Buccaneers
Buccaneers S Antoine Winfield Jr. struggled with injuries last season, resulting in him appearing in just nine games without any interceptions or forced fumbles. Tampa Bay HC Todd Bowles said Winfield is looking in “great shape” this offseason.
“He’s been great,” Bowles said, via Scott Smith of the team’s site. “I mean, he looks like he’s in great shape. He’s been here almost every day. He puts in the work, he puts in the time, and I like where he’s at right now.”
When asked about creating more takeaways in 2025, Winfield said it all starts in practice and creating “muscle memory.”
“Working in practice,” Winfield said. “I feel like I say this all the time when it’s like, ‘What do you do?’ You have to work it in practice. You have to get those looks in practice so when it’s a game, it’s just muscle memory. You see the ball, punch it out. If it’s on the floor, pick it up, scoop and score. It’s just all muscle memory and just practice.”
Winfield understands injuries are a natural part of the game.
“It’s football,” Winfield said. “It’s part of the game. Injuries happen but I’m excited for this year. Year 6 already, it’s flying by. I feel like I still just got here. I’m excited for this year.”
Falcons
Falcons RB Bijan Robinson was asked about the possibility of competing in Flag Football during the 2028 Olympics, which the league will allow players to do.
“I feel like it’s always an honor to play for your country,” Robinson said, via Cory Muse of KVUE. “Like, you always want to play for your country. I would love to show my skillset on that type of stage. So, I think it’s going to come down to our schedule and where it lies, and if the teams even let us go. But I would love to play if given the opportunity. We’ll see. I don’t want it to affect my team and what we’ve got going here.”
“Obviously, there are a lot of great flag football players out here, and that’s all that they play, and they’re very specific in the game,” Robinson added. “Like you have guys who can be running with the football, and they can get this low to the ground and not get touched. No NFL player is doing that, or trying to do that at least.”
Panthers
Panthers fourth-round S Lathan Ransom won the National Championship at Ohio State, but feels he is starting from the bottom and has everything to prove as an NFL player.
“I came out so motivated because I haven’t achieved anything yet,” Ransom said, via the team website. “I mean, whatever you did before the NFL don’t matter now, so I’m at the bottom of the barrel, just grinding and trying to find different ways to help my game and help the team, but yeah, that’s that’s how I stay hungry, and then I’m always a sponge and finding ways to get better, so that’s how I stay hungry.”
“I think just how to grind every day, how to work every day, and then just for me personally, it taught me how to build a routine,” Ransom continued. “I’m really strict on my routine, kind of brought it here, and what helped me be successful at Ohio State and then just being a younger guy now has taught me how to just be a young guy in a winning program, a guy that doesn’t talk too much. Just, you know, tries to listen and learn as much as I can from the older guys and do anything I can to help the team… it’s been fun to be the young guy in the room trying to learn from the vets that have been successful in the league already and learn from my new coaches, and it been fun to be on a young team.”
Ransom’s actions and film study have earned praise from HC Dave Canales early in his career.
“First and foremost, you look for the guys that exhibit that kind of effort and juice, the enthusiasm we talked about, toughness, intelligent play that shows up, playing smart, and a finisher,” Canales began. “And when you get a chance to talk to this guy, you know, he’s just, they won a championship for a reason, at a core of really talented but also really driven players, and we just love being able to bring somebody that has that winning mentality into the building.”
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