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Let’s take a look at some of the highlights from Friday’s NFC South chat.

Free (Pittsburgh): Hey Pat, sort of glad tampa got rid of Winslow because he developed the Antonio Bryant, me first syndrome. I know that we are suppose be a run first team as we always say, but I am expecting big thing from Freeman and Mike Williams. Do you think that both can return to the 2010 form?

Pat Yasinskas: Possible on both. I definitely think Freeman can bounce back. Williams might have been humbled by last year and might come back better. He also might be helped by having Vincent Jackson taking up defensive attention.

Scott (Maine): If the falcons give matt ryan full control of offence I believe with the talet he has he could throw over 4500 yards your thoughts?

Pat Yasinskas: If they let him throw enough, I think that's certainly possible. He's got some great targets in Roddy, Julio and Gonzalez and they might even get some pass receiving yards out of Jacquizz Rodgers this year.

Tom Cruise (Crazy Town): If Cam throws for 4,500 years, but misses the playoffs, will critics still praise him so highly? Personally, I see Alex Smith's point. Stats look great on paper, but wins mean more.

Pat Yasinskas: I see his point too. But why say that publicly if you're Alex Smith?

Eric (Paris, Fr.): Do you feel it's Doug Martin's job to lose or shall we see Blount have the same amount of carries in bucs backfield?

Pat Yasinskas: Blount will still play a role, but my guess is his total carries will drop.

J. White (Georgia): Lots of negative stuff on Atlanta paper's website about Coach Smith being Falcon's problem. That's a pretty big turnaround isn't it?

Pat Yasinskas: Well, he lost his layer of insulation when the coordinators left. The pressure is squarely on him until he wins a playoff game ...or two.

Ryan (Raleigh NC): Pat are the Saints waiting for the bounty gate blow to over then sign Drew Brees to a long term contract to start the season off on a positive note

Pat Yasinskas: I don't think there's any big conspiracy or plot behind it. I think both sides simply just can't agree on a contract -- yet.

Ben (Atlanta): Pat after Kuechly, who would you rate as the most exciting pick the panthers have gotten in 2012?

Pat Yasinskas: Joe Adams because he seems to have the potential to be explosive as a receiver and return man.

Brandon (Lafayette,La) [via mobile]: Are the Saints moving Martez Wilson to de full time or just situationally and is this year that Scott Shanle is moved to his rightfull spot as a back up ?

Pat Yasinskas: They say they're experimenting with Wilson. My guess is he'll be at DE. They've got a whole bunch of LBs now. I think Shanle could end up as backup even if Wilson is at DE.

Sean (NO): What?s the deadline for signing Brent Grimes to a long term deal? That could definitely help out the cap in signing salary cap casualties later.

Pat Yasinskas: July 16 for all franchise players.

Mort (Rural Hall, NC): Any guess who will ultimately win the #2 corner job in Carolina?

Pat Yasinskas: Munnerlyn for now. But, like I said earlier, don't be surprised if Brandon Hogan becomes a factor.

Dale ( Union, MS ) [via mobile]: Who's probable to replace Will Smith, has there been any talk of trying to sign ir trade for defensive line and when abouts will you be covering some of the Saints workouts/camps? Thanks.

Pat Yasinskas: Think they're serious about giving Wilson and Romeus good looks and that might be the answer. Believe I'll be at Saints minicamp June 5 and 6.

Here’s the complete transcript of Friday’s NFC South chat.

We mentioned that the Saints will be inserting more zone coverage into their defense when we told you about linebacker Martez Wilson making the move to defensive end.

If Wilson stays at end, he might have to drop into coverage from time to time. But the secondary is going to be impacted much more by any change in coverage schemes.

“It is a little bit of a transition for cornerbacks Patrick (Robinson) and Jabari (Greer) but they really have done a good job so far fitting into that mode,’’ interim coach Joe Vitt said. “There is a little bit more adjustment wise with motion and formation, but that is why we have OTAs.’’

Vitt said there’s been a league-wide trend of offenses getting more big plays, and said those plays are less prevalent against zone defenses.

