The New Orleans Saints are expected to re-take the NFL’s NFC South division championship by a large margin this season after two years as also-rans.
In a survey of The Sports Xchange football staff, the Saints were a unanimous pick at No. 1 in the south, leaving a wide margin between them and the rest of the division, which was closely grouped with Tampa Bay second, defending champion Carolina third and the Atlanta Falcons last.
Here is an in-depth, unit-by-unit look the NFC South as analyzed by reporters from The Sports Xchange who cover each team (using roster information as of Sept. 2):
1st — NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
UNIT-BY-UNIT ANALYSIS
QUARTERBACKS: Starter — Drew Brees. Backups — Luke McCown.
The 35-year-old Brees proclaimed at the outset of training camp that he believes he can play for another 10 years, which might be a stretch for most quarterbacks. But he’s thrown for more than 5,000 yards for three consecutive seasons and isn’t showing any signs of slowing down after finishing 2013 with 5,162 passing yards, 39 touchdowns and just 12 interceptions. Brees completed 68.6 percent of his passes and had a 104.7 passer rating. The only problem was he was sacked a career-high 37 times, some of which he blamed on himself for holding the ball too long. So expect that number to go down. McCown held on to the backup job after a spirited battle with Ryan Griffin, an undrafted free agent in 2013 who has been impressive while learning from Payton and Brees. Griffin made the initial 53-man roster, but was waived Tuesday when the Saints re-signed K Shayne Graham.
RUNNING BACKS: Starters — Mark Ingram, FB Austin Johnson. Backups — Pierre Thomas, Khiry Robinson, FB Erik Lorig, Travaris Cadet.
The Saints know they need to run the ball better after finishing 25th in the league for the second year in a row, which they believe they can do despite trading away shifty Darren Sproles. Payton is a proponent of a backfield-by-committee approach, which worked in 2009 and 2011 when they ranked sixth and won 13 games each time. One of the keys is having Ingram healthy for a full season. He averaged 5.8 yards a carry in the final nine games of 2013 and will be complemented by Robinson, a find as an undrafted free agent last year, and Thomas, a steady vet who’s been a tough runner and a superb receiver — especially on screens. Cadet will be a contributor in the return game as well. Lorig, valued in free agency for his blocking ability, probably won’t be ready for the first part of the season because of an injury, but Johnson can fill in.
TIGHT ENDS: Starter — Jimmy Graham. Backups — Benjamin Watson, Josh Hill.
Graham lost his grievance this summer to be called a wide receiver, but he was still paid handsomely for his first four seasons in the league. Armed with a new four-year contract, he’s ready to be the All-Pro he was last season when he had 86 receptions for 1,215 yards and an NFL-leading 16 TDs — all despite playing the final 10 games with a plantar fascia injury. Watson, a solid veteran, was a nice addition last season as a threat in the passing game when teams tried to double Graham and is a solid blocker as well. Hill made the team as an undrafted free agent last year and will contribute as an extra blocker.
WIDE RECEIVERS: Starters — Marques Colston, Kenny Stills. Backups — Brandin Cooks, Joseph Morgan, Nick Toon.
Now in his ninth season, Colston remains a dangerous weapon for Brees. He had 75 catches for 943 yards and five TDs a year ago even though his numbers were down slightly because Thomas and Sproles had 148 receptions and 1,117 yards between them. Stills, a fifth-round draft pick last year, had a nice rookie campaign and led the league with 20.0 yards per reception on 32 catches with five TDs. Cooks, their top pick this season, will be a key with his versatility and blazing speed. He can line up in the backfield, in the slot or out wide with the ability to create a lot of mismatch problems. Morgan also has exceptional speed although he is coming off a serious knee injury. Toon hasn’t had any impact his first two seasons, but managed to stick around as the fifth wideout.
OFFENSIVE LINEMEN: Starters — LT Terron Armstead, LG Ben Grubbs, C Jonathan Goodwin, RG Jahri Evans, RT Zach Strief. Backups — C/G Tim Lelito, T Bryce Harris, G Senio Kelemete,
The Saints like what they have inside in Evans and Grubbs, who both made the Pro Bowl a year ago as solid run blockers and pass protectors. The outside is in good hands with Strief, a steady veteran, and Armstead, an impressive second-year pro who learned the ropes last season before being plugged into the lineup late in the season. Goodwin apparently won the starting center job after being away for three years, holding off Lelito, a second-year player who made the team as an undrafted free agent at guard in 2013. Harris and Kelemete, a former practice-squad player, have been solid as backups.
