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Let’s take a look at some of the highlights from Friday’s NFC South chat.

Free (Pittsburgh): Hey Pat, sort of glad tampa got rid of Winslow because he developed the Antonio Bryant, me first syndrome. I know that we are suppose be a run first team as we always say, but I am expecting big thing from Freeman and Mike Williams. Do you think that both can return to the 2010 form?

Pat Yasinskas: Possible on both. I definitely think Freeman can bounce back. Williams might have been humbled by last year and might come back better. He also might be helped by having Vincent Jackson taking up defensive attention.

Scott (Maine): If the falcons give matt ryan full control of offence I believe with the talet he has he could throw over 4500 yards your thoughts?

Pat Yasinskas: If they let him throw enough, I think that's certainly possible. He's got some great targets in Roddy, Julio and Gonzalez and they might even get some pass receiving yards out of Jacquizz Rodgers this year.

Tom Cruise (Crazy Town): If Cam throws for 4,500 years, but misses the playoffs, will critics still praise him so highly? Personally, I see Alex Smith's point. Stats look great on paper, but wins mean more.

Pat Yasinskas: I see his point too. But why say that publicly if you're Alex Smith?

Eric (Paris, Fr.): Do you feel it's Doug Martin's job to lose or shall we see Blount have the same amount of carries in bucs backfield?

Pat Yasinskas: Blount will still play a role, but my guess is his total carries will drop.

J. White (Georgia): Lots of negative stuff on Atlanta paper's website about Coach Smith being Falcon's problem. That's a pretty big turnaround isn't it?

Pat Yasinskas: Well, he lost his layer of insulation when the coordinators left. The pressure is squarely on him until he wins a playoff game ...or two.

Ryan (Raleigh NC): Pat are the Saints waiting for the bounty gate blow to over then sign Drew Brees to a long term contract to start the season off on a positive note

Pat Yasinskas: I don't think there's any big conspiracy or plot behind it. I think both sides simply just can't agree on a contract -- yet.

Ben (Atlanta): Pat after Kuechly, who would you rate as the most exciting pick the panthers have gotten in 2012?

Pat Yasinskas: Joe Adams because he seems to have the potential to be explosive as a receiver and return man.

Brandon (Lafayette,La) [via mobile]: Are the Saints moving Martez Wilson to de full time or just situationally and is this year that Scott Shanle is moved to his rightfull spot as a back up ?

Pat Yasinskas: They say they're experimenting with Wilson. My guess is he'll be at DE. They've got a whole bunch of LBs now. I think Shanle could end up as backup even if Wilson is at DE.

Sean (NO): What?s the deadline for signing Brent Grimes to a long term deal? That could definitely help out the cap in signing salary cap casualties later.

Pat Yasinskas: July 16 for all franchise players.

Mort (Rural Hall, NC): Any guess who will ultimately win the #2 corner job in Carolina?

Pat Yasinskas: Munnerlyn for now. But, like I said earlier, don't be surprised if Brandon Hogan becomes a factor.

Dale ( Union, MS ) [via mobile]: Who's probable to replace Will Smith, has there been any talk of trying to sign ir trade for defensive line and when abouts will you be covering some of the Saints workouts/camps? Thanks.

Pat Yasinskas: Think they're serious about giving Wilson and Romeus good looks and that might be the answer. Believe I'll be at Saints minicamp June 5 and 6.

Here’s the complete transcript of Friday’s NFC South chat.

The title of a project on the division blogs this week is “Dream/Nightmare scenarios’’ for each NFL team. When I first received the instructions, I called my boss.

I asked about the possibility of taking it one step further. I asked if I could write about the nightmare of all nightmares.

Let’s be clear: It’s not something that I think will happen. But nightmares, after all, are supposed to be the worst thing you can concoct. And there’s one remotely possible scenario in the NFC South that would go way beyond the run-of-the-mill nightmare scenario I cooked up in the team post on the Saints.

What if quarterback Drew Brees doesn’t get a long-term deal and somehow ends up sitting out the entire 2012 season?

If you’re a New Orleans Saints fan, this is where your stage of sleep goes from just dozing off to the start of the worst nightmare ever. This is where all the good feeling Brees has brought to New Orleans since 2006, and especially since the start of the 2009 season, disappears. This is where the Saints go from being the elite team they’ve been the past few years back to the mediocrity that was their trademark through almost their entire previous existence. This is where Chase Daniel takes the first snap of the season at home against the Washington Redskins on Sept. 9 and starts through the regular-season finale Dec. 30 at home against Carolina.

