ESPN NFL

As it turns out, the Atlanta Falcons aren’t planning to jump over that playoff hurdle that’s been talked so much about.

They simply plan to plow right through it. The latest evidence came Friday night when the Falcons used their second-round draft pick (No. 55 overall) on Wisconsin center (more on that in a moment) Peter Konz.

It would have been very easy for the Falcons to overreact and do something crazy after an embarrassing January playoff loss to the New York Giants. Yeah, they could have made a leap in free agency for defensive end Mario Williams, which seemed to be the preferred rout by 99 of every 100 Falcons fans.

But the fact is, if the Falcons had landed Williams back in March, they wouldn’t be as good a team as they are today. Seriously.

Yeah, I know it sounds a little ridiculous to say the Falcons are better off without a guy who could have brought them double-digit sacks. But it’s the truth. Had the Falcons signed Williams, they would have had to gut their existing roster.

The salary-cap space Williams would have taken up would have prevented the Falcons from keeping guys like receiver Harry Douglas, safety Thomas DeCoud, defensive end John Abraham, center Todd McClure and running back Jason Snelling. They might not have been able to fit cornerback Brent Grimes under the salary cap with the franchise tag. Even if they did, they would have had to have made some dramatic moves -- like releasing receiver Roddy White, running back Michael Turner or fullback Ovie Mughelli.

Any or all of those moves seemed possible in the immediate aftermath of the loss in New York. But owner Arthur Blank, who earlier in his tenure may have been prone to overreacting, sat down with coach Mike Smith and general manager Thomas Dimitroff and coolly came up with a plan on how the Falcons can take the next step.

Smith and Dimitroff have had four straight winning seasons, but have yet to win a playoff game. When you’ve had four straight winning seasons, you don’t blow a team up. You keep it together and fix the things that are wrong.

Without flash, that’s precisely what the Falcons have done and Friday night was just another step.

“We were really honed in on the offensive line as you can imagine,’’ Dimitroff said, moments after selecting Konz. “We need to get more stout on this offensive line.’’

There’s no doubt about that. Let’s consider this item from ESPN Stats & Information: The Falcons were one of 10 teams to average less than 4.0 yards per rush between the tackles last season. That came despite the fact they have a bruising runner in Turner.

The Falcons also didn’t do a great job of protecting quarterback Matt Ryan. That failure was the major reason why all the downfield passing we heard about after the Falcons traded up to draft Julio Jones didn’t fully materialize last year. The Falcons were soft up front and it cost offensive line coach Paul Boudreau his job.

Other than left tackle Sam Baker, a first-round pick in 2008, the Falcons really haven’t made huge investments in their offensive line. The arrival of Konz changes that.

Although he played center at Wisconsin, Dimitroff said “we’re listing him as a guard/center right now’’.

It’s no big secret McClure is at the end of his career. He’s 35 and it shows. The Falcons brought him back as insurance, but that doesn’t mean he’ll be their starting center on opening day. Guard Joe Hawley also can play center. Hawley also could factor into the situation at guard, where he played last season along with Justin Blalock and Garrett Reynolds. Add Konz to that mix and it’s pretty clear the Falcons are going to throw all their guards and centers onto the field in training camp and the preseason and see which of the three emerge as the best trio.

“Let’s come in here and have some great competition and see who can protect Matt Ryan the best,’’ Dimitroff said. “We want production and we want guys who can finish. In Peter, we have a guy who can do both of those.’’

Look, I’m not saying a guard/center from Wisconsin is going to come in the second round and push right through that hurdle all by himself. Konz is just a part of the puzzle and maybe fans can finally see that picture coming together now.

There’s a reason why Atlanta didn’t have a first-round pick this year. Jones was the first-round pick for last year and this year and he’s better than any receiver in this year’s draft. There was a reason why the Falcons didn’t make to splurge in free agency. They didn’t have the salary-cap room to do it without ripping a good team apart.

Little by little, they’ve made moves that have them gaining speed as they head for that hurdle. Just this week, they traded a late-round draft pick for four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Asante Samuel and quickly signed him to a cap-friendly deal.

