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Let's take a quick look at the early-Tuesday-morning headlines from around the NFC South. As you might expect, many of them include the New Orleans Saints and their various problems.

• Free-agent defensive tackle Aubrayo Franklin, who spent last season with New Orleans, visited the Falcons on Monday. I’d say this one is just due diligence and, if anything is going to happen, it will come after the draft. Atlanta needs some depth in the middle of the defensive line, but isn't desperate. The Falcons have Corey Peters, Jonathan Babineaux and Peria Jerry. Peters has had a very nice first two seasons. Babineaux had a quiet 2011; Jerry has never come close to his potential since suffering a knee injury early in his rookie season. Franklin has some history with new defensive coordinator Mike Nolan, so he could be an option if the Falcons aren’t satisfied with their situation at defensive tackle after the draft.

• The Saints and general manager Mickey Loomis are denying a report that he had the ability to eavesdrop on opposing coaches from 2002 through 2004. But, John DeShazier writes, the news causes another distraction for a franchise that already has plenty of them as a result of what the NFL says was a three-year bounty program.

• Here’s a statement from Loomis in which he emphatically denies the report.

• Jim Haslett, who coached the Saints during the period in which Loomis allegedly had the ability to listen to opposing coaches, said he had no knowledge of Loomis actually doing so.

• Mike Triplett writes that the news on Loomis probably won’t get the general manager fired. He might be right. Saints owner Tom Benson has stood by Loomis through the Vicodin scandal a couple years ago and through the bounty program that’s dominated the headlines for more than a month. There haven’t been any indications the latest allegations will change Benson’s mind.

• Ron Green Jr. writes that Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly could make an instant impact if the Panthers take him at No. 9 in the NFL draft. No argument here. Kuechly had a highly productive college career and comes with very few questions. It’s rare that you can say that about a prospect near the end of the top 10. Plus, Carolina owner Jerry Richardson and general manager Marty Hurney really like guys that come with no obvious questions.

• Tampa Bay’s coaching change affected more than the Bucs. It also affected the football team at Tampa’s Plant High School, which has been a state and national power in recent years. With former tight ends coach Alfredo Roberts joining the Colts, his son, Austin Roberts, a top college prospect at tight end, is leaving Plant’s program. But the Panthers are getting receiver/defensive back Tristan Cooper. His father, Ron Cooper, is the new defensive defensive backs coach for the Bucs.

They were first-round picks and that alone created enormous expectations for Atlanta offensive tackle Sam Baker and defensive tackle Peria Jerry.

Baker was taken in 2008, the same year the Falcons drafted quarterback Matt Ryan. The theory was, the Falcons would have their franchise quarterback and the protector of their franchise quarterback for the next decade or so. Jerry was taken in 2009 and was expected to be a dominant run stopper as well as provide a little interior pass rush. On paper, both picks looked like smart moves at the time.

In cold, hard reality, Baker and Jerry never have lived up to the expectations of Atlanta fans. They haven’t even come close. Baker was viewed as serviceable at first, but he’s regressed in the eyes of fans. And their perception was pretty close to reality last season, when journeyman Will Svitek ended up starting ahead of him. Jerry’s career simply was cursed almost right from the start. In the second game of his rookie season, Jerry tore up his knee. The Falcons and Jerry have never officially described the injury, but let’s just say Jerry tore just about everything in his knee. He barely has been a factor since.

That’s why there was speculation Baker and Jerry would be cut this offseason. But, guess what? That’s not happening. Our first clue came when free agency started. If the Falcons were going to pull the plug on Baker and Jerry, it would have happened before free agency started in March because that would have given the Falcons some much-needed cap room.

But, now, we’ve got even more concrete proof. I sat down with Atlanta coach Mike Smith during the NFL owners meeting earlier this week. I asked him specifically about the futures of Baker and Jerry.

In each case, Smith, as straight-forward a coach as I’ve ever dealt with, said the Falcons remain “committed’’ to Jerry and Baker.

Let’s start with Baker. This one might be painful to fans, but it’s a little easier to see what Smith is saying. The reality is, you just don’t find a franchise left tackle in the draft when you’re not picking until the second round. There wasn’t anything close to a franchise left tackle in free agency. In that situation, sometimes it’s best to stick with what you’ve got instead of reaching. Apparently, that’s what the Falcons are planning to do.

“We are very committed to Sam Baker,’’ Smith said. “I think Sam has a long future with us.’’

Smith is the kind of coach that likes to say most positions are open to competition in training camp. I think that’s true at left tackle, where Baker will have to compete with Svitek and anyone else the Falcons might bring in between now and then. But I also got the impression the Falcons are hoping Baker steps up and claims the job. I’m not saying Baker will ever be a Pro Bowler, but I think this guy has been banged up a lot more than people realize. I get the impression the Falcons think Baker can be adequate or slightly better than that, if he’s healthy.

“I think that Sam has shown a lot of resiliency,’’ Smith said. “Sam really has worked through a lot of injuries throughout his career. He’s played through a lot of things. Sam, in my mind, was playing very well through the first five or six games last season until he was injured and had to have the procedure done on his back, which put him out for a very significant amount of time.’’

