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METAIRIE, La. -- He is boisterous, daring and, even though he won’t admit it, carrying a huge chip on his shoulder.

Maybe Rob Ryan, complete with his oversized personality, and the New Orleans Saints, an organization that’s carrying a chip of its own, are coming together at the perfect time. If Ryan can instill just a little of himself into the defense, it might be able to stop opponents on occasion -- and that might be enough to get the Saints back into the playoffs, maybe even back to something like the 2009 Super Bowl.

If this union sounds a little like something you’ve heard before, it’s only because you have.

Watch Ryan on the practice field or talk to him for five minutes and you feel almost like you’re watching or listening to Gregg Williams. Forget Bountygate for a minute and think back to when Williams arrived as the defensive coordinator in 2009.

All of a sudden, players were diving for loose balls in practice even after the whistle had blown. All of a sudden, the New Orleans defense had swagger and produced turnovers at a rapid rate. All of a sudden, the Saints had the only Super Bowl championship in franchise history.

That could happen again. It was easy to see an aggressive attitude from the defense as I watched minicamp practices the past couple of days. You could see innovation with the defense sometimes lining up with six defensive backs and no down linemen.

And you could see and hear the chip on the shoulder from the Saints and from Ryan.

The Saints have moved beyond Bountygate, but they’re still ticked off that they went 7-9 in 2012. The defense is particularly perturbed after ranking No. 32 last season and turning in one of the worst statistical performances in history.

Then, there’s Ryan’s chip.

"Anybody who has followed me, we were No. 3 in the league for 10 weeks of the season until every single player on the team was hurt and then I got fired," Ryan said. "We should have been No. 1. But that’s OK. I learned [from it]."

Ryan was talking about last season in Dallas, when he was let go as defensive coordinator. When asked if he had a chip on his shoulder because of it, Ryan said, "Not at all."

Yeah, right. Like Williams and a lot of other successful coaches, Ryan has a big ego. There’s nothing wrong with that. Ego can drive and push a coach and help him bring out the best in his players.

The Saints need to bring out the best in their defense. Everyone knows they have a great offense. Even a middle-of-the-pack defense could put them in Super Bowl contention. But Ryan isn’t shooting for the middle of the pack.

He wants an aggressive defense and he wants it to be one of the best in the league. He wants the defense to take on his personality.

"He doesn’t have to really instill it," middle linebacker Curtis Lofton said. "He just does it by being himself and saying the things he says, like, 'We’re going to be a great defense and you guys are great players.' As a player, that gives you confidence. When you’re a confident player and your coach believes in you, you want to make him right. That’s how he gets the aggressiveness part."

With Ryan, the Saints are switching from a 4-3 defense to a 3-4 scheme. Much has been made of that, and there were plenty of exotic looks from the defense in minicamp, which should mean there will be even more exotic looks when the regular season gets here. That’s a welcome change from a defense that was bland -- and bad -- under former coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.

Ryan’s doing all sorts of innovative things, like moving Will Smith, Junior Galette and Martez Wilson from defensive end to outside linebacker and putting safeties Malcolm Jenkins, Roman Harper and Kenny Vaccaro on the field at the same time.

But Ryan is doing more than installing a scheme. He’s trying to build a new culture on the defense.

"We’re in the attack business," Ryan said. "We say we’re in charge of discipline."

So far, there are plenty of signs the culture is changing.

"The thing I like about Ryan is he’s exactly what he preaches," defensive end Akiem Hicks said. "You have to appreciate that."

And what does Ryan preach?

"Hard work," Hicks said. "Hard work and he stays on you."

As last season went down the tubes, several players anonymously complained to the local media that Spagnuolo was unwilling to change and wouldn’t listen to input from players. It doesn’t sound like that will be a problem with Ryan.

"Rob makes the job fun," Lofton said. "He finds ways to lighten things up. He’s very aggressive. In his system, everyone’s going to get some burn, so everyone buys in."

The Saints have plenty of individual talent on defense, but the production hasn’t been very good since the Super Bowl season. But that will change if the defense continues to buy into Ryan.

His personality could give the defense a personality again. If that happens, the Saints could be champions again.

