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This is the time of year when you hear a lot about offseason workouts. This is when teams can begin conditioning drills and get out onto the field to start working on football and that continues through minicamps and organized team activities.

It’s a great time to build chemistry. You’ll also hear a lot of coaches bragging about how almost all their players are participating in the workouts, which is great. But, in some cases, there’s a lot of money to be earned just for showing up and working out in the offseason.

I just got a look at all the offseason workout bonuses scheduled to be earned (if the players take part in a majority of the workouts) by NFC South players this year and there were some eye openers. Tampa Bay general manager Mark Dominik doesn’t use a lot of workout bonuses in the contracts he negotiates. But, when he does use them, they’re significant. Tight end Kellen Winslow and cornerback Eric Wright have the largest workout bonuses in the division for 2012 at $500,000 each. Offensive tackle Donald Penn is right behind them at $400,000 and defensive tackle Gerald McCoy is scheduled to collect $300,000. Linebacker Quincy Black has a $250,000 bonus and defensive tackle Amobi Okoye is slated to make $200,000. Those six are the only Buccaneers with workout bonuses this year, but they come to a total of $2.15 million.

Carolina general manager Marty Hurney and New Orleans general manager Mickey Loomis are much more liberal in their use of workout bonuses. The Saints and Panthers each have 21 players scheduled to earn workout bonuses this year.

Carolina’s scheduled workout bonuses add up to $2.055 million. I won’t list anyone under six figures. But here are the guys who can earn big money. Charles Johnson, Jon Beason, DeAngelo Williams, Ryan Kalil and Ron Edwards each are scheduled to make $250,000. Charles Godfrey, James Anderson, Olindo Mare and Garry Williams each can earn $100,000.

If all the New Orleans players take part in enough workouts, the Saints will have to pay out $2.381 million. Sedrick Ellis leads the Saints with a $250,000 workout bonus. Jahri Evans, Lance Moore and Scott Shanle each are scheduled to make $200,000 and Will Smith is slated to make $150,000. Marques Colston, Roman Harper, Jabari Greer, Jermon Bushrod, Jonathan Vilma, Malcolm Jenkins, Devery Henderson, Pierre Thomas, David Thomas, Korey Hall and Will Herring each are scheduled to make $100,000.

Apparently, Atlanta’s Thomas Dimitroff, who probably works out more (he rides a bike religiously) than any NFC South general manager, doesn’t believe in workout bonuses. Dimitroff has used them very sparingly in the past. This year, there’s not a single Atlanta player schedule to earn a workout bonus.

The NFL draft is over and the Carolina Panthers have added at least one new starter.

That’s linebacker Luke Kuechly, who was drafted with the No. 9 overall pick. It just remains to be seen if he’ll start in the middle or on the outside.

Let’s take a look at Carolina’s projected depth chart as I see it at the moment.

OFFENSE

• QB Cam Newton

• RB DeAngelo Williams (Jonathan Stewart is interchangeable)

• FB Mike Tolbert

• WR Steve Smith

• WR Brandon LaFell (or David Gettis)

• TE Greg Olsen

• LT Jordan Gross

• LG Mike Pollak (or rookie Amini Silatolu)

• C Ryan Kalil

• RG Geoff Hangartner

• RT Jeff Otah (Byron Bell could end up here if Otah’s not healthy)

DEFENSE

• DE Charles Johnson

• DT Ron Edwards

• DT Terrell McClain (Sione Fua also will be in the rotation)

• DE Greg Hardy

• MLB Jon Beason or Kuechly (one of them will move outside)

• OLB James Anderson (or Beason or Kuechly)

• OLB Thomas Davis (or Beason or Kuechly)

• CB Chris Gamble

• CB Captain Munnerlyn

• SS Charles Godfrey

• FS Sherrod Martin

SPECIALISTS

• K Olindo Mare

• P Brad Mortman (at least one rookie besides Kuechly will play a lot)

• KR Kealoha Pilares

• PR Joe Adams (the rookie also could get some time as the slot receiver)

As I drove down to Bradenton, Fla., back in February to interview some draft prospects at IMG Football Academy, I thought a lot about Carolina’s 2001 draft class. That’s because I was about to see a member of that class -- Chris Weinke, who now is IMG’s director of football operations.

