ESPN NFL

We still are about to weeks away from the start of free agency. But the quiet period is starting to ease a bit. With the combine wrapping up, we're starting to get a bit more news as teams prepare for free agency. Let's take a look at Tuesday's headlines.

New Orleans guard Carl Nicks said he’s having difficulty with the anxiety that comes with the uncertainty about his future. It’s not fun or even fair to Nicks to have to go through this, but the reality is he’ll probably be feeling anxious for a while longer. The Saints still haven’t worked out a long-term deal with quarterback Drew Brees. The deadline for using the franchise tag is March 5. If the Saints don’t have a deal with Brees by then, he’ll get tagged. If they do have a deal, they’ll probably try to work out a quick contract with Nicks, but there might not be enough time, and he could end up with the franchise tag. However it works out, I’m sensing some turbulent times in New Orleans. The Saints very well could lose some other free agents like receivers Marques Colston and Robert Meachem, and cornerback Tracy Porter, and they might have to cut some prominent players to keep themselves under the salary cap.

At least the Saints have a little insurance at receiver if Colston and Meachem do leave. Adrian Arrington reportedly has signed his tender as an exclusive-rights free agent. That leaves him along with Lance Moore and Devery Henderson. That means the cupboard’s not bare if Colston and Meachem escape, but I think the Saints would go out and draft a receiver or sign a free agent, because they like to use a rotation of four or five receivers.

Instead of opening on a Thursday night as it has in recent years, the 2012 season will open on Wednesday, Sept. 5 because of a conflict with the Democratic National Convention. The New York Giants will host that game. Their opponent isn’t known yet. But looking at their list of home opponents, it’s not a stretch to jump to the conclusion they’ll host either the Saints or Packers in the opener.

With the new collective bargaining agreement, offseason programs are going to look a lot different than in the past. The Falcons won’t start their offseason workouts until April 23, coach Mike Smith said. That’s more than a month later than the team started in past years. But the ground rules are the same for all teams.

A day after saying he was 75 percent sure he’d be leaving the New York Giants as a free agent, receiver Mario Manningham adjusted those odds to 50-50. Manningham also downplayed a report that he could be headed to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That’s all Manningham can realistically do at this point, because free agency hasn’t started. But, if he does become a free agent, there’s likely to be more media speculation about him joining the Bucs. That’s because Tampa Bay offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan was an assistant with the Giants and coached receivers at one point. That the Bucs could use better production at receiver also is going to fuel speculation about Manningham as a possibility for Tampa Bay.

Here's some audio of me discussing free agency and the Bucs (and a little bit on the Saints) with ESPN Florida Radio's Tom Krasniqi.

I heard a very interesting and lengthy interview with David Garrard while driving a bit earlier Tuesday on Sirius NFL Radio.

Garrard made it very clear he wants to play again next season after sitting out 2011. Garrard said he had back surgery to repair an injury that was holding him back when the Jaguars released him just before the start of last season. He said he’s almost 100 percent and his agent is making teams aware of his availability.

As you might expect, Garrard said his first preference would be to go to a team where he would at least have a chance to compete for a starting job. I don’t see that scenario as even a remote possibility in the NFC South. But Garrard also said he’d be open to being a backup/mentor.

In those roles, I could see him in the NFC South. Let’s throw out the Saints because they’ve got Drew Brees as their starter (assuming they finally get around to getting a new contract done) and they seem content with Chase Daniel as the backup. If the Saints do anything at quarterback this offseason, it might be using a late-round pick on a project-type quarterback to groom behind Brees.

But I can at least see scenarios where Garrard would make sense for the other three NFC South teams. Let’s start with Tampa Bay. The Bucs have Josh Freeman as their starter and view him as their franchise quarterback.

Backup Josh Johnson can become a free agent and I think he probably will test the market. Johnson’s athletic and the previous coaching staff sometimes used him in the wildcat formation (although not with a great deal of success). But Johnson’s not the kind of guy you want to see playing for an extended period if Freeman is injured. Garrard can be that guy because he’s got plenty of experience as a starter.

There’s also a school of thought that the Bucs might want to surround Freeman with an experienced backup that can help act as a mentor. Garrard or David Carr are guys I think could be possibilities if the Bucs go in that direction. New offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan worked as quarterbacks coach with Carr and the New York Giants the last two seasons. Sullivan also worked for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2002 and ’03. Those were Garrard’s first two seasons in the NFL and Sullivan was a defensive assistant the first year, before switching to offense in 2003. But at least he has some familiarity with Garrard.

