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Lots to catch up on as several NFC South teams held rookie camps over the weekend. Let's take a quick spin through some of the headlines from around the division.

• Carolina first-round draft pick Luke Kuechly went through the team’s rookie camp working at weak-side linebacker. He could end up staying there, but I don’t think anything is set in stone right now. The Panthers want to get a look at middle linebacker Jon Beason and outside linebacker Thomas Davis in training camp before making any firm decisions. Beason and Davis each are coming back from major injuries. Beason has played a little on the outside in the past and Kuechly spent most of his college career in the middle.

• Receiver Plaxico Burress caused a stir last week when he mentioned the Panthers as a team he’d be interested in playing for. I think the real question is, do the Panthers have any interest in Burress? I strongly doubt it. Burress will turn 35 in August. I just don’t see general manager Marty Hurney signing a receiver that’s about to turn 35. Besides, the Panthers have lots of young options -- Brandon LaFell, David Gettis, Kealoha Pilares and Joe Adams -- to go with Steve Smith. Also, Carolina history has shown that it’s not always a wise idea to bring in big-name receivers (see Keyshawn Johnson). There only has been one guy who has truly fit well opposite Smith and that was Muhsin Muhammad.

• Speaking of Carolina receivers that never really worked out, Dwayne Jarrett has signed to play in the Canadian Football League. Maybe Armanti Edwards can follow?

• Mike Triplett has a good overview of the contract standoff between Drew Brees and the Saints. He points out this situation isn’t all that unusual, it’s just unexpected because many fans thought the team would give Brees a blank check or the quarterback would give the Saints a hometown discount. Don’t be surprised if this one drags on until close to the July 16 deadline for Brees to sign his franchise tag.

• New Orleans fifth-round draft pick Corey White caused a bit of a stir when he said he was looking forward to intercepting passes from Brees in practice. Brees had a good-natured response, but made it clear he doesn’t expect the rookie defensive back to be picking off very many of his passes.

• With middle linebacker Curtis Lofton leaving for New Orleans as a free agent, Atlanta outside linebacker Sean Weatherspoon said he needs to become a more verbal leader. That’s a good idea. It’s pretty obvious new defensive coordinator Mike Nolan has big plans for Weatherspoon. He’s Atlanta’s most athletic linebacker and the Falcons believe he can be a playmaker. They wouldn’t have let Lofton go if they didn’t think Weatherspoon was ready for the next step.

• Defensive end Jonathan Massaquoi showed up at Atlanta’s rookie camp weighing about 260 pounds. That’s about 15 less pounds than Massaquoi carried in his final season at Detroit. The weight loss was by design. The Falcons believe Massaquoi can make more of an impact as a pass-rusher if he’s not carrying as much weight.

• After his first practice with the Falcons, rookie offensive lineman Peter Konz broke into the “Dirty Bird’’ dance that was popular when the 1998 team was on its way to the Super Bowl. Although Konz grew up in Wisconsin, he became a fan of the Falcons during their Super Bowl run.

• Keeping with the league-wide trend of getting draft picks signed much earlier than in past years, Konz and the Falcons agreed to contract terms. The Falcons also signed three other draft picks.

• Bradley Handwerger writes that the NFL should show all its evidence related to the Saints’ bounty program. Fans have been screaming for more evidence after the team was hit hard by suspensions of coaches and players. I understand the frustration and I also would like to see more evidence. But the fact is, this isn’t a court of law. The NFL isn’t required to show all its evidence. If grievances, appeals or lawsuits (or some combination of the three) can get this situation into a court of law, that’s the only way we’re going to see all of the NFL’s evidence.

• Those of you that have been reading this blog regularly through the years know that I’m forever indebted to legendary former Tampa Tribune sports editor and columnist Tom McEwen. He gave me my first job in this business. As the one-year anniversary of McEwen’s death approaches, McEwen’s family and friends are making sure his legacy of helping young journalists continues. University of Florida journalism student Emily Padgett is the first recipient of a scholarship established in McEwen’s name.

Just about everywhere you look or listen there is speculation the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be in hot pursuit of wide receiver Vincent Jackson.

It makes sense on many levels, starting with the facts that the Bucs need a true No. 1 receiver and Jackson probably is the best available in free agency. There’s likely to be competition from Chicago and Washington and perhaps some other teams. The San Diego Chargers are also holding out a bit of hope that they can re-sign Jackson.

But the Chargers will only do that if his price tag is somewhere around $11 million a season. If it gets higher than that, he likely will walk and Tampa Bay’s a very logical place for one of the top members of this free-agent class.

The Bucs have about $43 million in salary-cap space and it’s become increasingly clear the Bucs want to do everything possible to put quarterback Josh Freeman in position to succeed. Jackson certainly would help in that regard.

At 6-foot-5 and 230 pounds, Jackson may not sound like the deep threat so many think the Bucs need. But Jackson is a bit of a freak of nature when it comes to his speed, plus he uses his strength to get separation.

