2009 NFL Preview: NFC South

It's that time of year! The NFL is just about locked and loaded. As a part of a virtual tour around the NFL, let's take a look at what teams have done over the off-season to improve their odds in 2009. Today's division of choice? The NFC South.

Carolina Panthers

After Carolina's horrible playoff loss last season, you might have thought that this team was headed for wholesale changes. Well, you were wrong! Not much has changed on the Panthers roster. Other than a few rookie draft picks, the same team that went 12-4 last season is coming back in 2009. So who did the Panthers draft?

The Panthers big draft pick was second rounder Evertte Brown, a pass-rushing end out of Florida State. At 6'1, 256 pounds, he is a little light, but he has great speed coming off the edge, and they are hoping he will be the replacement for Julius Peppers should he leave next season. The Panthers also drafted Sherrod Martin at cornerback, hoping he will see some immediate time and bring some youth and athletic ability to a secondary that was torched by the Arizona passing game this past January.

Speaking of passing games, the Carolina Panthers did nothing to help improve theirs and will continue relying on the deep ball to Steve Smith for the majority of their aerial production. However, they did look to improve upon an already terrific running game by acquiring Tony Fiammetta, a hard-hitting fullback out of Syracuse who could see immediate time in the Panther's backfield, blocking for Deangelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart, who looks to get a few more carries this season.

Atlanta Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons made a big splash when they went out and got Tony Gonzalez in a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs. They now enter 2009 with one of the most promising 1-2 receiving punches in the NFL, with Roddy White at wideout and Gonzalez at tight end. This move gives the Chiefs a lot of versatility in their offense, because Gonzalez can line up at so many different positions on the field. This will also give running back Michael Turner a lot more lanes, as safeties will have to pay a lot more attention to Gonzalez, especially in the red zone, where he is one of the most dangerous targets in the NFL.

As for the defense, the Falcons really needed to get better at the run coming into this season, and they tried their best. Free agent linebacker Mike Peterson is with the team, and he was an accomplished run stopper over in Jacksonville. And the drafting of first round pick Peria Jerry out of Ole Miss will give them a big boost at the defensive tackle position, where they were so readily destroyed throughout last season.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

There's no question that big changes are coming to the Buccaneers. With new coach Raheem Morris, the team enters a new era, and the first thing to go is that Tampa 2 defense that had been a staple of the team since the freaking Reagan administration. With Derrick Brooks gone, former safety Jermaine Phillips will now play weakside linebacker, in a attempt to bring that same type of speed and explosion that Brooks used to provide at the Will linebacker position. However, in this defense, it is probably more imperative that Phillips be a better filler then he is a speedster, as this new scheme will look to force all plays to the middle, where as the Tampa 2 defense was an advocate of "spilling" the run to the outside. The addition of Roy Miller, DT from Texas, should also contributed to an improved rush defense.

Offensively, the Bucs will likely remain challenged, as they are giving Byron Leftwich a second chance at career redemption. While I think Leftwich could be very good, the fact is that that they have a horrible offensive line, which could spell trouble for both Leftwich and newly acquired running back Derrick Ward. Perhaps, free agent acquisition Kellen Winslow can help both of those guys out with his speed and versatility. Of course, if things go awry early on in the season, Winslow could be catching passes from 1^st round pick quarterback Josh Freeman, who was once coached by new head coach Morris at Kansas State.

New Orleans Saints

The Saints high-flying offense may be even faster this season. The departure of Deuce McAllister gives way for more carries from Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas. Thomas should get the bulk of the carries though, as he has proven to be a much better "running back" than Bush, whose primary impact on the game comes from his versatility as opposed to his pure rushing skills. Also, the addition of fullback Heath Evans gives the Saints another weapon out of the backfield. If WR Marques Colston can stay healthy, the Saints could be looking at their most explosive offensive season yet.

Defensively, the Saints addressed their abysmal secondary by drafting cornerback Malcom Jenkins out of Ohio State. Many considered him to be the best cornerback in the draft, and he is definitely one of the more versatile corners who could start at safety this season. The Saints also went out and got Jabari Greer and Darren Sharper in free agency, to give them a much more experienced defensive backfield.