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This is the time of year when you hear a lot about offseason workouts. This is when teams can begin conditioning drills and get out onto the field to start working on football and that continues through minicamps and organized team activities.

It’s a great time to build chemistry. You’ll also hear a lot of coaches bragging about how almost all their players are participating in the workouts, which is great. But, in some cases, there’s a lot of money to be earned just for showing up and working out in the offseason.

I just got a look at all the offseason workout bonuses scheduled to be earned (if the players take part in a majority of the workouts) by NFC South players this year and there were some eye openers. Tampa Bay general manager Mark Dominik doesn’t use a lot of workout bonuses in the contracts he negotiates. But, when he does use them, they’re significant. Tight end Kellen Winslow and cornerback Eric Wright have the largest workout bonuses in the division for 2012 at $500,000 each. Offensive tackle Donald Penn is right behind them at $400,000 and defensive tackle Gerald McCoy is scheduled to collect $300,000. Linebacker Quincy Black has a $250,000 bonus and defensive tackle Amobi Okoye is slated to make $200,000. Those six are the only Buccaneers with workout bonuses this year, but they come to a total of $2.15 million.

Carolina general manager Marty Hurney and New Orleans general manager Mickey Loomis are much more liberal in their use of workout bonuses. The Saints and Panthers each have 21 players scheduled to earn workout bonuses this year.

Carolina’s scheduled workout bonuses add up to $2.055 million. I won’t list anyone under six figures. But here are the guys who can earn big money. Charles Johnson, Jon Beason, DeAngelo Williams, Ryan Kalil and Ron Edwards each are scheduled to make $250,000. Charles Godfrey, James Anderson, Olindo Mare and Garry Williams each can earn $100,000.

If all the New Orleans players take part in enough workouts, the Saints will have to pay out $2.381 million. Sedrick Ellis leads the Saints with a $250,000 workout bonus. Jahri Evans, Lance Moore and Scott Shanle each are scheduled to make $200,000 and Will Smith is slated to make $150,000. Marques Colston, Roman Harper, Jabari Greer, Jermon Bushrod, Jonathan Vilma, Malcolm Jenkins, Devery Henderson, Pierre Thomas, David Thomas, Korey Hall and Will Herring each are scheduled to make $100,000.

Apparently, Atlanta’s Thomas Dimitroff, who probably works out more (he rides a bike religiously) than any NFC South general manager, doesn’t believe in workout bonuses. Dimitroff has used them very sparingly in the past. This year, there’s not a single Atlanta player schedule to earn a workout bonus.

The NFL draft is over and the Carolina Panthers have added at least one new starter.

That’s linebacker Luke Kuechly, who was drafted with the No. 9 overall pick. It just remains to be seen if he’ll start in the middle or on the outside.

Let’s take a look at Carolina’s projected depth chart as I see it at the moment.

OFFENSE

• QB Cam Newton

• RB DeAngelo Williams (Jonathan Stewart is interchangeable)

• FB Mike Tolbert

• WR Steve Smith

• WR Brandon LaFell (or David Gettis)

• TE Greg Olsen

• LT Jordan Gross

• LG Mike Pollak (or rookie Amini Silatolu)

• C Ryan Kalil

• RG Geoff Hangartner

• RT Jeff Otah (Byron Bell could end up here if Otah’s not healthy)

DEFENSE

• DE Charles Johnson

• DT Ron Edwards

• DT Terrell McClain (Sione Fua also will be in the rotation)

• DE Greg Hardy

• MLB Jon Beason or Kuechly (one of them will move outside)

• OLB James Anderson (or Beason or Kuechly)

• OLB Thomas Davis (or Beason or Kuechly)

• CB Chris Gamble

• CB Captain Munnerlyn

• SS Charles Godfrey

• FS Sherrod Martin

SPECIALISTS

• K Olindo Mare

• P Brad Mortman (at least one rookie besides Kuechly will play a lot)

• KR Kealoha Pilares

• PR Joe Adams (the rookie also could get some time as the slot receiver)

The Carolina Panthers just announced a move that might not sound like much, but it has the potential to have some implications in the defensive secondary.

The Panthers have signed safety Reggie Smith, who spent the last four seasons with San Francisco. Smith primarily was a backup and special-teams player, but he did start the final seven games of the 2010 season.

Carolina still has last year’s starting safeties, Charles Godfrey and Sherrod Martin, on the roster. But Martin didn’t have a great 2011 season.