I also was about to meet Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly, who was preparing for the scouting combine under Weinke’s guidance. The Panthers used their first-round pick on Kuechly on Thursday night, but we’ll get back to Kuechly in just a minute. Let’s stick to the 2001 class for now.

As I drove, I thought about how that class might have been the best in franchise history (although the 2007 class that included Jon Beason, Ryan Kalil and Charles Johnson certainly is in the argument). But the 2001 draft is different in one regard. If not for a few twists of fate, it could have gone down as one of the greatest draft classes in NFL history.

Let’s start with the Panthers' third-round choice of Steve Smith, a wide receiver who is still with the Panthers and is still going strong. He at least has a shot at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Weinke was the fourth-round choice. He got thrown into a bad situation as a rookie starter and never was “the guy’’ once John Fox took over the next year.

Safety Jarrod Cooper (a fifth-round choice) and running back Dee Brown (sixth round) also contributed as special-teams players and offensive lineman Louis Williams (seventh round) hung around for a bit, even though his claim to fame was his willingness to pick up a couple hundred bucks from teammates for practicing in shorts and a t-shirt on one of the coldest and snowiest days in Charlotte history.

Then, there was second-round choice Kris Jenkins. For a brief period, he was the best defensive tackle in the game. He was a major reason the Panthers went to the Super Bowl in the 2003 season. Jenkins’ career got sidetracked by two major knee injuries and he grew unhappy in Charlotte. He later went to the New York Jets and, for a short time, looked like the best defensive tackle in the game again. Then, he got hit with more injuries.

Had Jenkins been able to stay healthy and happy, he might be in Hall of Fame discussions with Smith. Then, there’s the star-crossed case of Dan Morgan, the linebacker Carolina took in the first round of that draft.

“The best football player I’ve ever played with,’’ Jenkins told me last summer, soon after he announced his retirement.

People tend to forget how great Morgan was. That’s because his career was overshadowed by injuries, mostly concussions. Morgan spent seven seasons with Carolina, but never was able to play in more than 13 games in a season. In his last two years, he played in only four games.

But, in the few moments he was healthy, Morgan might have been the best player in this class. Remember Super Bowl XXXVIII? Morgan officially was in on 18 tackles in that game, but Carolina coaches put the number at 25. When Morgan was healthy, he was spectacular. Without all the injuries, Morgan might still be playing and he easily could be ahead of Smith and Jenkins in that hypothetical Hall of Fame conversation.

Through the years, I’ve discussed Morgan many times with Carolina general manager Marty Hurney. Coach George Seifert had the general-manager powers in that draft, but Hurney was part of the Carolina brain trust and moved into his current role the next year. When Hurney talks about Morgan, you hear bittersweet tones. Like everyone else in Carolina’s building that spent time around Morgan, Hurney talks glowingly about Morgan’s talent and how he was a true pro’s pro. Then, the injuries come up and that’s when the tone becomes sad. Hurney saw Morgan as a player that could have been truly special.

That’s why I have to wonder if Hurney was thinking about Morgan (and what he could have been) as he went through the draft process with Kuechly. I sure was. When Carolina’s pick was announced, my first thought was “Hurney just drafted a healthy Dan Morgan."

Kuechly is like Morgan in so many ways – a sideline-to-sideline linebacker who lives for football. Like Morgan, Kuechly had a highly-productive career from a strong college program.

Kuechly is coming in young, fresh and healthy. If he can stay that way, he could end up being the player Morgan never quite was able to become. That would make Hurney and a lot of Carolina fans very happy.

Keep Kuechly on the field for a decade and he could become a Pro Bowl regular. Maybe even, someday, a Hall of Famer.

The Carolina Panthers are keeping guard Geoff Hangartner, according to ESPN’s John Clayton.

Hangartner has agreed to a three-year deal. The terms weren’t immediately available.

But the re-signing of Hangartner solidifies one guard position while leaving a bit of a question at the other. Veteran Travelle Wharton was carrying a cap figure in excess of $7 million as the Panthers worked to get under the cap for the start of free agency. It’s unclear if the Panthers have restructured Wharton’s contract or made any roster moves involving him yet.

