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With just 45 days until the season opener, it’s officially time to schedule your fantasy football draft(s). And before more Patrick Mahomes-Xavier Worthy training camp highlights emerge, let’s dive into our final division preview of the 2024 offseason:
- 🗺 NFC South preview
- 🎙 Scoop City exclusive
- 👀 Packers extension
2024 NFL Team previews: NFC South
The Buccaneers have won three straight division titles. Before this streak, the Saints dominated with four straight crowns. The Panthers had their time too, with three straight from 2013 to 2015.
The Falcons? They’ve never won back-to-back division titles, not even before the NFC South formed in 2002. But after paying their quarterback of the present and drafting their quarterback of the future, can their streak start this year? Or will Tampa Bay’s extend to four?
Let’s look at the NFC South:
Buccaneers in 2024
Biggest question: Can Baker Mayfield succeed without former OC Dave Canales? Formerly the QB coach in Seattle when Geno Smith won Comeback Player of the Year, Canales then oversaw Mayfield’s career season. But Canales is now in Carolina, replaced by Liam Coen, the Rams’ 2022 OC who spent last season running the Kentucky Wildcats’ offense. With Coen bringing a new approach to familiar principles — using the run game to benefit the pass — the offense should look similar.
Position to watch: Safety. Yes, you want to watch the best safety in the NFL, Antoine Winfield Jr. In 2023, he produced the only season in this century with 120-plus tackles, six forced fumbles, six sacks and 12 passes defended. The first-team All-Pro also added three interceptions. The 25-year-old’s new contract made him the highest-paid defensive back in the league.
Fantasy sleeper: WR Chris Godwin. Dan Pompei’s pick for non-quarterback MVP of the Buccaneers, the 28-year-old is expected to revert back to the slot, a role that Coen compares to Cooper Kupp’s in the Rams offense, for those of you with “Cooper Kupp role” on your bingo cards. Godwin’s also in a contract year with plenty to prove. With 35 receivers usually being drafted ahead of him, I’m targeting his value.
Better than last year? No, but it’s relative. With the Falcons favored to win the division (more on that below) and the Bucs’ brutal early-season schedule (seven of their first 10 opponents are expected to win 9.5 games or more), returning key talent won’t be enough to keep Tampa’s division-title streak alive.
Saints in 2024
Biggest question: How will their offensive line hold up? After a forgettable 2023, the Saints hired a new coach to lead their offensive line (John Benton, a run-blocking specialist formerly of the 49ers and Jets) and spent their first round pick on Oregon State OT Taliese Fuaga, a run-blocking machine expected to start at LT. Still, there are plenty of questions for a unit that PFF projects as the worst in the league this season.
Position to watch: Defensive line. There are questions about their pass rush, as the Saints’ 34 sacks tied for the NFL’s fourth-fewest last season. Their 72 quarterback hits? Third-fewest. At 35, Cameron Jordan remains solid but is slowing down (just two sacks in 2023). Alongside him are Carl Granderson and the newly acquired Chase Young (7.5 sacks in 2023). They need 2023 first-round pick DT Bryan Bresee to improve after a promising rookie campaign.
Fantasy sleeper: WR Rashid Shaheed. A first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl returner, Shaheed should benefit from the NFL’s new kickoff rules, which could easily translate to more fantasy points for you. Typically a boom/bust option as a receiver, Shaheed — who received a one-year extension this weekend — has massive upside if new OC Klint Kubiak finds a more consistent role for him after New Orleans cut Michael Thomas.
Better than last year? No. It’s difficult to have faith in HC Dennis Allen after how Jamies Winston ended last season. I struggle to picture the Saints taking a step forward with their biggest additions being Young and CB Kool-Aid McKinstry. Vegas shares that sentiment; BetMGM has the Saints’ win total at 7.5.
We’ll get to the remaining two teams, but first, Dianna.
What Dianna’s Hearing: Saquon shares his side
This offseason’s “Hard Knocks” has been centered around the Giants and their handling of star running back Saquon Barkley’s contract, with the team deciding to forego the franchise tag and let their talented star test free agency.
While the cameras have shown us the Giants’ GM Joe Schoen and owner John Mara’s side of why their most popular player is now with the division-rival Eagles, tomorrow Saquon joins the Scoop City podcast for an exclusive interview to tell his side of the story and share the exact moment he knew his time in New York was over.
