Without a healthy Delhomme, the Panthers are in serious trouble

Carolina Panthers (11-5)

Key Additions:  Everette Brown (DE) and that’s it.

Key Departures:  D.J. Hackett (WR); Ken Lucas (CB); Jeremy Bridges (G); Geoff Hangartner (C).

The Panthers come into 2009 with one of the league’s best rushing attack.  DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart are known all around the football world and are the best 1-2 punch in football.  Williams exploded for 20 touchdowns last year, a huge breakout campaign.  Stewart is the perfect compliment with his ability to wear down opposing defenses with his bruising style.  The hope is that Jake Delhomme can lead this team to another Super Bowl run.  He’s arguably more important than either Williams or Stewart due to the lack of depth at the quarterback position.  At receiver, the Panthers lack depth, as well.  Mushin Muhammad is 36, and Steve Smith isn’t the surest thing to stay healthy at receiver.  Dwayne Jarrett has a lot of potential as the #3 receiver, but if one of those three go down, the team is in trouble.  That’s where the loss of D.J. Hackett could hurt.  The offensive line is led by former first-round pick Jordan Gross.  Jeff Otah, Ryan Kalil and Travelle Wharton are three other keys to one of the best offensive lines in the league.  It’s no wonder Williams had such a big year last year.

While depth could be the problem on the offensive side of the ball, the team has tons of depth on the defensive side.  Julius Peppers is back, again, and is the star of the defense.  He tallied 14.5 sacks last year from the right side of the line.  Tyler Brayton and Charles Johnson recorded 10.5 sacks on the left side.  The team also added pass rusher Everette Brown through the draft.  Look for him to be a big threat on third downs.  The linebacking group is also solid and deep.  John Beason, Na’il Diggs, Dan Connor and Thomas Davis are ready to explode tailbacks.  Like everyone else in the division, the question is the secondary.  Chris Gamble is the best of the group, but he needs guys like Chris Harris and Charles Godfrey to step up behind him.

Fantasy Sleeper: Jarrett – The former USC star could see a lot of action if Muhammad falls apart or if Smith goes down.  He only recorded 10 catches for 119 yards last year, but he has the size to be an end-zone threat.  It doesn’t seem like the Panthers will go to many three wideout sets, but if they do, he’s someone to keep an eye on.

New Orleans Saints (10-6)

The defense needs to step up if the Saints want to reach the playoffs

Key Additions: Malcolm Jenkins (DB), Jabari Greer (DB),  Darren Sharper (DB), Paul Spicer (DE),Heath Evans (FB)

Key Departures: Josh Bullocks (DB), David Patten (WR), Deuce McAllister (RB), Mike McKenzie (DB)

The 2008 Saints stumbled to an 8-8 record last season due to inconsistency all over the field.  Although Drew Brees threw over 5,000 yards, the offense struggled at times.  The lack of a steady running game hurt the Saints.  On defense, they surrendered 393 points, just over 24 points per game.

Yet, the team has a chance to make some noise in the most competitive division in the NFL.  The team has brought in Jenkins, Greer and Sharper to shore up the defense.  Jonathan Vilma has shown that he can be the playmaker at middle linebacker.  Sure, it’s easy to get excited after a few pre-season games, but the Saints are actually stopping offenses in basic formations.  The attitude as changed, and there is a lot of positivity.  But, before we call them a Super Bowl contender, they need to prove that they can hold teams under 20 points per game.

While it’s difficult to improve a top-five offense, the Saints have great depth.  Everyone knows about Brees, Bush and Colston, but the offense got a big lift from Pierre Thomas, the undrafted tailback from Illinois.  The third year veteran steps in as the starter.  At wideout, the depth is even greater.  Moore turned into a great second option for Brees, Meachem and Henderson are great deep threats.  Jeremy Shockey, if healthy, can turn into another big time option.

For the Saints to make the playoffs, a ten-win season is necessary.  To get to ten wins, the defense just needs to be middle of the pack while the offense needs to stand out.

Fantasy Sleeper: WR Devery Henderson – Henderson caught 32 balls for 793 yards.  Averaging 21.6 yards per catch for his career, the LSU alum has Bernard Berrian potential this year.  A big year for Thomas and Bush on the ground could open up some deep throws for Henderson.

Atlanta Falcons (9-7)

Can the addition of Gonzalez further improve the Atlanta offense?

Key Additions: Tony Gonzalez (TE); Mike Peterson (LB); Brian Williams (CB); Tye Hill (CB); Brett Romberg (C).

Key Subtractions: Michael Boley (LB); Keith Brooking (LB); Domonique Foxworth (CB); Lawyer Milloy (S); Grady Jackson (DT).

A surprise team last year, the Falcons shot into the playoffs due to a very complete offense.  As seen in the off-season movements above, most of the offense is back.  Matt Ryan threw for 3,417 yards last year as a rookie, and he looks to build on a great start to his NFL career.  He has the arm strength and the poise to keep Atlanta in the race for a playoff birth this season.  The concern with him is his late season collapse, but Ryan’s work in the offseason could help him through the entire year.  Michael Turner was the best running back in the game last year, rushing for 1,699 yards and 16 scores.  Even if the 372 carries that Turner took last year wear on him, the team has Jerious Norwood to back him up, a perfect speed compliment to Turner.  The Dirty Birds also re-signed Roddy White to a long-term deal, a true No. 1 wideout.  The difference to this team could be Tony Gonzalez.  Head Coach Mike Smith said that Gonzalez will be used as more of a blocking tight end, but that’s due to the run first mentality of coordinator Mike Mularkey. You already know about the play-makers, but the offensive line is key for the Falcons.  The chemistry remains as the team brings back all five starters.

