The free agency period of the offseason is nearly a week away and teams in the NFC South will be heavily involved. Over the past few seasons, the New Orleans Saints have been the team to beat in the division.
Last month, Drew Brees announced that he would be returning for his 20th season in the NFL in 2020. Given that, the Saints are seemingly going to have one more run at the Super Bowl with Brees under center.
As for the Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers, they are trying to return to being Super Bowl contenders in the NFC South. But with the Falcons, they are very limited in cap space, currently having just $4.2 million in cap space, per Spotrac.
Last but not least, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are heading into the second season with Bruce Arians as head coach, hoping to turn into a playoff team in 2020. Taking all of that into consideration, here is one player each team in the NFC South needs to sign in free agency.
Atlanta Falcons – Mackensie Alexander
As mentioned above, the Falcons are going into this offseason with a limited amount of cap space. Despite the restricted financial situation, Atlanta's GM Thomas Dimitroff believes the team is ‘in a good spot'.
After the team makes some roster moves, they will have some money to target some of the cost-effective free agents in free agency. Near the top of Atlanta's needs, the Falcons could benefit from adding a cornerback.
Provided that, Mackensie Alexander would be a perfect signing for the Falcons this offseason. In the last two seasons, Alexander received a larger role on the Minnesota Vikings defense, notching 15 deflections, 4.5 sacks, and one interception.
By signing Alexander, the Falcons could insert him as their nickel corner and allow Kendall Sheffield to move to the outside next season. Then, Sheffield could compete with Isaiah Oliver to be the cornerback alongside Desmond Trufant.
Carolina Panthers – Joe Thuney
Last week, the Panthers chose to do a rare player-for-player trade involving Trai Turner for Russell Okung. Seeing that Turner was a Pro Bowler in five of his six seasons, Carolina has big shoes to fill at right guard.
When free agency gets underway, Joe Thuney is going to be one of the most coveted interior offensive linemen. Thuney has been the starting left guard for the New England Patriots since 2016. With New England wanting to retain Tom Brady, Thuney could be out of their price range.
In the event that Thuney is available in free agency, the Panthers should be a team that targets him. Signing Thuney and drafting an offensive tackle in this year's draft would be an exemplary offseason for Carolina as it tries to get back on track in the NFC South.
New Orleans Saints – Jamie Collins
Of course, for the Saints, the main priority is getting a deal in place for Brees. Given that Brees isn't considering another team, it's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when he signs with New Orleans.
Besides getting Brees signed, it would be beneficial for the Saints to add a linebacker to the defense. Currently, New Orleans deploys a linebacker corps that is led by Demario Davis. Aside from Davis, the Saints don't have a linebacker they can rely upon and Kiko Alonso could be a cap casualty.
Also, with A.J. Klein being an impending free agent and Alex Anzalone coming back from an injury, New Orleans could choose to sign a linebacker. A linebacker that the Saints should be targeting is Jamie Collins.
Collins had his second stint with the Patriots in 2019 and showed off his versatility on defense. The veteran linebacker recorded 81 tackles, seven sacks, and three interceptions this past season. There's no doubt that Collins could bring an added dimension to the Saints defense for a cheap price and make them the NFC South favorite once again.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Shaquil Barrett
While other teams were focused on signing some of the other premier edge rushers, the Buccaneers took a chance on Shaquil Barrett. At the time, Tampa Bay signed Barrett to a one-year, $4 million prove-it deal.
After his first season with the Buccaneers, it's safe to say he was arguably the best bargain from last offseason. In his first year starting in 16 games, Barrett accumulated a league-leading 19.5 sacks and six forced fumbles.
Prior to free agency, Tampa Bay has shown that they are extremely interested in bringing back Barrett. As a matter of fact, they seem prepared to utilize their franchise tag on Barrett rather than Jameis Winston. Nevertheless, the Buccaneers need to do everything they can to keep Barrett long-term this offseason and try to become a contender in the NFC South.
Follow Us
Subscribe