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Let's take a spin through some of the day's headlines from around the NFC South.

• ESPN.com's Mark Kreidler writes that New Orleans linebacker Jonathan Vilma was a scapegoat for the NFL. Vilma drew a season-long suspension for his role in the bounty program. That’s about half a season longer than I expected Vilma to be suspended for. But the reality here is NFL commissioner Roger Goodell was faced with all sorts of legal implications when making his decision. He had to be harsh to make sure that no team ever again runs a bounty program because that potentially could bankrupt the NFL and every one of its teams. Yeah, I guess that makes Vilma a scapegoat. But some player had to be used as an example to the rest of the league. Goodell went hard after the player who was the leader of the New Orleans defense.

• Former Texans receiver Jacoby Jones reportedly visited with the Carolina Panthers. If he’s signed, it would make lots of sense. The Panthers have Steve Smith as one starting receiver, but the other spot is open. The team has high hopes for Brandon LaFell and David Gettis, but there is no guarantee either is ready to be a full-time starter. The Panthers also think Kealoha Pilares and Joe Adams could have bright futures, but they’re viewed as backups and return men at the moment.

• ESPN draft guru Todd McShay never stops. The 2012 NFL draft is over and he’s already got a mock draft for 2013. Check out this Insider post. The good news is none of the NFC South teams are projected to have top-10 picks. Perhaps anticipating huge seasons from Drew Brees, Matt Ryan, Cam Newton and Josh Freeman, McShay sees the NFC South teams going heavy on defense in next year’s first round.

• Joseph Person has a post-draft projected depth chart for the Carolina Panthers. He’s starting rookie linebacker Luke Kuechly in the middle and sliding Jon Beason to the outside. It could sort out that way or the two could swap spots. I think the Panthers will let their linebacker situation sort itself out in training camp.

• Wesley College linebacker Mike Asiedu hasn’t been signed by the Carolina Panthers yet, but he reportedly will get a tryout with them during their upcoming rookie camp.

• Receiver Raymond Webber reportedly has been told he’ll be released by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

• Former Atlanta running back Jamaal Anderson has joined a legion of other retired players suing the NFL for allegedly not properly protecting its players from concussions.

If you’re wondering why the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons are so tight against the salary cap this year, you could start by blaming two guys they released in last year’s preseason.

Combined, the Saints and Falcons have nearly $6 million in cap space tied up in guys who didn’t play last season.

Offensive tackle Jon Stinchcomb, who was released in training camp last season, is counting $4.8 million against this year’s cap. The Saints absorbed a $2.525 million hit for Stinchcomb last year, but carried the remainder over to this season.

Defensive end Jamaal Anderson, whom the Falcons drafted No. 8 overall in 2007, never came close to panning out. He had only 4.5 sacks in four seasons with the Falcons.

Atlanta released Anderson as soon as the lockout ended last summer. The Falcons absorbed a $2.229 million cap hit for him last year. But Anderson is still costing the Falcons $990,625 in cap space this year.

SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- I've spent the day watching the Carolina Panthers practice and doing interviews. Now, it's time to catch up on the headlines from around the entire NFC South.

• Former Atlanta running back Jerious Norwood agreed to terms with the Rams and he’s not the only former NFC South runner who could end up in St. Louis. Jim Thomas reports, Tampa Bay free agent Cadillac Williams remains on the Rams’ radar. The Bucs have said they would like to bring Williams back. But, presumably, that’s only at the right price and only if they can’t find someone better. According to league sources, the Bucs made overtures toward Darren Sproles before he agreed to terms with New Orleans.

• The Saints agreed to terms on a contract that will keep tight end David Thomas with the team. This one’s significant. Although second-year pro Jimmy Graham figures to be the main pass-catching tight end, Thomas is an all-around tight end, who can contribute as a blocker and receiver.