Maybe Smith will end up simply being a backup and special-teams player. But the third-round pick in 2008 appears to have some upside in the Panthers' eyes.

“Reggie has been on our radar since the beginning of free agency and is a player we think can come in and compete at safety,” general manager Marty Hurney said. “We brought him in for a visit Tuesday and it worked out. He is another player we’ve added to increase the competition.”

Sounds like Martin will have some competition in camp. This is a no-lose situation for the Panthers. In a best-case scenario, Smith can come in, outplay Martin and win the job. Or Smith’s presence might light a fire under Martin and his play could improve.

The NFC South might not have a true standout safety, but it has plenty of durable ones.

Five division safeties participated in more than 90 percent of their team’s defensive plays in 2011. We’ll wrap up our series, which started last week, of playing time at every position with the safeties. Special thanks to NFC South Blog unofficial (and unpaid) intern Chris Walker from Saint Leo University for helping tabulate the results.

Carolina’s Sherrod Martin led all division safeties by participating in 96.8 percent of the defensive snaps. That percentage ranked No. 18 in the NFL as Martin was on the field for 990 of Carolina’s 1,023 defensive snaps.

Atlanta’s Thomas DeCoud (94.9 percent), Tampa Bay’s Sean Jones (93.8), New Orleans’ Roman Harper (93.2) and New Orleans’ Malcolm Jenkins (91.3) also were among the league leaders. Carolina’s Charles Godfrey wasn’t far behind them at 83.7 percent.

Here’s a look at some other NFC South safeties who got at least moderate playing time:

• William Moore, Falcons, 59.5
• Tanard Jackson, Buccaneers, 49.9
• James Sanders, Falcons, 45.2
• Corey Lynch, Buccaneers, 26
• Jordan Pugh, Panthers, 23.8
• Cody Grimm, Buccaneers, 16.7

Thoughts on the Carolina Panthers’ 48-16 victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday at Bank of America Stadium.

What it means: The Panthers are 6-9 and won’t finish last in the NFC South. That’s because the Buccaneers (4-11) clinched that. This is a classic late-season case of one team soaring and another falling faster than anyone could have imagined. The Panthers are going to head into the offseason with tons of optimism because they already have a high-powered offense. All they need is to get a few injured players back, tweak their defense a bit and they sure look like playoff contenders for the 2012 season. Tampa Bay lost its ninth straight game. Coach Raheem Morris made a big deal of “the race to 10 (wins)’’ last year. Looks like the Bucs are racing to 10 straight losses to end this season. Nice progress.

Best record: Peyton Manning’s record for passing yards by a rookie (3,739) had stood since 1998. But it’s been broken now. Carolina’s Cam Newton passed it early in the first quarter. Oh, by the way, Newton also had his 14^th rushing touchdown of the season, the most ever by a quarterback.

Best performance by a newcomer: Carolina safety Jonathan Nelson was signed off the practice squad this week due to an injury to Charles Godfrey. Nelson got the start and came up with an interception in the third quarter.

The Morris watch: There’s no question Morris is on the hot seat as his team has fallen apart since starting 4-2. I know there’s a small minority out there who say Morris should keep his job, replace himself as defensive coordinator and make a switch at offensive coordinator. Yeah, that’s brilliant and no doubt would put the Bucs straight into the Super Bowl next season. Actually, it’s ludicrous. It’s like having a refrigerator that hasn’t worked in more than two months and saying, “No need to call a repairman or get a new one because this thing just might kick in at any moment." The Bucs keep taking steps back and the team is in total disarray. There’s also the matter of Morris’ contract, which runs through 2012. If the Bucs somehow were even thinking about keeping Morris, they’d have to extend him because you can’t go into a season with a lame-duck coach (just ask the Panthers how that worked out with John Fox last year). If you do, you run the risk of the players tuning out the coach. Looks like some of that already has happened. It would be awfully tough to give Morris an extension as a reward for the way the Bucs have finished this season. I’m sure the fan base would be thrilled if that happens.

The Rob Chudzinski watch: Chudzinski is the offensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers and his name is getting thrown about as a potential candidate for a job as a head coach. Yeah, maybe the Bucs go out and find a bigger name — and maybe they can’t. But the Glazer family, which owns the Bucs, should have been watching this game and saying, “Hmm, this Chudzinski guy is doing a pretty nice job with a rookie quarterback. Maybe we should put him on the list.’’

