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Let’s take a Friday evening cruise through some odds and ends from around the NFC South.

The Carolina Panthers reportedly have agreed to terms with former Minnesota linebacker Kenny Onatolu. He was mostly a special-teams player with the Vikings and the Panthers are sure to use him in that capacity. But they did need to add a little linebacker depth after former backup Dan Connor signed with Dallas.

Tampa Bay linebacker Geno Hayes reportedly will visit with the Denver Broncos. I don’t think the Bucs have a lot of interest in bringing back Hayes, who was a starter on the outside last season. The Bucs will be making some moves at linebacker either elsewhere in free agency or in the draft. Although there had been some talk about moving Mason Foster to the outside, general manager Mark Dominik recently said the coaches may leave him in the middle.

Former Carolina guard Geoff Schwartz is scheduled to visit with the Vikings on Monday.

Former Tampa Bay coach Raheem Morris was close with Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon. New coach Greg Schiano has started to build a friendship with Maddon.

Atlanta general manager Thomas Dimitroff doesn’t agree with the perception that the Falcons are being inactive. He points to the team keeping cornerback Brent Grimes and defensive end John Abraham and also made significant changes to the coaching staff. He’s got a point. I’ll also throw in the fact the Falcons were very active on the personnel front last year. You can’t make big splashes in free agency and the draft every year.

There has been a lot of talk that the Buccaneers could look to overhaul their linebacker corps in free agency and the draft.

That makes sense because Geno Hayes is a free agent, Quincy Black didn’t have a great season in 2011 and the new coaching staff has implied Mason Foster may move to the outside after spending his rookie season in the middle.

We’ll find out soon enough if the Bucs are going to do anything at linebacker in free agency. But we already know one guy they’re looking at in the draft. That’s TCU’s Tank Carder.

According to a league source, Carder will have an official visit with the Bucs the first week of April. I always say not to read too much into which teams interview or visit with draft prospects and that remains true. Lots of teams do lots of interviews and visits with lots of prospects. But we know Carder is at least on the Bucs’ radar and he plays a position where the team could be making some moves.

Most scouts view Carder as an outside linebacker. He’s viewed as a mid- or late-round prospect. Carder was the Defensive Most Valuable Player in the 2011 Rose Bowl. He also comes from an interesting background. Carder was a BMX champion racer as a child and overcame a broken back suffered in a car accident after being told the only way he could play football would be as a kicker.

» AFC Free-Agency Primer: East | West | North | South » NFC: East | West | North | South

Free agency begins Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET

Atlanta Falcons

Key free agents: CB Brent Grimes (franchise tag), LB Curtis Lofton, DE John Abraham, WR Harry Douglas and C Todd McClure.

Where they stand: The Falcons put the franchise tag on Grimes but would like to sign him to a long-term contract. That would improve a salary-cap situation that’s already decent. Keeping Lofton and Douglas, who have been developed by the current coaching staff, is also likely to be a priority. Although Abraham led the team with 9.5 sacks last season, his age and salary expectations work against the possibility of his return. Unless Abraham’s price tag drops significantly, the Falcons seem likely to let him walk. McClure could opt to retire. But if he wants to play, it’s likely the Falcons would welcome him back.

What to expect: After a quick and embarrassing exit from the postseason, owner Arthur Blank made it very clear that simply making the playoffs isn’t good enough. Blank expects to contend for a Super Bowl title. The Falcons went all in last year when they traded up to draft receiver Julio Jones and paid big money to free-agent defensive end Ray Edwards. Look for them to take a similar approach this year. The Falcons are usually good for at least one major move an offseason, and this year we could see two or three. Don’t be surprised if the Falcons go hard after Houston linebacker Mario Williams because they need a pass-rusher to replace Abraham. Without a first-round pick, the Falcons also probably will use free agency to fill a big need at left tackle. There aren’t a lot of options, but tackle Marcus McNeill could be a target if he is released, as expected, by the Chargers. The Falcons could even make a play for New Orleans guard Carl Nicks. His presence would make life easier for any left tackle, and pulling him away from the Saints also would weaken a division rival.

