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Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive end Da'Quan Bowers suffered a torn Achilles tendon Thursday, the team said on its Twitter page.

The team said plans are being finalized for Bowers to undergo surgery Friday.

Read the rest of the story here.

When he came to Tampa Bay in 2010 as the third overall pick in the draft, Gerald McCoy was supposed to be an instant star.

It hasn’t quite worked out that way. In two seasons, the defensive tackle has four sacks and has appeared in just 19 games.

But it sure sounds like new Tampa Bay coach Greg Schiano views McCoy as one of his core players.

“He plays defensive tackle the way I like,’’ Schiano said at the NFL owners meetings last week. “He’s a penetrating guy who can change direction. We’ve got to keep him healthy because I think he can be a dominant force in this league.’’

I think Schiano’s right. I’m not sure McCoy will become Ndamukong Suh, an All-Pro who was taken No. 2 by Detroit in that same draft. But I think McCoy can be a force. There have been brief flashes that indicate he can make good things happen in the middle of the defensive line, but there just haven’t been a lot of those flashes.

McCoy got off to a slow start as a rookie and, just when it looked like he was starting to catch on, he suffered an injury that shut him down for the final three games of the 2010 season. Last season, McCoy appeared in only six games before he was placed on the injured-reserve list.

Think about that for a second. The Bucs were 4-2 after six games. They never won another game after McCoy went down. I’m not saying McCoy’s injury was the sole reason for Tampa Bay’s collapse, but there’s no doubt it was a factor.

This is a big year for McCoy. He’s starting to get hit with the dreaded “injury-prone’’ label. But McCoy is a talent. If he can stay healthy, that would help the Bucs tremendously. Same for fellow defensive tackle Brian Price, who came in the same draft class as McCoy and has dealt with injuries of his own. Tampa Bay has invested a lot in its defensive line in recent drafts and we’re waiting to see the return on those investments.

If McCoy and Price stay healthy, they can form a nice interior rotation with Roy Miller. Defensive end Adrian Clayborn was one of the few bright spots last season. He could be even better in his second season and the same goes for Da’Quan Bowers, a second-round pick last year. The Bucs also like defensive end Michael Bennett.

The ingredients are there for Tampa Bay to put together a very nice defensive line. The Bucs just need to keep McCoy and their other young defensive linemen healthy and on the field.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers just officially announced that defensive end Michael Bennett has signed his tender as a restricted free agent.

That’s not earth-shattering news because Bennett didn’t have much choice but to sign. He’s not in a situation like Drew Brees, who has expressed unhappiness at being tagged as the franchise player by the New Orleans Saints and, at least in theory, could hold out. In fact, Bennett indicated he was happy when the Bucs placed the tender on him.

He should be flattered. The move showed the Bucs think enough of Bennett to place the first-round tender on him. It guarantees Bennett a $2.7 million salary this year and means the Bucs would get a first-round pick if he’s signed away by another team. That’s not going to happen.

Bennett clearly is a defensive end with lots of potential. He started ahead of rookie Da’Quan Bowers most of last season and was a bit of a bright spot for a team that struggled. At best, Bennett will start again. At worst, he’ll be in a rotation with Bowers and Adrian Clayborn, and those three have the potential to be a very nice trio. If Bennett can continue to make strides, he could earn a nice long-term contract down the road.

TAMPA, Fla. -- Here’s the final price tag on Tampa Bay’s free-agent shopping spree: $141,055,554.

That’s the total value of the contracts the Buccaneers gave to receiver Vincent Jackson, cornerback Eric Wright and guard Carl Nicks, and $67 million of that is guaranteed.

It’s tempting to say it’s a new day in Tampa Bay, but that slogan was used once (back when the Glazer family bought the team in the mid-1990s) and it doesn’t accurately portray what’s happened in the last 24 hours.

Yeah, the Bucs have spent way more than they did in salary to the entire team last season, but they really aren’t steering clear of the plan they’ve talked about since general manager Mark Dominik and coach Raheem Morris came to power in 2009. Morris is gone now and has been replaced by Greg Schiano, but the Bucs are still insisting they have been -- and will continue to be -- a team that builds primarily through the college draft.

This was not a sudden surge off course.

“It was the perfect time,’’ Schiano said. It was the perfect storm. Everybody is new.’’

