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If I had to pick one undrafted rookie to make an NFC South roster right now, it would be Tampa Bay offensive lineman Desmond Wynn.

That’s because the Bucs obviously thought very highly of Wynn when they signed him. I just got a look at the contract details for all the NFC South undrafted rookie free agents and Wynn’s $15,000 signing bonus was easily the highest. That might have something to do with the fact Wynn played for coach Greg Schiano at Rutgers.

A lot of undrafted rookies got a signing bonus of $1,000 or $2,000 and a fair amount got no signing bonus at all. But, as he’s been known to do at times in the past, Tampa Bay general manager Mark Dominik handed out several signing bonuses that were well above the league average. Offensive lineman Bradley Sowell got $10,000, offensive lineman Mike VanDerMeulen got $8,000, cornerback Leonard Johnson got $7,500, safety Tramain Thomas got $7,000 and fullback Cody Johnson got $5,000.

Let’s take a look at the rest of the division and see which other undrafted rookies got at least $5,000 to sign.

The Falcons gave out only one signing bonus of $5,000 and that went to defensive end Louis Nzegwu.

The Saints gave running back Travaris Cadet, offensive lineman Brian Folkerts, offensive lineman Aderious Simmons and safety Johnny Thomas each a $5,000 signing bonus.

The Panthers gave receivers Jared Green and Rico Wallace each $7,500. Defensive tackle Nate Chandler got $6,000. Offensive linemen Will Blackwell and Matt Reynolds each signed for $5,000.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers didn’t take long to unload Kellen Winslow, after telling the veteran tight end he was on the market for a trade.

The Bucs announced late Monday night that Winslow had been traded to the Seattle Seahawks for a seventh-round draft pick in 2013 (that can rise to a sixth-round pick if Winslow meets certain playing-time and statistical requirements in Seattle) and they quickly turned around and signed veteran Dallas Clark to replace him.

The move came after Winslow broke the news to Sirius XM NFL Radio on Monday morning that coach Greg Schiano had said the Bucs wanted to trade him. Winslow said Schiano expressed unhappiness that he wasn’t taking part in offseason workouts with his teammates.

Although the Bucs only got a late-round pick for Winslow, it’s a still victory that the Bucs were able to get anything for a player who probably would have been released if no one offered anything in trade. Schiano is in the process of cleaning up Tampa Bay’s locker room and Winslow follows safety Tanard Jackson, who previously was released, as another player that didn’t fit the team’s new personality.

Clark may be a better fit in the locker room and he and Winslow might be an even exchange on the field at this point in their careers. Winslow had 218 catches for 2,377 yards and five touchdowns in three seasons with the Bucs. Winslow never missed a game in that span, but missed lots of practice time.

Clark may be on the downside of his career, but he may be a better fit in Schiano’s system. Clark spent the past nine seasons with Indianapolis. He started 111 of 114 career games, while catching 427 passes for 4,887 yards and 46 touchdowns.

"Dallas Clark is a consummate pro and proven playmaker," Tampa Bay general manager Mark Dominik said. "He will be another asset, on and off the field, for our team. In addition to Luke Stocker's continued improvement in his ability as an every-down tight end, we feel we have both talent and depth at the tight end position."

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have $3.865 million left in cap space in this year’s rookie pool as they attempt to sign first-round picks Mark Barron and Doug Martin. They also have $21.628 million to divide up over the life of the contracts for Barron and Martin.

General manager Mark Dominik has said the Bucs will attempt to sign Barron and Martin to five-year deals. Only first-round picks can sign five-year deals, according to the new collective bargaining agreement that went into place last year. Barron and Martin are the only Tampa Bay draft picks who have yet to sign.

I just got a look at the breakdown of the deal signed by linebacker Lavonte David, who was drafted in the second round. His four-year deal is worth $3,471,732 and it included a $964,896 signing bonus. The deal also includes $1,363,896 million in guaranteed money.

David will earn $390,000 in base salary this year and his cap figure is $631,224. In 2013, David’s salary rises to $547,806 and jumps to $705,612 in 2014. In 2015, David is scheduled to earn $738,418 and can earn a $125,000 workout bonus.

The Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints made this list of the NFL’s top-10 front offices.

No big surprise there. The Saints and Falcons have been consistent winners the past few years, and the front offices undoubtedly have played a big role.

But I am a little surprised that the Saints were ranked No. 9 and the Falcons came in at No. 6. New Orleans general manager Mickey Loomis and the people that work for him, and Atlanta general manager Thomas Dimitroff and the people that work with him are very good at what they do. But I think you have to give the Saints the edge here, because they have won a Super Bowl. The Falcons have won a lot of regular-season games since Dimitroff’s arrival, but they have yet to win a playoff game during his tenure.

Until that changes, I can’t justify putting the Falcons ahead of the Saints in this category. But Loomis obviously is at a critical point in his career. He has yet to get franchise quarterback Drew Brees signed to a long-term deal. Brees has admitted he’s frustrated with what he called a lack of communication. But I still think this deal will get done before the July 16 deadline for franchise players to sign long-term contracts.

If things somehow don’t get worked out and Brees sits out the season, then Loomis immediately falls off the top of this list. But Loomis has been creative and completed complicated contracts in the past. If he signs Brees to a long-term deal, then Loomis stays atop the list for the foreseeable future.

Dimitroff is a very solid No. 2 in the division. He’s had some good drafts and acquired guys like Michael Turner and Tony Gonzalez. But Dimitroff needs guys like Ray Edwards, Dunta Robinson and Asante Samuel to step up. He also needs the Falcons to get some postseason wins.

The Panthers and Buccaneers didn’t make the list of the top-10 front offices. Given the recent history of the two franchises, that’s not surprising. But Carolina’s Marty Hurney is the dean of NFC South general managers, and he’s had some success in the past. Hurney took a major step in rebuilding the Panthers by drafting quarterback Cam Newton last year. If Newton can duplicate his rookie performance, Hurney has a chance to crack the top 10.

Tampa Bay general manager Mark Dominik is entering a crucial season. He outlasted former coach Raheem Morris, and Dominik's offseason looks good on paper, but he needs the players he’s drafted to start showing some positive results.

Tampa Bay kicker Connor Barth, who had been carrying the franchise tag, now has a new four-year contract.

The Bucs just announced the news.

“For the Bucs organization, [general manager] Mark Dominik, coach [Greg] Schiano and everyone to believe in me, to know that I'll be their kicker for the next four years, is awesome,” Barth said. “It's just an amazing opportunity and I want to continue to perform like I have and live up to their expectations. I want to thank everyone -- the fans, everybody, the team behind me -- and I'm looking forward to getting back on the field.”

Barth finished second in the NFL last season with a 92.9 percent accuracy rate on field goal attempts (26 of 28) and that also set a franchise record for a single season. Barth ended the season making 15 consecutive field goals and has the longest active streak in the NFL.

The franchise tag was costing the Bucs $2.6 million in salary-cap space. We don’t know the exact terms of Barth’s new deal yet. But it’s likely worth more than $3 million per season. There were eight kickers in the league that averaged at least $3 million per year last season.

The Bucs also announced they have signed wide receivers Wallace Wright and Ahmad Lewis. The team has waived offensive tackle Mike Ingersoll and tight end Tyler Urban.

TAMPA, Fla. -- We previously told you about Tampa Bay quarterback Josh Freeman’s weight loss. Now, let’s run through some other news and notes from the Buccaneers’ workout that was open to the media Tuesday.

• There was one pretty unusual scene out on the field. Kicker Connor Barth showed up, prompting some speculation that he had reached a long-term deal or signed his franchise tender. It turned out neither was the case. Barth wore his jersey, but stood on the sidelines and watched his teammates practice.

“It was his decision to come in and be with his teammates,’’ general manager Mark Dominik said. “That’s who Connor is. He hasn’t signed anything.’’

Dominik said talks continue with Barth’s agent about a long-term deal.

• The Bucs held rookie running back Doug Martin out of the workout due to a slight hamstring strain. Martin worked with the team’s training staff on an adjacent field.