This is the land of 8-8, or maybe even 6-10.

Unlikely? Highly. I still believe Brees will sign a long-term contract, straighten out what’s been a mess of an offseason for the Saints and carry the team to another postseason berth, no matter how many coaches and other players are suspended.

But with each day that passes without Brees having that long-term deal, Saints fans must start worrying a little bit more. Brees carries the franchise tag, and the deadline for him to finalize a long-term contract is July 16. If he doesn’t have a deal by then, he has only one option -- sign the franchise tag and play for a little more than $16 million this season.

Wait, there is actually a second option. Brees could just decide to sit out the season.

Public perception is that Brees never would do that because he’s such a competitor. I’m not here to rain on Brees’ public perception. My experience around him leads me to believe he is what he’s perceived to be -- and that’s not true of all the people I cover. Brees really is a fierce competitor.

But that’s part of the problem. It’s hard to say exactly what he would do if the deadline passed with no deal. At this point, Brees himself might not even know what he would do. But my impression of him leads me to believe there’s at least the possibility he could feel like he has been wronged by the Saints and could swing back as strongly as possible.

Brees has made it clear he despises the idea of playing without any long-term security, so maybe he just doesn’t play. That would be beyond disastrous for the franchise.

This team might have lost its mastermind when head coach Sean Payton was suspended, but I think the Saints could go on nicely with Brees around. If he’s not, this team loses its heart, soul and at least as many games (eight) as it did the past two seasons combined.

Take Brees away from the Saints and you have the Jacksonville Jaguars. Wait, at least the Jaguars have Blaine Gabbert. Yeah, he was terrible as a rookie, but there were at least some reasons why he was a first-round draft pick.

Daniel, who was undrafted in 2009, has completed only six passes in his NFL career. Some people like to say Daniel is the second coming of Brees. He's not. The only things Brees and Daniel have in common are that they’re short by NFL quarterback standards and know the Saints’ playbook. Brees is a once-in-a-lifetime talent. Daniel might look fine in preseason games when he’s plugged into Payton’s system. But start him over an entire regular season, especially one in which Payton isn’t around, and you’ll get a quick reminder of why teams generally avoid quarterbacks who are 6 feet or shorter.

Daniel doesn’t have Brees’ arm, experience in the offense or his magic. Yeah, I know there’s a school of thought that says you could throw any quarterback out there with the likes of Jimmy Graham, Darren Sproles, Marques Colston, Devery Henderson and Lance Moore and he’d do just fine.

I don’t buy it. Daniel could get the Saints through a game or two (maybe a little more if Payton were around) if Brees were banged up. Brees could get the Saints through a season without Payton.

But Payton’s not going to be around. If, somehow, Brees joins him, the Saints suddenly would become a team with a defense that might or might not be average, some good skill-position players on offense and no threat at quarterback.

That sounds like a formula for instant mediocrity -- and a huge nightmare for a franchise and a fan base that has gotten very used to winning big.

Yes, the start of training camps is two months away, but it’s never too early to consider the coming season. A look at the best-case and worst-case scenarios for the Saints in 2012.

Dream scenario (13-3): The ending of this dream is simple. It ends exactly where it starts -- in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. That’s the site of this season’s Super Bowl and there’s no sweeter vision in the eyes of Saints fans than watching their team win the NFL’s biggest spectacle at home. If revenge is sweet, this would be 1,000 times sweeter.

New Orleans fans and players are mad about how severely the NFL punished the Saints for their bounty program. They would love it if Roger Goodell handed the Saints the Lombardi trophy in their own building.

It actually could happen. Think about it: Other than suspended coach Sean Payton, the Saints really haven’t lost that much from a team that went 13-3 last season. Linebacker Jonathan Vilma also is suspended for the entire season, but Vilma’s age (30) started to show last season. The Saints are better off with Curtis Lofton at middle linebacker. The Saints also will have to get through the first four games without suspended defensive end Will Smith.

But other than that, this team remains loaded with talent. Drew Brees and the offense always will put up a bunch of points. If new coordinator Steve Spagnuolo can make the defense better, the Saints easily are a playoff team. They’ll be motivated by an us-against-the-world mentality, so anything is at least possible.

