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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 Panthers in 2012.

Dream scenario (11-5): With the Saints dealing with turmoil and the Falcons facing enormous pressure, it’s at least possible that the two teams that have dominated the NFC South in recent years won’t win it in 2012. The Panthers are the next logical choice, and there are all sorts of reasons for optimism.

Coach Ron Rivera’s entering his second season and so is quarterback Cam Newton, who was the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year despite not having an offseason with his coaches and their playbook. Newton should only continue to improve, a scary thought for a guy who lit up defenses with his arm and his legs last season. He has Steve Smith still going strong, a backfield that includes Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams, and has added fullback/tailback Mike Tolbert.

There are far fewer questions about Carolina’s offense than there were a year ago. It’s obvious the Panthers are going to score some points on offense. But the defense will tell the story. If this team is going to make the playoffs, Jon Beason and Ron Edwards must make strong comebacks from injuries and rookie linebacker Luke Kuechly must make an instant impact.

Nightmare scenario (6-10): Anything less than last year’s 6-10 record would be a huge disappointment. Although I don’t think it’s likely, it’s at least possible that Newton will take a step back. If he does, then maybe Smith no longer looks so young and maybe that loaded backfield doesn’t look so good. Then there’s the matter of the defense that was so bad a year ago. A lot of people seem to assume the return of Beason and Edwards and the addition of Kuechly will solve everything. But maybe Beason and Edwards aren’t the players they were before their injuries, and maybe Kuechly doesn’t live up to his billing.

If all that happens, then the Panthers really aren’t going to be any different than they were the last couple of seasons.

The Carolina Panthers are making the right call on middle linebacker Jon Beason, even if it’s not what he wants.

The Panthers are letting Beason walk through installation periods during their organized team activities. But they don’t plan on letting him do any real drills until training camp. That makes lots of sense because Beason suffered a torn Achilles tendon early last season. Beason said he feels fine.

“I think they're just protecting me from myself,” Beason said. “Practice is practice. But to me you come out and compete. You try to win every down and you play the game a certain way. I think that had a lot to do with it, too.”

I respect Beason as much as any player in the NFC South and that is in large part due to his competitive nature. I understand that he wants to be out there practicing at full speed. But the Panthers are doing the smart thing by holding him out until training camp. They also are proceeding cautiously with outside linebacker Thomas Davis, who is coming off his torn ACL.

“I'd like to believe when we get to training camp, we can put Jon in full-go at that point, and Thomas, we'll ease him back in,” coach Ron Rivera said.

Beason and Davis are both veterans and smart guys. They already know the defense and can pick up any new tweaks simply by watching practice. I’d rather see Beason and Davis fully healthy on opening day than see them exposing themselves to setbacks in May.

Apparently, Rivera and the Panthers feel the same way.

Let's take a look at the top Tuesday morning headlines from around the division.

This one sounds a little strange at first. Carolina coach Ron Rivera said Brandon LaFell “encapsulates who we are’’. Think about that for a minute. LaFell is a young player that has shown some flashes of promise. But, overall, LaFell hasn’t done all that much. He hasn’t even been able to permanently lock up the No. 2 receiver job, but the hope is he can fill that role and start showing more consistency. So, in a way, LaFell does represent the Panthers. They’re a young team with a lot of potential, but they have yet to arrive.

Joseph Person takes a look at the top position battles for the Carolina Panthers' defense as they begin workouts on the field. The top one is for the No. 2 cornerback job. Fans might not want to hear this, but it looks as if that’s Captain Munnerlyn’s job. He remains undersized, and that makes him a target for opposing offenses. But unless Brandon Hogan, who played little as a rookie as he recovered from knee surgery, takes a huge step forward, I don’t see anyone else on the roster ready to challenge Munnerlyn.

There is one slight positive to New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees being unsigned and not participating in offseason workouts. Safety Roman Harper said that makes it easier to install the defense of new coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. Harper said if Brees was around, he would show no mercy on a defense that’s going through some big adjustments.