In theory, Samuel should team with Grimes and Dunta Robinson to give the Falcons one of the league’s best cornerback tandems. In theory, Konz should team with all those other offensive linemen to make the Falcons tougher up front.

Yeah, there still are a few needs -- the pass rush, depth at tight end and maybe some more help on the outside of the offensive line. The Falcons are well aware of all that. They’ll address those needs in the rest of the draft and after it when the time and the price are right. But, now, you can see their offseason plan taking shape.

If the Falcons had gone out and paid a fortune for Williams, they wouldn’t be making solid, safe picks like Konz because they’d be desperately trying to repair all the other damage they did to their team.

» AFC Assessments: East | West | North | South » NFC: East | West | North | South

Atlanta Falcons

Key additions: LB Lofa Tatupu, G Vince Manuwai

Key losses: LB Curtis Lofton, WR/KR Eric Weems

Keeping their own: Much to the chagrin of their fans, the Falcons chose not to pursue defensive end Mario Williams or any other big-name free agent. Instead, they focused hard on keeping their own guys. That started before the season ended with tight end Tony Gonzalez re-signing and continued into free agency as the Falcons made it a point to lock up guys like receiver Harry Douglas, defensive end John Abraham and running back Jason Snelling. They also protected cornerback Brent Grimes with the franchise tag.

The only loss that really hurt was Lofton. The Falcons liked him, but new defensive coordinator Mike Nolan didn’t view him as a three-down player. The Falcons still made an effort to keep Lofton, but weren’t willing to pay big money. They brought in the veteran Tatupu, who could be a short-term answer. But there’s a hope within the organization that second-year pro Akeem Dent can step forward and win the job immediately because he’s the guy that’s going to end up there for the long term.

What’s next: Don’t completely rule out the addition of a minor or mid-level free agent or two, but the Falcons are focusing mainly on the draft. Even with Abraham back, they’re still looking to improve their pass rush and defensive ends could be in play. But the Falcons also could add a defensive tackle because Jonathan Babineaux and Peria Jerry are coming off sub-par seasons. Some depth in the secondary and a kick returner also are possible targets.

Key additions: RB/FB Mike Tolbert, G Mike Pollak

Key losses: G Travelle Wharton

The splash came last year: The Panthers haven’t been very active in free agency. That’s largely because they made their big moves coming out of the lockout last year. They signed defensive end Charles Johnson, running back DeAngelo Williams, linebacker Jon Beason, defensive tackle Ron Edwards and linebacker Thomas Davis to huge deals, and that’s why they had very little salary-cap room to work with this year.

But the Panthers didn’t really reap the rewards of some of those signings because Beason, Davis and Edwards all suffered early injuries. That took a toll on the defense. But all three of those guys are back and healthy and that should improve the defense immediately. Carolina developed an explosive offense last season and a strong defense could turn the Panthers into playoff contenders.

What’s next: The Panthers have very little cap room and don’t figure to make many more moves in free agency. They’re focused in on the draft and there needs have been narrowed. They’re likely to address cornerback and defensive tackle early in the draft. But don’t be surprised if they take a linebacker somewhere in the first three or four rounds, and it’s even possible they could target one in the first or second. Davis is coming off his torn ACL and the Panthers don’t know if he’ll be anything close to what he was before the injuries.

New Orleans Saints

Key additions: LB Curtis Lofton, DT Brodrick Bunkley, G Ben Grubbs

Key losses: G Carl Nicks, CB Tracy Porter

Miracle workers: Faced with an extremely tight salary-cap situation and some bizarre off-field events, it’s somewhat amazing the Saints were able to keep as much as they did. They didn’t want to lose Nicks, who might be the best guard in the league and is in his prime. But that’s the price they had to pay to make sure they kept quarterback Drew Brees and receiver Marques Colston, as well as adding players like Lofton, Grubbs and Bunkley.

The Brees situation remains complicated. He's still carrying the franchise tag. The Saints need to get him signed to a long-term deal quickly. Even more than ever, the Saints need Brees’ leadership abilities. They need him signed and happy before their offseason program starts April 16.