METAIRIE, La. -- Let’s take an evening run through some news and notes from around the NFC South.

ATLANTA FALCONS

D. Orlando Ledbetter reports that the Falcons are $6.437 million under the salary cap after getting $4.5 million in relief once Tyson Clabo’s June 1 release designation took hold. The Falcons still have three rookies to sign, but they should also have enough space to pursue defensive tackle Richard Seymour, who general manager Thomas Dimitroff has said is on the team’s radar.

CAROLINA PANTHERS

Jonathan Jones has a feature on how quarterback Cam Newton and linebacker Luke Kuechly have a friendly competition in which they’re pushing each other in practice. That’s a very healthy thing because it should help the two young players improve.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

Kenyon Coleman and Cameron Jordan were the first-team defensive ends at the start of practice, but Akiem Hicks rotated in at times. I think the Saints have high hopes for Hicks, who spent his rookie season at defensive tackle, but played some end in college.

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

The Bucs signed kicker Derek Dimke and waived tight end Evan Landi. Connor Barth has a pretty firm grip on the kicking job, but Dimke will get a look in the preseason.

From Matt Ryan’s probable contract extension to the usual questions about Carolina’s secondary and New Orleans’ pass rush to an inquiry about Tim Tebow and the Buccaneers, we covered lots of ground in Friday’s NFC South chat. Let’s take a look at some of the team-by-team highlights:

ATLANTA FALCONS

Matt Riddle (Atlanta, GA): Hey Pat, A lot of people are expecting Ryan's extension to be finished soon. You seem to think he should get Flacco and Rodgers money, but others point to his 1 playoff win and not winning a SB. Would you expect Ryan's agent to aim for $21+ Million per year?

Pat Yasinskas: Yep, his agent wouldn't be doing his job if he aimed for less.

Anthony (New Jersey): To sign their rookies will the falcons have to cut anyone with such little cap space?

PY: Not necessarily, if they want until after June 1, they'll get a cap bump for Clabo.

Devin (Atlanta): Bradie Ewing makes his "return" this year....which is basically his introduction to the Falcons. What does a healthy Ewing bring to the Falcons offense that we didn't see last year?

PY: In theory, he should give them solid all-around play at fullback. They think he can be a very good one.

CAROLINA PANTHERS

Mark (NC): Without any real talent in the secondary aren't the Panthers settng themselves up to have to air it out also to keep up on points?

PY: Yep, they're not looking too strong in secondary right now. I'd like to think Gettleman has something up his sleeve. But not sure where help is going to come from at this point.

Domo (NC): The Panthers finished with the best secondary (statistically speaking) of the NFC South last season and were ranked in the top half of the league as far as passing yards given up. While the Panthers may not have any big names, they still have have the same corners that helped end the season on a positive note. Why do you think the Panthers should bring in more competition than they already have brought in?

PY: To be totally honest, I think their CBs are all No. 2 or No. 3 guys.

Trae (Charlotte, NC): A lot of people seems to speculate that DeAngelo Williams is going to traded or released. Can you explain their logic in that? He is still a great player.

PY: He's taking up a lot of cap space, not only this year but in the future. And they've got cap issues now and in the future. It's not about his ability. It's about the cap.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

SJ (Alexandria): How is Akiem Hicks progressing?

PY: They haven't even hit the field yet. But Loomis has talked about how they have high hopes for him.

T Scott (Grand Saline TX): Hey Pat, I saw that some ranked the Saints Undrafted Free agent class as 3rd best. Personally I am pumped about their draft picks this season, especially about the pickup of Chase Thomas. Given their current roster, what do you think about Chase breaking into the starting lineup this year or at least in the rotation?

PY: Think he'll have a chance to compete with Butler, Wilson and Galette. Have heard a lot of good things about Thomas.

StShockey (Mississippi): I don't think the pick of Vacarro automatically dooms Jenkins or Harper, but it's obvious that Loomis and Co. believe he is the future. Your thoughts on moving Jenkins to SS, finally, Vacarro to FS, and Haprer as a Joker/Blitzer?

PY: Could be something like that or maybe Jenkins sliding inside for nickel situations?

