NFC South Notes: Buccaneers, Panthers, Saints

Buccaneers

Buccaneers HC Bruce Arians was asked about how they will evaluate QB Jameis Winston, who is in line to be an unrestricted free agent next year, after his ups and downs this season: 

“You look at it and there’s so much good and so much outright terrible,” Arians said, via the Tampa Bay Times. “We got to weigh that and see what happens.”

Arians did say that they will consider the other free agent quarterbacks.

• Winston mentioned that the Bucs have enough talent on both sides of the ball to win in 2020: “With me or without me, I think this team will be great.” (Greg Auman)
• According to Adam Schefter, Buccaneers DE Jason Pierre-Paul earned a $500,000 incentive by reaching at least eight on the season. 

Panthers

Panthers TE Greg Olsen admitted after Sunday’s game that this could be it for his NFL career. 

“The reality that this very well could be it – not just here, but maybe for good,” Olsen said when asked what he was feeling, via Panthers.com. “I got here nine years ago and my career was a little bit in flux. I was the odd man out in Chicago. This team took a shot on me trading for me. Pete has been my coach every day since I’ve been here. He’s been unbelievable for my development. He believed in me and gave me a chance when I was kind of on the fence about whether I was going to be that next breakout guy or if I was going to be just another first-round bust, so to speak.”

• The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue says she doesn’t get the sense Panthers GM Marty Hurney would be interested in other opportunities elsewhere despite his name coming up with a potential opening in Washington.
• Joe Person reports X-rays on QB Will Grier‘s foot were negative and the plan from here is for him to undergo an MRI tomorrow morning. The good news is that the team is hopeful this isn’t a serious injury.
• According to Pro Football Talk’s Charean Williams, the NFL fined Panthers DT Vernon Butler $10,527 for punching a Colts players resulting in an ejection as well as another $14,037 for flipping off Colts fans on the way out of the stadium. 

Saints

• Mike Garafolo of NFL Media reports that free agent WR Antonio Brown brought a camera crew and an entourage with him to New Orleans for his workout with the Saints.
• A Saints source tells Garafolo that Brown had the whole “bleep show” with him on Friday.
• According to ESPN’s Field Yates, Saints DE Cameron Jordan had his contract reworked to create cap space in 2020. 
• Jordan also added $500,000 to his 2020 base salary with a half sack on Sunday.