Hangartner originally was drafted by the Panthers in 2005. He left as a free agent for two seasons in Buffalo but was re-signed last preseason as the Panthers had several injuries at guard. Hangartner wound up starting all 16 games. He also gives the Panthers a bit of flexibility because he has the ability to play center if needed.

If Wharton is staying with the Panthers, the team has what looks like a strong offensive line on paper. Center Ryan Kalil and left tackle Jordan Gross each have been to the Pro Bowl. Right tackle is a bit of a question mark with Jeff Otah missing most of the last two seasons with injuries.

Time to take a look at the NFC South players that are scheduled to have the highest 2012 salary-cap figures.

Let’s be clear, these numbers are not what the players will actually make in 2012. These numbers simply reflect what they’ll count against the salary cap. And let’s also be clear that this list isn’t quite complete. You can bet Drew Brees will be on here once the quarterback signs a new deal with the New Orleans Saints. There also are some guys that probably will be cut or have their contracts restructured before the start of the year. Tampa Bay defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth is a perfect example of that.

He’s scheduled to count $7.2 million. The Bucs can release him without any salary-cap hit. It’s a similar situation for Carolina linebacker Thomas Davis, who is scheduled to count $5.9 million. Davis is coming off his third torn ACL in two years and is due a big bonus in March. I seriously doubt he’ll get to collect that bonus.

Anyway, as it stands right now, Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan is the easy winner for the NFC South’s highest cap figure. He’s scheduled to count $13.5 million toward the cap ($11.5 million in base salary and another $2 million in prorated bonus money). Aside from Ryan, 30 other NFC South players are scheduled to count more than $5 million toward the salary cap. Let’s take a look:

• Jordan Gross, Panthers, $11.5 million

• Charles Johnson, Panthers, $11 million

• Steve Smith, Panthers, $10.7 million

• Will Smith, Saints, $10.15 million

• Chris Gamble, Panthers, $9.75 million

• Davin Joseph, Buccaneers, $9.5 million

• Gerald McCoy, Buccaneers, $9.44 million

• DeAngelo Williams, Panthers, $8.7 million

• Josh Freeman, Buccaneers, $8.545 million

• Roddy White, Falcons, $8.03 million

• Jonathan Vilma, Saints, $7.63 million

• Travelle Wharton, Panthers, $7.6 million

• Sedrick Ellis, Saints, $7.6 million

• Albert Haynesworth, Buccaneers, $7.2 million

• Dunta Robinson, Falcons, $7 million

• Jermon Bushrod, Saints, $6.9 million

• Donald Penn, Buccaneers, $6.43 million

• Roman Harper, Saints, $6.35 million

• Jabari Greer, Saints, $6.25 million

• Jeff Faine, Buccaneers, $5.925 million

• Tony Gonzalez, Falcons, $5.92 million

• Thomas Davis, Panthers, $5.9 million

• Quincy Black, Buccaneers, $5.75 million

• Jon Beason, Panthers, $5.5 million

• Ryan Kalil, Panthers, $5.35 million

• Justin Blalock, Falcons, $5.3 million

• Jeremy Trueblood, Buccaneers, $5.25 million

• Jahri Evans, Saints, $5.2 million

• Cam Newton $5.01 million

In recent days, I’ve been sharing some details on 2011 playing time at various positions. We’ll continue to do that going forward and still have to touch on NFC South fullbacks and all the defensive positions.

But this is Iron Man Day, so we’re going to talk about offensive linemen. As a general rule, offensive linemen get a greater percentage of playing time than players at all the other positions. That’s part of the nature of the position -- teams want continuity.

In 2011, 42 NFL players took part in 100 percent of their teams offensive and defensive snaps. New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning, Cleveland linebacker D’Qwell Jackson, St. Louis linebacker James Laurinitis, Chicago linebacker Lance Briggs, Washington linebacker Ryan Kerrigan and Tennessee cornerback Cortland Finnegan all deserve special mention for taking part in 100 percent of their team’s snaps at positions where that’s pretty rare.

Aside from those six players, 36 others took part in all of their team’s offensive plays. All of them were offensive linemen and seven of them were from the NFC South.