Blount benched: Running back LeGarrette Blount lost a fumble on Tampa Bay’s first offensive play. He was benched after that and the Bucs went with Kregg Lumpkin and Mossis Madu, before Blount was inserted back into the game in the third quarter. Nice to see Morris using discipline. Then again, it’s probably too little too late.

What’s next: The Panthers finish their season Jan. 1 at New Orleans. The Buccaneers play their final game the same day in Atlanta.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers have issued their final injury reports for Saturday’s game.

Carolina went ahead and put cornerback Captain Munnerlyn on injured reserve. The Panthers promoted Jonathan Nelson from the practice squad. Nelson and young defensive backs Brandon Hogan and Darius Butler could get plenty of playing time because safety Charles Godfrey also is listed as doubtful.

The Bucs are listing defensive end Michael Bennett (toe), linebacker Geno Hayes (knee), defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth (knee), linebacker Adam Hayward (foot), defensive tackle Brian Price (ankle) and receiver Sammie Stroughter (knee) as questionable. But the encouraging thing is all of those players practiced Friday.

It looks like the Buccaneers are getting relatively healthy for Saturday’s game with the Carolina Panthers.

Only linebacker Adam Hayward (foot) and defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth (knee) were held out of Thursday’s practice. The Bucs frequently rest the veteran Haynesworth during the week. Defensive tackle Brian Price (ankle) participated on a limited basis after sitting out Wednesday’s practice.

The Panthers got a bit of good news as left tackle Jordan Gross (ankle) participated fully after sitting out Wednesday. Defensive end Charles Johnson (back) practiced on a limited basis after being held out Wednesday. But cornerback Captain Munnerlyn (ankle) and safety Charles Godfrey (shoulder) each missed their second straight day of practice.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers have issued injury reports for Saturday’s game. The New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons don’t play until Monday night, so they don’t have to file reports with the league yet.

Let’s take a look at the injuries of note for the Buccaneers and Panthers. Tampa Bay receiver Arrelious Benn, who missed the last game with a concussion, practiced on a full basis Wednesday. Defensive end Michael Bennett (toe), defensive tackle Brian Price (ankle) and linebacker Geno Hayes (knee) were held out of practice. Defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth (knee) also sat out, but the Bucs frequently give the veteran a day or two of rest during the week.

For Carolina, defensive back Darius Butler, who also is coming back from a concussion, participated fully in practice. But several big names were held out of practice. Left tackle Jordan Gross (ankle) and defensive end Charles Johnson (knee) did not practice. Cornerback Captain Munnerlyn (ankle) and safety Charles Godfrey (shoulder) also were held out of practice.

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

Mike Triplett notes that each of the last four games between the Saints and Falcons has been decided by three points. That’s why this has become the NFC South’s best rivalry. In fact, I think you could make a case that this has become one of the league’s best rivalries.

Carolina coach Ron Rivera said the Panthers are out to win their final two games and aren’t playing for draft position. That’s exactly the way the Panthers should be approaching this. They’ve got a chance to finish this season with some positive momentum that can carry over to next year. Just think back to John Fox’s first season (2002). That Carolina team finished strong and the Panthers were in the Super Bowl the next season.

Carolina’s defensive backfield is very banged-up. There is some hope that Charles Godfrey and Darius Butler can play Sunday against Tampa Bay, but the outlook isn’t as bright on starting cornerback Captain Munnerlyn.

Roy Cummings explores the future of Tampa Bay cornerback Aqib Talib, who will finish the season on injured reserve. Talib remains under contract to the Buccaneers through 2012, but he’s facing trial on an assault charge in March. That could lead to jail time or a suspension by the NFL. Even if Talib is cleared of the charge, there’s no guarantee he’ll be back with the Bucs. Coach Raheem Morris has been a big supporter of Talib. But Morris is on the hot seat with the Bucs on a losing streak. If a new coach comes in, he might not want Talib.

Although Atlanta defensive end Ray Edwards has come on lately, he told Jeff Schultz he’s still not at full strength after offseason knee surgery.

Lots of fans were curious about why general manager Mark Dominik was seen wearing a headset during Saturday night’s game with Dallas. Stephen Holder has the answer. The Bucs say Dominik wears the headset to keep in contact with Morris about injuries and replay challenges.

