Falcons
Falcons DT Grady Jarrett discussed the team’s addition of DL Calais Campbell, who chose Atlanta over highly competitive offers from other teams that seem to have a clearer path to contending. Jarrett says that vote of confidence in what the Falcons are building spoke volumes.
“When you’re at that stage in your career, to come to a place like Atlanta where — from the outside looking in — people don’t believe in us, but we believe in ourselves,” Jarrett said via Tori McElhaney of the team website, “and to have somebody come from the outside and believe in us? That feels good.”
Jarrett has been the elder statesman on the Falcons’ defense for a long time, so he’s looking forward to what the addition of Campbell could mean for his personal development.
“For a long time, I’ve been the oldest guy in the room,” Jarrett said. “… To have that big vet in the room, it means a lot, because now I can lean on somebody to learn more from, to be directed and to have someone to hold me to a certain standard. That’s just going to make me better.”
Panthers
- Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer writes the Panthers have tried to spark contract talks with OLB Brian Burns but the sense he gets is that Burns’ camp is content to be patient and hold on to its cards until the 49ers get a deal done with DE Nick Bosa.
Saints
Injuries have obviously been a major limitation for Saints WR Michael Thomas over the past three seasons. Thomas shed a little more light on what was going on behind the scenes, saying his body reacted adversely to some of the surgeries he had.
“I don’t want to use this as an excuse,” Thomas said via ESPN’s Katherine Terrell. “But also, when you get surgeries and they put hardware in, sometimes your body rejects the hardware.”
“Your body responds and healing responds to it,” he added. “Whatever, I guess is, the 1 percent? I guess I’m in that category.”
- Saints HC Dennis Allen expects CB Marshon Lattimore to be back by the season opener. (Katherine Terrell)
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