DEFENSIVE LINEMEN: Starters — LDE Akiem Hicks, NT Brodrick Bunkley, RDE Cameron Jordan. Backups — NT John Jenkins, DE Glenn Foster, DE Tyrunn Walker, NT Brandon Deaderick.
This might be one of the strongest areas of the team with Jordan, a Pro Bowl pick last season, and Hicks, an up-and-coming third-year player, anchoring the edges. As the star of Rob Ryan’s three-man front, Jordan totaled 12.5 sacks last season and Hicks, a quick 6-foot-5, 324-pounder, had 4.5 sacks despite back issues. Bunkley and Jenkins helped plug up the middle for a run defense that improved dramatically last season. Foster, an undrafted free agent, had three sacks and was part of the rotation with Walker even though both were limited for much of the season by injuries. Deaderick, a five-year veteran, was picked up to provide depth inside.
LINEBACKERS: Starters — OLB Junior Galette, ILB David Hawthorne, ILB Curtis Lofton, OLB Parys Haralson. Backups — ILB Ramon Humber, OLB Khairi Fortt, OLB Ronald Powell, ILB Kyle Knox, OLB Kasim Edebali.
While Lofton is the leader of this group as a strong run defender, the speedy Galette, a converted 4-3 defensive end, is the headliner after piling up a career-high 12 sacks a year ago. Lofton and Hawthorne formed a solid inside duo with 139 and 122 tackles to rank 1-2 on the team, while Haralson and Humber were active and big hitters as well. Fortt and Powell were taken in the middle rounds of this year’s draft for development, while Knox, like Humber, proved to be a solid special teams player in preseason. Edebali impressed in the preseason and earned one of only two roster spots that went to undrafted free agents.
DEFENSIVE BACKS: Starters — LCB Keenan Lewis, FS Jairus Byrd, SS Kenny Vaccaro, RCB Patrick Robinson. Backups — FS Rafael Bush, CB Corey White, CB Stanley Jean-Baptiste, FS Vinnie Sunseri, SS Marcus Ball, CB Brian Dixon.
A solid cover corner, Lewis played at a Pro Bowl level in his first season with the Saints. He led an injury-decimated secondary with four interceptions and Vaccaro was an impact player from the first day of training camp until he fractured his ankle in the second-to-last regular-season game. They will again be a big part of what Rob Ryan does although they will have more help in Byrd, an All-Pro who specializes in takeaways. The Saints had just 19 a year ago, so Byrd, who has 22 picks in five seasons, will be charged with helping make that important number go up dramatically. Robinson, a former first-round draft pick who had a bad knee injury last season, had a good preseason and won the starting job opposite Lewis. Bush has had a couple of nice seasons as a backup and will play a lot in the three-safety lineups Ryan utilizes. White, Jean-Baptiste, a second-round draft pick, and Sunseri, a fifth-rounder, will vie for spots in the nickel and dime packages.
SPECIAL TEAMS: K Shayne Graham, P Thomas Morstead, LS Justin Drescher, KOR/PR Travaris Cadet, PR Brandin Cooks.
The Saints first released both kickers they had in training camp, Graham and first-year pro Derek Dimke, before re-signing Graham on Tuesday. Morstead’s average fell more than three yards from 2012, but he still averaged a healthy 46.9 gross yards and 42.3 net yards per kick. He was solid as a kickoff specialist, booming kick after kick into the end zone and tying for fourth with 52 touchbacks. The Saints need to improve on kickoff and punt returns, which will fall to Cadet, who has shown flashes in the past, and the speedy Cooks. Drescher was again consistent in handling the long-snapping duties last season and will man the job once again.
2nd — TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
UNIT-BY-UNIT ANALYSIS:
QUARTERBACKS: Starter — Josh McCown. Backup — Mike Glennon.
At 35, McCown will begin an NFL season for the first time in 10 years. He has the complete trust of Smith after throwing 13 TDs and only one interception in five starts for the Bears last season. McCown has been well-preserved throughout his career and still has great mobility and a strong arm as well as physical skills that tend to erode by this age. He also has three 6-foot-5 receivers to throw to and a commitment to the running game. Glennon, who went 4-9 as a rookie while throwing 19 TDs and nine interceptions, has been dubbed the QB of the future by Smith.
