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This is the time of year when you hear a lot about offseason workouts. This is when teams can begin conditioning drills and get out onto the field to start working on football and that continues through minicamps and organized team activities.

It’s a great time to build chemistry. You’ll also hear a lot of coaches bragging about how almost all their players are participating in the workouts, which is great. But, in some cases, there’s a lot of money to be earned just for showing up and working out in the offseason.

I just got a look at all the offseason workout bonuses scheduled to be earned (if the players take part in a majority of the workouts) by NFC South players this year and there were some eye openers. Tampa Bay general manager Mark Dominik doesn’t use a lot of workout bonuses in the contracts he negotiates. But, when he does use them, they’re significant. Tight end Kellen Winslow and cornerback Eric Wright have the largest workout bonuses in the division for 2012 at $500,000 each. Offensive tackle Donald Penn is right behind them at $400,000 and defensive tackle Gerald McCoy is scheduled to collect $300,000. Linebacker Quincy Black has a $250,000 bonus and defensive tackle Amobi Okoye is slated to make $200,000. Those six are the only Buccaneers with workout bonuses this year, but they come to a total of $2.15 million.

Carolina general manager Marty Hurney and New Orleans general manager Mickey Loomis are much more liberal in their use of workout bonuses. The Saints and Panthers each have 21 players scheduled to earn workout bonuses this year.

Carolina’s scheduled workout bonuses add up to $2.055 million. I won’t list anyone under six figures. But here are the guys who can earn big money. Charles Johnson, Jon Beason, DeAngelo Williams, Ryan Kalil and Ron Edwards each are scheduled to make $250,000. Charles Godfrey, James Anderson, Olindo Mare and Garry Williams each can earn $100,000.

If all the New Orleans players take part in enough workouts, the Saints will have to pay out $2.381 million. Sedrick Ellis leads the Saints with a $250,000 workout bonus. Jahri Evans, Lance Moore and Scott Shanle each are scheduled to make $200,000 and Will Smith is slated to make $150,000. Marques Colston, Roman Harper, Jabari Greer, Jermon Bushrod, Jonathan Vilma, Malcolm Jenkins, Devery Henderson, Pierre Thomas, David Thomas, Korey Hall and Will Herring each are scheduled to make $100,000.

Apparently, Atlanta’s Thomas Dimitroff, who probably works out more (he rides a bike religiously) than any NFC South general manager, doesn’t believe in workout bonuses. Dimitroff has used them very sparingly in the past. This year, there’s not a single Atlanta player schedule to earn a workout bonus.

The NFL draft is over and the Carolina Panthers have added at least one new starter.

That’s linebacker Luke Kuechly, who was drafted with the No. 9 overall pick. It just remains to be seen if he’ll start in the middle or on the outside.

Let’s take a look at Carolina’s projected depth chart as I see it at the moment.

OFFENSE

• QB Cam Newton

• RB DeAngelo Williams (Jonathan Stewart is interchangeable)

• FB Mike Tolbert

• WR Steve Smith

• WR Brandon LaFell (or David Gettis)

• TE Greg Olsen

• LT Jordan Gross

• LG Mike Pollak (or rookie Amini Silatolu)

• C Ryan Kalil

• RG Geoff Hangartner

• RT Jeff Otah (Byron Bell could end up here if Otah’s not healthy)

DEFENSE

• DE Charles Johnson

• DT Ron Edwards

• DT Terrell McClain (Sione Fua also will be in the rotation)

• DE Greg Hardy

• MLB Jon Beason or Kuechly (one of them will move outside)

• OLB James Anderson (or Beason or Kuechly)

• OLB Thomas Davis (or Beason or Kuechly)

• CB Chris Gamble

• CB Captain Munnerlyn

• SS Charles Godfrey

• FS Sherrod Martin

SPECIALISTS

• K Olindo Mare

• P Brad Mortman (at least one rookie besides Kuechly will play a lot)

• KR Kealoha Pilares

• PR Joe Adams (the rookie also could get some time as the slot receiver)

There’s a big question now that the Carolina Panthers have used their first-round pick on linebacker Luke Kuechly.

Where does he play?

General manager Marty Hurney and coach Ron Rivera aren’t giving any hints if Kuechly will play inside, where he spent most of his college career, or if he’ll move to the outside. If you thought Kuechly would tip his hand right away, think again.

