NFC Notes: Kirk Cousins, Michael Penix, Buccaneers, Falcons, Panthers

Buccaneers

• ESPN’s Jenna Laine says after the Buccaneers didn’t draft another outside corner early in the draft, the expectation is for Zyon McCollum to start. 
• According to Aaron Wilson, the Buccaneers signed UDFA DT Judge Culpepper to a contract with $100k in total guarantees including a a $25k signing bonus.
• According to Scott Reynolds of Pewter Report, the Packers took 2020 third-round RB MarShawn Lloyd and 2024 seventh-round QB Michael Pratt just before the Buccaneers planned to select them.
• Buccaneers assistant DC Kacy Rodgers implied DT Vita Vea slimmed down: “I don’t want to let the cat out of the bag…wait until you see him.” (Rick Stroud)
• Tampa Bay S coach Nick Rapone mentioned DB Christian Izien will practice at nickel and free safety in 2024. (Stroud)
• Buccaneers LB coach and assistant DC Larry Foote said 2024 UDFA LB Kalen DeLoach can play at 210 lbs but Foote expects him to add weight. (Stroud)
• Tampa Bay CB coach Kevin Ross noted CB Bryce Hall will compete with CBs Jamel Dean and Zyon McCollum for a starting spot. (Greg Auman)

Falcons

Mike Sando of The Athletic cites an anonymous NFL executive who criticized the Falcons’ decision to sign Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million deal and still draft Michael Penix at No. 8 overall. 

“How you could go through free agency and think to yourself, ‘Penix is our guy, but let’s give $100 million to Kirk Cousins just in case Penix doesn’t fall to us at 8’?” an executive said. “Come on, man.”

Another executive thinks they made a foolish choice to trade up for second-round DT Ruke Orhorhoro when they could’ve landed DT Johnny Newton, who went to the Commanders. 

“They had the guy from Illinois (Johnny Newton), who is a perfect fit for Raheem Morris’ defense as a three-technique, sitting on the board,” an executive said. 

One executive believes drafting Penix means something may have gone wrong in Cousins’ rehab from a torn Achilles. 

“There’s only one thing I could think of that would allow them to do that, and is that something happened in Kirk’s rehab (from a torn Achilles tendon) between when he signed and draft day that made them feel like, ‘Oh my god, we might not have him for more than a year,’” another executive said.

Panthers

Panthers GM Dan Morgan said the team will be aggressive on the waiver wire this year due to them having the pole position in terms of order.

“So I think the pretty cool thing about us right now, we don’t want this to be every year, but we’re first in the waiver wire transactions,” he said, via Panthers Wire. “So anybody that gets cut, we’re gonna have first dibs to be able to claim them. I think we’ll be aggressive there. I think if the right opportunity presented itself, the right player presented themself—that we’d have the opportunity to claim ’em and get ’em on our roster.”