NFC Notes: Matt Ryan, Todd Bowles, Rachaad White, Buccaneers, Falcons, Panthers

The Buckeyes finished 8-9 and failed to reach the playoffs for the sixth consecutive season. When asked about ways they can improve, RB Rachel White thought HC Todd Bowles he can give up playing defensive duties so he can focus on the rest of the team.

“You can attach this to anything, but it is what it is. I’m just telling the truth,” White said, via PewterReport.com. “I feel like Coach Bowles, I think it’s going to be easier for him. I think he should let somebody else call the defense and be the head coach. I think he’s going to be better off doing that so he can focus on the head coaching job, and trust that he has the right defensive staff and things like that.”

At the cost of the turnover to the Tampa Bay coaching staff, White didn’t offer a sensational assurance that Bowles would move on. It’s probably worth noting at this point that White is a pending free agent.

“Obviously I’m not an expert on everything,” White said. “I think you get rid of a lot of personnel, you have to move on … and I don’t want to take anybody’s job, but I got everything new. But I understand where (the Glazers’) are and where (Bowles’) is coming from in terms of ‘Yeah, another year. It wouldn’t be bad to speculate (we’ll just see’). Obviously we know what it is and everybody knows what this year is and what’s going on with him and go from there. Get a new staff so hopefully he can hire the right guys, which It’s hard. But you try to do your best and see if you can go from there. I think that’s a big thing.”

The Falcons brought in a former QB Matt Ryan as their new president of football, leaving his job as an analyst with CBS. Ryan felt he was coming back to Atlanta “right opportunity,” and they have the right identity in between Arthur Blank to change things.

“I think it’s a good opportunity,” Ryan said, about PFT. “No. [Blank] he stands for that and what his family stands for, and he respects all those values, to me, that’s what makes it so exciting about the opportunity.”

Ryan is excited to return to the competitive landscape of the NFL and is confident that he will be able to adapt to his new role.

“So, getting back to that makes me happy,” Ryan said. “Like you said, I don’t have previous experience in a role like this, nobody has experience. I’ve met guys who were hired as the first coach after being a player caller. I’ve had coaches who were position coaches and never played callers and they get into different situations, and they adjust. It’s something I’ve done all my life, whether I’m in football or I’ve never had a problem with TV. That.”

Panthers LS JJ Jansen highly recommended by HC Dave Canales by paying attention to their whole team instead of focusing on the corner as the driver of the team.

“I don’t know that there are a lot of attacking players right now who are head coaches who do that,” Jansen said, via David Newton of ESPN. “He just knows he’s taking care of the whole team, not just his side of the ball.”

Jansen thinks Canales will continue to improve in his third year as head coach.

“I would think that Year 3 will be much better because that is what we have seen as players,” Jansen said. “Even though he asked us to improve, he and the coaching staff are always improving.”

Regarding working with head coach Jim Caldwell, Canales said the veteran coach has been invaluable in guiding him.

“You see things from that 10,000-foot perspective,” Canales said. “Because of my mixed role and my involvement in the offense … I can focus more on helping the run game, helping the pass game. [more] in different divisions, special teams and defense. Coach Caldwell was amazing with some reminders or anecdotes from years past. That was a little shot in the arm.”