Carolina Panthers

Key free agents: TE Jeremy Shockey, LB Dan Connor, G Geoff Hangartner, LB/DL Antwan Applewhite and QB Derek Anderson.

Where they stand: The Panthers seem to be uncertain whether Shockey plans to retire or keep playing. If he wants to play, they’d gladly take him back because he’s a nice complement to Greg Olsen. They also are likely to make a strong attempt to keep Hangartner, who did a nice job after Carolina had several guards injured last preseason. It’s similar with Applewhite, who was signed during the season and made nice contributions. But the Panthers seem prepared to let Connor test free agency because they can’t promise him playing time with Jon Beason returning from injury as the starting middle linebacker. Anderson could return, but the Panthers likely will at least explore the possibility of looking for an upgrade as Cam Newton’s backup.

What to expect: Don’t expect a lot. The Panthers had their big splurge coming out of the lockout last summer, and they’re paying the tab for that now. They will have to release players and restructure contracts just to get below the cap before free agency starts. Linebacker Thomas Davis, who is coming off his third torn ACL, is a prime candidate for release or restructure. Although the team clearly wants to improve its defense, don’t look for any major moves in free agency. The team simply doesn’t have the cap room to make any big deals. The team might sign a midlevel free agent or two, but major upgrades will have to come through the draft.

New Orleans Saints

Key free agents: QB Drew Brees (franchise tag), G Carl Nicks, WR Marques Colston, CB Tracy Porter and WR Robert Meachem.

Where they stand: The past three years have been the most peaceful and prosperous in franchise history. But the peaceful part already has ended this offseason. In addition to getting into trouble with the NFL for a bounty program, the Saints are dealing with contract issues that are beyond challenging. They used the franchise tag on Brees and that’s going to cost them around $15 million. Even if they do reach a long-term agreement with Brees, his cap figure for this year could climb above $15 million. Either way, the Saints are going to have major cap issues. They’ve already restructured the contract of defensive end Will Smith and may do the same with linebacker Jonathan Vilma or perhaps even release him and some veterans. The Saints are going to have so much cap space tied up in Brees that they’ll have a hard time keeping their other free agents. Nicks would seem to be the priority with Colston close behind. But keeping even one of them would be a victory for the Saints.

What to expect: General manager Mickey Loomis always has been aggressive and daring, and he might have to be even more creative than usual because of the cap situation. The Saints simply aren’t the type of team to sit still. They had flaws exposed in a playoff loss to San Francisco, and they’re asking new coordinator Steve Spagnuolo to fix their defense. The problem there is a lot of the current personnel doesn’t fit all that well in Spagnuolo’s scheme. Loomis needs to find a way to get at least one more pass-rusher up front and needs to add an athletic linebacker or two. He also may have to fill more needs if the Saints lose as many free agents as most expect. This team lacks a first-round pick in the draft, so Loomis will have to make some big moves when it comes to releasing players or restructuring contracts just to give the Saints a shot at being a little bit active in free agency.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Key free agents: K Connor Barth (franchise tag), CB Ronde Barber, RB Earnest Graham, LB Geno Hayes, S Sean Jones, DE Michael Bennett (restricted) and RB LeGarrette Blount (exclusive rights).

Where they stand: The Bucs begin coach Greg Schiano’s tenure in a unique situation. They’ve got a ton of cap room and need improvement in lots of areas. But they’ll deal with what they have between now and the start of free agency. A decision on Barber probably will come very soon. Schiano has indicated he’d like the veteran back, but Barber could choose to retire, which also would create a major need at cornerback. That position also could be an issue later in March when starting cornerback Aqib Talib is scheduled for trial on an assault charge. Talib could go to prison or face a suspension from the NFL, but his fate will be unknown at the start of free agency. Hayes didn’t have a great season last year, but he has upside, and the new staff might want to keep him. The Bucs are likely to let Graham walk because of his age. A return by Jones is possible at a reasonable salary, but the Bucs still need to look to upgrade at safety.

