Poll: Who Will Win The NFC South?
At the outset of the season, the NFC South wasn’t supposed to look as wide open as it currently does. Back then, the Panthers were the clear-cut favorites after going 15-1 last year and rolling through the NFC playoffs en route to a Super Bowl berth. The 2016 Panthers are a far cry from the 2015 version, though, as reigning NFL MVP Cam Newton and the rest of the team have fallen to earth amid a 2-5 start. Carolina is in last place in the division, trailing two 3-4 rivals (the Buccaneers and Saints) and the 5-3 Falcons. More alarming, perhaps, is that the Panthers have already lost to all three of those clubs this year, giving them that much more ground to make up in the race.
The Falcons, led by MVP candidate Matt Ryan, superstar wide receiver Julio Jones and running back Devonta Freeman, are 2-1 in the division and boast its only positive point differential (plus-31). They’re also facing the Buccaneers, who are 2-0 in the NFC South, on Thursday in a crucial divisional battle. A win would make the Falcons all the more difficult to catch, while a victory for the Bucs would vault Jameis Winston & Co. to .500 and keep them perfect against their closest rivals. A Falcons defeat would also cause flashbacks to last season, when the club collapsed after a 6-1 start to finish 8-8. This year’s Falcons began 4-1 and are now in danger of dropping three of four, though their fifth overall ranking in Football Outsiders’ DVOA seemingly indicates they’re for real. Nobody else in the division is even in the top 20 in that metric.
The Saints are at No. 23, but they’ve come around in the standings after an 0-3 start and will reach the .500 mark for the first time this season if they beat the lowly 49ers on Sunday. In their signature victory of the year, the Saints upset the Seahawks, 25-20, last Sunday. That was already the sixth one-score game of 2016 for the Saints, who have gone 3-3 in those contests. That’s also true of the Falcons, while the Bucs have recorded a 2-1 mark in one-score affairs and the Panthers have logged an 0-3 record.
While Atlanta and New Orleans are defensively challenged, both have tremendous offenses and top-tier quarterbacks in Ryan and Drew Brees. Conversely, Tampa Bay and Carolina haven’t done anything at an elite level this year. Barring offensive or defensive turnarounds, that would seem to put each behind the 8-ball, though Newton showed in 2015 that he’s capable of performing like an unstoppable force. Given their general decline this year, the Panthers will need Newton to resemble his 2015 self over the season’s final nine games if they’re going to win the division for the fourth straight year. If not, one of the other clubs should finally dethrone Carolina atop the NFC South.
Who will win the NFC South?
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Falcons 78% (1,116)
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Saints 10% (139)
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Panthers 8% (111)
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Buccaneers 5% (69)
Total votes: 1,435
Buccaneers Trade CB Johnthan Banks To Lions
The Buccaneers didn’t waive Johnthan Banks after all. After telling the cornerback that he would be dropped from the roster yesterday, the Bucs have instead traded him to the Lions, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). In exchange, Tampa Bay will receive a conditional seventh-round pick for 2018. 
Banks, a second round pick of the Bucs in the 2013 draft, hasn’t done much in the last four years. Already in a limited role under Lovie Smith in 2015, Banks hardly played for head coach Dirk Koetter this season.
Star cornerback Darius Slay was held out of Sunday’s game with an injury and Banks is likely being brought in as a depth signing. There’s no word yet on Slay’s status for this upcoming Sunday against the Vikings.
Johnson Bademosi stepped into the starting lineup over the weekend and he turned in a strong performance even though Detroit was not victorious against the Texans. In that game, Bademosi picked off Brock Osweiler late in the second quarter, stopping the Texans deep down the field.
Buccaneers Re-Sign RB Mike James
The Buccaneers have engineered a reunion with running back Mike James, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (Twitter link), who reports that Tampa has re-signed James after waiving him with an injury settlement earlier this year.
[RELATED: Buccaneers Waive Johnthan Banks]
Tampa is looking for backfield depth after Jacquizz Rodgers went down on Sunday against the Raiders — Rodgers has a sprained foot, as Jenna Laine of ESPN.com (Twitter link) reported earlier today, and won’t be playing on Thursday night. The Bucs are already down to their third running back in Rodgers, as starter Doug Martin is still battling an injury and Charles Sims is on injured reserve.
James, 25, managed 79 carries with Tampa from 2013-14, but missed the entire 2015 campaign due to injury. He didn’t make the Buccaneers’ 53-man roster this year, and was ultimately waived with a settlement. That settlement was for four weeks, as Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times tweeted earlier this year, meaning James only recently became eligible to re-sign with Tampa Bay.
Buccaneers Waive CB Johnthan Banks
The Buccaneers have waived cornerback Johnthan Banks, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The Bucs were reportedly willing to move Banks for a wide receiver before the deadline but it’s safe to assume that they could not find a deal.
Banks was a second round pick of the Bucs in the 2013 draft. Immediately thrust into the starting lineup, Banks has seen his role dwindle over time. This year, he did not start in any of the five games that he appeared in. Last year, he made seven starts out of 14 regular season appearances. Banks at least had some kind of role under Lovie Smith, but he clearly didn’t have a place once Dirk Koetter took over as head coach.