Seven NFC South players were in a pretty exclusive club in 2010. Carolina’s Ryan Kalil and Geoff Schwartz, Atlanta’s Justin Blalock, Sam Baker and Harvey Dahl and New Orleans’ Jahri Evans and Carl Nick played every one of their team’s offensive snaps.

According to league-wide play counts from last year that are used for calculating incentives in contracts and performance-pool pay, those players were among a group of 37 around the league to play 100 percent of their team’s offensive or defensive plays.

Safety Eric Berry was the only defensive player to take part in all of his team’s plays. Quarterbacks Peyton Manning, Sam Bradford and Joe Flacco also were on the field for all their team’s plays. Aside from those four, the other 33 to play 100 percent of the plays were all offensive linemen.

Carolina tackle Jordan Gross just missed joining the club. He came in at 99.99 percent. He sat out one of Carolina’s 989 offensive plays. Same for former Tampa Bay linebacker Barrett Ruud who took part in 1,024 of 1,025 defensive snaps.

Here’s a look at some other NFC South players who were among league leaders at their positions in 2010:

• Atlanta center Todd McClure -- 98.44 percent
• Atlanta cornerback Brent Grimes -- 98.77 percent
• Tampa Bay cornerback Ronde Barber -- 96.29 percent
• Carolina defensive end Charles Johnson -- 79.6 percent
• New Orleans defensive end Will Smith -- 79.31 percent
• Atlanta defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux -- 75.95 percent
• New Orleans defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis -- 77.08 percent
• Carolina linebacker Jon Beason -- 99.73 percent
• Atlanta linebacker Curtis Lofton -- 95.5 percent
• New Orleans linebacker Jonathan Vilma -- 96.86 percent
• Carolina linebacker James Anderson -- 96.57 percent
• Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan -- 98.44 percent
• New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees -- 98.73 percent
• Tampa Bay quarterback Josh Freeman -- 96.77 percent
• Carolina safety Charles Godfrey -- 99.46 percent
• New Orleans tackle Jermon Bushrod -- 99.37 percent
• Tampa Bay tackle Donald Penn -- 99.39 percent
• Tampa Bay wide receiver Mike Williams -- 99.55

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

The Panthers got some good news on the injury front. Safety Charles Godfrey and cornerback Chris Gamble have been cleared to return to practice Wednesday.

Although DeAngelo Williams has rushed for just 61 yards through three games, he will remain as Carolina’s starting running back. Coach Ron Rivera said Williams’ lack of production is because he hasn’t had holes to run through.

The Buccaneers still are waiting for full results from tests on the knee of safety Cody Grimm. Coach Raheem Morris said there definitely is damage to the MCL and there could be other issues. It sounds like the Bucs are expecting to be without Grimm for an extended period and they likely will turn to Corey Lynch to take his place.

Atlanta free safety Thomas DeCoud was back in the starting lineup Sunday against Tampa Bay after being benched in favor of veteran James Sanders in Week 2. DeCoud had an interception against the Bucs. But there are no guarantees. The Falcons are treating this as a weekly competition between DeCoud and Sanders and whichever one practices better during the week will get to start.

When the Saints made their game-winning drive Sunday, coach Sean Payton wasn’t calling the plays. That job fell to quarterback Drew Brees as the Saints went to the no-huddle offense. Brees made the calls on the field and the Saints marched 93 yards for a touchdown.

The final injury reports are out, so let’s check on the most significant injuries around the NFC South.

Carolina safety Charles Godfrey (concussion) is listed as doubtful and coach Ron Rivera said he doesn’t expect any miracles. That likely means Jordan Pugh will move into the starting lineup. Cornerback Chris Gamble tweaked an ankle in Thursday’s practice, but took part on a limited basis in Friday’s practice. Rivera said he expects Gamble to play against Jacksonville.

Tampa Bay linebacker Quincy Black (ankle) missed his third straight day of practice and is listed as doubtful. That likely means Dekoda Watson will start in Black’s place on the strong side. Middle linebacker Mason Foster is expected to wear the radio helmet, which Black had been wearing. Foster will call the defensive signals and is expected to remain on the field for passing downs.

New Orleans linebacker Jonathan Vilma (knee) is listed as doubtful and cornerback Tracy Porter (calf) is questionable. If Vilma can’t go, Jo-Lonn Dunbar likely will get the start, but the Saints have been rotating their linebackers steadily this season. Patrick Robinson is the likely starter if Porter doesn’t play. The Saints went ahead and ruled receiver Marques Colston and kicker Garrett Hartley out for Sunday’s game with Houston.

