2022 NFC South training camp preview: Storylines for the Buccaneers, Falcons, Panthers and Saints

Players report: July 19 (rookies); July 26 (veterans)

First practice: July 27 (full schedule)

Location: Atlanta Falcons Training Facility | Flowery Branch, Georgia

Notable acquisitions/re-signings:

• QB Marcus Mariota* (No. 93)
• RB Cordarrelle Patterson* (No. 46)
• RB Damien Williams
• WR Bryan Edwards (trade) 
• OT Jake Matthews
• OLB Lorenzo Carter* (No. 99)
• DT Eddie Goldman
• DT Grady Jarrett
• LB Rashaan Evans
• CB Casey Hayward* (No. 67)
• K Younghoe Koo

Notable departures:

• QB Matt Ryan (traded to Colts)
• RB Mike Davis (Ravens)
• WR Russell Gage* (No. 37; Buccaneers)
• WR Calvin Ridley (suspended)
• TE Hayden Hurst (Bengals)
• DE Dante Fowler (Cowboys)
• LB Foye Oluokun* (No. 83; Jaguars)
• S Duron Harmon (Raiders)

Subplots to track:

1. Marcus Mariota is getting a chance to replace Matt Ryan and start at quarterback again after honing his craft for two years as a backup in Las Vegas, but No. 74 overall pick Desmond Ridder has earned solid reviews during the Falcons' offseason program. If Ridder continues to prove himself "light years ahead" of most young QBs, as head coach Arthur Smith claimed in June, how long of a leash will Mariota have? This is a league that has recently shifted toward forging young signal-callers in the fire. 
2. What is the Falcons' plan at wide receiver? Atlanta has left no stone unturned, signing four veteran wideouts and three undrafted rookies, trading for Bryan Edwards and spending a first-round pick on Drake London to bring the number of rostered WRs up to 12. It's a "see what sticks" strategy to replace the suspended Calvin Ridley and enemy-bound Russell Gage. Edwards, Olamide Zaccheaus, Damiere Byrd and Geronimo Allison will start camp with a leg up on joining London, who is a slam-dunk starter, but any number of wideouts could flash given the size of the field.
3. One possible cap casualty to keep an eye on is linebacker Deion Jones. The six-year veteran has been a superb contributor for the Falcons, but his $20 million cap hit heading into 2022 is almost $5 million more than the team's second-most expensive asset. Buzz about a potential move has followed Jones all summer as he missed Atlanta's offseason program following shoulder surgery. Trading Jones would result in saving $14.7 million, per Over the Cap. It is the preferred route, but an outright release is not out of the question despite it being less financially fruitful.
4. It's not going to drastically alter the trajectory of the Falcons' season by any means, but position changes are always an entertaining wrinkle. A 2021 fifth-round cornerback, Avery Williams made his biggest impact in the return game as a rookie. Pro Football Focus graded him as the second-best kickoff returner (75.1) for any player with more than 10 kickoff returns last season. Now, he's starting Year 2 as a running back -- alongside another player who recently switched to RB in Cordarrelle Patterson -- with the hope that the vision he displayed in the open field translates to finding lanes behind the line of scrimmage.

Players report: July 26 (rookies and veterans)

First practice: July 27 (full schedule)

Location: Wofford College | Spartanburg, South Carolina

Notable acquisitions/re-signings:

• QB Baker Mayfield (trade)
• RB D’Onta Foreman
• WR D.J. Moore
• OG Austin Corbett* (No. 88)
• C Bradley Bozeman* (No. 36)
• DT Matthew Ioannidis* (No.95)
• LB Cory Littleton
• LB Damien Wilson
• CB Donte Jackson* (No. 72)
• S Xavier Woods* (No. 91)
• P Johnny Hekker

Notable departures:

• QB Cam Newton
• OG John Miller
• C Matt Paradis
• OLB Haason Reddick* (No. 24; Eagles)
• DT DaQuan Jones (Bills)
• CB A.J. Bouye
• CB Stephon Gilmore* (No. 12; Colts)

Subplots to track:

1. Is the quarterback of the future currently on the roster? The Panthers finally plucked Baker Mayfield from his Cleveland purgatory by acquiring him during the opening week of July. Though the Panthers are set to have an open competition, Mayfield's the best option on the depth chart. He is essentially auditioning for all QB-needy teams next year, while incumbent Sam Darnold is trending toward a remaining career holding a clipboard. Meanwhile, No. 94 overall pick Matt Corral, a raw quarterback in a draft that was chock full of them, is all but assured a redshirt season now that two veterans stand in front of him. 
2. The Panthers were sorely lacking protection last year, finishing fifth-worst in the league with 52 sacks allowed. To remedy this, Carolina brought in free agents Bradley Bozeman and Austin Corbett before making left tackle Ikem Ekwonu the first offensive lineman taken in April's draft. Aside from the many new faces along the line needing to fast-track chemistry, the intrigue heading into camp should revolve around the starting guard spot opposite Corbett. Second-year pro Brady Christensen, who took a majority of his snaps at left tackle last season, could slide inside but will have to compete with Dennis Daley, Mike Jordan and Pat Elflein to join a starting group that suddenly has a top-10 ceiling.
3. The first phase of the Panthers capping Christian McCaffrey's practice touches obviously has to begin with training camp. After amassing 729 touches for 4,357 scrimmage yards in 2018-19, the do-it-all back's body broke down to the tune of 23 missed games in the last two seasons. The onus of spelling McCaffrey in order to keep him healthy for the long haul will primarily fall to second-year back Chuba Hubbard and D'Onta Foreman, who revived his career during Derrick Henry's extended absence last year in Tennessee.
4. The Panthers' lockdown secondary from 2021 (ranked fourth in passing yards allowed) has some vacated roles to fill at a cornerback position that is now far less deep. Donte Jackson and Jaycee Horn, whose rookie season ended after three games due to a foot injury, are written in ink as the team's boundary corners, but the competition behind them could be in flux all August. C.J. Henderson has the inside track at the No. 3 spot. Veteran Rashaan Melvin and a surprising nine-game starter from last year, Myles Hartsfield, will be nipping at his heels.
5. Believe it or not, Matt Rhule is the longest-tenured head coach in the NFC South. A purported quarterback whisperer in the college ranks, Rhule hasn't been able to find the ear of a QB with enough talent at the professional level, which has led to just 10 wins through two seasons. The Panthers have given the carousel yet another spin at that position, and the COVID-19 protocols that prevented Rhule from operating with a sense of normalcy from Day 1 have been suspended. There's little left to tinker with other than the man at the wheel if things don't start improving.

Players report: July 19 (rookies); July 26 (veterans)

First practice: July 27 (full schedule)

Location: Ochsner Sports Performance Center | Metairie, Louisiana

Notable acquisitions/re-signings:

• QB Andy Dalton* (No. 101)
• QB Jameis Winston* (No. 15) 
• WR Jarvis Landry* (No. 27)
• WR Tre’Quan Smith
• CB P.J. Williams* (No. 96)
• S Tyrann Mathieu* (No. 6)
• S Marcus Maye* (No. 35)

Notable departures:

• QB Blake Bortles
• QB Trevor Siemian (Bears)
• WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey (Patriots)
• OT Terron Armstead* (No. 1; Dolphins)
• LB Kwon Alexander
• S Malcolm Jenkins (retired)
• S Marcus Williams* (No. 7; Ravens)

Subplots to track:

1. Longtime Saints defensive coordinator Dennis Allen is replacing offensive mastermind Sean Payton after the latter's fine 15-season run in New Orleans. The task is a colossal one, and there are sure to be differences with a defensive-minded coach at the helm. Allen has earned this shot after inheriting a basement-dwelling defense and molding it into the top-five unit it is today, but he'll need the entire team to buy in from the start to return to postseason contention. If he succeeds, the memory of his disastrous 8-28 tenure as head coach in Oakland will recede farther into ancient history. 
2. Alvin Kamara is the engine that makes the Saints' offense go, but he likely will be subject to discipline from the NFL resulting from his arrest and booking for battery in Las Vegas in February. With a hearing in the case set for August, New Orleans has limited options to turn to if he is to miss games. Mark Ingram is a serviceable fan favorite who no longer pushes the needle at 32 years old, and Tony Jones Jr. would require a massive leap to fill the void even partially. The Saints may dip their toes in the pool of unsigned veterans or training camp cuts should a lengthy suspension be handed down to Kamara.
3. Wide receiver Michael Thomas hasn't logged a snap since Week 14 of 2020 due to a nagging ankle injury, and he was still rehabbing throughout New Orleans' offseason program. Having Thomas return to full strength alongside 11th overall draft pick Chris Olave could be electrifying, but it has to happen first. The former All-Pro will also face the hurdle of developing a rapport with Jameis Winston. The last time Thomas suited up, Drew Brees was still slinging the rock.
4. Will former LSU stars Jarvis Landry and Tyrann Mathieu's homecoming go the happy-ending route, or will it veer closer to Carrie's prom? Landry will understandably want to rectify his last two down years with the Browns, but his role as slot receiver in the offense figures to be more supplementary than Mathieu's in the secondary. Mathieu and fellow newcomer Marcus Maye will man the two safety spots vacated by Malcolm Jenkins and Marcus Williams. The chance of Dennis Allen's defense retaining its standing in the top echelon of the NFL hinges on their assimilation and performance.

Players report: July 23 (rookie); July 26 (veterans)

First practice: July 27 (full schedule)

Location: AdventHealth Training Center | Tampa, Florida

Notable acquisitions/re-signings:

• RB Leonard Fournette* (No. 68)
• WR Russell Gage* (No. 37)
• WR Chris Godwin
• OG Shaq Mason (trade)
• C Ryan Jensen
• DL William Gholston
• DL Akiem Hicks* (No. 34)
• CB Carlton Davis* (No. 4)
• S Keanu Neal

Notable departures:

• RB Ronald Jones (Chiefs)
• TE Rob Gronkowski* (No. 26; retired)
• TE O.J. Howard* (No. 78; Bills)
• OG Alex Cappa* (No. 56; Bengals)
• OG Ali Marpet (retired)
• DE Jason Pierre-Paul
• DT Ndamukong Suh* (No. 80)
• CB Richard Sherman
• S Jordan Whitehead* (No. 66; Jets)

Subplots to track:

1. Todd Bowles may be inheriting the most Super Bowl-ready team for a coach in his first year since Barry Switzer with the mid-'90s Cowboys. The cupboard is overflowing compared to what Bowles had to work with during four largely unsuccessful years as Jets head coach in 2015-18, but it also means outsized expectations. The good news is that most of the organizational pieces are still in place -- even Bruce Arians remains in a quasi-advisory role. Any changes to the team's approach will be tweaks rather than transformational, but the differences under the new Bowles era will still start to take root during camp.
2. All eyes will be on Tom Brady as his 23rd season gets underway. His ability to keep his mind and body ready season after grueling season is legendary, but this year's break had a little more flair than the usual avocado ice cream. Brady retired in February, unretired in March and then reached a mega-deal in May to become Fox Sports' lead NFL analyst whenever he has a retirement that sticks. The greatest to ever do it will turn 45 on Aug. 3 and is clearly allowing himself a peek beyond the curtain, but if he says he's all in, we'd be fools to believe he can't reach the mountaintop again ... right?!
3. Most figured Rob Gronkowski would follow the leader when Brady unretired, and while some still believe he'll return if Brady calls, Gronk insists he's "done with football." That leaves Cameron Brate leading a TE group otherwise composed of two rookies (Cade Otton, Ko Kieft) and a career practice squad player (Codey McElroy) with one regular-season reception. Tampa Bay will likely explore veteran options such as Eric Ebron, Kyle Rudolph or Jared Cook before Week 1 begins.
4. Championship teams are built from the inside out, and inside happens to be where the Buccaneers are seeing the most turnover. Tampa Bay will have two new starting guards -- presumably Shaq Mason, who is familiar with keeping Brady upright from their days in New England, and second-rounder Luke Goedeke. Meanwhile, on the other side of the trenches, the Buccaneers are hoping the oft-injured Akiem Hicks has enough motor left to replace Ndamukong Suh's 55 starts (including playoffs) since 2019. If the shuffled lines can jell, the Bucs have enough skill-player talent to take care of the rest.