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

Nicolas (Parkland, FL): Do the Buccaneers have one of the leagues best secondary's with the addition of Darrelle Revis, Dashon Goldson, and Jonathan Banks?

PY: Potentially, yes. And don't forget Mark Barron. I think he could be ready for a big year.

Tuck Bucs Fan (Philly): Im worried about the leadership Tampa would lose in the locker room if Ronde doesnt come back. Assuming he does, who do you see being able to step up and fill that void best?

PY: Think Goldson and Revis can bring some leadership.

Tony (Daytona): Pat why all the hate for Tebow what can it hurt to bring in tebow and give him a chance. I mean god forbid he unseats mike glennon for backup i mean what would the bucs possibly do if that "great" pick didn’t mean anything.

PY: Look, Tebow's a great guy and I respect him. But let's be real honest, he can't throw a football. That's kind of important for an NFL QB.

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

The players aren’t the only ones being impacted by the New Orleans Saints’ switch to a 3-4 defense. General manager Mickey Loomis said the personnel department also is adjusting.

“It’s changed, there is no question, because we are looking for different things and we are still trying to understand completely what [new defensive coordinator] Rob [Ryan] is looking for in a defensive player,’’ Loomis said. “It’s really the front seven that we are talking about here, but I think we have a really good handle on the type of player that he is looking for. We brought in a couple of guys from his team in Dallas in free agency and we have spent a lot of time talking to him about each of these college players that are draft eligible and how they would fit into our system.”

Loomis and coach Sean Payton have a history of drafting the best available player and that doesn’t always coincide with needs. But I think this draft could be different.

Even with their free-agent signings the Saints still need more players to fit Ryan’s scheme as he tries to overhaul a defense that ranked last in the NFL last season.

“We could line up and play today if we had to play, with a few practices,’’ Loomis said. “We’re just trying to add to that and improve. This draft is part of that process and, obviously, free agency was part of that process too, bringing in Victor Butler, Kenyon Coleman and Keenan Lewis. We’ve got some elements. We have some expectations of some guys that we drafted last year, Akiem Hicks in particular, and then we are looking for good seasons from some of our veteran guys.”

There’s no question the Saints already have put some parts in place. But this defense is far from a finished product and this draft will be crucial. Even if there’s an offensive player the Saints really like at No. 15, I think they need to pass and get a defensive player who has a chance to be a difference maker.

New Orleans center Brian De La Puente, who quietly has become a very solid anchor of the offensive line, was the biggest winner on the Saints when it came to the performance-based pool for the 2012 season.

The performance pool is designed to reward players with low base salaries who get significant playing time. De La Puente earned an extra $289,000, according to league sources.

The other New Orleans players to earn at least $100,000 from the pool were safety Isa Abdul-Quddus ($232,000), cornerback Corey White ($196,000), tight end Jimmy Graham ($146,000), safety Rafael Bush ($135,000), fullback Jed Collins ($134,000), defensive tackle Akiem Hicks ($129,000), defensive tackle Tom Johnson ($114,000), defensive end Junior Galette ($114,000), defensive end Martez Wilson ($113,000) and receiver Joe Morgan ($111,000).

Back when Curtis Lofton left the Atlanta Falcons for the New Orleans Saints as a free agent, he did it because he wanted to be an every-down linebacker.

Lofton has said the Falcons made it clear to him shortly after the arrival of new defensive coordinator Mike Nolan that he’d come off the field on passing downs. The Saints lured Lofton largely by telling him he’d be an every-down linebacker in their system.

He ended up coming very close to literally being an every-down linebacker. The Saints had 1,137 defensive plays. Lofton was on the field for a team-high 1,121 (98.59 percent) of those plays.