• Dominik said the team has some hope that defensive end Da’Quan Bowers, who tore his Achilles tendon last week, might be able to play at some point in the 2012 season.

“We’re hopeful,’’ Dominik said. “We’ll see how his rehab goes in the next few months before deciding what list to put him on.’’

• At Tampa Bay’s first minicamp, coach Greg Schiano described moving veteran cornerback Ronde Barber to safety as an “experiment." But it’s looking more like that experiment could turn into Tampa Bay’s real plan for the regular season. Barber still was working at safety Tuesday.

“I like the way he’s performed so far,’’ Schiano said. “The final piece will be live play. Our whole deal with each personnel group is to get the best 11 on the field.’’

• Running back LeGarrette Blount said he’s using the fact the Bucs used a first-round pick on Martin as motivation to hold onto his job as the No. 1 running back.

"Them drafting a running back might be what I needed to become an every-down back,’’ Blount said.

• 
  Defensive tackle Brian Price was held out of practice because of dehydration and a high fever, but is expected to be back at work Wednesday, his agent said.

TAMPA, Fla. -- It appears there’s a growing trend among NFC South quarterbacks. At least some of them are changing body types this offseason.

Atlanta’s Matt Ryan is bulking up, saying he wants to stay fresh late in the season and into the postseason. Tampa Bay quarterback Josh Freeman wants similar results, but he’s taking a different approach.

A slimmed-down Freeman spoke to the media after Tuesday’s organized team activity and said the decision to shed weight this offseason was entirely his.

“I feel good,’’ Freeman said. “I like this new stuff we’re doing.’’

Freeman said he now weighs between 240 and 245 pounds, after playing at about 258 to 260 pounds last season. But Freeman was clear in saying he doesn’t think his weight was the problem as he and the Bucs slumped last season. Freeman was quick to point out he played at 262 pounds in 2010, when he threw for 25 touchdowns and six interceptions and the Bucs went 10-6. But he said the weight loss should help with his conditioning.

“His desire to be great,’’ general manager Mark Dominik said when asked what prompted Freeman to lose weight. “He really, really wants to be great. The calmness you see can overshadow the desire inside.’’

Freeman said he took a two-pronged approach to dropping weight since the end of last season.

“I stopped going to Taco Bell late at night,’’ Freeman said.

He also worked with trainer Grant Gregory, who played quarterback at the University of South Florida and Kansas State, after Freeman departed.

But the sleek look isn’t the only thing new for Freeman. He’s adjusting to a new offense that’s being implemented by coordinator Mike Sullivan. Freeman said about 80 percent of the offense has been installed. He wouldn’t go into much detail about the offense, other than to reiterate coach Greg Schiano’s philosophy of running the ball consistently and taking shots down the field. But Freeman did say the new offensive scheme and the addition of wide receiver Vincent Jackson should lead to fun.

“We try to wreak havoc in the secondary,’’ Freeman said.

Atlanta Falcons

Falcons scouts Ran Carthon and Taylor Morton have taken new jobs with the St. Louis Rams.

Wide receiver Roddy White is sounding off on Twitter once again.

Carolina Panthers

General manager Marty Hurney on the process of getting draft picks under contract: “A lot of teams are getting guys done. And we’re in the process of working on it. Hopefully, we’re making progress. It’s a totally different process really that should move much faster.”

The Panthers are still pondering where they will play rookie Luke Kuechly.

New Orleans Saints

Louisiana State Police investigators say they have made no decision regarding the Saints wiring case.

James Varney of The Times-Picayune: "The semantic hinge on which the case against the Saints swings -- between 'pay for performance' and 'bounty' -- has taken on a geographic dimension, too, as the pushback against player discipline mounts. Both New York professional football franchises, including the Super Bowl champion New York Giants, have flirted with behavior that appears to veer dangerously close to imperiling player safety."

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Quarterback Josh Freeman has dropped about 20 pounds in hopes of becoming more mobile after a disappointing 2011 season. General manager Mark Dominik: "You've seen a guy who's completely committed to getting his season back on track and hitting the reset button and getting his game back to hopefully to more of what we saw in 2010 as a young 22-year-old. The last couple years, he's been playing around 255-260 [pounds]. Right now, he's sitting downstairs [at the team facility] weighing about 235-238."

