The end of this quiet period of the NFL offseason rapidly approaches, between the “legal tampering” period of free agency and the NFL Draft. For a few more days, it’s the “eye of the storm.” Between now and the start of the 2022 NFL Draft on April 28, we’re going division-by-division to look at what moves teams still need to make that will have an impact on 2022’s fantasy rosters. We’ve already previewed the AFC North, NFC North, AFC East, NFC East, and AFC South. Grab your gumbo, as we now examine the NFC South in order of 2021 final standings.

Note: All 2021 fantasy point totals and rankings are PPR unless otherwise noted.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: NFC South Champions

Retirement-aged men in southern Florida making tabloid-worthy headlines is not exactly an unexpected phenomenon. Florida man Tom Brady has brought all kinds of excitement to Tampa-St. Pete, and we’re not talking avocado ice cream. Along with a Super Bowl win his first season and a second straight NFC South title, Brady pulled his best Brett Favre impression this offseason. The GOAT* retired, then unretired, sending the sports media world into orgasmic conniptions in each case. Bruce Arians bequeathed his coaching mantle to Todd Bowles. Then word leaked about a Tom Clancy novel come-to-life, involving Brady, a possible distaste for Arians, recently “stepped-away” coach Sean Payton, shares of ownership in the Miami Dolphins, and secret arms deals with anti-Communist forces in banana republics agreed to in seedy 80’s-era watering holes. It’s been interesting.

Along the way, many had given the team up for dead. Given the sheer number of contracts leaving, it seemed impossible to bring them all back. There was talk of drafting or trading for a quarterback and shopping in the bargain bin just to fill a roster. Then, beautifully, masterfully, frustratingly (from the rest of the league’s view,) the Buccaneers brought back nearly the entire nucleus of the team. Not only that, but they actually added talent while freeing up cap space. Time for Tom and the boys to run it back.

*”Greatest” = “Most Accomplished“

Buccaneers’ Bottom Line

This is not to say that Tampa is without needs; just that there are fewer needs than expected. Brady’s return obviously quashes the quarterback talk. Trading for Shaq Mason and re-signing Ryan Jensen erased another two problems. Russell Gage can help fill for Chris Godwin until the latter is healthy. Angry-runner Leonard Fournette returns to lead the backfield. But Rob Gronkowski has been slow-walking his decision to return or not. Ronald Jones II is a Kansas City Chief. And the team needs to replace a popular Pro-Bowler in retired left guard Ali Marpet.

First things first, then. Tampa (and the fantasy world) need an answer from Gronkowski. Cameron Brate is a capable football player but is nowhere near the all-around talent that Gronk is. If Gronkowski is not returning, Tampa needs to look at bringing in a “move” tight end that can threaten the seam. This is doubly important after losing O.J. Howard in free agency.

Secondly, Fournette is probably the starter for the next two seasons following his recent re-signing. Giovani Bernard is coming off his least productive season as a pro and will turn 31 this season. Ke’Shawn Vaughn would presumably take over the departed Jones’ role, but hasn’t been anything special thus far in his career. A good complement to Playoff Lenny in the backfield would really make this offense scary and could carry stand-alone value in fantasy.

Lastly, a replacement for Marpet is a must. Right now, fourth-year player Aaron Stinnie is penciled in, but Marpet leaves big shoes to fill. Protecting Brady is the priority, and whoever starts Week 1 at left guard had better be up to the challenge.

New Orleans Saints: Second Place NFC South

2022 might just be about “new” old New Orleans Saints. Head coach Sean Payton “retired,” clearing the way for six-year defensive coordinator Dennis Allen to take over. Alvin Kamara (RB8) faces an uncertain future awaiting a hearing related to felony battery charges stemming from an incident over Pro Bowl weekend. That could leave current-and-former running back Mark Ingram II as the once-and-future lead dog in the backfield. Last year’s starting quarterback for the season’s first half, Jameis Winston returns as the starter. All-Pro wide receiver Michael Thomas appears set to take his first snaps since Week 14 of 2020. Pro-Bowlers Wil Lutz and Andrus Peat look to return at placekicker and left guard, respectively. Even All-Pro Deonte Harris – the Saints’ second-leading receiver last season – will return with a new last name. (Harris legally changed his name to Harty midway through the 2021 season.)

With all of those offense-centric returnees, the Saints brought in next to no one new in free agency. Other than swapping Andy Dalton for Blake Bortles to back up Winston, their most high-profile signings on offense were reserved for bringing back their own guys. It’s an interesting strategy for a team that finished dead last in passing offense and only middle of the pack in rushing.

Saints’ Bottom Line

The Saints are absolutely counting on their returnees to raise the level of play on offense. It’s a big gamble, but it’s not necessarily a bad one. Winston showed he has something left to offer and would be an interesting fantasy dart if you’re one to wait on a quarterback until late in drafts. Peat’s return should be a big upgrade over what the team received from Calvin Throckmorton. If Thomas is even 80 to 90 percent of what he was, he’s still by far the best receiver on the team. And there’s still opportunity to add the last few pieces they definitely need, with two first-round picks and a favorable cap situation after all their magical maneuvering:

The salary cap is fake.. teams can find a way to do WHATEVER they want#PMSLive pic.twitter.com/VL77U52UJb

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) March 16, 2022

There’s still a need for improvement on the offensive line. A replacement for Terron Armstead is job one. James Hurst is an internal candidate, but a top-tier draftee could be an improvement. An upgrade at guard opposite Peat would completely transform this group.

The Kamara situation bears monitoring. There’s video evidence in the case, and even if Kamara escapes legal punishments, it would shock no one to see NFL commissioner Roger Goodell hand down a suspension. Ingram is 32 and has battled injury in the last two years. A running back capable of starting would insure against Kamara’s legal woes and Ingram’s age and would be an immediate fantasy target if anything should happen along either of those lines.