Let’s take a look at the playing-time percentage breakdown for the rest of the New Orleans defense:

• Safety Roman Harper 96.48
• Cornerback Patrick Robinson 96.13
• Defensive end Cameron Jordan 91.29
• Defensive end Will Smith 86.72
• Safety Malcolm Jenkins 76.78
• Cornerback Jabari Greer 71.94
• Defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis 62.36
• Cornerback Corey White 45.65
• Safety Isa Abdul-Quddus 41.6
• Defensive tackle Tom Johnson 36.85
• Linebacker Jonathan Vilma 35.71
• Defensive tackle Akiem Hicks 32.72
• Defensive tackle Brodrick Bunkley 32.1
• Linebacker David Hawthorne 28.14
• Defensive end Junior Galette 26.21
• Defensive end Martez Wilson 23.75
• Cornerback Elbert Mack 22.34
• Linebacker Jonathan Casillas 21.9
• Linebacker Scott Shanle 19.26
• Cornerback Johnny Patrick 18.91
• Defensive end Turk McBride 12.31
• Safety Rafael Bush 10.73
• Linebacker Will Herring 8.97

Time for a look at the top Saturday morning headlines from around the division:

ATLANTA FALCONS

Safety Thomas DeCoud won the Good Guy Award from the local chapter of the Pro Football Writers of America. Good choice. DeCoud is one of the best interviews in the NFC South.

The Falcons have declared safety William Moore (hamstring) and cornerback Christopher Owens (hamstring) out for Sunday’s game with Tampa Bay. Defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux (ribs), receiver Roddy White (knee), defensive tackle Corey Peters (knee) and defensive end Cliff Matthews (hamstring) are listed as questionable. Since the Falcons already have clinched all there is to clinch, I’d expect coach Mike Smith to be very cautious with the guys that are questionable.

CAROLINA PANTHERS

Quarterback Cam Newton was fined $31,000 for kicking an opponent and making physical contact with an official during Sunday’s win against Oakland. Defensive end Greg Hardy was fined $25,000 for hitting quarterback Carson Palmer with his helmet. Safety Charles Godfrey was fined $21,000 for hitting a receiver in the head.

Center Geoff Hangartner, running back Jonathan Stewart and linebacker James Anderson all are listed as questionable for Sunday’s game with New Orleans.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

Mike Triplett writes that it’s a good thing the Saints and coach Sean Payton agreed to a contract extension when they did. If this situation had dragged into next week when other teams start firing coaches, things could have gotten ugly. Payton could have been at the center of a bidding war and the Saints could have permanently lost their coach, which would have been catastrophic.

Running back Pierre Thomas, defensive tackle Akiem Hicks and cornerback Jabari Greer have all been declared out for the final game because of injuries.

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

Stephen Holder speculates that the Bucs might hold cornerback Eric Wright, who just returned from a suspension, out of Sunday’s game with Atlanta. It makes perfect sense to hold Wright out to avoid injury, if the Bucs are planning to release him after the season. I think that’s a good possibility. I think it’s highly unlikely the Bucs will pay Wright $7.75 million in base salary when they can free up the exact same amount in salary-cap space by releasing him. The only way I see Wright staying with the Bucs is if he takes a pay cut. Wright’s first season with the Bucs was plagued by injuries and the suspension and, when he was on the field, he didn’t do anything special.

Tampa Bay's defensive backfield has taken lots of criticism, but here's an article that praises the play of the front seven.

Let’s take a run through the latest headlines from around the NFC South:

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

No surprise here. Sunday’s game between the Bucs and St. Louis Rams won’t be televised locally. The Bucs have had the blackout lifted for only two home games this year.

St. Louis quarterback Sam Bradford says the Bucs use more blitzes from their secondary than any team he’s seen this year. But the downside of that is that Tampa Bay often leaves its inexperienced cornerbacks in one-on-one situations with no safety help.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

Bradley Handwerger writes that rookie defensive tackle Akiem Hicks is showing he belongs in the NFL. There was some doubt about that because Hicks played his college football in Canada. But Hicks has been getting more and more playing time as the season has gone on and could be in line for a starting job next season.

Running back Pierre Thomas was added to the injury report Thursday with a knee injury. But there was some positive news as right tackle Zach Strief practiced (on a limited basis) for the first time since suffering an ankle injury Dec. 9.

Jeff Duncan reports that the Saints are expected to hold a private workout for Chad Jones. The former LSU safety is attempting to make a comeback after being seriously injured in a 2010 car accident.

CAROLINA PANTHERS

Nobody is sure what the future holds in Carolina. But coach Ron Rivera indicated he thinks rookie Luke Kuechly is best suited to play middle linebacker and injured veteran Jon Beason has the skills to play outside. If Rivera sticks around and Beason survives an expected salary-cap purge, the Panthers likely will put Beason outside and keep Kuechly in the middle next season.

