Buccaneers

Bucs HC Todd Bowles said having RB Bucky Irving and RB Rachaad White as extra receiving options will be a luxury for the offense.

“Obviously it’s a luxury for us on offense. Especially where they’re at in pass protection knowledge of who they’re supposed to pick up, and the more they learn…Rachaad has been really, really good at it. [After] year one for Bucky, the more comfortable he gets in that…They get out of the pass protection stuff quicker if they don’t have anybody to pick up and they become just that free outlet. With those guys, obviously they can catch like receivers, but just getting the ball [to] them in space is ideal for us, whether it’s screen game, checkdowns, or designed pass plays for them. So it’s a luxury for us because it creates mismatches.”

Teddy Bridgewater

Bowles added that QB Teddy Bridgewater will add another steady presence within the team’s offensive room.

“I’ve been around Teddy just a handful of times – unbelievable guy. I think just his story in general – played a lot of ball, has a lot of experience – but just who he is as a role model for youth, for guys in the locker room, somebody that just wants to help out. You talk to teams that he’s been on in the role he’s going to be in now, and he’s done great things. So, it’s really good for us. Obviously, he’s still learning the system right now for us, but I’m sure he’ll pick it up quick. He has a history with ‘Grizz’ (Offensive Coordinator Josh Grizzard), too. They were in Miami together. So, just having another set of eyes and ears to be able to communicate and really accomplish what we’re trying to get done…I say it to you guys all the time, if we’re on the same page, good things are going to happen. And having a voice like that to be able to communicate it more is going to help out a lot.”

Falcons

Falcons S Jessie Bates III highly praised third-year S DeMarcco Hellams, describing him as someone who plays with “bad intentions.” 

“We call him, ‘Bamm-Bamm,'” Bates said, via Terrin Waack of the team’s site. “He’s not a happy guy right now. He’s always moving with bad intentions of wanting to go hit somebody. And you need that on the football team.”

Hellams missed all of last season after suffering a fractured left ankle and a high-ankle sprain. 

“I put my faith in God as far as having the attitude that this did happen to me, like it’s something that I can’t take back,” Hellams said. “So, I tried to rewire my brain from feeling back for me to kind of starting to feel like it was for me. That’s hard. That’s hard to do, for sure, to feel like a setback is a part of your process. Because I felt like I had big things going for me last year leading up to my injury.”

Falcons secondary coach Justin Hood commends Hellams for his commitment to improving despite dealing with a season-ending injury. 

“I commend him,” Hood said. “I’ve been around a lot of guys who have been on IR for the year, been away from the game for a year, and are not necessarily engaged when they know they’re not playing. ‘Marcco was a guy that was still stopping meetings and asking questions because he wanted to understand.”