National Football League

NFC South Offseason Preview

Published Feb. 16, 2010 12:00 a.m. ET

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In today's parity-filled NFL, every team is one solid offseason away from being a playoff contender.

With every team doing their homework for 2010, check out our daily look at each team's offseason to-do lists by division.

Atlanta Falcons

OFFSEASON STRATEGY
The Falcons elected not to renew the contract of assistant head coach/secondary coach Emmitt Thomas. He appears to have been the fall guy for the poor pass defense and the slow development of the young cornerbacks. Tim Lewis, a former defensive coordinator with the New York Giants and the Pittsburgh Steelers, was signed in his place. Lewis will be charged with improving the pass defense and getting the young defensive backs playing up to their potential as quickly as possible.

The Falcons finished with 28 sacks, tied for 26th in the league after defensive end John Abraham's sack total dipped from 16.5 to 5.5 last season. The inability to get a pass rush helped lead to a porous pass defense. The Falcons finished 28th in the league against the pass and must improve the rush. There is hope that Abraham can return to form and that Lawrence Sidbury, who was drafted in the fourth round last season, can continue to improve. Sidbury, an explosive sackmaster at Richmond, spent most of his rookie season working on his techniques. The hope is that after a year of learning and a good offseason, Sidbury will be ready to blossom into the sack threat that he was in college.

If the Falcons are not happy with Sidbury's development, look for them to enter the Julius Peppers sweepstakes. Improving against the pass is a must this offseason.

TEAM NEEDS
1. Defensive end: There are several good pass rushing defensive ends in the draft.

2. Cornerback: The Falcons will need to get bigger at cornerback and could go for Oklahoma State's Perrish Cox or Boise State's Kyle Wilson in the first round.

3. Backup quarterback: Chris Redman is a free agent and the Falcons will have to make a decision on whether to keep him or continue to develop John Parker Wilson.

Carolina Panthers

OFFSEASON STRATEGY
The Panthers' biggest decision -- and it's certainly a big one -- will be what to do with soon-to-be free-agent defensive end Julius Peppers, a five-time Pro Bowl selection. All signs point to the Panthers allowing Peppers to walk in free agency without putting the franchise tag on him. That would represent a change in the team's philosophy of not letting difference-makers leave the organization. The Panthers have until Feb. 25 to put the franchise tag on Peppers.

Aside from the Julius Peppers situation, the team also needs to decide what to do with quarterback Matt Moore, a restricted free agent. It's expected he'll get the high tender to protect other teams from taking a flier on him. Moore appears to have the edge over Jake Delhomme as the starting quarterback next season.

TEAM NEEDS
1. Defensive end: If the Panthers fail to re-sign defensive end Julius Peppers or don't use the franchise tag on him it makes filling his role a priority. The Panthers drafted Everette Brown last year with an eye toward him taking Peppers' place. Look for the team to re-sign its other starting defensive end, Tyler Brayton. Charles Johnson will also return.

2. Wide receiver. Muhsin Muhammad will be 37 this year and the Panthers need a more explosive receiver to take some pressure off Steve Smith, who received constant double coverage last year.

3. Quarterback. The Panthers seem to like Matt Moore well enough, but Jake Delhomme's stock could be dropping. At the very least, the team will almost certainly let Josh McCown and A.J. Feeley walk and look to add another young quarterback via the draft or free agency.

New Orleans Saints

OFFSEASON STRATEGY
The Saints have a lengthy list of potential free agents, but only two of their unrestricted free agents -- All-Pro free safety Darren Sharper and strong-side linebacker Scott Fujita -- were starters for the Super Bowl champions. They have a large group of talented young players who will be restricted free agents, but they should be able to keep most of them around considering the success the team had this season.

The Saints likely won't use the franchise tag this season, unless they have trouble re-signing Sharper. Even though he's 34 years of age, Sharper still has a lot left to offer based on how he played this season. He'll likely want to end his career with the Saints after fitting in with defensive coordinator Gregg Williams and playing in his aggressive, attacking style of play. Likewise, Fujita may want to return. He's been a key to the defense since being one of the first free agents to sign with the team in 2006 and has a strong relationship with the organization and city.

TEAM NEEDS
1. Defensive tackle: The Saints were 21st against the run this season, allowing 122.1 yards per game, and they were gashed for some big runs -- especially in the second half of the season. Former first-round draft pick Sedrick Ellis is solid, but he could use some help in the middle.

2. Running back: After failing in a bid to get back into the first round of the 2008 draft to pick Beanie Wells, the Saints may well have one on their radar again. While Pierre Thomas, Mike Bell and Reggie Bush teamed up to help the Saints rank sixth in rushing at 131.6 yards a game, all had minor knee problems.

3. Tight end: Jeremy Shockey still has a lot left in the tank and David Thomas was a nice addition, but Shockey has been plagued by injuries the last three seasons and the Saints were thin at the position after Billy Miller was lost for the season with a torn Achilles' tendon.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
Bucs GM Mark Dominik already has lowered expectations regarding free agency. That's particularly true without an extension of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. Many of the Bucs' players will be restricted free agents -- including LT Donald Penn, RT Jeremy Trueblood and LB Barrett Ruud -- unless there is an agreement. Look for the Bucs to lock up those players with the highest possible tender. But free agent movement will be minimal.

TEAM NEEDS
1. Defensive line: The Bucs allowed nearly 160 yards per game rushing last season, primarily because they were beaten at the point of attack. Jimmy Wilkerson is recovering from a torn ACL. Chris Hovan is past his prime. Stylez G. White is a third-down rusher. With the third overall selection, they should be in position to draft an elite player.

2. Receiver: The Bucs will not franchise WR Antonio Bryant. They could re-sign him, but it depends on the market value. Tampa Bay general manager Mark Dominik said they want to build around Josh Freeman. But players like Michael Clayton and Maurice Stovall will not help him very much.

3. Cornerback: Ronde Barber is 34. The Bucs want to continue to press receivers when possible. They have a shutdown corner in Aqib Talib. They need another one.

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