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We already have talked quite a bit about players from the NFC South who are expected to become unrestricted free agents. We’re going on the assumption that players not under contract who have at least four accrued seasons can become unrestricted free agents.

With that in mind, and with some help from ESPN Stats & Information, let’s take a look at some of the more prominent potential free agents from the rest of the league.

QUARTERBACKS: Marc Bulger, Kerry Collins, Rex Grossman, Matt Hasselbeck, Patrick Ramsey, Alex Smith, Billy Volek, Kellen Clemens, Brodie Croyle, Trent Edwards, Bruce Gradkowski, Tarvaris Jackson, Matt Leinart, Troy Smith and Tyler Thigpen.

RUNNING BACKS: Cedric Benson, Ronnie Brown, Kevin Faulk, Mewelde Moore, Sammy Morris, Clinton Portis, Dominic Rhodes, Tony Richardson, Kevin Smith, Darren Sproles, Fred Taylor, Brian Westbrook, Ricky Williams, Joseph Addai, Ahmad Bradshaw, Jerome Harrison, Brandon Jackson, Laurence Maroney and LeRon McClain.

WIDE RECEIVERS: Mark Clayton, Braylon Edwards, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Randy Moss, Santana Moss, Terrell Owens, Donte’ Stallworth, Steve Breaston, Malcom Floyd, Santonio Holmes, James Jones, Sidney Rice, Mike Sims-Walker, Brad Smith and Steve Smith (of the New York Giants, not the Steve Smith of Carolina).

TIGHT ENDS: Desmond Clark, Donald Lee, Randy McMichael, Bo Scaife, Kevin Boss, Owen Daniels, Daniel Fells, Zach Miller, Ben Patrick and Matt Spaeth.

OFFENSIVE LINEMEN: David Baas, Jammal Brown, Robert Gallery, Adam Goldberg, Kyle Kosier, Olin Kreutz, Matt Light, Sean Locklear, Casey Rabach, Chris Spencer, Langston Walker, Casey Wiegmann, Floyd Womack, Damien Woody, Chris Chester, Jeromey Clary, Daryn Colledge, Willie Colon, Doug Free, Jared Gaither, Charlie Johnson, Deuce Lutui, Samson Satele, Lyle Sendlein and Marshal Yanda.

DEFENSIVE TACKLES: Aubrayo Franklin, Tommie Harris, Chris Hoke, Chris Hovan, Kris Jenkins, Bryan Robinson, Gerard Warren, Jamal Williams, Pat Williams, Alan Branch, Barry Cofield, John McCargo and Brandon Mebane.

DEFENSIVE ENDS: Jason Babin, Dave Ball, Raheem Brock, Andre Carter, Shaun Ellis, Cullen Jenkins, Travis LaBoy, Trevor Pryce, Marcus Spears, Ray Edwards and Mathias Kiwanuka.

LINEBACKERS: Akin Ayodele, Keith Bulluck, Kevin Burnett, Dhani Jones, Kirk Morrison, Julian Peterson, Matt Roth, Takeo Spikes, Jason Taylor, Mike Vrabel, Stewart Bradley, Bobby Carpenter, Manny Lawson, Paul Posluszny, Ernie Sims and Stephen Tulloch.

CORNERBACKS: Nnamdi Asomugha, Phillip Buchanon, Chris Carr, Drayton Florence, Ellis Hobbs, Carlos Rogers, Lito Sheppard, Ike Taylor, Fabian Washington, Drew Coleman, Antonio Cromartie, Chris Houston, Johnathan Joseph, Dimitri Patterson, Josh Wilson and Eric Wright.

SAFETIES: Aaron Francisco, Ken Hamlin, Michael Lewis, Brandon McGowan, Quintin Mikell, Lawyer Milloy, Brodney Pool, Gerald Sensabaugh, Roy Williams, Gibril Wilson, Atari Bigby, Melvin Bullitt, Abram Elam, Dashon Goldson, Michael Huff, Dawan Landry, Danieal Manning, Bernard Pollard, Eric Weddle and Donte Whitner.

Although the New Orleans Saints haven’t formally announced any roster moves today, it’s become apparent that Chase Daniel has won the backup quarterback job.