What to expect: The exact amount will depend on how many of their free agents are brought back, but the Bucs are likely to have somewhere around $50 million in cap space at the start of free agency and that will put them near the top of the league. After barely dipping into free agency last year, the Bucs were able to carry over extra cap room, and general manager Mark Dominik has publicly said the team plans to be more active in free agency. But fans need to keep that in perspective. The Bucs aren’t going to suddenly return to the days when Jon Gruden and Bruce Allen regularly shelled out money for big-name players in their 30s. The Bucs started a youth movement three years ago, and there are some parts in place. Now, it’s time for them to supplement those parts. They’ll be active in free agency, but they’ll be focusing on players still in their 20s. They’ll also be focusing on improving the supporting cast of quarterback Josh Freeman, who they believe can become great. Look for them to add a speed receiver, perhaps someone like Mario Manningham (Giants) or Eddie Royal (Broncos). The Bucs also want to improve at running back, where Blount is a one-dimensional power runner. They could look for a pass-catching specialist or opt to look for a complete back who could even replace Blount as the starter. On defense, the Bucs probably will try to upgrade at linebacker. If Barber and/or Talib aren’t back, the Bucs will have to make a move or two at cornerback and probably wouldn’t hesitate to pay big money to someone such as Cortland Finnegan (Titans).

We’ve been talking about needs for the four NFC South teams this offseason and we’re about to do it again. Let’s turn to this Insider post by Gary Horton.

He lists three needs for each team and I’m picking one of those for each team to discuss here.

— For the Falcons, Horton lists the offensive line as the top need. No argument here. The Falcons have to get better up front if they’re going to truly have the kind of explosive offense they like to talk about. Horton speculates the Falcons could go after guard Carl Nicks as a free agent or sign tackle Marcus McNeill if he is released, as expected by the Chargers. I’m not totally ruling out the Falcons pursuing Nicks. He’s the best guard in the game and taking him away from New Orleans would weaken a division opponent. But I don’t know if the Falcons can afford to spend so much money on a guard when their biggest weakness is at left tackle.

— Horton lists wide receiver as Carolina’s top need. I’d put defensive tackle and outside linebacker ahead of receiver, but I see his point. There’s a school of thought the Panthers should go get another top receiver to pair with Steve Smith. I can see the Panthers adding a receiver, but not in the early rounds of the draft and not an expensive free agent. All indications I’ve been getting are that the Panthers are happy with the progress of Brandon LaFell and are expecting David Gettis back from an injury.

— For the Saints, Horton has outside linebacker at the top of the list and I couldn’t agree more. Scott Shanle is aging and the Saints never found a solid replacement for Scott Fujita. They have high hopes for Martez Wilson, but I think they’ll add another linebacker in the draft or free agency.

— Horton also has outside linebacker on Tampa Bay’s list. That’s a definite area of need. Geno Hayes and Quincy Black didn’t step up last season. The team played rookie Mason Foster in the middle and that could have had a negative impact on the outside linebackers. But the Bucs have to upgrade this position.

Atlanta linebackers Curtis Lofton and Sean Weatherspoon almost never left the field during the 2011 season.

According to playing-time numbers obtained by ESPN.com, Lofton participated in 986 of Atlanta’s 996 defensive plays (99 percent). Weatherspoon was right behind him, taking part in 976 plays (97.9 percent). Those two and Carolina’s James Anderson (97.3 percent) easily outdistanced the rest of the NFC South linebackers in playing time.

In fact, only Cleveland’s D'Qwell Jackson, St. Louis' James Laurinaitis, Chicago’s Lance Briggs and Washington’s Ryan Kerrigan, who each played all of their team’s defensive snaps, and Minnesota’s Chad Greenway (99.3 percent) participated in a higher percentage of plays than Lofton, Weatherspoon and Anderson.

Here’s a list at the rest of the leading NFC South linebackers in percentage of playing time:

• Mason Foster, Buccaneers, 82.5
• Scott Shanle, Saints, 77
• Geno Hayes, Buccaneers, 69.1
• Jo-Lonn Dunbar, Saints, 68.7
• Quincy Black, Buccaneers, 62.9
• Jonathan Vilma, Saints, 60.2
• Jonathan Casillas, Saints, 51.4
• Dan Connor, Panthers, 46
• Jordan Senn, Panthers, 38.9

We’ll conclude our division-wide look at potential free agents with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

All are scheduled to become unrestricted free agents, unless otherwise noted:

Cornerback Ronde Barber, kicker Connor Barth, running back Earnest Graham, defensive tackle Jovan Haye, linebacker Geno Hayes, quarterback Josh Johnson, safety Sean Jones, offensive lineman James Lee, safety Corey Lynch, cornerback Elbert Mack, receiver Micheal Spurlock, offensive lineman Jeremy Zuttah, running back LeGarrette Blount (exclusive rights), receiver Preston Parker (exclusive rights), defensive end Michael Bennett (restricted) and offensive lineman Demar Dotson.

