NFC South Notes: Buccaneers, Panthers, Saints

Buccaneers

Buccaneers HC Bruce Arians says he’s happy with how QB Jameis Winston has looked so far during training camp. Arians even went so far as to say Winston might be ahead of where Arians thought he’d be.

“Consistency — it’s just solid,” Arians said via Pro Football Talk. “He is seeing the kitchen sink on defense. Some guys let him down on that last interception. That was where the ball needed to go, it was just a bad route.”

Arians said the team around Winston will play a major role in his success, and they still have work to do before the beginning of the season. 

“He’s gradually getting a better understanding of when to get the ball out of his hand,” Arians said. “We’ve got to do a better job of protecting him in some of these drills, so he can read it out.”

• Per Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, Buccaneers HC Bruce Arians said OT Donovan Smith sat out practice with “a nick in his Achilles” but added “it’s nothing serious.” Smith returned to practice Monday. (Greg Auman)

Panthers

Panthers QB Cam Newton turned 30 this May as he enters his ninth NFL season. That combined with another surgery on his throwing shoulder to fix issues that tanked both his and the Panthers’ 2018 season has Newton facing serious questions about his long-term future in the NFL for the first time since before his rookie year. 

“You can look back at any type of player,” Newton said via NBC Sports’ Peter King. “You can look back at any type of sport and as a player grows, your game has to change. I remember reading and seeing a lot of clips about Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Brett Favre, even Peyton Manning to a degree. When you get old, you have to change certain things. It kind of keeps you young. I actually look forward to it. I embrace this whole process because it’s made me feel like a rookie again. Learning certain things, learning new mechanics, focusing on the little nuances of playing a quarterback position and trying to master it. So at this point in my career, it’s not about velocity. It’s not about throwing a ball 70 yards. It’s about efficient football that’s gonna win football games.”

Newton has long faced extra scrutiny as a running quarterback, especially given the Panthers propensity to use him as their goalline runner where he excels. However, Newton says the things that make him unique as an NFL player will still be there, even if it’s in smaller doses. 

“See, it’s still speculation,” Newton said. “You know, at the end of the day, God has possessed me with things that I’m grateful for. … Now, being older, you kind of look at things different. For me, it’s not that I’m limited with certain things, or that I’m not capable of doing certain things, it’s just other ways to do it. I’m not saying I’m not gonna run people over. I’m not saying I’m not gonna run the football. I’m not saying I’m not gonna throw the ball down the field. I’m just in a position now where none of that matters but one thing, and that’s winning football games. If it requires me to do all those things, I’m willing to do it. And if it doesn’t, I’m still fine with that.”

• Per Max Henson of the official team website, Panthers CB Ross Cockrell saw some reps with the first-team at free safety.
• Carolina doesn’t have an entrenched starter at the position and is looking to maximize the ball skills in the secondary, per HC Ron Rivera: “I think we can utilize his ability to track the ball… If the pass rush is what it can be, we’re looking for a guy that can make plays on the ball.” (Henson) 

Saints

Saints GM Mickey Loomis said the team continues to move toward a deal for Saints WR Michael Thomas. Thomas is staying away from Saints training camp as he seeks a deal that could exceed $20 million per season and make him the NFL’s highest-paid wide receiver. 

“That’s the business of football and it’s always been the business of football,” Loomis said on SiriusXM NFL Radio. “I’d like to be able to say, ‘Hey, we’re close,’ [or] ‘We’re not close.’ These things aren’t always just financial. There’s structure and there’s guarantee and a lot of moving elements. Hopefully we’ll get this resolved fairly quickly but not yet.”