Carolina guard Geoff Hangartner, Atlanta guard Justin Blalock, New Orleans guard Carl Nicks, Tampa Bay guard Davin Joseph, Atlanta tackle Tyson Clabo, New Orleans tackle Jermon Bushrod and Tampa Bay tackle Donald Penn each took part in every one of their team’s offensive snaps.

Several other NFC South offensive linemen also came close to achieving that honor. Here’s a look at the other NFC South linemen that played more than 90 percent of their team’s offensive snaps.

• Carolina center Ryan Kalil, 99.3.

• New Orleans guard Jahri Evans, 96.8.

• Carolina guard Travelle Wharton, 95.6.

• Carolina tackle Jordan Gross, 92.5.

• Tampa Bay tackle Jeremy Trueblood, 92.1.

• Tampa Bay center Jeff Faine, 90.5.

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

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are getting some of the same treatment they used to give others when Bruce Allen was their general manager. The Arizona Cardinals refused to give the Bucs permission to talk to wide receivers coach John McNulty, who remains under contract. Presumably, the Bucs were interested in McNulty as the offensive coordinator for new coach Greg Schiano. The two worked together at Rutgers.

D. Orlando Ledbetter reports Miami assistant Joe Danna is the leading candidate to become Atlanta’s defensive backs coach. Alvin Reynolds was fired from that spot last week.

Although he’s having fun in Hawaii, Carolina quarterback Cam Newton said he doesn’t want to be at the Pro Bowl every year. He wants to be playing in Super Bowls.

Speaking of the Pro Bowl, it will air at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday. In addition to Newton, the other NFC South representatives are all offensive players -- New Orleans’ Drew Brees, Jimmy Graham, Carl Nicks, Jahri Evans and Jermon Bushrod, Carolina’s Steve Smith and Ryan Kalil, Atlanta’s Roddy White and Tony Gonzalez and Tampa Bay’s Davin Joseph. By the way, you might want to keep an eye on White’s verified Twitter account during the game. For the first time ever, the NFL will allow players to tweet during a game. If you’ve followed White on Twitter, you know he’s more than a Pro Bowler in that area. He’s a first-team All-Pro.

Keep an eye on our main NFL page for Pro Bowl coverage. If an NFC South player does anything out of the ordinary or there are injuries, I’ll weigh in on the blog.

It was a big year for offense in the NFC South. The New Orleans Saints set all sorts of records. The Carolina Panthers lit up scoreboards and, when the Atlanta Falcons were on, they sometimes were spectacular.

That made for some difficult choices, but here’s my All-NFC South offense.

Tackle: Jordan Gross, Panthers. He’s getting along in years, but Gross is still the best tackle in the division.

Tackle: Jermon Bushrod, Saints. This was a really tough call because Tampa Bay’s Donald Penn seemed destined for this spot, but his play slipped as the Bucs collapsed and lost their last 10 games. I refuse to put any offensive lineman from Atlanta on this team, so I’m going with Bushrod almost by default. I know he made the Pro Bowl, but I’m not convinced Bushrod is anything more than an ordinary left tackle. But he’s better than any other tackle the NFC South had to offer.

Guard: Carl Nicks, Saints. He might be the best guard in the NFL.

Guard: Jahri Evans, Saints. If Nicks isn’t the best guard in the NFL, then Evans is.

Center: Ryan Kalil, Panthers. He’s becoming a Pro Bowl regular and might be the best center in the league.

Wide receiver: Steve Smith, Panthers. Rookie quarterback Cam Newton came along and revitalized Smith’s career. But I also think Smith deserves a lot of the credit for Newton’s success.

Wide receiver: Marques Colston, Saints. I went back and forth on this one between Colston and Atlanta’s Roddy White and Tampa Bay’s Mike Williams also got some consideration. I’m joking. Williams didn’t get one bit of consideration. White’s numbers were slightly better than Colston’s in terms of catches and receiving yards. But Colston missed a couple games with a broken collarbone and still had very nice numbers in an offense where there are a ton of other options. White had nice numbers, but he didn’t look like the dominant receiver he was a year ago. White led the league in drops.