Just look at his numbers when it comes to yards per catch. Last season, Jackson averaged 18.4 yards per catch. That’s the second-highest total of his career and the highest (19.7) came in his rookie season when he was used as a third receiver.

That shows Jackson isn’t losing a step, which is a concern for a receiver who just turned 29. It looks like Jackson has several good years left and the Bucs shouldn’t let their infamous history of bringing in receivers scare them off. Jackson’s not Alvin Harper or Bert Emanuel, guys that were No. 2 receivers elsewhere that the Bucs thought could emerge as No. 1 guys. Jackson also isn’t Keyshawn Johnson, Joey Galloway or Antonio Bryant, guys who produced in the short term, but, for various reasons, didn’t last in the long term.

Jackson is a proven No. 1 receiver. Although he had some off-field problems, those appear to be behind him and teammates and media members who have covered him say Jackson doesn’t have the “diva’’ personality so many receivers do. He’s described as very quiet and always has been liked by his coaches.

If the Bucs are going to get Jackson, it likely will cost them around $12-$13 million a year. That’s a lot, but the Bucs have indicated they’re ready to spend money after going lightly in free agency in recent years.

Jackson is the one guy out there that seems like a sure thing. Pittsburgh’s Mike Wallace is a restricted free agent and I don’t think the Bucs are looking to give up draft picks. New Orleans Marques Colston isn’t a speed guy and he’s been banged up at times in the past.

If the Bucs don’t get Jackson, then they need to look in a different direction.

Robert Meachem (Saints), Mario Manningham (Giants) and Laurent Robinson (Cowboys) are guys that can stretch the field, but none of them is a true No. 1 receiver, although they'd come at a much lower price tag than Jackson. But even adding a speed guy could make it easier for Tampa Bay’s current group of receivers – Mike Williams, Arrelious Benn, Dezmon Briscoe, Preston Parker and Sammie Stroughter — to get open.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame just announced its list of first-year-eligible candidates for the Class of 2012 and it includes two guys with NFC South ties.

Receiver Keyshawn Johnson, who played for Tampa Bay and Carolina, and running back Stephen Davis, who spent part of his career with Carolina, are among 11 players and coaches on the ballot for the first time.

There are 103 candidates for the Class of 2012 and that list will be narrowed to 25 in mid-November. In January, the list will be reduced to 15 finalists. The day before the Super Bowl will be the final vote and somewhere between four and seven candidates will be selected for induction.

My guess is that neither Davis nor Johnson will make it on the first ballot, but they may have a chance to get in down the road. Feel free to share your thoughts on their chances at the Hall of Fame in the comments section below.

To all those Tampa Bay fans screaming about how the Bucs haven’t spent any money in free agency, it might be time for a history lesson.

Let’s go back to 2003. That’s the season the Bucs were defending their only Super Bowl title. Expectations were high and the team was loaded with star power – Keyshawn Johnson, Warren Sapp, Derrick Brooks, Mike Alstott, Simeon Rice, Ronde Barber and John Lynch.

The only thing higher than the expectations was the spending. I just went back and looked at 2003 salary-cap figures on the Bucs and there’s a very clear story here. In addition to the guys mentioned above, this team had high-priced contracts with veterans like Rickey Dudley, Keenan McCardell, Ken Dilger and we can’t leave out Tom Tupa.

Records from that season show the Bucs actually spent over the salary cap. Their adjusted cap for that year was $75.443 million. They exceeded it by $1,104.58 -- a figure that would be shaved from their 2004 cap.

So what did all that spending get the Bucs? An incredibly-disappointing 7-9 record that was good for third place in the NFC South. It also marked the first time since 1998 that Tampa Bay didn’t make the playoffs. And the season was filled with all sorts of controversy.

You might remember some lowlights from that season.

• Johnson, with a cap figure more than $5 million, was deactivated for 10 games as he feuded with coach Jon Gruden.
• A rift between Gruden and general manager Rich McKay that was so bad that McKay fled to the Atlanta Falcons before the season ended.
• A 38-35 overtime loss to Indianapolis that wouldn’t have been nearly as painful if it wasn’t Tony Dungy’s first game back in Tampa. And it would have been even less painful if the Bucs hadn’t squandered a 35-14 lead with just over five minutes left in regulation.
• And don’t forget that Week 13 loss to Jacksonville. The mighty Jaguars entered that game with a 2-9 record.

So what if the current Bucs have $108.5 million (or 88 percent) committed toward this year’s cap if you count all their contracts? If you only count the top 51 figures, which is the rule in the preseason, they’re at $93 million, which is just about 76 percent of their cap.

The moral of the story is spending big money doesn’t guarantee success. The 2003 Bucs showed us you can spend to the cap -- and even a little above it -- and still lose. Ever think ownership and the front office might look back at that kind of thing and maybe that's at least part of the reason the Bucs are taking their current approach?

