NFC Notes: Falcons, Baker Mayfield, Panthers, Saints

Falcons

• Scott Bair of the team’s official site expects Falcons WR Bryan Edwards to make a “bigger impact than people expect” given he’s a large target, can make plays in traffic, and is a deep threat. 
• Bair believes that the presence of WR Drake London and Edwards will help free up coverage for TE Kyle Pitts.
• Bair writes his “breakout candidate” for 2022 is OLB Lorenzo Carter.

Panthers

The rumors of the Panthers’ trade interest in Browns QB Baker Mayfield have persisted into the summer, and at this point it’s looking like Carolina or Seattle might be Mayfield’s best bets to actually see the field in 2022. However, the Athletic’s Mike Sando suggested Mayfield might want to avoid Carolina if he can at all help it given the instability the organization is facing this year. 

“I happen to think Carolina’s not a good fit for him,” Sando said on The Athletic Football Show, via USA Today’s Anthony Rizzuti. “And I know Baker’s agents well, and they’re very competent people, they’re good people. They understand it too. But I think Carolina is a hornet’s nest — ’cause I think the coach is under the gun, I think everybody there is under the gun. They’ve got an owner that is ready to press the button any day now on a reset. And if I’m Baker that could be ugly and messy. I don’t think that makes any sense to me.” 

Saints

Saints DE Cameron Jordan points out that they’ve been successful over the years despite having multiple starting quarterbacks like Teddy Bridgewater, Taysom Hill and Jameis Winston.

“You go in two seasons ago, go [5-0] with Teddy Bridgewater, next season we go, what was it [3-1] or whatever that is with Tayson Hill,” Jordan said, via NFL.com. “And then Jameis, we start off 5-1 until he gets injured and then go through three other quarterbacks in a rotation respectively from Trevor Siemian, Taysom Hill and Ian Book, and still come out with a 9-8-win season. If other teams had to face that, would they even break .500?”

Jordan added that they have an “established trust” in new HC Dennis Allen.

“He’s been there a long time, where we know we have established trust,” Jordan said. “That trust is something that has to be built over time, and it’s already there.”