NFC Notes: Dennis Allen, Bill Belichick, Falcons, Panthers, Saints

Falcons

• Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero report that former Patriots HC Bill Belichick is a likely candidate for the Falcons, as owner Arthur Blank wants to win now and the team has a roster ready to compete outside of the quarterback position.

Panthers

• ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports Raiders interim GM Champ Kelly‘s interview with the Panthers went into overtime and he appears to have made an impression on the team.
• NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero report that aside from Lions OC Ben Johnson, other young offensive coordinators will be considered for the Panthers head coaching vacancy including Houston’s Bobby Slowik, Cincinnati’s Brian Callahan, Miami’s Frank Smith, Philadelphia’s Brian Johnson and Tampa Bay’s Dave Canales.

Saints

• NOLA.com’s Jeff Duncan says the Saints’ locker room splintered after a three-game losing streak midseason, with some players unhappy with their roles and other players feeling like QB Derek Carr wasn’t being held accountable enough by HC Dennis Allen.
• Duncan writes it was a minority of players but it was serious enough that Saints GM Mickey Loomis felt the need to address the team in a players-only meeting and call out the lack of buy-in. 
• He adds there were examples of the culture slacking during this past season, like players being late to meetings, buses at away games not running on time and players not using their tablets to study the playbook in off hours. 
• Allen said at the end-of-season presser: “Our mindset needs to be different. We’ve had a lot of success around here, and I think sometimes you can kind of get a little comfortable with that. …There were times (this season) when I felt like, man, we need to commit a little bit more to doing the things that we need to do to be able to win.”