ATLANTA FALCONS

D. Orlando Ledbetter speculates that the Falcons could switch punt returners in the postseason. Dominique Franks has handled that duty most of the season and been unspectacular. Wide receiver Harry Douglas returned punts earlier in his career and showed some explosiveness.

Safety William Moore (hamstring) missed another day of practice. It’s looking like Chris Hope will get another start in Moore’s place. On the positive side, receiver Roddy White (knee) returned to practice after sitting out Wednesday’s session.

It’s so easy to sit back, look at the numbers and say the New Orleans Saints simply need to blow up their defense.

They are the first team in NFL history to allow 400 or more yards in each of its first seven games. The 3,323 yards the Saints have allowed are the most through seven games since the NFL first started tracking total yards in 1933. The Saints also are the only team to allow 24 points in each game this season.

It’s clear Steve Spagnuolo’s defense isn’t working. The Saints should just scrap it and go back to what (dare we say it?) Gregg Williams ran, right?

Wrong. That’s the worst thing the Saints, who host the Philadelphia Eagles on "Monday Night Football," could do for their future. Long before the bounty scandal broke, it became obvious that Williams had to go, and he did, leaving immediately after last season’s playoff loss to San Francisco.

When Sean Payton was making the switch, he realized the Saints needed something they’d never had in his tenure. They needed a consistently good defense.

“Listen, what we always win with around here is complementary offense and complementary defense," said Joe Vitt, who is the interim head coach as Payton serves a season-long suspension. “There have been, quite frankly, a lot of times around here since ’06 that we have struggled some defensively."

Yep, the Saints struggled so badly on defense in 2008 that Payton fired close friend Gary Gibbs and replaced him with Williams, even though the two men knew going in that their personalities and egos probably would clash.

For one beautiful season, things clicked. Williams’ defense, while not shutting everyone down, produced a bunch of turnovers and big plays, and the Saints won a Super Bowl. The next two seasons, the Saints got bounced in the playoffs because their defense wasn’t producing much.

Payton decided to, once and for all, fix his defense permanently. He hired Spagnuolo, who came with a proven system.

It’s not working as it should yet, but this is about the long term now, because the Saints aren’t going to the playoffs this season.

“I think with the veteran coaches [such as] Chuck Knox, Dick Vermeil, Ted Marchibroda, if you have dramatic changes and you have [radical] changes, that’s when panic sets in," Vitt said. “All of a sudden you’re going to create a scheme that you have not worked on in OTAs, that you have not worked on in training camp, and all of a sudden all of the things that looked good in OTAs and looked good in training camp all of a sudden start to look bad right now. If you put that panic in, the players can smell the house burning before the match is ever lit."

Leave the panic up to the fans. The Saints have to keep their eye on the ball and work through this or else they'll never get back to being the powerhouse they've been in recent years.

Sure, Spagnuolo can make a few minor tweaks. But the best thing he can do right now is to implement his system fully. The Saints already have decided rookie DT Akiem Hicks is a better fit than veteran Brodrick Bunkley

If safety Roman Harper can’t handle the coverage duties of Spagnuolo’s scheme, maybe it’s time to find out whether Isa Abdul-Quddus can. If Will Smith and Cameron Jordan can’t generate a consistent pass rush up front, maybe it’s time to figure out whether Junior Galette and Martez Wilson can.

Even if the younger guys do show they fit in Spagnuolo’s system, that’s not going to change everything overnight. The Saints faced salary-cap issues and a lack of draft picks in the offseason, and that’s why they weren’t able to stock Spagnuolo’s cupboard with the players he needed.

They’re going to face similar restrictions in the next offseason, but general manager Mickey Loomis is smart enough to work around that. It’s best to use the rest of this season to find out which guys do fit Spagnuolo’s system.

Then, fill the remaining holes in the offseason.

This might seem like a lost season for the Saints. But Payton is coming back next season and, if he has the kind of defense he’s always dreamed of, the Saints could be better than ever.