Jerry’s a bit of a different story. I think the Falcons pretty much have accepted the fact, he never will be a superstar. But Smith made it sound like there still is a spot on the roster for Jerry as a role player.

“We’ve committed to Peria Jerry and Peria ended up playing about 30 percent of the snaps (last season),’’ Smith said. “He was a rotational player. He had some production, but it wasn’t consistent production throughout the year.’’

I reminded Smith how he said he thought Jerry would bounce back and have a big impact last season because he was further out from the knee surgery. That obviously didn’t happen and I asked Smith if Jerry’s knee still was holding him back last season.

“I can’t say that it is an issue,’’ Smith said. “It was a significant injury. I don’t know that Peria was the same guy he was before the injury. You see his ability to get up the field at times and we still feel he can be a very productive player for us.’’

I wouldn’t look for Jerry to suddenly jump into the starting lineup. Corey Peters has developed into a very solid defensive tackle. The other starter is Jonathan Babineaux. Although he’s coming off a sub-par season, it wasn’t all that long ago that Babineaux was the best defensive tackle in the NFC South. I’d look for Jerry to continue to rotate in behind those two guys. If he can be a little more consistent and productive than he was last season, I think the Falcons will be content with Jerry as their third defensive tackle.

“We need to be more consistent,’’ Smith said. “Not only Peria, but across the board on the defensive line.’’

» AFC Assessments: East | West | North | South » NFC: East | West | North | South

Atlanta Falcons

Key additions: LB Lofa Tatupu, G Vince Manuwai

Key losses: LB Curtis Lofton, WR/KR Eric Weems

Keeping their own: Much to the chagrin of their fans, the Falcons chose not to pursue defensive end Mario Williams or any other big-name free agent. Instead, they focused hard on keeping their own guys. That started before the season ended with tight end Tony Gonzalez re-signing and continued into free agency as the Falcons made it a point to lock up guys like receiver Harry Douglas, defensive end John Abraham and running back Jason Snelling. They also protected cornerback Brent Grimes with the franchise tag.

The only loss that really hurt was Lofton. The Falcons liked him, but new defensive coordinator Mike Nolan didn’t view him as a three-down player. The Falcons still made an effort to keep Lofton, but weren’t willing to pay big money. They brought in the veteran Tatupu, who could be a short-term answer. But there’s a hope within the organization that second-year pro Akeem Dent can step forward and win the job immediately because he’s the guy that’s going to end up there for the long term.

What’s next: Don’t completely rule out the addition of a minor or mid-level free agent or two, but the Falcons are focusing mainly on the draft. Even with Abraham back, they’re still looking to improve their pass rush and defensive ends could be in play. But the Falcons also could add a defensive tackle because Jonathan Babineaux and Peria Jerry are coming off sub-par seasons. Some depth in the secondary and a kick returner also are possible targets.

Key additions: RB/FB Mike Tolbert, G Mike Pollak

Key losses: G Travelle Wharton

The splash came last year: The Panthers haven’t been very active in free agency. That’s largely because they made their big moves coming out of the lockout last year. They signed defensive end Charles Johnson, running back DeAngelo Williams, linebacker Jon Beason, defensive tackle Ron Edwards and linebacker Thomas Davis to huge deals, and that’s why they had very little salary-cap room to work with this year.

But the Panthers didn’t really reap the rewards of some of those signings because Beason, Davis and Edwards all suffered early injuries. That took a toll on the defense. But all three of those guys are back and healthy and that should improve the defense immediately. Carolina developed an explosive offense last season and a strong defense could turn the Panthers into playoff contenders.

What’s next: The Panthers have very little cap room and don’t figure to make many more moves in free agency. They’re focused in on the draft and there needs have been narrowed. They’re likely to address cornerback and defensive tackle early in the draft. But don’t be surprised if they take a linebacker somewhere in the first three or four rounds, and it’s even possible they could target one in the first or second. Davis is coming off his torn ACL and the Panthers don’t know if he’ll be anything close to what he was before the injuries.

New Orleans Saints

Key additions: LB Curtis Lofton, DT Brodrick Bunkley, G Ben Grubbs

Key losses: G Carl Nicks, CB Tracy Porter

Miracle workers: Faced with an extremely tight salary-cap situation and some bizarre off-field events, it’s somewhat amazing the Saints were able to keep as much as they did. They didn’t want to lose Nicks, who might be the best guard in the league and is in his prime. But that’s the price they had to pay to make sure they kept quarterback Drew Brees and receiver Marques Colston, as well as adding players like Lofton, Grubbs and Bunkley.

The Brees situation remains complicated. He's still carrying the franchise tag. The Saints need to get him signed to a long-term deal quickly. Even more than ever, the Saints need Brees’ leadership abilities. They need him signed and happy before their offseason program starts April 16.

