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Yes, the start of training camps is two months away, but it’s never too early to consider the coming season. A look at the best-case and worst-case scenarios for the Buccaneers in 2012.

Dream scenario (10-6): This will only happen if coach Greg Schiano makes the transition from college to the NFL more like Jim Harbaugh than Nick Saban or Bobby Petrino. Harbaugh isn’t the norm in this category, but it’s possible Schiano could follow in his tracks. The cupboard isn’t bare, it just needs organizing. The Bucs have assembled a lot of young talent in recent drafts -- Josh Freeman, Gerald McCoy, Brian Price, Mike Williams, Arrelious Benn, Adrian Clayborn, Mark Barron, Doug Martin and Lavonte David -- and Schiano showed he can build during his time at Rutgers.

The key to it all is Freeman. Is he the quarterback who threw 25 touchdowns and six interceptions in a 10-6 season in 2010 or the guy that threw 22 interceptions and looked awfully anxious last season? Schiano and his staff firmly believe the 2010 version was the real Freeman and they’ve done everything possible to upgrade his supporting cast. They brought in Vincent Jackson to be the No. 1 receiver and guard Carl Nicks to bolster an offensive line that has a chance to be very good. They also drafted Martin and plan to use him as an every-down running back.

If Freeman is for real, he should bounce back strong from last year’s debacle. Lots of coaches and scouts around the league still believe in Freeman, but we’ll soon find out if he still believes in himself or if last year forever shattered his confidence. But even if Freeman improves, the Bucs must be a lot better on defense than they were last season when they allowed more points (494) than any team in franchise history.

Nightmare scenario (4-12): As demonstrated by the likes of Saban and Petrino, NFL players don’t always respond well to hard-charging college coaches. There’s no doubt this team needs some order after the Wild West days of Raheem Morris, but Schiano must get his players to buy into the new order in their worlds or he could be in for trouble. Although ownership showed a willingness to spend in free agency and the Bucs have had some early draft picks in recent years, this job is far from paradise.

Few, if any, of those early draft picks have shown that they are the real deal. Maybe all they need is better coaching, but maybe the Bucs just haven’t drafted very well. If Freeman struggles again, the Bucs suddenly have a quarterback quandary on their hands. If they struggle on offense, there’s no way they can win games in the NFC South. You don’t win a lot of games with defense in the modern NFL and, at least on paper, Tampa Bay’s offense is much more talented than its defense.

If Freeman doesn’t take a step forward and the defense doesn’t show improvement, it will become last season all over again. This is not a franchise that can handle a lot more misery. Attendance has been lacking in recent years, and the Bucs aren’t going to fill up their stadium until they escape obscurity and win consistently.

Time to take a run through the top headlines from around the NFC South.

• Interim New Orleans coach Joe Vitt said he’s been pleased with what he’s seen from the Saints so far in their offseason program. We’ll hear more from Vitt and players this afternoon, because the Saints have media availability after their workout.

• New Orleans rookie defensive tackle Aikem Hicks talked about adjusting to defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.

• Tom Jones runs through the positives and negatives of Tampa Bay coach Greg Schiano’s disciplined style. We’ll see how the Bucs take to Schiano in the long run. But I like what I’ve seen out of Schiano so far. He has brought structure to a team that didn’t have any last year, and that’s what led to the 10-game losing streak to end last season and cost predecessor Raheem Morris his job.

• Carolina defensive end Thomas Keiser has been commuting between California and Charlotte each week. He’s working to finish his degree at Stanford, but also has been taking part in the team’s offseason program.

• Falcons guard Justin Blalock will serve as a spokesman for the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.

• Atlanta tight end Tony Gonzalez came in at No. 53 on the NFL Network’s list of the top 100 players for 2012. Not bad for a guy who is 36.

• New Orleans linebacker Jonathan Vilma came in at No. 58 on that same list. That one is more than surprising. Vilma had an off year in 2011, when he was slowed by a knee injury. He also is scheduled to be suspended this season, unless he wins an appeal.

Time for a look at the top headlines from around the division.

Jeff Schultz writes that the Saints still are playing the “victim card’’ by saying they’ve been “railroaded’’ in the bounty scandal. It’s a point worth pondering. Sure, the suspended players have a right to the appeals process. But, if the suspensions are upheld, there comes a time when the Saints have to start moving forward.

