Falcons
Falcons area coach Ryan Doyle said third-round S Xavier Watts is one of the most cerebral players he’s ever scouted at the position.
“X is one of the smartest players I have ever watched at safety,” Doyal said, via the team’s website.
Doyle said that one of the main attributes that drew him to Watts was the fact that Notre Dame played him at multiple positions on both sides of the ball before eventually sticking him at safety.
“This is the type of kid he is: He didn’t transfer. He didn’t run from it,” Doyal said. “He stayed, and he did all the right things.”
Falcons defensive pass game coordinator Mike Rutenberg said that Watts stood out when watching his tape and noticed that he’s a very instinctive player.
“You don’t get to ‘W’ for a while, but when you do, you turn on the tape and you’re like, ‘Woah. Xavier. This is the real deal right here,’” Rutenberg said. “You always read up on these guys, of course. … But the tape tells the story, and Xavier’s tape told the story from the jump. You see the speed. You see the movement. You see the size. You combine all of that with his ball production and then finding out more about him as a person, what else do you want?”
Panthers
Panthers OLB coach AC Carter explained how he relates to players and gave insight into his philosophy when coaching different types of players.
“You have players who have different learning styles, so my biggest thing is how can I relate to his learning style to understand how he could get it and how he has to receive it in his brain,” Carter explained, via the team’s website. “I could say the same thing three different ways, but it hits each player’s brain differently, so I love doing that. I come from a teacher background, so that allows me to know how to structure things, how to structure a meeting, and how to put things in perspective for those guys. I definitely come from a background that allows me to know how to structure in a football room, and it’s not to be overstructured for the players, right?”
Panthers DC Ejiro Evero‘s respect that he has for Carter is evident, as he spoke very highly of him and his intelligence.
“First of all this guy is off-the-charts intelligent,” Evero began. “I knew that from Day 1 when I first got with him. He’s a very, very good communicator. He’s a very good teacher, and he is so detailed and meticulous in his approach to his players. So the number one thing that I think he does a great job with is that he can connect with his players, and it could be vets, young guys; he just does such a great job of being able to relate with the guys he’s working with. So I think that guys trust him, they know that he’s really good at what he does, they know that he’s got their best interests at heart, and so, I think that’s the foundation that he develops with the players. And then his acumen in football, obviously, he’s going to allow these guys to get to where they are capable of getting to.”
Carter leads by example and he’s usually in the team’s weight room before the rest of the players get there.
“I’ve got to get my work out in,” he said. “My body, my mind, my soul together so I can be great for them, so I can lead them in the right direction, having the details and the focus where everything that they need so they could be in a position so they can be successful out here. I think players have big eyes, and they see everything.”
Saints
Saints WRs coach Keith Williams said the bond of their receivers has been a joy for him this offseason. He reflected on fellow receivers coming to defend undrafted rookie Moochie Dixon after he dropped a pass in practice.
“They love each other,” Williams said, via Katherine Terrell. “There’s no envy, there’s no ego. The egos are checked in at the door. … It’s a great group. I really enjoy driving into work. I know what I’m going to get every day from each one collectively and so they just work.”
Veteran WR Brandin Cooks said they are going into 2025 with a “new slate.”
“It don’t matter what you did the previous year,” Cooks said. “It’s a new slate for us and you can call us the underdog or whatever the case may be, but we putting in our work and we’ll let our actions talk come Sundays during the season.”
Chris Olave missed nine games last season after suffering two concussions. He said it was the first major injury of his entire career.
“It was tough,” Olave said. “I ain’t never really sat out that long or been able to not play football, so that was really my first major injury and sitting out eight or nine games was tough for me. Just not being able to go to practice or go to meetings with my guys was the worst part, but … I feel like I’m ready. I was training and lifting and everything in December, so I feel like I’m good.”
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