NFC Notes: Ryan Jensen, Bucs, Panthers, Seahawks

Buccaneers

Buccaneers HC Todd Bowles gave an update on the injured knee that has sidelined veteran C Ryan Jensen.

“The swelling hasn’t gone down and they’re not exactly sure on the timing,” Bowles said, via BuccaneersWire.com. “He may or may not come back, if at all. They said in the next week – we should know something by this week. Because we didn’t have an answer, I didn’t give a comment. I wasn’t trying to be mean or anything – they just told me to wait until the swelling goes down because it could go one of two ways and we are just waiting for it.”

Panthers

Panthers HC Matt Rhule said he consulted with QB Baker Mayfield‘s college coach, Lincoln Riley, who was a rival back when Rhule was coaching in the BIG 12. He wanted to get a sense of the type of player and person Carolina was potentially adding and Riley’s recommendation helped sell him. 

“Lincoln was like: ‘Matt, I know you. He fits the way you want to play. He’s your kind of guy. He’s gonna be a leader and a tough guy,'” Rhule said via the Athletic’s Joe Person. “That was important to me. Any time you bring someone into a competition, they have to be someone that loves competition. If you bring in someone to battle for a spot and they’re entitled and they don’t like to compete, then it’s gonna be a negative for the team. But the biggest compliment I can give both [Mayfield and QB Sam Darnold] right now is they’ve enjoyed the competition. That’s what feeds their soul. You see that from them every day. They support each other at not even a fake level, but a high level. That’s what people told me about Baker, that he would be a competitor and not someone that expected things to be handed to him.”

• Panthers WR Terrace Marshall (leg) is expected to return this week for joint practices against the Patriots. (David Newton)

Seahawks

Seahawks OLB Alton Robinson dropped 15 pounds this offseason in an attempt to improve mobility and bolster his pass rush explosiveness off of the edge.

“Another guy who has really surprised us is Alton Robinson,” HC Pete Carroll said, via Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times. “Alton came back in a different body type, he lost about 15 pounds, but is really stout, strong, and explosive. He’s done a nice job starting up camp so far.”

Robinson admitted that he didn’t play as well at times and focused on reinventing himself mentally this offseason. Robinson said he was trying to do too much at time and is getting back to the basics.

“I think at times I was trying to do too much,” Robinson said. “I just have to trust myself and my instincts because as Pete always says, we are good enough…This game is never going to be perfect, and I had a thing where I was always trying to be right. And I realized you are never going to always be right. If I end up on the ball, then I’m right.”