“Offensively, last year, we had 124 big plays of runs of 10 yards or more or pass plays of 20 yards or more,’’ Vitt said. “Defensively, we gave up more last year than we ever have at 99. The big plays on offense, we would like to keep that number exactly where it is. We have to get that number on defense down to about 75. Just a little bit more zone defense and not selling the farm is going to give you an opportunity to keep those big (plays) off your back.”

Safeties Malcolm Jenkins and Roman Harper also will face adjustments. But Vitt said new defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is doing a good job of getting his system installed.

“Spags is a hands-on coach,’’ Vitt said. “He loves to teach. He loves to have the whole defense in there so everybody is on the same page. I would categorize him as a player’s coach. He puts a lot of the decision-making on the player in the course of practice and the course of a game. He doesn’t dwell on mistakes. I think he is going to produce a very positive atmosphere around here for us.”

For the most part, the New Orleans Saints are keeping things status quo while coach Sean Payton is suspended.

But interim coach Joe Vitt revealed a few tweaks when he met with the media after Thursday’s practice. There are changes coming on defense, which isn’t Payton’s side of the ball. But you can bet Payton signed off on the changes before he began his suspension. He already had brought in coordinator Steve Spagnuolo to improve a defense that struggled at times the past two seasons.

Vitt said the Saints gave up too many big plays last season and the defense will look to include more zone schemes. It appears that also means there will be some personnel changes. Linebacker Martez Wilson, who showed some promise last year, has been moved to defensive end. He was lining up Thursday opposite Greg Romeus, another 2011 draft pick who missed last season with an injury.

"We've got a lot of zone pressures now and it's going to call for a defensive end to drop into coverage," Vitt said. "And Martez has got a pretty good foundation from being here a year ago with coverage and coverage aspects. So we've been very encouraged for the first week of what he's done. He'll be our right end. He does a pretty good job with pattern recognition. This is a time to experiment and we'll see what he can do."

Wilson has some quickness and that should help him at defensive end in a Spagnuolo defense. Spagnuolo likes to generate most of his pressure from the front four, but Wilson’s ability to drop into coverage could give the Saints some flexibility. Wilson’s quickness also could help him as a pass-rusher. Romeus also has potential as a pass-rusher.

Cameron Jordan, a first-round pick last year, is set to start at one defensive end spot. The Saints could have three players from the 2011 draft as their top three ends on opening day. Will Smith is New Orleans’ top end, but the NFL has suspended him for the first four games. Smith is appealing the suspension, but it looks like the Saints are coming up with alternatives.

Is there any hope after the bounty scandal?

Going an entire season without coach Sean Payton is far from ideal. But, aside from that, the Saints -- by planning, luck or a combination of the two -- didn’t come out of this horrid offseason with nearly as many offseason problems as they could have.

Really, all they're losing as far as personnel is defensive end Will Smith for the first four games of the season. Yeah, I know linebacker Jonathan Vilma has been suspended for the entire season. With all due respect to Vilma, he was a great player a few years ago, but he’s on the downside of his career and the Saints upgraded when they signed free agent Curtis Lofton. Just for insurance, they also signed linebackers David Hawthorne and Chris Chamberlain. Throw the new guys in with Scott Shanle, Martez Wilson, Jonathan Casillas and Will Herring, and the Saints are stronger at linebacker than they were last season.

If new defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo can figure out a way to generate a pass rush without Smith (and improve it when he returns), the Saints will be just fine on defense. We already know they’re just fine on offense, assuming quarterback Drew Brees’ contract situation gets worked out. There might be a few more weeks or months of drama on that end, but I don’t see any way the Saints go into the season without Brees' having a long-term deal.

Get Brees back in there, and the Saints could combine marketing campaigns with the NBA’s Hornets, who were just purchased by Saints owner Tom Benson. The Saints truly are a hornet’s nest right now. They (and their fans) are steaming mad at the NFL, the media and pretty much everyone outside of their world. You can see an "us-against-the-world" mentality building. As motivational ploys go, that’s not a bad one. Oh, here's a little more motivation. The Super Bowl is in New Orleans. The Saints and their fans could show up the NFL if they make it to the Super Bowl.

As severe as the New Orleans Saints’ player suspensions were for their three-year bounty program, they’re not entirely devastating.

Middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma was suspended for the entire 2012 season, and defensive end Will Smith will be suspended for the first four games. That’s all, as far as current Saints go. Defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove, now with Green Bay, drew an eight-game suspension, and linebacker Scott Fujita, now with Cleveland, will be suspended for the first three games of the season.

But let’s stick to the current Saints and how this latest news impacts them. There’s no doubt Vilma’s suspension is severe. But the overall news wasn’t as bad as it could have been. The NFL initially said 22 to 27 players were involved in the bounty program, and there was fear many more current Saints could end up with suspensions.

But only Vilma and Smith ended up drawing suspensions. Those two have been defensive leaders for the Saints in recent years, but their suspensions aren’t going to gut the New Orleans defense.

The Saints had spent the offseason bracing for a possible lengthy suspension for Vilma, although I suspect the full season is about a half-season longer than what the Saints suspected. But they were proactive at linebacker. They went out and got free agent Curtis Lofton from Atlanta. They also added David Hawthorne from Seattle and Chris Chamberlain from St. Louis.

Let’s be real honest here. As great as Vilma was in the Saints' 2009 Super Bowl season, and maybe even in 2010, he had a down year in 2011. He tried to play through a knee injury before finally having knee surgery that kept him out for five games. Even after his return, Vilma wasn’t the same player he was in earlier seasons.

Plug in Lofton, who is younger and healthier, as the starting middle linebacker and the Saints may have an upgraded linebacker corps. Hawthorne and Chamberlain also can play outside and they’ll compete with Scott Shanle, Jonathan Casillas, Martez Wilson and Will Herring for playing time. The Saints are pretty well set at linebacker.

Defensive end is another story, and the Saints will have to get through contests against the Redskins, Panthers, Chiefs and Packers without Smith, who led the team with 6.5 sacks last season. That will be a challenge, especially in a system in which new defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo likes to get the bulk of his pass rush from the front four.

Smith is the only member of the front four with a proven track record of getting pressure on quarterbacks. Cameron Jordan, who had one sack as a rookie, was projected as a starter even before Smith’s suspension. The Saints could go with Turk McBride or Junior Galette (or a combination of the two) at the other end spot.

But it also is entirely possible the Saints will try to find another defensive end (or two) in free agency.

The New Orleans Saints have added a lot at linebacker this offseason.

They’ve signed free agents Curtis Lofton, David Hawthorne and Chris Chamberlain. Now, they could be on the verge of losing one of their holdovers. Jonathan Casillas reportedly is visiting the Tennessee Titans as a restricted free agent Monday. The market for restricted free agents has been a very soft one, but that could be changing as teams get things in order before the draft. A player like Casillas is a logical target because he’s carrying the low tender ($1.26 million) and signing him would not require any draft-pick compensation because Casillas came into the league undrafted.

He’s also a young player with some upside. Although the Saints like Casillas’ athleticism and upside, it might be difficult to keep him, even though they have the right of first refusal on any contract offer Casillas receives. The Saints are barely under the salary cap and they’re also trying to find a way to get quarterback Drew Brees signed to a new deal that will fit under the cap. If Tennessee offers Casillas decent money, the Saints may have to let him walk.

But they appear to be prepared for that. The Saints have added three free agents and they’re high on second-year pro Martez Wilson. They still have veteran Scott Shanle as a returning starter and veteran backup Will Herring remains on the roster. There’s uncertainty about veteran middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma. He’s been named by the NFL as a player involved in the Saints’ bounty program and could face a suspension.

But the Saints have done enough with linebackers in free agency that they should be able to absorb any possible suspension for Vilma and should be able to go on if Casillas leaves.

Let's take a look at the top headlines around the NFC South.

