Buccaneers
Regarding Tom Brady missing time this preseason, Buccaneers HC Todd Bowles insisted that he knows “exactly when” Brady will return, which will be sometime after their preseason game on Saturday.
“Do I look worried?” Bowles said, via Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. “I’m not worried, so I don’t know why anyone else would be worried. I know exactly when Tom is coming back, and I’ve consistently said it would be sometime after the Titans game.”
As for C Ryan Jensen‘s knee injury, Bowles said that their medical staff is waiting for swelling to subside.
“They said they were going to wait until the swelling went down,” Bowles said. “He’s walking around and he’s here, but they said it could be one of five different things and we said to tell us when you know, so that’s what they’re going to do.”
Falcons
Falcons QB Marcus Mariota said that he is open to helping develop third-round QB Desmond Ridder in order to improve the team.
“If you can help guys — especially the younger guys — out, it’s ultimately going to make your team better,” Mariota said, via Michael Rothstein of ESPN. “So, I do whatever I can. I pass along as much information as I can to him, whatever he wants to absorb.”
- Jordan Schultz reports that Falcons WR Drake London will return soon, with his source telling him: “Drake’s knee will be fine and there are no concerns with him being back soon.”
Panthers
Panthers QB Baker Mayfield isn’t worried about the starting quarterback decision. His main focus at the moment is continuing to improve on a daily basis.
“To be honest with you, I haven’t been worried about when the decision is going to be made or any of that, timeline-wise,” Mayfield said, via the team’s official website. “I’ve just tried to put my head down and handle it one day at a time. And that’s been the mindset for both Sam and I. Just, how can we be playing the best ball at the end of camp and just handle it correctly? I’ve said it before: the locker room and the organization is going to go as the QB room goes, and as long as we’re leading correctly and we’re supporting each other, good things are going to happen. So we’re not worried about when that’s going to happen, just trying to get better each day.”
Panthers QB Sam Darnold said it was a “healthy competition” between him and Mayfield and believes that it will ultimately benefit both of them.
“Like I said, It’s up to the coaches,” Darnold said. “I’m doing everything I can in this moment to put myself in a position to, first of all, play good football. And hopefully, that will put me in a position to win the job.”
Mayfield said that he’s beginning to gain more comfortability in OC Ben McAdoo‘s offense and the two are starting to get on the same page.
“It’s no longer thinking and processing as much,” Mayfield said. “It’s more second nature, going through progressions, and when the play-calls come in, really understanding what coach McAdoo is wanting to get accomplished when he calls certain plays, and getting that relationship and that rapport together. I’m at the point now where it feels really, really comfortable for me. Yeah, I’m in a great spot. Obviously, there are always little things you’re trying to improve. It’s never complacent, I haven’t figured it out.”
Mayfield did admit that he’s going through a lot of the same growing pains third-round QB Matt Corral is going through as he enters the league and learns a brand new offense in a short amount of time.
“To be honest with you, I know exactly how Matt is mentally right now,” Mayfield said. “Just coming from an offense in college where there’s no huddles, it’s all signal based, and being able to try and give back a little bit. Because my head was spinning my rookie year, and I know how he feels. Just trying to help him ease his mind, and get his confidence up. He’s here for a reason, but it takes work. It’s definitely a huge difference in the grind and preparation from college to this level, so trying to support him any way I can.”
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