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| Matt Ryan and the Falcons will stay ahead of the young Bucs and cement their place at the top of the NFC South. |
Why They'll Be Better - In a draft day trade for the ages, the Falcons mortgaged much of their future to get Julio Jones, the number two receiver that they think they've been missing. It's early, but he has looked good in the preseason.
Why They'll Be Worse - Although the Falcons were the #1 seed in the NFC last year, they had some breaks along the way. Their schedule included the horrendous NFC West, they were 7-2 in games decided by seven points or less, and they were a missed field goal away from a playoff trip to Seattle instead of a bye.
My Prediction - The Jones trade may come back to bite them down the road, but for now the Falcons are in great shape. The Atlanta offense will only get better as Matt Ryan evolves into an elite NFL quarterback, and new arrival Ray Edwards will team up with defensive end John Abraham to pester NFC quarterbacks.
2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Why They'll Be Better - Josh Freeman, LeGarrette Blount, Mike Williams, Aqib Talib...the Buccaneers are not short on young talent. The future looks very bright in Tampa.
Why They'll Be Worse - Despite having plenty of cap space, the Bucs did little spending in the offseason. As they stand now, Tampa doesn't have the firepower to keep up with the better offenses in the NFC.
My Prediction - Tampa may be a better team than they were last year and still finish with a worse record. The NFC South, already the best division in the league, will be even better this season.
3. New Orleans Saints
Why They'll Be Better - Reggie Bush was a bust as soon as people realized that he wasn't the next Gale Sayers, but he still could have been a productive running back if not for his constant injuries. Darren Sproles brings a similar skill set, without the health issues.
Why They'll Be Worse - With how dominant the passing game is becoming, I can't believe they're bringing back the same secondary that the mediocre Seahawks shredded in the playoffs.
My Prediction - Offense has never been a problem for Sean Payton's Saints, but the defense has been their undoing every year. Unless coordinator Gregg Williams' aggressive schemes create the bounty of turnovers it did in their 2009 Super Bowl season, New Orleans will fall back in a tough division.
4. Carolina Panthers
Why They'll Be Better - Their did not spend their money wisely, but for now the Panthers have a lot of talent on their team. The Greg Olsen trade gives Carolina a weapon in the passing game to finally take some heat off of Steve Smith and give their rookie quarterback a safety valve.
Why They'll Be Worse - It's hard to imagine Carolina being any worse than it was in last year's 2-14 campaign. Still, I don't know why a team that's rebuilding would overpay to keep talented, but not elite, players like running back Deangelo Williams and defensive end Charles Johnson.
My Prediction - Even if I was a Cam Newton fan, the Panthers can't expect to get far with a rookie quarterback, especially in a division as tough as the NFC South. Six wins would be a successful season for Carolina.
Up next, the NFC West.
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