NFC Notes: Buccaneers, Panthers, Saints

Buccaneers

Buccaneers QB Tom Brady commented on how the team will move on without TE Rob Gronkowski, who is being replaced this season by tight ends Cameron Brate and Kyle Rudolph.

“You’re missing someone that was one of the all-time greats, which is, you know, you can’t replace that,” Brady told Jim Gray. “And we all love him, but we miss him and he just decides not to play. So he’s retired, so we’ve had to, you know, move on to try to, you know, solve some things without him. And, you know, we’ve done a good job. Cam Brate‘s taken on a big role. Kyle Rudolph, we’ve got. We drafted a few young players. So that position, although it’s different without Gronk, you know, we’re gonna have to go out there and earn it, and earn the respect of everyone by our work, and by our performance. So I’m excited to see what we can do. And, you know, I’m never one to make a bunch of predictions, other than, you know, we’re gonna work hard to get it right. And it’s not gonna be perfect all the time. It’s got to be perfect enough to win.”

Panthers

Entrenched as the starter, Panthers QB Baker Mayfield is now turning his attention to making the most of his opportunity in 2022. Paramount to that will be protecting the football. Mayfield leads the league with 56 interceptions since he was drafted in 2018. 

“Turnovers (are) of huge importance and value just going into each week. Knowing how our defense plays, if we can control the ball and eliminate mistakes, we’re gonna be in a good position to win games — and a lot of ’em,” Mayfield said via the Athletic’s Joe Person. “So for me, that’s my personal goal — to put us in the best position possible to win. That means taking care of the ball and just to lead these guys like I know how.”

Saints

Saints’ veteran DE Cameron Jordan feels fortunate that New Orleans was able to keep Dennis Allen as their head coach after building a strong resume over the last 5-6 years. 

“When you have as much success as a D-coordinator as he’s had in, let’s call it the last five or six years… the resume starts to look real shiny and real good,” Jordan said, via Katherine Terrell of ESPN. “Someone in there was going to throw one of those offers you can’t pass up on [him]. Luckily, it was us.”

Allen said that he felt it was important to accept the right head coaching position. 

“When you’ve done it once before, regardless of how people view your success or not, I was in a position where I was going to make sure it was going to be the right job for me,” Allen said. “There’s a lot of variables that go into that… It just so happens that it all fit here, and that’s why this was the best job for me.”

When comparing himself to former HC Sean Payton, Allen thinks he is “a little more aggressive” in practices. 

“Probably on the practice field, [I] am a little more aggressive,” Allen said. “Sean was a little more laid back teaching on the practice field. But yet Sundays was the day that he really got on guys, and I kind of have always been the opposite. I kind of try to put the stress on them during the week and then kind of try not to be a distraction for them on game day.”