Tight end: Jimmy Graham, Saints. This one was easy. Atlanta’s Tony Gonzalez had a very nice season and is the best tight end in history. But Graham had one of the most prolific seasons ever by a tight end in only his second season. Graham should only continue to get better and, if he stays healthy, he could eventually pass Gonzalez as the best tight end ever.

Fullback: Jed Collins, Saints. In his first real NFL season (Collins was with Cleveland in 2008), he emerged as a steady role player in the league’s best offense. Collins didn’t have much in the way of numbers, but his blocking was a key factor in the offenses’ success. If Atlanta’s Ovie Mughelli hadn’t gotten injured, he’d be in this spot. But Collins is a worthy replacement.

Running back: Darren Sproles, Saints. Sproles ended up with an NFL record for all-purpose yards. Out of the backfield, he contributed as a runner and receiver and created enormous matchup problems for opposing defenses.

Running back: Michael Turner. Yeah, I'm going with two running backs because it's my team, I can want and there are two guys that deserve to be on here. Turner looked slow for most of the second half of the season. But he still rushed for 1,340 yards and 11 touchdowns. That's not a bad season by any measure.

Quarterback: Drew Brees, Saints. He threw for a league-record 5,476 yards and also passed for 46 touchdowns. Brees has been great for a long time, but he took his game to another level. He’s the reason the Saints won 13 games without a defense.

Eli Manning is going to the Super Bowl, but Cam Newton is going to the Pro Bowl.

With the New York Giants going to Indianapolis, Manning won’t be able to make the trip to Hawaii. Manning originally had been selected to join New Orleans’ Drew Brees and Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers as the NFC quarterbacks.

Without Manning, Newton was the next man up. He was the NFC’s first alternate at quarterback. Newton had a spectacular rookie season as he set a new first-year record for passing yards.

He’ll join receiver Steve Smith and center Ryan Kalil, who were voted in previously, as Carolina’s representatives at the Pro Bowl.

The 2011 Associated Press All-Pro Team is out and the NFC South didn’t fare very well.

New Orleans guards Carl Nicks and Jahri Evans were the only players from the division to make the first-team All-Pro squad.

New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees and tight end Jimmy Graham made the second team. Carolina center Ryan Kalil also made the second team. As you might have expected, no NFC South defensive players made the All-Pro Team.

And for those who thought Brees would at least make the vote close, well, that didn’t happen. AFC South colleague Paul Kuharsky has the vote totals and Aaron Rodgers won the quarterback position in a landslide. No Atlanta players made it. No Tampa Bay players made it, not even Elbert Mack.

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

Atlanta rookie receiver Julio Jones could pose more of a threat than he did in the first meeting with the Saints. Jones had to leave that game with a hamstring injury. The beauty of Jones in Atlanta’s offense is that, when he’s on the field, he makes everyone else on the offense more dangerous.

In recent years, there’s been a lot of talk about the Mercedes-Benz Superdome providing a huge home-field advantage for the Saints. But that’s kind of inflated. The Saints have never won more than six home games in a season. They have a chance to get to seven Monday night against the Falcons. If they do that, they’ll have a chance to run the table when they host Carolina in the season finale.

In his weekly film study, Jeff Duncan says the Saints’ defense was just as impressive as the offense in the victory against Minnesota. I agree. The New Orleans defense has been noticeably better in recent weeks. But the same can be said for Atlanta’s defense.

D. Orlando Ledbetter points out the Falcons stopped the running game in the previous game with the Saints. That was nice, but he also points out the Falcons did not sack Drew Brees and barely pressured the quarterback. Maybe that’s why the Saints won the first meeting.

There’s been a lot of talk about Cam Newton showing his emotions through body language whenever things go wrong for Carolina. But the rookie quarterback said he’s working on keeping those in check after getting lectured by offensive tackle Jordan Gross and center Ryan Kalil.

The Buccaneers are hoping adversity makes them stronger. So far, that formula hasn’t seemed to work.

Tampa Bay receiver Mike Williams says the Bucs need to grow up. Again, there hasn’t been a lot of evidence that process has started.

A quick reminder that the fan portion of voting for the Pro Bowl ends Monday.

Here’s the link to the ballot if you want to hit the polls at the last minute.