As soon as new coach Greg Schiano gets his staff hired, he and general manager Mark Dominik have to sit down, take a look at the list above and make what could be some difficult decisions. Let’s start with Barber’s future because that’s going to be a hot topic.

Barber played at a reasonably high level in 2011 and the Bucs could look to bring him back with another one-year contract. Of course, it’s also possible that Barber will decide to retire. It’s also possible Barber might want to continue playing, but a new coaching staff could decide to start fresh and give him the same treatment Derrick Brooks got in 2009 and let him walk. If that happens, don’t be surprised if Barber ends up in Washington, where former Tampa Bay coach Raheem Morris is now coaching the secondary.

Barber’s status as a Tampa Bay icon makes him the most interesting person on the list of potential free agents. But the list contains plenty of others that will be interesting decisions. Barth and Zuttah seem the most likely to stay. But Schiano, his coaching staff and Dominik are going to have to take a long look at players like Hayes, Lynch and Lee to see if they fit the new system. Jones was a starter last season, but the Bucs may elect to go younger at safety. Graham also is an interesting situation. He can play running back and tailback and has been a dependable player for years. But he’s aging and coming off an injury that put an early end to his 2011 season.

On a side note, defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth currently remains under contract for 2012. But Haynesworth, who was brought in after injuries wiped out the middle of the defensive line in the middle of last season, is scheduled to count $7.2 million toward the salary cap. The Bucs can release him without any cap implications. Haynesworth doesn't have a lot left in the tank and my early impression is that Schiano doesn't seem like the kind of coach that would want the baggage that comes with Haynesworth. Throw in the cap situation and it seems pretty obvious how this one will play out.

I’ve said all I can say about the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at this point and I’ve got a pretty significant Monday night game to get ready for. So let’s take a look at what some other columnists are saying about the Bucs.

• John Romano has perhaps the best column I’ve read in a while. At very least, it will make you laugh. He cleverly summarizes Tampa Bay’s loss (and season) with new words to Christmas songs. My favorite opens with the words “Geno (Hayes) got run over by a Panther." The rest of the tunes (or the words to the tunes) are pretty good too.
• The Charlotte Observer’s Tom Sorensen, one of the finest writers I’ve ever worked with, says the Bucs quit against the Panthers. That's a pretty strong accusation. But I trust Tom's instincts. Besides, he's not the first one to suggest this.
• Mark Cook writes that the Bucs are in serious need of upgrades and that includes players and coaches.
• Gary Shelton writes that, assuming the Bucs part ways with coach Raheem Morris, prospective coaches might have been scared off by what they saw from the Bucs on Saturday.
• Perhaps the day’s most accurate statement didn’t come from a writer. It came from Tampa Bay guard Davin Joseph: "You can't say this looks like a team that doesn't want Coach Morris to come back. The way we're going, I'd say this is a team where I'm wondering whether our players are going to come back.''

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

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

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

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

When the Falcons and Saints play Monday night, the two shortest players in the NFL will be on the field. Atlanta running back Jacquizz Rodgers and New Orleans running back Darren Sproles are 5-foot-6. The Falcons gradually have been creating a bigger role for Rodgers. They might be wise to take notes on how the Saints use Sproles.

They’ll be holding a reunion for University of Miami tight ends at Bank of America Stadium when the Panthers host the Bucs on Saturday. Carolina’s Greg Olsen and Jeremy Shockey and Tampa Bay’s Kellen Winslow all played at Miami. Carolina offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski was the Miami tight ends coach. In related news, Winslow said he believes Chudzinski will make a great head coach. Chudzinski’s name has popped up as a coordinator on the rise and he could be interviewed for some top jobs after the season.

