NFC South Morning Jog: Thursday May Be Judgment Day for Sean Payton and Co.

Each morning, I like to start the day off with a workout—usually a morning jog. I can clear my head, plan my day and think about what's going on around the NFC South.

New Orleans Saints

Well...there's now a "Free Sean Payton" song on the Internet. 

Peter King discussed what might happen Thursday when Sean Payton, Mickey Loomis and Joe Vitt meet with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell about their appeal. 

Carolina Panthers

The Panthers announced the signing of safety Reggie Smith on Wednesday. Smith could just be depth at safety and on special teams, but he also may come in to compete for a starting job during training camp.

Atlanta Falcons

Aaron Freeman is doing a pretty good job keeping Falcons fans up to date on which pro days Atlanta staff members are visiting. Wednesday, Freeman talked about Falcons assistants at Wisconsin's workouts and earlier in the week at UT-Chattanooga. 

What will new defensive coordinator Mike Nolan's defense look like in Atlanta in 2012? That's a question on everyone's mind. Scott Carasik gets into some of the nuts and bolts of what Nolan could put on the field with the Falcons.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

There's a post up over at JoeBucsFan about defensive tackle Gerald McCoy. Apparently new head coach Greg Schiano likes what he sees. The big question is whether or not McCoy can stay healthy. 

Quarterback Josh Freeman has had plenty of time to reflect on his 22 interceptions from last season. Stephen Holder wrote about those reflections after speaking to the signal-caller, and talked about some of the reasons behind Freeman's miscues. 

The Buccaneers made three transactions on Wednesday. LeGarrette Blount and Preston Parker signed their tender offers, and Rudy Carpenter was released.