Speaking of familiarity with Garrard, that could be more of a factor with the other two NFC South teams.

Carolina quarterbacks coach Mike Shula was quarterbacks coach in Jacksonville from 2007 through 2010. Garrard’s best statistical seasons came in that span and all indications are he and Shula got along well. The Panthers are set with Cam Newton as their starter, but backup Derek Anderson is a free agent and Jimmy Clausen’s future with the team remains unclear. Garrard might be an upgrade over Anderson as a mentor and as a player.

Garrard also has ties to the Atlanta coaching staff. New offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter was Jacksonville’s offensive coordinator from 2007 through the end of last season. I’m not real sure if Garrard and Koetter parted on friendly terms, but I think the decision to dump Garrard was made mainly by former Jacksonville coach Jack Del Rio. If nothing else, Garrard should be pretty familiar with the concepts Koetter will try to add to Atlanta’s offense.

Atlanta veteran backup Chris Redman is scheduled to be a free agent and I don’t think the Falcons are ready to elevate John Parker Wilson to the No. 2 role. I think there will be some interest in bringing back Redman because his price tag won’t be high and he’s a good set of eyes and ears for Matt Ryan. But Redman’s not the kind of guy you want to play if Ryan goes down for an extended period of time.

If the Falcons are going to make a play for Garrard, a lot will depend on what Koetter thinks of the quarterback. Heck, even coach Mike Smith could have a weighty opinion on this one. Smith is familiar with Garrard because he was defensive coordinator in Jacksonville before taking over in Atlanta.

Jonathan Bales has his list of the 20 best guards in the NFL in 2011. It’s based on mathematics that involve run blocking and pass pressures allowed.

As you might expect, two NFC South guards rank high on the list. But there’s a third division player on the list who might surprise you.

First, let’s start with what’s not a surprise. New Orleans’ Carl Nicks is No. 2 on the list. He’s behind only Baltimore’s Marshal Yanda. Bales cites Nicks’ pressure rate of 0.68 percent as a big reason he’s ranked near the top. If I were Nicks and his agent, I’d print out these ratings and show them to the Saints as they get ready for contract negotiations. Nicks is on the verge of becoming an unrestricted free agent.

It’s also not surprising that Nicks’ teammate Jahri Evans is on the list. What is mildly surprising is that Evans is No. 11. In most conversations on the topic, Nicks and Evans are in the top five. In fact, there’s often debate about which New Orleans guard is better. But Bales says Evans’ ranking was low because he allowed 26 pressures on quarterback Drew Brees and that dropped his value even though he’s one of the league’s top run-blockers.

Now, here’s the big surprise. Tampa Bay’s Jeremy Zuttah is on the list at No. 13. There weren’t many bright spots for the Bucs in 2011, but Zuttah’s play was one. Like Nicks, Zuttah also is a potential free agent. The Bucs are well aware that Zuttah played well last season and they want to keep him. They’re also aware that he’s versatile and also can play center. His value to the Bucs is only helped by the fact that he played in college at Rutgers under new Tampa Bay coach Greg Schiano.

There also are two NFC South guards with reasonably big names that didn’t make the list and Bales addresses both of them. Tampa Bay’s Davin Joseph went to the Pro Bowl and allowed only two sacks while doing a good job as a run-blocker, but Bales points to his 21 pressures allowed as the reason he’s not on the list.

Atlanta’s Justin Blalock also was left off the list. Bales points to the fact that the Falcons averaged just 3.5 yards per carry when running behind Blalock as the reason he didn’t make the top 20.

We frequently talk here about how the NFC South might be the league’s only division with four franchise quarterbacks.

I’m in agreement with that because New Orleans’ Drew Brees and Atlanta’s Matt Ryan are well established as franchise quarterbacks. Cam Newton’s rookie season in Carolina was a pretty strong indication that he also fits the profile. I still believe Tampa Bay’s Josh Freeman has the talent to be a franchise quarterback but needs to bounce back from a rough 2011 season and get some help from his supporting cast.

But, even with all that set, there is room for major improvement among NFC South quarterbacks in one area. Freeman and Newton were among the league leaders in one significant category that didn’t reflect very well on them. According to ESPN Stats & Information’s Keith Hawkins, Freeman and Newton ranked way too high when it came to quarterback turnovers (interceptions plus fumbles lost) in 2011. Here’s a look at the league leaders.

