NFC Notes: Buccaneers, Saints, Seahawks

Buccaneers

Buccaneers HC Bruce Arians isn’t worried about QB Tom Brady adjusting to a new offense and his lack of a proper offseason, and knows that Brady will come prepared like the professional he is.

“Yeah he’s probably the least of my worries right now,” Arians said, via Jenna Laine of ESPN. “He’s where he needs to be. We need to get more live reps. Blocking, tackling — this game’s a blocking and tackling game. Fourteen days to block and tackle. Is that enough? And I hate tackling ourselves. We don’t want to road-block ourselves, but we’ve gotta get ready to play a game. I think that’s the biggest disadvantage — not being in pads and not playing fast.”

• Buccaneers hosted DT Kyle Love for a visit on Friday, according to Albert Breer.

Saints

Despite being a seasoned veteran, there are still plays from each season which serve as a stark reminder for Saints TE Jared Cook that he needs to continue to improve as a player and further develop his chemistry with QB Drew Brees.

“There are still some plays on the film that haunt me and, of course, we’re still going back over those plays and running through them, but they’re still plays that haunt me that I still wish I could have back,” Cook said, via Katherine Terrell of The Athletic. “So it’s still, you know, learning from those, talking through them, getting the report, getting on the same page. Because it’s a lot different when you’re going through a season — you’re on to the next week; you don’t have a lot of time to just sit there and reflect. But now we have that time. So we’re doing that. And, you know, hopefully, this season will be a lot different, being that me and Drew (Brees) do have a full season together and more time. So it’s just working through those things and continuing to get better.”

• ESPN’s Mike Triplett lists linebacker as the biggest position battle on the team, as Alex Anzalone, veteran pickup Nigel Bradham and rookie Zack Baun compete for playing time next to Demario Davis. 
• New Orleans also has Kiko Alonso coming off an ACL injury. ]

Seahawks

Seahawks second-round DE Darrell Taylor played through a stress fracture in his shin during his final collegiate season before having surgery after the season to address the issue. That didn’t stop Seattle from making Taylor a high draft pick but as the team opens camp, the rookie remains on the non-football injury list as he works to get healthy enough to get on the field. 

“He wasn’t ready to go,” Seahawks HC Pete Carroll said via Pro Football Talk’s Curtis Crabtree. “There’s no damage to his knee, he just has to get back from the work he’s been doing. I’m not sure how long it’s going to take. He’s done some treatments and things that take a week or so to take hold and all that. He’s got a good response from that so far. I’m hoping like in another couple weeks that we will know that he’s ready to get back in it and go. They’re working with him right now and he’s dying to get back and all. It’s not quite right, and so we’ve got to take our time so that once he’s back, he’s back for good.”