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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 Buccaneers in 2012.

Dream scenario (10-6): This will only happen if coach Greg Schiano makes the transition from college to the NFL more like Jim Harbaugh than Nick Saban or Bobby Petrino. Harbaugh isn’t the norm in this category, but it’s possible Schiano could follow in his tracks. The cupboard isn’t bare, it just needs organizing. The Bucs have assembled a lot of young talent in recent drafts -- Josh Freeman, Gerald McCoy, Brian Price, Mike Williams, Arrelious Benn, Adrian Clayborn, Mark Barron, Doug Martin and Lavonte David -- and Schiano showed he can build during his time at Rutgers.

The key to it all is Freeman. Is he the quarterback who threw 25 touchdowns and six interceptions in a 10-6 season in 2010 or the guy that threw 22 interceptions and looked awfully anxious last season? Schiano and his staff firmly believe the 2010 version was the real Freeman and they’ve done everything possible to upgrade his supporting cast. They brought in Vincent Jackson to be the No. 1 receiver and guard Carl Nicks to bolster an offensive line that has a chance to be very good. They also drafted Martin and plan to use him as an every-down running back.

If Freeman is for real, he should bounce back strong from last year’s debacle. Lots of coaches and scouts around the league still believe in Freeman, but we’ll soon find out if he still believes in himself or if last year forever shattered his confidence. But even if Freeman improves, the Bucs must be a lot better on defense than they were last season when they allowed more points (494) than any team in franchise history.

Nightmare scenario (4-12): As demonstrated by the likes of Saban and Petrino, NFL players don’t always respond well to hard-charging college coaches. There’s no doubt this team needs some order after the Wild West days of Raheem Morris, but Schiano must get his players to buy into the new order in their worlds or he could be in for trouble. Although ownership showed a willingness to spend in free agency and the Bucs have had some early draft picks in recent years, this job is far from paradise.

Few, if any, of those early draft picks have shown that they are the real deal. Maybe all they need is better coaching, but maybe the Bucs just haven’t drafted very well. If Freeman struggles again, the Bucs suddenly have a quarterback quandary on their hands. If they struggle on offense, there’s no way they can win games in the NFC South. You don’t win a lot of games with defense in the modern NFL and, at least on paper, Tampa Bay’s offense is much more talented than its defense.

If Freeman doesn’t take a step forward and the defense doesn’t show improvement, it will become last season all over again. This is not a franchise that can handle a lot more misery. Attendance has been lacking in recent years, and the Bucs aren’t going to fill up their stadium until they escape obscurity and win consistently.

A quick look at the Saturday morning headlines from around the NFC South.

Perhaps the most tragic story of this offseason belongs to Tampa Bay defensive tackle Brian Price. His sister recently died in a car accident. This isn’t the first tragedy for Price. Previously, two of his brothers died at young ages. Price talked extensively about how devastating the latest loss has been. He also said he hopes to adopt his sister’s two young sons and bring them to Tampa.

The Panthers will take to the practice field next week, and are expecting often-injured right tackle Jeff Otah to be working out. But coach Ron Rivera made it clear that the starting job doesn’t automatically belong to Otah. That’s the right approach. Otah’s talented, but he hasn’t really played in this offensive system. More importantly, Otah has to show he can stay on the field. Byron Bell played well at right tackle last season. Otah might have far more natural talent than Bell, but it sure sounds like Rivera is saying Otah has to clearly win the job.

Owner Tom Benson said the goal for the Saints this season is to make history by becoming the first team to ever win the Super Bowl in its own stadium.

Atlanta general manager Thomas Dimitroff successfully completed his 40-mile route on Bike to Work Day.

Let's take a look at the top headlines from around the NFC South.