RUNNING BACKS: Starters — Doug Martin, FB Javorski Lane. Backups — Mike James, Bobby Rainey, Charles Sims.
Martin missed most of last season with a shoulder injury and entered training camp feeling like the forgotten man in the Bucs’ offense despite totaling nearly 2,000 yards from scrimmage as a rookie. He was pushed by Sims, who is expected to start the year on injured reserve/designated for recall list and expected to miss eight games. James and Rainey each rushed for more than 500 yards last season and are capable backups.
TIGHT ENDS: Starter — Brandon Myers. Backups — Luke Stocker, Austin Seferian-Jenkins.
The Bucs should feel good about their tight ends, particularly Seferian-Jenkins, the team’s second-round pick. Although he has to become a better blocker in the run game, Seferian-Jenkins may have the best hands on the team and will be a red-zone target. Stocker shook off two years of injuries to make the club as the best blocking tight end. Myers can help in both areas and caught 79 passes for the Raiders two years ago. The Bucs were so confident in the position that they traded Tim Wright to New England after he caught more than 50 passes as a rookie in 2013.
WIDE RECEIVERS: Starters — Vincent Jackson, Mike Evans. Backups — Chris Owusu, Louis Murphy, Jr., Robert Herron, Russell Shepard.
Jackson is coming off another 1,000-yard season and should find life easier with the addition of Evans, the team’s first-round pick from Texas A&M. At 20, Evans still is very raw at route running and heretofore has only played on the right side of the formation. But he will be moved around to create mismatches with his size and speed. Owusu offers breakout speed that the Bucs have lacked in their receiving corps and Murphy is a solid veteran. The plan is to bring Herron along slowly. If McCown can get the football to this group, they will make yards after the catch.
OFFENSIVE LINEMEN: Starters — LT Anthony Collins, LG Logan Mankins, C Evan Dietrich-Smith, RG Patrick Omameh, RT Demar Dotson. Backups — T Kevin Pamphile, G Kadeem Edwards, G/C O’Neil Cousins, G Rishaw Johnson.
The Bucs’ offensive line was abysmal in the preseason, particularly with their revolving door at guard. They made a huge save in the 11th hour by trading for Patriots Pro Bowl guard Logan Mankins. Collins played behind two first-round picks with the Bengals and started only eight games a year ago. Dietrich-Smith, another free agent, was a starter for one full season with the Packers. Dotson is the only holdover from 2013. The Bucs started Omameh, a practice-squad player a year ago, at right guard but may also give Johnson a look. This is one of the thinnest units on the roster.
DEFENSIVE LINEMEN: Starters — LDE Adrian Clayborn, UT Gerald McCoy, NT Clinton McDonald, RDE Michael Johnson. Backups — DL Da’Quan Bowers, DE Will Gholston, DE Steven Means, DT Akeem Spence.
Smith relies primarily on the front four getting pressure on the QB and that scheme will bring the best out in McCoy, who looked like he’s taken it to another level in the preseason. McDonald will beat one-on-one blocks if protection shades to McCoy. Clayborn flops to the left side but has the motor to be effective. The Bucs are counting on Johnson, who had 11.5 sacks two years ago with the Bengals, to burst on the scene. There’s no depth, with Bowers and Gholston missing a huge portion of the preseason with injuries.
LINEBACKERS: Starters — OLB Jonathan Casillas, MLB Mason Foster, OLB Lavonte David. Backups — Dane Fletcher, Danny Lansanah.
In addition to McCoy, watch for David to play well enough to garner votes as Defensive Player of the Year. He is a great open-field tackler in the class of Derrick Brooks, who can cover and rush the QB if needed. Foster has to take a big leap this year as Smith relies on his middle linebacker to make calls and stay on the field in coverage. That’s why Foster has slimmed down. Casillas is in a fight with Lansanah for the starting job. All these guys can really run and should be tackling machines.
DEFENSIVE BACKS: Starters — LCB Alterraun Verner, SS Mark Barron, FS Dashon Goldson, RCB Johnthan Banks. Backups — CB Mike Jenkins, CB Quinton Pointer, CB Rashaad Melvin, CB Leonard Johnson, S Keith Tandy, S Bradley McDougald.