• The Saints also agreed to terms with veteran defensive tackle Aubrayo Franklin. That gives them some solid depth behind Sedrick Ellis and Shaun Rogers.

• New Orleans right tackle Jon Stinchcomb said he’s feeling healthy again after playing through much of last season with a torn quad muscle.

• D. Orlando Ledbetter lays out the scenario on Atlanta restricted free-agent cornerback Brent Grimes, who has yet to sign his first-round tender. Basically, the Falcons have the right to match any offer Grimes receives and would receive a first-round pick as compensation if he leaves. The Falcons also could sign Grimes to a long-term contract.

• Stephen Holder supplies a refresher course on the rules of safety Tanard Jackson’s suspension. He’s not eligible for reinstatement until Sept. 22 and cannot practice with the Bucs during training camp. Jackson was in the final year of his contract when he was suspended last year for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. As a result of that, the remainder of his contract rolled over to this year and the Bucs still have his rights. In the meantime, Tampa Bay appears content to open the season with Sean Jones and Cody Grimm as the starting safeties.

• Former Atlanta defensive lineman Jamaal Anderson has agreed to terms with the Colts.

It’s been a wild start to free agency across the NFC South. All four teams already have made major moves and there likely are more on the way.

The Carolina Panthers have done a nice job of keeping their own – Charles Johnson, DeAngelo Williams, James Anderson and Thomas Davis. They’ve also gone out and traded for Greg Olsen.

The New Orleans Saints let Reggie Bush go in a trade with Miami. Then, they turned around and replaced him with Darren Sproles. They’ve also agreed to deals to keep some of their own key free agents, such as Lance Moore, Scott Shanle and Jermon Bushrod.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers kept guard Davin Joseph with a huge contract and also went out and got punter/kickoff specialist Michael Koenen.

The Atlanta Falcons made it a point to keep tackle Tyson Clabo, kicker Matt Bryant and linebackers Mike Peterson and Stephen Nicholas. They also parted ways with former first-round picks Jamaal Anderson and Michael Jenkins.

With all that (plus a few other moves here and there), we ask you to take a look at our Call It poll to the right and cast your vote for the team you think has done the most to help itself so far.

In moves that shouldn’t come as a surprise, the Atlanta Falcons cut two former first-round picks Friday morning.

Defensive end Jamaal Anderson and wide receiver Michael Jenkins reportedly have been released. First and foremost, these moves are about money. The Falcons freed up nearly $8 million in salary-cap space with these releases. Could they be clearing the way to acquire a high-priced defensive end?

But these moves also say a lot about the state of the Falcons and how coach Mike Smith and general manager Thomas Dimitroff have built their team. Anderson, a 2007 pick, and Jenkins, a 2004 pick, were taken by prior regimes and neither player fit very well in the current system.

The Falcons tried to shop Jenkins for a trade, but found no takers. That’s probably because the rest of the league knew he would be released. Jenkins became expendable when the Falcons drafted Julio Jones in April.

Although he was a dependable starter for most of his career and considered one of the league’s top run-blocking receivers, Jenkins was not a downfield threat and rarely made things happen in the open field. The Falcons wanted more explosiveness in their passing game and that’s why they went out and drafted Jones.

Jenkins’ tenure can’t be considered a disappointment. He did some good things, but no longer fit the system. The same can’t be said for Anderson, who was drafted in Bobby Petrino’s one year as coach.

Anderson had only 4.5 sacks in his career and never became the pass-rushing force the Falcons hoped for. He did find a bit of a niche, rotating inside to play defensive tackle in the last two seasons under Smith, but the Falcons weren’t going to keep a backup defensive tackle with a salary-cap figure over $5 million.

Scouts Inc.'s Matt Williamson looks at NFC South players on the verge of a breakout in 2011.

Many see defensive end as a massive need position still for the Falcons. While I wouldn’t be critical if the Falcons were aggressive in signing a guy like Charles Johnson or Ray Edwards to complement John Abraham, I suggest that the pairing of Kroy Biermann and Jamaal Anderson is more than adequate opposite Abraham.

