NFC Notes: Buccaneers, Panthers, Saints

Buccaneers

• According to Pro Football Talk, the Buccaneers failed to disclose QB Tom Brady‘s fully-torn MCL in his left knee, which is a violation of league rules.
• However, the NFL is refusing to comment on the situation: “We will decline comment,” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said on Thursday.

Panthers

• Brad Spielberger reports that RT Taylor Moton‘s new deal with the Panthers is worth $71.25 million over four new years, locking him up in Carolina for five years total.
• The deal also includes $29.246 million in new fully guaranteed money, as well as his $13.754 million franchise tag. Moton will receive $15 million as a signing bonus, with fully guaranteed salaries of $1 million in 2021, $16 million in 2022, and $11 million for 2023.
• Like Saints’ RT Ryan Ramczyk, Moton will also receive $1 million in incentives for earning an All-Pro nod at (left) tackle.
• Spielberger also reports that the contract has league year roster bonuses of $6.6 million (2023), $3 million (2024 & 2025), and a $200,000 workout bonus from 2022 to 2025.

Saints

Saints DE Marcus Davenport arrived in New Orleans with a lot of hype and expectations. The Saints gave up a future first for the right to take the 6-6, 265-pound pass rusher but through three seasons he has yet to show anything more than potential. The Saints did exercise his fifth-year option this offseason, guaranteeing him just under $10 million in 2022, and the hope is 2021 is the year he finally puts it together. 

“The only thing (holding back) Marcus has probably been Marcus. I mean, when you talk about his ability when he is on the field and he is healthy, you’ve seen flashes from him that are freakish,” Saints DE Cameron Jordan said via the Athletic’s Katherine Terrell. “He’s just a hell of a freakish talent, just in terms of his size and explosion, his ability to make plays and his fearlessness when he stops himself from thinking too much. And at times, he is (held back) by these nagging injuries that have been around, but I feel like, heading into year 4, he’s healthy, mentally I think he’s in a great space and he’s physically poised to make a leap this year.”

• Terrell thinks Saints DE Carl Granderson is a sneaky candidate to carve out a solid role in the team’s edge rush rotation this year.