Nightmare scenario (6-10): It’s easy to say Payton had a great system in place and a veteran team, so the assistants can just run the show and it will be business as usual. I tend to agree with that theory. But what if the importance of a head coach is even greater than we realized? And what if the emotional weight of the most turbulent offseason in NFL history catches up to the Saints?

That’s when all bets are off and when things could start falling apart. Since winning the Super Bowl in the 2009 season, the defense hasn’t been very good. The greatness of the offense has been enough to carry the Saints to the playoffs the past two seasons, but it hasn’t been great enough to carry them deep into the postseason. There’s no doubting Spagnuolo has a good defensive mind, but he might not have all the personnel he needs to run his scheme successfully.

Well, the easy thing to say is that the offense will carry this team no matter what. But even if Payton wasn’t suspended, it’s hard to imagine the offense being even more productive than last season. Take Brees and the offense back down to what they were in 2007 and ’08, give New Orleans a defense that’s no better than last season's, and the Saints could tumble to a middle-of-the-pack team.

Time for a look at some headlines from around the NFC South.

• After San Francisco quarterback Alex Smith downplayed Cam Newton’s stats, Carolina linebacker Jon Beason defended his quarterback. Beason took to Twitter with a message for Smith. Beason said Smith would have been looking for a job if Peyton Manning had signed with San Francisco.

• Kellen Winslow, who was traded away by Tampa Bay on Monday night, said he can breathe in Seattle. He said things were getting a little stuffy in Tampa, where he and new coach Greg Schiano had some philosophical differences.

• New Orleans coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is installing a defense that won’t feature as many all-out blitzes as the Saints used in recent years. But safety Malcolm Jenkins said that doesn’t mean the Saints will be any less aggressive on defense.

• New Orleans offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael said backup quarterback Chase Daniel has been stepping up and taking a leadership role with Drew Brees not participating in organized team activities.

• The Sporting News ranks the 32 NFL head coaches and there is not an NFC South coach in the top 14. Suspended New Orleans coach Sean Payton isn’t included in the rankings, but his replacement, Joe Vitt, is. New Orleans fans, who have been a bit sensitive lately, aren’t going to be happy when they see where Vitt was ranked.

If you’ve spent any time at all around New Orleans middle linebacker Curtis Lofton, you know he’s a guy with a lot of pride.

That’s why I wasn’t at all surprised as I read through a transcript of Lofton’s quotes from Thursday’s media session. Lofton spent the past four seasons in Atlanta. When he hit the free-agent market, word got out that the Falcons viewed him only as a two-down linebacker going forward.

“When you are a free agent, every weakness you have, they are going to look at,’’ Lofton said. “If you look at my time in Atlanta, my first year I was a first- and second-down linebacker. My second year, I played more than 95 percent of the snaps. The past two years, I played 99 percent of the snaps. I guess, if you play 99 percent of the snaps, you couldn’t say that I was a first- and second-down linebacker.”

Lofton, who is expected to be a three-down linebacker with the Saints, admitted that label bothered him.

“As much as you don’t want it [to], it plays in the money,’’ Lofton said. “That’s what it comes down to. Every team has their makeup of what they think a player can do and what they think he can’t do. A lot of teams may have said that. A lot of teams didn’t. It is on me to prove those guys wrong. I do have that chip on my shoulder. Every day I am going to go out and get better, and work on my weaknesses.”

Lofton also said a few other things that at least look like they were veiled references to (or maybe even direct shots at) the Falcons. The Atlanta defense Lofton played in looked a little like what coordinator Steve Spagnoulo is implementing in New Orleans.

“They are similar, but they are not the same,’’ Lofton said. “Spags, I would say he is more aggressive, and I like that.’’

The Falcons like to preach a “family’’ concept, frequently saying they like to draft players, develop them, and keep them for the long term. They didn’t keep Lofton, even though he was a leader of their defense pretty much from the start of his rookie season.

“When I was going through the process and they said the Saints were interested in me, I only took one visit, and that was here,’’ Lofton said. “Up in Atlanta, I hated these guys. That is the rivalry, you hate each other. Once I got here, hanging around coach (Sean) Payton, (general manager) Mickey (Loomis), (assistant head coach Joe) Vitt, and coach Spags, it felt right,’’ Lofton said. "It was family. Before I made my decision, I called Harp (Roman Harper), I called Will (Smith), and they were very receptive. They talked to me and said 'Hey, we need you. Come be a part of something great.'"