Could more legal trouble be on the horizon for quarterback Jordan Jefferson?

Lots of readers in our NFC South chat were asking about the possibility of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers being interested in cornerback Drayton Florence, who was released by the Buffalo Bills on Friday.

General manager Mark Dominik isn’t going to tip his hand on interest in any free agent, but I think it’s at least worth keeping an eye to see if the Bucs do show interest. Bringing in 31-year-old cornerbacks doesn’t exactly fit with what the Bucs are doing these days, so I'd call this a long shot. But I wouldn’t completely rule it out.

Drayton’s a smart and experienced player and his production didn’t slide in Buffalo. He was released simply because the Bills wanted to get younger at the position and they just drafted Stephon Gilmore.

The reason I think there’s at least a chance the Bucs show interest in Florence is because they have some uncertainty at cornerback. Aqib Talib is awaiting trial on an assault charge in Texas and he could face prison time or an NFL suspension. The Bucs also have talked about moving veteran cornerback Ronde Barber to safety. The possibility of that move seemed to diminish when the Bucs drafted safety Mark Barron in the first round, but it still is possible the Bucs could use Barber at safety.

Aside from Talib and Barber, the Bucs have Eric Wright, whom they signed as a free agent. After that, they have guys such as E.J. Biggers, Myron Lewis and Anthony Gaitor, who haven’t shown real strong signs they’re ready to start. The Bucs did draft West Virginia cornerback Keith Tandy, but it likely will take some time for him to develop.

If the Bucs decide they need a quick fix -- and, again, that’s not really what they’re all about -- then Florence could be a possibility, if he comes at the right price.

But the Bucs aren’t the only NFC South team that possibly could have interest in Florence. You can scratch the Falcons off the list because they just traded for Asante Samuel. But Carolina and New Orleans could be possibilities. Aside from Chris Gamble, the Panthers aren’t loaded with talent at cornerback.

The Saints, who have shown more willingness to bring in older players than any other NFC South team, are set with Jabari Greer and Patrick Robinson as their starters. Johnny Patrick appears likely to step into the nickelback role, but the Saints have brought in older players in front of younger players before. New Orleans doesn’t have a great salary-cap situation, but Florence shouldn’t command a huge salary.

Can Josh Freeman bounce back?

The Tampa Bay quarterback had a dismal 2011 season. He threw 22 interceptions after throwing only six in a promise-filled 2010 season.

So which season is more indicative of what Freeman is capable of doing? The new Tampa Bay coaching staff seems to think the 2010 version was the real Freeman. Ever since Greg Schiano took over as head coach, he and every assistant have been raving about Freeman’s ability. I tend to agree with them, because I think Freeman has all the physical skills and intangibles.

Freeman certainly wasn’t without flaw or fault last season. But I think his problems were the result of the dysfunction all around him. Former coach Raheem Morris and his staff were unraveling, and the weak supporting cast around Freeman got exposed in a big way.

That’s why just about every move Schiano and general manager Mark Dominik have made this offseason seems aimed at making Freeman’s life easier. They got him a true No. 1 receiver in Vincent Jackson. They beefed up his protection by getting Carl Nicks, who might be the best guard in the league. Then, they drafted an all-purpose running back in Doug Martin.

The parts all seem to be in place. Now, it’s up to Freeman to make the most of them.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Let’s take a look at some Monday afternoon headlines from around the NFC South.

• One of the NFL’s lead investigators in the Saints bounty program reportedly is resigning. But don’t get carried away with conspiracy theories. League officials said the investigator has had another job offer for some time, and part of the agreement with his new employer was that he would finish the bounty program investigation before leaving the NFL. He is scheduled to work through the end of May. Speaking of the bounty program, the NFL hasn't announced any player discipline so far Monday. If it hasn't come by this point, I'm pretty sure we'll have to wait at least another day.

• As expected, Atlanta running back Jacquizz Rodgers has given up his jersey number (22) to veteran cornerback Asante Samuel, who recently was acquired in a trade. Rodgers will now wear No. 32.

