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

There probably isn’t a defensive coordinator in the league who has faced more criticism than Sean McDermott the past two seasons. He was fired by Philadelphia after the 2010 season, and his defense was dismal in his first season in Carolina.

McDermott got a bit of a pass because Carolina had a bunch of injuries on defense, it was the first year for a new coaching staff and rookie quarterback Cam Newton and a suddenly explosive offense gave fans a nice distraction. But, no matter how many points Newton and the offense scored, the Carolina defense had enormous trouble protecting leads in a 6-10 season. The excuses won’t fly this time around.

Linebackers Jon Beason and Thomas Davis and defensive tackle Ron Edwards are returning from injuries and the Panthers added linebacker Luke Kuechly in the first round of this year’s draft. McDermott has the personnel necessary to put together a respectable defense. The injured players and Kuechly join a nucleus that includes defensive end Charles Johnson and cornerback Chris Gamble, and the pressure is squarely on McDermott to put a good defense on the field.

If he can do that, Carolina could be a legitimate playoff contender. If not, McDermott could be on the hot seat.

Charles Johnson, the Carolina Panthers’ top pass-rusher and perhaps their best defensive player, reportedly had surgery on his right knee Friday.

But it doesn’t sound like this is anything to get too worried about.

General manager Marty Hurney described the procedure as a “minor clean-out." Johnson finished last season with nine sacks, despite playing with a lower-back injury.

The Panthers aren’t setting any timetable for Johnson to return during their offseason program. But Hurney said Johnson will be ready for the start of training camp in July.

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 fourth round is just about over. It's down to the compensatory picks and those can't be traded, so this round will end with only three picks made by NFC South teams.

But this still was a relatively eventful round for the division. Carolina was the star in this round as the Panthers used back-to-back picks to get Oklahoma defensive end Frank Alexander and Arkansas receiver Joe Adams. I don’t think either is a candidate to start right away, but they give the Panthers some depth at positions where they needed depth.

Charles Johnson is Carolina’s big threat at defensive end and Greg Hardy hasn’t really produced the way the Panthers had hoped. They still have hope Hardy will emerge, but Alexander provides another option behind him.

I like the Adams pick even more. Carolina has one certainty at receiver. That’s Steve Smith. After that, the Panthers are hoping Brandon LaFell can continue to develop and David Gettis can come back strong from last year’s season-ending injury. But there are no guarantees LaFell and Gettis will become stars, so it makes sense to add another guy to this mix. Adams could end up being used as a slot receiver fairly early on. He has the potential to be explosive and, with Cam Newton’s arm, the Panthers could use someone besides Smith that can get open down the field.

Speaking of wide receivers, the Saints got one with the only other NFC South pick in the fourth round. They took Wisconsin’s Nick Toon. A lack of top end speed and questions about his durability are the main reasons Toon slid to the fourth round. But this is a polished player from a big-time program. In New Orleans’ offense, wide receivers tend to produce more than their draft status would suggest. Just look at what Marques Colston and Lance Moore have done.

The Saints did lose Robert Meachem in free agency. They still have Colston, Moore and Devery Henderson. Toon should have a chance to compete with Adrian Arrington for the fourth receiver spot.

As I drove down to Bradenton, Fla., back in February to interview some draft prospects at IMG Football Academy, I thought a lot about Carolina’s 2001 draft class. That’s because I was about to see a member of that class -- Chris Weinke, who now is IMG’s director of football operations.

I also was about to meet Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly, who was preparing for the scouting combine under Weinke’s guidance. The Panthers used their first-round pick on Kuechly on Thursday night, but we’ll get back to Kuechly in just a minute. Let’s stick to the 2001 class for now.

As I drove, I thought about how that class might have been the best in franchise history (although the 2007 class that included Jon Beason, Ryan Kalil and Charles Johnson certainly is in the argument). But the 2001 draft is different in one regard. If not for a few twists of fate, it could have gone down as one of the greatest draft classes in NFL history.

Let’s start with the Panthers' third-round choice of Steve Smith, a wide receiver who is still with the Panthers and is still going strong. He at least has a shot at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Weinke was the fourth-round choice. He got thrown into a bad situation as a rookie starter and never was “the guy’’ once John Fox took over the next year.

Safety Jarrod Cooper (a fifth-round choice) and running back Dee Brown (sixth round) also contributed as special-teams players and offensive lineman Louis Williams (seventh round) hung around for a bit, even though his claim to fame was his willingness to pick up a couple hundred bucks from teammates for practicing in shorts and a t-shirt on one of the coldest and snowiest days in Charlotte history.

