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Carolina’s Greg Hardy and Tampa Bay rookie Adrian Clayborn weren’t among the NFL’s sack leaders in 2011, but you can make the argument they’re among the best all-around defensive ends in the game.

Hardy and Clayborn showed some pass-rush skills, but they also played the run very well. That combination of skills was why they were on the field more than the rest of the NFC South defensive ends last season.

Hardy led division ends by participating in 891 of Carolina’s 1,023 defensive plays. That 87.1 percentage ranked Hardy No. 6 among defensive ends. Minnesota’s Jared Allen led the league at 94.3 percent.

Clayborn wasn’t far behind Hardy. Clayborn came in at 80.9 percent, which put him No. 15 in the NFL. Carolina’s Charles Johnson and New Orleans’ Will Smith also ranked in the top 20.

Johnson was on the field for 77.5 percent (No. 16 in the NFL) of Carolina’s defensive plays and Smith took part in 75.8 of New Orleans’ defensive plays (19th in the league).

Ray Edwards led Atlanta’s defensive ends by taking part in 69 percent of the plays. Although he was on a play count and used mostly in pass-rushing situations, veteran John Abraham took part in 61.8 percent of Atlanta’s defensive plays.

Here’s a look at playing-time percentages for most of the rest of the NFC South defensive ends:

• Michael Bennett, Buccaneers, 58.2

• Cameron Jordan, Saints, 54.3

• Kroy Biermann, Falcons, 52.3

• Da’Quan Bowers, Buccaneers, 47.4

• Junior Galette, Saints, 33.7

• Lawrence Sidbury, Falcons, 21

• Jeff Charleston, Saints, 20.2

• Turk McBride, Saints, 19.3

• Tim Crowder, Buccaneers, 17.5

No NFC South team faces a more challenging period between now and the start of free agency than the New Orleans Saints.

They have to find a way to re-sign quarterback Drew Brees, and there are at least a couple other players that it’s essential the Saints retain. They’ve also got some important role players and will need to find ways to keep several of them despite a difficult salary-cap situation.

Let’s take a look at New Orleans’ potential free agents. They’re all unrestricted, unless noted otherwise:

Brees, defensive end Jeff Charleston, receiver Marques Colston, linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar, defensive tackle Aubrayo Franklin, tight end John Gilmore, tight end Tory Humphrey, kicker John Kasay, defensive end Turk McBride, offensive lineman Pat McQuistan, receiver Robert Meachem, guard Carl Nicks, cornerback Tracy Porter, receiver/return man Courtney Roby, defensive tackle Shaun Rogers, cornerback Leigh Torrence, safety Jonathon Amaya (exclusive rights), receiver Adrian Arrington (exclusive rights), center Brian de la Puente (exclusive rights), offensive lineman Justin Drescher (exclusive rights), linebacker Jonathan Casillas (restricted), quarterback Chase Daniel (restricted) and linebacker Ramon Humber (restricted).

Whatever deal Brees signs, it’s likely he’ll take up somewhere around $15 million of the 2012 salary cap. But the Saints will have to continue to spend big money. It’s imperative they keep Nicks. He might be the best guard in the league and he’s Brees’ top protector. Keeping Colston also would seem to be a top priority because he’s one of Brees’ favorite targets.

Once the accounting is done on Brees, Nicks and Colston, the Saints will have to make some tough financial decisions. Porter and Meachem are important role players. But they could have market value elsewhere. The Saints might not be able to afford to keep them. That would hurt, but it might not be disastrous because the Saints have good depth at receiver and cornerback.

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.

NEW ORLEANS -- We already told you middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma (knee) has been declared inactive for the game with Tampa Bay.

The other inactives for the Saints are running back Mark Ingram, cornerback Johnny Patrick, fullback Korey Hall, tackle Ray Willis, receiver Adrian Arrington and defensive end Jeff Charleston.

I'll be back with Tampa Bay's inactives in just a few minutes.

TAMPA, Fla. -- The New Orleans Saints just announced their inactives for Sunday’s game with Tampa Bay and there aren’t any surprises.

Three injured players, who already were declared out, highlight the list. Right tackle Zach Strief, tight end David Thomas and linebacker Will Herring were declared inactive.

The other inactives are cornerback Johnny Patrick, offensive lineman Matt Tennant, receiver Adrian Arrington and defensive end Jeff Charleston.

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- A few thoughts on the New Orleans Saints' season-opening 42-34 loss to the Green Bay Packers.

