Buccaneers
Buccaneers HC Todd Bowles admitted to reporters that the loss of veteran WR Mike Evans to the 49ers and the retirement of career Buccaneer LB Lavonte David have been big blows to the team.
“Oh man, that was tough,” Bowles said Monday on Good Morning Football about Evans’ departure. “He’s the best of the best on and off the field. I can’t say enough good things about him. They got a great one as they know, we know how great he was. Very hard to see him leave sentimentally and professionally from that standpoint for me and everybody else involved. But we’ve got a lot of guys that can step up in that room with Emeka, Godwin coming back healthy. We got J-Mac [Jalen McMillan] coming back healthy, Tez Johnson after a full season. So, we feel confident we have those guys, but make no mistake about it, we’ll miss the presence of that guy.”
“Personally, this one really stung me,” Bowles added on David’s retirement. “It’s gonna sting me from an attitude standpoint. … He was the guy off the field that got everyone going. He practiced that way, he carried himself that way. He was, right now, the cream of the crop of who you want to coach and how you want that guy to play. He was that guy. He was that guy for us for 14 years. I can’t say enough good things about him. He was like a brother to me.”
- According to Greg Auman, the Buccaneers hosted former Falcons LB DeAngelo Malone for a visit on Thursday, but no signing is imminent as Malone would likely be a candidate to play special teams.
Falcons
- Falcons HC Kevin Stefanski on QB Michael Penix Jr.’s timeline to return: “We’re not going to rush him and he’s not going to rush himself.” (Tori McElhaney)
- He doesn’t think it would be fair to put a definitive answer on Penix’s Week 1 chances this early: “There are obviously timelines when it comes to injuries, but we are all different. So, we want to see how he looks in a week, how he looks in a month.” (McElhaney)
- Stefanski believes new RB Brian Robinson Jr.’s skillset pairs well with RB Bijan Robinson. (McElhaney)
- Regarding RT, Stefanski said they are looking to get Kaleb McGary healthy and expects him to be ready for training camp. (McElhaney)
- Stefanski didn’t have an update whether OLB James Pearce Jr. will report on April 7th: “I’m not going to comment on that other than to say we’re working through everything.” (Josh Kendall)
- The Atlanta Falcons have named Steven Drummond as their Senior Vice President of Communications. (Falcons)
- Iowa K Drew Stevens had a formal Combine interview with the Falcons. (Justin Melo)
Saints
- Saints HC Kellen Moore said there are ongoing conversations with WR Chris Olave but didn’t elaborate much past their excitement for his future. (Katherine Terrell)
- Moore had great things to say about RB Audric Estime: “Credit to Audric, he came in the middle of the season to be really quickly out there on the field playing at a real high level. Credit to his preparation. He did an excellent job there and he’s part of a running back room where we have some depth now because of this. I’m fired up for him. He performed real well late in the season.” (Mike Klis)
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