Then, there was second-round choice Kris Jenkins. For a brief period, he was the best defensive tackle in the game. He was a major reason the Panthers went to the Super Bowl in the 2003 season. Jenkins’ career got sidetracked by two major knee injuries and he grew unhappy in Charlotte. He later went to the New York Jets and, for a short time, looked like the best defensive tackle in the game again. Then, he got hit with more injuries.

Had Jenkins been able to stay healthy and happy, he might be in Hall of Fame discussions with Smith. Then, there’s the star-crossed case of Dan Morgan, the linebacker Carolina took in the first round of that draft.

“The best football player I’ve ever played with,’’ Jenkins told me last summer, soon after he announced his retirement.

People tend to forget how great Morgan was. That’s because his career was overshadowed by injuries, mostly concussions. Morgan spent seven seasons with Carolina, but never was able to play in more than 13 games in a season. In his last two years, he played in only four games.

But, in the few moments he was healthy, Morgan might have been the best player in this class. Remember Super Bowl XXXVIII? Morgan officially was in on 18 tackles in that game, but Carolina coaches put the number at 25. When Morgan was healthy, he was spectacular. Without all the injuries, Morgan might still be playing and he easily could be ahead of Smith and Jenkins in that hypothetical Hall of Fame conversation.

Through the years, I’ve discussed Morgan many times with Carolina general manager Marty Hurney. Coach George Seifert had the general-manager powers in that draft, but Hurney was part of the Carolina brain trust and moved into his current role the next year. When Hurney talks about Morgan, you hear bittersweet tones. Like everyone else in Carolina’s building that spent time around Morgan, Hurney talks glowingly about Morgan’s talent and how he was a true pro’s pro. Then, the injuries come up and that’s when the tone becomes sad. Hurney saw Morgan as a player that could have been truly special.

That’s why I have to wonder if Hurney was thinking about Morgan (and what he could have been) as he went through the draft process with Kuechly. I sure was. When Carolina’s pick was announced, my first thought was “Hurney just drafted a healthy Dan Morgan."

Kuechly is like Morgan in so many ways – a sideline-to-sideline linebacker who lives for football. Like Morgan, Kuechly had a highly-productive career from a strong college program.

Kuechly is coming in young, fresh and healthy. If he can stay that way, he could end up being the player Morgan never quite was able to become. That would make Hurney and a lot of Carolina fans very happy.

Keep Kuechly on the field for a decade and he could become a Pro Bowl regular. Maybe even, someday, a Hall of Famer.

The Carolina Panthers just announced they have re-signed defensive end Antwan Applewhite.

This is a move that gives the Panthers some solid depth behind Charles Johnson and Greg Hardy. I’m not prepared to say this takes Carolina out of the mix for North Carolina defensive end Quinton Coples if he’s available with the No. 9 pick in the draft. Coples could be a special player and the Panthers may take him, if they really like him.

But the return of Applewhite means it’s not urgent for the Panthers to get another defensive end. Applewhite made a bit of a surprising impact after being signed in October. He had 21 tackles, two sacks and one forced fumble while playing in 12 games.

Applewhite is versatile and athletic and could even line up at linebacker. He played for Carolina coach Ron Rivera when Rivera was defensive coordinator for the Chargers and that’s part of the reason he was signed. Applewhite was re-signed because he performed even better than the Panthers expected last season. With a full offseason and training camp, Applewhite could earn even more playing time in the rotation of the defensive line.

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Atlanta Falcons

Key additions: LB Lofa Tatupu, G Vince Manuwai

Key losses: LB Curtis Lofton, WR/KR Eric Weems

Keeping their own: Much to the chagrin of their fans, the Falcons chose not to pursue defensive end Mario Williams or any other big-name free agent. Instead, they focused hard on keeping their own guys. That started before the season ended with tight end Tony Gonzalez re-signing and continued into free agency as the Falcons made it a point to lock up guys like receiver Harry Douglas, defensive end John Abraham and running back Jason Snelling. They also protected cornerback Brent Grimes with the franchise tag.

The only loss that really hurt was Lofton. The Falcons liked him, but new defensive coordinator Mike Nolan didn’t view him as a three-down player. The Falcons still made an effort to keep Lofton, but weren’t willing to pay big money. They brought in the veteran Tatupu, who could be a short-term answer. But there’s a hope within the organization that second-year pro Akeem Dent can step forward and win the job immediately because he’s the guy that’s going to end up there for the long term.