The Falcons haven’t won a playoff game during a four-year streak of winning seasons, which is more than a little bit of a sore spot among Atlanta's front office, coaches, players, and fans. I’m not sure that Lofton was aiming for that spot, but it sure sounded like it.

“The reason why I came here is to win a championship, and that is what everyone’s expectations are,’’ Lofton said.

Sounds to me like the NFC South's best rivalry has become even more heated.

We mentioned that the Saints will be inserting more zone coverage into their defense when we told you about linebacker Martez Wilson making the move to defensive end.

If Wilson stays at end, he might have to drop into coverage from time to time. But the secondary is going to be impacted much more by any change in coverage schemes.

“It is a little bit of a transition for cornerbacks Patrick (Robinson) and Jabari (Greer) but they really have done a good job so far fitting into that mode,’’ interim coach Joe Vitt said. “There is a little bit more adjustment wise with motion and formation, but that is why we have OTAs.’’

Vitt said there’s been a league-wide trend of offenses getting more big plays, and said those plays are less prevalent against zone defenses.

“Offensively, last year, we had 124 big plays of runs of 10 yards or more or pass plays of 20 yards or more,’’ Vitt said. “Defensively, we gave up more last year than we ever have at 99. The big plays on offense, we would like to keep that number exactly where it is. We have to get that number on defense down to about 75. Just a little bit more zone defense and not selling the farm is going to give you an opportunity to keep those big (plays) off your back.”

Safeties Malcolm Jenkins and Roman Harper also will face adjustments. But Vitt said new defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is doing a good job of getting his system installed.

“Spags is a hands-on coach,’’ Vitt said. “He loves to teach. He loves to have the whole defense in there so everybody is on the same page. I would categorize him as a player’s coach. He puts a lot of the decision-making on the player in the course of practice and the course of a game. He doesn’t dwell on mistakes. I think he is going to produce a very positive atmosphere around here for us.”

For the most part, the New Orleans Saints are keeping things status quo while coach Sean Payton is suspended.

But interim coach Joe Vitt revealed a few tweaks when he met with the media after Thursday’s practice. There are changes coming on defense, which isn’t Payton’s side of the ball. But you can bet Payton signed off on the changes before he began his suspension. He already had brought in coordinator Steve Spagnuolo to improve a defense that struggled at times the past two seasons.

Vitt said the Saints gave up too many big plays last season and the defense will look to include more zone schemes. It appears that also means there will be some personnel changes. Linebacker Martez Wilson, who showed some promise last year, has been moved to defensive end. He was lining up Thursday opposite Greg Romeus, another 2011 draft pick who missed last season with an injury.

"We've got a lot of zone pressures now and it's going to call for a defensive end to drop into coverage," Vitt said. "And Martez has got a pretty good foundation from being here a year ago with coverage and coverage aspects. So we've been very encouraged for the first week of what he's done. He'll be our right end. He does a pretty good job with pattern recognition. This is a time to experiment and we'll see what he can do."

Wilson has some quickness and that should help him at defensive end in a Spagnuolo defense. Spagnuolo likes to generate most of his pressure from the front four, but Wilson’s ability to drop into coverage could give the Saints some flexibility. Wilson’s quickness also could help him as a pass-rusher. Romeus also has potential as a pass-rusher.

Cameron Jordan, a first-round pick last year, is set to start at one defensive end spot. The Saints could have three players from the 2011 draft as their top three ends on opening day. Will Smith is New Orleans’ top end, but the NFL has suspended him for the first four games. Smith is appealing the suspension, but it looks like the Saints are coming up with alternatives.

As we wait for the Saints and Panthers to hold media sessions after Thursday’s workouts, let’s fill some time by taking a look at updated salary-cap figures for each NFC South team.

The Atlanta Falcons are $2.8 million below the salary cap and have only one draft choice (fifth-round pick Jonathan Massaquoi) left to sign. The Falcons don’t have a lot of room to work with. But, if some veterans they like come available, it wouldn’t be that difficult for the Falcons to restructure some contracts to free up salary-cap room.

The Carolina Panthers are $3.2 million under the cap. That figure is a little misleading. The Panthers released guard Travelle Wharton and designated him as a June 1 cut. That means Wharton’s entire cap figure ($7.6 million) currently is counting against Carolina’s cap. Once June 1 gets here, the Panthers will be allowed to spread Wharton’s cap hit out over this year and next.