• Freeman, 27

• Mark Sanchez, 26

• Ryan Fitzpatrick, 25

• Rex Grossman, 25

• Philip Rivers, 25

• Eli Manning, 20

• Newton, 19

• Ben Roethlisberger, 19

• Tavaris Jackson, 18

• Michael Vick, 18

• Joe Flacco, 18

What’s disturbing here about Freeman and Newton are their interception totals. Freeman was second in the league with 22. That comes after a 2010 season in which he threw only six interceptions. What was the difference? Some of it was simply bad decision making by Freeman. But I think he was also the victim of an offense that was in total chaos. Everything was going wrong for the Bucs offensively. Their play calling wasn’t great, there wasn’t good balance between their running and passing game and their receivers often failed to get open and dropped a lot of passes. With new offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan and what should be a more disciplined and organized team all the way around under new coach Greg Schiano, I think you’ll see big improvement from Freeman.

Newton wasn’t too far off Freeman with 17 interceptions. I don’t think the blame here falls on the supporting cast or the offensive scheme and play calling. I think it falls on Newton. He was a rookie and there naturally will be some mistakes. Newton also played with a great deal of confidence and tried to force some throws that weren’t there. That’s something that can easily be worked on in the offseason.

That’s why I don’t think you’ll see Freeman and Newton as high on this list in 2012.

Here's a look at the top Tuesday morning headlines from around the NFC South.

Here’s a debate about whether Atlanta’s trade up to get receiver Julio Jones was worth the draft picks the Falcons gave up as compensation. It’s a legitimate question, and you can make points on both sides of the argument. But I think time will show the Falcons did the right thing by trading for Jones. He’s going to be a special player. We saw flashes of it in his rookie season. Consistency is the next step, and that will come soon because Jones will get a full offseason program this year.

Stephen Holder takes a look at how a potential trade by St. Louis out of the No. 2 spot in the draft would impact the Buccaneers at No. 5. He says it likely would mean the Bucs would have their choice at No. 5 between LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne and Alabama running back Trent Richardson. That appears to be a no-lose decision. Both are good players, and the Bucs have needs at both positions.

In this chat, Jeff Duncan said the Saints will continue to negotiate with quarterback Drew Brees right up until the March 5 deadline. He says the Saints will only use the franchise tag on Brees if all else fails, and says it’s more likely the tag will be used on guard Carl Nicks.

D. Orlando Ledbetter writes that the market for Atlanta free-agent linebacker Curtis Lofton has been set by the five-year $42.5 million deal signed by Cleveland’s D’Qwell Jackson. While Lofton’s agent might use that as a negotiating point, I’m not sure Jackson’s deal is a realistic parameter for Lofton’s deal. Lofton is a very good middle linebacker and a defensive leader, but I don’t think it would be accurate to say he’s one of the top five middle linebackers in the game. I think his market value is somewhere less than Jackson’s.

Nakia Hogan writes that one draft prospect who could be intriguing to the Saints is West Virginia’s Bruce Irvin. At 6-foot-3 and 245 pounds, he’s a “tweener’’ between a defensive end and a linebacker. But the guy has unique pass-rush skills, and the Saints need to improve their rush. They don’t have a first-round pick, but Irvin could be available in the second round.

Defensive tackles Michael Brockers and Devon Still are commonly mentioned as prime candidates for the Panthers, who have the No. 9 pick. But Joseph Person writes that Memphis tackle Dontari Poe has worked himself into the argument with a strong showing at the combine.

We’ll continue our look at which NFC South players could be on the hot seat because of salary-cap casualties with the New Orleans Saints.

At the moment, the Saints are under the cap, but that’s only temporary. They’re trying to re-sign quarterback Drew Brees to a new contract and that alone could put them over the cap. In addition to Brees, they also have key players Marques Colston and Carl Nicks that they would like to prevent from departing in free agency. They also have some lesser potential free agents in receiver Robert Meachem and cornerback Tracy Porter that, in a perfect world, they would like to keep.

But this isn’t a perfect world and the Saints are probably going to have to make some painful cap moves.