Mike Triplett reports that the agent for Patrick Ramsey said the veteran has been cut. Ramsey was signed as the heir apparent to veteran Mark Brunell to serve as the backup for Drew Brees. But Daniel, who spent part of his rookie season on the regular roster and practice squad, had such a strong preseason that he beat out Ramsey.

Under coach Sean Payton, the Saints often carry only two quarterbacks. Rookie Sean Canfield already was released, but remains a candidate to be signed to the practice squad next week.

Ramsey didn’t play poorly in the preseason and could be on the radar for several other teams looking for experienced backups. I see one possible destination in the NFC South, and let me make this clear: this matchmaking is purely speculative on my part.

Although the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been singing the praises of Josh Johnson, I really think they need a backup with some real experience behind starter Josh Freeman. Johnson isn’t very experienced, and I’m not convinced he can be a solid backup.

If the depth chart at quarterback stays the way it is in Tampa Bay, the Bucs are in a world of trouble if anything happens to Freeman, who is recovering from a fractured thumb and expected to begin practicing soon. A guy like Ramsey wouldn’t be a threat to Freeman, but he has some experience and talent, and he’d provide better insurance than Johnson.

It’s time for the quarterbacks in our NFC South position rankings.

It was very easy to rank the starters in this group, but the backups were much more of a challenge. In other words, this position is very top heavy across the division. That’s what happens when you’ve got one of the game’s best and two more guys with enormous potential.

1. [+] Enlarge
   AP Photo/Gerald HerbertDrew Brees was an easy choice as the best quarterback in the NFC South.
   Drew Brees, Saints. There’s no need to even try to explain. I’ll just say Brees belongs in any conversation about the best quarterbacks in the league, and might even top that list.
2. Matt Ryan, Falcons. With Michael Turner and Harry Douglas in good health, the Falcons finally should be able to do what they want on offense. Part of that plan includes opening things up a bit for Ryan, which should allow him to truly become a star.
3. Josh Freeman, Buccaneers. Yes, he’s very much a work in progress. But the upside is tremendous. He can make plays with his arms and his legs, and the Bucs have been doing their best to surround him with weapons.
4. Matt Moore, Panthers. His play at the end of last season earned him a shot at the starting job. Moore’s got some intangibles and talent around him. He might turn out to be fine in a system that doesn’t require a superstar at quarterback.

NFC South Position Rankings

•  Offensive line | DT | DE
•  Linebackers | Quarterbacks
•  Tight ends | Receivers
•  Safeties | Cornerbacks

5. Jimmy Clausen, Panthers. Carolina didn’t use a second-round pick on a guy they didn’t think could end up as the starter pretty quickly. Moore’s going to get his chance. But, if he stumbles at all, the Panthers won’t hesitate to turn things over to a rookie who spent his college career in a pro-style offense.
6. Patrick Ramsey, Saints. We don’t know yet if the Saints have settled on Ramsey as the No. 2 guy. But he’s good enough for No. 6 on this list. Ramsey’s a guy who didn’t get great coaching early in his career and has bounced around. But there still is talent here, and playing for Sean Payton is any quarterback’s dream.
7. Chase Daniel, Saints. Again, we’re waiting for Payton to make an announcement on who is No. 2, but Daniel certainly presented a strong case in the preseason. He’s short and doesn’t have the world’s biggest arm, but neither does Brees. A lot of people see Daniel as a young version of Brees.
8. Chris Redman, Falcons. If I had to choose one NFC South backup to get his team through one game, it would probably be Redman. He’s a veteran and can play well in small doses. But the Falcons would be in trouble if Redman had to play for an extended period.
9. Josh Johnson, Buccaneers. His preseason performance was good at times. There’s a lot of athleticism here. But I just don’t think Johnson’s a guy you want to see starting a game.

The preseason ended last night, so now we can get onto the real thing. But let’s take one very quick look back at what happened around the NFC South last night.

Carolina managed to go through the preseason without scoring an offensive touchdown.

Perhaps the biggest news out of Carolina is that right tackle Jeff Otah is not expected to be healthy enough to play in the season opener and, beyond that, there’s a question of when he’ll be able to return. Geoff Schwartz has been working in his place. Otah reportedly had a setback in his recovery from a knee injury.

New Orleans running back Chris Ivory, who has been a big hit throughout the preseason, left the game against the Titans with a knee injury. The Saints weren’t offering any details. Same with linebacker Jonathan Casillas, who left with a foot injury. The team said both players will be evaluated Friday.