Verner played sparingly in the final two preseason games but is a Pro Bowl corner who took the sting out of cutting Darrelle Revis for financial reasons. Banks started every preseason game at the other corner spot but may still have to fend off Jenkins, who was injured. The back end is secure with Barron, who will play more in the box to snuff out the run. Goldson, one of the highest paid players on the team at $9 million, has to lower his target or face more fines and suspensions for illegal hits. As it stands, Johnson will be the nickel corner.
SPECIALISTS: K Patrick Murray, P Michael Koenen, KOR Chris Owusu, PR Bobby Rainey, LS Andrew DePaola.
The Bucs made a shocking decision to go with the unproven rookie in Murray and release a career 84 percent field-goal kicker in Connor Barth. Murray impressed Bucs coaches with his range, accuracy and versatility as he can also punt. Koenen, who also kicks off, was named a special teams captain and is among the highest-paid punters in the NFL at $3 million. The Bucs have some holes to fill in the return game but Owusu will get the first bite of the apple.
3rd — CAROLINA PANTHERS
UNIT-BY-UNIT ANALYSIS
QUARTERBACKS: Starter — Cam Newton. Backups — Derek Anderson, Joe Webb.
After three remarkably durable seasons, Newton heads into his fourth banged up. He is still not completely recovered from offseason ankle surgery, and he cracked a rib in the third preseason game. Neither injury is supposed to keep him out, but either could hurt his effectiveness. The Panthers mainly kept Webb around as insurance, but he also played well enough this summer to earn a job.
RUNNING BACKS: Starters — DeAngelo Williams, FB Mike Tolbert. Backups — Jonathan Stewart, Fozzy Whittaker.
If healthy, and if they get help from the offensive line, this group should be very productive. Williams will be ready to go after a light preseason, and an injury-free Stewart is an addition few were talking about early in the offseason. Tolbert is coming off his first Pro Bowl season, and the hybrid back appears poised to have another very good year.
TIGHT ENDS: Starter — Greg Olsen. Backups — Richie Brockel, Ed Dickson, Brandon Williams.
The Panthers want a big chunk of their plays to come out of a two-tight end set, but how often they send a second tight end on a route will depend on the offensive line. Olsen may not be elite, but he is Newton’s second-most important weapon. Paired with Dickson or Williams, a two-tight end set would be a nice wrinkle for the Panthers offense.
WIDE RECEIVERS: Starters — Kelvin Benjamin, Jerricho Cotchery. Backups — Jason Avant, Brenton Bersin, Philly Brown.
It’s not a list that’s going to scare many secondaries, but it’s still a work in progress. Benjamin looked the part of a first-round pick all summer, but the regular season will bring tougher challenges. Cotchery and Avant are fine, but they are not much more than a pair of No. 3s. Brown, an undrafted rookie, will be used to stretch the field, but his production will likely be limited.
OFFENSIVE LINEMEN: Starters — LT Byron Bell, LG Amini Silatolu, C Ryan Kalil, RG Trai Turner, RT Nate Chandler. Backups — C Brian Folkerts, G Andrew Norwell, G Fernando Velasco, T David Foucault, T Garry Williams.
The middle of the line is solid with Kalil, Silatolu and Turner, a 21-year-old rookie who’s looked like a veteran from day one. The big problems are at tackle, where neither Bell nor Chandler have alleviated concerns. If healthy, Williams provides good depth, as does Velasco and Folkerts. Undrafted rookies Norwell and Foucault were the biggest surprises on the Panthers’ final 53-man roster.
DEFENSIVE LINEMEN: Starters — LDE Greg Hardy, RDE Charles Johnson, DT Star Lotulelei, DT Colin Cole. Backups — DE Mario Addison, DE Kony Ealy, DE Wes Horton, DT Dwan Edwards, DT Kawann Short.
An embarrassment of riches that doesn’t even include DE Frank Alexander, who’s suspended the first four games for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. Hardy (shoulder) and Johnson (hamstring) battled injuries in the preseason, but Johnson could continue to be hampered by his early in the year. Short is not starting yet, but he should pair with Lotulelei as the guys with the most snaps in the middle of the line.
LINEBACKERS: Starters — WLB A.J. Klein, MLB Luke Kuechly, SLB Thomas Davis. Backups — Ben Jacobs, Chase Blackburn, Jason Williams.