Commissioner Roger Goodell knows he’s not a favorite among New Orleans fans these days. But Goodell insisted he has to act in the best long-term interest of the game and isn't worried about popularity contests.

Goodell said he would encourage Atlanta to bid to host a Super Bowl if the city gets a new stadium in the future. There’s a perception out there that Atlanta never will get another Super Bowl because the city was crippled by an ice storm when it last hosted the game in 2000. That was a fluke. If Atlanta does get a new stadium, it almost certainly will get a Super Bowl within a few years. That’s pretty much how things work in the NFL these days -- build a new stadium and you get a Super Bowl.

Mike Tolbert thinks he can be “the missing piece’’ for the Carolina Panthers. Remember how that worked out after Ray Edwards said he’d be essentially the same thing for the Atlanta Falcons last year? Tolbert’s got a real chance to help the Panthers. They’re saying he was brought into play fullback and I’m sure he will. But Tolbert’s versatile and I think he’ll also get some playing time in a backfield that already includes DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart. But Tolbert just needs to be one of many pieces for the Panthers. Their offense already is good, but they need a lot of pieces to emerge on defense.

Check out this column by Daniel Cox. It discusses the possibility of the NFC South being the NFL’s strongest division when it comes to quarterbacks. I think there’s a pretty strong case for that. Drew Brees has a great track record and Matt Ryan has a good one. If Cam Newton can build on his outstanding rookie season and Josh Freeman can get back to his 2010 form, I don’t think there’s any way any other division has as deep a crop of starting quarterbacks.

Tampa Bay backup quarterback Dan Orlovsky played a role in encouraging free-agent tight end Dallas Clark to sign with the Buccaneers. The two previously were teammates with the Indianapolis Colts.

Yet another difference between new Tampa Bay coach Greg Schiano and predecessor Raheem Morris. Instead of “beating the heat’’ the way Morris did by practicing early or practicing indoors at practice field, Schiano wants to embrace the Florida heat and use it to get his team in better physical condition.

TAMPA, Fla. -- Kellen Winslow had been gone from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for all of about 12 hours. From the way coach Greg Schiano answered a question about why he traded away the tight end, you would think Winslow had been gone for 12 years.

“I’m going to hesitate to look back," Schiano said. “I’m going to focus on the guys that are here.’’

Read into it what you want, but I think it’s pretty obvious what’s going on here. Schiano’s cleaning house of guys that don’t fit the new style he’s bringing to the Buccaneers.

Winslow said Schiano told him he wasn’t happy the veteran tight end had spent most of his offseason in San Diego, rather than working with his teammates. Winslow got the message on Saturday night, after he had arrived in Tampa with plans to join the Bucs on Monday. But that was too late for Schiano, who also might have had some doubts about relying too heavily on a tight end that missed a lot of practices with a sore knee over the last three seasons, even though Winslow never missed a game with the Bucs.

Schiano is a Bill Belichick disciple. He believes players should practice, at least most of the time. Schiano also believes in doing things his own way.

Schiano made it clear when he took the job that every player on the roster was getting a fresh start. That was true in some ways, but some guys were starting off with a strike against them. Winslow was one. Tanard Jackson was another. Both had issues in the past. Schiano kept them around for a bit, but he parted ways with both of them at the first sign of trouble.

The Bucs weren’t happy with the approach Jackson was taking in the offseason as he attempted to come back from injury last year. The Bucs weren’t able to trade him, so they simply released him. I’m pretty sure there will be some more casualties along the way. Schiano has made it very clear guys have to toe his line, which is about 20 yards away from the blurry line Raheem Morris used to stand behind.

“There’s really not a message," Schiano said. "It is not one of those situations. The only message I want to address is we need to be the best football team we can be. Time is our enemy. We are running out of time. Teams in our division have a head start on us.''

Intentional or not, I think Schiano has sent a very clear message. It doesn’t matter if you’re cornerback Aqib Talib, who seems to be starting off with an 0-2 count and Stephen Strasburg on the mound, or a guy with a spotless background.

If you take one step over Schiano’s line, you’re going to be talked about as a former member of the Bucs.

Can Josh Freeman bounce back?