Whether or not Thomas returns to form, another high-end wideout is a must. This is a talented but frustratingly unaccomplished receiver room. Giving Winston another reliable target and giving opposing defenses some hard coverage choices would answer a lot of questions for the Saints.

Atlanta Falcons: Third Place NFC South

Where to start with the Falcons? Matt Ryan, who led the team to a Super Bowl and holds every significant passing record in franchise history, is gone after a trade to the Colts. His gi-NORMOUS cap hit, however, remains in Atlanta for this season. Thanks in large part to Ryan’s contract, the Falcons are swallowing over $62 million in dead cap money this season. Calvin Ridley, the team’s best wide receiver, is suspended indefinitely for gambling on games. This, after missing all but five games of 2021 when he stepped away to work on his mental well-being. Gone, too, is last year’s leading receiver, Russell Gage.

There are precious few bright spots to build on. The decimated receiver corps offers little in the way of reliability for newly-signed stopgap quarterback Marcus Mariota. An offensive line ranked just 27th in the league returns completely intact, for now. The worst defense (DST30) in the NFC South “boasted” the league’s most ineffective pass rush. T.J. Watt (22.5) and Robert Quinn (18.5) each had more sacks than the entire Falcons defense (18).

Falcons’ Bottom Line

Fortunately, Atlanta has the number eight overall pick, and five total through the first three rounds of the NFL Draft. And while they’re firmly in B.P.A. mode, they have enough needs that whoever is the best available most likely fills a need anyway.

Mariota looks like the short-term quarterback, but the Falcons need to find the guy for the future. There’s no guarantee that guy is actually available in this draft, but there’s a good chance that at least one, if not all, of the top quarterback prospects are still there at eight. If they want to take a shot, there’ll be a shot to take.

But whoever is throwing the ball needs someone to catch it. After Patterson and tight end Kyle Pitts (TE6), the talent is sparse in the Atlanta skill positions. Damiere Byrd and KhaDarel Hodge were brought in, but right now Olamide Zaccheaus sits atop the depth chart for the Falcons. Additional talent at receiver would actually be a good thing for managers with Pitts, as it would at least draw some of the attention away from him in theory. Patterson’s production tailed off towards the end of last season, and Mike Davis looked nothing like he did in Carolina. A dynamic running back prospect would greatly improve the offense.

And as for that offensive line, the weakest links were at left guard and right tackle. It’d be worth drafting a tackle prospect high to use in one of the slots. Atlanta could always take a flyer on another lineman or two late as well.

Carolina Panthers: Fourth Place NFC South

In 1973, the Advanced Vehicle Engineers company built a prototype flying car. Joining a Ford Pinto to the rear section of a Cessna Skymaster, the plan for the “Mizar,” as it was known, was to introduce a giant leap forward in the automotive industry and revolutionize personal transportation. On one of the initial test flights, the right wing strut failed, resulting in a crash landing. During another test flight roughly two weeks later, a catastrophic failure of the same right wing support caused the Mizar to crash, killing both founders of AVE.

In April of 2021, the Carolina Panthers traded for Sam “Pinto” Darnold. The goal was to join him to the football equivalent of the rear section of a horse, somehow leading to the franchise taking flight and reaching new heights of success. During the initial test season, the catastrophic failure of Christian McCaffrey’s entire lower body led to an absolute nosedive from which Darnold and the team could not recover. Now, one season later, the Panthers must decide whether to continue moving forward with the same configuration or scrap the whole project and start from scratch. Either way, the fates of head coach Matt Rhule and general manager Scott Fitterer hang precariously in the balance.

Panthers’ Bottom Line

Yes, the Panthers could use an upgrade over placekicker Zane Gonzalez (K27). A consistent, playmaking tight end would be an improvement over Tommy Tremble (TE45). And yes, a big-bodied receiver to complement the open-field strengths of D.J. Moore (WR18) and Robby Anderson (WR49) would be fun. But Carolina’s success, both at Bank of America Stadium and in fantasy apps, will come down to three things.

First, the team needs an answer at quarterback. If it’s not Darnold, is it a draft prospect? If not, then is it a trade for Baker Mayfield, Jimmy Garoppolo, or someone else? The Panthers find themselves in the least enviable position for a franchise. They have committed significant resources to the most important position in pro sports, but are no closer to solving the problem than before. Carolina is not without offensive weapons, but they’re nigh-useless without a field general.

Next, the Panthers absolutely must find a way to keep McCaffrey healthy. One of the most prolific fantasy scorers of all time, he has played just 10 games combined in the past two seasons. CMC is explosive and a match-up nightmare for opposing defenses. He can do it all, but the best ability is availability. We’ll discuss McCaffrey as a fantasy dilemma later this offseason, but without him healthy, he helps no one’s roster, including Carolina’s.

Third, the team needs to improve their 31st-ranked offensive line. They’ve done well in free agency, adding Bradley Bozeman and Austin Corbett, but still need improvement on the left side of the line, where Cameron Erving and “Practice Squad Rando” were a disaster. With limited draft capital, Carolina may need to continue scoping the free-agent market for help.

The Draft Approaches!

A reminder here: more great draft coverage is available on the main Belly Up site, as well as fun, informative content on the Belly Up Podcast Network, Belly Up TV, and B.U.R.N.S. Radio. As always, check back with Belly Up Fantasy Sports for more fantasy analysis and to see what teams in the rest of the league still need to add to make fantasy managers’ championship dreams come true. Up next: the AFC West. Got something to say? Leave a comment below and follow me on Twitter @SttChaseFFB.