Although specific details of the draft-pick compensation the Saints will receive for trading Reggie Bush to Miami in the summer are not known, Mike Triplett reports what New Orleans gets is not tied to Bush’s on-field performance.

Tampa Bay linebacker Geno Hayes, who can become a free agent after the season, said there have been no talks about a contract extension. But Hayes said he would like to remain with the Buccaneers.

Tampa Bay cornerback Myron Lewis, a third-round pick last season, hasn’t received a lot of playing time. But, with Aqib Talib lost for the season, Lewis should at least be active Saturday at Carolina, and he might get a chance to validate his draft position.

A lot can change between now and the start of free agency and I sure don’t see any way the New Orleans Saints let quarterback/King Drew Brees walk away. I also think there’s a pretty good chance tight end Tony Gonzalez can return to the Atlanta Falcons if he chooses. Same for cornerback Ronde Barber with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and maybe even Jeremy Shockey with the Carolina Panthers.

But all we know about those guys at the moment is they’re not under contract for 2012. We’ll do much more on free agency as it gets closer but I’ve got the complete list of every NFC South player presently not under contract for 2012.

I’ll list them by team here and we’ll only go with the guys who have at least four years of service and can become unrestricted free agents. We’ll deal with restricted and exclusive-rights free agents at another time.

Atlanta Falcons: Tony Gonzalez, tight end; Reggie Kelly, tight end; Todd McClure, center; Mike Peterson, linebacker; John Abraham, defensive end; Joe Zelenka, long-snapper; Chris Redman, quarterback; Kirk Chambers, offensive line; Kelvin Hayden, cornerback; Brett Romberg, offensive line; James Sanders, safety; Jason Snelling, running back; Kroy Biermann, defensive end; Thomas DeCoud, safety; Harry Douglas, receiver; Brent Grimes, cornerback; Curtis Lofton, linebacker; Eric Weems, receiver.

Carolina Panthers: Jeremy Shockey, tight end; Reggie Wells, offensive line; Derek Anderson, quarterback; Geoff Hangartner, center/guard; Omar Gaither, linebacker; Cletis Gordon, cornerback; Legedu Naanee, receiver; Antwan Applewhite, linebacker; Mackenzy Beranadeau, offensive line; Dan Connor, linebacker; J.J. Jansen, long-snapper; Jerome Felton, fullback; Jordan Senn, linebacker.

New Orleans Saints: John Kasay, kicker; Drew Brees, quarterback; Shaun Rogers, defensive tackle; John Gilmore, tight end; Aubrayo Franklin, defensive tackle; Marques Colston, receiver; Pat McQuistan, offensive line; Courtney Roby, receiver; Leigh Torrence, cornerback; Jeff Charleston, defensive end; Turk McBride, defensive end; Robert Meachem, receiver; Jo-Lonn Dunbar, linebacker; Carl Nicks, guard; Tracy Porter, cornerback.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Ronde Barber, cornerback; Earnest Graham, running back; Sean Jones, safety; Connor Barth, kicker; Geno Hayes, linebacker; Josh Johnson, quarterback; James Lee, offensive line; Corey Lynch, safety; Elbert Mack, cornerback; Frank Okam, defensive tackle; Micheal Spurlock, receiver; Jeremy Zuttah, offensive line.

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

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

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

Time for a look at Friday morning's top headlines from around the NFC South.

The Atlanta Falcons have gone nearly a full calendar year without allowing a running back to put up a 100-yard rushing game against them. The streak is at 13 games, including a playoff loss to Green Bay. But they face a challenge this week when Tennessee’s Chris Johnson comes to town. Johnson got off to a slow start this season, but he put up 130 yards last Sunday against Carolina.

Some opponents have said the Detroit Lions play “dirty." At the very least they’re a very aggressive bunch and that’s going to be a challenge for the Panthers. Carolina ranks second in the league in penalties, and the Panthers don’t have much margin for error. They'll need to resist any urge to cross the line if things start getting testy.

Tampa Bay’s Geno Hayes is expected to return to the starting lineup at weakside linebacker after being benched the past two games. Hayes, playing in a reserve role, got back into the good graces of the coaching staff by being one of the few players who did some good things in last Sunday’s loss to Tennessee.