What the Bucs needed was a quick shot of energy into their building plan. That tends to happen when you go 4-12 and have only sold out two home games in the last two seasons. But that’s really not the main reason the Bucs are spending money this year after not spending a lot last year.

“We’ve stayed the course,’’ Dominik said. “When we talk about this football team and how it’s built, part of the reason we’re here today was we’ve built a nucleus of young players and we’re in a position now for those young players now to grow with some veterans from other organizations that can really help this team continue to grow as an entire unit.

“It’s not every day that Vincent Jackson, Eric Wright and Carl Nicks are going to hit the free-agent market. It’s a unique year. That’s kind of the way we projected back in 2010. A lot of people talked about why weren’t we more active in free agency last year. The way that the timing was, the CBA, the uncertainty and the lockout ... this felt like the time to add the players to this football team that could grow with us not only during the season, but in the offseason and become a team together.’’

It may be hard to picture after watching the Bucs lose 10 straight games to end last season, but Dominik is serious (and perhaps right) when he talks about Tampa Bay’s young nucleus. Get defensive tackles Gerald McCoy and Brian Price healthy and back on the field. Give defensive ends Adrian Clayborn and Da’Quan Bowers their first full NFL offseason and get quarterback Josh Freeman back on the track he was on in 2010.

Then, throw in Nicks, Jackson and Wright and it’s not that difficult to picture a bright future for the Buccaneers. We’re not talking about the kind of 30-something free agents that were common in the days of former coach Jon Gruden and general manager Bruce Allen. We’re talking about three free agents still in their prime, with Jackson the oldest at 29. All three were wanted back by their former teams, which faced some salary-cap challenges. The Bucs, who entered free agency with almost $43 million in cap space, didn’t have the same constraints and they capitalized.

They got the best receiver in free agency, perhaps the best guard in the NFL and a very solid cornerback.

“I’m a big believer in quality,’’ Dominik said.

But the shopping trip isn’t going to continue. Dominik said the Bucs will continue to monitor free agency and implied there could be some minor moves here and there, but the team’s focus now moves onto the NFL draft at the end of April.

The Bucs have the No. 5 overall pick and are likely to get a quality player there.

Take that guy and all the other young talent on the roster. Throw in Jackson, Wright and Nicks and maybe the Bucs have figured out the formula for something they’ve been lacking for nearly a decade --sustained success by a team that’s grown up together.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Arrow indicates direction team is trending.

Final Power Ranking: 29
Preseason Power Ranking: 12

Biggest surprise: In a season in which almost nothing went right, it at least looked like the Buccaneers got it right with their first-round draft pick. Defensive end Adrian Clayborn was a starter from the beginning and was solid all around. He played the run well and finished with 7.5 sacks. That sack total is more impressive than it sounds when you consider that the Bucs spent most of the season trailing and other teams didn’t have to throw a lot against them. Clayborn and second-round pick Da'Quan Bowers both showed plenty of potential and that bodes well for whoever ends up coaching this team. Clayborn also was able to put together an impressive rookie year despite the fact that defensive tackles Gerald McCoy and Brian Price both were injured much of the season and there wasn’t a lot of help in the middle. If Clayborn and Bowers continue to develop and McCoy and Price can stay healthy, the Buccaneers have the ingredients for a good defensive line.

Biggest disappointment: The total collapse of this once-promising team was one of the most bizarre things I’ve ever seen. In October, the Bucs beat the Saints. That wasn’t a fluke. The Bucs flat-out were better than the Saints that day. They left the next morning for a game with Chicago in London and they never won again. As the losing streak grew, eventually to 10 games, the games became less competitive even against mediocre teams. Tampa Bay’s youth, a point of pride in 2010, was apparent in 2011. Former coach Raheem Morris was never known as a great disciplinarian or organizer, and the Bucs weren’t even operating like a legitimate NFL team by the end of the season. Quarterback Josh Freeman, running back LeGarrette Blount and receiver Mike Williams all had great years in 2010, but each of them regressed in 2011.