FALLING

Brodrick Bunkley, defensive tackle, Saints. When the Saints signed Bunkley to a five-year deal that averages $4.5 million per season in free agency, I thought it was a good move. But it certainly hasn’t turned out that way. The Saints were so unhappy with what they had seen out of the middle of their defensive line that they made Bunkley inactive Sunday night and started Akiem Hicks in his place. The good news is that Bunkley’s contract was structured in such a way that he’s only counting $1.6 million against this year’s salary cap. The bad news is, if the Saints cut him after the season, which now seems like a strong probability, they’ll be responsible for the remaining portion of his $4.5 million signing bonus on next year’s cap.

Drew Brees, quarterback, Saints. In some of our NFC South chats, some readers have scolded me for rarely being critical of Brees. Well, there’s probably truth in that because Brees has been an excellent player since I’ve covered the NFC South and I have no problem with him doing what he had to do to get his contract last summer. But I will criticize Brees now because his performance in Denver on Sunday night was dismal. Brees was as inaccurate as I’ve ever seen him and the offense never got into a rhythm. When you’ve got a defense like the Saints do, you need Brees to light it up just to have a chance to stay in the game.

Jonathan Stewart, running back, Panthers. Carolina pretty much scrapped the high-school offense (the read option) it had been running and went with a more traditional power game. That’s where Stewart is supposed to be at his best. But, when you’ve got a team that’s so severely flawed in so many different areas, guys can’t even do what they do best. Stewart gained 42 yards on 17 carries.

RISING

Peter Konz, guard, Falcons. The rookie made his first career start at right guard and turned in a solid performance in the victory against Philadelphia. I think there’s a good chance Konz will stay in the starting lineup on a regular basis. Veteran Garrett Reynolds had started the first six games and I don’t think the Falcons wanted to break up continuity while they were on a winning streak. But Reynolds had a back injury that allowed the Falcons to make the move and I don’t think they’ll switch back. Reynolds is a guy who already had shown all of his upside. Konz still has plenty of upside and the Falcons need to start tapping that.

Mike Sullivan, Tampa Bay offensive coordinator. It sure looks like Sullivan and his personnel are getting a feel for one another. Rookie running back Doug Martin has emerged as a true all-purpose back in recent weeks and Josh Freeman is hitting on downfield throws to Vincent Jackson, Mike Williams and Tiquan Underwood. Funny, but running the ball well and taking shots down the field were the buzzwords coach Greg Schiano and Sullivan used when they were hired as they talked about what they wanted their offense to look like. It took a little time, but it now looks like that’s Tampa Bay’s offensive identity.

Thomas DeCoud, safety, Falcons. Very quietly, DeCoud is having the kind of season that could land him in the Pro Bowl for the first time. He played a key role again as the Atlanta defense had a solid showing against Philadelphia. DeCoud finished with nine tackles, including two for a loss.

The New Orleans Saints’ defense, which has been the league’s worst, hasn’t been all that bad so far in Sunday night’s game against the Denver Broncos.

But the problem is the New Orleans offense has been unusually quiet. That’s why the Broncos have a 17-7 lead at halftime.

The Saints have made a few stops of Peyton Manning and the Denver offense and they also got a fumble recovery. It’s come with linebacker Jonathan Vilma making his first start of the season and shifting to the outside from his traditional spot in the middle and with rookie defensive tackle Akiem Hicks replacing Brodrick Bunkley in the starting lineup.

But quarterback Drew Brees hasn’t been nearly as sharp as usual. He’s completed 9 of 18 passes for 104 yards with one touchdown and one interception. The Saints have only 121 yards of total offense at halftime.

I don’t know if the defense can continue to do a decent job of slowing Manning. But I do know the Saints need to get Brees and the offense going in the second half.

Otherwise, the Saints will be in a deep hole at 2-5.

I’ll be back with a wrap-up soon after the game ends.

It’s way too early for any final conclusions. But the early indications are that the Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers had the best 2012 draft classes in the NFC South.

The fine folks at ESPN Stats & Information have put together a list of how many offensive and defensive snaps (special-teams players weren’t available) each team’s rookie class has played so far. The numbers couldn’t vary much more than they do from one end of the division to the other.