• Here’s the list of what numbers Atlanta’s draft picks are planning to wear.

• In this Insider post, Mel Kiper Jr. lists the players drafted in the first round who he thinks will have the biggest impact on their new teams. He lists Tampa Bay running back Doug Martin and Carolina linebacker Luke Kuechly. No argument here. Martin might share playing time with LeGarrette Blount, but the rookie will be on the field more because he’s a more complete player. It remains to be seen if Kuechly or Jon Beason will occupy the middle, with the other sliding outside. But Kuechly’s going to be an instant starter. You don’t have a top-10 pick sitting on the bench.

• Speaking on Sirius NFL Radio, Seattle general manager John Schneider said Mark Barron, Kuechly and Bruce Irvin were the three-highest rated defensive players on Seattle’s board. So we know the Bucs weren’t the only team that had Barron rated above cornerback Morris Claiborne. Here’s the bottom line on that one: The Bucs played their hand very close to the vest and media (and therefore) fans weren’t expecting Barron. Instead, everyone focused on Claiborne. You probably don’t want to play poker with Tampa Bay general manager Mark Dominik.

• Former LSU quarterback Jordan Jefferson, who went undrafted, reportedly was scheduled for a tryout with Tampa Bay on Monday.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were the NFC South winners in the NFL draft, according to ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr.



The Bucs and the Philadelphia Eagles were the only teams Kiper graded with an A on their overall draft, in this Insider post.

No argument here. Tampa Bay came out of the draft with three instant starters in safety Mark Barron, running back Doug Martin and linebacker Lavonte David. General manager Mark Dominik did an excellent job of moving up and back to squeeze as much as he could out of this draft.

Kiper gave the Carolina Panthers a B-. He talks glowingly about first-round pick Luke Kuechly and how he’ll solidify the linebacker corps. But Kiper questions the Panthers for not adding a defensive tackle, and I don’t have a big problem with that. The Panthers are getting Ron Edwards back after he missed last season with an injury and second-year pros Terrell McClain and Sione Fua should only improve on what they did as rookies.

Kiper graded the Falcons with a C and the Saints with a C-. That may be a little harsh and you have to factor in that the Falcons didn’t have a first-round pick and the Saints didn’t pick until the third round. You’re not going to get big-name players when you’re in that situation.

But I think the Falcons did a nice job of addressing needs, particularly with Wisconsin’s Peter Konz in the second round. He should solidify the interior of the offensive line. The Saints added defensive tackle Akiem Hicks in the third round and receiver Nick Toon in the fourth, and I like both picks. Hicks may have played college football in Canada, but he has lots of upside and new defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is likely to give him significant playing time. Toon might not have much upside, but he’s a polished wide receiver and should fit nicely into New Orleans’ passing game.

» NFC draft analysis: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

The 2012 NFL draft won’t be remembered as the flashiest in NFC South history. That honor belongs to the 2011 draft -- probably forever.

It’s tough to top a draft in which quarterback Cam Newton went No. 1 to Carolina, Atlanta traded up for receiver Julio Jones and New Orleans traded back into the first round to get running back Mark Ingram. Aside from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' pretty good splash, this year’s NFC South draft wasn’t filled with drama.

Instead, it was filled with very deliberate picks that addressed big needs all around the division.

BEST MOVE

No pick set the division's tone for this draft better than Carolina's selection of Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly at No. 9 overall.

There’s nothing really flashy about Kuechly, but the Panthers didn’t need flash this time around. They got that with Newton, and he gave them a prolific offense. But that offense was only enough to carry the Panthers to a 6-10 record last season. Carolina couldn’t play defense, and opponents have run all over the Panthers the last few seasons.

A lot of people thought the Panthers should go with a defensive tackle in the first round. But there were two reasons they didn’t. They weren’t enamored of any of the first-round prospects at that position. They also feel pretty good about what they already have at defensive tackle. Ron Edwards, a big free-agent pickup last year, is coming back from an injury that kept him out last season, and the Panthers think he can anchor their defensive line. They also used two third-round picks on defensive tackles Terrell McClain and Sione Fua last year.