I haven’t met Julio Jones yet and probably won’t until the lockout is lifted and I get up to Flowery Branch, Ga., for minicamp or training camp. But I’m already starting to like the wide receiver the Falcons traded up to get at No. 6 overall in last week’s draft.

I’m basing that entirely on one answer Jones gave in this radio interview with Atlanta’s 790 The Zone. Jones was asked if he’s the typical “diva’’ wide receiver.

“No, not at all,’’ Jones said. “But I didn’t grow up as no diva, either. I used to play running back, so I guess I have that mentality -- just hard-nosed.”

Hard-nosed is good and “diva" receivers can bring lots of headaches. Just look around the league and at recent history. Terrell Owens, Chad Ochocinco, Randy Moss, Keyshawn Johnson -- they all have come with major headaches. In the NFC South, Steve Smith and Roddy White certainly fit the profile, although White generally does it in a relatively harmless and playful way.

In fact, with the exception of New Orleans’ Marques Colston, I don’t think I’ve ever met a wide receiver who was any good that didn’t at least have a pretty strong touch of the “diva personality." I can think of two NFC South receivers in recent years, who showed no similar traits. One was former Carolina receiver Keary Colbert and he played his way right out of town.

The other is Atlanta’s Michael Jenkins. He’s a nice, unselfish role player. But that might be part of the reason the Falcons drafted Jones. Let’s be real honest here: Jenkins still will have a role with the Falcons this year. But if Jones turns out to be anything like what the Falcons envision, Jenkins will be gone in a year or two. The Falcons drafted Jones to take Jenkins’ place.

As much as I rip on “diva" wide receivers, I’ve got to be fair and honest. To be a good wide receiver in the NFL, you need at least a touch of that type of personality. If you’re going to get the ball a lot, you have to want the ball. So we’ll leave a little bit of room for Jones to develop some “diva" tendencies and White can serve as his mentor.

Back in the 2006 season when I was covering the Carolina Panthers for The Charlotte Observer, co-worker Stan Olson and I had to play the Cover Two defense to handle the team’s two big-name wide receivers.

Our scheme was simple. If Keyshawn Johnson started talking in the locker room, one of us had to be there with a tape recorder. If Steve Smith started talking, the other one of us had to jump the route. You couldn’t leave Smith and Johnson alone because both of them were capable of saying something brilliant, outrageous or controversial.

Well, technology has changed and that’s good because, sadly, I no longer have Olson as a teammate, although I still talk to him frequently and sometimes join him when he's doing talk radio on Charlotte's WFNZ. The good news is you can cover Atlanta’s Roddy White one on one, at least from a media standpoint.

Yes, I’m installing a new policy here on the NFC South Blog. I’m going to make it a point to check White’s verified Twitter account every day. It’s been an issue before, most recently when White, for no apparent reason, ripped the San Francisco 49ers for keeping quarterback Alex Smith. He followed up by saying two coaches have been fired because of Smith’s performance.

Well, here’s the latest, White later issued an apology to San Francisco fans and said Smith’s a great player. In other news, it sounds like White is rooting for the Hawks in the NBA playoffs, he broke a sweat walking to his car in Phoenix and he apparently bought “ice’’ insurance. If you don’t know what that means, read all of his tweets and you should be able to figure it out.

Even at a time when so much is up in the air because of labor uncertainty, we still managed to cover a good deal of ground in Friday’s NFC South chat.

Here are a few highlights.

Greg (VA) With the CBA up in the air does the NFL office still work on making the 2011 schedule?

Pat Yasinskas: That is an excellent question. Actually had a conversation with somebody about this the other day and this is a high-ranking official with one of my teams. He said, yes, the league still goes about business as usual on creating the schedule.

David Im (San Diego): Pat, huge fan, you do a great job of covering the NFC South. Just wondering what your take is on the Garrett Hartley extension. I know he was great two years ago for the Saints, but he had a rough last season where he missed critical kicks and was benched at one point. What were the Saints thinking locking him up for 5 years!?

Pat Yasinskas: Kid has lots of talent, although he has been erratic at some points. But I think, in some ways, they're thinking a vote of confidence might settle him down and help make him more consistent.

Zach (Chapel Hill) I’m a little taken back by the Shockey signing...cant help but to think of the Keyshawn Johnson fiasco a few years ago.

Pat Yasinskas: That's kind of my thoughts on it. Not sure he has much left and not sure he's a good fit. But, hey, Hurney and Rivera did it for a reason and we'll see what happens.

Paul Brotherton (Charlotte, NC) Jimmy Clausen can't throw over an o-line to save his life. Pat, do you know his % of passes deflected at the line?

Pat Yasinskas: Yep, but you know what, there's a QB in New Orleans that sometimes has problems with that too. He's even shorter than Clausen, but he's got a coaching staff that factors his size into that and doesn't put him in a position where he's throwing into the defensive line too often. It seems to have worked well for Mr. Brees.