Biggest need: There are many needs for a team that finished 4-12. But if I had to go with just one, I’d say the Bucs need to solidify their backfield situation. Although he’s a good power runner, Blount never could convince the coaching staff that he could catch passes out of the backfield or provide protection for Freeman in the passing game. That made it obvious to defenses that the Bucs were running if Blount was in the game or passing when he wasn’t. Blount also had problems with fumbles, so it’s possible the Bucs could be looking for an all-around feature back to replace him. Even if the new coach wants to keep Blount as the primary runner, the Bucs will have to go out and get a third-down back more dynamic than Earnest Graham or Kregg Lumpkin. It also would help Freeman a lot if the Bucs add a speed receiver because the current crop of receivers struggled to get separation.

Team MVP: There’s not a lot to choose from here, so we’ll go with guard Davin Joseph. Cornerback Ronde Barber and left tackle Donald Penn also got consideration. But I’m going with Joseph because, even in a year when the rest of the league was laughing at the Bucs and fans weren’t voting for them to go to the Pro Bowl, coaches and players from other teams had enough respect for Joseph to put him on the NFC all-star squad. The guy is a pro and one of the few veteran leaders in the locker room.

What about Freeman? In 2010, his first full season as a starter, Freeman looked like the first true franchise quarterback in team history. He kept mistakes to a minimum and seemed to have a knack for pulling off fourth-quarter comebacks. All of that suddenly disappeared this season and Freeman didn’t look like the same quarterback. There’s no doubt he deserves some of the blame. But I think the bigger factor in his regression was his supporting cast. Blount’s deficiencies made the offense predictable, Williams showed he’s not a No. 1 wide receiver and tight end Kellen Winslow had a disappointing year. It also didn’t help that the defense was giving up a ton of points and Freeman almost always was playing from behind. I still believe Freeman is a big-time talent. But it’s going to be up to the new coach and his staff to get Freeman’s career back on a positive track.

Twelve games into his rookie season, Cam Newton has made us all forget he is not the quarterback the Carolina Panthers wanted almost a year ago.

In the news conference to officially announce the departure of coach John Fox, team owner Jerry Richardson, without naming names, made reference to Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck. The Panthers held the first overall pick in the draft and Richardson’s public statements made it clear the Panthers would go that route. Privately, team officials confirmed there was no doubt Luck was the guy -- as long as he decided to enter the draft.

In the early days of last January, the Panthers didn’t even know who their coach would be, but they already had Luck penciled in as their quarterback. Nearly a year later, Luck’s decision to stay in college is looking like it was a huge break for the Panthers.

Newton is a strong candidate for offensive rookie of the year. He threw for more than 400 yards in his first two games, already has more rushing touchdowns (13) than any quarterback in a season in NFL history and has brought life and hope to a franchise that had none.

"Honestly, is he exceeding our [expectations]?" said Ron Rivera, who ended up as Carolina’s coach shortly after Luck announced he was staying at Stanford. "Absolutely. We always felt the young man had something special about him. Just for it to start showing and going the way it has been has been tremendous."

Newton has exceeded all expectations, in part because expectations weren’t all that high. Although he was winning a Heisman Trophy and a national title at Auburn, he wasn’t viewed as a sure thing.

That’s why, once Luck said he wasn’t entering the draft, the world assumed the Panthers wouldn’t take a quarterback. It made sense because, over the past decade, the Panthers had built a well-deserved reputation as one of the NFL’s most conservative franchises. They simply didn’t take big gambles.

With Luck out of the picture, the common assumption was the Panthers would go the safe route and go with defense. Names like Nick Fairley, Da'Quan Bowers (before word spread about the condition of his knee) and Patrick Peterson were kicked around.

The Panthers looked hard at all those names. But, as February and March rolled around, I started hearing indications the Panthers were taking a long look at Newton. At first, I didn’t really believe that -- or at least I didn’t believe that, when push came to shove, they’d go through with it. Taking a big leap just seemed so out of character for the Panthers.

In late March, I talked with several Carolina officials at the NFL owners meeting. They confirmed what the rest of the world was refusing to believe. They were confirming that they were giving very serious consideration to taking Newton, even leaning in his direction.

That’s when I turned around and wrote this column, saying the Panthers needed to use the No. 1 overall pick on Newton. The logic I used was the logic the Panthers were using. First, they had come to realize the NFL had become a quarterback-driven league and they might only get one shot at a guy with the potential to be a franchise quarterback. Second, the more homework they did on Newton, the more they believed the knocks on him were unfounded.

