#169: 2019 NFC South Preview (with Jordan Reid)

1. If the Bucs 2019 season can be summed in two words, those words are clearly Jameis Winston. This is the final year of his rookie contract and to give him his last best chance, the Bucs lured the QB whisperer himself Bruce Arians out of retirement to be their new head coach. Arians track record speaks for itself and if he can’t get the best out of Jameis, nobody can. If Jameis underwhelms this season, do you see the Bucs doing all they can to get the QB they want in the 2020 draft?

2. The fantasy appeal for this Bucs passing attack under Arians is mouth-watering. You obviously have Mike Evans (20.2 ADP) but Chris Godwin (43.4 ADP) is somebody the fantasy community and the Bucs are equally high on. Evans himself said he and Godwin are competing for that WR1 role. Would it surprise you if Godwin had as many or more receptions, receiving yards and TD’s as Evans? 

3. Last year, the Bucs had one of the worst defenses in the NFL. While they may have added Todd Bowles, who is a fantastic DC, as well a potential DROY candidate in Devin White, still a lot of holes and question marks remain on this side of the ball. Jason Pierre Paul is likely out until November at the earliest, meaning their best pass rusher is Carl Nassib, a very solid, but not great player. Their much-maligned secondary is also young and unproven. Does this look like another bottom-five defense to you?

4. In 2018, Matt Ryan had the best season of his career outside his 2016 MVP campaign. He became just the fifth QB in NFL history to throw for 35 TD’s AND miss the playoffs. One of the two biggest reasons the Falcons missed the playoffs was their OL struggles. Outside of re-signing Grady Jarrett, the Falcons poured most of their offseason resources into upgrading the OL, signing guards James Carpenter and Jamon Brown in free agency, and drafting G Chris Lindstrom and OT Kaleb McGary in the first round. How much better can we realistically expect this Falcons OL to be?

5. Last season, on 92 targets, Calvin Ridley caught 64 passes for 821 yards and 10 TD. His current ADP is 55.3, per FFC. Now with pass-first OC Dirk Koetter returning to Atlanta, do you see any room for statistical growth from Ridley this season even amidst a deep receiving corps? Keep in mind, Ridley was not 100% last season.

6. The other biggest reason the Falcons squandered an historically great season from Matt Ryan was injuries to key players on defense. Keanu Neal went down with a torn ACL early in the season and Deion Jones missed most of the season with a foot injury. If their defense is able to stay healthy and the offense continues to click, should we expect a return to the playoffs for the Falcons? How much does Dan Quinn calling the plays now help, if at all?

7. Cam Newton, coming off his second shoulder surgery in three years, told Peter King at the beginning of training camp that he is embracing a new play style. What kind of adjustments to Cam Newton’s game should we expect given his twice-repaired shoulder?

8. Which Panthers WR would you prefer to own in fantasy: D.J. Moore (64.1 ADP) or Curtis Samuel (79.6 ADP)?

9. This Panthers defensive front seven, even with Thomas Davis now gone, looks as scary as ever. You bring in Pro Bowl DT Gerald McCoy on a one-year deal to team up with KK Short inside. You also have a top-10 LB duo in Luke Kuechly and Shaq Thompson. AND…you draft the freakish athletic Brian Burns to replace Julius Peppers at DE. You had Burns as your sixth overall prospect in the 2019 NFL Draft. What kind of dimension does Burns add to this intriguing front and is he a dark-horse DROY candidate this season? Panthers also have some outstanding depth at edge?