You can read the entire transcript of Friday’s NFC South chat here.

Tight end Jeremy Shockey has said he’s signing with the Carolina Panthers. This move has all sorts of implications for the Panthers and Shockey.

Let’s take a look at what it all means.

1. Is this a sign that owner Jerry Richardson is abandoning years of making it a point to stay clear of guys with character issues? Probably not and I don’t think new coach Ron Rivera has much more influence than predecessor John Fox did in this department. Yeah, the Panthers might be pushing things a bit by signing a flamboyant tight end who has been followed by controversy throughout much of his career. But, if you really look at Shockey’s track record, it’s not like he’s had a slew of major legal issues. I don’t think this is going to suddenly open the gates for the Panthers to jump up and sign Plaxico Burress as soon as he gets out of jail. Shockey’s issues have been more about personality than legal problems. He can be outspoken, controversial and he’s always going to want the football. There’s no crime in any of that.
2. [+] Enlarge
   AP Photo/Gerald HerbertJeremy Shockey should give the Carolina passing game an extra dimension.
   Can we interpret this move to mean anything about Carolina’s plans at quarterback? Yeah, I think you can read some things between the lines. My take is this is another sign the Panthers probably won’t draft Cam Newton or Blaine Gabbert. Shockey used to bully a young Eli Manning when they were together with the Giants. Put him with Carolina receiver Steve Smith and their competitive desires and outspoken natures could make life real difficult for a young quarterback. I’m thinking trading for or signing a veteran like Donovan McNabb or Carson Palmer, who reportedly could be available, would make for a better situation. Shockey was relatively well behaved in New Orleans because the Saints have basically one rule: You don't mess with Drew Brees because it's his team. Shockey followed that rule.
3. Can Smith and Shockey coexist? Flip a coin here and we may not know the answer until well into late next season. Like I said, both are strong personalities and both want the ball, so there is potential for them to clash. Smith clashed badly with Keyshawn Johnson in the one season they spent together and wasn’t exactly a warm influence with young receivers like Dwayne Jarrett and Keary Colbert in the past. But the bottom line is that these two guys really want to win and if each can see that side of the other, this thing could work. Besides, we’re not even sure if Smith will be with the Panthers next season. Rivera’s made it clear that situation is fluid and much of it will be up to Smith. But adding another threat in the passing game might help persuade Smith to stay.
4. Will there be enough passes to go around? Rivera has been very vocal about wanting the tight end to be a big part of the passing game. The Panthers haven’t had anything remotely close to that since Wesley Walls, nearly a decade ago. This is a sign Rivera’s serious about that. Offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski was Shockey’s tight ends coach at the University of Miami a long time ago. Again, a lot will depend on what happens at quarterback, but I don’t think Shockey would be signing with the Panthers if he wasn’t sold that the tight end is going to be a big part of Carolina’s passing game.
5. What does this say about Carolina’s youth movement? The Panthers went through most of last season with only four players who were 30 or older. I don’t think they’re suddenly abandoning the youth movement and I don’t think you’ll see them sign a bunch of veterans. I think this move is sort of like the character thing above. The Panthers might be bending some of their old rules just a bit to help speed the youth movement along. But, given Shockey’s age and durability issues, I wouldn’t look for him to suddenly be an 80-catch, 1,000-receiving yard tight end. I think he’ll be more of a role player. He’ll be a tight end who will be expected to go out and catch some passes and help add a little variety to the passing game.

Yep, I know I wrote Saturday in a mailbag that I don’t see veteran tight end Jeremy Shockey joining the Carolina Panthers. And, yes, I know it was reported late Saturday night that the Panthers are bringing Shockey in for a physical.

I could end up being wrong, but I’m sticking with my original statement. The Panthers will bring Shockey in for a physical, but I really don’t see it turning into a contract.

I’m basing this on what I know of Shockey, who spent the past few seasons in the NFC South with the New Orleans Saints. I’m also basing this largely on what I know about how the Panthers think.

Now, I know they’ve got a new coach in Ron Rivera and a new offensive coordinator in Rob Chudzinski. Rivera has been open about saying the Panthers need a pass-catching tight end, and Chuzdkinski was an assistant at the University of Miami when Shockey was there.

Situations like that often times are reason enough for courtesy visits, and this might be nothing more than that. It also could be an exploratory physical, just to find out where Shockey’s health stands (it has been a question much of his career), so the Panthers have an idea as they go through the process of looking at all the options for a pass-catching tight end.

Shockey reportedly passed a physical with the Dolphins, and I can see him in Miami a lot easier than I can see him in Carolina. Again, I think the new-age Panthers simply might be doing some homework on a guy who at least one of their coaches has some ties to. Besides, the Panthers would have to do something before the end of the day March 3, because a lockout is expected March 4. If there is a lockout, no players, can be signed until the labor situation is resolved.