Anderson seems to have hit his ceiling as a solid base end who plays the run well but is a limited pass-rusher, but I feel Biermann is on the cusp of breaking out.

Even if the Falcons were to spend big money on a free-agent defensive end, Biermann still could have a major impact as a rotational player and the likely successor to Abraham. And given Abaraham’s age, cutting down his snap count would be a wise move to keep all pass-rushers fresh as Atlanta prepares for what it hopes will be a deep playoff run.

Biermann is a tough guy who plays the run well, and while he isn’t the biggest end, he can hold the point and force outside runs back to the middle of the field. He also makes plays in pursuit thanks to better-than-advertised speed and a motor that never stops.

Rushing the passer is what Biermann does best, though. He has yet to record more than five sacks in a season and had just three last season, but his overall disruptiveness shows up on film.

Some might take the glass-half-empty view and say Biermann comes up short when getting after the quarterback, but in reality he is creating pressure that forces the quarterback to move his feet when he doesn’t want to and results in poor throws. And he should only get better with experience.

Biermann already has three years of NFL experience under his belt, and at only 25 years old and he should continue to develop his skills. He’s also played in every game in his three seasons, and it won’t be long before his production matches his potential.

Scouts Inc. watches games, breaks down film and studies football from all angles for ESPN.com.

What key event significantly changed the fortunes of the Falcons – for better or worse? Give us your take and we’ll give you our definitive moment on May 25.

Born out of a war between the National Football League and the American Football League, the Falcons began play as an expansion team in 1966. That makes them one year older than the Saints and the team with the longest history in the NFC South.

But the early history of the Falcons was far from brilliant. There were a few flashes with Steve Bartkowski and Deion Sanders, but success never seemed to last. The Falcons hit their high point in the 1998 season when coach Dan Reeves, running back Jamaal Anderson and quarterback Chris Chandler led them to their first Super Bowl.

Sustained success really didn’t come until this century. The Falcons had some good years with Michael Vick, but his legal troubles and the quick tenure of coach Bobby Petrino left the franchise in shambles. Things started to change as soon as general manager Thomas Dimitroff and coach Mike Smith arrived in 2008.

In their first two seasons, the Falcons put together the first back-to-back winning seasons in franchise history. They made it three straight when they went 13-3 last season.

If you vote Other, give us your suggestion in the comments area below.

We mentioned earlier that Central Arkansas linebacker/defensive end Markell Carter is making the rounds through the NFC South. Well, he’s not the only guy speeding through the NASCAR Division.

California defensive end Cameron Jordan reportedly will visit the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints this week. At nearly 290 pounds, Jordan has experience in the 4-3 and the 3-4 defenses. He’s not considered an extremely quick pass rusher off the edge, but can get some penetration and plays the run well.

I can see him in New Orleans’ system opposite Will Smith. At least based on potential, Jordan has a chance to be an upgrade over Jimmy Wilkerson and Alex Brown, who spent most of last year playing opposite Smith.

I’m not sure Jordan would fit as well in Atlanta, where the Falcons have talked repeatedly about how they want “explosive players." Jordan’s a guy who can play end, but also can slide inside and play tackle at times. Maybe it’s just me, but he sounds a little too much like Jamaal Anderson.

Let’s have a little bit of fun and play a game of NFC South word and name association.

I’ll start it off and say "franchise quarterbacks." This is where you chime in and say what pops into your head. Your venue for that generally is the comments section or the mailbag, but I’ll go ahead and read your minds. I feel safe on this.

Your answer, with only the slightest bit of room for argument, is Drew Brees, Josh Freeman and Matt Ryan. If you want to argue any of that, hold it for now, but I probably won’t listen anyway.

Now, I’ll throw out the words "elite pass-rushers."