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

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

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

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

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

TAMPA, Fla. -- Before he was even asked a question about his first pick as coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Greg Schiano was painting a portrait that probably still is invisible to most Tampa Bay fans.

Schiano had just stunned his fan base -- and probably the rest of the world -- by taking Alabama safety Mark Barron at No. 7. A safety at No. 7? This guy had better be the second coming of Ronnie Lott and Ed Reed put together or, at very least, John Lynch Jr. You don’t take a safety at No. 7, and say you gladly would have taken him at No. 5, unless you think he’s special. Schiano and general manager Mark Dominik definitely thought Barron was special.

“I think he fits into what we do defensively perfectly,’’ Schiano said. “You couldn’t draw it up any better.’’

That probably doesn’t excite you, especially if you wanted the Bucs to stay put at No. 5 and draft LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne. And I know there was a contingent of Tampa Bay fans who thought Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly would be a perfect fit after the Bucs traded out of No. 5 and Claiborne went to Dallas at No. 6.

Either of those would have fit the profile of what we’ve come to expect from the Buccaneers, stretching back to Tony Dungy, running through the Jon Gruden era (with Monte Kiffin as the bridge) and right through the ugly final days of Raheem Morris.

But here’s the thing: Those days are over. This is Schiano’s team now.

Unless you’re a die-hard Rutgers fan, you don’t have any clue what a Schiano team looks like. Even if all your Knights are scarlet, you might see some changes as Schiano adjusts to the NFL. He’s not about to publicly share his X's and O's, but he certainly has implied this team is going to look a lot different in a lot of ways. Believe it or not, that might start at safety because Barron is going to be tied to Schiano forever, for better or worse.

“I think our safeties have to be more dynamic than in most schemes,’’ Schiano said.

At 6-foot-1 and 213 pounds, Barron is big enough to play in the box and make an impact on a run defense that needs improvement. With 12 career interceptions, Barron also has shown the ability to make plays in coverage.

“He needs to be able to do a lot of things, and he is capable of them,’’ Schiano said.

He’s going to have to cover wide receivers man to man, Schiano said. That’s a change from the days of Kiffin’s Cover 2, when safeties picked up wide receivers only after they got past the cornerbacks and Lynch often played the role of a linebacker. That may not be enough in an NFC South in which Drew Brees has thrown for 5,000 yards in a season and Cam Newton and Matt Ryan can put up big numbers. In case you haven’t noticed, that’s not just an NFC South trend. All around the league, teams are throwing the heck out of the ball.

“Safety has become an extremely important position now,’’ Dominik said.

More important than cornerback? Where the Bucs have Eric Wright, an aging Ronde Barber and a question mark in Aqib Talib?

Obviously, the Bucs think so. Dominik said the Bucs would have chosen Barron at No. 5 if they had stayed put. That means they would have chosen him over Claiborne, who was widely considered the best cornerback in this draft.

That’s a pretty strong statement from a team that has chosen only two defensive backs in the first round in its history and both of those were cornerbacks. There’s even a bit more pure football logic about this pick.

The Bucs had a big need at safety after releasing Tanard Jackson. They were left with Cody Grimm, a possible move to safety by Barber and not much else. Barron fills that need.

But I don’t think this pick was completely about X's and O's and pure football ability.

I think the selection of Barron was another sign that Schiano is going to do things much differently than in the past. Something obviously cooled the Bucs on Claiborne. Maybe it was that he reportedly had a low Wonderlic score or maybe it was something else.

Schiano said he and Dominik saw sparks the first time they watched film of Barron. By the time they interviewed him at the combine, there was a flame. As they talked about Barron, Schiano and Dominik both mentioned that he was a two-time captain for a team that won two national championships during his stint.

“He fits who we are and what we are,’’ Schiano said.

I get the impression Schiano cares a lot about what guys bring as players, but I’m getting an even stronger sense he cares about what they bring as people and how that can translate into winning. That’s sort of a new concept around here, at least since the Dungy days.

“He fits who we are and what we are,’’ Schiano said.

In other words, the Bucs think Barron can step right in and be a leader on a team that desperately lacked leadership and personality in the Morris days.

“Our coaches are excited to get their hands on him and mold him into a Buccaneer Man,’’ Dominik said.

