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The Carolina Panthers should not get too giddy entering the 2009 season thinking that the NFC South Division is going to be a piece of cake washed down with a smoothie.
It would be easy to get complacent given that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are rebuilding, and the New Orleans Saints don't appear to have all the answers for rebounding from a disappointing 2008 season.
Since the NFL realigned in 2002 and the South Division came to be, the Panthers, Atlanta Falcons, Saints and Bucs have taken turns leading the pack. The Bucs came out of the gates in 2002 not just winning the division, but going on to win Super Bowl XXXVII.
In 2003, it was the Panthers turn to shine, making it to Super Bowl XXXVIII where they fell short to New England. It's been a competitive division from the get-go.
The Panthers can't be deceived into thinking that 2009 won't be any less competitive. True, the Bucs are rebuilding and rookie Head Coach Raheem Morris is trying to fit a puzzling mix of returning veterans and free agents.
New additions, Kellen Winslow and Byron Leftwich give Tampa Bay options at the TE and QB positions, respectively. But many questions remain on offense, especially in the running game. Once-promising feature scat-back Cadillac Williams is injury-prone and that leaves Earnest Graham as the only dependable workhorse in the backfield.
The Bucs's defense, their bread & butter dating back to when Tony Dungy was at the helm, showed its age late last season. Tampa Bay wilted in December after a fast start to miss the playoffs.
Gone is defensive coordinator Monty Kiffin and his "Cover 2" defense. The Bucs also cut perennial All-Pro linebacker Derrick Brooks, the team's heart and soul on defense. Morris, would be a miracle worker indeed if he's able to get the Buccaneer into the playoffs, in this is his maiden voyage with so many questions on defense and offense.
The Saints are an enigma. Drew Brees had a career year last season, but the team finished 8-8.
Reggie Bush is coming off another knee surgery and it's questionable whether he'll ever match the greatness of his Trojan years.
Defense is again the Saints' achilles' heel. It seems that what the Saints offense taketh, the defense giveth away. The prospects don't look too good.
Starting defensive ends Will Smith and Charles Grant are forced to serve four-games suspensions. Out of desperation, the Saints signed veteran DE Anthony Hargrove, who sat out 2008 for violating the NFL's substance-abuse policy.
The cards appear to favor the Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons this season. They finished one-two in the South in 2008 and should battle for the top spot again this year.
The Falcons upgraded a potent offense by adding future Hall of Fame TE Tony Gonzalez. The presence of Gonzalez gives stellar second-year QB Matt Ryan another weapon to go to, with dynamite running back Michael Turner and All-Pro wide receiver Roddy White.
Carolina has the guns in running back DeAngelo Williams and wide receiver Steve Smith to match the Falocon's fire power. Despite throwing five picks in the Panthers' one-and-done performance in the playoffs, QB Jake Delhomme has led this team into the Super Bowl and could do it again.
The Panthers' Julius Peppers-anchored defense should at least give Carolina the edge against the Falcons. Although, Peppers is stirring some controversy by staying out of training camp, look for new defensive coordinator Ron Meeks and Pepper's teammates to bring the disgruntled star pass-rusher back in the fold.
Meeks, who helped give a Super Bowl quality to the Indianapolis Colts' defense, is promising a scheme that would give the frontline more freedom to chase quarterbacks. That prospect should entice Peppers to take a closer look at what Meeks is cooking up.
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