That means two prominent defensive veterans are candidates for release or restructure. Defensive end Will Smith is scheduled to count $10.15 million against the cap. Although Smith is their top pass rusher, the Saints could free up $6.15 million by releasing him. Linebacker Jonathan Vilma, the leader of the defense in recent years, is scheduled to count $7.6 million against the cap. The Saints could free up $3.6 million by releasing Vilma. The Saints might not be ready to part with Vilma and Smith, so restructuring is a possibility for each. But Vilma is coming off knee surgery and the Saints have all the medical reports. If Vilma's knee looks like it could be a lingering problem, the Saints might have to make the difficult move of releasing one of their team leaders.

Linebacker Will Herring is scheduled to count $1.7 million against the cap. He wasn’t much of a factor last season and seems to be a prime candidate for release because the Saints could free up $1.1 million by cutting him.

Wide receiver Devery Henderson would appear to be an easy release because he’s scheduled to count $3.6 million against the cap and the Saints could free up $2.8 million by releasing him. But that’s not a given. If the Saints lose Colston and Meachem, they’ll need to keep Henderson.

Two other players are long shots to be released, but they’re at least possibilities because of their high cap figures and the fact the Saints could be in crisis mode. Left tackle Jermon Bushrod is scheduled to make $6.9 million and the Saints could free up $5.2 million by releasing him. Bushrod made the Pro Bowl last season and has grown into a solid player. He’s heading into the final year of his contract and one possible solution would be to extend his contract to knock down this year’s cap figure.

Defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis is scheduled to count $7.6 million against the cap and the Saints could save over $5 million by releasing him. Ellis never has become the dominant player the Saints hoped for when they used a first-round pick on him. But, when healthy, Ellis has been decent and the solution here might be an extension for Ellis that would spread out his cap hit over a longer period of time.

Time for a look at the Sunday morning headlines from around the division.

Carolina coach Ron Rivera said reserve quarterback Jimmy Clausen remains in the mix for next season. Let’s see if that holds true next month when Clausen is due a roster bonus of nearly $1 million. That’s a lot to pay a guy that was inactive for every game last season.

Atlanta coach Mike Smith revealed defensive end Ray Edwards had postseason knee surgery. Smith said the knee was bothering Edwards during the season. That may explain why Edwards, Atlanta’s top free-agent pickup last year, had such a quiet season.

The Falcons reportedly are exploring the possibility of extending quarterback Matt Ryan’s contract. Although Ryan has two years remaining on his original deal, this would make sense because the Falcons could knock down Ryan’s cap figure for this year and create more room to sign free agents. An extension for Ryan also would silence the critics who are saying that the quarterback is not the long-term answer for the Falcons.

The Falcons are considering the possibility of using the franchise tag on cornerback Brent Grimes. That would cost the team $10.6 million.

LSU defensive tackle Michael Brockers, who many are projecting as Carolina’s pick at No. 9, has decided not to run the 40-yard dash or do the bench press at the combine. Brockers said he will do both at his pro day.

For the second time this offseason, Smith has publicly declared the Falcons will limit running back Michael Turner’s carries going forward. Makes sense because Turner has handled a lot of carries the past four seasons and he’s not getting any younger. Turner still will be the feature back, but the Falcons plan to give more playing time to Jacquizz Rodgers.

Tampa Bay general manager Mark Dominik said the team wants to re-sign kicker Connor Barth. If that doesn’t happen, Dominik implied the Bucs would use the franchise tag on Barth.

Jeff Duncan writes that the Saints’ offseason will be considered a success if the team can find a way to keep quarterback Drew Brees, guard Carl Nicks and receiver Marques Colston. He’s right, but that’s going to be a challenge. The Saints have been so tied up with the Brees deal that Nicks and Colston said talks about new deals for them haven’t begun. It’s likely those talks will heat up as soon as a deal gets done with Brees and the Saints could use the franchise tag on Nicks and Colston. Even if the Saints find a way to keep all three, they probably will lose some free agents they’d like to keep. Receiver Robert Meachem and cornerback Tracy Porter are likely to draw some interest from outside and the Saints might not have enough cap room to keep them.

The Bucs reportedly have paid $500,000 to Rutgers as part of the buyout clause coach Greg Schiano owed the university. A Rutgers spokesperson said a $300,000 balance remains on a home loan that Rutgers gave Schiano.

We covered a lot of ground in Friday’s NFC South chat. A lot of talk about the contract situation of Drew Brees, the draft and free agency. Let’s take a look at the highlights.