We’ve heard the phrase “Buccaneer Man’’ a lot since Schiano took over. The problem is we have no idea what the new Buccaneer Man is supposed to be. But now we’re starting to get a bit of a portrait.

With Barron, there’s a face and maybe an outline of a body and a personality. Looks a little like a good athlete, a natural leader and a guy who was asking if there was a way to get his hands on a playbook Thursday night, even though he’s scheduled to fly to Tampa first thing Friday morning.

Maybe the Barron pick doesn’t look so bad -- or blank -- after all.

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

Just when it seemed like the offseason couldn’t get any more bizarre for the Saints, it has. Jeff Duncan reports that executive vice president Rita Benson LeBlanc, who had been viewed as the likely successor to her grandfather, Tom Benson, has been away from the team for several months. Duncan writes that LeBlanc was placed on unofficial administrative leave.

The Falcons open their offseason program Monday, but cornerback Brent Grimes is not expected to attend. Grimes is carrying the franchise tag and has not signed his tender. There haven’t been any recent talks about a long-term contract, because Grimes’ agent and the team have been busy getting ready for the draft. But talks should resume after the draft.

Richard Walker writes that the Carolina Panthers should trade down from the No. 9 overall pick in the draft. I don’t think that’s a bad idea, because the Panthers could add an extra draft pick or two. But, as I always say, it’s easy to talk about trading down. But it’s hard to actually make it happen. There aren’t offers to trade down at every stop in the first round, and the Panthers might be sitting past the point where teams are looking to jump up to.

The Saints reportedly have restructured the contract of middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma. No surprise there. Vilma had been scheduled to count nearly $7.7 million against this year’s cap. He’s aging and is coming off an injury, and the Saints had to knock his cap figure down because they have very limited cap room. Vilma also is facing a possible suspension for his role in the Saints’ bounty program.

Scott Reynolds writes that defensive tackle Amobi Okoye, a first-round pick by Houston in 2007, has a chance to shine with the Buccaneers. At worst, Okoye should be able to contribute as part of a rotation with Gerald McCoy, Brian Price and Roy Miller. At best, Okoye could be a starter if McCoy and Price, who each have struggled with injuries, continue to have problems.

After going through their first minicamp, the Buccaneers don’t seem to have any problems with new coach Greg Schiano’s more structured approach. They shouldn’t. Raheem Morris’ laid-back approach didn’t work. The Bucs are coming off a 4-12 season, and that’s not going to earn anyone the right to have easy practices in training camp or minicamp.

Former Atlanta safety Ray Easterling was the lead plaintiff in the first wave of concussion-related lawsuits against the NFL. He died last week, and police said his death was a suicide. For all those who say the NFL came down too hard with punishments on the Saints' bounty program, I point to this and other similar situations as to why the NFL acted the way it did. As these lawsuits move through the court system, the NFL can't afford to have the impression out there that it tolerates things like bounty programs.

Time for a run through some notes from around the NFC South.

Jeff Schultz writes that the Falcons need to improve their offensive line in the draft. No doubt about that. The reason the Falcons weren’t as successful as they would have liked at throwing the ball downfield last season was because quarterback Matt Ryan didn’t have enough time to throw the ball down the field. The Falcons know this, and they also know they need to improve their defensive line. I suspect we’ll see attempts made to improve both areas in the draft.

James Varney writes that there is growing speculation the NFL will announce punishments for players involved in the bounty program on Friday. That would seem logical, because the draft is next week and the league generally doesn’t like to take attention away from its biggest offseason event. Something could happen Friday. But, keep in mind, there has been speculation for weeks that the suspensions would have come by now. That still hasn’t happened. So stay tuned. Whenever there is an announcement, we’ll be here to talk about it.

I wouldn’t get too caught up in Carolina general manager Marty Hurney saying the Panthers could look to trade down in the draft. He says that every year. Sure, Hurney is willing to listen to trade offers, but that’s only if any actually come.

Carolina coach Ron Rivera said quarterback Cam Newton seems more mature, and more willing to take on a leadership role. That’s all good news, because Newton did just fine as a rookie, and becoming more of a leader is the next logical step for him.

