Cowboys

Cowboys RB Jaydon Blue has learned from having his work ethic questioned during his first NFL season, an experience he is determined not to repeat.

“I didn’t start off like I should have,” Blue said, via Jon Machota of TheAthletic.com. “Maybe if it was not practicing the right way or just on a maturity level, I think I wasn’t really there. But just learning from all the vets, having the offseason that I’ve had, I think I’m ready to go. Just looking back on the things I didn’t do too well and some of the reasons I wasn’t on the field last year, taking the stuff my coaches were saying and making sure I apply them, whether that’s this offseason or when I’m by myself.”

Panthers

Dave Canales spent one season as the Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator and playcaller before landing the Panthers’ head coaching job in 2024. Canales reflected on his year in Tampa Bay, saying that he had to quickly adjust to the play clock and have calls prepared for every situation. 

“The play clock comes around quickly,” Canales said, via Nick Kosmider and Joseph Person of The Athletic. “Knowing after penalties, (in) 25 seconds, you’ve gotta have a play ready while you’re trying to figure out, ‘Is it going to be second-and-15 or third-and-7?’ Or whatever it is, so you have the appropriate play.”

Canales recalled going up against Vikings DC Brian Flores and studied Flores’ time as the Dolphins’ head coach when he called a zero blitz against the Rams on 23 of his 34 dropbacks. 

“So I have that in the back of my mind: What if he just keeps calling it?” Canales said. “What are you gonna do next? What are you gonna run next? (Do you) have enough people to block? How are we gonna take advantage of it down the field? Making sure we were prepared for all those scenarios. And then for all his show zero, bluff stuff, and being able to adjust to the spot drops. I had all those things swirling in my mind. I really want to make Todd (Bowles) proud (for) giving me the opportunity. I’m looking around, and I’m going through my sequences and my openers, and he could see that I was just kinda like pacing.”

Canales said that Buccaneers HC Todd Bowles encouraged him to “let it rip” before his debut as their offensive coordinator. 

“Here we go, let’s let it rip,” Canales said. “You’re ready. You don’t know what you don’t know. Whatever we need to fix, we’ll fix it on Monday.”

Saints 

Saints HC Kellen Moore reflected on his first season calling plays as the Cowboys’ offensive coordinator back in 2019. Moore mentioned that he had to quickly adjust to the play clock and speed of the game. 

“Obviously, the timing of everything, with the play clock, it happens fast,” Moore said, via Nick Kosmider and Joseph Person of The Athletic. “You’ve got a few seconds to make a decision. You’ve got to go.”

Moore said time and experience are important in developing as a playcaller. 

“Just like as a player, every week you get more and more comfortable with it,” Moore said. “You go through more and more experiences, both positively and negatively, and you have calls you’re going to love and calls you’re going to want back. That’s going to happen every game, no matter how long you call games. You’re going to have the same feeling after games. It’s about learning from those experiences and growing and preparing yourself for more.”