The Buccaneers should keep a careful eye on their opponents.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have had a wonderful summer, having won three NFC South titles in four years. The Bucs were able to keep some key free agents in-house, which appears to indicate that they will be competitive for another season.
The Bucs re-signed Baker Mayfield and Mike Evans prior to the start of the legal tampering period, which set the tone for some subsequent transactions. Lavonte David, Chase McLaughlin, and Chase Edmonds highlighted the reunion, with Jordan Whitehead joining in after leaving the Jets to return to Tampa Bay.
Everyone in the NFC South appears to have been busy in free agency, which means things will only get more difficult for the Bucs next season.
Carolina paid heavily to rebuild its offensive line, New Orleans discovered a method to free up contract space, and Atlanta spent $180 million to attempt to find a quarterback to compete with Baker Mayfield.
The Bucs are still the team to beat, but things will be much more difficult than they were last season.
3 free agent moves from NFC South rivals that should worry Buccaneers fans
Atlanta Falcons sign Kirk Cousins
Kirk Cousins is the most significant challenge to the NFC South since Todd Bowles took over the franchise. Some fans may chuckle at the idea, but if everything else goes as planned, this move alone might create a new favorite in the division.
The Falcons have been one of the South’s punching bags in recent years (albeit not on the same degree as the Panthers), but this has been largely due to poor coaching and dubious quarterback play.
Now, the Falcons have a considerably superior quarterback, a head coach who may really try to use his offensive assets, and a criminally underestimated supporting cast.
There are many ‘ifs’ surrounding the Falcons due to Cousins’ health following yet another season-ending injury, but Atlanta receiving even 80% of what Cousins brought during his tenure with the Vikings, combined with any willingness to call an offense from this decade, will spell trouble for the rest of the division.