What’s next: With the possibility of multiple defensive players facing possible suspensions as a result of the bounty program, the Saints still could be looking to make significant moves. It will be hard to draft players that will make an instant impact because the Saints are without picks in the first two rounds. That means they might have to pull some more help out of free agency, even with limited cap space. They could use another pass-rusher to complement Will Smith. Even after adding Lofton and Bunkley, the Saints still could use depth at linebacker and defensive tackle.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Key additions: WR Vincent Jackson, G Carl Nicks, CB Eric Wright

Key losses: C Jeff Faine

Locking them up: Part of the reason the Bucs didn’t lose much of anything in free agency is because they’ve done a nice job of locking up some core players in recent years. They made it a point to make sure offensive linemen Donald Penn, Davin Joseph and Jeremy Zuttah never got close to leaving. Add Nicks to that group and the Bucs have a chance to have one of the league’s better offensive lines. As the season gets going, some other young players will be rewarded with contract extensions as they show they fit in coach Greg Schiano’s system.

What’s next: After making the initial splash, the Bucs said they’re done with free agency and are focused on the draft. That’s largely true, although the team is keeping a close eye on what remains on the market. This is a team that still is building and will still have needs after the draft. The Bucs have a big need at running back, where they have to find at least one player to complement LeGarrette Blount. The cornerback position could be an early target in the draft even after Ronde Barber decided to return for a 16th season. There also is some uncertainty about Aqib Talib's future. Even if he remains with the team, the Bucs need depth at the position. There also is uncertainty at linebacker and a need for depth at safety and tight end.

Not all of this morning’s headlines around the NFC South are about the Saints and their bounty program, but most of them are. Let’s take a look.

Jeff Duncan writes that it’s time for Saints owner Tom Benson to step out of the background and start making some important decisions, starting with making sure quarterback Drew Brees signs a long-term contract very soon. I agree totally and wrote something pretty similar the other day. Benson also needs to decide who will replace coach Sean Payton and general manager Mickey Loomis during their suspensions. Benson’s been a hands-off owner, at least when it comes to football operations. It’s time for that to change. Someone has to seize control of this situation and start the healing process. That’s got to be Benson.

Brian Billick wonders if Payton, who will be suspended for one year, might be gone from the Saints for good. It’s a legitimate question. Billick says Benson could dismiss Payton “for cause."

Josh Johnson, who had been the backup quarterback for Tampa Bay, has signed with the San Francisco 49ers. No big surprise there. The Bucs didn’t want Johnson back and had already signed Dan Orlovsky to take over as Josh Freeman’s backup. Johnson played for San Francisco coach Jim Harbaugh when the two were together at the University of San Diego. Johnson will go in as the backup to Alex Smith, who is coming off a solid season, so it’s not like Johnson has a chance to compete for a starting job.

Former New Orleans cornerback Tracy Porter has agreed to terms with the Denver Broncos. Porter had a key interception in the Saints’ Super Bowl victory, but gradually became expendable as the Saints drafted Patrick Robinson and Johnny Patrick in back-to-back years.

Steve Spagnuolo, Pete Carmichael and Aaron Kromer are reportedly the three in-house candidates to fill in for Payton during his one-year suspension. Those are the same three names I speculated on the other day and it didn’t take a great deal of time to come up with that list. It’s pretty obvious those are the three best-qualified candidates on the current staff. Defensive coordinator Spagnuolo has been a head coach before in St. Louis. Offensive coordinator Carmichael is very close to Brees, who carries plenty of clout in the organization. Offensive line coach Kromer is a rising star and his name was tied to several head-coaching openings this offseason.

John Manasso writes that the Falcons stand to benefit from the Saints’ punishments. That’s very true. But, to varying degrees, I think you can say the same of the Panthers and Buccaneers.

Clemson defensive tackle Brandon Thompson said he has a pre-draft interview scheduled with the Falcons. Makes a lot of sense because Jonathan Babineaux is coming off an unproductive season and Peria Jerry has never been able to fully bounce back from the major knee injury he suffered as a rookie.

LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne, who has been tied to the Buccaneers as a possibility at the No. 5 pick, revealed at his pro day that he will have surgery to repair ligament damage in his wrist on Friday. I don’t think that’s going to hurt Claiborne’s draft stock. I also think he helped his stock by running the 40-yard dash in 4.39 seconds.

The Atlanta Falcons currently aren’t under a lot of salary-cap pressure. They have over $20 million to work with, but that could change in a hurry.

The Falcons are likely to re-sign cornerback Brent Grimes or use the franchise tag on him. The Falcons also have said they want to re-sign middle linebacker Curtis Lofton. Although defensive end John Abraham and his agent have made it sound like he won’t return to Atlanta, it remains possible the Falcons could bring him back if Abraham’s price tag drops from the $12 million he’s seeking. The Falcons also have several other free agents, including receiver Harry Douglas, that they’re likely to have some interest in keeping.

If most or all of those free agents are signed, the Falcons could have some salary-cap decisions to make on players currently under contract. The Falcons aren’t the type of team that likes to sit still and it’s likely they’ll be spending some significant money in free agency.

