NFC Notes: Buccaneers, Panthers, Saints, Demario Davis

Buccaneers

• Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports the Buccaneers were informed of TE Rob Gronkowski’s decision to retire last week.
• The Athletic’s Greg Auman doesn’t expect any official acknowledgment from Buccaneers QB Tom Brady about 2022 being his final season, and he adds Brady might not even know that for sure. 
• Auman thinks the chances are good this is Brady’s final season, though, and he’d be surprised if Brady chose to play another season with a new team in 2023. 
• If Tampa Bay wants to bolster its depth at outside linebacker, Auman points out bringing back Carl Nassib, released by the Raiders this offseason, would make a ton of sense. 
• As for WR Chris Godwin, Auman wouldn’t be surprised to see the Buccaneers take things cautiously with him and start him on the PUP list as he recovers from a torn ACL. 

Panthers

Panthers HC Matt Rhule pointed out CB Keith Taylor as someone he hopes to see make a leap in his second year, adding he believes he can be a starting corner in the NFL.

“Keith really, I thought, played well for a first-year player last year. So you want to see him take a step where it’s like, ‘Hey, I can be a starting corner in this league.’ And I believe that he can,” Rhule said via The Athletic. “Seeing him do what he did today — those other guys come out, he goes in, plays really well — that’s what you want to see guys do.”

Saints

Saints LB Demario Davis, who is entering the third year of his four-year contract, said that he would love to sign a long-term extension but understands the business of the NFL. 

“We’ll see,” said Davis, via Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com. “I have nothing but love for the city. And I have a lot of love for this organization. But at the end of the day, it’s still a business. We’ll see how it goes.”

Davis reiterated that he’s enjoyed his time in New Orleans. 

“This has been a first-class organization for me,” Davis said. “This year, for me, is really about my teammates and the city. I have a lot of brotherhood in this locker room.”

As for their defense, Davis thinks that they need to gel together and build chemistry. 

“It’s good to be out here moving around, kind of getting a look at the whole roster and how we all have to gel together,” Davis said. “We’ve got some new pieces, some very good pieces, so it’s really about us being able to gel together and work together and find that chemistry.”