The NFC South was comprised of four underperforming teams as evidenced by Tampa Bay taking home bragging rights for the second straight season even though it did so by compiling a losing overall record. BetRivers Sportsbook had odds on the board for every team to win the division entering Week 17. That goes to show just how big a struggle it was for everyone involved. Though the Buccaneers ultimately represented the division in the second season, the team now carries the longest odds of the quadrant now that Tom Brady has hung up his cleats. That opens the door for the New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons, and Carolina Panthers to make themselves heard which leads me to believe this division is once again as wide open as it can possibly get with every team marching new field generals onto the gridiron as their respective QB1. Let’s see if we can separate the wheat from the chaff to weed out the contenders from the pretenders on the divisional futures odds.

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New Orleans Saints +120

I came away largely unimpressed with what the Saints brought to the table in Dennis Allen’s first go-round as the shot caller. Cutting his teeth as a defensive coach since first entering the league back in 2011, you’d think New Orleans would’ve flourished under his watch. That however wasn’t the case. While the unit ranked amongst the best in the league in total (No. 5) and scoring defense (No. 9), it proved to be a sieve against the run (No. 24) and couldn’t force turnovers (No. 31) to save its life. It did however do a tremendous job rushing the quarterback logging 48 sacks (No. 5), and that output is likely to improve with the first and second round draft selections of Bryan Bresee (Clemson) and Isaiah Foskey (Notre Dame). RB Jamaal Williams was a nice pickup to help alleviate some of the burden Alvin Kamara has been forced to shoulder. He could also be a solid insurance policy should the Saints RB1 face suspension. Derek Carr was brought in to help solidify the quarterback position which churned out horrendous outputs a season ago. Michael Thomas, Chris Olave, and Rashid Shaheed deserved better. The offense will be potent if Carr can revert back to his 2019/20 form when he averaged 24 TD passes and only 8.5 INT. Even so, I’m not sold on New Orleans being deserved of betting favorite status of winning this division.

Atlanta Falcons +220

Now this is a team I can get down with! The Falcons far exceeded many an NFL bettor’s expectations a season ago after winning seven games to smash its 4.5-game season win total. While Atlanta is one of many teams within the division that will break in a new quarterback – yes I know Desmond Ridder made four starts – the offense’s run first mentality leads me to believe the unit will be just fine right from the jump. Don’t go drafting Kyle Pitts early in your fantasy football draft! I came away extremely impressed with the job rookie RB Tyler Allgeier did rushing for over 1,000 yards while only getting the starting nod in seven games. You can’t help but think Atlanta will possess one heck of a 1-2 punch out of the backfield after acquiring the services of Bijan Robinson in the first round. While a controversial pick at No. 8, the former Texas Longhorn might not have landed in a better spot as great HC Arthur Smith is at utilizing play-action in his offensive plan of attack. Reinforcements were brought in along the defensive line while former highly touted first round pick Jeff Okudah will now man the other cornerback spot alongside stud AJ Terrell. With an extremely favorable schedule, it wouldn’t shock me in the least if we’re staring at a 10+ win football team that leaves many wondering what they didn’t see entering the regular season.

Carolina Panthers +375

The Panthers are another team that received a major facelift in the offseason after going 7-10 and 9-8 ATS. After struggling to find a capable replacement for Cam Newton over the last five seasons, upper management went all-in trading with the Chicago Bears for the No. 1 overall pick which was turned into former Heisman winner Bryce Young who helped lead Alabama to a national championship during his tenure in Tuscaloosa. Though not imposing in stature like Newton was, Young is cut from more of a cerebral cloth with his football IQ and natural ability unlike any seen in this past year’s draft. Frank Reich should have a good ‘ol time molding this kid into a difference maker with upper management bringing some veteran toys onto the roster in the forms of Adam Thielen and Miles Sanders to make the transition easier. Armed with arguably the best offensive line in the division of which it went 4-2 SU against last season, the Panthers should dramatically improve upon the 20+ points per game averaged throughout the 2022-23 NFL betting season. The defense already had some nice pieces on it in linebackers Brian Burns and Frankie Luvu, and was improved with the acquisitions of Vonn Bell and DeShawn Williams. The Panthers could surprise in the first season of the Reich regime!

Tampa Bay Buccaneers +800

The Buccaneers proved to be the best of the worst a season ago after punching a ticket to the playoffs as a losing football team (8-9). Along the way Tampa put its wagering supporters in the poorhouse by only covering four of its 17 played games. That was with Tom Brady at the helm. Now, it’s expected to be Baker Mayfield provided he isn’t beaten out by Kyle Trask or John Woolford. Pray for him if that occurs! He’ll have Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Russell Gage to sling the rock to with RB Rachaad White the primary ball carrier running behind an offensive line that has more questions than answers entering the regular season. The other side of ball looks fantastic in the middle with Shaquil Barrett, Lavonte David, and Devin White all back manning their posts, but questions remain up front as well as in the secondary. Not much was done to improve the roster in free agency but upper management did utilize eight draft picks to mostly add depth to the defense. Much would have to go right for Tampa to win the NFC South a third straight time. This team has gotten worse while the rest of the division as a whole has gotten noticeably better. And it’s still being overlooked by Todd Bowles!

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