New Orleans is on a bye, so that gave quarterback Drew Brees a chance to visit with Jay Leno on Thursday night. Here’s the first part of the interview. And here’s the second part.

New Orleans Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma returned to practice for the first time since injuring his knee more than a week ago. Vilma practiced on a limited basis, but it was an encouraging sign that the Saints may have their defensive leader back for Sunday’s game at Jacksonville. The news wasn't nearly as good on some other key injuries. Right tackle Zach Strief (knee), center Olin Kreutz (knee) and tight end David Thomas (concussion) all did not practice. That means it’s likely Charles Brown will start at right tackle and Brian de la Puente at center.

Atlanta Falcons receiver Roddy White missed his second straight day of practice with a thigh injury. This one bears watching. White is one of those guys who sometimes get a day off on Wednesdays. But when he sits out practice two days in a row, you know he’s hurt. If he can’t go against Seattle, the Falcons would have to give more playing time to Harry Douglas, Eric Weems and Kerry Meier. Linebacker Stephen Nicholas (calf) and running back Jason Snelling (concussion) also sat out for the second straight day. The only encouraging development was that cornerback Kelvin Hayden (hamstring) returned to practice on a limited basis.

Carolina cornerback Chris Gamble missed another day of practice with a concussion. If he’s not cleared to play, the Panthers likely would start either R.J. Stanford or Darius Butler.

Bucs linebacker Geno Hayes has been cleared to play this week after suffering a concussion last week. Linebacker Quincy Black, who missed last week with an ankle injury, returned to practice.

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

Atlanta defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux reportedly has a partially torn MCL. Babineaux suffered the injury in the Chicago game. It’s unclear if Babineaux will miss time, but the Falcons started off the season thin at defensive tackle as Corey Peters sat out the opener with a knee injury.

D. Orlando Ledbetter starts the hype for Sunday night’s showdown between the Falcons and Eagles or, more accurately, between Matt Ryan and Michael Vick. Interestingly enough, the two teams have played the past two seasons, but Ryan (Atlanta’s quarterback of the present) and Vick (Atlanta’s quarterback of the past) haven’t gone head to head in either game. In 2009, Ryan was out with an injury. Last season, Vick was out with an injury.

Carolina coach Ron Rivera said he doesn’t believe the torn Achilles tendon Jon Beason suffered at Arizona was related to recent surgery the linebacker had on his ankle. But you still have to wonder if Beason came back too soon.

The Chicago Bears have won their last four meetings with the New Orleans Saints, but all of those games have been at Soldier Field. This week’s game is in the Superdome. The Bears also have been a thorn in New Orleans’ side when it comes to the playoffs. The Bears eliminated the Saints in the 2006 and 1990 seasons.

John DeShazier writes that the injury to Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning is a reminder of how important Drew Brees is to the Saints.

The Falcons re-signed center Brett Romberg and released center Rob Bruggeman. Romberg now will serve as the backup to Joe Hawley until veteran Todd McClure is ready to return from injury.

Tampa Bay’s Raheem Morris, the only NFC South coach who publicly singles out players when they struggle, pointed to defensive tackles Frank Okam and Roy Miller and linebackers Quincy Black and Geno Hayes as guys who had disappointing outings in the opener.

Much to the chagrin of many of their fans, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have made it very clear they have a plan that involves building through the draft and largely ignoring free agency.

Other components of that plan involved developing the players the Bucs draft and, then, at some point, making sure they keep the ones they want for the long term. Whenever people point to how much salary cap space the Bucs have (at the moment it’s $29.5 million because only the top 51 cap figures count in the preseason and the Bucs have about $14 million in cap room when you count all their contracts, which is how it works in the regular season), the team quietly reminds you that money will be spent.

The implication is that the Bucs are going to extend the contracts of some of their key young players to make sure they never get near free agency. We’ve talked several times about how quarterback Josh Freeman has to be at the very top of that list.

He’s under contract through 2013, but you could make the argument that Freeman already has outperformed his rookie deal. His average per year pay is $5.24 million. That may sound like a lot to you and me, but it terms of quarterbacks, it’s not great pay.