On pure numbers, you’d have to say the Panthers won the draft. They have gotten 982 snaps out of their draft class. Only seven teams have gotten more snaps out of their rookies. More than half of those (516) have come from first-round linebacker Luke Kuechly and second-round guard Amini Silatolu. But the Panthers have gotten 115 snaps from fourth-round defensive lineman Frank Alexander and 315 from fifth-round cornerback Josh Norman. Silatolu has been adequate, but Kuechly hasn’t quite hit his stride yet. As far as Alexander and Norman, it’s good and bad that they’re playing so much. What does it say about Carolina’s defensive line that a fourth-round pick can play so much so early? I know the Panthers wanted Norman to win the starting cornerback job, but opponents quietly have been pointing out why he lasted until the fifth round.

Carolina’s got a slight edge on quantity, but, so far, I’d say Tampa Bay is getting the most out of this draft. The Bucs are No. 11 in the league with 908 rookie snaps. All of them have come from the top three picks -- safety Mark Barron, running back Doug Martin and linebacker Lavonte David. Each member of that trio has started since the beginning of the season and all three have done some good things.

The New Orleans Saints had only five draft picks and rookie Nick Toon is spending his rookie season on injured reserve. So the expectations weren’t high for this class, but the New Orleans rookies are playing more than expected. The Saints are No. 22 at 446 snaps, with all of them coming from third-round defensive tackle Akiem Hicks and fifth-round defensive back Corey White. I think Hicks has come on faster than expected, but most of White’s playing time has been due to injuries.

Now, here’s what might the most amazing part of this whole list from an NFC South perspective. The Atlanta Falcons have gotten only 26 snaps out of their draft class. That’s No. 31 in the NFL (San Francisco’s rookies haven’t played any offensive or defensive snaps).

The Falcons are fond of saying that second-year receiver Julio Jones is part of this year’s draft class and that’s a valid point. But logic coming into the season would have said the Falcons would be getting a little more out of their rookies. Heck, I know a lot of readers out there thought third-round pick Lamar Holmes was going to win the starting job at left tackle. Guess what? Holmes has yet to play a down on offense.

The only two Atlanta rookies to play have been second-round guard Peter Konz (19 snaps) and seventh-round defensive tackle Travian Robertson (seven snaps).

Let's take a team-by-team look at some of the highlights from Friday's NFC South chat:

ATLANTA FALCONS

Jamel (Richmond,Va): What is biggest obstacle for Falcons versus the Panthers?

Pat Yasinskas: Not having a letdown after playing a Monday night game, having a short week and traveling cross country for the San Diego game.

Tom (ATL): Hate to bring up this question so darn early, but with Sam Baker playing well, do you see the Falcons looking to extend his contract or still replace him with the 32nd pick next year? (see what I did there?)

Pat Yasinskas: I see what you did. I think they have to wait to make sure he keeps playing this way.

John (ATL): I have to admit I thought Tony G. would have a little bit of a down year with Julio and Roddy. Why do you think he's been playing so well?

Pat Yasinskas: I think Roddy and Julio have a lot to do with Tony's success so far. They're pulling most of the defensive attention and he's getting good matchups.

CAROLINA PANTHERS

RyanMac (Winston-Salem): Luke Kuechly -- Whats going on? Is it adjusting to the NFL, the position switch, or what? He was supposed to be the second coming of Dan Morgan. Your thoughts?

Pat Yasinskas: Give him a little time. No doubt he's had some problems, but I still think he'll be good.

J (SF): The Panthers were surprised by an improved Bucs D in a road game against a coach they didn't have any pro film on. Then they beat the Saints, then they were embarrassed by the Giants when they had just 3 days to prepare. I've been hearing that the early season Thursday games are really hard for young teams, whereas the Coughlin-Eli type crews that have been together for years handle it much better. So... are the Panthers actually a good, but inexperienced & inconsistent team, or are they just not very good?

Pat Yasinskas: Too early to tell on the Panthers. Think they're a team that could go either way. We'll find out a lot more about them Sunday.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

Logan (Fla.): Pat do you see the Saints giving more touches to P. Thomas as season goes forward? Always produces but hardly sees a good number of touches! Kind of a waste actually. Thanks

Pat Yasinskas: Yeah, but they have to stop falling behind and being forced to abandon running game.