Check out this Insider piece by Mike Tanier of Football Outsiders. No argument that the Falcons are looking for a return man, and the Saints could use some depth at cornerback. But I’m not so sure the Panthers are as much in the market for a No. 2 receiver as a lot of people think. I believe the Panthers are ready to let Brandon LaFell, David Gettis, Joe Adams and Kealoha Pilares compete for the spot opposite Steve Smith, and are hoping one of them will step up. I also think the Tampa Bay coaching staff is intent on going with Jeremy Zuttah at center. But it doesn’t sound like Tanier is a big Zuttah fan.

The sister of Tampa Bay defensive tackle Brian Price reportedly died from injuries she suffered in a car accident.

Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank used the carrot of being a potential Super Bowl and World Cup host while discussing the new open-air stadium he wants with season-ticket holders.

Willie Roaf, who will be inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, reflects on why he left the New Orleans Saints for the Kansas City Chiefs.

Atlanta coach Mike Smith admitted in this radio interview that the Falcons are doing some “soul searching’’ after failing to win a playoff game the past four seasons.

Peter Finney writes that it’s time for Saints owner Tom Benson to get quarterback Drew Brees signed to a long-term deal. I couldn’t agree more. This situation has dragged on way too long. The Saints have dealt with a lot of turmoil this offseason, and getting their team leader signed to a new contract would accelerate the healing process.

Scott Fowler writes that the Panthers’ decision to put rookie Luke Kuechly at outside linebacker and keep Jon Beason in the middle for the moment is best for team chemistry. That’s true. Beason has been the leader of this defense for several years. It makes sense to at least let him open training camp in the middle. If a move needs to be made, it can come later.

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Examining who faces the most challenging season for the Buccaneers and why.

Back in 2010, the Buccaneers decided to invest heavily in the middle of their defensive line. They used a first-round draft pick on Gerald McCoy and a second-round choice on Brian Price. The thinking was the duo would make Tampa Bay solid in the middle for years to come. But things haven’t worked out exactly as planned.

McCoy and Price each have shown a few flashes, but injuries have prevented them from being anything close to dominant. A new coaching staff is taking over and there still is hope that McCoy and Price can prosper. But this coaching staff isn’t as deeply wed to players it didn’t play a role in drafting. The pressure is especially on McCoy, who was drafted with the No. 3 overall choice and forever will be compared to Detroit’s Ndamukong Suh, who was selected just before him. To date, McCoy has four career sacks and has missed 13 games with injuries.

The Bucs are hoping this is the year McCoy and Price finally stay healthy, but new coach Greg Schiano has brought in alternatives in case the injury problems continue. The Bucs have added free-agent defensive tackles Amobi Okoye, a former first-round pick by Houston, and Gary Gibson, who played for Schiano at Rutgers and has bounced around the league. McCoy and Price will get every benefit of the doubt, but they have to be able to stay on the field to make an impact.

Here’s a sign of just how far the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have come since January: They now are releasing the guys they grabbed off the streets to help them get through last season.

Adam Schefter reports the Bucs released defensive tackle John McCargo on Wednesday. The Bucs were so beat up at defensive tackle last season that they had to go out and sign McCargo and Albert Haynesworth, just to help them finish last season. The Bucs already parted ways with Haynesworth soon after new coach Greg Schiano took over. Now, McCargo, who appeared in four games and made five tackles, is gone.

That’s because Gerald McCoy and Brian Price are expected to be healthy after having their seasons cut short by injuries. The Bucs also added free-agent Amobi Okoye. They also have Roy Miller and Frank Okam and rookie Donte’e Nicholls also could compete for a job.

After ending last season on a 10-game losing streak, no team needed more out of the NFL draft than the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

On the surface, it looks like they got at least three starters in safety Mark Barron, running back Doug Martin and linebacker Lavonte David. Add them to key free-agent pickups Carl Nicks, Eric Wright and Vincent Jackson and Tampa Bay should have a very different look come September. Let’s take a look at what I suspect at the moment will be Tampa Bay’s starting lineup.