What’s next: With the possibility of multiple defensive players facing possible suspensions as a result of the bounty program, the Saints still could be looking to make significant moves. It will be hard to draft players that will make an instant impact because the Saints are without picks in the first two rounds. That means they might have to pull some more help out of free agency, even with limited cap space. They could use another pass-rusher to complement Will Smith. Even after adding Lofton and Bunkley, the Saints still could use depth at linebacker and defensive tackle.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Key additions: WR Vincent Jackson, G Carl Nicks, CB Eric Wright

Key losses: C Jeff Faine

Locking them up: Part of the reason the Bucs didn’t lose much of anything in free agency is because they’ve done a nice job of locking up some core players in recent years. They made it a point to make sure offensive linemen Donald Penn, Davin Joseph and Jeremy Zuttah never got close to leaving. Add Nicks to that group and the Bucs have a chance to have one of the league’s better offensive lines. As the season gets going, some other young players will be rewarded with contract extensions as they show they fit in coach Greg Schiano’s system.

What’s next: After making the initial splash, the Bucs said they’re done with free agency and are focused on the draft. That’s largely true, although the team is keeping a close eye on what remains on the market. This is a team that still is building and will still have needs after the draft. The Bucs have a big need at running back, where they have to find at least one player to complement LeGarrette Blount. The cornerback position could be an early target in the draft even after Ronde Barber decided to return for a 16th season. There also is some uncertainty about Aqib Talib's future. Even if he remains with the team, the Bucs need depth at the position. There also is uncertainty at linebacker and a need for depth at safety and tight end.

The Atlanta Falcons just announced they have agreed to contract terms with running back Jason Snelling.

Seemingly, that means the Falcons will go with their top three running backs from last season. Michael Turner has been the starter, with Snelling and rookie Jacquizz Rodgers each playing backup roles last season.

But I’m not sure the Falcons are done at running back. They could add another runner in free agency or the draft.

Coach Mike Smith and general manager Thomas Dimitroff already have said several times that they plan to cut down Turner’s carries in 2012. That’s a good idea, because Turner has handled a ton of carries the past four seasons and his production slumped at the end of last season, although a lingering groin injury probably played a role in that.

Even if the Falcons stick with what they have, look for Snelling and Rodgers to get more playing time. Rodgers is clearly a speed back, and can be used in passing situations. But Snelling, who also can play fullback, can handle some of the snaps that have gone to Turner in the past.

Snelling, like Turner, is a power runner. He also has shown decent ability as a receiver out of the backfield.

The Atlanta Falcons quietly continue to move through the process of getting ready for the start of free agency.

After placing the franchise tag on cornerback Brent Grimes, the Falcons are now dealing with some other players that were not under contract for 2012.

The team announced Tuesday morning that tight end Michael Palmer and running back Antone Smith have signed their exclusive-rights tenders.

Palmer, who joined the Falcons in 2010, isn’t known as a pass-catcher, and that’s not needed because Atlanta has Tony Gonzalez in that role. But Palmer has played an important role in the offense as a blocker.

Smith has spent the past two seasons with the Falcons, playing primarily on special teams. But he also has some ability as a running back, and he could get a chance to show more of that moving forward. The Falcons have made it clear they want to lighten the load of feature back Michael Turner.

They have Jacquizz Rodgers, who is likely to get more use as a speed back in his second season. But Smith could compete with Jason Snelling as part of the rotation.

Since the NFC South doesn’t have a team in the Super Bowl, let’s start looking ahead to the 2012 offseason.

We’ll start by taking a look at each team and its potential free agents. We’ll start with the Atlanta Falcons. We’ll list all of their potential free agents. Each one listed is a potential unrestricted free agent, unless he’s noted as a restricted or exclusive-rights free agent. After I list the free agents, I’ll summarize what could be the most important moves as teams re-sign players between now and the start of free agency in mid-March.

Here are Atlanta’s potential free agents: Defensive end John Abraham, defensive end Kroy Biermann, offensive lineman Kirk Chambers, safety Thomas DeCoud, receiver Harry Douglas, cornerback Brent Grimes, cornerback Kelvin Hayden, tight end Reggie Kelly, linebacker Curtis Lofton, center Todd McClure, linebacker Mike Peterson, offensive lineman Brett Romberg, safety James Sanders, running back Jason Snelling, receiver Eric Weems, long-snapper Joe Zelenka, tight end Michael Palmer (exclusive rights), running back Antone Smith (exclusive rights) and defensive tackle Vance Walker (restricted).