• It’s coming a little later than expected, but New Orleans coach Sean Payton, general manager Mickey Loomis and assistant head coach reportedly will have their appeal hearings on their suspensions heard Thursday. Commissioner Roger Goodell said he plans to rule on the appeals quickly.
• The Saints have agreed to terms with former Seattle linebacker David Hawthorne. Although he has played in the middle, it appears likely Hawthorne will slide to the outside as the Saints continue to overhaul their linebacker corps. They already have added Curtis Lofton and Chris Chamberlain as free agents. Lofton is likely to play in the middle and Chamberlain and Hawthorne both can play outside. The Saints seem to be bracing themselves for change at linebacker. Jonathan Vilma, the starter at middle linebacker last season, is coming off an injury and possibly could face suspension for his role in the Saints' bounty program. With Chamberlain and Hawthorne in the fold, the Saints could be looking to make changes on the outside. They still have veterans Scott Shanle and Will Herring and have high hopes for young players Martez Wilson and Jonathan Casillas.
• Carolina reserve quarterback Jimmy Clausen was brought in to throw passes to Notre Dame receiver Michael Floyd in his pre-draft workout for NFL teams. Clausen and Floyd previously played together at Notre Dame. Although there had been some speculation Clausen might be released to avoid payment of a roster bonus, it appears he’ll be staying with the Panthers. The deadline for the roster bonus has passed and Clausen seems likely to compete with Derek Anderson in training camp for the backup spot behind Cam Newton.
• Tampa Bay running back LeGarrette Blount said he wouldn’t be happy if the Buccaneers take Alabama running back Trent Richardson in the first round of the draft. But that’s not Blount’s decision and the Bucs do appear to at least have an interest in Richardson. If they make the move, it will be largely because Blount has had problems with fumbles in the past and hasn’t shown the ability to handle pass-blocking duties.

After courting a bunch of free-agent linebackers, the New Orleans Saints finally signed one.

The team just announced it has signed Chris Chamberlain, who had been with the St. Louis Rams since 2008. Chamberlain is an outside linebacker, who has appeared in 59 games with 19 career starts and also has been a regular on special teams.

Saints defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo was the head coach in St. Louis for the last three seasons and is obviously familiar with Chamberlain. I don’t think this is the end of the Saints' attempt to beef up their linebacker corps. Chamberlain likely will compete with Scott Shanle, Jonathan Casillas and Martez Wilson for playing time on the outside.

The Saints also have shown interest in several middle linebackers. That’s likely because there is uncertainty about the future of Jonathan Vilma. He could face a suspension for his role in the bounty program. Vilma also is coming off knee surgery and is carrying a $7.6 million salary-cap figure. The Saints are very tight against the salary cap and could be forced to release Vilma or restructure his contract.

Since the start of free agency, we’ve seen the New Orleans Saints tied to linebackers Curtis Lofton, David Hawthorne, Joe Mays and Chris Chamberlain.

That has led to rampant speculation that the team will release veteran middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma.

But, citing league sources, Mike Triplett reports that the team has no plans to release Vilma. However, it’s obvious that the Saints are planning to do something to shake up their linebacker corps. They’re letting top reserve Jo-Lonn Dunbar test free agency. They still have veteran outside linebacker Scott Shanle, and have high hopes for second-year pro Martez Wilson. And they put a restricted tender on Jonathan Casillas.

The report that the Saints don’t plan to release Vilma brings up several other scenarios. They could be expecting him to serve a suspension, because his name has surfaced with allegations that he was deeply involved in the team’s bounty program.

Even if Vilma isn’t suspended, the team might be looking to simply get deeper at linebacker. Vilma is about to turn 30, and he missed five games with a knee injury last season. The Saints could ask him to take a backup role in the middle, or switch to the outside.

But if Vilma is indeed staying, don’t be surprised if the Saints try to restructure his contract. At the moment, his cap figure is $7.6 million. The Saints have some cap issues, and they could free up $3.68 million by releasing Vilma. If they’re keeping him and bringing in other linebackers, they’ll need to clear at least some of Vilma’s cap space.

We’ve been talking about needs for the four NFC South teams this offseason and we’re about to do it again. Let’s turn to this Insider post by Gary Horton.

He lists three needs for each team and I’m picking one of those for each team to discuss here.

— For the Falcons, Horton lists the offensive line as the top need. No argument here. The Falcons have to get better up front if they’re going to truly have the kind of explosive offense they like to talk about. Horton speculates the Falcons could go after guard Carl Nicks as a free agent or sign tackle Marcus McNeill if he is released, as expected by the Chargers. I’m not totally ruling out the Falcons pursuing Nicks. He’s the best guard in the game and taking him away from New Orleans would weaken a division opponent. But I don’t know if the Falcons can afford to spend so much money on a guard when their biggest weakness is at left tackle.