Not as loaded as the defensive line, but there are a couple elite guys at the top in Kuechly and Davis. Klein and Blackburn will each see time, but the third linebacker in this defense gets far fewer snaps than the nickel back. Jacobs could eventually be dropped for a free agent brought in at another spot.
DEFENSIVE BACKS: Starters — LCB Antoine Cason, RCB Melvin White, FS Thomas DeCoud, SS Roman Harper. Backups — CB Bene Benwikere, CB Charles Godfrey, CB Josh Norman, S Tre Boston, S Colin Jones.
If the front seven fails to get as much pressure as it did last season, this group could be picked apart. Cason and White held onto their starting spots throughout the summer, but Norman may eventually work his way up the depth chart. Benwikere looks like a fifth-round steal, and he will likely be the No. 1 nickel back. Godfrey started the summer there, but he struggled, and they also need him to help at safety. Harper’s health will be a concern all year, and injuries kept Boston, a rookie, out of the entire preseason.
SPECIAL TEAMS: K Graham Gano, P Brad Nortman, LS J.J. Jansen, PR/KOR Philly Brown
After a solid 2013, the Panthers signed the solid Gano to a three-year contract this offseason. Going into his third year, Nortman is emerging as one of the league’s better punters. Brown is a concern. He dropped a number of punts during training camp, and he did not show much as a kickoff returner.
4th — ATLANTA FALCONS
UNIT-BY-UNIT ANALYSIS
QUARTERBACKS: Starter — Matt Ryan. Backups — T.J. Yates, Sean Renfree.
After going through his first losing season, Ryan was dazzling in the exhibition season as he completed 27 of 38 passes (75.7 percent). He believes that it is possible to continue that pace and perhaps complete more than 70 percent of his passes. Ryan completed 68.6 of his passes in 2012. He completed 67.4 of his passes while throwing to backups for most of the season. Yates gives the Falcons their first experienced backup since they cut Chris Redman before the 2012 season. Renfree is a promising prospect, who was injured in 2013.
RUNNING BACKS: Starter — Steven Jackson. Backups — Jacquizz Rodgers, Antone Smith, Devonta Freeman, FB Patrick DiMarco.
Jackson is trying to bounce back from an injury-marred season. His string of eight consecutive seasons of rushing for more than 1,000 yards was broken last season. He also missed most of training camp with a right hamstring injury and didn’t play in any exhibition games. The Falcons are comfortable with the depth behind Jackson as they plan to expand the role of Smith, who has shined in limited playing time and has shown the capacity to make big plays. Rodgers is steady as runner, solid in pass protection and had quietly posted back-to-back 50-catch seasons. Freeman has to improve in pass protection in order to get some snaps in the running back-by-committee approach.
TIGHT ENDS: Starter — Levine Toilolo. Backup — Bear Pascoe.
Replacing a legend is never easy. Based on modern-era NFL history, replacing future Hall of Fame tight end Tony Gonzalez will be difficult to darn near impossible. Gonzalez averaged 81.8 catches over five seasons with the team. Of his 409 catches, 267 went for first downs, or 65.2 percent. He played a major role in helping the offense move the chains. The Falcons hope that Toilolo can become a red-zone threat and Pascoe is on hand for his blocking prowess.
WIDE RECEIVERS: Starters — Julio Jones, Roddy White. Backups — Harry Douglas, Devin Hester, Courtney Roby, Eric Weems.
Jones and White believe that they both could amass 1,500 yards receiving. Both are counting on bouncing back strong as both missed time with injuries last season, In 2012, White had 1,351 yards and Jones had 1,198 yards. Now, they have to pick up the yards that Tony Gonzalez was getting and that makes the 1,500 apiece seem doable. Douglas is coming off his first 1,000-yard season. Hester received a lot of work during the exhibition season in order to get him up to speed. He will see action in some four-wide receivers formations. Roby and Weems are special teams mavens who provide quality depth.
OFFENSIVE LINEMEN: Starters — LT Jake Matthews, LG Justin Blalock, C Joe Hawley, RG Jon Asamoah, RT Lamar Holmes. Backups — T Ryan Schraeder, T/G Gabe Carimi, C/G Peter Konz, C/G James Stone.