With that in mind, let’s finish our series on NFC South players that could be on the hot seat with the Falcons.

Although Mike Smith said at the combine he looks forward to left tackle Sam Baker returning, I think that might have been a case of a coach just being nice. Releasing Baker, who lost his starting job last year, would free up $2.6 million in cap space.

Fullback Ovie Mughelli has been an outstanding blocker throughout his time with the Falcons. But he’s about to turn 32 and is coming off a leg injury that cut last season short. The Falcons could save $3 million by releasing him and there are other guys out there that can block.

Defensive tackle is another position where the Falcons might have to make some big decisions. Jonathan Babineaux is coming off a very quiet year and he’ll turn 31 early next season. He’s scheduled to count $4.6 million against the cap and the Falcons could clear $3.6 million in cap space by releasing him. There might be temptation by fans to say the Falcons should release Peria Jerry instead. Understandable because Jerry hasn’t done much since getting hurt early in his rookie season (2009). But the Falcons still think Jerry has some upside. More importantly, cutting Jerry wouldn’t help the Falcons against the cap. In fact, it would hurt them. Jerry is scheduled to count $1.95 million against the cap. If the Falcons cut Jerry, they’d take a $2.2 million cap hit.

With the NFL combine kicking off, let’s take a look at several of the potential story lines involving the NFC South during the draft-preparation event:

Double dipping again? Last year, Tampa Bay general manager Mark Dominik used his first two picks on defensive ends Adrian Clayborn and Da’Quan Bowers. The year before that he used his first two picks on defensive tackles Gerald McCoy and Brian Price. In that same draft, Dominik also took two receivers almost in succession, with Arrelious Benn coming in the second round and Mike Williams in the fourth. If there’s a position where I can see Dominik doubling up this year, it’s cornerback. It’s unclear what the future holds for Ronde Barber and Aqib Talib.

Sitting it out: The Saints and Falcons don’t have first-round picks. But their scouts and coaches should be paying close attention to all the top prospects. You never know who might fall out of the first round, like Bowers did last year. More importantly, there’s no guarantee the Saints or Falcons stay out of the first round. They both have aggressive front offices and both are in a win-now mode. I can see either one trading back up into the first round.

Flip a coin: That literally is what it will come down to in deciding who gets the No. 8 pick and who gets the No. 9 pick between Carolina and Miami. The coin flip will be held Friday in Indianapolis. Carolina general manager Marty Hurney is an extremely superstitious guy and I’m guessing he’s carrying some sort of coin that he thinks is lucky. By the way, Hurney is so superstitious that he’s hoping for the No. 8 pick for another reason besides the fact it’s one spot higher than No. 9. In the 2003 draft, the Vikings failed to turn in their pick on time. The Panthers wound up jumping ahead of them and taking offensive tackle Jordan Gross. He’s had a pretty nice career, so Hurney probably is hoping for a repeat.

In need of a hit: Like coach Mike Smith and quarterback Matt Ryan, Atlanta general manager Thomas Dimitroff is under a bit of pressure if the Falcons don’t advance deep into the playoffs next season. Owner Arthur Blank has said simply making the playoffs isn’t good enough. He wants to contend for the Super Bowl. Dimitroff has had mixed success with his first-round picks. Ryan and linebacker Sean Weatherspoon have worked out pretty well and Julio Jones looks like he can be an elite player. But defensive tackle Peria Jerry and offensive tackle Sam Baker have had their careers stall. Dimitroff is going to be busy in free agency, but he needs to pull a starter somewhere out of this draft and it would be especially nice if that guy was a defensive end or a left offensive tackle.

In need of a pass rush: The problem with new defensive coordinator Steve Spagnulo’s scheme is that the Saints don’t have the personnel to run it effectively yet. Spagnuolo likes to generate almost all his pressure from the front four. Outside of veteran defensive end Will Smith, the Saints don’t have any real pass-rush threats on the line. The Saints almost certainly will address that in the draft.

The NFC South is a division without a dominant defensive tackle.

But I think it’s fair to say Atlanta’s Corey Peters and Jonathan Babineaux, New Orleans’ Sedrick Ellis and Tampa Bay’s Brian Price were the best the NFC South had to offer in 2011. Apparently, their coaches agreed.

According to playing-time numbers obtained by ESPN.com, Ellis led all NFC South tackles by taking part in 66.3 percent of New Orleans’ 1,061 defensive plays. That percentage ranked Ellis No. 16 in the NFL and he was the only NFC South player in the top 20.

Peters was next at 60.4 percent, which ranked No. 23 in the league. Babineaux was No. 30 at 54.1 percent. Price, who was somewhat limited by injuries and was sent home early from one game by former coach Raheem Morris, took part in 47.1 percent of Tampa Bay’s defensive plays. That tied him at No. 37 in the league with teammate Roy Miller.

Carolina rookie Terrell McClain was one spot behind them, taking part in 46 percent of his team’s defensive plays. After that, there was a big drop off among the rest of the division’s tackles and we should note that Tampa Bay’s Gerald McCoy probably would have finished in the top four or five in the NFC South if he hadn’t suffered a season-ending injury.

