The NFC South is currently going through a seismic shift in its history. The division is coming off a 2022 season where it was considered to be the worst division in the entire NFL, as evidenced by each club finishing below .500, including the NFC South champion Buccaneers. Now, we’re embarking into an offseason where all four teams may find themselves with new quarterbacks.
The Buccaneers, of course, will certainly have a different signal-caller after Tom Brady decided to retire after the team’s 8-9 campaign and a loss to the Cowboys on Super Wild Card Weekend.
Carolina rolled through several quarterbacks after the Baker Mayfield experiment did not work out and saw the in-season firing of Matt Rhule. The club finished 7-10 and has since hired former Colts head coach Frank Reich to lead them into 2023 and beyond. In New Orleans, the Saints also rode the quarterback carousel en route to a 7-10 season under first-year head coach Dennis Allen. Meanwhile, the Falcons looked like they might be a surprise team in the NFL out of the gate with a 3-3 record through six weeks, but then lost seven of their final 11 games to finish 7-10.
It’s been Tampa Bay that has ruled this division with Brady at the helm over the last two seasons, but now the NFC South is as wide open as it’s been in some time. This offseason will likely prove to be a pivotal period for one team to separate from the rest. As they begin crafting their rosters for 2023, here’s an outlook on each team’s offseason as well as some of the needs each team must address.
Note: Salary cap figures are rounded and courtesy of Spotrac.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Needs: QB, CB, EDGE, OL, RB
Projected cap space: $-57.08M (32nd)
Quarterback is, of course, the glaring need in Tampa Bay with Brady retiring. Before they embark on addressing that or any need on their roster, however, they’ll need to create quite a bit of cap space just to get them compliant. Once they do that, they can begin considering their options for filling the QB spot. If they feel like they are a capable quarterback away from continuing to contend for the playoffs, a veteran free agent like Jimmy Garoppolo could be an option. If they take a hard look at themselves and see that a total rebuild post-Brady is necessary, it could be worth seeing what you have in Kyle Trask or taking a stab at a quarterback in the 2023 NFL Draft.
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