There’s positive news on the injury front out of Atlanta. Center Todd McClure, who missed the first two games with a knee injury, is probable and participated fully in Friday’s practice. If he’s able to go, McClure’s experience and leadership should only help an Atlanta offensive line that’s struggled in the first two games. Also, quarterback Matt Ryan (knee) is probable and practiced fully on Friday after being limited Wednesday and Thursday. As expected, defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux will be out with a knee injury. The Falcons also declared cornerback Kelvin Hayden out with a hamstring injury. That likely means the Falcons will turn back to Chris Owens as the nickel back.

Let’s check in on the injuries that matter most from around the NFC South.

The New Orleans Saints had safety Roman Harper (ankle) and linebacker Jonathan Casillas (foot) back at practice Thursday, after they missed Wednesday. But linebacker Jonathan Vilma (knee) and cornerback Tracy Porter (calf) each missed another day of practice.

Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan (knee) was limited in practice for the second straight day. Center Todd McClure, who missed the first two games with a knee injury, participated on a limited basis for the second straight day. Defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux, who is likely to be out several weeks with a knee injury, did not practice. Cornerback Kelvin Hayden, who moved into the nickel-back job against Philadelphia, sat out his second straight practice. If Hayden can’t play Sunday, it’s likely Chris Owens would step back in as the nickelback.

Tampa Bay linebacker Quincy Black (ankle) missed his second straight day of practice. If he can’t play against the Falcons, Dekoda Watson would start on the strong side and rookie middle linebacker Mason Foster would take over the play-calling duties. Defensive end Tim Crowder was added to the injury list Thursday. He did not practice because of a calf injury.

Carolina safety Charles Godfrey missed his second straight day of practice after suffering a concussion in Week 2. If Godfrey isn’t cleared to play, Jordan Pugh likely would get the start. Cornerback Chris Gamble was added to the injury report. He left practice with an ankle injury and the severity of that wasn’t known immediately.

Let’s take a look at the most significant injuries around the NFC South.

There is potentially good news for the Atlanta Falcons' offensive line. Center Todd McClure, who missed the first two games with a knee injury, returned to practice on a limited basis Wednesday. If McClure is ready to go Sunday, he’ll step right back into the lineup ahead of Joe Hawley. The Falcons also placed quarterback Matt Ryan on the injured list and said he had a knee injury. But Ryan was able to practice on a limited basis. Defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux (knee) did not practice and is expected to be out several more weeks. Cornerback Kelvin Hayden, who moved ahead of Chris Owens at nickel back last week, sat out practice with a hamstring injury.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Quincy Black sat out practice with an ankle injury. If Black isn’t ready to play against the Falcons on Sunday, Dekoda Watson is expected to start in his place on the strong side.

The New Orleans Saints practiced without several defensive starters. Linebackers Jonathan Vilma (knee) and Jonathan Casillas (foot), cornerback Tracy Porter (calf) and safety Roman Harper (ankle) did not practice. Coach Sean Payton said he hopes Vilma and Casillas can practice Thursday, but did not elaborate on the status of Porter and Harper.

Carolina Panthers safety Charles Godfrey (head) was the only member of the Panthers not to practice. If Godfrey isn’t able to play Sunday, the Panthers likely would turn to Jordan Pugh. Rookie quarterback Cam Newton was listed on the injury report with an ankle injury, but he participated fully in practice. Right tackle Jeff Otah (concussion) returned to practice after missing Sunday’s game. Otah was not listed on the injury report.

I’ve got the full breakdown of the contract extension safety Charles Godfrey signed with the Panthers the day before the season started.

Godfrey is now under contract through 2016. He received a $5 million signing bonus, but the Panthers were able to keep his salary-cap figure for this year ($1.8 million) relatively low by reducing his base salary from $1.2 million to $600,000.

Godfrey also is scheduled to earn a $5 million option bonus in 2012 when his base salary will be $700,000. His base salary starts to climb significantly in 2013 when it goes to $1.6 million. But the real jump comes after that.

In 2014 and 2015, Godfrey will have a $5 million base salary for each season. In 2016, his salary rises to $5.5 million. The deal also includes a $100,000 workout bonus for each year, starting in 2012.

Godfrey also will receive a $100,000 bonus in any season that he makes the Pro Bowl.