I can’t hear you now and I can’t even read your minds. You might be saying John Abraham, Charles Johnson and Will Smith. Or you might not.

Let’s face it: The NFC South is a division with three franchise quarterbacks. Maybe four if the Carolina Panthers take Cam Newton or Blaine Gabbert with the No. 1 choice in this draft and actually hit on that pick.

You stop or slow great quarterbacks by putting pressure on them. Amazingly, the NFC South isn’t really set up to do that, but that could change quickly. Although most of the attention on the April draft has centered on the Panthers and their quarterback situation, there’s another huge storyline out there.

When all is said and done, 2011 could be the year of the defensive end both for the NFC South and the draft. There at least is a possibility the Buccaneers, Saints and Falcons each could use first-round picks on defensive ends.

The time might be right because that’s a position of strength in this year’s draft. I’m looking at Mel Kiper’s Big Board and seeing seven defensive ends (when you count college outside linebackers and defensive tackles as guys who may project as NFL defensive ends) among the top 25 players.

The NFC South often is referred to as the NASCAR division, so, gentlemen and general managers, start your pass rush. Please.

It’s overdue. If things don’t change dramatically, and soon, we could be looking at somewhere close to a decade of Brees, Ryan and Freeman having all day to throw. That’s the way it was last season when the NFC South had two big flashes (Johnson in Carolina and Abraham in Atlanta) and not much else in the way of a pass rush.

We’ll leave Abraham’s 13.0 sacks and Johnson’s 11.5 in the mix because last year’s division numbers would be laughable without them. Even with them, things were pretty ugly.

Tampa Bay produced an NFC-worst 26 sacks. Carolina and Atlanta each had 31. New Orleans led the division with 33 sacks, which tied the Saints for 10th in the NFC. The NFC average was 35.9 and the league average 35.3.

If you want to throw out the old lines that “stats are for losers’’ or "sacks don't tell the whole story with defensive ends,'' go ahead. But I’ll throw this back at you: The Pittsburgh Steelers led the league with 48 sacks and the Green Bay Packers tied for second with 47. Those two teams played in the Super Bowl.

The NFC South had both its playoff representatives, Atlanta and New Orleans, bounced the first time they took the field. The Falcons and the Saints are just fine on offense and, for the first time in franchise history, so are the Buccaneers.

But no NFC South team is going to get to the Super Bowl without improving its pass rush, and that’s not going to happen without some help in the draft. This division simply does not have a ... oh, let’s just say, Julius Peppers. This division doesn’t have a sure-fire dominant pass-rusher. (Note: Carolina's Johnson could turn into that guy if he can string together more seasons like the last, and if he ends up staying with the Panthers amid some potential uncertainty about his status as a free agent in a new labor agreement. But this column's more about the need to improve the pass rush in the other three NFC South cities).

Atlanta’s got Abraham, but he’s going to be 33 in May and he’s only one season removed from a disappointing 5.5-sack year. The Falcons can’t count on Abraham to put up big numbers much longer, and guys like Kroy Biermann, Chauncey Davis and Jamaal Anderson don’t scare anybody.

Maybe someone like Iowa’s Adrian Clayborn or Purdue’s Ryan Kerrigan could scare someone. But the Falcons are going to have competition within their own division for guys like that. Atlanta has the No. 27 pick. Look at the myriad mock drafts out there and you see those same names frequently tied to Tampa Bay at No. 20 or New Orleans at No. 24.

It all makes sense. The Bucs were starting Stylez G. White and Tim Crowder much of last season. If they didn’t get really good play out of their secondary, things would have been really ugly. Tampa Bay turned a corner by going 10-6 last season, but the Bucs easily could slip back to mediocrity -- or worse -- if they don’t address the pass rush.

They used their first two picks last year on defensive tackles Gerald McCoy and Brian Price. Both showed a little promise before suffering season-ending injuries. They at least have the potential to generate a surge in the middle, but McCoy and Price aren’t going to really blossom until they have some help on the outside.