Kuechly just finished meeting with the Charlotte media and wouldn’t provide anything real strong about how he’ll fit in with an existing corps of linebackers that includes Jon Beason, Thomas Davis and James Anderson.

“Right now, we’re just trying to see and go in with an open mind-set,’’ Kuechly said. “We’ve got to figure out what’s going to happen. All three positions are going to be a challenge moving forward. I’ve got to pick up on some new things, but I’m excited to see what happens.’’

Here’s the deal -- this thing will sort itself out naturally. You can bet the Panthers won’t put Kuechly with the first team when they run their first minicamp plays. They just don’t work that way.

The real test will come as training camp progresses and that will depend on some things beyond Kuechly. Beason, who has spent most of his career inside, and Davis, who has spent most of his career on the outside, both are coming off major injuries and the Panthers will be watching them as closely as they’re watching Kuechly. Davis is coming off his third ACL surgery and he comes with no guarantees.

Beason has played a little on the outside in the past and there’s no doubt he can swing back there. Kuechly also has the speed to move outside.

The Panthers will go to camp and let this thing play out. But I think it’s pretty safe to say Kuechly will be in the starting lineup -- at one spot or another -- on opening day.

You don’t use a top-10 pick on a guy to sit him on the bench.

So much for a defensive tackle for the Carolina Panthers in the first round. As I’ve said all along, I didn’t think the Panthers necessarily wanted to go in that direction.

That turned out to be true Thursday night as the Panthers had their choice of any defensive tackle in the draft and they passed. Instead, they took Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly.

I see a couple of reasons for this. The Panthers know they have Ron Edwards returning from injury and several young defensive tackles they like. They also have major needs at linebacker, where Jon Beason and Thomas Davis are coming back from major injuries.

Kuechly is a run-stuffer in his own right. The guy was a tackling machine in college. Put him behind Edwards and alongside Beason, Davis and James Anderson and Carolina suddenly has a much better run defense.

It remains to be seen if the Panthers will go with Beason or Kuechly in the middle. But the upside is both of them have the ability to be very good there. One of them will move outside and that provides insurance if Davis isn’t the player he once was.

The ESPN.com Blog Network put out its mock draft on Monday and I got to make the choices for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers. The Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints don’t have first-round choices.

At No. 5, I took LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne for the Buccaneers. It was an easy call. The current wide-spread speculation is that the Bucs will be choosing between Claiborne and Alabama running back Trent Richardson. That wasn’t a choice I had to make because AFC North colleague Jamison Hensley took Richardson off the board and gave him to the Cleveland Browns at No. 4. Still, even if Richardson had been on the board, I probably would have gone with Claiborne to the Bucs. I’m not entirely certain how the Bucs feel about this, but the growing belief in the NFL is that you don’t take a running back in the first half of the first round. The logic behind that is that the NFL has become such a passing league that running backs don’t have the same value they once did. Yes, the Bucs need someone to go with LeGarrette Blount, but they can find that a bit later in the draft.

The conventional belief is that the Panthers are locked in on a defensive tackle or maybe even North Carolina defensive end Quinton Coples. But I went in a different direction. I took Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly. Yeah, I know the Panthers have linebackers Jon Beason, Thomas Davis and James Anderson. But Davis is coming off his third ACL and Beason also is coming off a major injury. The Panthers have to come out of this draft with some players to improve their defense and I see Kuechly as the best defensive player available at No. 9.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Look at any mock draft or any list of player rankings and you’ll find Boston College’s Luke Kuechly ranked near the top of the linebackers.

On Monday, he might be able to put himself alone at the very top of every team's linebacker list. When the linebackers work out for NFL scouts and coaches, Kuechly will be out to disprove the only two knocks against him.

Too small and too slow are the common criticisms of Kuechly. He was listed at 6-foot-3 and 237 pounds in college, but NFL types would like to see his weight north of 240. There’s also a suspicion that Kuechly won’t wow the audience with his time in the 40-yard dash.

But those scouts and coaches haven’t seen Kuechly since the final game of his college career. They might be in for a surprise because there have been some major changes.

Kuechly, who could not play in any of the college all-star games because he left school after his junior season, has been working on bulking up and getting faster at IMG Football Academy.

“Let me tell you something, he’s plenty big enough,’’ said former NFL quarterback Chris Weinke, who directs IMG’s football operations. “He plays with great instincts. What I’ve seen from Luke is a consistent approach every single day. This is a guy that’s honed in on what he can do to get better. In terms of his physical skills since he’s been here, he’s bigger and stronger. He’s faster. I can tell you this, there are going to be people excited at the combine when he runs. He’s more fluid when he runs.’’