The New Orleans Saints are $2.3 million under the cap. Like the Panthers, the Saints could be looking at some dramatic changes in their cap room. If linebacker Jonathan Vilma’s season-long suspension is upheld, the Saints will immediately free up his $4.9 million cap figure. The Saints can use that room as they try to get quarterback Drew Brees signed to a long-term contract.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are $16.5 million under the cap. That figure is updated with the trade of Kellen Winslow, which freed up $4.8 million in cap space. The Bucs still have to sign first-round picks Mark Barron and Doug Martin, but there still is plenty of room if the Bucs see an available player they like.

Time to take a run through the top headlines from around the NFC South.

• Interim New Orleans coach Joe Vitt said he’s been pleased with what he’s seen from the Saints so far in their offseason program. We’ll hear more from Vitt and players this afternoon, because the Saints have media availability after their workout.

• New Orleans rookie defensive tackle Aikem Hicks talked about adjusting to defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.

• Tom Jones runs through the positives and negatives of Tampa Bay coach Greg Schiano’s disciplined style. We’ll see how the Bucs take to Schiano in the long run. But I like what I’ve seen out of Schiano so far. He has brought structure to a team that didn’t have any last year, and that’s what led to the 10-game losing streak to end last season and cost predecessor Raheem Morris his job.

• Carolina defensive end Thomas Keiser has been commuting between California and Charlotte each week. He’s working to finish his degree at Stanford, but also has been taking part in the team’s offseason program.

• Falcons guard Justin Blalock will serve as a spokesman for the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.

• Atlanta tight end Tony Gonzalez came in at No. 53 on the NFL Network’s list of the top 100 players for 2012. Not bad for a guy who is 36.

• New Orleans linebacker Jonathan Vilma came in at No. 58 on that same list. That one is more than surprising. Vilma had an off year in 2011, when he was slowed by a knee injury. He also is scheduled to be suspended this season, unless he wins an appeal.

If I had to pick one undrafted rookie to make an NFC South roster right now, it would be Tampa Bay offensive lineman Desmond Wynn.

That’s because the Bucs obviously thought very highly of Wynn when they signed him. I just got a look at the contract details for all the NFC South undrafted rookie free agents and Wynn’s $15,000 signing bonus was easily the highest. That might have something to do with the fact Wynn played for coach Greg Schiano at Rutgers.

A lot of undrafted rookies got a signing bonus of $1,000 or $2,000 and a fair amount got no signing bonus at all. But, as he’s been known to do at times in the past, Tampa Bay general manager Mark Dominik handed out several signing bonuses that were well above the league average. Offensive lineman Bradley Sowell got $10,000, offensive lineman Mike VanDerMeulen got $8,000, cornerback Leonard Johnson got $7,500, safety Tramain Thomas got $7,000 and fullback Cody Johnson got $5,000.

Let’s take a look at the rest of the division and see which other undrafted rookies got at least $5,000 to sign.

The Falcons gave out only one signing bonus of $5,000 and that went to defensive end Louis Nzegwu.

The Saints gave running back Travaris Cadet, offensive lineman Brian Folkerts, offensive lineman Aderious Simmons and safety Johnny Thomas each a $5,000 signing bonus.

The Panthers gave receivers Jared Green and Rico Wallace each $7,500. Defensive tackle Nate Chandler got $6,000. Offensive linemen Will Blackwell and Matt Reynolds each signed for $5,000.

Trent Dilfer, Gary Horton, Mel Kiper Jr. and Matt Williamson got together and came up with an outstanding project that looks a few years down the road. Check out this Insider post in which they have NFL Future Power Rankings for all teams.

The rankings are based on what the panel projects teams will look like in the 2015 season. The panel used the following criteria -- roster, quarterback, draft, front office and coaching staff -- and weighed each in order of importance to come up with the rankings. You can see a more detailed explanation of the methodology here.

From an NFC South perspective, the rankings don’t look all that different from results in recent years or what most people are projecting in 2012.

The panel says the New Orleans Saints, who have won two of the past three division titles, will be the division’s best team in 2015. The panel notes the bounty scandal and its punishments, but the consensus seems to be that the Saints can overcome that because there’s a strong nucleus in place, as well as a good coaching staff and front office. Horton notes the Saints have to build around guys like Jimmy Graham and Mark Ingram in the future. I think it’s true that the Saints have to develop some more young stars in the next few years. But, as long as Drew Brees is the quarterback, the Saints should be a top-10 team.

