NFC Notes: Klint Kubiak, Calijah Kancey, Buccaneers, Falcons, Saints

Buccaneers

Tampa Bay DL Calijah Kancey is using his experiences from his first NFL season to refine his game heading into year two. 

“Last year coming in, I did not have any film playing in the NFL and now I have film playing in the NFL,” Kancey said, via Brianna Dix of the team’s website. “I have seen the mistakes I have made and now I can actually go and make those corrections…Whether it is a hand placement – where I could have used my hands, or I let my hands die, or if I stopped my feet or anything like that.”

Falcons

The Athletic’s Josh Kendall does not envision the team trying to move ILB Troy Andersen to the outside and instead will look to keep him inside and hope that he can master the position.

“Andersen absolutely could make the move to outside linebacker, but I think he stays put for two reasons,” Kendall wrote. “First, his highest potential value is as a player with A-gap run-stuffing ability combined with the athleticism to cover the middle of the field and be an elite interior blitzer. Second, he’s only now learned how to play inside linebacker. Andersen lost most of last season because of a torn pectoral, and, as Bob mentioned, he played quarterback, running back and linebacker in college. He needs to master a position, and it seems like a waste of another year to try to teach him another new spot this year.”

Saints

The Saints brought in new OC Klint Kubiak this offseason, leading to a brand new offense being the focal point of spring workouts. New Orleans HC Dennis Allen is pleased with their early progress and mentioned how a new offense can help the defense as well. 

“I think it’s gone pretty well,” Allen said, via John DeShazier of the team’s website. “We’ve installed a lot offensively. A lot of moving parts, a lot of motions, so it’s been challenging both from an offensive standpoint of our guys learning a new offense, but it’s also been challenging from a defensive standpoint seeing a lot of different looks and a lot of different plays.”

“A guy like (All-Pro linebacker) Demario Davis can’t come out here and just play the same plays he’s been playing for the last six or seven years, or whatever the case may be. So, it’s causing everybody to have to really work. It’s causing us as a defensive staff to have to go in and talk about, ‘OK, how do we handle some of these things that we’re seeing?’ I think it’s been great work for all of us.”