OFFENSE

• QB Josh Freeman

• RB Doug Martin (LeGarrette Blount will get some carries, but Martin’s an all-purpose back)

• FB Erik Lorig

• WR Vincent Jackson

• WR Mike Williams (he may have to beat out Arrelious Benn for the starting job)

• TE Kellen Winslow

• LT Donald Penn

• LG Carl Nicks

• C Jeremy Zuttah

• RG Davin Joseph

• RT Jeremy Trueblood

DEFENSE

• DE Adrian Clayborn

• DT Gerald McCoy

• DT Brian Price (Amobi Okoye will factor heavily in rotation and could start if injury woes continue for McCoy and Price)

• DE Michael Bennett (might have to beat out second-year pro Da’Quan Bowers in training camp)

• OLB Lavonte David

• MLB Mason Foster

• OLB Quincy Black

• CB Ronde Barber (if he doesn’t switch to safety)

• CB Eric Wright (Aqib Talib could factor in, but his future is uncertain)

• FS Cody Grimm

• SS Mark Barron

SPECIALISTS

• K Connor Barth

• P Michael Koenen

• KR Preston Parker (rookie Michael Smith also could factor into return game)

• PR Sammie Stroughter

New Orleans interim head coach Joe Vitt is meeting with the local media right now. It sounds like he’s addressing the bounty situation, the offseason program and lots of other things. We’ll have more on that after Vitt wraps up.

Meantime, let’s take a quick run through some headlines around the NFC South.

• Louisiana state police and the FBI are conducting a joint investigation into allegations that New Orleans general manager Mickey Loomis had the ability to listen to opposing coaches during home games from 2002 through 2004. Loomis and the team have strongly denied the allegations.

• Bradley Handwerger writes that the Saints have a public-perception problem on their hands, and they now are viewed as guilty before having a chance to prove their innocence. How do they start getting people to view them in a more positive light? Well, I think that’s going to be a process. But one good way to start that process would be to get quarterback Drew Brees signed to a long-term contract.

• I’m not a big believer in the alleged “Madden Curse’’. But, apparently, a lot of people are. Here’s a very thorough story on the economic impact of the curse. Keep this in mind, because the Madden 13 Cover Vote ends Wednesday and all indications are that the voting is very close between Carolina quarterback Cam Newton and Detroit receiver Calvin Johnson.

• Carolina general manager Marty Hurney and coach Ron Rivera reportedly traveled to Chapel Hill on Monday to meet with North Carolina defensive end Quinton Coples. I’m not sure exactly what to read into this, and I’m not ready to go ahead and say Coples will be Carolina’s pick at No. 9. But I do think it’s important to note that Hurney is not the type to play games and send out smokescreens. If he took the time to have this meeting, I’d guess there’s a very real chance Coples could be the pick, if he’s available at No. 9.

• Here’s an overview of Mark Dominik’s draft classes since taking over as general manager of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I guess it’s fair to say the jury is still out. But I also think it’s fair to say the upcoming season is a crucial one for Dominik picks such as Josh Freeman, Gerald McCoy and Brian Price. If they play well, Dominik’s draft history suddenly will look a lot better.

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

Just when it seemed like the offseason couldn’t get any more bizarre for the Saints, it has. Jeff Duncan reports that executive vice president Rita Benson LeBlanc, who had been viewed as the likely successor to her grandfather, Tom Benson, has been away from the team for several months. Duncan writes that LeBlanc was placed on unofficial administrative leave.

The Falcons open their offseason program Monday, but cornerback Brent Grimes is not expected to attend. Grimes is carrying the franchise tag and has not signed his tender. There haven’t been any recent talks about a long-term contract, because Grimes’ agent and the team have been busy getting ready for the draft. But talks should resume after the draft.

Richard Walker writes that the Carolina Panthers should trade down from the No. 9 overall pick in the draft. I don’t think that’s a bad idea, because the Panthers could add an extra draft pick or two. But, as I always say, it’s easy to talk about trading down. But it’s hard to actually make it happen. There aren’t offers to trade down at every stop in the first round, and the Panthers might be sitting past the point where teams are looking to jump up to.