But it’s the old-school Panthers that make it tough for me to see this developing into anything of substance. I’m talking about owner Jerry Richardson and general manager Marty Hurney. Unless they’ve undergone sudden personality changes or handed total control of the team to Rivera (and I don’t think that’s the case), signing Shockey simply doesn’t fit their style.

Hurney and Richardson started a youth movement last season, and Shockey, 30, doesn’t fit that profile. He has more wear and tear on his body than most 30-year-olds, and hasn’t been as productive as he was in recent seasons. I’d even make the argument that if you took current Carolina tight ends Jeff King and Dante Rosario and put them in a tight-end-friendly offense, they’d be more productive than Shockey.

I think the Panthers get their tight end somewhere else in free agency or the draft. There are a lot of other reasons why Shockey doesn’t fit the profile of Richardson and Hurney. First off, he’s flamboyant, and flamboyant generally doesn’t fly with Fox and Hurney. Second, although Shockey behaved (other than some hydration issues) in New Orleans, I think that was only because he knew better than to challenge quarterback Drew Brees.

In his days with the New York Giants, Shockey flat-out abused quarterback Eli Manning, who doesn’t have the locker-room control Brees does. Shockey was constantly calling for the ball and steamrolling Manning.

In case you haven’t noticed, the Panthers don’t have any quarterbacks right now who command respect. Maybe they bring in a Donovan McNabb or a Carson Palmer and that changes. Even those veterans have been pushed around in the past, McNabb by Terrell Owens and Palmer by Chad (Ochocinco) Johnson.

But, unless the Panthers trade receiver Steve Smith, they already have one very strong-willed pass catcher. Smith openly clashed with rookie quarterback Jimmy Clausen last season. Smith also doesn’t have a history of being real generous when it comes to sharing the spotlight or the ball.

The season he and equally flamboyant Keyshawn Johnson were together was a disaster on and off the field. In the locker room, Smith shot dirty looks at reporters when they talked to Johnson, and it also worked in reverse. When Smith was paired with young receivers like Dwayne Jarrett and Keary Colbert, he walked all over them and was probably part of the reason they were busts.

Putting Smith and Shockey in the same locker room and on the same field has all sorts of downside potential. Even if Smith goes in a trade, I just don’t see this happening, knowing what I know about Richardson and Hurney. At best, Shockey would be nothing more than a short-term fix. At worst, he wouldn’t add much on the field, and could be a distraction off it. Besides, I think if Shockey has any real choice between the Dolphins and Panthers, the night life in Miami and Charlotte becomes a factor, and South Beach has a big edge there.

But maybe I’ll end up being wrong. Maybe Rivera and Chudzinski have more power than previous coach John Fox, and maybe they can convince the owner and the general manager to stop being conservative and take a chance. But I seriously doubt it.

NEW ORLEANS -- When he finally gets to a Pro Bowl -- and that day is coming soon -- Marques Colston may arrive in Hawaii (or wherever the game is held) in the purest, most powerful way any wide receiver ever has.

“There’s no 'throw me the ball' from Marques,’’ New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees said Sunday after throwing two touchdown passes to Colston in a 31-13 victory against the St. Louis Rams.

That trait alone might set Colston apart from any wide receiver who has played the game. Talk to any quarterback who has played in the NFL, except for Brees, and they’ll tell you they never met a wide receiver who didn’t insist he was open on every play.

“The only time Marques talks is if he gets mad at himself, or coach [Sean Payton] asks him to break down the huddle,’’ defensive back Malcolm Jenkins said.

Yes, America, there really is one big-time wide receiver who genuinely lets his play do the talking. That is Colston, a fifth-year pro out of Hofstra, who moved within five yards of 5,000 receiving yards for his career Sunday.

Teammates, coaches and opponents will tell you Colston belongs in the Pro Bowl. They’ll also tell you Colston is one of the league’s top wide receivers. But Colston is not the kind of guy who is going to tell you how good he is.

In fact, when he walked into the interview room Sunday, Colston started ripping apart his game.

“From the second quarter on, I didn’t play well,’’ Colston said.

While it’s true both of Colston’s touchdowns came in the first quarter and he failed to come up with a couple of catchable balls later in the game, he did finish with five catches for 46 yards and the Saints had complete control of the game from the moment Colston pulled in his second touchdown.

Heck, even when the Saints were getting ready to play the Cincinnati Bengals in their previous game, the New Orleans media tried for two days to get Colston to talk. He avoided the locker room totally the first day. On the second day, he ran into a couple of reporters as he walked to the training room.

Very politely, he told them something like, “I know where you’re going and I respect that. But I’d rather stay out of that fray."

The fray Colston was referring to was the obvious story of the week -- Cincinnati’s attention-grabbing wide receivers Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens going up against a player who is the anti-Ochocinco and the anti-Owens.