Quarterbacks Patrick Ramsey and Chase Daniel each did some good things as they concluded their battle for the backup job behind Drew Brees. What’s going to be interesting here is if the Saints carry three quarterbacks. They often have carried only two in coach Sean Payton’s tenure.

Receiver Arrelious Benn and defensive back Corey Lynch each had big games in Tampa Bay’s preseason finale.

The biggest news out of Tampa Bay’s preseason finale was that quarterback Josh Freeman, recovering from a fractured thumb, threw extensively before the game. Freeman is likely to begin practicing soon and is expected to be ready for the season opener.

The Falcons sat virtually all of their starters in the preseason finale. That gave players like safety William Moore, receiver Andy Strickland and tight end Michael Palmer a chance to make positive impressions.

Time for another edition of the NFC South mailbag. Kind of interesting that the first three questions all come from Texas. Could we be taking over the territory of “The Beast’’?

Brendan in Dallas writes: How do you feel about Darren Sharper coming off this knee surgery? Do you think that he'll be able to have the great season like he did last year or should we expect more of Malcolm Jenkins this season? I myself like how Jenkins' been doing this preseason so I wouldn't mind having a younger guy like Jenkins out there.

Pat Yasinskas: I am extremely interested to see what the Saints do about Sharper in the next few days. All indications are he’s not ready to contribute right now and the Saints will have to make a difficult decision. I think the likely scenario is they’ll place him on the physically-unable-to-perform list, hope he can heal up and bring him back as insurance for the second half of the season. But I also wouldn’t rule out the possibility of the Saints cutting Sharper or him deciding to retire. It’s been very clear for some time now that Jenkins will open the season as the starter at free safety. Jenkins is young and very talented. I don’t think it’s out of the question that he can put up numbers similar to what Sharper did last season.

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Victor in El Paso, Texas writes: Now that the Bucs have cut Derrick Ward do you think the Bucs will get another running back?

Pat Yasinskas: I would not totally rule out the Bucs picking up a running back when other teams make their cuts. The Bucs constantly monitor the waiver wire and are always looking to upgrade a roster that clearly still needs some upgrading. But I don’t think it’s an absolute necessity that the Bucs get a running back. They appear content to head into the season with Cadillac Williams and Kareem Huggins as their top two running backs. Clifton Smith might factor in as a situational player. Plus, fullback Earnest Graham has some history at tailback and can always move back over there.

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Robert in Dallas Texas writes: Keep up the great work! Two quick questions for you: Do you think the Bucs should make a move on a trade for Matt Leinart? Would he be an upgrade compared to Josh Johnson?

Pat Yasinskas: I’m not completely sold on Josh Johnson as a No. 2 quarterback yet. I think he’s a legitimate No. 3 with upside. I would like to see the Bucs add a backup with some legitimate NFL experience. But I’m not sure Leinart is the guy they should be looking at. First off, if Arizona’s trying to trade the guy they went through the offseason planning to start, that should raise some serious red flags. He’s a guy that was a high draft pick and has never done much in the NFL. We might be looking at another Heather Shuler or Ryan Leaf. I’d rather see the Bucs pick up some veteran with a little bit of starting experience that can come in, accept his role as No. 2 to Josh Freeman and fit well in the locker room. If the Saints, who may carry only two quarterbacks, decide to cut Patrick Ramsey, that's a guy I think the Bucs should be all over.

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Harris in Weaverville, N.C. writes: I am a hard-core Panthers fan. However, I can't say that I keep up with every team in the NFL enough to know the answer to this question: Are there any teams in the NFL that are so loaded with wide receivers that there will be some decent pickings when the final cuts are due on Saturday? What are the chances that the Panthers will make a WR move from the waivers?

Pat Yasinskas: You can bet that Marty Hurney and his staff will be watching to see what wide receivers get cut by other teams by Saturday afternoon’s deadline. Given the fact the Panthers don’t have a lot of depth at receiver, I think a move is entirely possible. Just to throw a couple of names out there from other NFC South teams that might be available -- Tampa Bay’s Michael Clayton and New Orleans’ Adrian Arrington. Yes, Clayton largely has been a bust in Tampa Bay, but he could fit better in Carolina’s system. He is a good run blocker and might be a scaled-down version of Muhsin Muhammad. Arrington’s a guy who’s been held back by injuries and a very deep receiving corps in New Orleans, but he’s got plenty of upside.

