Bucs/NFL

Division games get tougher

By STEPHEN HOLDER
Published March 26, 2006

TAMPA - The Panthers had to find a secondary threat to pair with All-Pro receiver Steve Smith . His name is Keyshawn Johnson .

The Falcons' pass rush needed a jolt. John Abraham and his 531/2 career sacks should do.

The Saints were in dire need of a dynamic quarterback. Meet Drew Brees .

Ladies and gentlemen, we present the new NFC South. That's right: The division that many people smarter than I have proclaimed the best in pro football just got better. Meanwhile, the fourth and final division member has stayed practically the same.

Disclaimer: That by no means is an indictment or implication the Bucs can't contend for back-to-back division titles. But who wants to play six games a season against NFC South teams, especially now?

We're not proclaiming the Panthers the next Super Bowl champs or predicting Michael Vick will suddenly understand the importance of mistake-free football or pretending the Saints didn't lose 13 games in 2005. After all, there were some key losses to go with the big pickups. Former Carolina linebacker Will Witherspoon is off to St. Louis, and former Saints center LeCharles Bentley is snapping in Cleveland, for example.

The other three NFC South teams, however, skillfully went about addressing their primary needs despite the losses.

Smith couldn't do it alone in Carolina because in the rare instance a team was able to shut him down, no one else could step up. Johnson changes that. The Panthers also picked up defensive tackle Damione Lewis , helping plug the middle in the absence of aging Brentson Buckner , who was waived.

And few would argue Brees won't be a considerable upgrade over Aaron Brooks , an interception waiting to happen. (Think his favorite target, Ronde Barber , is sad to see him go?) Don't forget, for all the Saints' struggles in recent seasons, the Bucs have never had it easy against them.

Atlanta brings in Abraham to bolster a defense that ranked 22nd in 2005, and safety Lawyer Milloy should help defend against the flurry of deep balls the team has allowed.

The Bucs, meanwhile, hope the strides last season's team made will continue. If so, they should be an impressive bunch. But they're going to have to prove it.

As Johnson told cornerback Brian Kelly , one of his USC brethren, "You can't run now." He's right. There's no hiding in the NFC South. There will, however, be some knockdown, drag-out football. And if nothing else, it will be fun to watch.

WHY WOODSON? The sudden interest in Oakland free-agent cornerback Charles Woodson is peculiar.

All indications last season were that coaches were excited about the development of 2004 draft pick Will Allen , but acquiring Woodson and playing him at free safety, the most likely scenario, would pretty much nail Allen to the bench.

Woodson, 29, is believed to be seeking a sizable contract, and judging by the astronomical checks being written this offseason, who says he won't get one? The Bucs, close to the salary cap, would be investing precious dollars in a frequently injured cornerback who would need to change positions and hinder the development of an up-and-coming player.

The Bucs need to set money aside for the draft and that offensive tackle they hope to land in the first round. So, for the record, why is this a good idea?

HERE TODAY: The re-signing of kicker Matt Bryant made Billy Cundiff expendable, so he was cut last week. It appears the Bucs will go to camp with Bryant and FSU/Jesuit product Xavier Beitia . What's that? You didn't know Cundiff was on the team? Oh, never mind.

[Last modified March 26, 2006, 00:26:15]