There has been a competition to acquire talent in the NFC South thus far between the Bucs, Panthers, Falcons and Saints. Each was relatively active at the opening of free agency. With three teams finishing 8-9 last season and the 6-11 Saints winning four of five games at the end of the season, the margins between all four teams are very thin heading into the 2026 season.
The fact that it took a tiebreaker to decide which team with a losing record was going to win the NFC South shows how close the race was for the division title was – and how inferior all of these teams still are. That’s why they’re all looking to improve their team as soon as possible, beginning with free agency.
Bucs Make Several Signings, But Suffer Huge Losses
Tampa Bay might not have made as many moves as say Carolina, but the one decision out of their hands may prove to be more impactful. Re-signing with the Bucs was tight end Cade Otton, who has been a model of consistency for the team. Then they signed running back Kenneth Gainwell to fill Rachaad White’s role and Alex Anzalone to be a starting inside linebacker. This was a necessity with only two others at the position at the roster at the moment – last year’s starting middle linebacker, SirVocea Dennis, and practice squader Nick Jackson.
Each new player brings a sense of leadership to the locker room. Gainwell was voted as the team MVP of the Steelers, while Anzalone was a captain on the Lions for the years. None of these moves can replace the leadership of Mike Evans, who is moving on from the Bucs to play for the 49ers on a contract that will pay him less than what he was making in Tampa Bay. It’s a move that shows Evans’ lack of belief in the direction of the team.
Also, cornerback Jamel Dean signed with the Steelers, though the writing was on the wall that he wasn’t coming back to Tampa Bay once he had to take a massive pay cut last year to remain a Buccaneer. Defensive tackle Logan Hall also departed for Houston in free agency.
Bucs WR Mike Evans and Texans CB Derek Stingley Jr. – Photo by: USA Today
The Bucs are equipped with depth at receiver and cornerback to combat the losses of Evans and Dean. But these were two Super Bowl LV champions and long-time players on the roster, with Evans being the greatest offensive player in franchise history. While Tampa Bay made some quality signings, morale seems low with how the Bucs are being publicly viewed over Evans’ departure – coupled with the return of unpopular head coach Todd Bowles.
After the first day of the legal tampering period of free agency, the Bucs were quiet until the team re-signed backup running back Sean Tucker, signed Bengals backup quarterback Jake Browning and then added Panthers defensive lineman A’Shawn Robinson, who brings size and physicality to Bowles’ defensive line. Robinson is viewed as an upgrade over Hall at defensive tackle, just like Anzalone is viewed as an upgrade at inside linebacker due to his coverage ability.
Panthers Make Splash Signings On Defense
By far it’s been Carolina who’s been the busiest team making moves in the NFC South. The defending division champions made two gigantic signings by inking a four-year $120 million deal with edge rusher Jaelan Phillips and then signing the best inside linebacker available, Devin Lloyd, to a three-year, $45 million contract.
Giving $30 million a season to Phillips was an eye-opening move. Is Phillips worth that much money? He’s a player that had just five sacks a season ago playing for both the Dolphins and then Eagles. He’s never had more than eight sacks in a season, and that came as a rookie. All of a sudden he’s going to figure it out and get double-digit sacks with the Panthers?
Former Bucs LT Donovan Smith and Dolphins OLB Jaelan Phillips – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR
Where it might hurt the Bucs, though, is that it could force them to pay a high price to trade for Maxx Crosby, who is available once again after the Ravens nixed the trade for him with the Raiders. If the Bucs acquire Crosby it will be costly, as it would include surrendering draft picks and taking on a $30 million base salary.
The Bucs were also in need of an inside linebacker. While Lloyd was likely going to be too expensive for them anyway, it does hurt that they’ll have to play him twice a season.
Other moves the Panthers made included re-signing inside linebacker Isaiah Simmons and cornerback Akayleb Evans, plus agreeing to a one-year deal with backup quarterback Kenny Pickett. Its evident that the Panthers put a lot of emphasis on the defensive side of the ball, as they look to build that way and hope to continue grow on offense with Bryce Young and rookie of the year receiver Tetairoa McMillan going into his second season.
The Panthers lost their center, Cade Mayes, and replaced him with Luke Fortner on a one-year deal. Carolina also signed reserve tackle Steve Forsythe and wide receiver John Metchie III.
Falcons Keep Important Player And Find Another QB
The biggest move that the Falcons made was applying the franchise tag to tight end Kyle Pitts, who has torched the Bucs in recent seasons. There was also a chance that Pitts could’ve ended up in Tampa Bay and reuniting with new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson had he hit free agency. Pitts is the third-best target on Atlanta behind running back Bijan Robinson and receiver Drake London, but he came close to 1,000 yards last season.
Falcons TE Kyle Pitts – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR
When it comes to big names that were signed, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa sticks out. The former Miami starter signed a one-year veteran’s minimum deal with the Falcons, which makes sense for each side as Tua is still getting paid by the Dolphins while the Falcons still have to pay Kirk Cousins. Tagovailoa is another left-handed QB and he’ll backup Michael Penix Jr.
Depth signings came about at wide receiver for the Falcons with receivers Olamide Zaccheaus and Jahan Dotson along with tight end Austin Hooper. Zaccheaus and Hooper each began their careers in Atlanta, while Dotson is out of the NFC East. Each receiver will be second- and third-string, so it’s not really an upgrade for the Falcons.
Where Atlanta really upgraded was signing kicker Nick Folk to a two-year deal. Folk was fantastic for the Jets last season, and we all know how bad the kicking issues were for the Falcons, which included a big missed kick at the end of the game that got a win for the Bucs in the season opener.
On defense, the Falcons lost linebacker Kaden Ellis and defensive tackle David Onyemata, but signed linebackers Channing Tindall and Christian Harris along with edge rusher Azeez Ojulari and defensive tackle Chris Williams.
Saints Upgrade Their Offense
It appears that the Saints might have a franchise quarterback in Tyler Shough after a solid rookie year when the second-round pick became the starter half way through the season. Their plans are to build around him considering the signings they’ve made.
New Orleans has always been known for having a top level running back with Alvin Kamara. He might be on the way out, though, after the Saints brought in Jacksonville’s Travis Etienne on a four-year, $52 million deal. He’s coming off of a great season, running for 1,107 yard and seven rushing touchdowns while also recording six receiving touchdowns. He’ll be the focal point of the offense.
Saints QB Tyler Shough and Bucs ILB Lavonte David – Photo by: USA Today
They also signed tight end Noah Fant to a two-year deal, giving Shough another target. Beefing up the offensive line, the Saints signed offensive guard David Edwards on a deal reported to be over $15 million per season. The Saints could still use some help at receiver outside of Chris Olave, but they certainly made improvements.
New Orleans swiped inside linebacker Kaden Ellis from division rival Atlanta after Demario Davis signed with the New York Jets. The Saints also added defensive tackle John Ridgeway III and punter Ryan Harris.
Where Do The Bucs Currently Rank In The NFC South?
To be fair, more moves are going to be made by each team, plus the draft will really determine how the NFC South looks on paper. But at first glance, the Bucs are still behind the Panthers until they legitimately improve other spots on the defense. Carolina is committing big money to theirs, and the Bucs aren’t close just yet as they still need an impactful edge rusher and another starting-caliber inside linebacker.
I’m intrigued by the Saints helping out Tyler Shough, and the Falcons haven’t done much yet besides add depth. So I see the Panthers currently as the favorite, followed by the Bucs, Saints and Falcons in that order.
Much can happen as free agency goes on, followed by the draft, but the Bucs need to make an impact soon and keep loading up on defense.