Buccaneers

After losing WR Mike Evans, the Buccaneers added veteran RB Kenneth Gainwell and third-round WR Ted Hurst to help bolster their offensive weapons. Tampa Bay QB Baker Mayfield expressed his immense respect for Gainwell and praised Hurst’s game because of his size and strong hands.

“Ken has been doing great,” Mayfield said, via the team’s website. “He’s somebody that I’ve respected from afar when he was Philly and the Steelers. You can tell he’s a sharp kid who’s always been able to do pass protection stuff. He was doing that in Philly from a very early on in his career point, and then in Pittsburgh he actually balled out. Now to have him here, we’re lucky because he’s extremely sharp, a great leader, can do everything you ask for. Obviously with Bucky coming back slowly it’s good to have those guys, and obviously the running back room still having Tuck in there as well.”

“I really like Ted’s game. He’s a bigger-bodied receiver. Exceptional hands. I think his body control, he can really cover a lot of ground. For a big guy, he can cover a lot of ground. He should be a weapon for us, he should be able to help us out. For him, it’s the normal rookie stuff, learning the offense, formations, to where it’s not having to think the whole time. It’s more second nature. That goes with it the whole time. He’ll get better each day and continue to grasp it and help us out.”

Panthers

Carolina signed OLB Jaelan Phillips to a four-year, $120 million deal in free agency to bolster their pass rush. Following his first mandatory minicamp practices, Phillips has been quick with the trash talk with QB Bryce Young, and feels that kind of banter can help them get fired up to get the most out of practices.

“He came over there chirping because — I don’t even know why. It was like a quick little out route. And he’s, ‘Oh, it’s a first down.’ We were like, ‘We don’t care. It’s practice. You turned (up), yelling,’” Phillips said, via Joseph Person of The Athletic. “It was like a calm chirping. You know him, he’s a chill dude. But he was talking.”

“That’s what it’s all about. It’s infectious. When there’s a lull in energy, if somebody’s yelling — whether that’s real juice, fake juice, it doesn’t matter — it’s all the same thing. So what can start as a joke, everybody will actually be fired up.”

Panthers DC Ejiro Evero couldn’t say enough about Phillips’ work ethic on and off the field, citing his attention to the fundamentals.

“The way he is in the classroom. He’s a great teammate. He’s great to hang out with it,” Evero said. “When it’s time to do the work and be about the business, he’s certainly the best at that. When we talk about getting on the grass and … doing all the work that it takes to refine your techniques and fundamentals, he’s A-plus in that aspect as well.”

Saints

Saints HC Kellen Moore said WR Devaughn Vele will have a more defined role in the offense in 2026.

“That was something we had to navigate as the season went on — him getting into the fold — and probably something that I took reflection on, trying to get him in that situation sooner last year,” Moore said, via Saints Wire.