Lofton and Grimes are the most significant names on that list. They’re key defensive starters, and they’re in their prime. Keeping Lofton, the quarterback of the defense, might be the top priority. There’s little doubt the Falcons want Grimes back. He’s developed into a very good cornerback, despite the fact that he’s undersized. But Grimes could get big money elsewhere. The Falcons already have a lot invested in cornerback Dunta Robinson, and might not be able to pay huge contracts to two cornerbacks.

Abraham, McClure and Peterson are nearing the end of their careers. Any of them could decide to retire. The Falcons also could decide to bring back any of them as a role player. Abraham still was the team’s best pass-rusher in 2011.

It’s likely the Falcons will have some interest in keeping Biermann, DeCoud, Douglas and Snelling. They’re still young, but they could get better offers elsewhere. Hayden and Sanders each are veterans that could test the market, but eventually return to give the Falcons depth.

Only two NFC South running backs were on the field for more than 50 percent of their team’s offensive plays.

Carolina’s Jonathan Stewart led the division at 55.2 percent. Stewart was on the field for 577 of Carolina’s 1,046 offensive plays. Atlanta’s Michael Turner took part in 52.2 percent of his offense’s plays. Turner was on the field for 588 of 1,127 snaps.

Neither player was in the top 10 among the league’s running backs. Philadelphia’s LeSean McCoy led the league as he played on 81.1 percent of his team’s snaps.

There were a few other items of interest when it came to playing time for NFC South running backs. While Stewart led the division, his teammate, DeAngelo Williams, was third in the NFC South at 42.73 percent, just ahead of New Orleans’ Darren Sproles 42.71 percent.

Tampa Bay was the only team without a single running back to play at least 40 percent of his team’s snaps. Starter LeGarrette Blount participated in 38.4 of the Bucs’ snaps, which was a problem. The Bucs were hesitant to use Blount as a pass blocker or receiver, so their offense was predictable because Tampa Bay generally was running when Blount was on the field.

Blount’s backup, Kregg Lumpkin, was on the field for 35.9 percent of Tampa Bay’s snaps. Earnest Graham also split time at fullback and tailback for the Bucs before suffering a season-ending injury. Graham took part in 18.8 percent of Tampa Bay's offensive plays.

Here’s the rundown on the percentage of plays the rest of the NFC South running backs took part in:

Pierre Thomas, Saints, 33.8.

Jacquizz Rodgers, Falcons, 28.

Jason Snelling, Falcons, 27.9.

Mark Ingram, Saints, 18.6.

Chris Ivory, Saints, 10.4.

Mossis Madu, Buccaneers, 5.9.

Josh Vaughn, Panthers, 1.1.

Mike Goodson, Panthers, 0.4.

Antone Smith, Falcons 0.2

As I read through the highlights of the season wrap-up news conference Falcons owner Arthur Blank, coach Mike Smith and general manager Thomas Dimitroff had a little earlier Wednesday, one thing caught my eye.

The Falcons said that running back Michael Turner’s touches likely will be reduced moving forward. I find that very interesting on several levels.

Although Turner finished the season with 1,340 rushing yards, I didn’t think he looked like the same back as he did in earlier seasons. Turner looked slow, especially as the season went on. After Week 11, he had only one 100-yard rushing game and that was against a dismal Tampa Bay defense in the season finale.

Turner was dealing with a groin injury for much of the second half of the season and that might have played a role in keeping him quiet down the stretch.

But there’s something else. Turner will turn 30 in February. Turning 30 is almost never a good thing for a running back, especially one who has more than 300 carries in each of the past four seasons.

Turner remains under contract through 2013 and I don’t think the Falcons are ready to part ways with him. But I think it’s safe to say that they already have signaled they plan to reduce his role.

The Falcons increased the playing time of rookie Jacquizz Rodgers as the season went on. I don’t see Rodgers taking over Turner’s role because they’re different types of running backs. Turner is a power back and Rodgers is a speed back. But I think the Falcons may gear their offense a little more toward taking advantage of Rodgers’ speed.