What it means: It’s only one game, but this one was particularly painful for the Saints and could have implications that linger through the season. The defense was nothing short of horrible most of the night, and that’s a huge cause for concern. Yes, the Saints were playing the defending Super Bowl champions on the road, but they have to be better than this on defense if they hope to be more than an average team.

Missing Will Smith: With the defensive end suspended for the first two games of the season, the Saints generated virtually no pass rush. Rookie Cameron Jordan, Jeff Charleston, Junior Galette and Turk McBride weren’t expected to do it on their own. The Saints did try plenty of blitzes but didn’t have a lot of luck. Don't give the Saints too much sympathy on this one. They knew for months there was the chance Smith would serve a suspension but didn't do much to counter that.

Secondary issues: Second-year pro Patrick Robinson had a tough game as he took over the nickelback role. Strong safety Roman Harper had a rough night, and cornerback Tracy Porter didn’t tackle well. If you’re not getting any pressure and your secondary is struggling, you’ve got problems.

The bright spot: Running back/return man Darren Sproles was explosive as he made his New Orleans debut. He returned a punt for a touchdown, and looked good on kickoff returns and as a receiver out of the backfield. Sproles looks like an upgrade from Reggie Bush.

Whatever happened to Jimmy Graham? The second-year tight end was expected to be a focal point of the offense. He was barely a factor. But give Green Bay’s defense much of the credit for that. The Saints seemed like they were looking for Graham, but he rarely was open, except for a fourth-quarter touchdown that came too late.

What’s next: The Saints get another strong NFC North opponent Sept. 18. They’ll play the Chicago Bears, but that game will be in the Superdome.

The NFL just made the official announcement that New Orleans defensive end Will Smith has been suspended for the first two games of this season.

He’s getting the same deal as Minnesota defensive tackle Kevin Williams, who also tested positive for the banned substance StarCaps in 2008. The NFL originally planned to suspend all players involved for four games. But the case was tied up in the legal system for more than two years and the suspension was reduced to two games.

Williams and Smith each will miss an additional two game checks. In Smith’s case, he is scheduled to make $352,941 per game, so the total for four games will come to $1,411,764.

Although the Saints have known for a long time that a Smith suspension was possible, the timing isn’t great. The Saints cut Alex Brown, last year’s other starting defensive end, earlier this week and they have to play their season opener Thursday night against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field.

Brown’s departure and Smith’s suspension mean it’s almost certain first-round pick Cameron Jordan will start at one defensive end spot. But there’s not another clear-cut favorite for the other job. Unless the Saints bring in a veteran from somewhere else, the choices are Jeff Charleston, Turk McBride and Junior Galette.

The Minnesota Vikings just put out a statement on their website from the NFL saying that defensive tackle Kevin Williams will be suspended for the first two games of the season.

We have not heard any word out of the New Orleans Saints yet, but I think it’s safe to assume there is similar news coming on defensive end Will Smith. He and Williams were among the players who tested positive for the banned-substance StarCaps in 2008. The NFL initially wanted to suspend all the players involved for four games.

But there were legal cases involved and the league had to wait for resolution. Assuming Smith gets the same punishment as Williams, the Saints will be without him for Thursday night’s opener against Green Bay at Lambeau Field and the Sept. 18 home game with Chicago.

The Saints cut veteran defensive end Alex Brown earlier this week. With Smith out, they’ll likely start first-round pick Cameron Jordan at one defensive end spot. The other likely will be filled by Jeff Charleston, Turk McBride or Junior Galette.

The final preseason games for all NFC South teams are Thursday night.

Baltimore plays at Atlanta at 7:30 p.m. ET and Tampa Bay at Washington kicks off at the same time. Pittsburgh at Carolina and Tennessee at Houston start half an hour later. Since final preseason games generally don’t feature a lot of playing time for the starters, we’ll make our preview a little more comprehensive.

Instead of doing three things to watch on each team, we’ll do one.

Cam Newton’s last test. The Panthers appear to be set to go with the rookie quarterback as their starter for the regular season. He has not had a great preseason as a passer and probably won’t get a lot of playing time tonight. But it would be nice to see him complete a few passes against the Steelers. That would help his confidence and also bring some optimism to the fans.

Cameron Jordan’s role. The Saints pulled a surprise Tuesday when they cut starting defensive end Alex Brown. Conventional wisdom says that probably means they’re ready to use Jordan, a first-round draft pick, as a starter. Coach Sean Payton hasn’t committed that far and said the Saints will use a rotation at defensive end. But Jeff Charleston, Junior Galette and Turk McBride aren’t the kind of guys you expect to see in the starting lineup on a weekly basis.