— Horton lists wide receiver as Carolina’s top need. I’d put defensive tackle and outside linebacker ahead of receiver, but I see his point. There’s a school of thought the Panthers should go get another top receiver to pair with Steve Smith. I can see the Panthers adding a receiver, but not in the early rounds of the draft and not an expensive free agent. All indications I’ve been getting are that the Panthers are happy with the progress of Brandon LaFell and are expecting David Gettis back from an injury.

— For the Saints, Horton has outside linebacker at the top of the list and I couldn’t agree more. Scott Shanle is aging and the Saints never found a solid replacement for Scott Fujita. They have high hopes for Martez Wilson, but I think they’ll add another linebacker in the draft or free agency.

— Horton also has outside linebacker on Tampa Bay’s list. That’s a definite area of need. Geno Hayes and Quincy Black didn’t step up last season. The team played rookie Mason Foster in the middle and that could have had a negative impact on the outside linebackers. But the Bucs have to upgrade this position.

The final injury report for the Saints for Saturday’s playoff game with San Francisco is out, and the news is mixed.

Receiver Lance Moore (hamstring) will miss his second straight playoff game. The Saints can get by with Marques Colston, Devery Henderson and Robert Meachem as their first three receivers. But Moore’s absence means the Saints likely will keep Adrian Arrington active. Arrington played some last week, but he doesn’t have nearly as much experience as Moore.

Backup tight end John Gilmore (toe) also has been declared out for Saturday. Linebacker Jonathan Casillas (knee) is listed as questionable and practiced on a limited basis Friday. If Casillas can’t play, we likely will see more of Martez Wilson and Ramon Humber.

On the positive side, middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma (knee), strong safety Roman Harper (ankle) and Meachem all are listed as probable.

Let's take a run through the top headlines around the NFC South.

Here’s a good column that asks if the Falcons already have reached their peak. That’s a very valid question. They’ve had four winning seasons, but haven’t won a playoff game under Mike Smith. I think it’s fair to say the Falcons have reached their peak with what they’ve got. But I also think there is upside. This is a team with lots of talent. But some changes are needed as Atlanta moves forward. I’m not just talking about adding and subtracting a few players. I’m talking about some pretty significant tweaks to the offense and defense. The defense needs to come up with more big plays. The offense needs to find an identity. Quarterback Matt Ryan isn’t the type to spout of publicly. But he needs to have a good talk with Smith. Ryan hasn’t been able to hit his full potential. He needs to tell Smith what he’s most comfortable doing, and the Falcons need to do a better job of putting their franchise quarterback in position to succeed.

There’s a lot of talk about how the Saints aren’t as good on the road as they are at home as they get ready to head to San Francisco this weekend. No doubt there’s some truth in that. But I think this is getting overblown a bit. The Saints were 5-3 on the road in the regular season. That’s not bad. It might not be great, but the Saints are capable of winning on the road.

Tampa Bay’s entire coaching staff was let go when coach Raheem Morris was fired last week. But one member of that staff already has found a job. Receivers coach Eric Yarber has landed the same position at UCLA.

Veteran cornerback Ronde Barber has been selected as the winner of Tampa Bay’s Ed Block Courage Award.

In his weekly film study, Jeff Duncan writes that New Orleans rookie linebacker Martez Wilson is likely to continue getting more playing time. Wilson is athletic and can make an impact if the Saints use him on blitzes.

The New Orleans Saints have declared wide receiver Lance Moore (hamstring) out for Saturday’s playoff game with Detroit.

New Orleans still has plenty of healthy receivers with Marques Colston, Robert Meachem and Devery Henderson. But the Saints use all sorts of different personnel groupings and Adrian Arrington could pick up some of Moore’s playing time. Arrington has very limited playing experience.

The Saints also declared linebacker Jonathan Casillas (knee) and tight end John Gilmore (toe) out for Saturday. Martez Wilson and Ramon Humber could get more playing time with Casillas out.

