Buccaneers

Buccaneers WR Jalen McMillan spoke about his ability to make an impact in Tampa as a rookie last season.

“I feel like last year, I was more focused on, ‘How am I going to look in the future?’ instead of worrying about what I wanted to accomplish in the moment,” McMillan said via Pewter Report. “And as y’all can see, as I focused on the moment, I did good things. It gave me a lot of confidence. I think it also gave me a lot of just confidence within myself, just going out on the field and feeling belonging.”

The team drafted WR Emeka Egbuka in the first round, and McMillan welcomes the incoming competition. 

“Just be where my feet are, [have] intent with all my actions,” McMillan added. “Definitely [to] get stronger, get faster, get smarter, just keep my circle tight. I think I was on a great run last year, so just continuing that and not falling off. I’m just looking forward to making the most of my opportunities. I’m not really worried about any three, four, five, six spots. I’m just worried about when the ball comes my way — make the play.”

Falcons

• Falcons HC Raheem Morris believes LB Divine Deablo fits their defensive scheme much better than originally thought and is a green dot candidate along with Kaden Elliss. (Tori McElhaney)

Panthers

Panthers DE Patrick Jones II is entering his first year in Carolina after signing on as an unrestricted free agent following his time with the Vikings. He’s set to be reunited with DE D.J. Wonnum, who signed with the Panthers last year. 

“Oh yeah, I mean it’s kind of crazy because when we both got to Minnesota, we were both the younger guys in the room, so we sit down and talk about it and laugh about it,” Jones said, via Kassidy Hill of the team’s site. “And just we really talk about it too, to see what we could do to be better and to use what we learn from our older vets and pass it down to our rookies.”

Jones is trying to impart knowledge on their younger players and teach them to develop a routine.  

“Just trying to teach the young guys how to truly be a professional so far as like establishing a routine in the morning and just being very particular about everything that they do and just stuff like that,” Jones said. “We just trying to get everything together right now. I think the big thing that you could see from everybody like when y’all watching end of practice, we having fun, and I feel like just everybody coming together as a unit. I feel like that’s going to be a big time.”

Panthers HC Dave Canales said Jones is proving to be a very coachable player and is enjoying the intangibles he brings to their defense. 

“Really technical, really takes a lot of the coaching,” Canales said. “He’s focusing on the right things, his footwork, his hand placement, the finish of plays, the communication, all those things, and then just another pro’s pro. A guy that, you know, his film and bringing him in here (shows) he’s an effort guy. He’s a finish guy. That’s how a lot of his production happens. He doesn’t give up on plays, and so you know, to see that and set that example for Nic Scourton and for Princeley coming in here, to see like this is how you work as a pro, I just love it. And DJ Wonnum is in that same category, so I just love the core group of 25-year-old guys who have been around, who know how to be pros and know how to show everyone else this is how we work.”