Let’s take a look at the percentage of playing time for the rest of the NFC South defensive tackles:

• Sione Fua, Panthers, 39.7
• Vance Walker, Falcons, 36.85
• Andre Neblett, Panthers, 36.2
• Albert Haynesworth, Buccaneers, 35.8 (included time with Patriots)
• Peria Jerry, Falcons, 35.6
• Tom Johnson, Saints, 30.1
• Shaun Rogers, Saints, 29.7
• Frank Okam, Buccaneers, 28.2
• Aubrayo Franklin, Saints, 27.3
• Gerald McCoy, Buccaneers, 20.8
• Frank Kearse, Panthers, 16.5
• Ogemdi Nwagbuo, Panthers, 15.6
• Ronald Fields, Panthers, 13.9
• Mitch King, Saints, 4.8
• Carlton Powell, Falcons, 3.8
• DeMario Pressley, Panthers, 3.8
• Jovan Haye, Buccaneers, 2.8

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

Arrow indicates direction team is trending.

Final Power Ranking: 7
Preseason Power Ranking: 6

Biggest surprise: When the Atlanta Falcons drafted defensive tackle Corey Peters in the third round in 2010, they didn’t envision him being much more than a role player early in his career. But Peters wound up starting as a rookie and showed he could play the run pretty well. Even then, the Falcons thought Peters would just be a run-stuffer. But he became much more than that this season. Peters showed he can also rush the passer. He recorded three sacks and he and fellow defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux were able to create consistent pressure in the middle of the defensive line. Peters has locked up a starting job for the foreseeable future.

Biggest disappointment: This is the flip side to Peters. Defensive tackle Peria Jerry was the team’s first-round draft pick in 2009. But Jerry had a major knee injury in the second game of his rookie year. He came back last season and the team wanted to bring him along slowly, so they used Peters as the starter and Jerry as a situational player. After the 2010 season, coach Mike Smith and general manager Thomas Dimitroff said they took that approach because Jerry’s knee wasn’t 100 percent healthy. Smith and Dimitroff also said they thought a healthy Jerry would emerge as a force in 2011. It didn’t happen. Peters remained in the starting role all season and Jerry played in a rotation, but produced only 10 tackles and zero sacks.

Biggest need: Left tackle has been a problem spot for this team for most of the time quarterback Matt Ryan has been with the team. The Falcons drafted left tackle Sam Baker the same year they drafted Ryan. Baker never made it to the elite level and really struggled at the start of this season. He eventually went out with a back injury and was replaced by Will Svitek, who has done an adequate job. But Svitek isn't the long-term answer at left tackle and it’s likely the team will give up on Baker. The Falcons traded away their first-round pick in 2012 to draft Julio Jones in 2011, so it might be difficult to find a top-notch left tackle in the draft. The Falcons may have to find a left tackle in free agency. But at the moment, the crop of free-agent left tackles isn’t loaded with talent.

Team MVP: At first blush, Ryan didn’t quite take the step to becoming an “elite quarterback’’ that so many people expected. The Falcons were supposed to have one of the league’s most prolific offenses and they were coming off a 13-3 season. As it turned out they had a good, but not great, offense and went 10-6. But when you look at Ryan’s numbers, you realize that he quietly had the best season of his career. His 4,177 passing yards and 29 touchdowns both were career highs and his numbers would have been better if Roddy White and Jones hadn't dropped a bunch of passes. Ryan still took a step in the right direction during the regular season. If he can get his first career playoff victory, he might cement his status as elite.

Fountain of youth: There were times last season when it looked like veteran tight end Tony Gonzalez had hit the end of the road. His average yards per catch dipped to a career low 9.4 yards. He rarely got open downfield or made anything happen after the catch. But Gonzalez, 35, bounced back this season. He averaged 10.9 yards per catch. He had 80 catches for 875 yards and seven touchdowns and was the most consistent player on the offense. Gonzalez played so well that he was signed to a one-year contract extension just before the regular season ended. Retirement -- and a spot in the Hall of Fame -- can wait at least another season.

The Atlanta Falcons have put out their final injury report for Thursday night’s game with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

It’s very lengthy, so I’ll leave off the 10 guys who are listed as probable because they’ll all play, barring any major setbacks. We’ll deal just with the guys who are listed as doubtful or questionable.

There’s major doubt in the defensive backfield as cornerbacks Brent Grimes (knee) and Kelvin Hayden (toe) are both doubtful. The Falcons have been using Christopher Owens and Dominique Franks as their second and third cornerbacks opposite Dunta Robinson while Grimes and Hayden have been out.

There are more issues in the front seven. Defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux (ankle) and linebacker Stephen Nicholas (quadriceps) are listed as questionable. If Babineaux can’t go, Peria Jerry likely would move into a starting spot. Veteran Mike Peterson has been starting at outside linebacker while Nicholas has been banged up.

On offense, the only real issue is left tackle Will Svitek. He’s questionable with a groin injury. If Svitek can’t play, Sam Baker likely would get the start.