The Saints reportedly have restructured the contract of middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma. No surprise there. Vilma had been scheduled to count nearly $7.7 million against this year’s cap. He’s aging and is coming off an injury, and the Saints had to knock his cap figure down because they have very limited cap room. Vilma also is facing a possible suspension for his role in the Saints’ bounty program.

Scott Reynolds writes that defensive tackle Amobi Okoye, a first-round pick by Houston in 2007, has a chance to shine with the Buccaneers. At worst, Okoye should be able to contribute as part of a rotation with Gerald McCoy, Brian Price and Roy Miller. At best, Okoye could be a starter if McCoy and Price, who each have struggled with injuries, continue to have problems.

After going through their first minicamp, the Buccaneers don’t seem to have any problems with new coach Greg Schiano’s more structured approach. They shouldn’t. Raheem Morris’ laid-back approach didn’t work. The Bucs are coming off a 4-12 season, and that’s not going to earn anyone the right to have easy practices in training camp or minicamp.

Former Atlanta safety Ray Easterling was the lead plaintiff in the first wave of concussion-related lawsuits against the NFL. He died last week, and police said his death was a suicide. For all those who say the NFL came down too hard with punishments on the Saints' bounty program, I point to this and other similar situations as to why the NFL acted the way it did. As these lawsuits move through the court system, the NFL can't afford to have the impression out there that it tolerates things like bounty programs.

Time for a quick run through the Easter headlines from around the NFC South.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and defensive tackle Amobi Okoye agreed to a one-year deal late Saturday night. Okoye, a first-round pick by the Texans in 2007, spent last season with the Bears. He provides some insurance at a position where the Bucs need that. They’re high on the potential of Gerald McCoy and Brian Price and also like Roy Miller as a rotation player. But Price and McCoy have had injury problems in their first two seasons.

Speaking of the Bucs and defensive tackles, former Tampa Bay defensive tackle Warren Sapp reportedly has filed for bankruptcy. Documents filed by Sapp show he owes $6.7 million.

A third bidder has surfaced in the quest to buy the NBA’s New Orleans Hornets back from the league. John DeShazier speculates that it could be Saints’ owner Tom Benson and says he’d be a perfect fit for the Hornets. Despite recent issues with the bounty program, Benson and the Saints have been very successful in New Orleans since 2006 and that’s great. But Benson had a long track record before that where he wasn’t viewed as the world’s greatest owner. I’m not so sure the fit is perfect. Besides, I'm not sure Benson needs to be taking on a new franchise at the same time the Saints are dealing with a major crisis.

In this Insider post , Mel Kiper has the Atlanta Falcons taking Illinois offensive tackle Jeff Allen with their first draft pick (No. 55 overall) this year. Makes some sense because left tackle Sam Baker hasn’t established himself as a real force yet. But you don’t find instant stars at left tackle in the second round of the draft. Kiper says Allen could start off on the right side and eventually move to the left side. The only problem with that is Kiper would be starting off as a backup on the right side, where the Falcons already have Tyson Clabo. I’m not so sure the Falcons are looking for a backup with their first draft pick. Yes, they need options at left tackle, but they can find that elsewhere and I can see them going with a different position with their first pick.

When he came to Tampa Bay in 2010 as the third overall pick in the draft, Gerald McCoy was supposed to be an instant star.

It hasn’t quite worked out that way. In two seasons, the defensive tackle has four sacks and has appeared in just 19 games.

But it sure sounds like new Tampa Bay coach Greg Schiano views McCoy as one of his core players.

“He plays defensive tackle the way I like,’’ Schiano said at the NFL owners meetings last week. “He’s a penetrating guy who can change direction. We’ve got to keep him healthy because I think he can be a dominant force in this league.’’

I think Schiano’s right. I’m not sure McCoy will become Ndamukong Suh, an All-Pro who was taken No. 2 by Detroit in that same draft. But I think McCoy can be a force. There have been brief flashes that indicate he can make good things happen in the middle of the defensive line, but there just haven’t been a lot of those flashes.