Kasy (Hattiesburg): Now that Tampa has its staff put together (besides qb coach), what grade would you give it? I know they aren't the biggest names but I think they have a good mix of experience and familiarity.

Pat Yasinskas: I'll go with a B or B-. I like the mix of college and NFL experience on the staff. Also like the fact that about half the staff has worked with Schiano previously. Think that will make the transition smoother.

Emmett (Hill Valley, CA): Any idea what is holding up Brees' contract talks?

Pat Yasinskas: I think it's just both sides going through the negotiating process and waiting for someone to blink. I have no doubt it will get done.

CC (Atlanta): Falcons seem willing to let Abe walk. Don't you think they'll go after Mario Williams? They have a ton of cap space and no 1st rounder.

Pat Yasinskas: Wouldn't surprise me a bit. They're always good for at least one big splash an offseason and that would be a big one. It also would fill a need.

Ben (Atlanta): Pat have you heard anything about the Panthers restructuring some contracts? I would think Steve Smith would be one of the candidates for that since his is up after this season and he is high against the cap total.

Pat Yasinskas: Nothing yet, but that generally comes right as we get close to start of free agency. Yes, I think Smith would be a candidate for an extension. He's got a cap figure over $10 million this year right now. Sign him to an extension for a few years and you can spread the cap hit out over the life of the contract.

Andy (hickory, nc): Pat, I hate when teams say they are going to " build through the draft ". I mean teams draft what, 7 players? Let’s say half become starters, with one becoming a stud, that’s not a lot to motivate a fan base with.

Pat Yasinskas: And building through free agency works? Ask the Eagles and Redskins about that. Now, I do agree you can't do it totally through the draft. There has to be a mix. I think Atlanta and New Orleans have done a nice job of that. Carolina too.

Robert(br,la) [via mobile]: Any chance saints lose Nicks due to Brees deal not being completed in a timely manner?

Pat Yasinskas: I doubt it. I suspect they'll get the Brees deal done and then turn attention to Nicks. If they have to use the tag on him, I think they will.

Steve Albarado (Ventura CA): Pat, huge fan of your blog. I check it daily. Do you think John Abraham would be good fit with New Orleans' defense? I know he's old and injury prone, but for the right price he might be a solid addition on passing downs. Thoughts?

Pat Yasinskas: Possible. Saints have history of bringing in vets for a year or two. They also need a pass rusher. But they're not going to have much cap room to work with and it sounds like Abe is looking for good money.

JJ (GA): Will Dirk Koetter improve Matt Ryan as a deep passer?

Pat Yasinskas: I think an improved offensive line would help Ryan more than anything.

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

I know a lot of people in New Orleans are more than a little nervous these days. It’s understandable because quarterback Drew Brees remains unsigned and the start of free agency is getting closer every day.

But Brees remained confident Thursday that something will happen before free agency begins March 13.

"There's no doubt in my mind we'll get a deal done," Brees told Mike Triplett.

But it’s late February and the sides have talked off and on about this for a long time. Why have there been reports that the sides remain far apart?

“I think there's been progress made," Brees said. "But just like everything it's a process. It takes time. It's not something that happens overnight."

I’m not guaranteeing anything, but I have a real hard time seeing Brees leave New Orleans. He doesn’t want to leave and the Saints know they need the cornerstone of their franchise.

This is a complicated deal because it probably will make Brees one of the NFL’s best-paid players and there will be salary-cap implications for the rest of the roster. Brees is right when he says negotiations are a process.

Think back to last offseason when the NFL locked out its players. For months, all we heard was that there was little or no progress. Then, training camp rolled around and a deal got thrown together quickly. That’s how negotiations work.

Both sides tend to drag their feet for maximum bargaining power. But when there’s a sense of urgency, people tend to make deals.

As each day passes that sense of urgency gets stronger for Brees and the Saints.

The NFC South may not have nearly as much of a vested interest in this as it did last year, but Gruden’s QB Camp is returning for a third season this spring.

Last year, Jon Gruden, the former Tampa Bay coach and current "Monday Night Football" analyst, had a fascinating session with Cam Newton. Their time in the film room gave us all plenty to talk about as we waited for the Carolina Panthers to select Newton at No. 1 overall.

This year, I don’t see any NFC South team taking a quarterback in the first round. But I do think you could see some NFC South quarterback moves later in the draft. Wisconsin’s Russell Wilson is similar to New Orleans’ Drew Brees in a lot of ways. I wouldn’t be all that surprised if the Saints took Wilson in the middle rounds and try to groom him as the heir apparent to Brees. There even has been a bit of a buzz that the Panthers could look at Wilson as a guy to complement Newton.