The Tampa Bay players seem to be embracing the more disciplined approach that new coach Greg Schiano is bringing. We’ll see if they buy into it over time. Different approaches work for different teams. But the Bucs had a very player-friendly coach in Raheem Morris. But Tampa Bay’s young team didn’t seem to respond well to Morris’ style, and last season spun out of control. More order and discipline might be exactly what this team needs.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been attempting to shop troubled cornerback Aqib Talib for a trade, Scott Reynolds reports.

On some levels, such a move makes sense. Talib is a talented cornerback and the Bucs would like to add some extra picks in this year’s draft. They currently have a pick in each round except for the fourth. Talib has had a series of off-field problems throughout his career and new coach Greg Schiano already has made it clear he won’t be as tolerant of problems as predecessor Raheem Morris. Schiano already released safety Tanard Jackson, who also had some off-field problems.

But there’s one big catch here that could make trading Talib difficult, maybe even impossible. Talib is facing a June trial on an assault charge in Texas. He could face prison time. Even if he’s cleared, Talib could face a suspension from the NFL.

It’s difficult to imagine any team being willing to give up a draft pick for a player that might not be available to play for part, or all, of this season.

Breakdown: The Bucs will make only one appearance in a nationally televised prime-time game (Oct. 25 at Minnesota) -- to be expected for a team coming off a 4-12 season. But that might be good news for new coach Greg Schiano and his squad because the Bucs won’t get a lot of attention and could sneak up on some opponents.

Tampa Bay catches an early break, opening at home for the fourth consecutive year. That game comes Sept. 9, against Carolina. The contest should give us an early indication of which NFC South team coming off a losing season could be on the rise.

The Bucs have a chance to get off to a fast start. Three of their first four games come against teams that didn’t have winning records and didn’t make the playoffs last season. The big exception is the Sept. 16 game -- on the road against the defending champion New York Giants. The Bucs have a Week 5 bye, followed by a home game with Kansas City before the schedule starts looking difficult. By then, the Bucs might be getting used to their new coaching staff and offensive and defensive schemes.

Complaint department: Unlike Atlanta, which doesn’t have to travel in back-to-back weeks all season, the Bucs face consecutive road games in two instances. One comes in September, at the Giants and at Dallas. There also are back-to-back road games at Minnesota and Oakland in the middle of the season. The first time shouldn’t be all that difficult, but the second round of trips involves much longer flights. On the bright side, the Bucs aren’t likely to face many cold-weather games. We all know Tampa Bay’s history when playing in the cold isn’t that pretty. Indeed, there are only two potential cold-weather games on the schedule. The first is Nov. 18 at Carolina; the weather in Charlotte can go either way at that time of year. The Dec. 2 game in Denver isn’t likely to be played in balmy weather, and the thought of defending against Peyton Manning doesn’t bring warm thoughts to anyone.

Raheem’s return: The Sept. 30 game with the Washington Redskins will be a homecoming for Raheem Morris. He spent three seasons coaching the Buccaneers but was fired after losing his final 10 games last season. Morris is now Washington’s defensive backs coach. That’s appropriate because Morris is at his best when he’s coaching just the secondary. He’s a nice guy, but the Bucs made him their head coach long before he was ready and it didn’t work. Morris needs to coach defensive backs for a year or two and move up to a defensive coordinator job for a bit. A few years from now, he might be seasoned enough to become a good head coach.

Buccaneers Regular-Season Schedule (All times ET)
Week 1: Sunday, Sept. 9, Carolina, 4:15 PM
Week 2: Sunday, Sept. 16, at NY Giants, 1:00 PM
Week 3: Sunday, Sept. 23, at Dallas, 1:00 PM
Week 4: Sunday, Sept. 30, Washington, 4:15 PM
Week 5: BYE
Week 6: Sunday, Oct. 14, Kansas City, 1:00 PM
Week 7: Sunday, Oct. 21, New Orleans, 1:00 PM
Week 8: Thursday, Oct. 25, at Minnesota, 8:20 PM
Week 9: Sunday, Nov. 4, at Oakland, 4:05 PM
Week 10: Sunday, Nov. 11, San Diego, 1:00 PM
Week 11: Sunday, Nov. 18, at Carolina, 1:00 PM
Week 12: Sunday, Nov. 25, Atlanta, 1:00 PM
Week 13: Sunday, Dec. 2, at Denver, 4:05 PM
Week 14: Sunday, Dec. 9, Philadelphia, 1:00 PM
Week 15: Sunday, Dec. 16, at New Orleans, 1:00 PM
Week 16: Sunday, Dec. 23, St. Louis, 1:00 PM
Week 17: Sunday, Dec. 30, at Atlanta, 1:00 PM

As we wait for Tuesday night’s release of the NFL regular-season schedule, let’s take a quick run through some NFC South notes.