Jason Snelling has been Turner’s main backup and he is a power back. But Snelling never has been viewed as a potential long-term successor to Turner. I think the Falcons could spend part of the offseason looking for another power back to pair with Turner.

Call it icing on the cake, padding the stats or whatever you want. But the Atlanta Falcons now are up to a whopping 68 total yards on screen passes. Yep, the Falcons gained seven yards on a screen in their victory against Jacksonville.

For those who don’t get sarcasm, this is it. At various points throughout the season, we’ve been tracking how little the Falcons use the screen pass. Quarterback Matt Ryan has completed 16 of 19 screens. Of the quarterbacks who have started every game, Ryan has less attempts and less yards than anyone. Of the quarterbacks on the list from ESPN Stats and Information, Kansas City’s Matt Cassel comes the closest to Ryan and the Falcons. Cassel has completed 11 of 15 screens for 17 yards. But Cassel has dealt with injuries and started just nine games.

For the sake of comparison, let’s take a look at what the other NFC South quarterbacks have done on screen passes. Carolina rookie Cam Newton has thrown for a league-high 439 yards while completing 50 of 55 screens.

New Orleans’ Drew Brees is No. 4 in the league with 367 yards while completing 47 of 54 attempts. Tampa Bay’s Josh Freeman has completed 34 of 39 screens for 263 yards.

Memo to Atlanta offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey: I get it that Michael Turner isn’t the best receiver in the league out of the backfield and that you want to save his energy for rushing attempts. But Jason Snelling’s the kind of back that can run over people if he gets a running start, and rookie Jacquizz Rodgers is the kind of back that at least has the potential to blow by defenders any time he touches the ball. Besides, if you end up in that head-coaching job in Jacksonville, there's a guy named Maurice Jones-Drew who can have a pretty big impact on screens. So it might be a good idea to at least try a few more screens.

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.

Congratulations to the Atlanta Falcons. They have blown past the 60-yard mark on screen passes for the season.

Yep, the Falcons now have completed 14 of 16 screen passes for 62 yards, according to ESPN Stats & Information. They’ve all been thrown by Matt Ryan. The only starting quarterbacks who have attempted fewer screen passes than Ryan are Minnesota’s Christian Ponder (15), who did not open the season as the starter, Arizona’s Kevin Kolb (14) and Kansas City’s Matt Cassel (15), who each have missed time due to injury.

I understand that the Falcons’ priority is the deep passing game, even though that hasn’t worked all that well. But I’m still perplexed by why they don’t mix in a few more screens. Rookie Jacquizz Rodgers seems like the perfect type of running back to use on screens and Jason Snelling and Michael Turner also are capable of catching the ball out of the backfield. Maybe a few more screens would help open up the deep-passing game.

For the sake of comparison, let’s look at what the other NFC South teams have done with the screen. New Orleans’ Drew Brees and Carolina’s Cam Newton are tied for No. 2 in the league with 44 attempts. Only Detroit’s Matthew Stafford (49) has attempted more screen passes.

People think of Newton as having a big arm, and he does, but he leads the league with 41 completed screens for a league-high 355 yards.

Brees has completed 39 of his screens for 265 yards. Tampa Bay’s Josh Freeman has completed 27 of 31 screens for 211 yards.

The Atlanta Falcons will place fullback Ovie Mughelli on injured reserve, according to Chris Vivlamore.

Mughelli injured a knee in Sunday’s victory against Detroit.

The Falcons haven’t announced the move yet. But it sounds like they’re preparing for it. Reports say they worked out several fullbacks, including Jason McKie and Mike Karney earlier Tuesday.

The Falcons also have Jason Snelling. He’s been used as a backup fullback in the past but he is primarily the main backup to tailback Michael Turner.

As long as we're talking about potential transactions, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers made a couple minor moves Tuesday. They placed fullback/tailback Earnest Graham on injured reserve and waived long-snapper Christian Yount. Take Yount's release as a sign that the Bucs are about to activate Andrew Economos off the physically-unable-to-perform list.