Kuechly has been working with IMG director of speed and movement Loren Seagrave, a former speed coach for the Atlanta Falcons who also has worked with multiple Olympians. Kuechly’s not about to predict his 40 time, but he said he has gotten faster in recent weeks.

“A lot of the stuff we do is called explosive movements,’’ Kuechly said. “We talk about having our feet under our body. If your feet are outside your body, you can’t move as well. You’re going to slip and you’re going to have your feet fall out from underneath you. What they teach us here is having your feet underneath you makes you take direct steps. That stuff translates into quickness.

“The first week, it didn’t make sense because it’s something new and something I hadn’t heard before, but as the weeks progressed, I was like 'Wow, this actually is working for me.'’’

If Kuechly can show good speed and size at the combine, his stock could rise and that could put him on the radar of some NFC South teams. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who pick No. 5, and the Carolina Panthers, who will pick either No. 8 or No. 9 (depending on a Friday coin flip), have needs at linebacker. So do the Falcons and New Orleans Saints, who are without first-round picks at the moment.

Tampa Bay could use help at any of the linebacker positions, while Carolina should be set in the middle with the return of a healthy Jon Beason, but could be looking for an outside linebacker to pair with James Anderson. The Falcons could lose middle linebacker Curtis Lofton in free agency. The Saints need help on the outside, but also could be looking for a successor to middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma, who had knee problems last season.

Kuechly currently is projected by most draft gurus to go about midway through the first round. The Saints and Falcons are without first-round picks. It might be a stretch to project Kuechly as a top-10 pick right now, but a good workout at the combine could change that.

Kuechly played outside linebacker in his first college season before moving to the middle.

“Anywhere I can play is fine with me,’’ Kuechly said.

While the size and the speed remain questions, at least until Monday, Kuechly’s production has never been in doubt. In his three-year career, Kuechly finished with 532 tackles. Since the NCAA began counting tackles as an official statistic in 2000, only one player has had more tackles than Kuechly. That was Northwestern’s Tim McGarigle, who had 534 tackles in a four-year career.

Boston College coach Frank Spaziani frequently called Kuechly “the Human Eraser’’ for his tackling ability.

“Luke’s going to show the physical skills they’re looking for at the combine,’’ Weinke said. “Add all that onto what he was able to accomplish in college. The guy made a bunch of tackles and it’s not like people are running the ball 60 times a game in the ACC. They’re throwing the ball and he’s still making tackles. He’s got the warrior mentality. Whoever gets him is getting a big-time player.’’

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Before the conference championship games get going later Sunday, let’s take a look at some of the top headlines from around the NFC South.

There was at least one report that said Joe Philbin was a finalist for the Tampa Bay job before he became Miami’s head coach. If so, that may be a sign that the Bucs are getting around to narrowing their list and potentially bringing back a few candidates for second interviews. But I’m not sure the report about Philbin is true. I also wouldn’t be surprised if the Bucs still interview a candidate or two still involved in the postseason. There has been a lot of speculation that the Bucs may want to interview New York Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell.

Roddy White has been recognized by the Atlanta chapter of the Pro Football Writers of America with the Good Guy award. The honor is supposed to go to the player who is most helpful to the media in doing its job. I think the writers got this one right. As someone who has spent a fair amount of time covering the Falcons, I can verify that White is accessible after wins and losses. More importantly, he’s a guy who is almost always willing to speak candidly.

There’s a lot of excitement in New Orleans about the hiring of defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. But Jeff Duncan notes that former coordinators Gregg Williams, Gary Gibbs, Rick Venturi and Ron Zook also arrived with a lot of excitement and left without big production. He notes the last defensive coordinator to leave New Orleans on good terms was Monte Kiffin in 1995. In other words, Spagnuolo has a great reputation, but he’ll have to get the defense to produce to keep that reputation.

Here’s an overview of Carolina’s linebacker situation for 2012. The Panthers have James Anderson, a quality player at one outside spot. But middle linebacker Jon Beason and outside linebacker Thomas Davis missed most of the 2011 season with injuries. Beason’s return should boost this unit considerably. But there are no guarantees. His lengthy history of injuries and the structure of his contract make it likely the Panthers will cut Davis. They eventually could bring him back at a lower salary, but Davis has torn his ACL three times and it remains to be seen if he still can be anywhere close to the player he used to be. Jordan Senn did some promising things last season and could factor into the mix going forward. But backup middle linebacker Dan Connor is a potential free agent. The Panthers may have to add a little linebacker depth in the draft or free agency.