Gary Shelton writes that Kellen Winslow shouldn’t be surprised by the Buccaneers' decision to trade him. He’s right. It was pretty obvious that Winslow’s a guy who is used to doing things as he pleases. It’s also pretty obvious coach Greg Schiano runs a very tight ship. If Winslow really wanted to play for Schiano, he should have realized it was time for some changes. At the very least, he should have first talked to the new coach about his plans for the offseason. I’m not sure Schiano would have been excited at the prospect of Winslow spending some of his time working out in San Diego. But it’s at least possible the coach and player could have worked out a deal if the situation was put on the table before workouts started.

When Cam Newton wasn't selected to be on the cover of "Madden 13," there seemed to be a huge sigh of relief from fans of the Carolina Panthers.

One potential crisis was avoided, but it seems like Carolina fans now are creating another. A lot of them seem to be worried about Newton following his offensive rookie of the year season with a “sophomore slump."

I have a tough time buying into that one. First off, Newton is incredibly talented. Second, he’ll have a full offseason with his coaches and the playbook, a luxury he didn’t have during last year’s lockout.

But let’s turn to someone who knows Newton a lot better than most. That’s Carolina coach Ron Rivera, who was asked in this interview about the possibility of Newton taking a step backward.

“I will say this about a sophomore slump: If there’s anybody that’s going work through it, he’s going to work through it,’’ Rivera said. “When the season was over, one of the things he said was he wanted to find a way to make sure he didn’t have one. I think the less we talk about it, the less we get caught up in it, the better. It’s like the Madden curse; he really wanted to be the cover. I think that’s the thing. Instead of running from it, saying, 'Oh, I hope it doesn’t happen -- it’s not going to happen.' I’m not going to let it happen. I think that’s his approach to the sophomore slump.’’

I think that’s an excellent approach. But Rivera was quick to point out that Newton can use some help from his teammates.

“I also think the guys around him have to continue to step up,’’ Rivera said. “Our running backs have to continue to go. I think the addition of [Mike] Tolbert gives us something extra because it’s now a fullback that’s a multitalented and versatile guy. Our tight end situation with Greg Olsen is solid. We have [Gary] Barnidge and Ben [Hartsock] sitting there -- guys that give us a different kind of look. And the continued development of our receiving corps. The young guys have got to step up, whether it’s David Gettis getting back to 100 percent, whether it’s Kealoha [Pilares] taking the next step, whether it’s Armanti [Edwards] stepping up, Darvin Adams stepping up, Joe Adams becoming a part of that.’’

Like I said, I only see Newton continuing to progress. But I’m not a big believer in curses, slumps or jinxes. But I could be wrong.

Let’s hear what you think. Cast your ballot in our accompanying SportsNation poll and use the comments section below to share your thoughts on if Newton will have a sophomore slump.

A look at the top Monday morning headlines from around the NFC South.

Although the Saints have been preaching an “us-against-the-world’’ mentality, Jeff Duncan writes that they risk turning it into “us against us’’ the longer the Drew Brees contract situation drags on. This thing has been lingering for a long time and Brees has started showing some displeasure. The Saints have the upper hand that comes with the franchise tag. But Brees isn’t going to be happy if he has to play for the franchise tag. There are a lot of unhappy people in New Orleans these days. The Saints don’t need the leader of their team going through an entire season in a bad mood.

With Brees staying away from the team’s offseason program, backup Chase Daniel is expected to work with the first team when the Saints hit the field Tuesday. Daniel said he’s ready to try to take advantage of the work with the first team.

Despite the wishes of their fans, the Carolina Panthers haven’t added a veteran receiver to go with Steve Smith. That may be because the Panthers want Brandon LaFell in the No. 2 job. Coach Ron Rivera said he’s encouraged by what he saw out of LaFell last season. But Rivera also made it a point to say LaFell hasn’t arrived. I think that’s a pretty clear message to LaFell that he has to continue to grow.

