LogFAQs > #937560277

NFC South

1. Anaheim Lightning
2. Atlanta Falcons
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
4. Carolina Panthers

Well somebody has to win this division. I'm going with the team that I have seemingly picked to win the division every other year. The Lightning easily have the most talented roster in the division, so that's a start. They turned over half of their roster from a squad that has been mired in mediocrity, record-wise. That's probably a good thing? The secondary is clearly an issue, but that front seven is pretty damn great. I think they can be an above-average defense because of it. If they want to seize the division though, the offense will have to play to its potential. The excellent play of the OL, breakout season from HB Kestahn Moore, and the perennially fantastic play of WR Antonio Brown went to waste because of the mediocre play of QB Eli Manning. Having retired, they decided to roll the dice on former Raiders backup Blake Bortles. Laugh all you want, but he's improved significantly each season in the league, and he's had more work as a backup than most. Whether he's a good fit is unknown at this point, but he is an improvement over Eli at all, the Lightning should be in a great position to earn their first playoff berth since S2.

I'm putting the Falcons here under the belief that Aaron Rodgers will still be in uniform and will be made the starter over Brian Brohm before the regular season begins. The offense has quality players across the board. There may not be any stars, but they are a deep and versatile bunch that can withstand a few injuries. If they are to make the playoffs, it will be on the backs of their defense. They have one of the best DE combos in the league, and even though both Josh Julmiste and Doug Worthington are in their 30s now, there's no reason to expect them to slow down this season. After trotting out the same DT pair for many seasons, the Falcons idled and were given DT B.J. Raji in free agency. He does have some history being a capable pass rusher, which should make him an instant improvement over what they had. The relatively young LB corps is getting there. They already had a stud in MLB James Laurinaitis, but former Day 1 picks Pernell McPhee and Anthony Chickillo on the outside are coming into their own. If the defense lets them down again this season, it will be because of a secondary. The Falcons had previously thrown a lot of resources at CB but neglected the safety positions, and it ended up being a disastrous unit. There hasn't been much change there, but they have a new projected starter at FS, and with a bit of luck, maybe they will improve considerably. The Falcons have the highest floor out of anyone in this division, so that should keep them in the NFC South conversation, but they just aren't a team that I have a lot of confidence in. You frequently see one of those teams in a wild card spot, so if they can take advantage of a weak division, they can compete for multiple playoff spots.

The Bucs coasted off of their star power to claim the division last season, but two of their five best players just retired (WR Nate Burleson and DT John Henderson), and they also went through another offseason of mass departures coupled with getting free agent scraps. The high-end talent isn't there, and the depth is thin to put it mildly. They could become the next Bills if people don't step up. They've already lost two starting OL for the season, so that's not a great way to begin. If they wish to make a third straight playoff trip, they need to look not toward their best players like HB Matt Forte, OT Orlando Franklin, and OLB Sio Moore but to young players hoping to break out. Players like WR Jarvis Landry, MLB Alec Ogletree, and SS Adrian Amos need to make big leaps. It might be too much to ask so many players to be better than they've been before. Clustering of career years has been more common than it has any right to be, so I wouldn't be surprised if that's the case with the Bucs, but god this team keeps having their talent gutted. I just feel like they are due for a downfall, even a short one.

The Panthers were a bad team last season and let three of their better players walk in free agency (FB Champ Davis, C Nick Hardwick, and DE Luis Castillo). Even with the addition of a new QB in Carson Wentz, it's hard to imagine much improvement in both unit performance and the win column. While I still expect the offense to finish in the bottom 10, maybe the defense can be their saving grace. It's hard to find a better combo up the middle than DTs Claude Wroten/Callahan Bright and MLB Jonathan Vilma. There are major question marks everywhere else, but maybe their playmaking ability can help get them to respectability. If I don't sound convinced, it's because I'm not, but I'm trying to find something positive in this situation.
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KCF can't actually be a real person but he is - greengravy
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