The Panthers believe they have the personnel to clog up the middle. Kuechly should be able to come in and do what he does best. He can roam the field and be the kind of tackling machine he was in college. This guy had as few flaws as any player in the draft and is ready to make an instant impact. It remains to be seen whether Keuchly or Jon Beason will play the middle and which one will slide outside. It doesn’t really matter. Either way, the Panthers now have a deep linebacker corps that should be able to stop just about any running game.

RISKIEST MOVE

You could say the Saints made a risky move by using their first draft pick on a player who didn’t even play his college ball in the United States. They drafted Regina (Canada) defensive tackle Akiem Hicks with the No. 89 overall pick in the third round.

The fact Hicks didn’t play against elite completion means there is obvious risk with this pick. But why not take a shot when you’re this late in the third round? Hicks has tremendous upside, and he was good enough to be recruited to LSU before leaving for Canada. The Saints have a great history of discovering gems (Jimmy Graham, Jahri Evans and Marques Colston) later in the draft. They took a risk, but it might pay off.

Hicks should at least have a chance at some playing time early on. The Saints don’t have much behind Brodrick Bunkley and Sedrick Ellis at defensive tackle. Hicks could end up in the rotation very quickly, and the Saints could end up looking very smart for taking this risk.

MOST SURPRISING MOVE

The Bucs haven’t been exciting in any way in quite some time. But they provided virtually all of the excitement within the division in this draft. General manager Mark Dominik shrewdly made some trades that gave the Bucs the ammunition to move up twice and come out of the draft with three instant starters.

Get over the fact that Dominik used the No. 7 overall pick on a safety, Alabama’s Mark Barron. The Bucs weren’t sold on LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne for reasons we don’t know. They were sold on Barron, and safety might have been the weakest position on their roster heading into the draft. Trading down from No. 5 to No. 7 started a process in which Dominik was able to manipulate the draft with trades that gave him two other starters -- running back Doug Martin and outside linebacker Lavonte David.

The Bucs traded back into the first round to get Martin late Thursday night. They were without a second-round pick Friday night. But they saw David sitting there, they had the ammunition, and they pounced. No NFC South team needed more help from this draft than the Buccaneers, and Dominik made sure they got help that will matter right from the start.

FILE IT AWAY

Atlanta’s selection of Wisconsin fullback Bradie Ewing in the fifth round might not seem like a big deal on the surface. For now, Ewing is probably nothing more than a special-teams player. But the Falcons also were looking a year or two down the road when they made this pick. Veteran fullback Ovie Mughelli is coming off a major injury, and he’ll turn 32 in June. It was time to find someone to groom as Mughelli’s eventual successor.

TAMPA, Fla. -- General manager Mark Dominik and coach Greg Schiano just spoke about Boise State running back Doug Martin, who they drafted with the 31^st overall pick Thursday night.

Funny, but they described him pretty much the way they did when talking about Alabama safety Mark Barron, who they took at No. 7 overall. They described him as a leader, team captain and a guy who played for a very successful college program. In other words, he fits the profile of the new "Buccaneer Man."

That’s great. The Bucs needed to add things like character and leadership. They also needed to add something to a backfield that had LeGarrette Blount and not much else.

Schiano used the phrases “all-around back’’ and “the totality of what he can do’’ in describing Martin. That’s significant. Blount has some good qualities (power running), but struggled as a pass blocker and receiver the past two seasons. Schiano also used the term “three-down back’’ about Martin. In other words, Blount will still have a role, but Martin is going to spend more time on the field.

Schiano smiled as he was asked if Martin reminded him of Baltimore’s Ray Rice, who he coached at Rutgers.

“I do see some of it,’’ Schiano said. “To tell you the truth I do. I see a guy who runs hard and plays hard.’’

There was one other ulterior motive in giving up their second-round choice and a fourth-round pick in return for the right to take Martin at the end of the first round, while sliding down to later in the fourth round.

Dominik pointed to the new collective bargaining agreement. In that, first-round picks can sign five-year contracts. Players taken after the first round can’t sign deals longer than four years.

Sounds like the Bucs are planning on having Martin around for a long time.