With Banks gone, the Bucs still have Jude Adjei-Barimah, Alterraun Verner, and Josh Robinson to support starters Brent Grimes and Vernon Hargreaves.
Bucs Unlikely To Trade For WR
- Although it appears as if the Buccaneers could be in the market for a wide receiver, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times does not believe the Bucs will swing a deal in advance of the trade deadline.
Jets Activate Breno Giacomini, Waive Jeremy Butler
The Jets could be receiving some offensive line reinforcement as soon as this weekend. According to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (via Twitter), the Jets have activated right tackle Breno Giacomini from the physically unable to perform list. To make room on the roster, the team has waived wideout Jeremy Butler.
Giacomini will be a welcome addition to an offensive line that has been middle-of-the-road this season in regards to sacks and rushing yards. The 31-year-old joined the Jets in 2014, and he proceeded to start all 32 games over the previous two seasons. The tackle, who has also spent time with the Seahawks and Packers, has made 73 career appearances (65 starts). It’s uncertain whether Giacomini will immediately replace starters Ryan Clady or Ben Ijalana, although it’s worth noting that center Nick Mangold in doubtful for this weekend’s game.
Butler, 25, joined the Jets this offseason following two seasons with the Ravens. The former undrafted free agent has yet to see the field this year, but he was relatively productive in Baltimore last season. The Tennessee-Martin product appeared in eight games in 2015, collecting 31 catches for 363 yards. The wideout also had a brief stint with the Buccaneers, and Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times wonders (via Twitter) if the team may give Butler a second look.
Donald Penn Looking To Stick It To Former Team
- In 2014, left tackle Donald Penn saw his eight-year tenure with the Buccaneers come to an end after he was unceremoniously released. The 33-year-old, who now plays for the Raiders, will be making his return to Tampa Bay this weekend, and the veteran was adamant that he wants to stick it to his former team. “I’m not going to sugarcoat it. It’s very huge,” Penn told Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com. “You know me, I’m a straight forward guy. That’s definitely in my mind. I mean that’s something I’m never going to forget, when they released me.”
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Bucs Need WR Help
- Will the Buccaneers acquire a veteran wide receiver between now and the trade deadline? Roy Cummings of Florida Football Insiders notes that there is a need there after Louis Murphy‘s latest setback and looks at a handful of candidates around the league. Bears receiver Alshon Jeffery is a game-changing talent, but he’s in his contract year and the Bucs would have to juggle re-signing him while trying to extend Mike Evans this offseason. For that reason, someone like 49ers receiver Torrey Smith might make more sense for Tampa Bay.
Louis Murphy Suffers Setback
- Buccaneers wide receiver Louis Murphy suffered a setback in his recovery from a November 2015 knee injury, and his timetable for return is currently unknown, writes Roy Cummings of Today’s Pigskin. Murphy, who joined Tampa Bay before the 2014 season and has managed 41 receptions since, has been on the PUP list the entire year. The Bucs could use a boost at receiver after placing veteran Vincent Jackson on injured reserve last week. They auditioned Nate Washington on Tuesday, and are reportedly willing to trade for a pass-catcher.
Bucs Willing To Trade Verner, Banks For WR
Following the placement of Vincent Jackson on IR, the Buccaneers do not have an imposing wide receiver depth chart beyond Mike Evans. The team is evidently willing to part with assets to upgrade it.
The Bucs are willing to trade Alterraun Verner or fellow cornerback Johnthan Banks to acquire a wide receiver, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tweets, before identifying Alshon Jeffery or Torrey Smith as a potential trade target (Twitter link).
However, Verner has not lived up to expectations in his two-plus seasons in south Florida and has a contract that could be somewhat difficult to move in a deal. Still just 27, Verner is signed through 2017 and stands to carry a $6.5MM cap number next season; that’s down slightly from his $6.75MM figure in 2016. Those numbers are manageable, but Verner hasn’t been a regular starter since 2015. A former second-round pick, Banks is in the final year of his rookie deal.
Both have seen their statuses in Tampa Bay take hits with the arrivals of Brent Grimes and Vernon Hargreaves. Both Banks and Verner were full-time starters in 2014 before being steadily supplanted and relegated to backup roles.
Tampa Bay’s wide receiver depth chart houses recently acquired Cecil Shorts, along with youngsters Adam Humphries and Russell Shepard. Both have stood out in spots, but neither qualifies as a dependable starter-type player opposite Evans, while Shorts hasn’t replicated the form he showed with the Jaguars or even the Texans. The Bucs also have Louis Murphy on the PUP list.
Humphries leads non-Evans pass-catchers with 22 receptions for 233 yards. Shorts has played in three games but has just one catch for 12 yards for a Bucs pass-catching corps that’s taken a hit after the losses of Jackson and Charles Sims.
A report earlier this week linked Smith to the Eagles, but the deep threat remains on the struggling 49ers. Doug Pederson also denied any Philadelphia trade interest in wideouts earlier today. Jeffery is playing this season on the franchise tag.