After the Saints, there’s a bit of a surprise. Although the Saints and Falcons have been the class of the division in recent years, the panel doesn’t see that quite being the case in 2015. The Falcons are No. 13 and the Panthers are No. 12.

Let’s start with why the Panthers are viewed as a team on the rise. Dilfer sums it up well by saying quarterback Cam Newton has an incredibly high ceiling. In 2015, Newton will be just approaching that ceiling. There’s no doubt the future looks bright for Carolina, but the Panthers may have to replace longtime stars Jordan Gross and Steve Smith before too long.

I disagree with the panel slightly on the placement of the Falcons. I think Atlanta will be a top-10 team in 2015 and probably each year between now and then. I agree with the panel that the Falcons have some old players at several positions, but I think general manager Thomas Dimitroff gradually will address those issues. As long as Matt Ryan and Julio Jones stay healthy and linebacker Sean Weatherspoon continues to emerge as a defensive star, I think the Falcons will be an annual playoff contender.

The Buccaneers are No. 19. While that ranking is last in the division, the Bucs have been in the 20s and 30s in a lot of recent rankings. The panel sounds optimistic about the Bucs in discussing the young talent and the new coaching staff. But there are a lot of unknowns. If quarterback Josh Freeman can get his career back on track and coach Greg Schiano can make the transition from college to the NFL, I think the Bucs have a real chance to jump up in the rankings when 2015 actually rolls around.

It appears as if NFL commissioner Roger Goodell might not be done punishing New Orleans.

Goodell said at Tuesday’s league meeting in Atlanta that New Orleans, along with Honolulu, is a candidate to host this season’s Pro Bowl. New Orleans already is the site for this season’s Super Bowl.

In the distant past, I would have said getting the Pro Bowl would be a wonderful thing for New Orleans. But, have you watched the Pro Bowl in recent years, particularly this past season?

If you did, you saw a game in which offensive and defensive linemen barely touched each other and a stadium filled with fans in Hawaii booed an obvious lack of effort. The Pro Bowl has outlived its usefulness and the NFL knows it.

The game used to be played the week after the Super Bowl. In an attempt to make it more relevant, the NFL moved it to the week before the Super Bowl. That didn’t help and it might have made things even worse because Super Bowl participants can’t play in the Pro Bowl.

There even has been some talk about simply doing away with the Pro Bowl. The league still is having discussions about what to do with the Pro Bowl and nothing has been resolved.

“If we can’t improve it and can’t make it more competitive, then we shouldn’t play,” Goodell said.

I vote for scrapping the Pro Bowl. I don’t see how the league can improve it or make it more competitive. Players don’t want to risk injury after their season is over. The product is unwatchable.

But Goodell said, if a Pro Bowl is held this season, it will be held either in New Orleans or Honolulu.

Is that really necessary? I say no. I say Pro Bowl teams still should be elected. Hold some sort of ceremony in New Orleans the week of the Super Bowl to honor the Pro Bowlers. But there’s no sense playing a game players and fans don’t care about.

Time for a look at the top headlines from around the division.

Jeff Schultz writes that the Saints still are playing the “victim card’’ by saying they’ve been “railroaded’’ in the bounty scandal. It’s a point worth pondering. Sure, the suspended players have a right to the appeals process. But, if the suspensions are upheld, there comes a time when the Saints have to start moving forward.

Commissioner Roger Goodell knows he’s not a favorite among New Orleans fans these days. But Goodell insisted he has to act in the best long-term interest of the game and isn't worried about popularity contests.

Goodell said he would encourage Atlanta to bid to host a Super Bowl if the city gets a new stadium in the future. There’s a perception out there that Atlanta never will get another Super Bowl because the city was crippled by an ice storm when it last hosted the game in 2000. That was a fluke. If Atlanta does get a new stadium, it almost certainly will get a Super Bowl within a few years. That’s pretty much how things work in the NFL these days -- build a new stadium and you get a Super Bowl.

Mike Tolbert thinks he can be “the missing piece’’ for the Carolina Panthers. Remember how that worked out after Ray Edwards said he’d be essentially the same thing for the Atlanta Falcons last year? Tolbert’s got a real chance to help the Panthers. They’re saying he was brought into play fullback and I’m sure he will. But Tolbert’s versatile and I think he’ll also get some playing time in a backfield that already includes DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart. But Tolbert just needs to be one of many pieces for the Panthers. Their offense already is good, but they need a lot of pieces to emerge on defense.

