NFC Notes: Kirk Cousins, Jaycee Horn, Buccaneers, Falcons, Panthers

Buccaneers

Bucs OLB coach George Edwards believes second-round OLB Chris Braswell will have a seamless transition to their defense based on his skillset and what he put on tape at Alabama. Edwards also said Braswell is very refined for a rookie.

“He has a good toolbox coming in,” Edwards said via ESPN’s Jenna Laine. “He’s a young man that when we looked at him on a tape, he displayed the skill set of everything we’re going to ask him to do. So we had a clear vision for what we were getting with him coming in and what we’re asking him to do wasn’t going to be foreign.”

• Buccaneers S Antoine Winfield‘s new extension will lower his cap number to $7 million creating $10 million in cap space for Tampa Bay. (Greg Auman)

Falcons

When asked if he had any issue with the Falcons drafting first-round QB Michael Penix, veteran QB Kirk Cousins responded there’s no problem with Penix and is only focused on winning a Super Bowl. 

“I don’t think it’s helpful. We’re trying to win a Super Bowl, and it’s hard enough. It’s hard enough. Let’s all be on the same page and try and go win a Super Bowl,” Cousins said, via Marc Raimondi of ESPN.  

As for whether he would’ve signed with Atlanta if he was aware they’d draft Penix, Cousins said he doesn’t want to deal with hypothetical situations. 

“I don’t really deal in hypotheticals,” Cousins said. “We could go down that path for a long time, in a lot of ways. It just doesn’t do us any good. So, I’m excited for this opportunity I have. I think it’s a real privilege to be a quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons, and I’m trying to make good on the opportunity given me, with the way I work each day and the way we play this fall.”

In fact, Cousins said he quickly reached out to Penix after he was drafted and let the rookie know he could be an outlet of information for him. 

“And then just congratulated him on an awesome college career,” Cousins said. “I lived it. It’s hard to do. And what he did is at the top of the top in terms of college success. So, just wanted to let him know that I have the utmost respect for what he’s done and we’re ready to get to work. And I’m here if he needs me.”

Panthers

Panthers GM Dan Morgan was asked about their attitude toward adding a veteran to start alongside CB Jaycee Horn and noted they are still talking to some free agents.

“We’re really excited about some of the guys that we do have on the roster,” Morgan said, via the Kyle Bailey Show. “Dane Jackson—we signed him in free agency. We re-signed Troy Hill. We have D’Shawn Jamison. We have [Dicaprio] Bootle. So there’s some guys that we are excited about. But that’s not to say we’re not gonna be aggressive to attack the waiver wire. We’re still in contact with some other corners that you guys may know about.”