NFC Notes: Dave Canales, Ejiro Evero, Raheem Morris, Buccaneers, Falcons, Panthers

Buccaneers

• The Buccaneers announced that ST coordinator Keith Armstrong is retiring after 30 seasons in the NFL.
• Per Greg Auman, Buccaneers TE coach John Van Dam could return but is also in contention for the Bengals QB coach job as well.
• Auman mentions the team is also interviewing special teams assistant Keith Tandy in addition to outside candidates Craig Aukerman and Thomas McGaughey.
• Aaron Wilson reports that another candidate for the Buccaneers ST coordinator vacancy is Saints assistant ST coach Phil Galiano.

Falcons

New Falcons HC Raheem Morris was asked about the pressure to win now in Atlanta. 

“This is what we do,” Morris said, via Greg Auman of Fox Sports. “This job comes with pressure, and pressure that we’re all built for. You’ve got to embrace that. You’ve got to embrace those moments. You have to want those moments. We’ve got to live for those moments.”

Morris is clearly very excited about being back in Atlanta as the Falcons’ new head coach. 

“When you get a chance to go back home in this profession, it is extremely important, extremely critical to everybody involved,” Morris said. “That is a special moment, not just for me, but for my family. . . . I can feel the excitement in my texts. I can feel the excitement in phone calls. . . . I can’t express the joy that I have right now, to be able to come back and work with all these people around me that I’ve been with for years. This is certainly the best feeling in the world.”

• Morris says that the team’s clear-cut goal is to win the NFC South: “Why not us?” (Tori McElhaney)
• When asked about what he likes about the team, Morris replied: “Drake London. Bijan Robinson.” (McElhaney)
• Morris said DC Jimmy Lake will call the defensive plays, as he wants to work on both sides of the ball. (Mike Rothstein)
• Falcons GM Terry Fontenot addressing the 2023 season for the first time: “We all had high aspirations. We didn’t reach our marks. That’s on all us, starting with me. We’re always looking in the mirror. We’re all looking for ways to improve.” (Josh Kendall)

Panthers

The Athletic’s Joe Person reports Panthers DC Ejiro Evero will indeed remain in Carolina in 2024, and most of his defensive staff is expected to return as well. That’s great news for new HC Dave Canales, as Evero was a highly sought-after defensive coordinator candidate this year and also garnered head coaching interest. Keeping him to run the defense will take a lot off Canales’ plate as he transitions from being a first-year play-caller to a first-year head coach. 

“I played against the Panthers twice (last year in Tampa), and the job that EJ Evero did with the defense was really hard to deal with,” Canales said in his intro presser. “Great, sound football, playing hard, some great players in some spots, and just the whole thing coming together.