What’s next: Don’t completely rule out the addition of a minor or mid-level free agent or two, but the Falcons are focusing mainly on the draft. Even with Abraham back, they’re still looking to improve their pass rush and defensive ends could be in play. But the Falcons also could add a defensive tackle because Jonathan Babineaux and Peria Jerry are coming off sub-par seasons. Some depth in the secondary and a kick returner also are possible targets.

Key additions: RB/FB Mike Tolbert, G Mike Pollak

Key losses: G Travelle Wharton

The splash came last year: The Panthers haven’t been very active in free agency. That’s largely because they made their big moves coming out of the lockout last year. They signed defensive end Charles Johnson, running back DeAngelo Williams, linebacker Jon Beason, defensive tackle Ron Edwards and linebacker Thomas Davis to huge deals, and that’s why they had very little salary-cap room to work with this year.

But the Panthers didn’t really reap the rewards of some of those signings because Beason, Davis and Edwards all suffered early injuries. That took a toll on the defense. But all three of those guys are back and healthy and that should improve the defense immediately. Carolina developed an explosive offense last season and a strong defense could turn the Panthers into playoff contenders.

What’s next: The Panthers have very little cap room and don’t figure to make many more moves in free agency. They’re focused in on the draft and there needs have been narrowed. They’re likely to address cornerback and defensive tackle early in the draft. But don’t be surprised if they take a linebacker somewhere in the first three or four rounds, and it’s even possible they could target one in the first or second. Davis is coming off his torn ACL and the Panthers don’t know if he’ll be anything close to what he was before the injuries.

New Orleans Saints

Key additions: LB Curtis Lofton, DT Brodrick Bunkley, G Ben Grubbs

Key losses: G Carl Nicks, CB Tracy Porter

Miracle workers: Faced with an extremely tight salary-cap situation and some bizarre off-field events, it’s somewhat amazing the Saints were able to keep as much as they did. They didn’t want to lose Nicks, who might be the best guard in the league and is in his prime. But that’s the price they had to pay to make sure they kept quarterback Drew Brees and receiver Marques Colston, as well as adding players like Lofton, Grubbs and Bunkley.

The Brees situation remains complicated. He's still carrying the franchise tag. The Saints need to get him signed to a long-term deal quickly. Even more than ever, the Saints need Brees’ leadership abilities. They need him signed and happy before their offseason program starts April 16.

What’s next: With the possibility of multiple defensive players facing possible suspensions as a result of the bounty program, the Saints still could be looking to make significant moves. It will be hard to draft players that will make an instant impact because the Saints are without picks in the first two rounds. That means they might have to pull some more help out of free agency, even with limited cap space. They could use another pass-rusher to complement Will Smith. Even after adding Lofton and Bunkley, the Saints still could use depth at linebacker and defensive tackle.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Key additions: WR Vincent Jackson, G Carl Nicks, CB Eric Wright

Key losses: C Jeff Faine

Locking them up: Part of the reason the Bucs didn’t lose much of anything in free agency is because they’ve done a nice job of locking up some core players in recent years. They made it a point to make sure offensive linemen Donald Penn, Davin Joseph and Jeremy Zuttah never got close to leaving. Add Nicks to that group and the Bucs have a chance to have one of the league’s better offensive lines. As the season gets going, some other young players will be rewarded with contract extensions as they show they fit in coach Greg Schiano’s system.

What’s next: After making the initial splash, the Bucs said they’re done with free agency and are focused on the draft. That’s largely true, although the team is keeping a close eye on what remains on the market. This is a team that still is building and will still have needs after the draft. The Bucs have a big need at running back, where they have to find at least one player to complement LeGarrette Blount. The cornerback position could be an early target in the draft even after Ronde Barber decided to return for a 16th season. There also is some uncertainty about Aqib Talib's future. Even if he remains with the team, the Bucs need depth at the position. There also is uncertainty at linebacker and a need for depth at safety and tight end.

If there’s going to be one really big free-agent splash in the NFC South, I expect it to come from the Atlanta Falcons.

I don’t expect much from the Carolina Panthers or New Orleans Saints simply because they don’t have the salary-cap room. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers do have cap room and I’m expecting them to be pretty active. But the Falcons could overshadow them with one move.