Matt (tupelo) [via mobile]: Akiem Hicks a starter by the end of the year?

Pat Yasinskas: Yeah, think that could come sooner, rather than later.

Sean (Vegas): Spags has to know by now that Saints cannot generate any pressure by just sending the front four. Do you think he tweaks his scheme going forward? Or are we just going to continue to watch the opposing QB stand there waiting for a WR to get open?

Pat Yasinskas: Think he almost has to make some tweaks. He's a smart coach and it's obvious things aren't working right now.

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

derrick (illinois): Is Freeman going to be the future in Tb? Also D you think its time we see more of Blount,, Martin is ok

Pat Yasinskas: Have to give Freeman more time before making that decision. Sounds like you will see more of Blount. Not sure it will be a lot more, but more than in the first few games.

EastEndBoy (DC): If running is so importnat to the Bucs, why do they only have pass catching tight ends...didn't they see this coming?

Pat Yasinskas: Excellent point. Schiano has said from Day One that they would run the ball a lot.

Fred (New England ): How often do you think we'll see blount compared to Martin? Will it be like a 50-50 split or something?

Pat Yasinskas: No, think Martin still will get majority of carries. But Blount will get more than he did in first few games.

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

Time for a Monday evening look at the biggest headlines from around the NFC South.

ATLANTA FALCONS

Coach Mike Smith said backup tight end Michael Palmer will miss Sunday’s game with Carolina due to a shoulder injury. The Falcons have starter Tony Gonzalez, but don’t like to overload him with blocking duties. Tommy Gallarda is likely to take on a role as a blocker. The Falcons also may consider activating Chase Coffman off their practice squad.

CAROLINA PANTHERS

Coach Ron Rivera said he wished wide receiver Steve Smith had not told the media about getting on Cam Newton when the quarterback was sulking at the end of Thursday night’s loss to the Giants. I understand that what happens between teammates should stay between them. But I don’t have any big problem with Smith acting as a veteran leader. Newton made a big deal in the offseason about saying he wanted to be a better teammate. Smith has had his own ups and downs, but he’s dealt with them. If Smith sees a quarterback with his head wrapped in a towel in the final minutes, he has every right to get on him.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo said rookie defensive tackle Akiem Hicks will start to get more playing time. Not a bad idea. Hicks has looked good in limited action and I don’t know that Sedrick Ellis has a real bright future with the Saints.

Quarterback Drew Brees insists the Saints will turn their season around after an 0-3 start. That’s still possible, but the Saints have very little margin for error if they want to make a serious bid for the playoffs.

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

With defensive end Adrian Clayborn done for the season after suffering a knee injury Sunday, there still is some hope Da’Quan Bowers could return later this season. Bowers tore his Achilles tendon in the offseason and is on the physically unable to perform list. Bowers spoke briefly to the media on Monday and talked about his rehabilitation without going into any detail about a time line for his return. But team officials previously have expressed optimism that Bowers might be able to start practicing when he’s eligible in Week 6.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- As expected, the New Orleans Saints will be without two injured starters. Receiver Devery Henderson (concussion) and cornerback Johnny Patrick (thigh) are inactive for Sunday’s game with Carolina.

The other inactives are running back Chris Ivory, running back Travaris Cadet, defensive lineman Tyrunn Walker, offensive lineman Bryce Harris and defensive end Turk McBride. Lance Moore is likely to start in Henderson’s place with Greg Camarillo and Joe Morgan getting time as the third and fourth receivers. Jabari Greer returns after missing last week’s game and will start at cornerback opposite Patrick Robinson. Rookie Corey White is expected to be used as the third cornerback.

Also, rookie defensive tackle Akiem Hicks will be active for the first time.

Carolina’s inactives are quarterback Jimmy Clausen, defensive back D.J. Campbell, linebacker Kenny Onatolu, tackle Bruce Campbell, guard Mike Pollak, tight end Ben Hartsock and defensive tackle Frank Kearse. Receiver Steve Smith and running back Jonathan Stewart, who had been listed as questionable, are active for Carolina.