NFC Notes: Buccaneers, Rams, Saints

Buccaneers

Buccaneers WR Chris Godwin says the team has a “ton of faith” in Ryan Fitzpatrick and Ryan Griffin to fill in for Jameis Winston while he serves the reported three-game suspension he’s expected to receive.

“I’m really just hearing about it myself, I’m not really sure of the details of that situation,” Godwin said during an interview with Sirius XM NFL Radio. “But on our team, we have a next man up mentality. We have a ton of faith in Fitz and Ryan Griffin and all of our quarterbacks that whoever is in there we’re going to be able to utilize our playmakers and really get the ball moving. Obviously, you don’t wish that on anybody, but we’re looking forward to the opportunity that we have ahead of building through training camp and putting a great product on the field.”

Rams

• According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, if Rams DT Aaron Donald once again holds out of training camp for a long-term deal and doesn’t report to the team at least 30 days before the start of the regular season, he would be stuck on just three accrued seasons and wouldn’t be eligible for unrestricted free agency next year.
• This means that the Rams could use a first-round tender on Donald, which would cost them over $4 million and ensure that they would get a first-round pick if another team signed him to an offer sheet and they declined to match it.
• However, Florio makes an interesting point which is that another team may actually be willing to give up a first-round and still sign Donald to a long-term deal that would make him the highest-paid defensive player in the NFL. With this in mind, Florio says that Donald may welcome a first-round restricted tender and the opportunity to negotiate with prospective teams.
• The Rams could prevent this by using the exclusive franchise tag on Donald, but this would also work in his favor, seeing as he’d make significantly more than the restricted tender and use up one of the three possible franchise tags.
• We have Donald featured in our Top 25 – 2019 NFL Free Agents list.

Saints

• Nick Underhill of the Advocate mentions that undrafted WRs Keith Kirkwood and Eldridge Massington showed up repeatedly this summer, but it’s still going to be tough for either to make the team, despite having some upside.
• Underhill mentions that there may only be one spot available at receiver with Kirkwood, Massington, Tommylee Lewis, Brandon Coleman, Travin Dural and others competing for it.
• Some other undrafted rookies who will have shots to crack the 53-man roster, according to Underhill, include QB J.T. Barrett, DB J.T. Gray and TE Deon Yelder.
• Underhill’s early guess regarding the Saints’ starting linebackers is Alex Anzalone, Demario Davis and A.J. Klein.