Tom Brady played behind an abysmal offensive line and running game during his rocky final season in Tampa Bay, but winning eight games was enough for the legendary quarterback to sack the lowly NFC South and earn one more postseason appearance before withdraw a second time.
Without Brady, the NFC South entered the offseason with Tampa Bay’s Kyle Trask, New Orleans’ Taysom Hill, Carolina’s Matt Corral and Atlanta’s Desmond Ridder atop the division-wide QB depth charts. Obviously, the list of arguably the worst collection of starting quarterbacks for a division made the rounds on social media, but now there’s a better chart of QB1 with free agency and the draft in the rearview mirror.
Top pick Bryce Young landed in Carolina, the Saints signed prized free agent Derek Carr, and the Buccaneers added Baker Mayfield to compete with Trask. Ridder remains at the top of the depth chart in Atlanta, but the Falcons could have put him in a position to succeed with his many notable offseason moves.
The NFC South appears to be much improved in 2023 after all four teams made improvements during the offseason, and it would be a surprise if the division winner goes under .500 for the second straight season.
It’s an open and competitive division, but don’t expect a deep postseason run from either team.
Let’s take a closer look at the NFC South by ranking the offseason moves made by the Falcons, Panthers, Saints and Buccaneers.
carolina panthers
Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports. Illustration by Bryce Wood.
Key additions: S Vonn Bell, WR DJ Chark, TE Hayden Hurst, DE DJ Johnson, WR Jonathan Mingo, RB Miles Sanders, WR Adam Thielen, DT Shy Tuttle, QB Bryce Young
key subtractions: RB D’Onta Foreman, WR DJ Moore
Where are they: After a busy free agency, the panthers could have added the final piece to their quick rebuild with Young, the first pick known for reading defenses and extending plays. Carolina made it a priority to return their entire starting offensive line from last season, re-signing former Baltimore center Bradley Bozeman, who impressed the team in 2022 after agreeing to a one-year contract. The Panthers also added new faces to the skill positions. An offensive trio of Sanders, Thielen and Hurst might not strike fear into opposing defenses, but it’s enough to keep Young comfortable during his rookie season. Chark will provide speed for the receiving corps, and perhaps Mingo, the promising second-round pick, will become the No. 1 option late in the season. Carolina also built on its defensive core of Brian Burns, Derrick Brown and Jaycee Horn by adding Tuttle, Bell and Johnson.
Total Projected Earnings: 7.5
Odds of winning the NFC South: +330
Final note: B+
There are concerns with Young not being the ideal size for the job (5’11”, 194 pounds), but the Panthers deserve a lot of credit for quickly building a quality roster that allowed him to find his footing during his rookie year. But Carolina will need for Mingo to make an immediate impact as a versatile 6’1″ playmaker, or this unit will be suffering from a downfield threat. With a growing defense and a quality staff led by new coach Frank Reich, don’t be surprised if Young leads the Panthers to a division title in his first season.
atlanta falcons
Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports
Key additions: S Jessie Bates, OL Matthew Bergeron, DE Calais Campbell, OLB Bud Dupree, LB Kaden Elliss, OLB Zach Harrison, WR Mack Hollins, CB Jeff Okudah, DT David Onyemata, RB Bijan Robinson, TE Jonnu Smith
key subtractions: QB Marcus Mariota, CB Isaias Oliver
Where are they: atlanta He addressed many defensive needs during free agency, which featured the signing of Bates to help cornerback AJ Terrell in the secondary. The Okudah trade could pay off if the 2020 No. 3 pick takes advantage of his fresh start to possibly give the Falcons a quality cornerback duo. The defensive front should improve with a revamped unit of Dupree, Elliss and Onyemata to help defensive end Grady Jarrett. For the draft, the team bolstered the dynamic running game with its first two picks, Robinson and Bergeron. Robinson’s arrival will give the Falcons a standout trio of wide receiver Drake London and tight end Kyle Pitts. They also added reliable pass catchers in Hollins and Smith, who will be reuniting with Falcons coach Arthur Smith, the Titans’ former offensive coordinator. There’s uncertainty with Ridder, though, but the Falcons probably won’t need him to play at the Pro Bowl level with Robinson in the backfield and a solid offensive line, which included re-signing right tackle Kaleb McGary and offensive guard Chris. Lindstrom.
Total Projected Earnings: 8.5
Odds of winning the NFC South: +275
Final note: B.