Check out this column by Daniel Cox. It discusses the possibility of the NFC South being the NFL’s strongest division when it comes to quarterbacks. I think there’s a pretty strong case for that. Drew Brees has a great track record and Matt Ryan has a good one. If Cam Newton can build on his outstanding rookie season and Josh Freeman can get back to his 2010 form, I don’t think there’s any way any other division has as deep a crop of starting quarterbacks.

Tampa Bay backup quarterback Dan Orlovsky played a role in encouraging free-agent tight end Dallas Clark to sign with the Buccaneers. The two previously were teammates with the Indianapolis Colts.

Yet another difference between new Tampa Bay coach Greg Schiano and predecessor Raheem Morris. Instead of “beating the heat’’ the way Morris did by practicing early or practicing indoors at practice field, Schiano wants to embrace the Florida heat and use it to get his team in better physical condition.

Let's take a look at the top Tuesday morning headlines from around the division.

This one sounds a little strange at first. Carolina coach Ron Rivera said Brandon LaFell “encapsulates who we are’’. Think about that for a minute. LaFell is a young player that has shown some flashes of promise. But, overall, LaFell hasn’t done all that much. He hasn’t even been able to permanently lock up the No. 2 receiver job, but the hope is he can fill that role and start showing more consistency. So, in a way, LaFell does represent the Panthers. They’re a young team with a lot of potential, but they have yet to arrive.

Joseph Person takes a look at the top position battles for the Carolina Panthers' defense as they begin workouts on the field. The top one is for the No. 2 cornerback job. Fans might not want to hear this, but it looks as if that’s Captain Munnerlyn’s job. He remains undersized, and that makes him a target for opposing offenses. But unless Brandon Hogan, who played little as a rookie as he recovered from knee surgery, takes a huge step forward, I don’t see anyone else on the roster ready to challenge Munnerlyn.

There is one slight positive to New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees being unsigned and not participating in offseason workouts. Safety Roman Harper said that makes it easier to install the defense of new coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. Harper said if Brees was around, he would show no mercy on a defense that’s going through some big adjustments.

Gary Shelton writes that Kellen Winslow shouldn’t be surprised by the Buccaneers' decision to trade him. He’s right. It was pretty obvious that Winslow’s a guy who is used to doing things as he pleases. It’s also pretty obvious coach Greg Schiano runs a very tight ship. If Winslow really wanted to play for Schiano, he should have realized it was time for some changes. At the very least, he should have first talked to the new coach about his plans for the offseason. I’m not sure Schiano would have been excited at the prospect of Winslow spending some of his time working out in San Diego. But it’s at least possible the coach and player could have worked out a deal if the situation was put on the table before workouts started.

Drew Brees and Darren Sharper aren’t teammates anymore, but the former New Orleans safety went to bat for the Saints quarterback in this interview with WWL Radio’s Bobby Hebert.

“It still baffles me every day I wake up and I don’t see, on the bottom line, a new contract for Drew Brees,'' Sharper said. "I’m just confused as to why the guy that has led this organization has not been given a contract extension so he can be on board for years to come. ... You just have never seen this happen to a franchise quarterback and Drew is a franchise quarterback in every sense of the word. Have you ever heard of Tom Brady going through a contract, stalled talks that have taken this long. Peyton Manning? Aaron Rodgers? Philip Rivers? ... None of these guys have ever had to deal with a franchise tag and had to play out the last year of their contract and then go into the offseason.”

Sharper has a point. Brees has done a lot for the Saints and for the New Orleans area. You may see a guy like Manning or Brett Favre getting pushed out near the end of their careers. But Manning ended up with a great deal in Denver after parting ways with the Colts. Favre went on to have productive time with the Jets and Vikings after he and the Packers parted ways. But Brees isn’t at the end of his career. He has at least five more good years left in him and it's not like the Saints are eager to hand his job to Chase Daniel.

At the moment, Brees is in any conversation about the league’s best quarterback. He’s right there with Rodgers and Brady (and Manning, if you want to include him for lifetime achievements) and Brees is a notch or two above Rivers.

Sharper may be right when he says we’ve never seen a quarterback of Brees’ magnitude let his contract run out and have to go through lengthy negotiations in an effort to get a new deal.