At the beginning of the season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were a hot pick to surprise the league. And they did surprise, but by ending the season on ten game losing streak. Instead of pushing to make the playoffs, it seems now they’re competing with Carolina to avoid being the worst team in the division.
What moves are the teams in the NFC South going to have to make to keep pace in one of the most competitive divisions in the league? Let’s find out.
Atlanta Falcons
Offensive Guard
During their playoff loss in New York, the Falcons looked like a team struggling to find their identity. In the draft they mortgaged their future on drafting Julio Jones, but although they now have two premier wide receivers they tried to be stay with a ball control offense. The strategy was brutally unsuccessful, and the problem begins up front. The interior of the offense line was dominated all season, and Atlanta really needs to spend multiple draft picks re-working the offensive line. Offensive tackle is a need as well, but inside is where the priority will lie.
Cornerback
It’s been two years in a row now that the Atlanta secondary has struggled in the post season. Brent Grimes is the solution on one side of the field, but the Falcons need much more help there. At the very least they need much better depth at the position, but finding a new starter for 2012 would be a huge boost to their defense.
Tight End
If the Falcons plan to continue to play a more conservative style of offense, they’ll need to put a premium on the tight end position during the offseason. Tony Gonzalez has been great for Atlanta, but he can’t have much left in the tank. Another athletic, play making tight end would be a big benefit for Matt Ryan and the Atlanta offense.
Carolina Panthers
Defensive Tackle
The Panthers went a long way towards rebuilding their team by drafting Cam Newton, giving their offense a tremendous shot in the arm. Now it’s time to focus on the defensive side of the ball. One of their biggest weaknesses has been in the middle of the defensive line, and they need to find someone who can anchor their defensive front if they want to talk about making the playoffs in 2012.
Cornerback – As long as Carolina is going to have to face Drew Brees and the Saints at least twice each season, they’re going to need to have a strong secondary. They’ve got some nice pieces to work with, but they need to find at least one more starter to feel really good about that unit.
Linebacker ¬– Rather than isolating one linebacker spot that is in desperate need of help, Carolina needs to look at adding depth across the board. There was a rash of injuries at the position, and it hurt them in all phases of the game. Having solid depth at linebacker would go a long way towards bolstering their run defense, which struggled in 2011.
New Orleans Saints
Nose Tackle
The Saints struggled to stop the run all season long, and improving the front seven is going to be at the top of Sean Payton’s to do list in the 2012 off season. It starts on the defensive line, and New Orleans will need to look for a way to strengthen the nose tackle spot this year. The Saints will have to find some help at line backer, as well.
Defensive Backfield
New Orleans didn’t have a good run defense, but the passing defense wasn’t much better. Roman Harper was given a big contract in 2011, but his play was underwhelming. Really, any help for the secondary would be an improvement as Tracy Porter is heading to free agency and the depth at corner is shaky at best.
Offensive Tackle
At times, it can be tough to identify a weakness in the Saints’ offense. However, they’ve had somewhat of a rotation at either offensive tackle position this season and they haven’t been able to find a grouping that has really worked well. Brees is the key to their offense, and keeping him upright is a must. Finding a solution at offensive tackle will have to be a priority for New Orleans.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Cornerback
It wasn’t too long ago that many felt that the secondary could be a position of strength for the Bucs. But off the field issues and disappointing play on the field have left this as a big position of need for Tampa Bay. Safety could use some help too, but for now corner back is where the Buccaneers will need to focus.
Wide receiver
In 2010, one of the biggest surprises was the emergence of Mike Williams as a legitimate threat at wide receiver. In 2011, he was one of the biggest disappointments. Tampa Bay needs to get a number one wide receiver to make sure that Josh Freeman can continue to develop as a quarterback.
Center
Jeff Faine has been a solid player for many years, but he hasn’t played a complete season since 2008 and is getting up there in years. He may not need to be replaced in 2012, but Tampa Bay needs to start planning for his replacement.
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