McCoy got off to a slow start as a rookie and, just when it looked like he was starting to catch on, he suffered an injury that shut him down for the final three games of the 2010 season. Last season, McCoy appeared in only six games before he was placed on the injured-reserve list.

Think about that for a second. The Bucs were 4-2 after six games. They never won another game after McCoy went down. I’m not saying McCoy’s injury was the sole reason for Tampa Bay’s collapse, but there’s no doubt it was a factor.

This is a big year for McCoy. He’s starting to get hit with the dreaded “injury-prone’’ label. But McCoy is a talent. If he can stay healthy, that would help the Bucs tremendously. Same for fellow defensive tackle Brian Price, who came in the same draft class as McCoy and has dealt with injuries of his own. Tampa Bay has invested a lot in its defensive line in recent drafts and we’re waiting to see the return on those investments.

If McCoy and Price stay healthy, they can form a nice interior rotation with Roy Miller. Defensive end Adrian Clayborn was one of the few bright spots last season. He could be even better in his second season and the same goes for Da’Quan Bowers, a second-round pick last year. The Bucs also like defensive end Michael Bennett.

The ingredients are there for Tampa Bay to put together a very nice defensive line. The Bucs just need to keep McCoy and their other young defensive linemen healthy and on the field.

TAMPA, Fla. -- Here’s the final price tag on Tampa Bay’s free-agent shopping spree: $141,055,554.

That’s the total value of the contracts the Buccaneers gave receiver Vincent Jackson, cornerback Eric Wright and guard Carl Nicks, and $67 million of that is guaranteed.

It’s tempting to say it’s a new day in Tampa Bay, but that slogan was used once (back when the Glazer family bought the team in the mid-1990s) and it doesn’t accurately portray what’s happened in the past 24 hours.

Yeah, the Bucs have spent way more than they did in salary to the entire team last season, but they really aren’t steering clear of the plan they’ve talked about since general manager Mark Dominik and coach Raheem Morris came to power in 2009. Morris is gone now and has been replaced by Greg Schiano, but the Bucs are still insisting they have been -- and will continue to be -- a team that builds primarily through the college draft.

This was not a sudden surge off course.

“It was the perfect time,’’ Schiano said. "It was the perfect storm. Everybody is new.’’

What the Bucs needed was a quick shot of energy into their building plan. That tends to happen when you go 4-12 and have sold out only two home games in the past two seasons. But that’s really not the main reason the Bucs are spending money this year after not spending a lot last year.

“We’ve stayed the course,’’ Dominik said. “When we talk about this football team and how it’s built, part of the reason we’re here today was we’ve built a nucleus of young players and we’re in a position now for those young players now to grow with some veterans from other organizations that can really help this team continue to grow as an entire unit.

“It’s not every day that Vincent Jackson, Eric Wright and Carl Nicks are going to hit the free-agent market. It’s a unique year. That’s kind of the way we projected back in 2010. A lot of people talked about why weren’t we more active in free agency last year. The way that the timing was, the CBA, the uncertainty and the lockout ... this felt like the time to add the players to this football team that could grow with us not only during the season, but in the offseason, and become a team together.’’

It might be hard to picture after watching the Bucs lose 10 straight games to end last season, but Dominik is serious (and perhaps right) when he talks about Tampa Bay’s young nucleus. Get defensive tackles Gerald McCoy and Brian Price healthy and back on the field. Give defensive ends Adrian Clayborn and Da’Quan Bowers their first full NFL offseason, and get quarterback Josh Freeman back on the track he was on in 2010.

Then, throw in Nicks, Jackson and Wright, and it’s not that difficult to picture a bright future for the Buccaneers. We’re not talking about the kind of 30-something free agents who were common in the days of former coach Jon Gruden and general manager Bruce Allen. We’re talking about three free agents still in their primes, with Jackson the oldest at 29. All three were wanted back by their former teams, which faced some salary-cap challenges. The Bucs, who entered free agency with almost $43 million in cap space, didn’t have the same constraints, and they capitalized.