In New Orleans, the need also is obvious. The Saints have Smith, but he’s nearing Abraham territory, which means uncertainty. Smith dropped to 5.5 sacks last season after having 13 in the 2009 Super Bowl season. Smith will turn 30 in July. He might be able to bounce back and have a few more good seasons, but that’s not likely to happen if the Saints don’t add a threat on the other side. They got through last season with Alex Brown and Jimmy Wilkerson serving as functional veterans.

But a Gregg Williams defense is supposed to thrive on pressure, and the Saints need more. Kerrigan or Clayborn could fit. Throw in California’s Cameron Jordan or Missouri’s Aldon Smith. Any of them could fit in with the Saints.

Or the Bucs. Or the Falcons.

» NFC Draft Watch: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Each Thursday leading up to the NFL draft (April 28-30), the ESPN.com NFL blog network will take a division-by-division look at key aspects of the draft. Today's topic: draft rewind -- examining the past five drafts.

Atlanta Falcons

Best choice: Taking Matt Ryan with the No. 3 overall pick in 2008. Yeah, he was the third pick and you should hit when you’re drafting in that territory. But look at how many quarterbacks, including some No. 1 overall picks, haven’t hit. The Falcons did their homework and were totally convinced Ryan was a franchise quarterback when they drafted him. He’s backed it up. You can still debate whether Ryan is an “elite quarterback,’’ whatever that means. But he came to a franchise that probably had hit a lower point than any franchise at any time in NFC South history and has produced nothing but winning seasons. Sure sounds like a franchise quarterback to me.

Worst choice: Jamaal Anderson. He has become a serviceable defensive tackle in the past year or so, but this guy was drafted as a defensive end in the top 10 in a draft where teams were reaching for pass-rushers (see Tampa Bay and Gaines Adams). This falls on a past regime and is part of the reason that regime failed. In four seasons, Anderson has produced 4.5 sacks and, as they head into the 2011 draft, the Falcons are, once again looking for a pass-rusher.

On the bubble: Peria Jerry. The Falcons thought they had a solid pick when they took Jerry in the first round in the 2009 draft. Jerry injured his knee early in his rookie season. He came back last year, but wound up as a backup to 2010 third-round pick Corey Peters. The Falcons are saying they expect a fully healthy Jerry to emerge in 2011. If that happens, there will be vindication. If not, Jerry will go down as a bust.

Carolina Panthers

Best choice: Ryan Kalil. Center didn’t seem like a huge need when the Panthers used a second-round pick on Kalil in 2007, and he did very little as a rookie. But the guy has turned into a consistent Pro Bowler. We won’t weigh this down by going into the labor situation, although the Panthers placed a franchise tag on Kalil. They’re still looking for the first true franchise quarterback in their short history. But they’ve got a franchise center to snap the ball.

Worst choice: Dwayne Jarrett. We’re only going back five years, so Keary Colbert is not eligible and he at least had a few productive moments. But the Panthers compounded that mistake by taking another USC receiver in the second round in 2007. Colbert should have been a major warning sign.

On the bubble: We’ll go with a tie between quarterback Jimmy Clausen and receiver Armanti Edwards. It’s tough to call anyone a bust after just one year, but the production of Clausen and Edwards as rookies makes that very tempting. We’ll give them a pass for the moment because they were emblematic of former coach John Fox’s refusal to embrace a youth movement. They get a fresh start with new coach Ron Rivera, and we’ll see how that works out.

New Orleans Saints

Best choice: Marques Colston. Yep, we’ll go all the way back to the first draft class of coach Sean Payton and general manager Mickey Loomis as a team. They used the second of two seventh-round picks (No. 252) on the little-known receiver out of Hofstra. All they got was a guy who instantly became a very good No. 1 receiver. His numbers would be spectacular if Payton and quarterback Drew Brees weren’t so good at spreading the ball around. Colston is the definition of a value pick, and guys like guards Carl Nicks and Jahri Evans aren’t far off.