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Greg in Tampa writes: Can you explain to us Bucs fans why the NFL waited a whole YEAR to suspend Aqib Talib? One would think the league would act when the courts do.

Pat Yasinskas: A good question and something I’ve also wondered about. More than anything, I think this one got caught up in red tape. It took some time for the legal system to play out and that’s why the NFL didn’t take action last year. But couldn’t this suspension have been determined much earlier this year? You would think so. But I’m guessing Talib’s file was a little lower on Roger Goodell’s desk than Ben Roethlisberger’s. Goodell has the ultimate say on all suspensions and it sometimes takes some time for that to happen. But it’s not like the Bucs didn’t see this one coming. They pretty much knew from the end of last season that they’d be opening the season without Talib.

The New Orleans Saints just announced a couple of moves they made to get their roster down to the required 75 players.

No big surprises. The Saints waived quarterback Sean Canfield and wide receiver Andy Tanner. Canfield was a seventh-round draft pick this year and it remains a possibility he could return to the practice squad next week.

But Canfield never came close to getting into the race for the right to be Drew Brees’ backup. The Saints signed veteran Patrick Ramsey, and Chase Daniel -- who was with the team part of last year -- has emerged and been battling Ramsey for the No. 2 spot.

Tanner was an undrafted free agent out of Midwestern State.

James Varney takes a look at how the Saints 53-man roster could shape up. One of the bigger questions is if the Saints will keep both Chase Daniel and Patrick Ramsey as reserves behind Drew Brees.

Scott Fowler writes about how “awful’’ Carolina’s offense has been during the preseason. No argument about that. But it’s time for yet another reminder: It’s the preseason. Carolina’s defense has looked spectacular in three exhibitions. Carolina fans shouldn’t be freaking about the offense or celebrating the defense until we see both units in the regular season.

Bradley Handwerger writes about how Chip Vaughn is making a case for a roster spot at safety. The case could get a lot stronger if injured veteran Darren Sharper is placed on the physically-unable-to-perform list, is cut or retires.

D. Orlando Ledbetter’s got his breakdown on how Atlanta’s roster might shape up. It looks like the Falcons are going to have to cut a pretty decent defensive tackle with Thomas Johnson and Vance Walker on the bubble. Just a thought here, but if I’m a personnel guy in Carolina, I’m watching the waiver wire closely because either of these guys could be an upgrade over what the Panthers have.

All indications continue to be that Tampa Bay quarterback Josh Freeman should be good to go in time for the regular-season opener.

All those New Orleans fans who are ready to hand Chase Daniel the job as Drew Brees' backup, hold on just a bit.

Coach Sean Payton said Tuesday there’s a healthy competition between Daniel and fellow reserve quarterback Patrick Ramsey. Payton said Ramsey will get the bulk of the work after Brees in the third preseason game.

“This week when Drew finishes, we’ll give the majority -- if not all -- of the reps to Patrick (Ramsey),’’ Payton told the local media after practice. “It’s just trying to give them enough series to give them the opportunity to get comfortable with what they’re doing and the operations of a game. Sometimes if it’s just a quarter or a quarter-and-a-half, it’s harder to do that at that position.”

A lot of people assumed Daniel had nailed down the backup job after a strong performance against Houston last week. But Payton said nothing is set in stone and the Saints haven’t decided if they’ll carry two or three quarterbacks on the regular-season roster.

“We’ll be flexible,’’ Payton said. “We haven’t decided what and how many. You just try to evaluate these games and practices closely and make your decisions off that. We’ll be flexible to do either or.”

Michael in New Orleans writes: I know the Saints initially signed Patrick Ramsey to backup Drew Brees, but with Chase Daniel's improvement and knowledge of the offense, are the Saints considering releasing Ramsey? Ramsey is a veteran; he's had his chance in the NFL; and the Saints already know what they have with him. I was against the Ramsey signing and for Mark Brunell's release. The Saints should save the roster spot and, if Brees' does go down, give Daniels a shot.

Pat Yasinskas: I don’t think anything’s been decided on this just yet. But Chase Daniel has done nothing but help himself a lot this preseason. Sean Payton has implied Ramsey will get more playing time in this week’s preseason game. It hasn’t been unusual for the Saints to carry only two quarterbacks in the regular season in recent years and that’s a possibility again.