A league expert said the goal of Jonathan Vilma’s lawsuit against Roger Goodell isn’t so much to technically win as it is to compel the NFL to produce evidence of a bounty program.

New Atlanta linebacker Lofa Tatupu says he has to earn the respect of his new teammates as he attempts to win the starting job in the middle. Tatupu has a big challenge in front of him. He hasn’t played since the 2010 season in Seattle and, in a perfect world, the Falcons would like second-year pro Akeem Dent to win the job. But Tatupu had some very productive years with the Seahawks. If he can get back to that form, he could end up in the starting job.

Mike Williams said that free-agent pickup Vincent Jackson quickly has become the leader of Tampa Bay’s receiving corps. That’s a good thing because Jackson is a proven player and has been productive for a long time. The rest of Tampa Bay’s receiving corps has some potential. But Williams and the other receivers are very young and desperately need a leader to follow.

A quick look at the Saturday morning headlines from around the NFC South.

Perhaps the most tragic story of this offseason belongs to Tampa Bay defensive tackle Brian Price. His sister recently died in a car accident. This isn’t the first tragedy for Price. Previously, two of his brothers died at young ages. Price talked extensively about how devastating the latest loss has been. He also said he hopes to adopt his sister’s two young sons and bring them to Tampa.

The Panthers will take to the practice field next week, and are expecting often-injured right tackle Jeff Otah to be working out. But coach Ron Rivera made it clear that the starting job doesn’t automatically belong to Otah. That’s the right approach. Otah’s talented, but he hasn’t really played in this offensive system. More importantly, Otah has to show he can stay on the field. Byron Bell played well at right tackle last season. Otah might have far more natural talent than Bell, but it sure sounds like Rivera is saying Otah has to clearly win the job.

Owner Tom Benson said the goal for the Saints this season is to make history by becoming the first team to ever win the Super Bowl in its own stadium.

Atlanta general manager Thomas Dimitroff successfully completed his 40-mile route on Bike to Work Day.

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

D. Orlando Ledbetter has an updated post-draft depth chart for the Atlanta Falcons. He takes a fairly conservative approach, which isn’t out of character for the Falcons, and doesn’t project any rookies as starters. But I think rookie Peter Konz has a decent chance to start somewhere in the middle of the offensive line.

New Orleans Saints fans have floated a lot of conspiracy theories since news of the Saints’ bounty program broke. Most of them imply the Saints did nothing wrong and point the blame at other people. But Jeff Duncan asks a couple of very good questions: What if what the NFL says is all true? What if the Saints really did run a three-year bounty program and repeatedly covered it up? As unpleasant as it might be to accept, that certainly seems plausible and it might be time to accept reality. The organization, coaches and front office already filed appeals and didn’t get any relief. The players can still appeal, but that might not make any difference. It might be time to start moving forward from this.

San Jose State receiver Michael Avila has been invited for a tryout with the Carolina Panthers during their upcoming rookie camp. Avila is a product of Seaside High School in California. Carolina coach Ron Rivera also is a Seaside graduate.

The Atlanta Falcons, led by owner Arthur Blank, went to work to try to help a troubled inner-city neighborhood.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, already pretty deep at defensive tackle, have added another one. They’ve signed Gary Gibson, who previously was a backup with St. Louis and Carolina. More importantly, Gibson played for Tampa Bay coach Greg Schiano at Rutgers.

Can the defense be as good as the offense?

Quarterback Cam Newton and coordinator Rob Chudzinski arrived last year and instantly gave the Panthers the most exciting offense in franchise history. It could have been a special season. It wasn’t, though, and that’s because the defense was dismal.

That had to be hard to take for coach Ron Rivera, a former defensive coordinator. The offense remains pretty much intact, and it has added fullback/running back Mike Tolbert, so there should be plenty of points again next season. But the Panthers have to stop other teams from scoring so much if they really are going to contend in the NFC South.

