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NEW ORLEANS – Drew Brees was at his best when throwing between the numbers in Sunday night’s 31-17 victory against the Detroit Lions.

That was probably by design because the Lions were without injured defensive backs Louis Delmas, Chris Houston and Brandon McDonald.

According to ESPN Stats & Information, Brees completed 15 of 18 attempts (83.3) between the numbers. He averaged 12.9 yards on those attempts and threw three touchdowns without an interception.

In Weeks 1 through 12, Brees had completed 71.7 percent of his throws between the numbers and averaged 7.9 yards per attempt while throwing 11 touchdowns and six interceptions.

NEW ORLEANS -- Running back Chris Ivory is inactive for Sunday night’s game against the Detroit Lions.

Ivory is healthy, but the Saints made him inactive last week as well. They’ve been using Darren Sproles, Pierre Thomas and rookie Mark Ingram in a backfield rotation.

Also inactive for the Saints are receiver Adrian Arrington, cornerback Johnny Patrick, linebacker Martez Wilson, lineman Will Robinson, defensive end Turk McBride and tight end Michael Higgins.

Linebacker Jonathan Vilma, who had been out with a knee injury, is active and is expected to start.

The inactives for Detroit are safety Louis Delmas, defensive back Chris Houston, quarterback Drew Stanton, defensive end Lawrence Jackson, guard Leonard Davis, running back Aaron Brown and cornerback Brandon McDonald are inactive.

We already have talked quite a bit about players from the NFC South who are expected to become unrestricted free agents. We’re going on the assumption that players not under contract who have at least four accrued seasons can become unrestricted free agents.

With that in mind, and with some help from ESPN Stats & Information, let’s take a look at some of the more prominent potential free agents from the rest of the league.

QUARTERBACKS: Marc Bulger, Kerry Collins, Rex Grossman, Matt Hasselbeck, Patrick Ramsey, Alex Smith, Billy Volek, Kellen Clemens, Brodie Croyle, Trent Edwards, Bruce Gradkowski, Tarvaris Jackson, Matt Leinart, Troy Smith and Tyler Thigpen.

RUNNING BACKS: Cedric Benson, Ronnie Brown, Kevin Faulk, Mewelde Moore, Sammy Morris, Clinton Portis, Dominic Rhodes, Tony Richardson, Kevin Smith, Darren Sproles, Fred Taylor, Brian Westbrook, Ricky Williams, Joseph Addai, Ahmad Bradshaw, Jerome Harrison, Brandon Jackson, Laurence Maroney and LeRon McClain.

WIDE RECEIVERS: Mark Clayton, Braylon Edwards, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Randy Moss, Santana Moss, Terrell Owens, Donte’ Stallworth, Steve Breaston, Malcom Floyd, Santonio Holmes, James Jones, Sidney Rice, Mike Sims-Walker, Brad Smith and Steve Smith (of the New York Giants, not the Steve Smith of Carolina).

TIGHT ENDS: Desmond Clark, Donald Lee, Randy McMichael, Bo Scaife, Kevin Boss, Owen Daniels, Daniel Fells, Zach Miller, Ben Patrick and Matt Spaeth.

OFFENSIVE LINEMEN: David Baas, Jammal Brown, Robert Gallery, Adam Goldberg, Kyle Kosier, Olin Kreutz, Matt Light, Sean Locklear, Casey Rabach, Chris Spencer, Langston Walker, Casey Wiegmann, Floyd Womack, Damien Woody, Chris Chester, Jeromey Clary, Daryn Colledge, Willie Colon, Doug Free, Jared Gaither, Charlie Johnson, Deuce Lutui, Samson Satele, Lyle Sendlein and Marshal Yanda.

DEFENSIVE TACKLES: Aubrayo Franklin, Tommie Harris, Chris Hoke, Chris Hovan, Kris Jenkins, Bryan Robinson, Gerard Warren, Jamal Williams, Pat Williams, Alan Branch, Barry Cofield, John McCargo and Brandon Mebane.

DEFENSIVE ENDS: Jason Babin, Dave Ball, Raheem Brock, Andre Carter, Shaun Ellis, Cullen Jenkins, Travis LaBoy, Trevor Pryce, Marcus Spears, Ray Edwards and Mathias Kiwanuka.

LINEBACKERS: Akin Ayodele, Keith Bulluck, Kevin Burnett, Dhani Jones, Kirk Morrison, Julian Peterson, Matt Roth, Takeo Spikes, Jason Taylor, Mike Vrabel, Stewart Bradley, Bobby Carpenter, Manny Lawson, Paul Posluszny, Ernie Sims and Stephen Tulloch.

