NFC Notes: Cordarrelle Patterson, Klint Kubiak, Buccaneers, Falcons, Saints

Buccaneers

• The Buccaneers are hiring Kentucky senior offensive analyst Brian Picucci as their assistant OL coach, via ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
• New Tampa Bay OC Liam Coen worked in the same role last year at Kentucky with Picucci and decided to bring him on his staff for 2024.
• The Buccaneers are also hiring Georgia WR coach Bryan McClendon to the same position on their staff. (Schefter)

Falcons

After navigating the 2023 season with below-average quarterback play, the Atlanta Falcons’ top remaining priority is finding an upgrade at that position. Owner Arthur Blank was able to gain some insight from different coaches during the head coach interview process, but he isn’t ready to commit to any plan just yet.

“I would tell you quite honestly: 1,000 percent, there’s not a defined plan, but it is being talked about,” Blank said, via the team’s website. “And it’ll be talked about pretty intensely — I would say — over the next coming weeks.”

Added Blank, “[This] is not one of these things where we can take a year to develop a strategy.”

• Falcons ST coordinator Marquice Williams praised impending free-agent RB Cordarrelle Patterson for his work over the last few years in Atlanta, via ESPN’s Michael Rothstein. However, Williams said it was a question for the higher-ups whether Patterson would be back. 
• Falcons DC Jimmy Lake mentioned he’s worked with 3-4 and 4-3 schemes alongside HC Raheem Morris and they want to be “reactive” on how to plan their defense. In the end, Lake said they’ll have a 3-4 base defense with “multiple looks and various coverages.” (Rothstein)
• Georgia State OT Travis Glover was also not invited to the Combine despite earning a late call-up to the Senior Bowl. He has 11 official top 30 draft visits scheduled. Sportskeeda’s Tony Pauline doesn’t say if one of those is with the Falcons but notes they’re one of the teams who seem hot on Glover. He would also count as a local visit for them. 
• Washington DT Tuli Letuligasenoa highlighted his meeting with the Falcons at the Shrine Bowl as one that went well. (Justin Melo)

Saints

49ers HC Kyle Shanahan has developed a reputation over the years for hiring and developing outstanding coaches, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Teams have been raiding his staff for assistants for years and the latest coach to turn time with Shanahan into a new gig is Saints OC Klint Kubiak, who spent a year in San Francisco as the passing game coordinator. He cites Shanahan’s attention to detail as one of the things he learned the most from. 

“Just being here a year, my experience is, Kyle really lets you into his brain in his game plan meetings,” Kubiak said via Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. “He’s thinking out loud in what he’s looking for and what he wants to attack, the players he wants to attack certain coverages with. He’s such a bright coach. Just to be around him, you soak in things that are important to him and things he uses to make decisions. I would say he’s very forthcoming with his assistants, and he also is very challenging with us. He demands a lot out of us and gets the most out of us.”

“There’s pressure, but what I’ve found is it’s good pressure,” Kubiak added. “You better have a Plan A, a Plan B and a Plan C, and you better know why you’re bringing up what you’re bringing up. It’s all for the right reasons. It’s all for the quarterback to get the most successful play you can give him with the most answers. It’s been a really eye-opening experience, a really positive experience. I’m just lucky to be a part of it.”

• Nick Underhill reports the Saints are interviewing Ravens assistant WRs coach Keith Williams for their wide receivers coach job.
• Matt Zenitz reports the Saints are expected to hire former Chargers RBs coach Derrick Foster for the same role in New Orleans.
• TCU S Mark Perry had multiple meetings with the Saints at the Shrine Bowl. (Ryan Fowler)