Critics were saying Newton didn’t have a desire to be great and that he had played in a college offense that was so simple it would be hard for him to pick up an NFL system.

"I think the thing that a lot of people really kind of miss out on as far as Cam is concerned is his commitment to being a great player in this league," Rivera said. "The young man really does do the things that you would expect of a No. 1 pick [and] what you would expect of a leader. He is committed to the game [and] he is committed to this football team."

The Panthers also spent lots of time talking to Newton’s coaches and teammates at Auburn. They had offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski and quarterbacks coach Mike Shula sit down with Newton for a lengthy film-room session. Chudzinski and Shula came back and told Marty Hurney and Rivera they had no doubt Newton could run their offense.

“I don’t think people really gave him enough credit for what they did or give them enough credit for what they do at Auburn,’’ Rivera said. “People always thought he was in a one-read offense. We went through the process learning about him and we came to learn that it really is not a one-read offense. There was a little bit more that he had to do as a football player.’’

That’s why the Panthers took the plunge on Newton. That’s why they’re not looking back regretfully at Luck’s decision. They’ve got their franchise quarterback.

NEW ORLEANS – The Tampa Bay Buccaneers might have to finish a second consecutive season without defensive tackle Gerald McCoy.

He suffered an arm injury in Sunday’s loss to the Saints and early reports out of the locker room suggest McCoy could be out for the rest of the season. McCoy had just returned from missing two games with an ankle injury. He missed the final three games of last season with an arm injury.

If the Bucs are without McCoy, the No. 3 overall pick in 2010, their depth on the defensive line will be tested. McCoy had been starting next to Brian Price, a second-round draft pick from last year. Price has been playing well and Roy Miller likely would slide in next to him in the starting lineup.

Reserve defensive tackle Frank Okam sat out Sunday’s game with a calf injury. Rookie defensive end Da’Quan Bowers also can slide inside in certain situations, but the Bucs likely will have to sign a defensive tackle if McCoy is lost for the season.

NEW ORLEANS -- A lot of readers have been asking where Tampa Bay rookie defensive end Da'Quan Bowers has been this season.

I don’t know the full answer to that. But I can tell you Sunday might be the day Bowers finally makes an impact.

In a bit of an interesting move, the Bucs made Tim Crowder inactive. Crowder has been used as the third defensive end. George Johnson is active today and he’s been inactive recently.

I’ve heard Johnson has practiced well, but that’s not so much what this move is about. Johnson’s likely to be the fourth defensive end. I’m pretty sure all signs point to more playing time for Bowers.

» NFC Final Word: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 6:

Road trip ending: It hasn’t drawn a lot of attention, and part of that is because the opponents weren’t marquee teams, but the Saints wrap up a series of three straight road games Sunday at Tampa Bay. They’ve won at Jacksonville and Carolina. If they can do the same against the Bucs, it will be a major accomplishment. Winning on the road is a big deal in the NFL. If the Saints can get this one, they’ll be 3-1 on the road (they lost the opener at Green Bay) and they have a bunch of home games coming up.

Next man up? Injuries are starting to catch up to Tampa Bay. Defensive tackle Gerald McCoy (ankle) and running back LeGarrette Blount appear likely to miss Sunday’s game. Tampa Bay is still in the middle of building through a youth movement, and that means this team doesn’t have a lot of depth. Frank Okam and Da'Quan Bowers will rotate in McCoy’s spot, but there will be a drop-off. The drop-off will be even more apparent at running back. Earnest Graham is a competent role player as a third-down back and fullback. But he’ll be asked to take on Blount’s role as the feature back, and Graham no longer has the tools to handle that job. It's hindsight, but there's no doubt the Bucs should have invested the money in the offseason to find a quality backup for Blount.

The corner is in reach. It’s become very obvious the Carolina Panthers are a team on the rise. They’ve lost a series of close games and rookie quarterback Cam Newton has made them very competitive. The Panthers are 1-4, but you can sense they’re close to turning the corner. A win this week would be a major stride, and it’s not out of the question. Atlanta is very talented, but the Falcons are struggling. If Carolina can come out of this with a win, it could be a catalyst for a strong second half of the season.