The Falcons and Buccaneers also could be keeping an eye out for potential backups in the draft.

Wilson’s session with Gruden will air April 11 at 5 p.m. ET on ESPNU.

The show will debut with Andrew Luck on March 31 at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN. The segment with Robert Griffin III will air at 9 p.m. ET on April 2 on ESPN. Kellen Moore will be featured April 12 at 5 p.m. ET on ESPNU. Kirk Cousins’ episode will be shown April 16 at 5 p.m. ET on ESPNU.

Case Keenum will be featured at 5 p.m. ET on April 17 on ESPNU. The segment on Brandon Weeden will air April 18 at 8 p.m. on ESPNU. Brock Osweiler will be featured April 19 at 5 p.m. ET on ESPNU.

A segment on Nick Foles will air April 23 at 5 p.m. ET on ESPNU and Ryan Tannehill will be featured April 24 at 5 p.m. ET on ESPNU.

Fans in New Orleans might want to listen up. Same for fans in Atlanta and Tampa Bay that have their eye on this guy in free agency.

In this Sirius NFL Radio interview with Jim Miller and Rich Gannon, Carl Nicks sounded like a man ready to explore free agency. The New Orleans guard said he hasn’t had any contract talks with the Saints.

“I haven’t talked to (general manager) Mickey (Loomis) at all,’’ said Nicks, who can become an unrestricted free agent on March 13.

Nicks wasn’t asked if his agent was in contact with the Saints. Nicks said he expects the Saints to first sign quarterback Drew Brees to a new deal. The Saints could put a franchise tag on Nicks for $9.4 million.

“I’ve heard a lot of rumors of the franchise tag, which is a lot of money,’’ Nicks said. “If you want to pay me, which I’m not a big fan of, what the franchise tag for an offensive lineman is worth, we might as well work on a deal.’’

Nicks isn’t the only member of the Saints that has a chance to be designated as a franchise player. If the tag isn’t used on Nicks or Brees, it could be used on wide receiver Marques Colston.

Nicks also may have been sending a bit of a message to the front office when asked how he would feel if he is hit with the franchise tag.

“Yes, I’d be upset if I got franchise tagged, straight up and down,’’ Nicks said.

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

As the Falcons get ready to head off to the combine, D. Orlando Ledbetter has a list of players they should keep an eye on. He starts off with tight ends, which is a logical spot because Tony Gonzalez can’t play forever. But the Falcons also better keep an eye on defensive ends and offensive tackles.

Roy Cummings writes that the agent for guard Jeremy Zuttah is optimistic a long-term contract can be worked out before the start of free agency. Zuttah’s stock is high right now. He can play guard or center. He also has history with new coach Greg Schiano. Zuttah played for Schiano at Rutgers.

The Saints still don’t have a deal done with quarterback Drew Brees. Bradley Handwerger writes that the team may have to use the franchise tag, which would cost $14.4 million, on Brees. If a deal can be reached with Brees before the start of free agency, the Saints could tag guard Carl Nicks or receiver Marques Colston.

Carolina linebacker Jon Beason said anything less than a Super Bowl appearance will make for a disappointing season. Beason always has been an upbeat guy and he’s aiming very high. But I don’t think his goal is totally unreasonable. With a healthy Beason returning to the lineup and a few more personnel tweaks, the Panthers should have an improved defense to go with an offense that already is good.

Time for a look at the top Monday morning headlines from around the division.

The Falcons reportedly have begun preliminary negotiations with some of their 17 prospective free agents. I think it’s pretty safe to assume cornerback Brent Grimes and linebacker Curtis Lofton are at the top of the list. What isn’t as clear is what the Falcons will do with defensive end John Abraham. He’s near the end of his career and the Falcons have to decide if they want to bring their top pass rusher back.

The Panthers made a minor signing, adding defensive end Jyles Tucker, who sat out last season. But Tucker previously played for Carolina coach Ron Rivera in San Diego. The Panthers have had decent luck previously when they’ve signed one of Rivera’s former players. They picked up defensive end/linebacker Antwan Applewhite last season and he wound up being a solid contributor.

New Orleans, which hasn’t hosted a Super Bowl since 2002, already is gearing up to host next year’s event.