As a general rule, the better a receiver is, the more he talks. Think Randy Moss, Steve Smith, Roddy White, Brandon Marshall, Keyshawn Johnson, Michael Irvin and Mark Duper as just a few examples. Players such as Jerry Rice and Marvin Harrison were generally viewed as guys who didn’t seek out attention, but those who played with them and media members who covered them said each at least had a touch of the prima donna personality so common among receivers.

“Unfortunately, people want to listen to them,” Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said in a conference call with the New Orleans media a couple of weeks ago.

The question specifically was about Ochocinco and Owens, but Lewis could have been talking about virtually any receiver.

“They don’t have much substance to say very often, particularly when they leave here,’’ Lewis said. “They do have an audience for some reason.”

Wide receivers love audiences. When Smith and Johnson spent the 2007 season together with the Carolina Panthers, there was one certainty when the locker room doors opened after a game or practice -- Smith and Johnson would be sitting at their lockers waiting to talk to the media. On at least one occasion one of them privately chided a reporter for using more quotes from the other receiver.

There’s even a story about a very well-known wide receiver who got an idea when Ochocinco changed his last name from Johnson. This particular receiver went to the team’s public relations department and website workers and told them he wanted to be referred to by his nickname in team record books, media guides and on the team website. Only a very stern talk -- in other words, “You are not going to do that’’ -- from a powerful owner and a once-powerful coach prevented that fiasco.

There’s absolutely none of that with Colston. He usually avoids the locker room when the media is in there during the week. If he talks at all, he doesn’t say much.

If you watched Colston’s body language as he spoke in front of the cameras and recorders Sunday, you would have thought he was drawing triple coverage in the fourth quarter of a Super Bowl. He wasn’t seeking attention. He was running from it, even squirming.

“It’s just me,’’ Colston said. “I’m comfortable being me.’’

It’s not just that way with the media. Colston is the same way with coaches and teammates.

“Marques doesn’t talk around us,’’ Jenkins said. “He’s a quiet guy. He just goes out and makes plays.’’

With Colston as the clear-cut No. 1 receiver, the rest of the receiver corps follows his lead. Lance Moore, Robert Meachem and Devery Henderson might form the quietest group of receivers in the history of the NFL.

“We are a tight-knit group,’’ Colston said. “We all had humble beginnings.’’

Other than Meachem, none of those receivers were high draft picks. Colston was a seventh-round choice, but he came into the league and instantly became New Orleans’ best receiver. It hasn’t changed.

With the Saints at 10-3 and trying to defend last season’s Super Bowl title, Colston has been consistent. At the moment, he has 76 catches for 921 yards and seven touchdowns, including five touchdowns in the past four games.

Project Colston’s numbers for three more regular-season games and you’ve got Pro Bowl numbers. Colston would be the last guy to lobby for a Pro Bowl berth, so I’ll do it, and I’ll turn to Brees for some more weighty words.

“Usually, the guys who make the most noise get the most attention,’’ Brees said. "That might not be fair, but that's kind of just the way it is.''

But it’s time for that to change. It’s time to put Colston into the Pro Bowl because he is the one wide receiver who belongs there for all the right reasons.

Here are the results of your voting for the most beloved and disliked figures in the history of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Beloved figure: Mike Alstott.

Reader comment: “The thing about Alstott is our love for him wasn't so much his contributions to the community or charitable works (which he has plenty of, albeit maybe not as high profile/numerous as Derrick Brooks or Lee Roy Selmon).But to me and probably a lot of other fans, it's just that every time I think of the A-Train, I think of Chris Berman going "Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom" as he literally ran over would-be tacklers on Sportscenter highlights and was the most consistent interest generator for an area who usually gets no respect nationally. Brings a smile to my face every time. No one on the Bucs has ever been as FUN to watch in my opinion as he was." -- -Leroy, Gainesville FL

Runner-up: Derrick Brooks. The voting in this category was the closest of any throughout the division. Alstott beat Brooks by two votes.

Disliked figure: Hugh Culverhouse.

Reader comment: "Hugh Culverhouse. The guy basically ruined the franchise for as long as he ran it, traded our only franchise QB (Doug Williams) out of town because he wanted a new contract and he missed out on what Bo Jackson could've been."-- Carlos, Panama.

Runner-up: Keyshawn Johnson. This one wasn’t all that close. Culverhouse received nearly twice as many votes as Johnson.

Oscar in Charlotte writes: About a month ago I asked you if the Panthers might make a deal with Terrell Owens after Muhsin Muhammad's retirement. It seems like every time there's talk about TO, the Panthers keep coming up as "a good landing spot" for him. So I have to ask again ... do you think the Panthers will try to make a deal with him?