Must win? The Falcons have been one of the league’s biggest disappointments. But you look at their roster and it’s not hard to imagine them snapping their slump at any time and going on a strong run that could put them in the playoffs. If that’s going to happen, the Falcons need to win this game. They’re 2-3. If they fall to 2-4, they might be in a hole that’s too deep to escape.

Critical stretch. The next few weeks could determine how Tampa Bay fares this season. The Bucs had an ugly 48-3 loss to San Francisco last week. They’re hosting a very tough New Orleans team this week. After that, the Bucs will leave Monday for London to play a “home’’ game against the Bears. They get a bye week after that, but then have to face the Saints in New Orleans. Tampa Bay is 3-2, but the Bucs haven’t played consistently well and haven’t had an impressive victory yet. If the Bucs can just keep their heads above water, and win a game or two in the next three, they’ll be very much in the playoff picture. If they don’t, they might not have a shot at the playoffs.

TAMPA, Fla. -- Thoughts on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 24-17 victory against the Indianapolis Colts on Monday at Raymond James Stadium.

What it means: The Buccaneers got their spot on prime time television, and they won. It wasn’t pretty, and it came against quarterback Curtis Painter and an Indianapolis team that had to play a third-string left tackle much of the night due to injuries. There were Tampa Bay struggles on offense and defense. But, hey, a win is a win, even if Peyton Manning isn't on the field. The Bucs are 3-1 and tied with the New Orleans Saints for first place in the NFC South.

Play of the night: A 35-yard touchdown run by LeGarrette Blount with 3:15 remaining put the Bucs ahead to stay. Kind of makes you wonder why the Bucs didn’t just try to pound Blount up the middle all night against an undersized Indianapolis defense that continues to get more banged up every week.

What I liked: The Bucs might not always play pretty, but they are resilient. If you keep pulling games out at the end, you’re not lucky. You’re creating your own luck.

What I didn’t like: Tampa Bay cornerback Aqib Talib is a marvelous physical talent. But he’s an enigma. I saw him drop a sure interception, get beat in coverage, whiff on at least one tackle and get called for a penalty. The Bucs like to say this guy is an elite cornerback. But he’s not going to be that until he starts playing at a high level consistently.

The surprise wide receiver: Mike Williams is off to a quiet start in his second year, and Arrelious Benn is coming off a major knee injury. But Tampa Bay has another second-year receiver who is doing big things. That’s Preston Parker, who made the team as an undrafted free agent last season. He played mostly on special teams last season but has been making an impact as a receiver. He had his first NFL touchdown catch Monday night.

The growth of the defensive line: You can see this gradually becoming a strength for the Bucs. Defensive tackle Gerald McCoy is starting to make plays consistently. Rookie defensive end Adrian Clayborn keeps making plays every week, and defensive end Michael Bennett is playing well enough that nobody’s calling for second-round pick Da'Quan Bowers just yet. Put four early draft picks into your defensive line in two years, and you should get results. The Bucs are getting them quickly.

What’s next: The Bucs don’t have an easy stretch ahead. They have to go all the way to San Francisco to play the 49ers on Sunday. Then, they come home to play the Saints and they go to London to play the Bears after that. They get a bye week when they come back from their London trip, but the flip side of that is they’ve got the Saints waiting for another game after the break.

TAMPA, Fla. -- If you scoured the stands of Raymond James Stadium on any game day over the past few seasons, you would have seen more replica jerseys for guys like Derrick Brooks, Mike Alstott, John Lynch and Warren Sapp than any of the current Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

If you looked in those same stands, you also would have seen a lot of empty seats. The past 10 regular-season home games (all eight last year and the first two this season) have not been sellouts.

Is this a fan base living in the past?

It’s not quite that simple. In fact, things are on the cusp of changing. When the Buccaneers host the Indianapolis Colts on "Monday Night Football," the game will be sold out. So an entire nation will have a chance to view the Buccaneers, who have been in the NFL’s version of the witness-protection program even in their own backyard.

The past 10 home games haven’t been shown on local television, and even fans who go to the games haven’t really had a chance to get to know the NFL’s youngest team (25.17 years was the average age of the opening-day roster) like they knew Brooks, Alstott, Lynch and Sapp.

“It’s a team I want our town to fall back in love with,’’ Tampa Bay general manager Mark Dominik said.