Although we’re less than 48 hours away from Sunday’s showdown between the Saints and Falcons, Friday’s NFC South chat was surprisingly civilized. We talked quite a bit about the Falcons and Saints, but also touched on the Buccaneers and Panthers.

Let’s take a look at some of the highlights:

DiMaggio (Atlanta): Pat is it safe to say...that the winner between the Falcons & Saints on Sunday, is very likely to win division. Or is it a bit too early in the season to make that determination?

Pat Yasinskas: It's a very important game. Won't necessarily completely decide the division, but it will carry a lot of weight.

Mike (Greensboro): Pat, I keep hearing that Dalton is playing just as good, if not better than Cam. I don't doubt that, (even looking at #'s), but what no one is saying is that Cam hasn't had the D, that Dalton has been getting. Cam probably and should have a few more wins if it weren't for D & SP Teams. Plus Cam can run, Dalton not so much (7 rushing TD's!). Agree?

Pat Yasinskas: That's comparing apples to oranges. Two completely different situations. Dalton's done well, but he's had a lot of help from his defense.

Jay (Lexington): Tampa has been staying with a youth movement. Why change that with a guy who has not performed in his last two stops?

Pat Yasinskas: They needed a DT to help them get through the final eight games. His cost for this year is minimal. Unless he lights it up, I doubt he'll be back next year.

Sharell (NCFalconFan): Hi PY...We heard Peria Jerry's name alot at the beginning of the season. What's going on with him? Is he not having much of impact, since Peters is healthy.

Pat Yasinskas: Thought Jerry looked good in the first few games. But Peters has really stepped up and firmly claimed the starting job.

Brandy (Charleston SC): Jeremy Shockey wants to stay in Carolina. Barring injuries do we lock him up with a 2 yr extention?

Pat Yasinskas: I'd wait until the end of the season to see if he holds up.

Phillip (ATL): What is your theory on why Roddy White is in such a funk? Is it as simple as Julio is taking more looks from Roddy? Or is Roddy losing focus because he is not the sole threat anymore?

Pat Yasinskas: I think the lockout might have impacted Roddy. Remember, he had a huge year last year because it was first time he had a full offseason with Matt Ryan. They didn't have nearly as much work together this offseason.

Phillip (ATL): Pat, I do not understand why Sean Payton/Saints have invested so heavily in RBs - Darren Sproles, Pierre Thomas, Mark Ingram.......With Sproles' dominance and Pierre's bounce-back season - I think Saints will regret giving up a 2nd and a 1st for Mark Ingram - who seems rather average to me so far in his NFL tenure.

Pat Yasinskas: Hey, it beats the alternative of when they ran out of RBs in the playoff game last year. Too early to call Ingram a bust. Plus, I think Sproles has surprised them a bit by being able to do even more than he did in San Diego days.

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

Time for a look at the headlines from around the NFC South.

The Falcons thought a healthy Peria Jerry would take the starting job from Corey Peters at defensive tackle this season. That hasn’t happened. That’s largely because Peters has improved his game. As a rookie last season, he was purely a run-stuffer. But Peters is showing signs this year that he can help generate a pass rush.

Carolina’s Cam Newton and Minnesota’s Christian Ponder spent much of the offseason working out together in Florida. On Sunday, they’ll be competing against each other. Newton already has won a game against another quarterback also taken in the first round of this year’s draft. That was Jacksonville’s Blaine Gabbert.

New Orleans coach Sean Payton said the team likely will activate running back Chris Ivory to the regular roster if Mark Ingram (bruised heel) can’t play Sunday. Ivory was the Saints’ leading rusher last year, but hasn’t played this season as he recovered from injury. Must be nice to have that kind of depth.

The Bucs don’t have the same kind of depth as the Saints in the backfield. But coach Raheem Morris said he’s confident starter LeGarrette Blount will be ready to return after this week’s bye. Blount missed the past two games with a knee injury.

D. Orlando Ledbetter has an interesting stat: The Falcons play seven of their final nine games in domes. It could turn out to be eight because Houston has a retractable roof. Atlanta’s Matt Ryan has a league-best 81.2 winning percentage in games he’s started in domes.

The Atlanta Falcons could be getting defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux back at just the right time.

Babineaux, who has been sidelined by a knee injury, returned to practice on a limited basis Wednesday and it looks like there’s a chance he could play Sunday against the Green Bay Packers. That would be a big boost to the defense in several ways.

Babineaux is one of the most underrated players in the division. He’s solid against the run and also can generate an interior pass rush. Babineaux was injured in the season opener at Chicago, a game in which defensive end John Abraham had two sacks.

Since then, Abraham hasn’t recorded a sack. Neither have the Falcons. Atlanta’s had problems just about everywhere on defense.

Babineaux isn’t going to solve everything, but I think his absence the last three games has hurt this defense more than a lot of people realize. Third-year pro Peria Jerry is finally healthy.

Put him next to Babineaux and that should help free up the outside for Abraham and Ray Edwards, Atlanta’s marquee free-agent pickup, who has yet to record a sack.