I won’t tell you who to vote for, but I’ll throw out some names I think are worthy of consideration. On offense, I’d think about New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees, Carolina quarterback Cam Newton, Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan, Atlanta running back Michael Turner, Carolina receiver Steve Smith, Atlanta receiver Roddy White, New Orleans tight end Jimmy Graham, Atlanta tight end Tony Gonzalez, Carolina tackle Jordan Gross, New Orleans guards Carl Nicks and Jahri Evans and Carolina center Ryan Kalil.

On defense, I’d consider Carolina defensive end Charles Johnson, Atlanta defensive end John Abraham, Atlanta defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux, Atlanta linebackers Sean Weatherspoon and Curtis Lofton, New Orleans cornerback Jabari Greer and New Orleans safety Malcolm Jenkins.

On special teams, I think New Orleans punter Thomas Morstead, Tampa Bay punter Michael Koenen, Atlanta kicker Matt Bryant and New Orleans return man Darren Sproles are worth considering.

There were a number of interesting developments around the NFC South as I was traveling earlier this afternoon. So let's use one rapid-fire post to cover a lot of ground.

Seriously? Tampa Bay running back LeGarrette Blount said he got some high praise from Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers after Sunday’s game.

“He told me he thinks I’m one of the best backs in the league,” Blount told the media Monday. “He told me I have a chance to be one of the greatest backs in this league and he said he doesn’t just say that to anybody. He feels like me and one other guy have the potentinal to stand out and be two of the best running backs to ever play the game.’’

Hmm, just a thought, but wouldn’t it be pretty funny if the (“one other guy’’) Rodgers was referring to was Kregg Lumpkin? I’ve spent a little time around Rodgers and the guy does have a great sense of humor.

Silencing Suh. The Carolina Panthers did a decent job of containing Detroit defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. They did that largely by double-teaming him. By one calculation, Suh was double-teamed on 63.3 percent of his snaps.

That’s not all that surprising. The Panthers have their problems, but the offensive line isn’t one of them. Ryan Kalil might be the best center in the league, Jordan Gross is an elite left tackle and Travelle Wharton is a very underrated guard.

Injury list growing. Carolina’s problems are mostly on defense and they might be getting even worse. Coach Ron Rivera said defensive end Charles Johnson will have an MRI on his shoulder and linebacker Omar Gaither suffered a setback on a knee injury that has limited his playing time.

Still chasing the dream. Tampa Bay coach Raheem Morris said Monday his team’s goal at the start of the season was to win the NFC South and that hasn’t changed even though the Bucs are 4-6.

To borrow a line from the character “Phil’’ in the movie “The Hangover’’ a few hours before his missing friend was scheduled to be married, “Yeah, um, that’s not going to happen’’.

Now, I will say this, the playoffs still are a possibility for the Bucs. But they’re going to have to get hot and it has to happen immediately. They pretty much have to run the table to have any shot at the postseason and there haven’t been many signs lately that the Bucs, who have lost four straight, are on the verge of getting hot.

Brees on parade. New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees used the bye week to make the talk-show rounds. He visited with Jay Leno and his next stop was “The Ellen DeGeneres Show." But I’m wondering if general manager Mickey Loomis and Brees’ agent spent any of the quiet time talking about a contract extension that I thought would have been done long ago?

Big decision ahead. Atlanta coach Mike Smith said Sam Baker is moving closer to returning from a back injury. But Smith said he’s not ready to determine if Baker will return to the starting lineup when he’s ready to play or if Will Svitek will stay there. Svitek has played pretty well and Baker was struggling earlier in the season.

Just my opinion, but I’d be inclined to stick with Svitek. I’m not sure how much individual credit he deserves, but Atlanta’s offensive line has been playing much better of late. Why break up the continuity?

Before I start getting ready to travel to Atlanta, let’s take a look at some of the top headlines around the NFC South.

The other members of Atlanta’s offensive line are campaigning for veteran center Todd McClure to make the Pro Bowl. They even had hats made up to tout his candidacy. That’s a very big sign of respect for a player who had done a nice job for a long time and he probably hasn’t received the recognition he deserves. But the other linemen better be filling out tons of Pro Bowl ballots if they want McClure to get selected. It’s going to be difficult for him to get to the Pro Bowl. That’s largely because Carolina’s Ryan Kalil is considered by many to be the best center in the league right now.