They took a big step by drafting middle linebacker Luke Kuechly, who should start right away. But this offseason wasn’t as much about rebuilding the defense as it was getting key components healthy. Defensive tackle Ron Edwards, whom the Panthers signed last year to fix their run defense once and for all, is expected back at full strength after missing all of last season with an injury.

Linebackers Thomas Davis and Jon Beason also are coming back from injuries that kept them out most of last season. Beason should step right back in as the leader of this defense. Davis is a question mark because he’s coming back from his third torn ACL. Anything Davis can give this defense will be a plus.

But adding Kuechly and getting Beason and Edwards back means the Panthers should be able to put a respectable defense on the field on a consistent basis.

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

Former Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Polian reportedly will join the Atlanta Falcons in a scouting capacity. The Falcons shuffled their front office a bit when Les Snead left to become the general manager in St. Louis. David Caldwell and DeJuan Polk each took on added duties. Polian should add experience and make the front office deeper.

Here’s a partial and unofficial list of undrafted rookie free agents expected to sign with the Carolina Panthers. One of them is Southern receiver Jared Green, the son of Hall of Famer Darrell Green. The Panthers are expected to announce their full list Monday or Tuesday after they have received signed contracts.

Here’s the list of undrafted rookies expected to sign with the New Orleans Saints.

Undrafted Toledo receiver Eric Page tweeted Saturday that he was signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But he apparently had a change of heart and signed with the Denver Broncos. Here’s a list of a few other rookies that are expected to sign with the Bucs.

With the drafting of receiver/return man Joe Adams, Armanti Edwards’ time with the Carolina Panthers is probably up. The Panthers traded a second-round pick in 2011 to take the former Appalachian State quarterback in the third round in 2010 and the plan was to turn Edwards into a receiver and returner. Former coach John Fox was opposed to drafting Edwards and was hesitant to play him. Edwards got a fresh start last year, when Ron Rivera took over, but was never able to make an impact.

There’s a big question now that the Carolina Panthers have used their first-round pick on linebacker Luke Kuechly.

Where does he play?

General manager Marty Hurney and coach Ron Rivera aren’t giving any hints if Kuechly will play inside, where he spent most of his college career, or if he’ll move to the outside. If you thought Kuechly would tip his hand right away, think again.

Kuechly just finished meeting with the Charlotte media and wouldn’t provide anything real strong about how he’ll fit in with an existing corps of linebackers that includes Jon Beason, Thomas Davis and James Anderson.

“Right now, we’re just trying to see and go in with an open mind-set,’’ Kuechly said. “We’ve got to figure out what’s going to happen. All three positions are going to be a challenge moving forward. I’ve got to pick up on some new things, but I’m excited to see what happens.’’

Here’s the deal -- this thing will sort itself out naturally. You can bet the Panthers won’t put Kuechly with the first team when they run their first minicamp plays. They just don’t work that way.

The real test will come as training camp progresses and that will depend on some things beyond Kuechly. Beason, who has spent most of his career inside, and Davis, who has spent most of his career on the outside, both are coming off major injuries and the Panthers will be watching them as closely as they’re watching Kuechly. Davis is coming off his third ACL surgery and he comes with no guarantees.

Beason has played a little on the outside in the past and there’s no doubt he can swing back there. Kuechly also has the speed to move outside.

The Panthers will go to camp and let this thing play out. But I think it’s pretty safe to say Kuechly will be in the starting lineup -- at one spot or another -- on opening day.

You don’t use a top-10 pick on a guy to sit him on the bench.

Todd McShay has his latest mock draft out and it includes some major changes from what he’s had in the past for the NFC South.

This draft goes seven rounds deep and McShay has help from Steve Meunch and Kevin Weidl. But we’ll just focus on the first round here and that means we’re talking about the Bucs and Panthers, the only two division teams with first-round picks.