Atlanta could be in the mix for Houston defensive end Mario Williams, who is considered one of the top members of this class of free agents. The Falcons need a pass rusher and they appear to be on the verge of letting John Abraham, who led the team in sacks last year, walk away as a free agent.

They have to do something dramatic and they have a history of that (signing Dunta Robinson and trading for Tony Gonzalez). We won’t know for sure if the Falcons are in the mix for Williams until free agency starts Tuesday afternoon, but they should be.

Williams is the best bet to add the “explosiveness’’ up front the Falcons talk so much about. He’s the best pass-rusher on the market.

Funny, but the Falcons were looking for a pass-rusher last year and they went after Charles Johnson. He wound up re-signing with Carolina and the Falcons settled for Ray Edwards, who came at about half the price. Although Edwards played the run well, he wasn’t much of a factor in the pass rush.

This time around, the Falcons shouldn’t settle. They’re no longer looking for someone to complement Abraham. They’re looking for someone to replace him and they can’t let economics hold them back.

The Falcons have some cap room to work with, but Williams is likely to command a deal that averages more than $14 million a year. That might require more cap room than the Falcons currently have.

But there are always ways around the cap. The Falcons can get creative and restructure some contracts.

They should do whatever it takes to get Williams. This is an organization that’s well aware that owner Arthur Blank no longer is content with playoff appearances. He wants playoff victories.

Adding Williams is the one move the Falcons can make in free agency that instantly will make them a better team.

The Atlanta Falcons appear to be on the verge of letting their top pass-rusher walk into free agency. That might be their wisest move.

Defensive end John Abraham reportedly wants a deal that will pay him more than $12 million a year. His agent said he plans to meet with the Falcons at the scouting combine this weekend for a final attempt at getting a deal done, but said the two sides remain far apart.

I wouldn’t expect any resolution unless Abraham suddenly drops his price tag. Abraham is a very good player, but his price tag is in the range of Julius Peppers ($14 million per year), Charles Johnson ($12.7 million) and Jared Allen ($12.2 million).

If Abraham was 27, I’d say go ahead and pay him, but Abraham is about to turn 34. Twelve million is too high a figure for a player at this stage of his career. Abraham was used as a situational player last season and led the team with 9.5 sacks, but it should be noted that 3.5 of those sacks were against a hapless Jacksonville team.

Abraham has been dealing with injuries the past few years and it’s not likely his body suddenly will turn young again. I think the smart thing for the Falcons is to let Abraham go ahead and test the market. That strategy could lead him back to Atlanta.

I’m thinking other teams also will have concerns about paying so much for a player near the end of his career. The Falcons should make it clear to Abraham’s agent how high they will go and I’m thinking the number may be somewhere around the $8 million Abraham made last year. Leave that offer on the table and let Abraham go out and see what he can get. He might not get any higher offers and he could return at a more reasonable rate.

If Abraham does get a better offer, let him go. The Falcons aren’t loaded with pass-rushers. Ray Edwards was their big signing last season. He played the run well, but didn’t generate a lot of pressure. Lawrence Sidbury is still around and the Falcons likely will re-sign Kroy Biermann if Abraham leaves. But the Falcons likely would have to go out and get a defensive end in free agency or the draft.

There are no guarantees out there, but the Falcons could come out ahead in the long term. At his age, Abraham doesn’t come with any guarantees, either.

Carolina’s Greg Hardy and Tampa Bay rookie Adrian Clayborn weren’t among the NFL’s sack leaders in 2011, but you can make the argument they’re among the best all-around defensive ends in the game.

Hardy and Clayborn showed some pass-rush skills, but they also played the run very well. That combination of skills was why they were on the field more than the rest of the NFC South defensive ends last season.

Hardy led division ends by participating in 891 of Carolina’s 1,023 defensive plays. That 87.1 percentage ranked Hardy No. 6 among defensive ends. Minnesota’s Jared Allen led the league at 94.3 percent.

Clayborn wasn’t far behind Hardy. Clayborn came in at 80.9 percent, which put him No. 15 in the NFL. Carolina’s Charles Johnson and New Orleans’ Will Smith also ranked in the top 20.

Johnson was on the field for 77.5 percent (No. 16 in the NFL) of Carolina’s defensive plays and Smith took part in 75.8 of New Orleans’ defensive plays (19th in the league).

Ray Edwards led Atlanta’s defensive ends by taking part in 69 percent of the plays. Although he was on a play count and used mostly in pass-rushing situations, veteran John Abraham took part in 61.8 percent of Atlanta’s defensive plays.