» NFC Stock Watch: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

FALLING

1. Sam Baker, left tackle, Falcons. Drafted in 2008 to protect Matt Ryan's blind side, Baker had ups and downs in his first three seasons. This year, he has experienced only downs. Baker has been routinely beaten in pass blocking. Ryan has been under more pressure than ever before and that’s a major reason the Falcons are off to a 1-2 start. The Atlanta coaching staff is talking about possibly shaking up the offensive line. There’s not much behind Baker, so it may be difficult to bench him. But unless his play turns around dramatically the rest of the way, Baker probably will be gone after this season and the Falcons will have to replace him through free agency or the draft.

2. DeAngelo Williams, running back, Panthers. He has two 1,000-yard seasons on his résumé and is talented as a runner and a pass-catcher. But Williams has done very little this year. He has only 61 rushing yards and is averaging 2.8 yards per carry. I don’t think this is a case of Williams suddenly getting old. I think the Carolina coaching staff needs to do a better job of finding ways to utilize one of the team’s most talented players.

3. Corey Peters, defensive tackle, Falcons. Atlanta coach Mike Smith was right when he said one play didn’t cause the Falcons’ loss to the Buccaneers on Sunday. But there really is no excuse for Peters jumping offside on a fourth-down play late in the game. Everyone else in Raymond James Stadium knew the Bucs were trying to get the Falcons to jump. Peters did and it cost the Falcons a chance to get the ball back and attempt a last-minute drive. With Peria Jerry playing well, Peters is probably on his way out of the starting lineup as soon as Jonathan Babineaux is healthy enough to return.

RISING

1. Brian Price, defensive tackle, Buccaneers. He is quickly becoming one of the best comeback stories in the league this season. Price missed almost his entire rookie season and had a rare surgery to repair damage to his pelvis. As recently as late June, Price was talking as if he might miss the season or at least the first half of it. But his recovery quickly took off once training camp started and Price has worked his way into the starting lineup. Against Atlanta on Sunday, he was a force, helping the Bucs hold the Falcons to 30 rushing yards and recording his first sack.

2. Sean McDermott, defensive coordinator, Panthers. Yes, the opponent might have been the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars and the weather certainly played a role in slowing both offenses. But McDermott had to be doing something right. Any time you hold an NFL team to 10 points, you’re doing well. And let’s not forget McDermott engineered this defensive performance without linebackers Jon Beason and Thomas Davis, who are out for the season with injuries.

3. Jimmy Graham, tight end, Saints. He got an earful from Drew Brees for running a wrong route that led to an interception. But Brees continued throwing to his young tight end, who came up with a key 27-yard touchdown catch. Graham finished the day with four catches for 100 yards.

Now that the Carolina Panthers have stepped into this century, the NFC South has a new look from top to bottom.

Cam Newton is flinging footballs, the Panthers are scoring points, and the days of John Fox signing off on a third-and-long draw play to Nick Goings are history. The Panthers have their franchise quarterback in Newton, which gives them something in common with the Saints, Falcons and Buccaneers.

Newton joining New Orleans’ Drew Brees, Atlanta’s Matt Ryan and Tampa Bay’s Josh Freeman just might make the NFC South the league’s only division with four franchise quarterbacks. That’s great.

But, now that everybody has a franchise quarterback, this division isn’t going to be settled by a quarterback. All four teams now are capable of scoring points in bunches.

The team that wins the NFC South this year will be the team with the best defense. Think about that for a second. Suddenly there is no clear-cut favorite. The division filled with elite quarterbacks doesn’t have a blue-chip defense or anything close to it.

The days of Fox taking the Panthers to the Super Bowl purely with defense and Monte Kiffin doing the same with Tampa Bay were almost a decade ago. While the NFC South was becoming a quarterback-driven division in a quarterback-driven league, everybody sort of forgot about defense.

It’s time to remember the old adage that “defense wins championships,’’ because that’s what it’s going to come down to in the NFC South. That’s a scary prospect no matter which of the four teams you root for.

None of them are loaded with defensive talent, and none of them are off to great defensive starts. Based on yardage allowed through two games, the NFC South has three bottom feeders.

Carolina is No. 26 at 406.5 yards a game. Atlanta is No. 27 at 412 and Tampa Bay is No. 28 at 414.5. The Saints are No. 12 at 322.5, but before Who Dat Nation gets too carried away, let’s remember the Packers hung 42 points on New Orleans in the opener.

There’s not even a truly dominant defensive player in the NFC South. On offense, you can go beyond the quarterbacks and point to guys like Atlanta receiver Roddy White, Carolina left tackle Jordan Gross, Tampa Bay tight end Kellen Winslow and Atlanta running back Michael Turner. You can say they’re in the top five in the league at their position and nobody’s going to give you much of an argument.

Try that on defense? Tampa Bay cornerback Ronde Barber and Atlanta defensive end John Abraham are the biggest names, but they’re at the end of their careers. New Orleans safety Malcolm Jenkins and Carolina defensive end Charles Johnson are budding stars, but they haven’t done it long enough.