CORNERBACKS: Nnamdi Asomugha, Phillip Buchanon, Chris Carr, Drayton Florence, Ellis Hobbs, Carlos Rogers, Lito Sheppard, Ike Taylor, Fabian Washington, Drew Coleman, Antonio Cromartie, Chris Houston, Johnathan Joseph, Dimitri Patterson, Josh Wilson and Eric Wright.

SAFETIES: Aaron Francisco, Ken Hamlin, Michael Lewis, Brandon McGowan, Quintin Mikell, Lawyer Milloy, Brodney Pool, Gerald Sensabaugh, Roy Williams, Gibril Wilson, Atari Bigby, Melvin Bullitt, Abram Elam, Dashon Goldson, Michael Huff, Dawan Landry, Danieal Manning, Bernard Pollard, Eric Weddle and Donte Whitner.

The film didn’t lie. It just stretched John Abraham’s 2009 season into something much better than it looked on paper.

Those 5.5 sacks that were easily the lowest total in any season in which he’s played more than eight games? Well, they were a concern for the Atlanta Falcons’ defensive end. After all, he was 31 last season and his sack total had dropped by 11 from 2008.

“I thought maybe I was losing something, so let me check," Abraham said. “I sat down and started watching the tape, really watching it honestly. I walked away feeling like I’m still a valuable player for this team. I didn’t play bad last year. As I watched the tape, I didn’t feel like I lost a step. There were times when I got there, but the sacks just didn’t happen. I thought I had a pretty good year last year."

“Pretty good" is being pretty generous when you talk about Abraham or any of Atlanta’s defensive linemen last year. It was a problem spot, one that helped cost the Falcons a second straight trip to the playoffs. The Falcons had only 28 sacks and their leader was defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux, who is supposed to be a run-stuffer, with six.

Defensive ends Kroy Biermann, Jamaal Anderson, Chauncey Davis and Lawrence Sidbury, the guys who were supposed to join Abraham in the pass rush, combined to produce 7.5 sacks -- and Biermann had five of those.

After a victory in San Francisco in October, Abraham went on a nine-game stretch in which he produced only half a sack. That coincided with a stretch in which the Falcons pretty much fell out of playoff contention.

As much as Abraham believes he was “pretty good" last year, he knows another season of 5.5 sacks isn’t going to suffice. He needs to get back somewhere close to being the dominant pass-rusher in the NFC South and he needs some help from his teammates.

“It’s time for us to be the strength of the defense and not the weakness," Abraham said. “Last year, we didn’t play up to our potential. I call myself out for that and I’ll call everybody else out on the D-line too. It’s not just one person. As a whole D-line, we’ve got to step up and play better."

So what did the Falcons do in the offseason to address their pass rush? Really, nothing dramatic at all. They drafted linebacker Sean Weatherspoon in the first round, who brings a little bit of ability to help the pass rush as a blitzer. They selected defensive tackle Corey Peters in the third round and he can bring a push to the middle, but his main strength is as a run-stuffer.

When it came to defensive ends, the Falcons stayed with what they had.

“Biermann and Sidbury are both guys that we think are going to continue to develop," Falcons coach Mike Smith said. “And we think they’ll take big steps this year."

Maybe they will, but the success of Atlanta’s defense may truly come down to Abraham. Why are the Falcons so confident that a guy who turned 32 in May can bounce back from a season that, at least statistically, wasn’t anywhere close to the standard he has set?

“Believe me, we studied John on tape a lot and we studied his history," Smith said. “One trend throughout John’s career is that every third or fourth year, historically, he’s had a year where his numbers drop. What we saw last year was a guy who was still getting a lot of pressure on quarterbacks. The sacks didn’t always come, but that wasn’t really his fault."

Talk to Smith and general manager Thomas Dimitroff and they’ll tell you the sack production by Abraham and the rest of the defensive line last season was impacted by the defensive secondary. The Falcons lost cornerback Brian Williams to injury early, Chris Houston never endeared himself to the coaching staff and the Falcons were rotating a lot of other cornerbacks.

That’s why the Falcons went out this offseason and made their sole splurge in free agency, signing cornerback Dunta Robinson to a huge contract. They also re-signed Williams, traded Houston and put their faith in the belief that Brent Grimes, Christopher Owens and Chevis Jackson can continue to grow and safety William Moore can make an impact after missing most of his rookie season with an injury.

In short, the Falcons believe they improved their defensive line by improving their defensive secondary.

“I’m not trying to knock our secondary,’’ Abraham said. “I think there were just a lot of young guys that maybe weren’t as confident as they’re going to be this year. With the addition of Dunta, that’s going to help us out a lot.’’