Worst choice: Al Woods. It’s hard to find any flaws in the way Payton and Loomis have drafted. They haven’t totally missed on any early picks. Woods was a fourth-round pick in 2010, but he ended up getting cut in the preseason. You generally expect a fourth-round pick to at least make the roster.

On the bubble: Reggie Bush. Yes, five drafts into this regime, you can still say the first pick Payton and Loomis made is on the bubble. Bush might stay there for his entire career because opinions are widely divided, and that’s understandable. He was the second overall pick in the 2006 draft. He never has produced the kind of numbers you would expect from a running back taken so early, and injuries have slowed him. But the flip side is that Bush is much more than a running back. He’s also a receiver and a return man. When you factor all that in and remember the role Bush played in the Saints' first Super Bowl title in franchise history, it’s tough to say categorically he’s been a bust.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Best choice: Josh Freeman in a landslide. He wasn’t a popular pick when the Bucs traded up to get him in the middle of the first round in 2009. That was only because the Tampa Bay fan base had been schooled from the beginning that defense is most important. But general manager Mark Dominik and coach Raheem Morris departed from that philosophy in their first draft. They landed a franchise quarterback who might not even be close to hitting his full potential.

Worst choice: Dexter Jackson. He was the modern-day Tampa Bay version of Booker Reese, which says a lot. But I’ll say even more and anoint Jackson as the worst draft pick any NFC South team has made in the past five years. In their last draft, former coach Jon Gruden and former general manager Bruce Allen used a second-round pick (No. 58) on the receiver/return man from Appalachian State. They made matters even worse moments after the pick by walking into the media room and saying they had found the second coming of Carolina receiver Steve Smith. It turned out the only things Smith and Jackson had in common were their size and the fact that both had spent some time in North Carolina. The Bucs quickly found out Jackson had no business being in the NFL. Maybe somebody should tell Jackson there's an opening in that flag-football league at the Siskey YMCA in Charlotte.

On the bubble: Gerald McCoy. Again, it’s tough to declare anything about a player after just one season. But McCoy was the No. 3 overall pick in last year’s draft. With a weak supporting cast, he got off to a slow start and probably didn’t do himself any favors by talking so much about it. McCoy started to come on as the season progressed but suffered a season-ending injury. Throw in the instant success of Detroit’s Ndamukong Suh and that places lots of pressure on McCoy to become a star in his second season.

» NFC Stock Watch: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

FALLING

1. Gregg Williams, Saints defensive coordinator. I still think Williams is one of the best at what he does. The whole premise of his defense is producing turnovers, which is nice in theory. But it kind of becomes pointless when a guy like Baltimore’s Ray Rice is running for 153 yards and catching short passes for another 80 yards. When an opponent is able to do anything like that, it limits the amount of risky passes that might turn into interceptions.

2. Patrick Robinson, Saints cornerback. When the first-round draft pick didn’t play a lot early in the year, it was understandable. The Saints were bringing him along slowly because they had Jabari Greer, Tracy Porter and Randall Gay. When each of those players suffered various injuries, Robinson got some playing time and showed some promise. But Greer and Porter are back now and the Saints have activated Leigh Torrence and kept Robinson inactive the past two games. If anything, first-round draft picks should be at least showing signs of progress at this time of year. If anything, your first-round pick shouldn't be inactive behind a special-teams player at this time of year.

3. Barrett Ruud, Buccaneers linebacker. He had eight tackles in a loss to Detroit, but tackles come with the territory at his position and in Tampa Bay’s scheme. But it’s looking more and more like the Bucs will let Ruud test free agency and probably walk after the season. Ruud wants a big-money contract. Before even getting serious about that, the Bucs wanted to see some big plays out of their middle linebacker. They haven’t. The last time he forced a fumble was in the opener. His only interception came in late October and the only sack Ruud recorded was Nov. 14. It’s nice that Ruud can make some tackles, but there are a lot of other guys who can come into this position in this scheme and make tackles.