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Greg in Harrisburg, Pa., writes: Just a quick question about NFL salaries if you know or could find out. When a player signs in training camp/ preseason with no guaranteed money, and gets cut before the season starts does that player not get paid a dime even if he plays in 2-3 preseason games?

Pat Yasinskas: During preseason and training camp, all players receive a stipend each week. I don’t have the exact figure for this year, but it’s somewhere around $1,000 a week. But that’s it. Unless a player receives a signing bonus, roster bonus or workout bonus he doesn’t get paid (regular salary) until the start of the regular season. Players get paid their base salary over the course of the 17 weeks (including the bye) of the regular season.

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Todd in Indiana writes: I know I'm dreaming. The Colts are in a dispute with Robert Mathis. He isn’t happy about his contract and they drafted a young beast to fill his spot in the future. I would love to see the Bucs send Derrick Ward and a pick for Mathis. Can you imagine what a difference that would make for the Bucs (he already familiar with the system). If Mark Dominik could pull that off he would have earned a lot of respect with the fans.

Pat Yasinskas: If Dominik could pull that one off, he’d probably be charged with grand larceny. Do you really think another team is going to trade for Ward and the big contract he’s carrying? Especially when there’s a chance the Bucs might cut him and he could be available to sign to a much lower contract? Nice idea, but, yeah, you are dreaming.

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Kurato in Gardena, Calif., writes: I can't understand why the Panthers haven't signed a veteran QB this year? There are 3 (maybe 4) very young QBs who may have the talents to make it in the NFL, but who are they learning from? It's a complete waste to have 2 talented RBs and a decent D. Another 7-9, 8-8 season for the Panthers?

Pat Yasinskas: The Panthers had a veteran quarterback. His name was Jake Delhomme and they had to get rid of him. They decided to go with a youth movement and it was a conscious decision. They felt good about Matt Moore, who has been in their system for a few years and looked good at the end of last season. They went out and drafted Jimmy Clausen and Tony Pike. There is talent here, although it’s young. I know the quarterbacks haven’t been lighting it up in the preseason. But keep it in perspective. Preseason games really don’t mean a thing and the quarterbacks have been playing without Steve Smith. He has the ability to make quarterbacks look a lot better.

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Nick in Oviedo, Fla., writes: I have heard rumors about Carolina wanting to get a new stadium. Have you heard about this? Shouldn’t the Panthers worry about signing their own players since their stadium is only 14 years old.

Pat Yasinskas: I think your “rumors’’ are from a recent story in The Charlotte Observer. All it said was Panthers president Danny Morrison had a meeting or two with some city leaders to discuss the future of Bank of America Stadium. There were no immediate requests for a new stadium. Morrison is still pretty new in his role and I believe he’s just getting acquainted with the power brokers in Charlotte. The Panthers have done a nice job of keeping Bank of America Stadium up to date and the facility has had several renovations. It’s still a great facility and I don’t think the Panthers are looking for a new stadium any time in the near future. Somewhere down the road, that could happen. But I don’t think that point is near.

A quick review of New Orleans’ 38-20 preseason victory against Houston on Saturday night.

Bradley Handwerger writes that the New Orleans offensive line bounced back nicely after a rough outing in the opener. Maybe a little bit of depth-chart shuffling by the coaching staff in practice last week started a fire under some guys who were off to slow starts.

Chase Daniel had a big game while getting extended playing time. Everyone assumed Patrick Ramsey would be the backup quarterback behind Drew Brees, but Daniel is making a case for that job.

There’s no question Sean Payton runs an offense that’s built around the passing game, but the running game looked very strong against the Texans.

The New Orleans defense, after a rough opener, looked a little more like it did last season. The Saints produced two turnovers.

ESPN.com NFL Power Ranking (pre-camp): 2

METAIRIE, La. -- As the New Orleans Saints finished their first camp practice Friday morning, defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, a man known for holding back nothing on or off the field, unloaded. He wanted to get something off his chest. Heck, out of his body, out of his mouth and out into the open.

Without ever really being asked anything that would prompt the issue, Williams started talking about why the Saints can repeat as Super Bowl champions. He’s tired of hearing the reasons they can’t and the repeated reminders that the follow-up season hasn’t been good to many Super Bowl teams in recent history.