The Bucs went 10-6 last season and are off to a 2-1 start this year, but the speed-dating process really could kick in with the national stage. Once fans really get a look at the Bucs, they could fall in love. Some fans don’t know it yet, but there’s a lot to like about the Bucs.

Let’s take a look:

The understated franchise quarterback. Other than cornerback Ronde Barber, the lone holdover from the Jon Gruden/Tony Dungy era, Josh Freeman is the most-well-known Buccaneer. That’s simply because he’s the quarterback, but fans haven’t totally embraced him. They should, because he’s the first true franchise quarterback this team has had at least since Doug Williams, and you could debate whether Williams was around long enough to be considered a franchise quarterback.

Freeman’s physically gifted and already has shown a knack for leading fourth-quarter comebacks. He comes across as a bit shy and soft-spoken in group interviews. But when Freeman, 23, was leading players-only workouts during the lockout, you could easily spot rare leadership skills and more personality than he displays in public.

In the Atlanta game, Freeman stepped outside himself a bit, flapping his wings in what could be interpreted as an imitation of the Falcons’ “Dirty Bird’’ celebration.

“It was good to see him come out of his shell a little bit,’’ running back/fullback Earnest Graham said.

The gregarious head coach. Public displays of emotion aren’t lacking when it comes to Raheem Morris. The guy can talk, sometimes a little more than he should. With the possible exception of Rex Ryan, Morris might have the most entertaining news conferences of any NFL coach. But following Gruden -- who will be in the “Monday Night Football’’ broadcast booth -- and Dungy is not an easy task.

Gruden won a Super Bowl, and Dungy changed the direction of the franchise. Fans still aren’t quite sure what to make of Morris, who remains the league’s youngest head coach at 35. Morris has more public charm than Dungy and Gruden did as coaches. He just needs to keep winning.

The completely unknown portion of "the triplets." When the Bucs started winning last season, that’s the nickname (borrowed from when the Dallas Cowboys had Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin and Emmitt Smith) that was given to Freeman, receiver Mike Williams and running back LeGarrette Blount. Williams and Blount were rookies last year, and both made good first impressions on the field. Williams instantly became Tampa Bay’s No. 1 receiver, and by midseason, Blount had replaced Cadillac Williams as the feature back. Still, there’s been a little apprehension from fans about both of them, and that goes back to their college days.

Blount is most famous for punching an opponent at the end of a game, and Williams was labeled as a "quitter" for leaving the Syracuse football team in his last year of college. But if you get to know them, you’ll see that labels can be deceiving. Williams is the anti-diva wide receiver. He comes across as quiet and humble.

Blount’s a punishing runner on the field, but is gentle off it. When he made his pre-draft visit to One Buccaneer Place, Blount ate his lunch and then went into the kitchen to thank every member of the staff. After last week’s victory in Atlanta, Blount sat in the locker room an hour after the game and told a staff member, "I don’t want to go home."

The big investments on the defensive line. In the past two years, the Bucs have used four draft picks in the first two rounds on defensive linemen. They brought in defensive tackles Gerald McCoy and Brian Price last year and defensive ends Adrian Clayborn and Da'Quan Bowers this year. We’re only starting to see what they can do. Price and McCoy both got hurt as rookies. They’re starting this year, along with Clayborn, and there’s a lot to like.

Price is quiet on the surface, but there’s a depth to him. He’s coming off a rare surgery in which doctors inserted screws into his pelvis, and he's showing signs he can really play. McCoy’s had a gregarious personality from the start, but we’re still waiting to see big results. Clayborn’s outgoing like McCoy and already has made some plays. If this unit can continue growing, the Bucs could have a very good defensive line for a long time.

The new “quarterback’’ of the defense. A lot of fans were upset in the offseason when the Bucs let middle linebacker Barrett Ruud, another holdover from the Gruden days, walk via free agency. They should start getting over that, because third-round draft pick Mason Foster is showing signs he can make more big plays than Ruud ever did. The Bucs were a little hesitant to put too much on Foster right away and started the season by letting outside linebacker Quincy Black wear the radio helmet and call the defensive plays.

By his third career start, Foster had taken on those roles. It might not have been a coincidence that the Bucs went out and had their best defensive performance since the days when Monte Kiffin was running the defense for Gruden.