The unit has been retooled and is under new offensive line coach Mike Tice. Asamoah was added in free agency, Matthews was tabbed with the sixth pick in the draft and Hawley takes over at center. Blalock is the mainstay and Holmes will get another shot to prove that he’s a NFL quality starter. Last season, the Falcons allowed pressure on 37.6 percent of their dropbacks, according to Profootballfocus.com. The offensive line was given responsibility for allowing 32 of 44 sacks. The quarterback was hit 42 additional times and hurried 190. The Falcons averaged 77.9 yards per game and 3.88 yards per play, which both ranked 32nd in the league. The blocking must improve if the offense stands a chance of returning to elite status in the NFC.
DEFENSIVE LINEMEN: Starters — LDE/WLB Kroy Biermann, LDT Tyson Jackson, NT Paul Soliai, RDT Jonathan Babineaux, RDE Jonathan Massaquoi. Backups — RDE Osi Umenyiora, E/T Malliciah Goodman, DE Stansly Maponga, DE Tyler Starr, DT Corey Peters, DT Ra’Shede Hageman, DT Cliff Matthews.
Soliai, 30, formerly of the Miami Dolphins, signed a five-year, $33 million contract. A total of $14 million of the deal is guaranteed. The 340-pound former Pro Bowler is set to anchor the defense. He’ll play tackle in the 4-3 and nose tackle in the 3-4. Jackson, 28, who was the No. 3 overall pick of the 2009 NFL draft by the Kansas City Chiefs, signed a five-year, $25 million contract after becoming an unrestricted free agent. A total of $11 million of the contract is guaranteed. Jackson, a former LSU Tiger, is expected to help improve the Falcons’ run defense. Biermann, a defensive end by trade, will play a hybrid linebacker role and drop into coverage. Umenyiora will be used as a designated pass rusher in obvious passing situations. Hageman, a second-round pick, will play in the rotation.
LINEBACKERS: Starters — MLB Paul Worrilow, SLB Joplo Bartu. Backups — Prince Shembo, Nate Stupar.
Worrilow and Bartu, both undrafted rookie free agents, ended last season as starters. Worrilow led the team in tackles with 137. Bartu was third with 96. Both need to make major improvements if the defense is going to be much better. Last season, Worrilow played 491 snaps and missed eight tackles. He played 309 snaps at outside linebacker. Bartu played 789 snaps at outside linebacker, had 12 missed tackles. Shembo, a fourth-round pick, is waiting in the wings. One of the hallmarks of Smith’s early teams in Atlanta was that they were certain tacklers, who were rarely out of position. Over the past couple of seasons, the tackling techniques have slipped drastically. In Smith’s first season in 2008, the Falcons missed only 64 tackles. Last season, the total of 126 missed tackles was nearly double. Under Smith, missed tackles have increased every season from 64 up to 72, 100, 101, 126 and 126 again last year.
DEFENSIVE BACKS: Starters — LCB Robert Alford, SS William Moore, FS Dwight Lowery, RCB Desmond Trufant. Backups — CB Josh Wilson, CB Javier Arenas, CB Robert McClain, FS Dezmen Southward, SS Kemal Ishmael.
Second-year players Trufant and Alford will man the outside. The team plans to use Wilson, Arenas and McClain at nickel back based on the matchup. Lowery will take over for the departed Thomas DeCoud at free safety. Moore will be in control from the strong safety spot. Wilson comes over from the Redskins. He has played 102 games, with 81 starts. Last season, Wilson started all 16 games and posted a career-high 93 tackles. Lowery will hold down the free safety spot while Southward is groomed to be the longtime starter. Lowery has started 41 of 68 games over six pro seasons and has earned a reputation as a solid cover man.
SPECIAL TEAMS: K Matt Bryant, P Matt Bosher, LS Josh Harris, KOR/PR Devin Hester.
Hester, 31, has posted staggering numbers over his stellar career. He will return both kickoffs and punts. Hester was the league’s leader in kickoff-return yardage with 1,436 on 52 returns last season. The Falcons averaged 8.3 yards on punt returns, which ranked 20th in the league. They averaged 24.4 yards on kickoff returns, which ranked 10th. The Falcons covered punts well in 2013. They gave up 7.6 yards per return, which ranked eighth in the league. They need to improve the kickoff coverage team. The Falcons gave up 24.8 yards per return, which ranked 25th. Bryant, 39, is still money from 49 yards on in, but missed two of his five attempts from 50 yards or more last season. The gritty Bosher has averaged 45.5 yards per punt over three seasons.