The woes at linebacker for the Carolina Panthers just continue to grow. Starting middle linebacker Dan Connor (shoulder) will not play in Sunday’s game in Detroit.

That means it is likely Jordan Senn will start in Connor’s place. This will make Senn the eighth linebacker to start for Carolina this season.

The problems started early on as starters Jon Beason and Thomas Davis suffered season-ending injuries. That’s left James Anderson as the only one of the three linebackers Carolina planned to start throughout the season to still be playing.

The injuries at linebacker have been a huge part of the reason Carolina's defense has struggled, particularly against the running game.

Let’s check in on the most significant injuries around the NFC South.

Looks like Atlanta has some potentially major issues heading into Sunday’s game with Tennessee. Receiver Julio Jones (hamstring) missed another day of practice, meaning it’s becoming more likely he’ll sit out. Harry Douglas stepped up when Jones was hurt in Sunday’s loss to the Saints, but it might be nice if Roddy White could do the same. Middle linebacker Curtis Lofton was added to Thursday’s report with an ankle injury. If he can’t go, the Falcons might have to shuffle their linebackers, and that could involve some movement of the outside linebackers, which could mean more playing time for Akeem Dent and Mike Peterson. Safety William Moore (quadriceps) missed another practice. Moore missed last Sunday’s game, and veteran James Sanders could end up starting in his place again.

Tampa Bay safety Tanard Jackson (hamstring) missed his second straight day of practice. But defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth returned and practiced fully after getting what the team said was a day of rest Wednesday. Haynesworth is listed on the report with a knee injury.

Carolina tight end Jeremy Shockey (ribs) missed his second straight day of practice. Linebacker James Anderson (ankle) practiced fully after sitting out Wednesday. Middle linebacker Dan Connor (shoulder) practiced on a limited basis for the second straight day.

The New Orleans Saints have a bye and don't have to issue an injury report.

We’re at the midway point of the season and guys are getting banged up. I guess that’s why we have what looks to be the most significant Friday injury report so far this season.

Some things already have been decided and some are still hanging out there. For the game-time decisions, be sure to check the blog about 90 minutes before kickoff Sunday. That’s when we start to get the game-day inactives.

Let’s start with the New Orleans Saints because they’ve got some very definitive news. Linebacker Jonathan Vilma (knee) will miss his second straight game. Vilma is the heart and soul of the New Orleans defense and this one is going to hurt. Jo-Lonn Dunbar likely will start in Vilma’s place at middle linebacker. Defensive end Turk McBride (ankle) also has been declared out.

The rest of the New Orleans injury report isn’t quite as clear. Cornerback Patrick Robinson (stomach) is listed as questionable, but the good news is Tracy Porter (chest/neck) is listed as probable. Receiver Lance Moore (hamstring) and running back Chris Ivory (hamstring) are questionable.

There’s mixed news out of Atlanta. Safety William Moore (quadriceps) is listed as doubtful. That likely means veteran James Sanders will start in Moore’s place. On the bright side, rookie receiver Julio Jones (hamstring) is probable after practicing on a limited basis Friday.

Carolina linebacker James Anderson (ankle) did not practice Friday and is listed as questionable. The Panthers already lost their other two initial starting linebackers (Jon Beason) and Thomas Davis) to season-ending injuries.

Tampa Bay left guard Jeremy Zuttah, who missed last week’s game with a knee injury, is expected to be back in the starting lineup Sunday. Defensive tackle Frank Okam (calf) is questionable. That means it’s likely that newly-acquired Albert Haynesworth probably will get some playing time Sunday.

Let’s take a look at the most significant injuries around the NFC South.

The Saints got a bit of good news as Tracy Porter (neck/chest) returned to practice on a limited basis. If Porter can play Sunday, that could help a secondary that may be a little short on depth. Cornerback Patrick Robinson (stomach) missed another day of practice. Linebacker Jonathan Vilma (knee) also missed another practice and could miss his second straight game. The Saints also added receiver Lance Moore (hamstring) to the injury report. Moore did not practice Thursday.