Atlanta coach Mike Smith isn’t dwelling on his controversial decision to go for it on fourth and inches in last Sunday’s overtime loss to the Saints. Instead, he’s been focused solely on getting his team ready for Tennessee. I’d expect nothing less from Smith. This guy is a total pro. When he says the loss to New Orleans is behind him, he means it. Smith stood tall through a lot of criticism and he lives by a 24-hour rule. Win or lose, 24 hours after a game is over, Smith doesn’t let himself or his team look back.

Carolina’s Jordan Gross, Byron Bell and Charles Johnson each were fined $7,500 for unnecessary roughness in last week’s loss to the Titans. The Panthers have been drawing way too many penalties. They face a tough task as they travel to Detroit to play a team that has built a reputation for being very physical. The Panthers need to keep their emotions in check against the Lions.

The Bucs will wait until Sunday before deciding on if Tanard Jackson will play against Green Bay. The safety has been dealing with a hamstring injury. If he’s unable to play, the Bucs will use either Corey Lynch or Larry Asante, or a combination of the two, in his place.

We’ve already unveiled our midseason All-NFC South defense. Now, it’s time for the offense.

As I said in the post on the defense, that’s not exactly the strong side of the ball in this division. The offense is the strong side and there were lots of tough choices. I felt I had to reach in a few cases on the defense. On the offense, I felt like I was forced to leave off some very good players.

Here’s the offense:

Tackle: Jordan Gross, Panthers. He’s been one of the best in the business for a long time. Gross has weathered some tough times, but, like a lot of other Carolina veterans, he’s been energized by the arrival of rookie quarterback Cam Newton.

Tackle: Donald Penn, Buccaneers. He’s gone from an undrafted free agent in 2006 to the Pro Bowl last season. Penn’s play has continued to improve this season and he’s one of the few Tampa Bay players who has performed consistently well this season.

Guard: Carl Nicks, Saints. Lots of people say Nicks and teammate Jahri Evans form the best guard tandem in the business. I think their play has fallen off a bit this year, but that might be because there’s been a lot of shuffling on the rest of the offensive line. But, on pure talent, Nicks remains an elite guard.

Guard: Davin Joseph, Buccaneers. I’m taking him over Evans (and Carolina’s Travelle Wharton, who got some consideration) because Joseph has been consistent.

Center: Ryan Kalil, Panthers. Carolina had the franchise tag on Kalil before signing him to a big contract in the preseason. Kalil hasn’t disappointed. He’s one of the league’s top centers and still has more upside.

Tight end: Jimmy Graham, Saints. In a division that’s loaded with talented tight ends, Graham stands above the rest, even though he’s only in his second season. He’s become a huge part of the offense and is on pace for somewhere around 100 catches. He presents all sorts of matchup problems for defenses and makes the Cover Two almost useless against the Saints.

Wide receiver: Steve Smith, Panthers. He’s having one of the best years of his career and no one has been more energized by Newton’s arrival than Smith.

Wide receiver: Marques Colston, Saints. Although Colston missed some time with a broken collarbone, he’s putting up nice stats. I picked him over Atlanta’s Roddy White, who slipped a bit in the first half of the season, but could explode at any time.

Running back: Michael Turner, Falcons. He’s on pace for almost 1,400 yards and 14 touchdowns. Perhaps the best news of all is Turner has his yards per carry average back up to 4.4, after it dipped to 4.1 last season.

Running back: Darren Sproles, Saints. I’m going with two running backs because it’s my team and I can make the rules. I’m also going with two running backs because Sproles deserves to be on this team. We knew this guy was a decent player in his San Diego days. But the Saints have put him in positions where he’s been great.

Fullback: Ovie Mughelli, Falcons. Yes, Mughelli’s done for the season with an injury. But, before that happened, he was clearly the best fullback in the NFC South. He provided excellent blocking for Turner and also was a bit of a threat as a receiver.

Quarterback: Drew Brees, Saints. He’s on pace for more than 5,000 passing yards and he clearly has been helped by the arrival of Sproles, a player Brees helped recruit. His 11 interceptions are a bit troubling, but you’re going to have some turnovers when you throw as often as the Saints.