The podcast will be published Tuesday morning. Click here to find the Scoop City channel, which recently aired my conversation with Chase Daniel on the Jalen Hurts-Nick Sirianni dynamic in Philly.
Falcons in 2024
Biggest question: How far can Kirk Cousins take this team? After a $50 million signing bonus, Cousins has now made around $280 million per playoff win (one). He’ll look to bring that number down in Atlanta, where he’s paired with new OC Zac Robinson and one of the NFL’s best set of offensive weapons and pass blockers. Given how well Cousins was playing before tearing his Achilles (top-five in expected points added and leading the NFL in passing yards per game), a playoff win could be on the table.
Position to watch: Running back. Specifically, Bijan Robinson, who has said he’s preparing for a role similar to 2023 Offensive Player of the Year Christian McCaffrey, who led the NFL in touches. Despite Atlanta’s OC coming from the Rams, who embrace the lean-on-your-stars approach, I’ll also be watching impressive backup Tyler Allgeier after he was assured he’d remain heavily involved. There’s only one football.
Fantasy sleeper: WR Darnell Mooney is looking to bounce back as the No. 2 in Atlanta after the worst season of his career. While watching Mooney’s 2023 tape, former GM Randy Mueller noted that the 26-year-old “shows the explosive ability to separate from coverage at every level.” Mooney could play a Jordan Addison-lite role with Cousins.
Better than last season? Yes. That’s what happens when you replace Desmond Ridder with a starting-caliber NFL quarterback. The league’s easiest schedule should help them make the playoffs, but a weak pass defense could come back to bite them in January (per PFF, Atlanta finished 27th in pressure grade and 25th in coverage grade).
Panthers in 2024
Biggest question: Can Bryce Young succeed in the NFL? His first season wasn’t promising, as the Alabama product ranked last in both passing yards per attempt (5.5) and passer rating (73.7). As a sophomore, Young will look to build on the positives — his anticipation and processing — with the aforementioned Dave Canales as HC and elite separator WR Diontae Johnson joining an offense that had the lowest yards per game (265.3) and points per game (13.2) in the NFL last year.
Position to watch: Offensive line. In 2023, Young was set up to fail. His receivers were never open, and nobody blocked pass rushers. The Panthers responded by adding receivers and spending big on the interior of their line, inking former Seahawks G Damien Lewis to a four-year, $53 million deal and former Dolphins G Robert Hunt to a five-year, $100 million deal. Keeping the interior blocked is critical for a quarterback under six feet tall, and the line might now be their strongest position group.
Fantasy sleeper: WR Diontae Johnson. Beat reporter Joe Persons’ pick for non-quarterback MVP in Carolina, Persons explains that Johnson’s “quick-twitch route running and ability to shake coverage” were “on display this spring.” A post-minicamp riser, Johnson is also in a contract year, which has historically led to an 11.9 percent bump in WR fantasy production. As the No. 1 option in Pittsburgh in 2021, Johnson finished as a top-10 receiver. He’s again a No. 1, but being drafted after more than 30 others.
Better than last season? Yes. The bad news? The Panthers were the first team since the 1979 49ers to trade their own pick that became the following year’s top pick. The good news? Those 49ers were led by then-rookie Joe Montana and the newly appointed Bill Walsh (a QB whisperer), and you know how that ended. While I’m not expecting Carolina reaching anywhere near those heights, the Young-Canales pairing, together with talented DC Ejiro Evero, is promising. Just give it time.
Around the NFL
Packers DL Kenny Clark, the three-time Pro Bowler, agreed to a three-year, $64 million extension. The 28-year-old is Green Bay’s longest-tenured player and now the 12th-highest-paid interior defensive linemen.
Dolphins LB and longtime Buccaneer Shaquil Barrett announced his abrupt retirement on Saturday, a few days before the team reports to training camp on July 28. Now 31, Barrett’s 10-year career included a Super Bowl ring in 2020 and Tampa-record 19.5 sacks in 2019.
The Texans signed former Rams and Vikings RB Cam Akers. The 25-year-old will battle for a roster spot behind Joe Mixon and Dameon Pierce.
Beat reporter Daniel Popper looks at the Chargers‘ training camp storylines, including a unique approach to rest and recovery.
Jacob’s Picks
📕 One big question for each team ahead of training camp. (The Athletic)
🎙 NFC South, questioned. Robert Mays and Seth Galina examine the critical questions facing the four teams we previewed today. (The Athletic Football Show)
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