It long has been thought that Tampa Bay’s choice at No. 5 would come down to LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne and Alabama running back Trent Richardson. But McShay is buying into growing speculation that Minnesota is going to throw off the direction many saw this draft going. McShay now has the Vikings taking Claiborne at No. 3. He follows that up by giving Richardson to Cleveland at No. 4.

Then he goes in a direction that many suddenly seem to be headed. He has Tampa Bay taking Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly at No. 5. I don’t have a big problem with that scenario, assuming new coach Greg Schiano’s defense is ready to put increased emphasis on the middle linebacker position. Back in the Cover 2 days, middle linebacker wasn’t all that important and the Bucs relied on outside linebacker Derrick Brooks to make the big plays.

If the Bucs want a strong presence and are willing to make a significant investment on middle linebacker, then go with Kuechly. He’s viewed as a can’t-miss prospect with no real questions on or off the field. (That in itself would be a departure from the approach Tampa Bay took with some picks in the past.)

But, I also see some other scenarios for the Bucs if Claiborne and Richardson are gone. They probably could trade down a few picks and still get Kuechly and they also would add a pick or two.

Even if the Bucs stay put, I’m not certain Kuechly really is the guy they would take. They at least would have to consider Southern California offensive tackle Matt Kalil or Oklahoma State receiver Justin Blackmon. Neither plays a position where the Bucs have a huge need, but they might be hard to pass up. Kalil is viewed as the kind of guy who can be an elite left tackle for a decade.

The Bucs are pretty well set on the offensive line. The interior is very strong and left tackle Donald Penn is above average. Right tackle Jeremy Trueblood is a bit of a question mark. The Bucs could take Kalil and start him off on the right side and eventually have him switch spots with Penn. Or the Bucs could take Kalil and switch Penn, who has a history of getting off to fast starts and then not playing as well down the stretch, to the right side. That could give them one of the league’s best offensive lines and it’s become clear one of Schiano’s priorities is to structure this team to help quarterback Josh Freeman.

Speaking of helping Freeman, Blackmon also could do that. I know the Bucs just signed Vincent Jackson and they have a bunch of young guys with potential. But Mike Williams and Arrelious Benn haven’t really shown they are big-time players. The Bucs already have given Freeman one big playmaker in Jackson. They could give him two if they take Blackmon.

McShay also departs from previous conventional wisdom by selecting South Carolina cornerback Stephon Gilmore for Carolina at No. 9. There are rumblings that Gilmore is a player on the rise. He’s also a local kid. He grew up just over the South Carolina border in what qualifies as a suburb of Charlotte. Cornerback is certainly a need and owner Jerry Richardson likes to bring in players from the Carolinas. I can see this one happening. But there’s another local guy who could be in the mix. That’s North Carolina defensive end Quinton Coples. General manager Marty Hurney and coach Ron Rivera drove up to Chapel Hill for a meeting with Coples on Monday and I don’t think they would have made that trip if they weren’t seriously considering him.

New Orleans interim head coach Joe Vitt is meeting with the local media right now. It sounds like he’s addressing the bounty situation, the offseason program and lots of other things. We’ll have more on that after Vitt wraps up.

Meantime, let’s take a quick run through some headlines around the NFC South.

• Louisiana state police and the FBI are conducting a joint investigation into allegations that New Orleans general manager Mickey Loomis had the ability to listen to opposing coaches during home games from 2002 through 2004. Loomis and the team have strongly denied the allegations.

• Bradley Handwerger writes that the Saints have a public-perception problem on their hands, and they now are viewed as guilty before having a chance to prove their innocence. How do they start getting people to view them in a more positive light? Well, I think that’s going to be a process. But one good way to start that process would be to get quarterback Drew Brees signed to a long-term contract.

• I’m not a big believer in the alleged “Madden Curse’’. But, apparently, a lot of people are. Here’s a very thorough story on the economic impact of the curse. Keep this in mind, because the Madden 13 Cover Vote ends Wednesday and all indications are that the voting is very close between Carolina quarterback Cam Newton and Detroit receiver Calvin Johnson.