Tampa Bay cornerback Ronde Barber reportedly is recovering well from a fractured forearm, but has yet to decide if he wants to retire or continue playing.

Teams can start using the franchise tag Monday and the deadline is March 5. The prime candidates for the tag in the NFC South are New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees and guard Carl Nicks and Atlanta's Grimes and Lofton.

Brees and wife Brittany are expecting a third son, the quarterback said.

A look at the top Sunday headlines from around the NFC South.

Jeff Duncan has a good overview of the contract negotiations between the Saints and Drew Brees. Although both sides say they want a deal, it has yet to happen. I wouldn’t worry too much about this because it’s almost certain a deal will get done before Brees can become a free agent. But Duncan brings up a good point when he says that Brees probably won’t take a hometown discount. The quarterback is as competitive as they come and he’s likely to want full-market value. He also deserves it.

Carolina linebackers Jon Beason and Thomas Davis, who each missed most of last season with injuries, are working hard on their comebacks. There’s not much doubt Beason will be back. But Davis is coming off his third torn ACL and has a big contract. Davis is confident something can be worked out on the contract situation and that he’ll be physically ready to play again.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers reportedly have hired Bob Bostad as offensive line coach. Bostad recently had been hired as offensive coordinator at the University of Pittsburgh. He’s the third coach the Buccaneers were able to lure away from a college job before ever really starting it. Defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan left Ohio State before ever coaching a game. Receivers coach P.J. Fleck also left North Illinois.

Jeff Schultz ranks the pro sports franchises and various college sports programs in Georgia and Atlanta. He has the Falcons No. 2, behind the Braves. Part of me wanted to argue that, especially when you take into consideration the fact the Braves lost 20 of their final 30 games last season. But the Falcons have shown a recent history of making very quick exits from the playoffs, so you can’t put up a very strong case for them.

Starting Monday, teams can begin using franchise tags. They can use that tactic to protect a potential free agent any time between then and the March 5 deadline.

This could come into play for two NFC South teams -- the Saints and Falcons. I’m not seeing anyone on the list of free agents for the Bucs and Panthers that would make sense to use a franchise tag on.

But I’m seeing several possibilities each for the Falcons and Saints. Let’s start with the Saints because that’s where the biggest names are.

Quarterback Drew Brees, guard Carl Nicks and receiver Marques Colston all are potential free agents. A lot of people are speculating the Saints will use the tag on Brees.

But I don’t see that happening. I think the priority here is to get a long-term deal done with Brees. Using the franchise tag is often a last resort when contract negotiations aren’t going well. Getting stuck with the franchise tag often angers a player that is seeking long-term security and the last thing the Saints want is an angry Brees.

Besides, estimates say the franchise tag cost for a quarterback will be a little more than $16 million. If the Saints structure Brees’ deal somewhat similar to the most recent contracts signed by Peyton Manning and Tom Brady, they can get his cap figure for this year to somewhere around $14 million. That would give them a little extra cap room to work with as they try to keep Nicks and Colston.

Plus, there’s one other problem with putting the franchise tag on Brees. It wouldn’t completely protect him. Another team could attempt to sign him to a monster deal, but it would cost that team two first-round draft picks. Teams have been hesitant to do that in recent years because the cost is so steep. But this is Brees we’re talking about. I don’t think many teams would hesitate to cough up two first-round picks for Brees.

I think the only logical thing here is for the Saints to get Brees locked up for the long term. Once they do that, they can resort to the franchise tag if they can’t get a long-term deal done with Nicks or Colston.

The Falcons also have a couple of candidates for the franchise tag. Atlanta’s prominent free agents are cornerback Brent Grimes and middle linebacker Curtis Lofton.

Like the Saints, I think the Falcons would prefer to get long-term deals with both players and would only use the franchise tag if all else fails. The Falcons have some cap room to work with, but franchising Grimes or Lofton would be expensive.

The estimate for the franchise tag for a cornerback is $10.6 million. That’s a ton of money for a player like Grimes. He’s become a very good cornerback, but he’s still undersized and never is going to be truly elite. The Falcons already have a ton of money tied up in cornerback Dunta Robinson.

Franchising Lofton would cost an estimated $8.8 million. Like Grimes, Lofton is a very good player, but he’s not elite. There even have been some rumblings that Lofton could become a two-down linebacker with new coordinator Mike Nolan taking over the defense.