The best overall defensive player in the division might be Carolina linebacker Jon Beason, and he’s out for the season with an injury. So who’s going to step up and play enough defense to win the NFC South?

Let’s take a look at the candidates.

New Orleans. This is a defense that can go two ways, as evidenced by the Super Bowl championship in the 2009 season and the playoff collapse at Seattle last season. The Saints are never going to be one of those defenses that shuts you down for an entire game.

With Brees, they don’t have to be that type of defense. They just have to be opportunistic like they were in 2009. Coordinator Gregg Williams is an aggressive guy, and he’s going to take chances and call blitzes all season long.

If this defense can just come up with some turnovers at key times and stop a few drives, the Saints could go a long way. But they’ll need the pass rush to force some mistakes so players like Jenkins, linebacker Jonathan Vilma and cornerback Jabari Greer can come up with the big plays.

Atlanta. This is the one defense that I think has the potential to be good all the way around, but it’s not there yet. It’s kind of ironic that coach Mike Smith comes from a defensive background, but hasn’t been able to totally play his kind of defense in his first three seasons.

That could change this year. Abraham still has a little left and he’s starting to get some help from defensive end Ray Edwards, the Falcons’ big acquisition in free agency, and defensive tackle Peria Jerry, who is starting to remind people why he was a first-round pick in 2009.

If defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux can get healthy, the Falcons could have the type of defensive line that allows linebackers Curtis Lofton and Sean Weatherspoon, cornerbacks Brent Grimes and Dunta Robinson, and safety William Moore to become playmakers.

Tampa Bay. Like Smith, Raheem Morris comes from a defensive background. Like Smith, his defense is a work in progress. But Tampa Bay’s defense might not be as close to breaking through as Atlanta’s.

The Bucs are incredibly young in the front seven. But there is plenty of potential. Defensive ends Adrian Clayborn and Da'Quan Bowers were the team’s first two draft picks this year, and defensive tackles Gerald McCoy and Brian Price were the top two draft picks last year. The Bucs are starting rookie Mason Foster at middle linebacker and he’s already flashing potential.

It might take the Bucs some time to get this defense going. Then again, Morris and his staff have been known to get quick results from young players. They won 10 games last season when Freeman was in his first full season as a starter.

Carolina. Ron Rivera also has a defensive pedigree, but he’s been dealt a tough hand. Beason and fellow linebacker Thomas Davis are out for the season, and the Panthers started losing defensive tackles in training camp.

But there’s hope because Carolina potentially could have the division’s best pass rush with defensive ends Johnson and Greg Hardy. They could force some turnovers and give Newton some help. A little defensive help is really all that’s needed in the NFC South.

The offenses are going to dominate this division. But one defense is going to decide it. Which one? It’s too early to say.

They all have potential, but the one that maximizes it at the right time and makes itself a little bit different from the rest is going to be the NFC South champion.

» NFC Stock Watch: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

FALLING

1. Matt Bosher, punter/kickoff specialist, Falcons. The rookie has struggled mightily. But at least for the moment, it appears as if the Falcons will stick with him. They invested a draft pick in Bosher, so they may be willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. But this team can’t afford too many more 18-yard punts like the one Bosher had Sunday night. If things don’t straighten out quickly, he could be gone.

2. Thomas Davis, linebacker, Panthers. This one’s tragic. Davis tore his ACL for the third time in less than two years. He’s a great player and an outstanding locker room guy. But Davis’ contract is structured so that the Panthers have the right to exercise an option for the remainder of the deal on the first two days of the 2012 league year. There’s an $8 million bonus tied to that option. I can’t see any way the Panthers pick up that option now.

3. Thomas DeCoud, safety, Falcons. Atlanta started veteran James Sanders in DeCoud’s place Sunday night. That came after DeCoud had struggled throughout the preseason and in the season opener. He still got some playing time against the Eagles, but didn’t do anything outstanding. Sometimes benching a young player can serve as a wakeup call. But if Sanders is a steady influence in the secondary, DeCoud might just fade away.

RISING

1. Peria Jerry, defensive tackle, Falcons. During the preseason, the Falcons talked a lot about how they had seen bursts of explosiveness from their first-round pick in 2009. Jerry’s career had been stalled by a knee injury in his rookie season. But we all got to see one of those bursts Sunday night. He blew past a blocker and hit Michael Vick before he could hand off. Jerry’s hit forced a fumble that defensive end Ray Edwards picked up and returned a long way to help set up an Atlanta touchdown.

2. Jimmy Graham, tight end, Saints. He had six catches for 79 yards against the Bears. With top receiver Marques Colston out with an injury, Graham is giving the Saints a presence in the middle of the field. He also is showing incredible raw athletic ability and should only get better as his first season as a starter goes on.

3. LeGarrette Blount, running back, Buccaneers. After barely using Blount in the opener, the Bucs kept him involved against the Vikings. He carried 13 times for 71 yards and two touchdowns. Just imagine what this guy could do with 20 or 25 carries.