• Tampa Bay coach Greg Schiano didn’t last too long into his first minicamp before clearly letting his players know things are going to be different. Schiano, who has a reputation for being very organized, didn’t like the way some of his players were lined up as they began stretching. “Football is about details -- toes on the edge, toes on the edge!’’ Schiano shouted. I don’t know if Schiano will end up being a successful NFL coach, but it already is obvious he’s about as different from predecessor Raheem Morris as a coach can be.

• Speaking of the Bucs and their toes, kicker Connor Barth was a notable no show as minicamp began. Barth is carrying the franchise tag and has yet to sign his tender. Barth clearly wants a long-term deal and I believe the Bucs want him to be their kicker for a long time. They have plenty of salary-cap room to work with, so I wouldn’t be surprised if a long-term deal comes between now and the start of training camp. If Barth ends up playing for the tender, he’ll make $2.654 million, which isn’t bad money for a kicker. The Bucs just announced that they have claimed kicker Kai Forbath off waivers from Dallas. Unless things get really ugly in the negotiations with Barth, Forbath probably won't end up staying with the Bucs for long.

• Filmmaker Sean Pamphilon, the man who released audiotapes of former New Orleans defensive coordinator Gregg Williams talking to his players the night before last season’s playoff game in San Francisco, has talked to the media several times about why he did what he did. Now, Pamphilon has gone on camera to explain himself. Pamphilon also says he isn’t trying to “strong arm’’ NFL commissioner Roger Goodell into an interview in exchange for a copy of the tapes. But Pamphilon says he really, really would like to ask Goodell one question.

• The Falcons have announced their schedule for minicamps and offseason workouts.

• Friend and former co-worker Scott Fowler predicts the Panthers will get at least one and likely two nationally-televised games. I’ll go out on a limb and say before the night is over Carolina has at least two and possibly three prime-time games. Quarterback Cam Newton draws attention and the NFL and television networks like attention.

• North Carolina defensive end Quinton Coples said he visited with two NFC South teams. He visited the Bucs where he got to catch up with his former college coach Butch Davis, who is working as a senior advisor. But don’t look for Coples to end up with the Bucs who have more pressing needs than defensive ends. Coples also visited the Panthers and sounded like that meeting went well. I think it’s at least possible Coples could end up with the Panthers.

• Peter King has his mock draft out. He has the Bucs taking LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne at No. 5. Absolutely no argument with that one. He has the Panthers taking Mississippi State defensive tackle Fletcher Cox. I agree partly. If the Panthers decide to go with a defensive tackle and Cox is available, I think he’ll be the guy. But I’m not sure the Panthers will go with a defensive tackle.

• The schedule will be announced at 7 p.m. ET. Start checking back here soon after that. I’ll be posting a quick schedule analysis for each of the four teams as quickly as possible.

There hasn’t been a great deal of positive news out of the NFC South for the last month or so. Let’s break tradition and start our Friday evening roundup off with something bright and cheery.

If you’ve ever spent much time around the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, you probably know or have heard of Jill Hobbs. That’s largely because she’s been with the team forever -- almost. Hobbs, currently the team’s director of player benefits and alumni programs manager, will celebrate the 35^th anniversary of her hiring on Sunday. The Buccaneers started the celebration Friday by calling all staff members together for a meeting. Then, the Bucs surprised Hobbs, who has worked in a variety of capacities throughout the years, with a celebration and some very nice gifts.

