The preseason is (finally) over, and the start of the season is nearly here. With that being the case, let’s look at a quick NFC South preseason recap!
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers had an overall productive preseason experience. QB Jalon Daniels looked like a long term option post Baker Mayfield, Reuben Bain Jr. had great plays that made the Bucs feel confident about that draft pick, and the team was able to sign star DT Vita Vea to a contract extension.
Also, Bain Jr.’s teammate Kieonte Scott had some really good
plays as well, which may be the most important rookie performance of all. Tampa Bay’s pass defense is arguably their biggest weakness, so if Scott can be a quality CB, the defense could be much better.
Getting production from the rookies was very important, especially with the injuries and turnover this team has had. Losing Mike Evans in the offseason was big, and in the draft, the Bucs drafted his “replacement”, Ted Hurst. Hurst didn’t have any massive performances, but Bucs media is high on the rookie.
Carolina Panthers
Entering the preseason, Carolina was faced with some massive injuries to their team. Nic Scourton, who was a standout rookie last year, tore his ACL, and rookie WR Chris Brazzell III also suffered a season-ending knee injury. Brazzell is a WR with all the potential in the world due to his athleticism and size, but is still in the developmental phase of his NFL career. A season-ending injury could really hurt that development, and the Panthers will miss his potential production this season.
The good news for Carolina is that the two WRs from the preseason, John Metchie III and Jimmy Horn Jr., both had standout performances, leading to their making the roster. Both players are still considered depth options, but Metchie III did play with QB Bryce Young in college.
Atlanta Falcons
As of writing this, the Falcons have not named their starting QB for Week 1. Michael Penix Jr. is ramping up from his season-ending injury last season, but he may not be 100% healthy, and risking that makes little sense. Then, Tua Tagovailoa did not have a good end to the preseason, struggling against his former team, the Miami Dolphins. In the end, Jack Strand was the standout QB, and he made the roster, along with Penix, Tua, and Cooper Rush.
Interestingly enough, the Falcons also only brought two RBs onto their 53-man roster. Having Bijan Robinson probably takes pressure off the need for depth at that position, but HC Kevin Stefanski knows RB injuries from his time in Cleveland.
New Orleans Saints
Last we have the Saints, and they had a very up-and-down preseason. The first game was a close loss, the second a horrible defeat, and the third a really good win. At times, the position battles looked lost and uninspiring, but game three against the Dallas Cowboys made everyone feel a bit better going into the season. Spencer Rattler ended up winning the backup QB job, Daniel Carlson won the kicker competition, and although Kevin Austin Jr. initially got the last WR spot, he ended up getting released soon after.
The main question that still lingers from preseason is the WR room and TE room, because the Saints need to add at least one player in each of those groups. Going into the season with only 4 WRs with the injury luck the Saints have had, and 3 TEs eventhough the team wants to use more TEs this season, makes little sense.