In theory, the addition of Robinson and the return of Williams might tie up receivers a little bit longer and force quarterbacks to hold the ball an extra split second. Just that little bit of time might be enough to turn some of the 12 quarterback hurries Abraham had last season into sacks. Same for Biermann, who was credited with eight hurries.

Throw in the return of defensive tackle Peria Jerry, who suffered an injury early in his rookie season. Jerry was Atlanta’s top pick last season and there were early signs that he was more than a run-stuffer and had the ability to generate a surge in the middle.

Give Sidbury, who had one sack as a rookie, another year of growth and maybe it all adds up to an improved pass rush for the Falcons.

But the real key here is Abraham. He has spent most of his career as an elite pass-rusher and has recorded double-digit sacks in five seasons. Even though Abraham believes his play wasn’t bad last season, he’s the first to admit his production needs to increase for Atlanta to have a shot at the playoffs.

“I don’t think I’ve lost a step or anything like that," Abraham said. “After watching the film, I think last year was one of those years where things just didn’t work out the way you want for a number of reasons. But I can’t sit here and tell you I’ll be happy if I have another season with 5.5 sacks. If I do that, then maybe I’m losing a step. We can’t have another season like that."

The Falcons just jumped up 14 spots to get Oklahoma cornerback Domonique Franks in the fifth round.

Atlanta traded its fifth-round pick (No. 149) and sixth-round pick (No. 189) to the St. Louis Rams to get Franks at No. 135. It’s mildly surprising the Falcons were willing to trade away a pick to get a cornerback because they solidified the position earlier in the offseason when they signed free-agent Dunta Robinson and re-signed veteran Brian Williams. They also have high hopes for young players Christopher Owens, Chevis Jackson and Brent Grimes. They were so confident in the position that they traded away former starter Chris Houston.

But Franks is an exceptional athlete and some pre-draft publications projected him to go much earlier than the fifth round. He comes with experience, as a two-year starter in a top-notch conference, and has good size. The one knock on Franks is that he’s not a great tackler.

But he’ll get a chance to develop that ability with the Falcons. If he can do that, he'll have a chance to contribute. Atlanta still has its compensatory pick (No. 165) at the end of the fifth round.

When choosing the best draft class in the history of the NFC South (history starts in 2002, when the NFC South started), it was easy to pick the 2006 group brought in by the New Orleans Saints. Guys like Reggie Bush, Jahri Evans, Marques Colston and Roman Harper were big reasons why the Saints won the Super Bowl last season.

But 2007 also was a memorable draft for the Buccaneers and Falcons -- for all the wrong reasons. In fact, I had to have a lengthy debate with myself on if Atlanta or Tampa Bay had the worst class in division history that year.

1. 2007 by Tampa Bay. As I debated the demerits of what Atlanta and Tampa Bay did in this draft, it really came down to the fact that the Bucs hit the trifecta with their first three picks. They took Gaines Adams, Arron Sears and Sabby Piscitelli. You can’t really argue with that. Adams was a non-factor before the Bucs traded him to Chicago, Sears couldn’t play last year because of personal issues and Piscitelli showed last year that he can’t play. Safety Tanard Jackson, a fourth-round pick, has been a bright spot, but not enough to pull the Bucs out of the top spot.

2. 2007 by Atlanta. When the Bucs took Adams, they passed over Jamaal Anderson and the Falcons pounced on him with the No. 8 overall pick. If you don’t hit on a top-10 pick, you’ve got a problem. The Falcons have gotten nothing out of Anderson. They did get a solid starter in guard Justin Blalock in the second round and fourth-round pick Stephen Nicholas became a starter at linebacker last year. But Bobby Petrino and Rich McKay also gave the Falcons cornerback Chris Houston in the second round and receiver Laurent Robinson in the third. Houston started a lot of games for the Falcons, but the current Atlanta regime was thrilled to trade him to Detroit this year. Robinson never came close to being a factor.

3. 2003 by Tampa Bay. Speaking of Petrino, he played a major role in building what almost was the third-worst draft class in NFC South history. I gave very strong consideration to Carolina’s class of 2005. Louisville products Eric Shelton and Stefan LeFors were tremendous busts. Atiyyah Ellison and Jovan Haye showed they can play in the league, but only after they left the Panthers. But I couldn’t quite put Carolina in this slot because first-round pick Thomas Davis has worked out. If you want to see a class that truly flopped from top to bottom look back at the 2003 Bucs. They were without a first-round pick because it was used to help get coach Jon Gruden out of Oakland. But the Bucs jumped in after that and gave you this collection of draft picks -- Dewayne White, Chris Simms, Lance Nimmo, Austin King, Sean Mahan and Torrie Cox. Sad part is Cox, the last pick of the bunch, probably did the most of this group.