“I keep on hearing you guys talk about this Super Bowl hangover and it’s starting to chafe me a little bit,’’ Williams said. “It really is and I’m being real honest. The reason being is, if you could see behind the scenes of our offseason program from April 19 and to see every single practice we’ve had, I don’t have any qualms about the way our defense is because all they did was show up with more hunger, more fire, wanted me to be a bigger jerk and get on their (butt) more. They begged for me to get on their (butt) more. So far, I’ve seen nothing that would indicate that we can’t make another run at this.’’

Williams may be one of the organization’s more vocal figures, but you quickly get the feeling he’s not alone on this idea. Sure, the Saints spent a good portion of the offseason celebrating the first Super Bowl title in franchise history. Sure, recent history is stacked against them. No team has repeated since the 2004 Patriots.

Confidence -- some even have suggested arrogance -- was a big part of the reason the Saints won the Super Bowl last season. That hasn’t changed. Unlike a lot of recent Super Bowl teams, the Saints really didn’t lose much in free agency and they didn’t have their coaching staff picked apart. There really hasn’t been much turnover of faces or attitude.

“There was a really good locker room here before I got here,’’ Williams said. “There’s a better locker room now. The guys that we brought in this year, they fit into that locker room because Jon Vilma and Drew Brees aren’t going to let the wrong kind of people be in that locker room. They’re just not going to do that.’’

THREE HOT ISSUES

1. Can a defense that was opportunistic but far from dominant become more consistent? Sure, there is some bravado that comes with Williams. That’s part of his nature and it’s part of what makes him a good coach. But what he’s saying isn’t just bluster.

The Saints really should be much better on defense this season. All they really lost was linebacker Scott Fujita and defensive end Charles Grant. They showed Grant the door and probably upgraded the position by signing veterans Alex Brown and Jimmy Wilkerson. They’ll line up on the other side from Will Smith. Brown and Wilkerson aren’t dominant pass-rushers, but they’re consistent in that area and play the run very well. Fujita was a key contributor, but the Saints believe they have a group of promising linebackers (Troy Evans, Jo-Lonn Dunbar and Stanley Arnoux) and believe one of them will rise up.

Plug in a healthy Sedrick Ellis in the middle of the defensive line and the Saints should have a solid front seven. But the defensive backfield is where the Saints really could be outstanding. They’ve assembled one of the best collections of secondary talent in the league. Jabari Greer and Tracy Porter might be the best cornerbacks no one outside of New Orleans has heard of. When healthy, they both can be shut-down guys. Both were banged up last season, and that’s one of the reasons the Saints drafted cornerback Patrick Robinson. That move also has allowed them to move last year’s first-round pick, Malcolm Jenkins, to free safety, where he might get the chance to beat out Darren Sharper. If you can put Sharper, a possible future Hall of Famer on the bench, that’s a pretty big statement. People talk about New Orleans’ offense being explosive, but the defense has a chance to be every bit as dynamic.

2. Can the offense live up to last year’s standards? Brees remains the quarterback and, as long as that’s the case, this offense is going to be great. Brees clearly is in his prime and his pairing with head coach/offensive genius Sean Payton makes magic possible on every play.

This is an offense that can hit you from every angle -- Brees throwing short or long, Pierre Thomas running inside and Reggie Bush outside and an offensive line filled with Pro Bowlers. Keep in mind that the Saints had some injuries at the skill positions last year, but they still were phenomenal on offense. If they can keep Bush, Thomas, Marques Colston, Heath Evans and Jeremy Shockey healthy, last year’s production could be eclipsed.

3. Is left tackle really that important? The Saints used to have a Pro Bowl left tackle. His name was Jammal Brown and they traded him to Washington in the offseason. That happened after Brown missed all last season with an injury and the Saints got by with Jermon Bushrod quite nicely.

The Saints aren’t touting Bushrod as a franchise left tackle, although he’s the favorite to be the starter. They also drafted Charles Brown, and Zach Strief, who filled in when Bushrod slumped a bit last season, also is in the mix. The Saints gave Bushrod plenty of help last season and they’re prepared to do it again for him -- or for Brown or Streif. But the lesson that came out of last year is, in this offense, it’s not a necessity to have a dominant left tackle.

But that’s partly because the Saints have the league’s best guard tandem (Jahri Evans and Carl Nicks), a Pro Bowl right tackle (Jonathan Stinchcomb) and an excellent center (Jonathan Goodwin). Throw anyone out there at left tackle and the rest of the line and Brees will make him look good.

