Falcons

Falcons president of football Matt Ryan said he had not planned to enter an executive role after retirement but felt he might regret turning down the opportunity.

“I didn’t have grand aspirations after finishing up playing of kind of getting into this,” Ryan said. “But that’s how life works. You don’t know what’s in front of you.”

Ryan added that conversations with his wife helped convince him to accept the position and return to the organization.

“The thing that just kept coming up in my head was like, ‘I think you’re going to regret this if you don’t go for it,’” Ryan recalled. “(Sarah) kind of felt the same way. She’s like, ‘I know you. I know how you’re wired, and I know being involved in this type of way is something, at the end of the day, if you don’t go for it, you might live with regret over that.’ That was the thing that really pushed it over the edge.”

Ryan said HC Kevin Stefanski’s experience navigating both success and adversity was a major reason he was drawn to him during the hiring process.

“There’s so much that’s learned through the ups and the downs, so I really view that as a strength of Kevin’s that he’s been through it,” Ryan said. “And he’s been through all of it.”

Ryan said he is still learning where he can provide the most value in his new role and is trying to focus the organization’s time on the work that matters most.

“Let’s make sure we’re spending time on the things that are going to reap the most value, that we’re going to actually get bang for our buck,” Ryan said. “I didn’t know in February or March or April or May where I could provide value, so there is a lot of getting out over your skis in terms of spending time. This first year is a lot of figuring out what the rhythm is for us. And I think I’ll be better with that balance. I’m hoping I’m better with that balance in a year. But I think like anybody taking on a new job, that there’s a lot of figuring out where the most value is.”

Panthers

Panthers OLB Jaelan Phillips said OLB Princely Umanmielen has the natural traits to become a special pass rusher.

“I think he has a very good natural feel for pass rushing, and I think his ceiling is extremely high,” Phillips said, via the team’s website. “He’s probably the best pass rusher on our team. I think that he is extremely naturally gifted, and I think that as he continues to develop, he can be a very special player. I think that he already has crazy attributes, and you know he’s definitely learning. He’s young, so I’m excited to watch him grow. He’s athletic. He has crazy bend, really good feel.”

Panthers HC Dave Canales said the next step for Umanmielen is becoming a more complete defender who can consistently handle every type of assignment.

“Just take the next step,” Canales said. “We know he’s got pass rush. Can he be consistent in execution across the board with different play styles, with different play types, whether it’s play action, run game, the different types of runs and how the outside linebacker has to play those runs? He’s got to have all those things in his tool belt to be able to know how to take on different blocks, the sift blocks from tight ends, the bluff blocks, taking on tackles, gap schemes, all those things. It’s all just gathering that information so that he can be the complete player we believe he can be, that can rush the passer, but that can also give you valuable downs on first and second down.”

Umanmielen said improving his habits away from football has helped him become a more disciplined player.

“I feel like I just tried to hone in on everything in my life as a whole,” Umanmielen said. “I improved my sleep quality, how long I go to sleep, I improved my nutrition, start taking vitamins. I started reading more. I just try to execute discipline in all areas of my life.”

Saints

Saints DE Cameron Jordan said loyalty and the opportunity to spend his entire career with one franchise were central to his decision to return to New Orleans.

“At this point, I’m Black and Gold through and through and I’m able to say for my entire career, I played for one team,” Jordan said, via the team’s website.

Jordan said he still believes the Saints have significant potential after showing signs of progress late last season.

“Just knowing that I’m valued on this team, I can bring value to this team and I think this team has their eyes on the prize,” Jordan said. “I talked to these guys in the offseason like I was still part of the team, still in all the group chats. But when I think about what this team can do — we were on the cusp of realizing our potential last year – and that’s all you can hope for, is knowing that you have major potential that you have to achieve.”

Saints RB Alvin Kamara added that the team has renewed energy entering the season.

“I think we’ve got a lot of good going on in the building,” Kamara said. “It’s a lot of good energy. A lot of talent. Obviously, last year wasn’t what we wanted at all, in any aspect. So I think just kind of wiping the slate clean, getting some fresh energy in here, just refocusing and kind of balancing out and moving forward. It’s a good vibe going. We’ve got a lot of work to do, it’s Day 1. Nothing happens in a day, in a week. We’ve got a couple of weeks to string together to get to the first game. The group is ready to work; that’s really what matters. We got to go to work. We got to strap our boots up and go to work.”