RISING

1. Brandon LaFell and David Gettis, Panthers wide receivers. Although the people who will remain in power (not coach John Fox) in Carolina really don’t know anything for sure about rookie quarterback Jimmy Clausen, they’ve pretty much decided these two rookie receivers have a future. LaFell has caught 12 passes over the past three games. Up until that stretch, Gettis had been outplaying him. It would be nice if the new coach gets to keep those two players to go with No. 1 receiver Steve Smith and it would be even better if he actually puts the three of them on the field at the same time. Gee, three receivers capable of making plays on the field at the same time? You know what Fox’s playbook said about that? It was against it.

2. John Abraham, Falcons defensive end. Abraham has been getting a lot of time off from practice all year. But his teammates sure don’t mind and his coaches are the ones telling Abraham to sit. As long as he’s healthy and rested on Sundays, that’s all that matters. After a down season last year, Abraham has bounced back and is doing his part. Since sitting out a Nov. 21 game with an injury, Abraham has produced four sacks over the past four games and has 12 for the season.

3. Jonathan Babineaux, Falcons defensive tackle. He scored a touchdown Sunday against Seattle and that’s rare for a defensive lineman. Babineaux simply fell on a ball in the end zone that had been knocked loose by teammate Jamaal Anderson. But you do things like that when you’ve got a knack for putting yourself in the right position and Babineaux does that. He is -- by far -- the best defensive tackle in the NFC South and probably the division’s most underrated player. When the Pro Bowl rosters come out next week, I’m curious to see if Babineaux is on the NFC squad. He wasn’t getting a lot of fan votes, but coaches and players from other teams sometimes spot the guys that fans miss, and there are a lot of people within the league that will tell you Babineaux is one of the best in the league. The fact the Falcons have been piling up the wins finally might get Babineaux some of the recognition he deserves.

» NFC Decisive Moments: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

If people could just ignore his spot as the No. 8 overall pick in the 2007 NFL draft, Atlanta defensive lineman Jamaal Anderson would be a decent player.

But it’s tough for fans and media to forget the lofty expectations that came with Anderson. The current Atlanta coaching staff and front office, however, deserve a lot of credit for quietly adjusting their expectations of Anderson and salvaging something out of his career.

Sometime before or early in the 2009 season, the Falcons came to the conclusion Anderson never was going to be a dominant pass-rusher. That’s when Mike Smith and his staff turned Anderson into a situational player and started shuffling him between defensive end and defensive tackle.

Anderson’s main strength is against the run, but he also has showed the ability to generate a little bit of a pass rush from the inside. On Sunday, for one of the few times in his career, Anderson generated a pass rush from the outside.

With the Falcons leading 17-10, punter Michael Koenen pinned the Seattle Seahawks at their 4-yard line with a 56-yard punt early in the third quarter. On the first play after that, Anderson lined up at left defensive end and beat his blocker. Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, rolling to his right, was on a collision course with Anderson, who stripped the ball loose.

Defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux fell on the fumble in the end zone for a touchdown and the Falcons were firmly in control of the game, in which they recorded their eighth consecutive victory and improved their record to an NFC-best 12-2.

On Monday, we looked at the guys who are the best bargains (salary wise) in the NFC South. We’ll follow that up now with the flip side.

I’m not going to use the word overpaid because that’s one of my pet peeves. In fact, when I hear people categorically say that football players are overpaid, I always argue against that. My reasoning is that you can’t pay these guys enough because of what they’re putting their bodies through and what the long-term implications of that could be.

That said, however, there are some guys around the division whose production this season isn’t quite matching their contracts. Let’s take a look, and the guidelines we’re using are salary-cap numbers, even though there is no cap this year, because they include base salaries and bonuses.