The Bucs once were beloved by their fans. There’s no reason they can’t be that way again. The parts are in place. The world just needs a chance to get to see and know them.

“It’s an opportunity to show everybody what they’ve been missing,’’ Morris said.

That chance comes Monday night.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Let’s take a look at the candidates.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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FALLING

1. The “hot’’ coordinators in the NFC South. New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey and Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Greg Olson all got outcoached badly in their openers. These are guys whose names come up in conversations when you talk about potential head coaches. If they keep coaching this way, they’ll stay as assistants.

2. Tampa Bay’s pass rush. The Bucs have known for a couple years they needed to get better on the defensive line. That’s why they drafted tackles Gerald McCoy and Brian Price in the first two rounds in 2010 and ends Adrian Clayborn and Da'Quan Bowers this year. It didn’t make a bit of difference Sunday. The Bucs didn’t record a sack and allowed Matthew Stafford to throw for 300 yards and three touchdowns.

3. New Orleans coach Sean Payton. There was a time when there was no room to question Payton’s play calling. But fans started doing it after his decision to run rookie Mark Ingram and take the ball out of Drew Brees' hands on the final play of Thursday night’s loss to Green Bay. New Orleans fans are passionate and they’ve been spoiled by success the past couple of seasons. If the Saints get off to a slow start, they’ll start questioning Payton’s decision to move his family to Dallas.

RISING

1. Carolina Panthers general manager Marty Hurney. Who’s making a huge mistake now? Not Hurney. Although fans and some members of the media said Hurney was asking for catastrophic results if he drafted Cam Newton with the No. 1 overall pick, that suddenly is looking like a very smart move. Yeah, Hurney also drafted Jimmy Clausen and Armanti Edwards. But if Newton’s record-setting debut is any indication of the future, he’s going to make things a lot brighter for Hurney and the entire organization.

2. The possibility of a Week 4 local television blackout in Tampa Bay. That’s the "Monday Night Football" game against the Indianapolis Colts. Once upon a time, it was thought the presence of Peyton Manning would guarantee a sellout at Raymond James Stadium. Now, Manning’s hurt. Speaking of hurting, the Bucs’ performance in the opener isn’t going to help sell many tickets.

3. Atlanta owner Arthur Blank. Could he have known about or prevented Michael Vick's downfall in Atlanta? It’s possible. But that’s the past and Vick and Blank made their peace long ago. That will make things a lot smoother Sunday night when Vick and the Philadelphia Eagles come to Atlanta. Blank kept in touch with Vick while he was in prison and told commissioner Roger Goodell he believed the quarterback deserved another shot in the NFL. The game between the Eagles and Falcons might bring back memories, but it’s not a grudge match.

We were tied up with Friday’s NFC South chat as this emerged, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers made a few interesting cuts a little bit ago.

They’ve parted ways with linebacker Tyrone McKenzie, defensive end Kyle Moore and defensive tackle John McCargo.

McKenzie is the most interesting of the bunch because it appeared he had a shot at the starting job at middle linebacker at the start of training camp. McKenzie even ran Tampa Bay’s defense and helped draw up practice plans for players-only workouts during the lockout. But, once camp started, it quickly became obvious the Bucs had rookie Mason Foster ticketed for the starting job.

What’s unclear now is who will be Foster’s backup? Adam Hayward has experience at the position and a couple of young players, Derrell Smith and Simoni Lawrence, have done some good things in the preseason. Outside linebacker Quincy Black is expected to be the middle linebacker on passing downs as Foster will come out when the Bucs go to their nickel package.

The releases of McCargo and Moore aren’t as surprising, but each comes with a bit of a storyline. The Bucs took a shot by bringing in McCargo, a former first-round pick, who has had a disappointing career. They took a look at him, but they obviously feel they’re in good shape at defensive tackle with Gerald McCoy, Brian Price, Frank Okam, Roy Miller and possibly Al Woods. There was some question about Price’s health early on, but he appears ready to contribute.

Moore was a fourth-round pick in 2009, the first draft for general manager Mark Dominik and coach Raheem Morris. He struggled with injuries and the Bucs used their top two picks this year on defensive ends Adrian Clayborn and Da'Quan Bowers. They also have Michael Bennett and Tim Crowder.