• Updating a story we mentioned previously, it’s now official -- New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson has agreed to buy the New Orleans Hornets from the NBA. The league took ownership of the team in 2010. Ironically, the announcement of the deal comes on the same day the Hornets host the Utah Jazz, the same franchise that left New Orleans in 1979.
• Carolina quarterback Cam Newton is in the final four of the Madden 13 Cover Vote. Newton said he’s not worried about the so-called “Madden Curse’’ that has seen some players featured on the cover suffer injuries or have bad seasons. Newton said being on the cover is "what you make it."
• Take a look at this Insider post that features three underrated prospects that could be available early in the second round. The Buccaneers have a pick early in the second round and this list features a linebacker and running back -- two positions the Bucs could be considering at that time.
• No surprise here. Safety Tanard Jackson, who was released by the Bucs earlier this week, will join the Washington Redskins. Former Tampa Bay coach Raheem Morris is the defensive backs coach in Washington.
• Another player released by Tampa Bay this offseason is getting interest from the Tennessee Titans. That's center Jeff Faine.
• Jeff Duncan reports the deal linebacker David Hawthorne signed with the Saints is very salary-cap friendly. That’s not surprising. Despite having limited cap room, general manager Mickey Loomis has done a nice job of overhauling the linebacker corps. He also has signed Curtis Lofton and Chris Chamberlain to cap-friendly deals.
• For those tracking pre-draft visits, Memphis defensive tackle Dontari Poe recently visited with the Carolina Panthers.

The best thing about living in much of the South is that you can leave the door open in December and January. The flip side is, you never know who’s going to walk in.

That’s been demonstrated repeatedly throughout most of the decade the NFC South has been in existence. Worst to first isn’t just a hokey slogan in this division. It’s been a reality.

Not counting the inaugural season (because there was no defending champion or reigning last-place team in a division that didn’t exist before 2002), there have been six NFC South teams that finished fourth in the division one season and ended up winning it the following year. The trend started with the Carolina Panthers and their miraculous run to the Super Bowl in the 2003 season.

The Atlanta Falcons pulled off worst to first in 2004. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers did it twice -- in 2005 and 2007. So did the New Orleans Saints. They did it in 2006 and again in 2009, the season after which they won their only Super Bowl.

But the worst-to-first trend has stopped since then. The Saints and Falcons have stayed consistently good and managed only to flip back and forth between first and second place.

This could be the season in which things get back to normal. Let’s be clear that I’m not ready to write off the Saints, as long as they have Drew Brees at quarterback, or an Atlanta roster that’s loaded with talent and has the potential to click at any moment.

But you look at what has happened in New Orleans and what hasn’t happened in Atlanta this offseason and you have to wonder if it’s at least possible that new Tampa Bay coach Greg Schiano is about to pull off a miracle on Dale Mabry Highway or if Carolina linebacker Thomas Davis knew what he was talking about when he said the Panthers are headed for the Super Bowl.

The Saints’ bounty program has left them without coach Sean Payton for the entire season and they have little chance of pulling anything off in the draft because they don’t have a pick until the third round. They lost some free agents, like Carl Nicks and Tracy Porter. Plus, there’s the very real possibility that multiple players could face suspensions for their roles in the bounty program. Maybe adversity becomes a rallying cry for the Saints and they stay atop the division. Or maybe the bottom falls out of what was a great three-year run.

If that happens, the Falcons would seem the logical choice to step up. They did go 10-6 last season, although you could say they underachieved slightly throughout the regular season and tremendously in their playoff loss to the New York Giants. And what have the Falcons done to improve their roster this offseason?

Ladies and gentlemen, I present linebacker Lofa Tatupu and guard Vince Manuwai, two guys who didn’t play in the NFL last season.

Yeah, I know how the Falcons like to point to their roster continuity and changes at offensive and defensive coordinator as reasons they’ll be better this season. Those are valid points. But, still, the way last season ended, you have to at least wonder if the Falcons have already started their downhill slide.

Then, you look at the Buccaneers and Panthers and you see two teams that almost have to be on the rise. In the case of the Bucs, that’s mainly because they can’t go any lower.

Tampa Bay ended last season on a 10-game losing streak. Raheem Morris left for London at 4-2 last October, looking like the NFL’s next great coach. That guy hasn’t been seen since. But Schiano is in his office now and he seems to be saying and doing all the right things. He got rid of safety Tanard Jackson and coaxed safety Ronde Barber into coming back for one more year. Plus, Schiano has one luxury Morris didn’t last year -- a free-agent class.

A year after punter Michael Koenen was their big addition in free agency, the Bucs went out and made one of the league’s biggest splashes. They signed receiver Vincent Jackson, Nicks and cornerback Eric Wright.

