and we have 30 days to kind of figure out what his role will be.”

Curry said the Saints don’t view Harris’ size at 5 feet, 6 inches as a limitation, and were aware his initial role would be at kick returner. 

“I don’t see his size as a limitation,” Curry said. “We knew that (kick returner) would be his role. Going forward, his role will grow just because he’s been here for a year and he’s going to be able to compete. Kind of the same situation as far as the receiver numbers that are back, but he’s a special talent. Guys of his stature have had great success in this league.”