The Buccaneers could wind up picking No. 1 overall, but head coach Lovie Smith isn’t thinking about it, as Pat Yasinkas of ESPN.com writes.
“That can’t even come into the equation,” Smith said. “[In Sunday’s loss to Green Bay], even though we didn’t play as well, the guys fought right up until the end — they weren’t thinking about that pick or anything like that. This week we’re going to do the same thing. We’re going to make decisions that will give us the best chance to win by being able to look at players that we haven’t seen, that may come into the equation a little bit, but we’re going to do everything that we possibly can to try and win the game and let everything else take care of itself.”
Here’s more from around the NFC:
- Although Buccaneers quarterback Josh McCown will turn 36 next summer, he’s not thinking about retiring after this season, as Pat Yasinkas of ESPN.com writes. “I don’t know if it’s at that point yet,” McCown said. “Obviously right now at this point in the season your body is tired and all those things. But once you get away from it and kind of reassess things, I feel good. My plan right now is to keep playing.”
- Wide receiver Jarius Wright and safety Harrison Smith are two Vikings players eligible for contract extensions this offseason, and as Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press details in a pair of pieces, Wright thinks he’s done enough to warrant a new deal, while Smith says he loves Minnesota and has no interest in playing anywhere else. Within that second piece, Tomasson also spoke to a few other Vikings about potential extensions, including tackle Matt Kalil.
- Former Browns CEO Joe Banner is advising the Falcons, with a focus on the team’s new stadium business, per Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (Twitter link).
- Packers coach Mike McCarthy told reporters, including Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (on Twitter), that his personnel department really liked center Travis Swanson coming out of the draft. Of course, Swanson wound up being selected by the Lions in the third round of this year’s draft instead.
Zach Links contributed to this post.