NFC Notes: Falcons, Panthers, Saints

Falcons

Falcons S Richie Grant didn’t play a lot as a rookie despite being a second-round pick, instead sitting behind veteran S Erik Harris. It led to a lot of questions, including from Grant himself. But he bided his time and leaned on his relationship with Harris, and the result is he’s a much more confident player in his second year. 

“I asked myself that,” Grant said via Josh Kendall of The Athletic. “Like ‘Man, why aren’t you on that field? Let’s get on it, man.’ It gives you a whole new perspective. Now I know what that nickel sees, I am seeing everything. Now being on the back end, I get to see everything and it’s, ‘I’m back in my element.’ I’m just way more comfortable. This staff did a great job with what they did with me.”

“Obviously, anytime you are drafted higher like that, there are some kind of expectations, especially when you’re a guy that cares,” Harris added. “He doesn’t want to mess up because he doesn’t want to let his coaches down or his teammates down. He had his ups and downs, and that’s only going to make him a better player.”

Now it’s Grant playing ahead of Harris, who has seen his role reduced this season. Falcons HC Arthur Smith commented on the split playing time between the two, who feel no animosity towards the other about their spot being taken.

“Everybody wanted instant gratification,”  Smith said. “Richie Grant is playing pretty damn good football right now, he really is. Sometimes you rush guys too early and it can be a detriment to their career.”

“Obviously, they invested in Richie and he’s a promising young player,” Harris said. “I told them, ‘Look I know it can be a difficult situation with a starter saying I’m going to come be a backup.’ Nobody ever wants to say that right? For me, I don’t have an ego. I feel like this is a really good group with a lot of talent. We’re young and I feel like I can still lead. God has blessed me with four beautiful children, and that’s a lot of practice. I have embraced the role. That’s been my whole career. Whatever the role, I have embraced it.”

Both players say the relationship between them is the same as it ever was. 

“It ain’t nothing that’s got to be a big conversation,” Grant said. “It’s passing the torch almost. It’s honorable. It’s not like, ‘Oh, you took my job.’ There’s no animosity. He said, ‘Go do you, little bro. You up, go play ball.’”

• Falcons HC Arthur Smith on the team’s big win over the Cleveland Browns: “When the line’s running like that? That’s what you call being in a flow. I’m proud of those guys. We knew it was going to be a big boy fight. I always thought the team that ran the ball better today was going to win. That held true, thankfully.” (Tori McElhaney)

Panthers

• Panthers DE Yetur Gross-Matos was fined $10,609 for an unnecessary roughness penalty in Week 3. (Jonathan Jones)

Saints

• New Orleans Dot Football’s Nick Underhill says the Saints elected to sit RB Alvin Kamara in Week 4 because he’s still dealing with his rib injury and looking to get healthy for the long haul.