NFC Notes: Matthew Bergeron, Baker Mayfield, Buccaneers, Falcons, Panthers

Buccaneers

Tampa Bay zeroed in on Kentucky OC Liam Coen to take the same position on their staff for his second stint in the NFL as an offensive coordinator. He held the same position with the Rams in 2022 and overlapped with QB Baker Mayfield. As Mayfield and Tampa Bay eye a new deal this offseason, that was an important piece in the puzzle to give Mayfield a slightly easier transition to his seventh offensive coordinator in as many seasons. 

“It’s important to me,” Mayfield said via Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. “I’ve had so many offensive coordinators to this point, to me it’s, ‘Okay if I do come back, let’s keep the continuity for the other guys, build on what we’ve already grown from and go from there.’”

Mayfield said he was asked for his thoughts on Coen but otherwise didn’t have a major hand in influencing the search. 

“Not exactly,” Mayfield said. “It was more like, ‘Is he a good guy the certain year you were there?’ But they do enough of their own research.”

As far as his future in Tampa, Mayfield said hiring Coen is big. But he also reiterated he wants the team to keep WR Mike Evans.

“I would love to be back with (Evans),” said Mayfield, “so there’s a lot of contingencies that go in that. Obviously, getting an OC, that helps. That’s Step 1. And (Evans) sees that so we can talk to him about it and see his thoughts. But we both have to do what’s best for us.”

• Jonathan Alexander of the Houston Chronicle reports league sources expect Evans to be targeting a deal somewhere in the range of $25 to $30 million per year.
• The Bucs declined to sign him to an extension before this past season and a franchise tag would be difficult for them to use on Evans given Mayfield and S Antoine Winfield Jr. are also free agents. 

Falcons

Falcons 2023 second-round G Matthew Bergeron feels he became a “different player” as the season progressed and is “growing in all different areas.” 

“I feel like when I watch those first games, those old games, I feel like I’m a different player,” Bergeron said, via Michael Rothstein of ESPN. “I’m growing in all different areas and my confidence is growing as well. So I think [the] word to describe it is just growth.”

Bergeron had a chance to make checks at the line of scrimmage in Week 14 against the Buccaneers with LT Jake Matthews and C Drew Dalman out. 

“Usually I had Jake out there making all the calls and I got Drew and I’m just rolling,” Bergeron said. “Now I got Tyler [Vrabel] and I had [Ryan] Neuzil and it was more communication-wise, maybe I saw something and I communicated it to those guys. So I do feel like, ‘Oh, I know my stuff now.'”

Falcons OL coach Dwayne Ledford said they want Bergeron to spend a lot of time in the weight room this offseason. 

“There’s always going to be growth in the weight room,” Ledford said. “As you physically mature you’re naturally going to get a little bit stronger, but also just the weight room, especially the position of the guard and the guys you’re playing with. You’re always going to be working on your hands, your hand placement, your feet, but also that intent going into that weight room knowing in Year 2, what lies ahead of you.”

• Per Rob Demovsky, Packers defensive quality control coach Justin Hood is joining the Falcons as a secondary coach, reuniting him with Jerry Gray.

Panthers

Panthers veteran LB Shaq Thompson views new GM Dan Morgan as a “perfect fit” for his role based on his playing career and scouting ability. 

“I’m excited,” Thompson said, via DaShawn Brown of WSOC-TV. “If I was an owner of a team, I would definitely want somebody who played the game at a high, high level. Because that guy knows what type of players to get, because he was that player. That guy knows who to scout, what we need—and Dan, to me, is the perfect fit.”

Thompson is entering the final year of his contract. The veteran linebacker said he still wants to continue his career with the organization. 

“Definitely where I wanna be,” Thompson said. “Does Carolina want me here? That’s on them. Let’s just keep it real. It’s a business.”