Pat Yasinskas: The question keeps coming and I keep answering it the same way. There is absolutely no chance of Owens landing with the Panthers. First off, they’re in a youth movement. If they wanted an older receiver, they would have kept Muhammad. His initial decision was to keep playing, but his contract was up and the Panthers had no interest in re-signing him. Second, and this is much more significant, owner Jerry Richardson has a long history of avoiding guys with baggage and we all know Owens carries some of that. Coach John Fox and general manager Marty Hurney are very much on board with that philosophy. They went against their instincts a few years ago and signed Keyshawn Johnson. He came with much less baggage than Owens and that still didn’t work out because it brought issues into the locker room.

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Chad in Las Vegas writes: Do you really agree with Jeff Duncan that Gregg Williams can be a head coach in the NFL again? I am a huge Saints fan and appreciate what GW has done but look at his record. He is a really good defensive coach, but really more of an opportunistic defense coach. His offense in Buffalo was horrible under him and he really didn't manage that team well. I think GW is destined to be a GREAT D coordinator but nothing more.

Pat Yasinskas: If the Saints have another good year defensively, I think Williams will be on the radar for some jobs. After a couple tough years in Washington and Jacksonville, he revived his reputation last year in New Orleans. Again, he needs another strong season, but I think that will be enough to make him a candidate. You’re right about his tenure in Buffalo. But I’m sure Williams learned some valuable lessons in that time. Remember, Bill Belichick was a failure in Cleveland. But he learned from his mistakes and has had a great run in New England.

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John in Charlotte writes: A lot of people have named their top 5 running backs lately. The Panther's duo has consistently been absent. Is it too hard to imagine that if Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams were the feature back on separate teams that they would each be on those lists?

Pat Yasinskas: Not hard at all to imagine that. Williams and Stewart both are top-notch backs. So what if they don’t get the individual hype? I don’t think that bothers either one of them. They get along well and they realize they complement one another. There are enough carries to keep both happy. At a time where it’s tough for one running back to carry the load for an entire season, I think the Panthers have a great luxury –- a backfield duo that’s as good as any in the league.

Notable players: LB Derrick Brooks, DT Warren Sapp, S John Lynch, CB Ronde Barber, QB Brad Johnson, WR Keyshawn Johnson, FB Mike Alstott.

Analysis: In the first year of the NFC South’s existence, the Glazer family, which owns the Buccaneers, pulled one of the boldest moves in sports history. The Glazers fired coach Tony Dungy, who was beloved by players and fans and the only coach in franchise history to have any extended success.

They thought they had Bill Parcells lined up as the replacement, but Parcells backed out of the deal. That led to desperate measures as the Glazers overstepped general manager Rich McKay, who wanted to hire Marvin Lewis, and worked out a rare trade for a coach. They shipped four draft picks and $8 million in cash to Oakland for Jon Gruden.

Gruden came in and did what Dungy couldn’t -- he won a Super Bowl. Still relying heavily on a defense built by Dungy and coordinator Monte Kiffin, Gruden was able to infuse a little bit of offense into the Buccaneers.

With Brad Johnson at quarterback and Brooks, Lynch, Sapp and Barber all in their prime on defense, the Bucs were pretty much dominant as they went 12-4 and became the first NFC South champions.

In the irony of all ironies, Gruden wound up facing the Raiders, then coached by Bill Callahan, in the Super Bowl. Although the Raiders had the league’s No. 1 offense, Gruden outdid his former team and the Buccaneers won 48-21.

Most impressive win: A 26-14 victory in Week 3 in which the Bucs intercepted St. Louis quarterback Kurt Warner four times.

Research room: Tampa Bay’s defense held opposing quarterbacks to a 48.4 passer rating for the season.

Honorable mention

1997: This was not the best Tampa Bay team ever, but it might have been the most important in franchise history. In Dungy’s second season, the Bucs went 10-6 and made the playoffs for the first time since 1982. That raised expectations and changed the entire football climate in Tampa Bay.

1979: The Bucs were formed in 1976 under some harsh expansion rules and lost their first 26 games. But with Doug Williams and Lee Roy Selmon leading the way, John McKay took this team to the NFC Championship Game in only its fourth season.

1999: This might have been the Tampa Bay defense at its absolute best. With rookie quarterback Shaun King, the Bucs still managed to go 11-5. The Bucs lost the NFC Championship Game, 11-6, to St. Louis in a game that involved a controversial non-catch by receiver Bert Emanuel.

» NFC Big Question: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Besides Steve Smith, who is going to catch passes for the Carolina Panthers?

Seems we ask that same question every year, or at least every year since Muhsin Muhammad left the Panthers the first time. The Panthers have turned to guys such as Keyshawn Johnson, Keary Colbert, Drew Carter and Dwayne Jarrett and none have really worked out. Muhammad, in his second stint with Carolina, did all you could ask of an aging receiver, but still didn’t produce like a true No. 2 and wasn’t able to take defensive attention away from Smith.

But we’ve got a fresh set of names to look at now and there’s at least hope on the horizon. Will draft picks Brandon LaFell and Armanti Edwards be the combination that does what all the others couldn’t?