BIGGEST SURPRISE

Jimmy Graham. The Saints took what seemed like a bit of a leap when they drafted the tight end in the third round. He played basketball at the University of Miami before deciding to switch to football in his final year. The conventional wisdom was that Graham would be a bit of a project and would take a year or two to really have an impact. But there already is a buzz among the coaching staff and other offensive players about Graham. Everyone knew he had great athletic ability coming in, but he’s picked up things faster than anyone expected and he got some first-team work with Brees in June workouts. He might play a bigger role faster than anyone expected.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT

Clint Ingram. When the Saints signed Ingram, a lot of fans instantly thought he would be the automatic replacement for Fujita. Ingram had been a starter in Jacksonville, so the logic was solid. But Ingram was injured when the Saints signed him and he still hasn’t been on the practice field, except while riding a stationary bike. That has allowed Troy Evans, Dunbar and Arnoux time to make a good impression. Unless Ingram gets healthy very soon and makes a huge impression on the field, he might not even get a roster spot.

OBSERVATION DECK

• James Lang/US PresswireDarren Sharper wore down toward the end of last season and had offseason microfracture surgery.
  I know this might sound like blasphemy to Saints fans because Sharper is very popular and had a huge impact last year. But the fact is he’s 34 and coming off micro-fracture knee surgery. I’ve suggested before I think there’s a good chance Jenkins takes his place in the starting lineup. But I’ll take it one step further here and say -- I’m not promising this will happen -- I can see a scenario where Sharper doesn’t even stay on the active roster. The Saints are high on Jenkins. They also like Usama Young and are hopeful about Chip Vaughn, who missed his rookie year with an injury. Ideally, the Saints would like to keep Sharper around for his leadership. But if his knee doesn’t come along, he could spend part of the season on the physically-unable-to-perform list, the injured-reserve list or maybe even be released or retired. Even with all his credentials, Sharper can’t contribute if his knee isn’t right. The Saints have a lot of other safeties with young legs.
• The Saints used a three-headed backfield with Bush, Thomas and Mike Bell last season. Bell is gone, but the playing time division should be pretty similar this year. Just plug Lynell Hamilton into Bell’s place. The Saints wouldn’t have let Bell go if they didn’t think Hamilton was ready. I don’t want to tease you and say this is the year Bush shows he can run between the tackles. But remember how well he ran in the playoffs and how he was more physical than at any time in his career? That was because he was completely healthy. That seems to still be the case, so don’t be surprised if you see Bush’s numbers go up a bit. This guy can do a little bit of everything.
• Shockey’s always been an easy target and there’s no doubt he’s brought some of that on himself. But he appears to be in very good physical shape. Shockey hasn’t really been a distraction in New Orleans like many thought he was when he was with the Giants. He’s just been banged up for much of his time with the Saints. Maybe –- and I’m just saying maybe -- Shockey might have matured and might be taking better care of himself in an effort to stay on the field.
• It really didn’t get much attention, but the best move the Saints made in the offseason might have been signing Patrick Ramsey to serve as Brees’ backup. Veteran Mark Brunell was a good fit in that role for a couple of years, but the Saints needed to get a little younger. The Saints hope and pray nothing ever happens to Brees. But, if he were to miss some time, the New Orleans offense might not suddenly fall apart. Ramsey’s a guy who has bounced around the league. He got messed up by Steve Spurrier early in his career in Washington, but he still has some talent. This is a quarterback-friendly offense with all sorts of weapons and Ramsey could win games for the Saints -- if that ever becomes necessary.
• For a couple years, special teams were a bit of a question. That has changed. Kicker Garrett Hartley and punter Thomas Morstead were heroes in the Super Bowl. They’re still young and should only continue to get better.
• It’s very early in camp, but one player who has intrigued the coaching staff is defensive end Junior Galette. He’s an undrafted rookie and very undersized at 258 pounds. But this guy is showing great speed and there’s a chance he could land a job as a pass-rush specialist. Yeah, Bobby McCray also is supposed to fit that description. But McCray had 1.5 sacks last season and actually was cut because of a high salary before he basically begged his way back (at a reduced salary). If the Saints cut McCray once, there’s no reason why they couldn’t do it again.