» NFC Big Question: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

A new Tuesday feature on the ESPN.com NFL blog network.

Can the Falcons play some real defense?

In Mike Smith’s two years as coach, the Falcons have put together back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in franchise history. But the amazing thing is that Smith, a coach with a defensive background, has done it without a very good defense, which is something any team needs to compete with New Orleans in the NFC South.

The Falcons are well aware of this and they’re doing something about it. They went out and made their big splash in free agency by signing cornerback Dunta Robinson and re-signing cornerback Brian Williams. They also dumped Chris Houston, whom they never felt was very aggressive, in a trade with Detroit.

On paper, Robinson and Williams should be the starters. But the Falcons are also high on young corners Chris Owens, Brent Grimes and Chevis Jackson, and they’ll all be in the mix. Pretty amazing how proactive the Falcons have been at cornerback, especially when you consider Atlanta officials got a little sensitive when media members criticized the team's cornerback play last season.

Those officials repeatedly said the main reason the cornerbacks were struggling was because the pass rush wasn’t producing like they had hoped. Take that as a very strong sign the Falcons aren’t done touching up their defense.

They’ll tell you that defensive tackle Peria Jerry, who is coming back from an injury that kept him out most of his rookie season, will be back. Jerry can create a push in the middle and that’s going to help John Abraham and Kroy Biermann be more productive on the outside. But, if the Falcons were this aggressive at addressing cornerback, you have to think they’re not done at defensive end.

They’ve got the draft and what’s left of free agency, and their focus is going to be on building up the pass rush. It’s all they’re really lacking right now. They’re solid at cornerback, linebacker and in the middle of the defensive line.

Give them a pass-rusher and Smith might finally be able to really play the kind of defense he wants; the kind of defense that could make the Falcons a legitimate challenger to the Saints.

D. Orlando Ledbetter reports the much-anticipated trade of Atlanta cornerback Chris Houston to Detroit has finally happened.

The Falcons get a sixth-round pick in return. The deal also includes the two teams swapping picks in the fifth round. Atlanta now has the second pick in the fifth round and Detroit will take the 18th pick in the fifth round.

Houston became expendable after the Falcons signed Dunta Robinson and re-signed Brian Williams. They also have Christopher Owens, Brent Grimes and Chevis Jackson at cornerback.

The Saints, who have been very quiet so far in free agency, have scheduled a visit for defensive end Leonard Little. This one’s a little curious because Little is 35 and, at best, might be a situational pass-rusher. If the Saints sign him, it’s likely to be a small contract and they’ll still be looking for more help at defensive end.

Last week, I told you about a very special gathering with legendary former Tampa Tribune sports editor Tom McEwen. Tom writes about the function here. Tom ends the column by thanking all of those who worked for him back in the day. I think I speak for all of us when saying, Tom, the pleasure was ours.

Former Tampa Bay safety Will Allen has signed with Pittsburgh. The Bucs didn’t have any real interest in keeping Allen, although they do have needs at safety. But they’ll likely address that in the draft or with a younger free agent.

Nothing official on the potential trade of Atlanta cornerback Chris Houston to Detroit yet, but the two sides reportedly are still talking.

Former New Orleans defensive end Charles Grant and current tight end Jeremy Shockey are suing former Saints long-snapper Kevin Houser over an investment deal gone bad.

Daniel Cox points out that general manager Thomas Dimitroff has a history of making one or two big moves in free agency a year. In 2008, it was Michael Turner. Last year, it was Mike Peterson (and a trade for Tony Gonzalez). I think Cox is spot on when he says Dunta Robinson is this year’s big move and the Falcons now will focus on mid-level free agents and the draft.

On the same day the Atlanta Falcons are going to introduce a new cornerback, it looks like they might be saying farewell to an old cornerback.

There are numerous reports out there that the Falcons are working on trading Chris Houston to Detroit. The reports are all over the board in terms of compensation, but look for the Falcons to come out of this one holding anything from a fourth-round pick to a sixth-round pick.

Whatever they can get for Houston will be fine. He’s a guy who has always had some ability, but is not a very aggressive player, which has prevented Houston from endearing himself to the coaching staff. He became expendable after the Falcons agreed to a contract with Dunta Robinson, who will be introduced officially at a news conference Monday afternoon.