Freeman’s average per year ranks 24th in the league and he’s below guys like Kyle Orton and Charlie Whitehurst. If Freeman isn’t already a top-10 quarterback, he will be soon.

He’s also the franchise and you want to keep him happy. It’s pretty much a no-brainer that the Bucs should offer Freeman a pile of money and try to lock him up for the long term. But, after Freeman, who else should the Bucs target for extensions?

When I first thought about it, not a lot of names were coming to mind. That’s when I pulled out my list of the contract status for every player on the team and started really thinking about it. Once I did, I came up with a pretty lengthy list. I’ll give it to you in order of importance -- at least in my eyes.

Running back LeGarrette Blount. He’s under contract only through this season and could be an exclusive-rights or restricted free agent until he’s played four seasons. But the Bucs don’t need to play those games. If Blount picks up where he left off last season, the Bucs should lock him up. He’s not quite the franchise, like Freeman, but he’s a pretty important part of the franchise. He’s only making minimum ($450,000) this year and you want to keep key players happy.

Receiver Mike Williams. He’s under contract through 2013. But, like Freeman and Blount, he’s already outperformed his rookie contract as a fourth-round pick. If Williams didn’t have two more years on his contract, I’d rank him ahead of Blount. I think Williams has already shown that he’s going to be a very good player for a very long time.

Defensive tackle Roy Miller. He’s only under contract through 2012 and he’s quietly become a very solid player. We still don’t know if Gerald McCoy and Brian Price are going to be good and we’ve seen signs both might be injury prone. Miller doesn’t have the upside of McCoy and Price, but he’s the one sure thing the Bucs have at defensive tackle.

Cornerback Aqib Talib. Yeah, I said it. But humor me and listen to my logic on this one. I’m not saying the Bucs need to go out and give him an extension immediately. Talib’s under contract through 2012 and he’s got a trial scheduled for next March for his latest off-field incident. Let’s say Talib isn’t punished by the NFL and isn’t convicted by the legal system. And let’s say that he’s a model citizen from here on out. Then, it might make some sense to extend him. The kid is a heck of a talent and there are some important people in One Buccaneer Place who believe Talib isn’t a bad person, but has made some questionable decisions. They also know more about the off-field incidents than we do and they don’t think Talib was the instigator in any of them.

Linebacker Geno Hayes. He’s under contract only through this year. Hayes is a decent, but not great player. But the coaches like him and he’s viewed in much the same way as fellow linebacker Quincy Black. If the Bucs were willing to recently give Black a new contract, I think they’d do something similar for Hayes.

Cornerback E.J. Biggers. A lot will depend on how Talib’s situation plays out. Biggers is under contract through 2012. Ronde Barber's not going to play much longer. The Bucs could have one or two starting cornerback jobs open before long. Biggers has become a very good No. 3 cornerback and easily could transition into being a starter.

Safety Sean Jones. He’s 29 and only under contract through this season. He’s not young and he’s not a star. In fact, he's pretty ordinary. But the Bucs might want to extend him for a year or two. Jones brings stability to the safety spot and the Bucs don’t know if Tanard Jackson will be back after his one-year suspension.

Offensive lineman Jeremy Zuttah. He’s only under contract through this season and he’s a nice backup at center and guard. Center Jeff Faine's probably not going to play a lot longer and Zuttah could be his eventual replacement.

Quarterback Josh Johnson. He’s in the final year of his contract. Although he rarely has played, the Bucs like him a lot. But, even if they approached Johnson about an extension, they might not have much luck. Johnson knows he’ll never start in Tampa Bay as long as Freeman is healthy. He’s got some talent and might want to go to a place where he at least has a shot at a starting job.

Safety Cody Grimm. He’s under contract through 2013, but he’s getting paid like the seventh-round choice he was last year. There’s no need to rush. But if Grimm, who is expected to start, plays well and Jackson’s not coming back, then it might be time to start thinking about extending him.

Receiver Sammie Stroughter. Like Grimm, there’s no rush on this one and the Bucs need to see more out of Stroughter, who is under contract through 2012. He looks like he could be a nice third receiver and return man. If he can provide some more evidence of that, he might be a candidate for an extension.