Grades for all 4 teams in the NFC South this offseason
It’s a division that has been ruled by just two of its teams the past seven seasons. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have won the NFC South the past three years, this after the New Orleans Saints claimed the top spot the previous four seasons. The Carolina Panthers’ and Atlanta Falcons’ last division titles came in 2015 and ’16, and each went on to reach the Super Bowl that season.
Now some sobering news. Dating back to 2022, none of the four teams owns a regular-season record above .500. The Buccaneers lead the way at 17-17, followed by the Saints (16-18), Falcons (14-20) and Panthers (9-25). Ouch!
Yet, the NFC South has sent three different teams to the Super Bowl the past nine seasons. There are the aforementioned appearances by the Panthers (50) and Falcons (LI), while the Buccaneers won it all in 2020 (LV) as a wild card team.
Once again, the quartet has its share of upheaval. Two of the four franchises have new head coaches, and one of those has a new and productive veteran quarterback. All four were extremely busy this offseason, either adding players or retaining their own.
With the NFL draft on the horizon, what grades have the Falcons, Panthers, Saints and Buccaneers earned so far in 2024?