Finally, the New Orleans Saints have a veteran backup quarterback. After months of speculation that it would happen at some point, the team just announced it has agreed to a one-year contract with Patrick Ramsey.

A native of Ruston, La., and a Tulane product, Ramsey instantly moves into the No. 2 spot behind Drew Brees. Mark Brunell had held that role the past two years, but the Saints wanted someone a bit younger. Ramsey has appeared in 37 career games with 24 starts while spending time with the Redskins, Jets, Broncos, Titans and Lions. His career passer rating is 74.9.

They might be coming off a 3-13 season and fearing a tough year at the ticket office, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the 12th most valuable professional sports franchise in the world. That’s according to Forbes Magazine, which says the Bucs are valued at $1.09 billion. For the record, the No. 1 franchise on the list is soccer’s Manchester United ($1.84 billion), which also is owned by Tampa Bay owner Malcolm Glazer.

Forbes also ranked the Carolina Panthers No. 17 with a value of $1.05 billion. The Falcons came in at No. 39 on that list with an $856 million value.

Carolina rookie quarterback Jimmy Clausen doesn’t appear to be anywhere close to signing. The Panthers historically have been good at avoiding holdouts under general manager Marty Hurney, and there still is plenty of time to get this done. The Panthers are going to camp with Matt Moore as their starter, and a Clausen holdout of any length pretty much would put an end to any chance of him moving ahead of Moore.

Just like Clausen, Sean Weatherspoon, Atlanta’s top pick, remains unsigned. Things are moving very slowly with players drafted in the first and second rounds. But that’s likely to change in the next few days.

The New Orleans Saints still haven’t signed a veteran quarterback to serve as Drew Brees’ backup. But that’s likely to change very soon, and it appears Patrick Ramsey remains the top target.

There have been some early reports out there about the New Orleans Saints making some moves. The team just made it official, announcing they have re-signed defensive end Bobby McCray to a one-year contract and signed fifth-round draft choice Matt Tennant.

The Saints also waived linebackers Harry Coleman and Sam Maxwell, defensive end Brandon Sharpe and cornerback Marcell Young.

McCray wound up starting late last season after Charles Grant was injured. Known as a pass rusher, McCray didn’t have great production last season and a contract that included a big bonus made him expendable in the offseason. His new contract is for one year and it’s believed to be for a lot less than his old deal.

The Saints added defensive ends Alex Brown and Jimmy Wilkerson in the offseason. With Will Smith as the other starter, McCray is likely to be used in some sort of rotation with Brown and Wilkerson, who are known as solid run defenders, but not prolific pass rushers. It may come to a situation where Brown or Wilkerson play in run situations and McCray comes in on passing downs.

Tennant is expected to provide depth behind center Jonathan Goodwin and also could get some work as a backup guard. Still nothing official on the Saints signing quarterback Patrick Ramsey to serve as the backup to Drew Brees, but all indications are that will happen sometime in the next few days.

Jeff Duncan predicts this will be Gregg Williams' last year with the New Orleans Saints. His theory is the defensive coordinator will end up as a head coach somewhere else. There is a good chance Duncan is right, especially if the New Orleans defense has a good season.

Steve Reed has 10 hot questions about the Panthers as they get ready for training camp. I think he’s right when he speculates there’s a good chance coach John Fox could be gone even if the Panthers have a good year. Fox is in the last year of his contract and hasn’t been offered a new one. That’s got to hurt the old ego a little bit. If there are other jobs out there, particularly in a big market, I could see Fox walking away from the Panthers.

With the rules on signing free agents about to loosen up later today, the Saints are likely to sign quarterback Patrick Ramsey to become Drew Brees’ backup. This one’s been telegraphed. Ramsey worked out for and visited with the Saints months ago, has been working out in the New Orleans area and probably could have signed elsewhere if he didn’t already have a strong idea there was a job waiting.

Ever wonder how the NFC South teams (and teams around the rest of the league) chose their nicknames? The Palm Beach Post has all the answers.

Mark Bradley writes about how the Falcons are emerging as a trendy pick to have a big year. He points to several media outlets, including some that predict Atlanta will win the NFC South. Count me in the school of thought that believes the Falcons are going to have a good year and make the playoffs. But I’m not going to project them as the NFC South champions. In case you forgot, there’s a team in New Orleans that had a pretty good season last year and hasn’t changed all that much.