Buccaneers

According to Jeremy Fowler, the Buccaneers are moving on from QBs coach Thad Lewis and will allow their new offensive coordinator pick the next position coach.
Tampa Bay fired DBs coach Kevin Ross and DL coach Charlie Strong, per Rick Stroud.
Buccaneers S coach Nick Rapone plans to retire, according to Stroud.

Falcons

The Falcons decided to fire HC Raheem Morris after two years at the helm. Owner Arthur Blank explained that they did not reach the levels they are capable of: “I did not think we achieved to the level we were capable of. … I believe we are capable of more.” (Tori McElheney)
As for his interest in former Ravens HC John Harbaugh, Blank responded he’d certainly like to spend time with the coach: “He would certainly be a candidate we would want to spend some time with. Whether he’s interested in Atlanta, I don’t know. I’m assuming we will have him in our cycle assuming he’s willing to meet with us.” (Josh Kendall)
Blank made clear that they will fill their President of Football role before hiring a head coach and general manager: “We are hiring this president of football first. We want to have that person in their seat and have them lead the interviews with the head coach and general manager going forward.” (Kendall)
Blank remains confident in QB Michael Penix Jr.: “We drafted Michael (Penix Jr.) because we felt and still do feel Michael was one of the best quarterbacks in the draft.” (Kendall)
Regarding Penix’s recovery from a knee injury, Blank said his surgeon is “1,000 percent certain” that his knee has improved: “I do think Michael (Penix Jr.) is our franchise quarterback. The injury he sustained was on his other knee. The surgeon felt 1,000 percent sure of the procedure and that his knee would be better than it was before.” (Kendall)
Although Blank said he will give the next head coach freedom to decide on DC Jeff Ulbrich‘s future, he gave an endorsement of the defensive coordinator: “You can’t dictate to a new head coach who their assistants are going to be but I would certainly recommend the new head coach consider Jeff (Ulbrich).” (Kendall)
Blank added that the decision to pick up QB Kirk Cousins and Penix, along with their subsequent performance, were not factors in the decision to fire Morris and GM Terry Fontenot, via Kendall.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler highlights Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham as a candidate to watch for the GM vacancy in Atlanta, noting Cunningham’s close connection with Bears GM Ryan Poles who was a college teammate of former Falcons QB Matt Ryan, who is the favorite to be named president of football operations for the Falcons.
Another option for that position is Saints assistant GM Khai Harley, per Fowler, although it’d be a little surprising to see Atlanta go back to that well after firing GM Terry Fontenot, a former Saints exec.
Fowler adds not to be surprised if the Falcons work hard to retain DC Jeff Ulbrich on the staff of whoever the next head coach is. Ulbrich’s defense set a franchise record for sacks this year.

Panthers

Panthers G Robert Hunt was designated to return from injured reserve on December 24, but has yet to be activated. Carolina HC Dave Canales said it is a “big week” for Hunt to prove he’s physically ready to return.

“It’s a big week of evaluating Rob and seeing if he’s physically ready to take on the game,” Canales said, via Joseph Person of The Athletic. “Going into last week, I wanted to make sure that he’d be able to play an entire game. Not something where he’s gonna pop out there for a couple series and be moving around. Just for the ebbs and flows of it — just getting your rhythm, getting your hands on people and back to football. So this is a really big week. We’ve got a couple of practices to be able to see what that looks like with Rob out there.”

Canales pointed out that Hunt has been at all the team meetings and should be “ready mentally to go.” In the end, it’s how the lineman holds up physically.

“He’s been here the whole time, rehabbing here in-house, getting stronger here. He’s been in all the meetings. He’s been in all the conversations. So nothing has gone by him in terms of how we’ve evolved together as a group,” Canales said. “So we’d be leaning on that part, that he’s ready mentally to go. Physically, that’s really the question we have to figure out this week.”

According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Panthers defensive pass game coordinator Jonathan Cooley is a name to watch for defensive coordinator vacancies this year.
Canales said Hunt will be able to play in the Wild Card Round and will start if he’s officially active, per David Newton.

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