Falcons

• Falcons K Younghoe Koo missed a potential game-tying field goal attempt from 44 yards out on Sunday, reigniting questions about his status coming off a 2024 season in which he missed a career-high nine field goal attempts. Per the Athletic’s Josh Kendall, Falcons HC Raheem Morris said they would look at bringing in competition: “You have to say (Koo is the kicker) right now, but we’ll work out some veterans, we’ll work out some up-and-comers.”
• The Falcons have K Lenny Krieg on the practice squad with an international exemption. Morris said he’d get a chance to compete but called him a “developing prospect.” 
• Added Morris: “We have to bring a competitive edge. We have to go out there and look. We have to bring in people to compete. It definitely creates that sense of urgency. It’s about the process you have to go through from a  physical and mental standpoint.” (Kendall)

Panthers

Panthers QB Bryce Young said he followed rookie WR Tetairoa McMillan throughout the pre-draft process, and he’s excited to build chemistry with him.

“Obviously, I’d followed his career a long time. I knew of him, was already a big advocate and a big supporter — a big fan of his game before that,” Young said, via NY Times. “But in the offseason, it’s always nice throwing to people, kinda getting that feel. It was cool. … The front office was evaluating him (and) other people, too. Me knowing that, I just wanted to, I guess, do my due diligence, even though I didn’t have to be wooed very much. I already knew his game. But it was a good opportunity.”

Young gave his recommendation to Panthers GM Dan Morgan about McMillan and said that he would be a great fit for the team.

“From my seat, we already liked the guy,” Morgan added. “And you have your quarterback throwing to the guy, it’s pretty cool to feel what it’s like to throw to him before you even draft him. That’s just great information and really helpful.”

• Panthers DT Tershawn Wharton is slated to miss two to four weeks with a hamstring injury suffered in Week 1. (Darin Gantt)

Panthers

The Panthers elected to trade WR Adam Thielen to the Vikings, who was a veteran leader in Carolina’s locker room. When asked about the trade, GM Dan Morgan said they are confident in their young receivers like Jalen Coker, Xavier Legette, and Tetairoa McMillan.

“Anytime you lose a receiver like Adam, it’s a big loss,” Morgan said, via Darin Gantt of the team’s site. “But at the same time, we’re really excited about our young core of receivers. Jalen Coker is going to step into the slot. We spent a lot of resources with XL and TMac, so you know we have guys that we’re really excited about, and I think that definitely made me feel more comfortable pulling the trigger and trading him.”

Morgan has also been impressed by David Moore and Jimmy Horn. 

“You all have kind of been out on the practice field every day,” Morgan said. “I think when you see the way TMac works out there, when you see the way XL works out there, Jalen Coker, David Moore, Jimmy Horn, like all these guys out there like we feel like we have a really good young stable of wideouts that were mentored by a guy like Adam Thielen. They’re more mature than their age, and I would say even like they’re they’re more polished than their age too. I don’t see any reason why they can’t go out there and step up and have a great season, and I have full confidence in them.”

Morgan was transparent with Thielen during the entire process and asked him if he had any interest in returning to Minnesota. 

“As the GM and as a former player, I like to be open and honest and transparent with the players, so I called Adam to my office and I let him know that they called, I asked him if he would have interest in going back there,” Morgan said. “He said that he would. Once he told me that, he was very intrigued, very excited, of the possibility of going there and basically ending his career where it first started. I could tell that he was really excited about the possibility that that might happen.” 

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