The defensive side of the ball isn’t so rosy for the Falcons.  The starting corner’s are Chris Houston and Brent Grimes – two very athletic corners.  The issue is that they are both listed at 5’8’’.  Look for late acquisitions Tye Hill and Brian Williams to get a lot of playing time if either Houston or Grimes falter.  The secondary has been lit up in the pre-season.  For the Falcons to return to a 10-win team, they need the secondary to step up.  The front seven are solid, beginning with All-Pro John Abraham.  Abraham recorded 16.5 sacks last year.  The Falcons return both defensive tackles, as well.  There are a few changes in the linebacking core, as Keith Brooking and Michael Boley have left.  Stepping in are Mike Peterson and the inexperienced Stephan Nicholas.  If Nicholas plays to potential, this trio could be as good as last year.  The guy with the most to prove on defense is Jamaal Anderson, who is quickly becoming a first-round bust.

Fantasy Sleeper: Norwood – Don’t let the “backup” title fool you.  Norwood averaged 25.7 yards on kickoff returns last year, and will get the carries if Turner wears down.  He is also a receiving threat out of the backfield, after his 36 catches last year.  He averages 5.8 yards per carry in his career, so if he gets 8-10 carries a game, with kickoff return potential, he’s not a bad choice for your flex positions.  If Turner goes down, he immediately vaults to a top-15 tailback.

Look for the Falcons offense to be ranked in the top 8 this season, if everyone stays healthy.  An injury to Turner could put more pressure on their franchise quarterback, which may lead to problems.  Nothing that happens on offense matters if the defense doesn’t perform.  I don’t think the defense will show up, nor do I think that Ryan will have a year like last year.

Tampa Bay Bucs (3-13)

You know you're bad when your fantasy sleeper is a kicker

Key Additions: Kellen Winslow Jr. (TE); Angelo Crowell (LB); Derrick Ward (RB); Byron Leftwich (QB); Mike Nugent (K).

Key Departures: Jovan Haye (DT); Derrick Brooks (LB); Jeff Garcia (QB); Phillip Buchanon (CB); Kevin Carter (DE); Joey Galloway (WR); Cato June (LB); Warrick Dunn (RB); Ike Hilliard (WR).

The Bucs offense is 2009 will be bad.  Jeff Garcia left for Oakland, which left uncertainty at the quarterback position.  They brought in Byron Leftwich to compete with newly drafted Josh Freeman.  After a month long competition, the Bucs have decided to go with Leftwich.  The move isn’t surprising, as Freeman is very raw. Needless to say, Leftwich isn’t about to light up the cornerbacks in the NFC South, no matter how bad the corners are in the division.  His list of weapons is extremely short.  At wide receiver, Joey Galloway and Ike Hilliard have left, leaving Antonio Bryant and Michael Clayton as the only reliable threats.  The second best option in the passing game will be Winslow Jr., pending he’s healthy.  He will be motioned out in hopes of causing mismatches.  At tailback, the team has a trio of guys who will get carries.  Head Coach Raheem Morris has named Cadillac Williams the starter over Ward and Earnest Graham.  As a fantasy owner, the first few weeks will determine which direction the Bucs will go, so fantasy owners should wait and see.  The trio of tailbacks will run behind one of best offensive lines in football.  The zone blocking scheme should open up some holes.  But, let’s be honest.  The trio of tailbacks isn’t that good, at least not good enough to make defensive coordinators sweat.  It’ll be a rough year for this offense.

The defense isn’t as feared as it once was. Marty Kiffin, the man that brought the Tampa/Cover-2 scheme to the Bucs has left to coach with his son at the University of Tennessee.  The defense is aging and losing some of their key players.  Ronde Barber is now 34, Derrick Brooks has left, Cato June followed, along with Kevin Carter. New coordinator Jim Bates wants to install his scheme, but doesn’t have the players to do so.  They have had to move Jermaine Phillips back to safety after converting him to linebacker.  Will Allen has to play safety because Tanard Jackson has been suspended for four games for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.  Speaking of bad behavior, talented corner Aqib Talib has punched a teammate and has been arrested on battery charges already this off-season.  If you’re looking for a bright spot, Gaines Adams is a really good player, as is   Do not be surprised if all four teams in the NFC South finish in the bottom half in passing defense, and are in the bottom half in points allowed.  The organization is changing, and with three teams with Super Bowl aspirations ahead of them, it’s a good year to rebuild.

Fantasy Sleeper: Mike Nugent – This is embarrassing.   A fantasy sleeper is not someone we have expected to do well.  The only fantasy worthy players are the aforementioned tailbacks, Bryant and Winslow.  The other players are bad at football.  This is a four-win team at best.  So, Nugent is the choice.  He was taken in the second round due to his big leg and accuracy.  Now, he’s kicking in warmer weather for eight games, and indoors for two games.  He will be a top 10 kicker by year end, partially because his team won’t put the ball in the end zone.