Here’s a look at playing-time percentages for most of the rest of the NFC South defensive ends:

• Michael Bennett, Buccaneers, 58.2

• Cameron Jordan, Saints, 54.3

• Kroy Biermann, Falcons, 52.3

• Da’Quan Bowers, Buccaneers, 47.4

• Junior Galette, Saints, 33.7

• Lawrence Sidbury, Falcons, 21

• Jeff Charleston, Saints, 20.2

• Turk McBride, Saints, 19.3

• Tim Crowder, Buccaneers, 17.5

Time to take a look at the NFC South players that are scheduled to have the highest 2012 salary-cap figures.

Let’s be clear, these numbers are not what the players will actually make in 2012. These numbers simply reflect what they’ll count against the salary cap. And let’s also be clear that this list isn’t quite complete. You can bet Drew Brees will be on here once the quarterback signs a new deal with the New Orleans Saints. There also are some guys that probably will be cut or have their contracts restructured before the start of the year. Tampa Bay defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth is a perfect example of that.

He’s scheduled to count $7.2 million. The Bucs can release him without any salary-cap hit. It’s a similar situation for Carolina linebacker Thomas Davis, who is scheduled to count $5.9 million. Davis is coming off his third torn ACL in two years and is due a big bonus in March. I seriously doubt he’ll get to collect that bonus.

Anyway, as it stands right now, Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan is the easy winner for the NFC South’s highest cap figure. He’s scheduled to count $13.5 million toward the cap ($11.5 million in base salary and another $2 million in prorated bonus money). Aside from Ryan, 30 other NFC South players are scheduled to count more than $5 million toward the salary cap. Let’s take a look:

• Jordan Gross, Panthers, $11.5 million

• Charles Johnson, Panthers, $11 million

• Steve Smith, Panthers, $10.7 million

• Will Smith, Saints, $10.15 million

• Chris Gamble, Panthers, $9.75 million

• Davin Joseph, Buccaneers, $9.5 million

• Gerald McCoy, Buccaneers, $9.44 million

• DeAngelo Williams, Panthers, $8.7 million

• Josh Freeman, Buccaneers, $8.545 million

• Roddy White, Falcons, $8.03 million

• Jonathan Vilma, Saints, $7.63 million

• Travelle Wharton, Panthers, $7.6 million

• Sedrick Ellis, Saints, $7.6 million

• Albert Haynesworth, Buccaneers, $7.2 million

• Dunta Robinson, Falcons, $7 million

• Jermon Bushrod, Saints, $6.9 million

• Donald Penn, Buccaneers, $6.43 million

• Roman Harper, Saints, $6.35 million

• Jabari Greer, Saints, $6.25 million

• Jeff Faine, Buccaneers, $5.925 million

• Tony Gonzalez, Falcons, $5.92 million

• Thomas Davis, Panthers, $5.9 million

• Quincy Black, Buccaneers, $5.75 million

• Jon Beason, Panthers, $5.5 million

• Ryan Kalil, Panthers, $5.35 million

• Justin Blalock, Falcons, $5.3 million

• Jeremy Trueblood, Buccaneers, $5.25 million

• Jahri Evans, Saints, $5.2 million

• Cam Newton $5.01 million

Defense wasn’t a strength in the NFC South in the 2011 season. In fact, it was a big problem for the New Orleans Saints, Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers and only an occasional strength for the Atlanta Falcons.

But there were some solid individual performances. With that in mind, let’s roll out the All-NFC South defense.

Defensive end: Charles Johnson, Panthers. He got his huge contract in the summer, but didn’t take the money and disappear. Johnson came through with nine sacks and also played the run fairly well.

Defensive end: Adrian Clayborn, Buccaneers. Yes, I’m taking the rookie over Atlanta veteran John Abraham. I know Abraham ended up with 9.5 sacks, but 3.5 of them came against Jacksonville and rookie quarterback Blaine Gabbert. Abraham was ordinary most of the season and was on the field for only 13 percent of Atlanta’s defensive snaps. Clayborn finished with 7.5 sacks. He also was on the field for about 80 percent of Tampa Bay’s defensive snaps, showed he can rush the passer and played the run well. Not much went right for the Bucs in the 2011 season. But they hit on their first-round draft pick.

Defensive tackle: Corey Peters, Falcons. He started in 2010, but was only a run-stuffer then. Peters emerged into a complete defensive tackle in his second season and showed signs he can generate a pass rush in the middle.