• Carolina general manager Marty Hurney and coach Ron Rivera reportedly traveled to Chapel Hill on Monday to meet with North Carolina defensive end Quinton Coples. I’m not sure exactly what to read into this, and I’m not ready to go ahead and say Coples will be Carolina’s pick at No. 9. But I do think it’s important to note that Hurney is not the type to play games and send out smokescreens. If he took the time to have this meeting, I’d guess there’s a very real chance Coples could be the pick, if he’s available at No. 9.

• Here’s an overview of Mark Dominik’s draft classes since taking over as general manager of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I guess it’s fair to say the jury is still out. But I also think it’s fair to say the upcoming season is a crucial one for Dominik picks such as Josh Freeman, Gerald McCoy and Brian Price. If they play well, Dominik’s draft history suddenly will look a lot better.

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.

Pre-draft news conferences are usually pretty dull. That’s largely because most coaches and general managers go out of their way not to provide any clues about what they plan to do in the draft.

Carolina general manager Marty Hurney, the dean of NFC South general managers, mastered that art long ago. Second-year coach Ron Rivera followed the same pattern as he and Hurney met with the media Thursday afternoon. They were careful not to say much about specific players or go into detail about areas of need.

But Rivera did have one interesting statement. The Panthers had the No. 1 overall pick last year. They used it on quarterback Cam Newton, who became an immediate starter. The Panthers have the No. 9 pick this year, but they’re not looking to draft a guy who's going to spend a year or two on the bench.

“We're not like where we were last year,’’ Rivera said. “We had the pick of the litter. Now we've got to react to what's happening -- who goes here, who goes there and then we'll decide who fits us best and who's going to help us immediately. We're not taking a guy early to have him develop. We're taking a guy early to put him on the field and have him help us right away. That's what the expectation is.”

If you want to read into that, you might think the Panthers could be leaning toward players like Mississippi defensive tackle Fletcher Cox or Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly. Most draft experts say Cox has more polish than the other highly-rated defensive tackles -- Memphis’ Dontari Poe and LSU’s Michael Brockers. Those same experts also say Kuechly is by far the best linebacker in the draft and should be able to make a quick impact in the NFL.

ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. analyzes the needs of all four NFC South teams and makes their projected picks for the first three rounds of the draft .

For the sake of variety, let’s skip the first round. You can check that out in Kiper’s post. I promise, there aren’t any major surprises for Carolina and Tampa Bay, the only NFC South teams with first-round picks.

Let’s jump to the second round and let’s start with the Atlanta Falcons. He has the Falcons taking offensive lineman Kelechi Osemele in the second round and defensive end Olivier Vernon in the third. I haven’t studied Osemele and Vernon nearly as closely as Kiper has. But I like the picks because the Falcons clearly need to get better on the offensive line and need to add someone who can rush the passer.

New Orleans doesn’t pick until the third round and Kiper has the Saints picking defensive tackle Akiem Hicks. That’s a name that should be familiar to some Saints fans. Hicks was recruited by LSU, but wound up playing in Canada. Kiper said Hicks can have an impact right away. That would be nice because Brodrick Bunkley and Sedrick Ellis are about all the Saints have in the middle of their defensive line.

Now, let’s shift back to Carolina and Tampa Bay.

The Panthers don’t have a third-round pick and Kiper has them taking defensive end Nick Perry in the second round. There’s no question coach Ron Rivera would like to have as many pass-rushers as possible. But, if the Panthers take Perry here, they still will have a need at defensive tackle. If you haven’t already looked at what Kiper has given the Panthers in the first round, that should provide a big clue.

Speaking of big clues, Kiper has the Buccaneers taking running back Doug Martin in the second round and linebacker Demario Davis in the third round. I’m not sure Martin and Davis will be the exact guys that are available when the Bucs make those picks. But I think Kiper’s following a very logical order of positions to fill Tampa Bay’s needs.