The Falcons should compete in a mediocre NFC South, and could lead the league in rushing yards with Robinson, who can also block and contribute in the passing game. Bergeron, the team’s second-round pick, will also improve the running game as a polished run blocker, but the team probably should have used the second pick on an edge rusher. Harrison, a third-round pick and the veteran signings might not be enough for the Falcons to dramatically improve on their 21 sacks last season. But the Falcons addressed many defensive holes to pair them with a rising offense.
New Orleans Saints
Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports
Key additions: QB Derek Carr, IDL Bryan Bresee, DE Isaiah Foskey, RB Kendre Miller, IDL Khalen Saunders, IDL Nathan Shepherd, RB Jamaal Williams
key subtractions: WR Marquez Callaway, DE Marcus Davenport, DT David Onyemata, LB Kaden Elliss, DT Shy Tuttle
Where are they: After a few offseasons with Jameis Winston and Andy Dalton, the Saints should have a better game at quarterback with the arrival of Carr. If wide receiver Michael Thomas, who has played just 10 games in the past three seasons, stays healthy and returns to his best form, it could end up being the best move for team offseason. The team avoided releasing Thomas after the two sides agreed to renegotiate a one-year deal. The arrivals of Miller and Williams could lead to a strong running committee with Alvin Kamara as the top running back. The Saints also re-signed tight end Juwan Johnson to give Carr another quality target. But the Saints lost a lot of defensive starters during free agency, with Onyemata and Tuttle going to rivals in the NFC South. With a tight salary cap, the Saints patched up the defensive line with the signings of Shepherd and Saunders. Perhaps Bresee, the team’s first-round pick, can help the thin interior defensive line, but he struggled to stay healthy during his time at Clemson.
Total Projected Earnings: 9.5
Odds of winning the NFC South: +110
Final note: C.
Relying on Thomas to be available this season is a risky move for a team lacking offensive weapons outside of wide receiver Chris Olave and Kamara. It was also a gamble for the Saints to bet on Carr, who was inconsistent during his nine-year stint with the Raiders. Carr’s presence makes the Saints contenders in a mediocre NFC South, but this aging roster lost a handful of starters and the defensive line has a lot of uncertainty, making them long shots out of the NFC if they advance to the postseason. . The Saints will need their core family of Kamara, Thomas, defensive end Cam Jordan, linebacker Demario Davis and cornerback Marshon Lattimore to make one more run with Carr under center. Perhaps the Saints’ best veterans are being overlooked, but they’re missing young cornerstone pieces. They may eventually have to do a complete reset if they don’t win the division this season.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Charles LeClaire/USA TODAY Sports
Key additions: DE YaYa Diaby, RB Chase Edmonds, OG Matt Feiler, IDL Greg Gaines, IDL Calijah Kancey, OL Cody Mauch, QB Baker Mayfield, K Chase McLaughlin, S Ryan Neal
key subtractions: S Mike Edwards, OG Shaq Mason, CB Sean Murphy-Bunting, S Keanu Neal, IDL Rakeem Nunez-Roches, OT Donovan Smith
Where are they: Interestingly, the post-Brady era began with the buccaneers‘ spending money on their inside free agents, retaining linebacker Lavonte David and cornerback Jamel Dean. Rather than go into a complete rebuild, the Buccaneers opted to eat $75 million in dead money to quickly fix the salary cap in hopes of making a splash next season and building on their offseason moves this year. Tampa Bay should remain somewhat competitive after keeping the core players and possibly adding two impact rookies in Kancey and Mauch. The Buccaneers, however, are taking a chance on Mayfield, who had rocky seasons with the Browns and Panthers before a productive five-game stint with the Rams to end last season. Mayfield, the No. 1 pick of 2018, might have to compete with Trask, but if he wins the job, he’ll have a standout receiving unit of Mike Evans, Russell Gage and Chris Godwin. Diaby, the team’s third-round pick, could push Joe Tryon-Shoyinka into the second running back behind Shaquil Barrett.
Total Projected Earnings: 6.5
Odds of winning the NFC South: +900
Final note: C-
The offensive line still needs more reinforcements, and if the unit struggles again, there is likely to be a quarterback rotation with Mayfield and Trask, which would mean a lost season and likely another quarterback hunt in 2024. Mauch It will help with the race block. , but the team neglected the running back position in the draft after averaging a league-low 76.9 rushing yards per game. Edmunds and Rachaad White probably won’t be enough to help Tampa Bay’s stagnant running game. The defense appears to be in better shape with some intriguing offseason moves, but it could be a long year for the Buccaneers.
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