We won’t know for sure until the fall, but there are at least reasons for optimism. LaFell comes with good size and speed and he was productive in a program that wasn’t a passing machine on offense. Colbert and Jarrett were very productive in college too, but that might have had more to do with the fact they were playing for an offensive factory at USC than with their abilities.

Edwards was a quarterback at Appalachian State, but the Panthers plan to use him as a slot receiver. That might suggest that it may take some time for Edwards to learn a new position. Plus, the Panthers' history under John Fox shows a trend of going very slowly with young wide receivers.

But it looks like all that’s about to change, and LaFell and Edwards could get a chance at big playing time right from the start. The mere fact the Panthers used an early pick on a slot receiver means they’re serious about doing more with that position. That is long overdue and it will bring the Panthers in step with the rest of the NFL.

The days of bringing rookie receivers along at a painfully slow pace in Carolina may be over. Fox and general manager Marty Hurney know they have to win now and they drafted these two guys with the idea of playing them sooner than later. Besides, there aren’t any other real options on the roster. Jarrett’s still around, but he really hasn’t shown much of anything.

Smith is screaming for help and he just might get it. One other thing to keep in mind, and this is highly significant, is the change at quarterback. Jake Delhomme locked onto Smith way too much and used him as a crutch. That hurt all of the other receivers.

Delhomme is gone and Matt Moore or Jimmy Clausen will be the quarterback. They’ll still want to get the ball to Smith, but he no longer is going to be the only option in the passing game.

Several times in the past, I’ve shared with you the positional personality profiles done by Dr. Arnold J. Mandell back in 1973 and specifically focused on his assessment of wide receivers.

With Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers fans mad that their teams never even pursued Brandon Marshall or Santonio Holmes, I think it’s time to look at Mandell’s work once more. For background purposes, Mandell did these profiles while working as a team psychiatrist for the San Diego Chargers and coach Harland Savard.

"The wide receiver is a very special human being," Mandell wrote. "He shares many features with actors and movie stars. He is narcissistic and vain and basically a loner."

Here are a couple more excerpts from the Mandell profiles on wide receivers:

"They love to be the center of attention. They need to be noticed. They have an imperviousness in that they don't seem to mind criticism about being like that. All players want the respect of fellow players. Showing off usually is not an admired characteristic by most players, but by wide receivers it is very admired."

"They are interested in looking pretty, being pretty. They are elegant, interpersonally isolated. Wide receivers don't group, they don't mob out. They are actors, uninflected about showing off, individualists, quite interested in their own welfare, their own appearance."

Think about it a bit. Mandell’s profiles on all the positions were pretty accurate, but I think he put it in the upper deck with wide receivers. Marshall, Holmes,Chad Ochocinco, Randy Moss, Terrell Owens, Steve Smith, Muhsin Muhammad, Keyshawn Johnson -– they all fit the profile. As a general rule, you can say the more a guy fits this profile, the better he is as a wide receiver. Of all the wide receivers I’ve ever covered, I’d say former Carolina player Keary Colbert came the furthest from fitting the profile. Colbert wasn’t full of himself and he wasn’t hyper-competitive. Those may be among the reasons he never fulfilled his potential.

Yeah, you can say that guys like Jerry Rice and Marvin Harrison succeeded without fitting the profile. But that’s not really true. Rice and Harrison might not have been all that flamboyant, but people who played with them or coached them will tell you they had a controlled selfishness about them.

Receivers are a very rare breed. As the Panthers and the Bucs look at drafting receivers next week, I think personalities will play into it. Obviously, their focus is on talent, but they have to find the right kind of receiver to fit in nicely. Carolina needs a guy who can co-exist with Smith. Tampa Bay needs a guy whose ego can fit in a locker room with tight end Kellen Winslow.

It’s a balancing act. Almost every wide receiver comes with some sort of baggage. You’ve got to take all that into consideration and determine which one you really need on your team.

Reminds me of a story from long ago. My high school baseball coach, the late and great Paul Fearick, had a strange dislike for guys who were on the wrestling team. In his own way, Fearick viewed them the same way Mandell described wide receivers.

When Fearick saw a sophomore, who also happened to be on the wrestling team, goofing off in practice one day, he erupted.

“Schubert, I don’t need you,’’ Fearick screamed. “You wrestlers are all crazy. I had a wrestler last year. But the guy could hit and he could play the field. We needed him. You? We can do just as well without you.’’

Turned out Fearick was setting some ground rules. He needed Eric Schubert, who pitched a few big games for us after we had some injuries late in the year and he became Fearick’s ace the next two years. Fearick, although not really thrilled about it, was willing to endure some quirks to get what he needed.

When it comes to wide receivers, the Bucs and Panthers have to ask themselves which ones they really need and how much they’re willing to turn their heads to all the other things that come with any given receiver.