Mike Johnson vs. Garrett Reynolds. This competition for Atlanta’s starting right guard job is coming down to the wire. Johnson missed some time early on with a concussion and that gave Reynolds the early edge. But coach Mike Smith has said Johnson still is a contender to start and a strong showing could be the deciding factor. No matter if it’s Johnson or Reynolds opening the regular season at Chicago on Sept. 11, the Falcons will have two new starters on the line that day. Center Todd McClure will miss the opener with a knee injury, and second-year pro Joe Hawley likely will get the start.

Rudy Carpenter in a starting role. He was Tampa Bay’s No. 3 quarterback last season. But Carpenter will get the start against the Redskins and there’s a lot riding on this one. Carpenter is in a competition with Jonathan Crompton for the No. 3 spot. But coach Raheem Morris admitted that it’s possible the Bucs may go into the regular season carrying only Josh Freeman and Josh Johnson on the active roster, which would free up a spot at another position. Carpenter needs a strong outing to prevent that from happening.

Surprising news out of New Orleans. Defensive end Alex Brown, who has worked with the first team throughout the preseason, sent out a tweet saying he’s been released.

Consider that a sign that the Saints are pleased with the progress of first-round draft pick Cameron Jordan. Brown had been starting opposite Will Smith, who could serve a suspension for testing positive for a banned substance in 2008. Even though there is uncertainty about Smith’s situation, the Saints must feel good about Jordan and some of their other defensive ends.

Veteran Jeff Charleston has been a steady backup, and the team likes what Turk McBride has shown in the preseason. The release of Brown could also help Junior Galette’s chances of staying on the roster.

The release of Brown comes with no salary-cap implications. He was scheduled to make $3 million in base salary and had no outstanding roster bonus pro-rations. His release clears up $3 million in cap space.

Teams have to have rosters down to 80 players by the end of the day and there have been some smaller moves around the division.

The Carolina Panthers released second-year quarterback Tony Pike and offensive lineman Duke Robinson. The Panthers also placed guard Geoff Schwartz and tight end Gary Barnidge on the injured reserve list.

The Saints haven’t announced any official moves yet, but receivers John Chiles and Jarred Fayson reportedly have been released.

Earlier in the day, New Orleans safety DeAndre McDaniel tweeted that he had been released.

Stay tuned. We’ll update you with any official announcements from teams as they come. But Saturday is the main day for roster cuts. That’s when teams have to go from 80 players to 53.

Let's take a stroll through the Sunday morning headlines from around the NFC South.

Defensive end Jeff Charleston has re-signed with the Saints. No big surprise here. Charleston’s a solid backup and the Saints wanted to keep him all along. Even though they drafted Cameron Jordan and have veterans Will Smith and Alex Brown, there still is a role for Charleston. Plus, coach Sean Payton has said that expects Smith will have to serve a four-game suspension this season, so that only made it more important to keep Charleston.

Bradley Handwerger writes that New Orleans receiver Adrian Arrington might have trouble making the roster. Arrington’s been missing time with an ankle injury. The Saints are set with their top four receivers and several young players have been having good camps. One of them could edge Arrington for the fifth-receiver spot.

Some fine work by my friend Steve Reed. He’s got a five-part series that looks back at the history of the Carolina Panthers. It’s a must-read for any Carolina fan.

With Tracy Porter missing time with an injury, second-year cornerback Patrick Robinson has been getting a lot of first-team work with the Saints. Robinson didn’t do much as a rookie last season. But neither did Malcolm Jenkins the year before that. Jenkins emerged as an impact player last season. I’m expecting Robinson to follow a similar path this season. At worst, he’ll be the nickel back. But Porter and fellow starter Jabari Greer each have a history that includes some injuries, and Robinson could end up starting.

Carolina receiver Steve Smith said the new offense of coordinator Rob Chudzinski is refreshing. It’s important to keep Smith happy. If he’s content, he could be a very valuable weapon for Cam Newton.

Tampa Bay co-chairman Bryan Glazer was asked Saturday night if he’s expecting sellouts this season. The Bucs didn’t sell out a single-home game last season, and those games couldn’t be carried on local television. Glazer made it sound like some games could sell out, but not all of them.

With the addition of Keith Millard and Grade Stretz as defensive line coaches, the Tampa Bay defensive linemen will be using new stances.

It’s not official or straight from the coaching staff. But D. Orlando Ledbetter has a projected depth chart for the Falcons that’s based on his own observations after watching all the camp practices.

Reaching deals with defensive tackle Shaun Rogers and kicker Garrett Hartley weren’t the only moves the New Orleans Saints were making Tuesday night.