Defensive tackle: Brian Price, Buccaneers. Off the top of my head, I was preparing to go with Atlanta’s Jonathan Babineaux or New Orleans’ Sedrick Ellis. Then I looked at their statistics and I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I’m going with Price, who quietly put together a nice season. He finished with three sacks and was one of the few Bucs who played the run well. More importantly, Price made a nice comeback from surgery on his pelvis and played through the pain of an ankle injury for most of the second half of the season.

Linebacker: Curtis Lofton, Falcons. In a year in which Carolina’s Jon Beason was hurt and New Orleans’ Jonathan Vilma slowed down, Lofton emerged as the NFC South’s best middle linebacker.

Linebacker: Sean Weatherspoon, Falcons. The second-year pro might now be the division’s best all-around linebacker. Weatherspoon is a playmaker and plays with an attitude that the rest of Atlanta’s defense needs to copy.

Linebacker: James Anderson, Panthers. With Beason and Thomas Davis going down early, Anderson was the bright spot in Carolina’s linebacker corps.

Cornerback: Jabari Greer, Saints. He often gets overlooked, but this guy is the best cover corner in the division.

Cornerback: Chris Gamble, Panthers. Gamble got benched by coach John Fox at the end of the 2010 season and his career appeared to be on the downside. But Gamble got a fresh start with coach Ron Rivera and bounced back with a strong season.

Safety: Malcolm Jenkins, Saints. He didn’t make as many big plays as I think he’s capable of, but Jenkins is an enormous talent. If the Saints can add a pass rush, the big plays will flow for Jenkins.

Safety: Thomas DeCoud, Falcons. He was benched briefly early in the season, but DeCoud seemed to get the message that he needed to play better. He finished the season with four interceptions and 86 tackles.

The final injury reports are out for Sunday’s games, so let’s take a look at the most significant injuries around the NFC South.

The Falcons are listing linebacker Stephen Nicholas (toe) and receiver Kerry Meier (groin) as doubtful. The Falcons have been getting linebacker Spencer Adkins ready to start this week. Defensive end Ray Edwards (knee) and cornerback Brent Grimes (knee) are questionable. Edwards participated in practice on a limited basis Friday, but Grimes did not. Backup quarterback Chris Redman also is listed as questionable.

The Buccaneers have ruled right tackle Jeremy Trueblood out with a concussion. Receiver Arrelious Benn (neck), defensive end Michael Bennett (toe), defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth (knee) and defensive tackle Brian Price (ankle) are listed as questionable. Benn and Haynesworth did not practice Friday while Price and Bennett participated fully.

The Panthers have ruled receiver Legedu Naanee (foot), defensive tackle Andre Neblett (concussion) and safety Jordan Pugh (concussion) out for Sunday. Defensive end Charles Johnson (back) is listed as doubtful and did not practice all week.

The Saints said running back Mark Ingram (toe) and receiver Lance Moore (hamstring) will be out Sunday. Linebacker Jonathan Vilma (knee) and safety Malcolm Jenkins (neck) are questionable and practiced on a limited basis.

We’ve got some very significant injury news out of New Orleans and updates on other injuries of note all around the NFC South.

New Orleans running back Mark Ingram, who has missed the past three games with a toe injury, suffered what coach Sean Payton called a setback in his recovery. Ingram aggravated the injury when he returned to practice Wednesday and did not practice Thursday. Receiver Lance Moore (hamstring) missed his second straight day of practice. On the bright side, safety Malcolm Jenkins (neck) and linebacker Jonathan Vilma returned to practice on a limited basis after sitting out Wednesday.

The Buccaneers are pretty banged up. Receiver Arrelious Benn (neck), defensive end Michael Bennett (toe), defensive tackle Brian Price (ankle) and right tackle Jeremy Trueblood (concussion) each missed their second straight day of practice. Defensive end Adrian Clayborn (hamstring) also was held out of Thursday’s practice.

Atlanta’s also got some significant injuries. Defensive end Ray Edwards (knee) and linebacker Stephen Nicholas (toe) each missed their second straight day of practice. If Edwards can’t play, Kroy Biermann and Lawrence Sidbury likely would get increased playing time. With Nicholas injured and Mike Peterson on injured reserve, the Falcons are getting Spencer Adkins ready to start at outside linebacker.

Carolina’s defensive line has some big injury problems. Defensive end Charles Johnson (back) and defensive tackle Andre Neblett (head) each missed practice for the second straight day.