The Saints are listing Meachem (knee), linebacker Jonathan Vilma (knee), safety Malcolm Jenkins (neck) and safety Jonathon Amaya (shoulder) as probable.

The only Detroit player who is listed as anything other than probable is safety Chris Harris, who is doubtful with a back injury.

It looks like there’s a growing chance the New Orleans Saints might have to play their wild-card playoff game against Detroit without wide receiver Lance Moore.

He missed his second straight day of practice with a hamstring injury. Moore missed the regular-season finale. The Saints have good depth at wide receiver as Marques Colston, Robert Meachem and Devery Henderson are all capable of handling lots of playing time. But the Saints like to work with different personnel groupings and that could mean an increased role for Adrian Arrington, who does not have a lot of experience.

Linebacker Jonathan Casillas also missed another practice with a knee injury, making it likely he will not be able to play against Detroit. That could mean more playing time for Ramon Humber and Martez Wilson.

Reserve tight end John Gilmore (toe) also missed Thursday’s practice. Middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma participated on a limited basis for the second straight day.

» NFC Wrap-ups: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Arrow indicates direction team is trending.

Final Power Ranking: 2
Preseason Power Ranking: 5

Biggest surprise: The Saints knew it was significant when they signed Darren Sproles soon after the lockout ended. They had traded Reggie Bush and were looking for someone to replace him. But I don’t think even the Saints realized how much of an upgrade Sproles would be over Bush. Sproles turned out to be the best free-agent signing in the entire NFL and was a big reason the Saints went 13-3 and set all sorts of offensive records. Sproles had been a very nice player in San Diego, where he played the role of speed back, receiver and return man. Sproles took on all those roles in New Orleans. But he was used quite a bit more as a runner than he ever had been by the Chargers. Sproles averaged 6.9 yards per carry and also caught 86 passes for 710 yards and seven touchdowns -- all career highs.

Biggest disappointment: Despite having big-time talent in free safety Malcolm Jenkins and cornerback Jabari Greer and two other good cornerbacks in Tracy Porter and Patrick Robinson, the Saints managed only nine interceptions, which tied them for No. 28 in the NFL. That’s disappointing because the core philosophy of coordinator Gregg Williams’ defensive scheme is to come up with turnovers. That was a key when the Saints won the Super Bowl in the 2009 season. They’ll need to start coming up with some turnovers if they plan on going far this postseason. It would help if the Saints could force some mistakes with a pass rush that was mediocre during the regular season.

Biggest need: More athleticism at linebacker. The Saints got by with their current cast of linebackers this season, but there weren’t any real standouts. Middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma and outside linebacker Scott Shanle are getting older. Jonathan Casillas showed some potential when healthy and rookie Martez Wilson came on a little bit at the end of the regular season. This isn’t a glaring weakness. But the Saints could make their entire defense better if they added a playmaker or two at linebacker.

Team MVP: This is the easiest call ever. Quarterback Drew Brees is the MVP for the Saints. Heck, you can make a very strong case he’s the MVP of the NFL. In fact, I’ll go ahead and make that case right now. Yeah, I know Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers will probably win the league-wide MVP award, largely because his team went 15-1 and the Packers have such a huge national following. But Brees’ numbers were better in many areas. Quite simply, Brees had one of the best years ever by a quarterback. His 5,476 passing yards set a league record. He also threw a career-high 46 touchdown passes and completed a career-best 71.3 percent of his passes. With his contract expiring the minute the Saints are done playing in the postseason, Brees has made his case to become the highest-paid player in NFL history.

On the road to greatness: The Saints obviously liked what they saw out of rookie tight end Jimmy Graham last season. His debut was so promising that the Saints felt comfortable in releasing veteran tight end Jeremy Shockey. But you have to wonder if this was a little like Sproles, where the Saints got even more than they thought they were getting. Graham, who played only one year of college football after playing basketball at the University of Miami, turned in one of the most prolific seasons ever by a tight end. Graham had 99 catches for 1,310 yards and 11 touchdowns. His athleticism caused all sorts of matchup problems for opposing defenses and this guy hasn’t even hit his full potential yet.