NFC Notes: Falcons, Mack Hollins, Adam Thielen, Panthers, Saints

Falcons

New Falcons WR Mack Hollins spoke about why he felt Atlanta was the right fit for himself and his family as he was once again a free agent this offseason.

“The opportunity to play here, win games, and be coached at a high level, they hit the marks that I wanted,” Hollins said in a press conference, via AtlantaFalcons.com. “That’s kind of how I made that decision between me, my girlfriend, and family in figuring that out.”

“Whenever free agency comes around, I try not to get too stressed out about it, because it can definitely be a stressful situation where you’re hoping for a million calls,” Hollins added. “You want to be in your agent’s ear, bugging him, but that’s why I pay him to do his job. So I was able to focus on training and, when opportunities came he brought them to me and we were able to dial in on what was the best opportunity for me and my future — here I am.”

Hollins continued to speak to the media about his feelings on free agency and what he thinks he can bring to the Falcons in 2023.

“As I’ve gotten older and played more years in this league, I’ve learned to gravitate towards that and not force myself into situations where on paper it looks good but I don’t really vibe with them,” Hollins said. “I go more towards the people that I genuinely feel like I vibe with and have a connection with. With Terry and Arthur, I feel like I can kick it with them, whether I played for them or not. It’s exciting to be a part of something like [this].”

“I definitely feel like I can bring another high-powered receiver to the offense but also play a significant role in the run game,” Hollins continued. “I’ve had that in my career where I’ve been a run blocker and I know when you have a high-powered run and pass game, it’s hard to stop an offense. Size is something that you can’t teach, and we have a room of guys that are fortunate in that aspect. I’m glad to be a part of it and then to have an offense that’s tailored for that makes it even better. If you have offenses not tailored for big guys, then you have big guys that don’t really work out that well. So, I’m definitely excited for the opportunity to go out there and maximize this offense.”

• Hollins said he hasn’t been told what his role will be but felt Atlanta was his best option for multiple reasons: “It was a mix of everything,” via Michael Rothstein. 
• Ravens QB Lamar Jackson still hasn’t gotten any offer sheet interest from other teams but Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post writes other teams believe the Colts, Jets, Falcons, and Patriots could get involved at some point. 
• According to Ryan Fowler, Nebraska WR Trey Palmer has met with the Falcons and Giants.
• The Falcons brought in Michigan State WR Jayden Reed for a top-30 visit, per Billy Marshall. 

Panthers

New Panthers WR Adam Thielen is getting up there in age and still hasn’t won a Super Bowl. Signing with a team that can change is usually a priority for players like him who enters free agency, so Thielen admits he wasn’t planning to sign with the Panthers even though he took a free agent visit with them. Their pitch changed how Thielen viewed the team. 

“Honestly, I wasn’t planning on going to the Panthers,” Thielen said in an interview on the Pat McAfee Show via ESPN’s David Newton. “I went on a visit there just to see what they were about. I wanted to go somewhere I felt had an opportunity to win a Super Bowl. When I sat down with Coach, sat down with the GM … I felt like Carolina was the place to do that.”

• Thielen said the team wouldn’t tell him who they were taking with the No. 1 pick, though he asked. Newton reports, however, that a source with direct knowledge of the trade with the Bears says Carolina made the move to have their pick of either Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud or Alabama QB Bryce Young.
• Thielen’s three-year, $25 million deal includes an $8,335,000 signing bonus, can earn $3,500,000 in roster bonuses, $2,000,000 in per-game roster bonuses, and a $500,000 workout bonus, per OverTheCap. 

Saints

• Pro Football Network’s Tony Pauline reports the Saints met with Iowa State OLB Will McDonald before his pro day.
• Per Pauline, the Saints also had dinner with Princeton WR Andrei Iosivas before his pro day.