NFC Notes: Kirk Cousins, Xavier Legette, Chase Young, Falcons, Panthers, Saints

Falcons

• According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Marc Raimondi, the Falcons’ decision to draft QB Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 pick caught some members of the scouting department off guard. The scouts overall weren’t as into Penix as the coaching staff was, and believed addressing the defense with a player like DE Laiatu Latu was a bigger priority.
• The brain trust of the organization knew the plan but they had kept their intentions secret from the whole front office. One source in Atlanta told ESPN: “I don’t think anybody in the personnel department knew what was coming. The feeling was like, ‘All right, OK, here we go.’ There wasn’t the normal eruption in the room that you usually would have with a more predictable pick.”
• However, other Falcons sources pushed back on the idea that the pick came out of nowhere and told ESPN plenty of people knew Penix was high on Atlanta’s board. The glaring exception was QB Kirk Cousins. Fowler and Raimondi note, citing a source involved in talks, that the possibility of drafting a first-round quarterback wasn’t discussed by either side during the recruitment process in free agency: “That never came up as even a remote possibility.”
• The two added Cousins wanted to sign with the team that committed to him the most, and the Falcons’ offer of $100 million in guarantees felt like a strong commitment. In meetings after the signing, Cousins’ camp felt like the team believed it had solidified the offense and would turn its attention to shoring up the defense. Drafting a quarterback was an option but they got the impression it was a lower priority for Day 2 or Day 3 of the draft. 
• Cousins has tried to play the good solider after his initial shock, per Fowler and Raimondi, with a source close to him telling ESPN the veteran understood the team’s approach and didn’t feel misled by the Falcons. However, he’s dodged some questions in public appearances about whether he would have still signed with the Falcons had he known they were drafting Penix. 
• As to why the Falcons decided to flout conventional wisdom with the heavy investment at quarterback, Fowler and Raimondi write they expect to be a good team and not have a high enough pick to get a quarterback like Penix going forward. There’s also a leaguewide thought that the next couple of quarterback classes might not be as good as the 2024 batch, while it’ll be easier for the Falcons to fix the pass rush or have HC Raheem Morris do more with less on defense like he did with the Rams last year. 
• One source added to ESPN that having owner Arthur Blank on board with the move was a major factor, although another downplayed that and said Blank empowers his personnel people to do their job without putting his hands on the scale. 

Panthers

Panthers rookie WR Xavier Legette‘s X-Ray’s came back negative, but HC Dave Canales doesn’t expect him to participate in the team’s first preseason game.

“The MRI revealed no fractures in the foot, which is fantastic news for us, really, to just find that out,” Canales said, via PFT. “So, we’re day-to-day with him. I would not expect him to play in this preseason game, just on the side of caution.”

Saints

Saints DE Chase Young beat his projected timeline and was able to participate in training camp after an offseason procedure to address a neck injury. Saints HC Dennis Allen had high praise of Young’s impact so far. 

“He’s disruptive — he’s big, he’s physical, he’s fast, he’s motivated,” Allen said via ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. “You feel disruption when he’s on the field. Now, he may not make every play and he may not work the fundamentals and technique exactly how we want it yet. But he’s causing disruption. And he’s having production that may not show up on the stat sheet every time. And the thing I’ve been most impressed about, he’s come in here, he’s done everything we’ve asked him to do, working hard.” 

• Allen is optimistic about new OC Klint Kubiak‘s system taking pressure off of the offensive line and minimizing an apparent weakness there: “It’s going to be a positive for [QB Derek Carr]. I’m hoping the ball gets out quicker. Our ability to run the football and play-action off of that is going to help us in terms of offensive line, from a protection standpoint.”
• Allen addressed the battle between Jake Haener and fifth-round rookie Spencer Rattler at backup quarterback: “The key is, do we have a 2 or do we have two 3s? Two 3s doesn’t help you. So you want to see who steps up and earns the job. And that’s what training camp is all about.”