NFC Notes: Lavonte David, Buccaneers, Panthers, Saints
Buccaneers
Buccaneers ILB Lavonte David is grateful to be back in Tampa Bay and said he was in “constant communication” with GM Jason Licht and director of player personnel Mike Biehl.
“It means the world to me. Obviously there’s been constant communication throughout the whole process with Jason and Mike and my team back and forth. Everybody knows that I want to be a Buc throughout my whole career, and I wouldn’t rather be no other place. I’m glad I’m back — I’m glad we were able to get everything tuned out, and I’m happy to be back. I feel like I still got some good football left to play in me and hopefully I’ll finish out as a Buc,” said David, via the team’s official Twitter.
Panthers
Panthers GM Scott Fitterer said the team wouldn’t have traded for the first-overall pick without knowing they’ll be selecting a quarterback.
“Obviously, we have our ideas. You’re not gonna make a move like that without having that pretty much cemented,” Fitterer said, via the Athletic. “But now we’re going through the process of talking to the players and really getting to know them.”
Panthers HC Frank Reich said the team will take all the time it needs to in order to select the best player, but they’re not playing coy about what position they’re taking.
“When you’ve got the No. 1 pick, we don’t have to play games. It’s not like we’re trying to fool anybody. What we’re trying to do is trying to take all the time we can on the evaluation,” Reich said. “Do we have inclinations? Do we have feelings? Do we have evals kind of written out on paper and in our minds? Yeah, we all do. There’s a lot of conviction on some of these top quarterbacks The old adage, is don’t make a decision before you have to. We’re gonna take every second, every hour, every day to make this decision. And we’ve still got plenty of time left.”
After Reich said that Alabama QB Bryce Young‘s height was a “concern,” he dialed it back a touch, saying that it doesn’t eliminate the team from taking him off their board.
“That would be like giving the proprietary formula for Kentucky Fried Chicken. Not that I want to put my evaluation of quarterbacks on that level,” Reich said. “But that’s what’s unique about every club. We all weigh it slightly differently.”