Mix those guys in with some young talent (Josh Freeman, Gerald McCoy, Adrian Clayborn and some others), let Schiano restore a little order in the locker room and on the practice fields and worst to first at least seems like a possibility.

But, even if the Saints and Falcons slip, the Panthers could be ahead of the Bucs. They only won six games last season, but it might have been the most positive six-win season in NFL history. With Ron Rivera taking over for John Fox, the Panthers suddenly realized the NFL became a passing league a few years ago and started playing catch-up. They used the No. 1 overall draft pick on Cam Newton and suddenly had one of the NFL’s most prolific offenses.

The problem was the Panthers couldn’t do the one thing they always did under Fox -- play defense. That was largely because defensive tackle Ron Edwards was lost to injury in training camp and linebackers Jon Beason and Davis quickly followed. All three are expected back and that instantly should give Carolina a better defense. It only needs to be a little better, because Newton and that offense are going to score enough points for the Panthers to stay in the game with anyone.

Can the Panthers and/or the Bucs pass the Saints and Falcons?

We’ll see. It’s only April and the NFC South door looks to be wide open. Let’s see if it's still ajar -- or maybe even off the hinges -- in December.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers released Tanard Jackson on Tuesday, but I have little doubt he’ll end up with a new job very shortly.

Yes, Jackson’s had some off-field issues, and they might have factored in as Tampa Bay goes through a housecleaning with the arrival of new coach Greg Schiano. But Jackson has talent, and the rest of the NFL knows it.

Some teams might be scared off by the off-field issues, but some teams might be willing to take a shot on Jackson. As NFC East colleague Dan Graziano points out, the Washington Redskins might be at the top of that list.

Washington defensive backs coach Raheem Morris was Jackson’s head coach in Tampa Bay the past three seasons, and his secondary coach before that. The two have a strong relationship, and Morris has stood by Jackson in the past.

Jackson also has another strong tie to the Redskins. Washington general manager Bruce Allen was Tampa Bay’s general manager when Jackson was drafted.

TAMPA, Fla. – The few times he’s spoken publicly since taking over as coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Greg Schiano has emphasized that he’s giving all of his players a clean slate.

That’s all true, but it appears he also is sending a message to his players, they’re gone as soon as that slate gets messy.

General manager Mark Dominik was vague when announcing Tuesday morning that safety Tanard Jackson was being released. Dominik said that Jackson, who was coming back from a shoulder injury, was released after failing a physical.

Dominik also emphasized that there were no indications that Jackson, who previously was suspended for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy, had failed any new drug test or that any disciplinary action was coming from the NFL.

“What’s important to us as an organization is the growth of our football players,’’ Dominik said. “And how they handle on and off the field to become the best Buccaneer possible. That’s what we’re looking for.’’

I think it’s pretty easy to read between the lines on this one. Although the Bucs started their offseason program and Jackson had been attending, he hadn’t made a good early impression on Schiano. Injured players were allowed into One Buccaneer Place for rehabilitation throughout the offseason. I’m guessing Jackson wasn’t showing up regularly for that or wasn’t putting a great deal of effort into his rehabilitation.

This move seems to be a big departure from the philosophy of former coach Raheem Morris. The Bucs had numerous off-field issues, including problems with Jackson and cornerback Aqib Talib, but Morris always seemed willing to bring troubled players back.

Schiano seems to be following a one-strike policy and I don’t think the Jackson move will be the last. Talib has a trial on an assault charge in Texas in June. Talib could face prison time or a suspension by the NFL. Even if Talib is cleared, I think the message already has been sent by Schiano that there can’t be any more off-field problems.

Talent and athletic ability no longer are going to be enough to keep a payer on Tampa Bay’s roster. Jackson is proof of that. He easily was Tampa Bay’s best safety.

The Bucs have starter Cody Grimm returning from injury. They also have young safeties Larry Asante, Ahmad Black and Devin Holland. There also has been speculation that veteran cornerback Ronde Barber could move to safety.

But the Bucs almost certainly will look for more safety help in the draft or free agency.

Jackson had been scheduled to count $2.95 million against this year’s salary cap. By releasing Jackson, the Bucs will free up $2.75 million in salary cap space, but they do have to absorb a $200,000 roster bonus that was paid to Jackson on the first day of the league year in March.