Chris Gamble, cornerback, Panthers, $8.05 million. He’s been a nice player for a long time, but never a true star. This season, he hasn’t even been good. He doesn’t have an interception and, at one point, was benched by coach John Fox.

Jordan Gross, tackle, Panthers, $8.5 million. Another guy whose play this year isn’t close to what it’s been in the past. You can blame most of it on other problems on the offensive line. But Gross hasn’t been as dominant as he once was.

Steve Smith, receiver, Panthers, $8.7 million. Let’s put the blame for this one on the Panthers -- their problems at quarterback and conservative play calling. Smith is a tremendous talent, but the Panthers have just kind of wasted this season for him.

Erik Coleman, safety, Falcons, $2.785 million. With Thomas DeCoud and William Moore stepping up, Coleman has become nothing more than an expensive backup.

Chauncey Davis, defensive end, Falcons, $3.35 million. He’s made one start and hasn’t recorded a sack. He’s an even more expensive backup than Coleman.

Jamaal Anderson, defensive lineman, Falcons, $5.4 million. After a horrible start to his career as a defensive end, the former first-round draft pick finally has showed some value as a situational player. He gets time in the rotation as a defensive tackle and defensive end, and he can play the run. But there are a lot of guys who play the run for a lot less money.

Reggie Bush, running back, Saints, $11.99 million. A lot of people say Bush is overrated and I disagree with that because he can do so many different things. But, mainly because of injuries, his production has been minimal this season.

Jahri Evans, guard, Saints, $9.2 million. The Saints gave him a huge contract because a lot of people say he’s the best guard in the league. He can be that, at times, but he seems to have developed a knack for getting called for holding this year.

Jeff Faine, center, Buccaneers, $5 million. He just went on injured reserve yesterday and he missed significant time with injuries early in the season. Even when he’s healthy, Faine is only pretty close to ordinary.

Some pretty major news out of St. Louis. Atlanta defensive end John Abraham will not be active for today’s game.

Abraham is out with a groin injury. That means Lawrence Sidbury, who has been inactive most of the season, will be on the active list today. Sidbury could be used in a rotation with Chauncey Davis and Jamaal Anderson in Abraham’s spot.

ATLANTA -- At least for one half, the Atlanta Falcons have been playing the type of game Mike Smith wanted.

They’re playing well on offense, defense and special teams. They hadn’t put all three things together in their first eight games and Smith has been telling that to the Falcons recently.

Apparently, they got the message. The Falcons lead 10-0 at halftime.

Some other halftime observations.

• I really liked the fact the Falcons ran the no-huddle offense much of the first half. Matt Ryan seems very comfortable -- and effective -- in that system. If I were Smith and offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey, I’d use the no huddle almost all the time. I’d definitely do it throughout the second half because the Baltimore defense has got to be getting tired after being on the field so much in the first half.
• Every time I see backup running back Jason Snelling, I’m more impressed. The guy is just a football player and can do a little bit of everything. He rushed two times for 8 yards and made four receptions for 41 yards, including a 28-yard touchdown catch.
• The Falcons quietly have been pleased with the play of left tackle Sam Baker the past couple of weeks. So far tonight, he’s holding his own again.
• Backup defensive lineman Jamaal Anderson has become a very nice role player. He’ll never live up to the expectations that came when he was an early first-round pick. But, since moving from defensive end to defensive tackle, he’s found a steady role in the rotation. He’s always played the run well and he generates more of a pass rush when he’s on the inside.
• After giving up two long kickoff returns against Tampa Bay on Sunday, the Falcons made a few minor changes to their coverage unit. The most noticeable was that starting defensive end Kroy Biermann back onto the coverage unit. Starting cornerback Brent Grimes and linebacker Stephen Nicholas also were on the kickoff coverage unit, but they’ve been regulars on it most of the season.