The Saints just sent out a news release saying they have submitted tender offers to nine players -- defensive tackle Remi Ayodele, offensive tackle Jermon Bushrod, defensive end Jeff Charleston, safeties Usama Young and Roman Harper, receiver Lance Moore, guard Carl Nicks, tight end David Thomas and running back Pierre Thomas. The Saints also announced a tender was submitted on Hartley, but that will be a moot point because ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports Hartley will sign a five-year contract Wednesday.

The terms of the individual tenders weren’t announced and it’s likely they’re at several different levels. Nicks and Harper are the biggest names on the list. With the league’s uncertain labor situation, it remains to be seen what the tenders really mean.

Without a labor agreement, the league is saying tender offers can be made and rules from past years are being followed. The NFL Players Association is saying tenders aren’t valid this year. Assuming a labor agreement is reached at some point, it remains to be seen if the new deal will include changes to the tender rules on the required length of service for restricted free agency and unrestricted free agency.

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

Early in the second quarter of Sunday night’s game in the Superdome, the Pittsburgh Steelers looked like they were about to take control. In fact, officials said Antwaan Randle El had caught a 12-yard touchdown pass from Ben Roethlisberger.

But New Orleans coach Sean Payton challenged the call and replays showed cornerback Leigh Torrence, playing because of a slew of injuries in the defensive backfield, had brought Randle El down before the goal line.

The Steelers were given possession just inches from the end zone. The Saints, who previously weren’t known as a shutdown defense, made a goal-line stand. The Steelers ran three plays, but couldn’t get into the end zone as Sedrick Ellis, Jeff Charleston, Scott Shanle and Roman Harper each made plays to stop the three runs.

The Steelers were forced to kick a field goal and didn’t score a touchdown until the fourth quarter, when the Saints already had the lead.

Bradley Handwerger writes that WWL Television has reported that Bobby McCray has said he’s been released by the New Orleans Saints.

Although McCray was a starter for much of last season and in the Super Bowl, this move isn’t a huge surprise. He already was released once earlier in the offseason, but came back at a much lower rate of pay this summer.

Although his reputation was as a pass-rusher, McCray had only 1.5 sacks last season. New Orleans has Will Smith set as one starter and Alex Brown appears ticketed for the other spot. Brown and Jimmy Wilkerson were signed as free agents and both are able to play the run as well as rush the passer.

The Saints haven’t announced any other roster moves yet. But McCray’s release could be a sign that Jeff Charleston and undrafted rookie Junior Gaulette may stay on the roster.

Also, there are reports that the Saints have released veteran running back Ladell Betts. He was battling Chris Ivory to be the third back behind Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas. The release of Betts could be a sign that the knee injury Ivory suffered Thursday night might not be serious.

Now that Charles Grant is gone, how will the Saints' defensive ends fare in 2010?

Will Smith remains a fixture at right defensive end. There is no reason to expect anything but another tremendous season from Smith. He is one of the better 4-3 ends in the league and is in the prime of his career.

At one point, Grant was considered to be nearly in Smith’s class. That has not been the case lately, though, and Grant is now in Miami playing in their three-man front. This illustrates how his value has fallen off as an edge rusher.

The Saints were wise to acquire Alex Brown to fill Grant’s shoes. Why the Bears let Brown go is beyond me. He would be an excellent No. 2 defensive end opposite Julius Peppers, but Chicago’s loss is New Orleans’ gain. Now Brown will fill that role opposite Smith. Durable and reliable, Brown will also be playing in better weather and overall conditions conducive to rushing the quarterback. Expect his production to increase in the Big Easy, and he should approach double-digit sacks. Brown is a clear upgrade over the level of play that Grant displayed in 2009, both as a pass-rusher and against the run.

Bobby McCray, Jimmy Wilkerson and Jeff Charleston are the other ends who should factor into the equation. Defensive tackle Anthony Hargrove has the position versatility to play end, where he would enhance the run defense, but do little to help the pass rush.

You could do a lot worse than McCray as a third option who rotates in. He is a long, linear player who keeps pass-protectors away from his body. He did record double-digit sacks in 2006 while playing for Jacksonville. Wilkerson is a serviceable depth player, but is far from a dynamic difference-maker. To his credit, he did get to the quarterback six times last year for the Bucs. He is coming off a knee injury though. Charleston isn’t real fluid and is a well below average pass-rusher. He is just a bottom-of-the-roster player, in my opinion, and isn’t a guarantee to make the team.

With the Saints' excellent and deep secondary, Gregg Williams will of course dial up plenty of blitzes, which enhances the overall ability to get to opposing quarterbacks. There are not many areas where I think that New Orleans improved from a year ago, but defensive end is one area where it did.

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