They got the best receiver in free agency, perhaps the best guard in the NFL and a very solid cornerback.

“I’m a big believer in quality,’’ Dominik said.

But the shopping trip isn’t going to continue. Dominik said the Bucs will continue to monitor free agency and implied there could be some minor moves here and there, but the team’s focus now moves onto the NFL draft at the end of April.

The Bucs have the No. 5 overall pick and are likely to get a quality player there.

Take that guy and all the other young talent on the roster. Throw in Jackson, Wright and Nicks, and maybe the Bucs have figured out the formula for something they’ve been lacking for nearly a decade -- sustained success by a team that’s grown up together.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers acquired defensive end Michael Bennett without using a draft pick. They could end up with a first-round pick if Bennett is signed away as a restricted free agent.

A league source said the Bucs have placed the high tender on Bennett. That tender is expected to be worth approximately $2.7 million. The team has not announced the move.

The high tender shows the Bucs obviously have great respect for Bennett and think he can continue to blossom. Bennett entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2009 and signed with Seattle. After being released by the Seahawks, he was signed by the Bucs and gradually has gone from a role player to a starter.

Bennett started 10 games last season and produced a career-high four sacks. The Bucs had a disastrous 2011 season, but one area that the new coaching staff is looking to build around is the defensive line. There is promise there with Bennett joining Adrian Clayborn and Da’Quan Bowers, who the Bucs used their first two draft choices on last year. The Bucs also have defensive tackles Gerald McCoy and Brian Price, who were picked in the first two rounds in 2010.

The Bucs also have placed a right-of-first refusal tender on reserve offensive lineman Demar Dotson, who started two games last season. That tender is expected to be worth about $1.26 million. Dotson was not drafted so the Bucs would not receive any compensation if he leaves for another team.

The Bucs also have tendered their two exclusive-rights free agents -- running back LeGarrette Blount and receiver Preston Parker. Each of those tenders are expected to be valued at $540,000.

With the NFL combine kicking off, let’s take a look at several of the potential story lines involving the NFC South during the draft-preparation event:

Double dipping again? Last year, Tampa Bay general manager Mark Dominik used his first two picks on defensive ends Adrian Clayborn and Da’Quan Bowers. The year before that he used his first two picks on defensive tackles Gerald McCoy and Brian Price. In that same draft, Dominik also took two receivers almost in succession, with Arrelious Benn coming in the second round and Mike Williams in the fourth. If there’s a position where I can see Dominik doubling up this year, it’s cornerback. It’s unclear what the future holds for Ronde Barber and Aqib Talib.

Sitting it out: The Saints and Falcons don’t have first-round picks. But their scouts and coaches should be paying close attention to all the top prospects. You never know who might fall out of the first round, like Bowers did last year. More importantly, there’s no guarantee the Saints or Falcons stay out of the first round. They both have aggressive front offices and both are in a win-now mode. I can see either one trading back up into the first round.

Flip a coin: That literally is what it will come down to in deciding who gets the No. 8 pick and who gets the No. 9 pick between Carolina and Miami. The coin flip will be held Friday in Indianapolis. Carolina general manager Marty Hurney is an extremely superstitious guy and I’m guessing he’s carrying some sort of coin that he thinks is lucky. By the way, Hurney is so superstitious that he’s hoping for the No. 8 pick for another reason besides the fact it’s one spot higher than No. 9. In the 2003 draft, the Vikings failed to turn in their pick on time. The Panthers wound up jumping ahead of them and taking offensive tackle Jordan Gross. He’s had a pretty nice career, so Hurney probably is hoping for a repeat.