Atlanta safety William Moore (quadriceps) missed his second straight day of practice. If Moore is unable to play Sunday, veteran James Sanders likely would start in his place. Atlanta receiver Julio Jones (hamstring) was added to Thursday's injury report and practiced on a limited basis. Jones missed two games with a hamstring injury before returning Sunday. Stay tuned on this one. Friday's injury report should give us a much better idea if Jones will play against the Saints.

Carolina linebacker James Anderson suffered an ankle injury during Thursday’s practice and left the field. Coach Ron Rivera later said he expects Anderson to be fine and able to play Sunday.

Tampa Bay defensive tackle Frank Okam (calf) missed another day of practice. That makes it more likely new addition Albert Haynesworth will play some role Sunday because Brian Price and Roy Miller are the only healthy defensive tackles. Linebacker Dekoda Watson (groin) was added to the injury report Thursday.

We’re going to start off our midseason All-NFC South team with the defense. That’s an area where NFC South teams have not excelled this season. But there have been some strong individual performances.

Let’s take a look:

Defensive end: Charles Johnson, Panthers. Carolina gave Johnson a six-year, $72 million contract at the end of the lockout. Unlike the rest of Carolina’s defense, Johnson hasn’t disappointed. He has seven sacks, including one in each of his last three games.

Defensive end: Will Smith, Saints. He missed the first two games while serving a suspension, but Smith stepped right back into the lineup and made a strong impact. He has 4.5 sacks and also plays the run better than most defensive ends.

Defensive tackle: Brian Price, Buccaneers. Very quietly, Price has been one of the league’s most amazing stories. He missed much of his rookie year with an injury and had surgery in which screws were inserted to keep his pelvis in place. The Bucs weren’t even sure they’d have Price for the first half of the season. But he’s been starting and playing consistently well.

Defensive tackle: Corey Peters, Falcons. Atlanta’s coaches were thinking 2009 first-round draft pick Peria Jerry was finally healthy and ready to claim a starting spot at the start of the season. But Peters, who was mainly just a run stuffer last season as a rookie, has expanded his game. He’s shown signs he can generate pressure on quarterbacks and he’s held onto his starting job.

Linebacker: Sean Weatherspoon, Falcons. In his second season, Weatherspoon is emerging as a playmaker. He has excellent quickness and plays the run very well. But Weatherspoon also has been making plays on blitzes and in pass coverage.

Linebacker: James Anderson, Panthers. With Thomas Davis and Jon Beason lost to season-ending injuries, Anderson has been the bright spot of the linebacker corps.

Linebacker: Curtis Lofton, Falcons. With Beason out and New Orleans’ Jonathan Vilma slowed by a knee injury, Lofton has emerged as the best middle linebacker. He’s also the quiet leader of an Atlanta defense that has started to show signs it can become pretty good.

Cornerback: Jabari Greer, Saints. He doesn’t get nearly the attention he deserves, but Greer is the best cover corner in the NFC South. If he could produce some interceptions, he could become a legitimate Pro Bowl candidate.

Cornerback: Brent Grimes, Falcons. He gets the nod over Tampa Bay’s Ronde Barber and Carolina’s Chris Gamble. In the past, a lot of people talked about Grimes’ lack of size. That’s really not an issue any more because Grimes compensates with his athletic ability and teams that try to pick on him get burned.

Safety: William Moore, Falcons. He has only one interception, after making five last year. But Moore has turned into a solid all-around player. His tackling has improved a lot since last season.

Safety Malcolm Jenkins, Saints: He still hasn’t hit his full potential. But Jenkins has all the tools to become the best safety in the NFC South.

The Carolina Panthers might lead the league in once category -- injured linebackers.

Thomas Williams and Jason Phillips each suffered injuries in Sunday’s loss to Minnesota. Coach Ron Rivera said Monday that both could be out for an extended period. Williams has a neck injury and Phillips has an injured calf.

The injuries came on a day when linebacker Omar Gaither returned after missing time with a knee injury. The Panthers lost starting linebackers Jon Beason and Thomas Davis to injuries early in the season.

The Panthers started Gaither, James Anderson and Dan Connor on Sunday. After Williams and Phillips were injured, Gaither, Anderson and Connor had to fill in on special teams.

The Panthers have a bye this week and Rivera said he planned to meet with general manager Marty Hurney to discuss possible additions at linebacker. There aren’t a lot of quality linebackers available right now.

They might have to turn to their practice squad where they have Lawrence Wilson and Kion Wilson.