If we’re going to find out any news on the knee injury that Atlanta fullback Ovie Mughelli suffered Sunday anytime soon, it’s not going to come from coach Mike Smith.

“This week we are going radio silence on injuries,’’ Smith told the Atlanta media moments ago. “We won't have any news on injured players.’’

The Falcons, like a lot of teams, are usually tight-lipped about injuries. With a bye this week, they’re not required by the NFL to give any injury updates. Smith later added that if he knew of a season-ending injury, he would announce it.

Mughelli sent out some encouraging words on his verified Twitter account.

“Thx for all the love and support guys,’’ Mughelli wrote. “I promise I'm ok. It looked worse than it is. I heard the slo mo looked bad on tv. I'll be back soon.’’

Smith said he’s giving his players the week off, so there’s really only one sure way to know quickly if Mughelli is going to miss an extended period of time. That will be if the Falcons go out and sign a fullback Monday afternoon or Tuesday.

If they don’t, then it’s safe to assume Mughelli’s injury won’t keep him out for the long term. If the Falcons had to get by without him for a game or two, Jason Snelling could handle the fullback duties. If the Falcons bring in another fullback, then Mughelli could be out for an extended period.

Obviously, we’ve devoted a lot of Monday night and the wee hours of Tuesday morning to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

That’s because they were hosting the “Monday Night Football’’ victory over the Indianapolis Colts. But let’s take a look at what’s going on with the Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers.

Chris Vivlamore notes that the Atlanta secondary faces a tough stretch. After allowing 319 yards to a very mediocre Seattle team (led by quarterback Tarvaris Jackson, who is less than mediocre), the Falcons have to take on Aaron Rodgers, Cam Newton and Matthew Stafford. The play in the secondary has to get better. Oh, and a little pass rush wouldn’t hurt either.

It appears as if Atlanta running back Jason Snelling will return to practice Wednesday after missing the Seattle game with a concussion.

The Saints have called a news conference for later Tuesday. Reportedly, it’s to announce they have reached an agreement with Mercedes-Benz for naming rights to the Superdome. Nothing wrong with doing what just about everyone else has. The Saints have been peddling the naming rights for a while and had some challenges because the city isn’t home to a lot of huge companies. But it looks like they finally found a deal that will only continue to help their long-term stability in New Orleans.

There might be better individual running backs and combinations of two running backs. But it’s becoming pretty obvious that Darren Sproles, Mark Ingram and Pierre Thomas are the best trio of running backs in the NFL. The Saints are using their varied talents perfectly and getting strong results.

Scott Fowler writes about how Ron Rivera and the Panthers no longer are in the happy-to-be-here mode. They now are talking about how they need to cut down on mistakes and get some more wins. I view this all as positive. It represents the next step for Rivera and the Panthers.

After reviewing the film, Rivera has asked the NFL for an explanation of the offensive pass-interference penalty that nullified tight end Jeremy Shockey’s apparent touchdown catch against the Bears.

The Friday injury reports are out for the Falcons, Saints and Panthers. The Buccaneers don’t have to put out statuses yet because they don’t play until Monday night. So let’s take a look at the most significant injuries for Atlanta, New Orleans and Carolina.

The Falcons are listing Roddy White (thigh) as questionable. This is one to keep an eye on. If White can’t play against the Seahawks, the Falcons are going to have to juggle Harry Douglas, Kerry Meier and Eric Weems opposite Julio Jones. As expected, the Falcons also declared defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux (knee), linebacker Stephen Nicholas (calf) and running back Jason Snelling (concussion) out for Sunday’s game.

The Panthers listed cornerback Chris Gamble (concussion) as doubtful. Coach Ron Rivera said he expects Darius Butler to take Gamble’s place in the starting lineup. Right tackle Jeff Otah (back) is listed as questionable, but has said he expects to play.

The Saints have the NFC South’s longest and most significant injury list. The team said tight end David Thomas, linebacker Will Herring, right tackle Zach Strief, center Olin Kreutz and linebacker Martez Wilson will be out for Sunday’s game with Jacksonville. Charles Brown is expected to start in Strief’s place and Brian De La Puente is expected to start at center. The Saints also are listing linebacker Jonathan Vilma and receiver Marques Colston as questionable.

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.