In need of a hit: Like coach Mike Smith and quarterback Matt Ryan, Atlanta general manager Thomas Dimitroff is under a bit of pressure if the Falcons don’t advance deep into the playoffs next season. Owner Arthur Blank has said simply making the playoffs isn’t good enough. He wants to contend for the Super Bowl. Dimitroff has had mixed success with his first-round picks. Ryan and linebacker Sean Weatherspoon have worked out pretty well and Julio Jones looks like he can be an elite player. But defensive tackle Peria Jerry and offensive tackle Sam Baker have had their careers stall. Dimitroff is going to be busy in free agency, but he needs to pull a starter somewhere out of this draft and it would be especially nice if that guy was a defensive end or a left offensive tackle.

In need of a pass rush: The problem with new defensive coordinator Steve Spagnulo’s scheme is that the Saints don’t have the personnel to run it effectively yet. Spagnuolo likes to generate almost all his pressure from the front four. Outside of veteran defensive end Will Smith, the Saints don’t have any real pass-rush threats on the line. The Saints almost certainly will address that in the draft.

TAMPA, Fla. -- I just sent a story to our news desk for our main NFL page, but this news shouldn’t come as any surprise.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have released defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth. The move was widely anticipated for numerous reasons.

Haynesworth basically was brought in as a rental player in November after the Bucs had a series of injuries in the middle of their defensive line, particularly a season-ending injury to Gerald McCoy. His cost for 2011 was minimal and Haynesworth filled a role by starting six games and making 25 tackles.

But McCoy is expected back at full strength and the Bucs also have good, young defensive tackles in Brian Price and Roy Miller. Haynesworth's contract structure for 2012 was dramatically different and that’s another big reason the Bucs went ahead and released him now.

Haynesworth had been scheduled to count $7.2 million against the 2012 salary cap. By releasing him, the Bucs will not be charged anything for Haynesworth against the salary cap. With leftover money carrying over from 2011, the Bucs now have approximately $67 million in cap space.

The NFC South is a division without a dominant defensive tackle.

But I think it’s fair to say Atlanta’s Corey Peters and Jonathan Babineaux, New Orleans’ Sedrick Ellis and Tampa Bay’s Brian Price were the best the NFC South had to offer in 2011. Apparently, their coaches agreed.

According to playing-time numbers obtained by ESPN.com, Ellis led all NFC South tackles by taking part in 66.3 percent of New Orleans’ 1,061 defensive plays. That percentage ranked Ellis No. 16 in the NFL and he was the only NFC South player in the top 20.

Peters was next at 60.4 percent, which ranked No. 23 in the league. Babineaux was No. 30 at 54.1 percent. Price, who was somewhat limited by injuries and was sent home early from one game by former coach Raheem Morris, took part in 47.1 percent of Tampa Bay’s defensive plays. That tied him at No. 37 in the league with teammate Roy Miller.

Carolina rookie Terrell McClain was one spot behind them, taking part in 46 percent of his team’s defensive plays. After that, there was a big drop off among the rest of the division’s tackles and we should note that Tampa Bay’s Gerald McCoy probably would have finished in the top four or five in the NFC South if he hadn’t suffered a season-ending injury.

Let’s take a look at the percentage of playing time for the rest of the NFC South defensive tackles:

• Sione Fua, Panthers, 39.7
• Vance Walker, Falcons, 36.85
• Andre Neblett, Panthers, 36.2
• Albert Haynesworth, Buccaneers, 35.8 (included time with Patriots)
• Peria Jerry, Falcons, 35.6
• Tom Johnson, Saints, 30.1
• Shaun Rogers, Saints, 29.7
• Frank Okam, Buccaneers, 28.2
• Aubrayo Franklin, Saints, 27.3
• Gerald McCoy, Buccaneers, 20.8
• Frank Kearse, Panthers, 16.5
• Ogemdi Nwagbuo, Panthers, 15.6
• Ronald Fields, Panthers, 13.9
• Mitch King, Saints, 4.8
• Carlton Powell, Falcons, 3.8
• DeMario Pressley, Panthers, 3.8
• Jovan Haye, Buccaneers, 2.8