Robinson instantly becomes Atlanta’s No. 1 cornerback, and the recent re-signing of Brian Williams probably makes him the other starter. But the Falcons also will let Brent Grimes, Christopher Owens and Chevis Jackson challenge for that job in training camp.

That gives them plenty of depth at cornerback, and getting a draft pick -- any draft pick -- for Houston makes sense for a team that probably is just about done in free agency and will now focus on the draft.

ESPN's John Clayton is reporting the Falcons and cornerback Dunta Robinon have agreed to terms on a six-year deal. They’re going to put the finishing touches on the contract language over the next few hours, but this is basically done.

We’ve known this was coming most of the day and it comes soon after the Falcons prevented Brian Williams from becoming a free agent by giving him a contract extension. Suddenly, the Atlanta secondary looks a lot better than it did at the end of last season.

But what’s it going to look like on opening day?

Well, Robinson’s got the big contract, so pencil him in as the No. 1 cornerback. Take Williams, Chris Houston, Christopher Owens, Brent Grimes and Chevis Jackson and throw them into competition throughout camp and see who steps up. The Falcons were happy with the play of safety Thomas DeCoud in his first year as a starter last season, but not exactly thrilled with the play of veteran safety Erik Coleman. They’ve got William Moore, who missed his rookie season with an injury, ready to step into Coleman’s spot.

One other key point, the Robinson signing means the Falcons now can turn their attention to the front seven in the upcoming draft. They’ve got needs at defensive end and outside linebacker and could fill those needs with their first few picks.

The Falcons announced a contract extension for Brian Williams earlier Thursday, but he’s not the only cornerback on their minds.

Atlanta appears to be the leader in the race to get former Houston cornerback Dunta Robinson. A deal could be finalized within a few hours. Robinson has other options, but the Falcons have the advantage of geography. Robinson went to college at South Carolina and grew up in Athens, Ga. Indications are that he wants to be close to home.

Landing Robinson would put the Falcons in excellent shape at cornerback, a position where they had some problems after Williams got hurt last season. They also have Chris Houston, Brent Grimes, Chevis Jackson and Christopher Owens.

If they finalize a deal with Robinson, the Falcons likely will be able to focus entirely on getting a pass rusher early in the draft.

Told you things were going to pick up as today goes along. It has started.

While I was out getting hurricane supplies (Gatorade and food) for a long night in the NFC South Blog bunker, I started getting hit with texts and e-mails from the Falcons and the Buccaneers.

Let’s start with the Falcons because they’ve made the most interesting move so far. They have agreed to a contract extension with cornerback Brian Williams, which prevents him from becoming an unrestricted free agent.

This one’s big because it may allow the Falcons to focus entirely on getting a defensive end early in the draft. The Falcons believed they had a solid starting cornerback in Williams last year until he went down with a season-ending injury. Plug him back in with Chris Houston and Brent Grimes and the Falcons suddenly look a lot better in the secondary.

I don’t have any details on Williams’ contract yet, but I’ll see what I can get. In another move, the Falcons announced the retirement of long-snapper Mike Schneck. The 12-year veteran joined the Falcons in 2009.

I’ll be back in a bit with news on the Bucs. Hint: It’s not anything flashy and involves a couple of punters.

With kicker Matt Bryant dealing with a hamstring injury and the recent death of his father, the Atlanta Falcons went out and signed kicker Steven Hauschka on Tuesday.

Hauschka previously kicked for Baltimore, where he also served as a kickoff specialist. Atlanta punter Michael Koenen handles kickoffs and he and Bryant both were injured in Sunday’s game. Koenen suffered a concussion and that created a bit of a desperate situation.

The Falcons were forced to have defensive end Kroy Biermann kick off and had backup quarterback Chris Redman prepared to take over punting duties. There remains optimism that Koenen can play in Sunday’s regular-season finale, but Hauschka should help stabilize the situation on special teams.

The Falcons also placed guard Harvey Dahl and cornerback Chris Houston on their practice squad. They also elevated linebacker Robert James from the practice squad to the regular roster.

The Buccaneers added center Jeff Faine to the injury report Thursday. Faine practiced on a limited basis because of an elbow injury. Tight end Kellen Winslow, who was limited by a knee injury in Wednesday’s practice, participated fully on Thursday.

• Carolina running back Jonathan Stewart practiced fully Thursday after sitting out Wednesday. But running back DeAngelo Williams missed his second straight practice.

• Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan (toe) returned to practice on a limited basis. Running back Michael Turner and cornerback Chris Houston still aren’t practicing.

• New Orleans cornerback Randall Gay returned to practice on a limited basis Thursday after sitting out Wednesday because of a concussion. Safety Darren Sharper sat out for the second straight day because of a knee injury.