BillyCarpenter1

NFC South: Champs will be challenged

By Vic Carucci
National Editor, NFL.com


With NFL training camps due to open later this month, Vic Carucci has put together an eight-part series highlighting how each division shapes up in the aftermath of offseason personnel moves and organized workouts.



Most influential offseason moves: The Atlanta Falcons made enough improvements offensively and defensively to take a serious run at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the division crown and be regarded a legitimate Super Bowl contender. Their biggest move was sending a first-round pick to the Buffalo Bills for receiver Peerless Price, whose exceptional talent and precise route running should help make Michael Vick a better passer. Free-agent receiver MarTay Jenkins (Arizona) provides a deep threat and a dangerous kick returner. Two other free-agent additions, cornerback Tyrone Williams from Green Bay and safety Cory Hall from Cincinnati, upgrade a defense destined to show good progress in its second season under Wade Phillips' direction.

In an effort to make their defense larger and faster, the New Orleans Saints said goodbye to tackle Norman Hand, middle linebacker Charlie Clemons and strong safety Sammy Knight, and traded for free safety Tebucky Jones (New England) and weak-side linebacker Derrick Rodgers (Miami), signed free-agent cornerback Ashley Ambrose (Atlanta) and middle linebacker Orlando Ruff (San Diego), and made tackle Johnathan Sullivan (Georgia) their first-round draft pick.

Here's the rest.......
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/6482534

BlackandBlue

Am I the only one that feels that people are making the acquisition of Peerless Price out to be more than it actually is? The guy is good, but Josh Reed made him expendable.

BillyCarpenter1

I agree B&B. I also think all the sports writers have the Mike Vick is \" Jesus Christ the Superstar Syndrome.\" Vick showed that he can run, but his passing numbers were not impressive. He could struggle this year if he passes most of the time. If he runs more, this could cause Price\'s numbers to decliine from last year.

Peerless Price is good but how about our recevivers? I mean damn, how much better do you get than our receivers.

BlackandBlue

You can\'t compare our recievers to the rest of the league- it wouldn\'t be fair. Our core four, you have a guy that runs a 4.18/40 and is 22 years old, another that runs a 4.2/40, and the other two were the two starting recievers on this team (Horn and Pathon). This foursome could easily be the \"Dome Patrol\" equivalent, only on offense. Barring injuries, they will terrorize defenses everwhere. This group could easily run with the Rams tandem of Bruce/Holt. I think Holt is overrated anyways...

BillyCarpenter1

Mike Vick threw only 16 TD passes last year. That an average of 1-per game, which is not that impressive. Vick did score another 8 TD\'s with his legs, which is impressive. However, Vick rushed the ball 113 times. I don\'t think the coaches in Atlanta wants him to do that again this year.

Vick only passed the ball 421 times last year, which compared to the top NFL Qb\'s amounts to about 134 less pass attempts. From everything I\'ve read the Atlanta coaches have brought in new receivers because they want Vick to throw more and run less, which means Vick is going to get into reading defenses more. This was not a strong area for Vick in college, as he used his running ability and improvised in the passing game. Wil that work in the NFL. Maybe it will for a while, but when he plays defenses with good speed, like when he ran in to Tampa last year, he was just average.

The Saints are probably one of the fastest defenses in the league this year. One of the reasons the Saint upgraded the speed on defense was because they face Vick twice each year, but I think they saw how well Tampa\'s speed on defense matched up well with most everyones offense.

Vick will make plays with his legs this year, without a doubt, but for all the \"so called experts\" to give this much credit to an unproven QB and to say that all the new starters on offense are \"destined\" for success, is confusing to me, since they say our new starters on defense are suspect.

coastalkid

It\'s the same old story...The Saints don\'t get the respect they should around the league. Peerless Price is very overrated. He will help out Atlanta only because they have nothing better but in reality this guy can\'t tie Horn or Stallworth\'s shoes!

WhoDat

I think Price is a star. He is a number one receiver and he will make the Falcons better. Sure his numbers probably looked better when he was one of a few weapons in Buffalo, but he\'ll still shine in Atlanta.

And say what you will about Vick - bottom line is that he is the most exciting player in football right now. He is the MJ of the NFL. The entire game changes when he is on the field. Yes he needs to be a better pocket passer. Yes he needs to develop... but all you guys knocking him better pray that he does get hurt before that happens, b/c if not, he has the talent and the brains and the vision to be THE greatest... not just one of them.

\"Excuses, excuses, excuses. That’s all anyone ever makes for the New Orleans Saints’ organization.\" - Eric Narcisse


\"Being a Saints fan is almost like being addicted to crack,\" he said.[i]\"You know you should stop, but you just can\'t.\"

BillyCarpenter1

Famous last words............

Comparing Mike Vick to Michael Jordan? That\'s a stretch if I\'ve ever heard one. That\'s like saying Stallworth has the talent and brains and the vision to be the next Jerry Rice. Maybe Stallworth does, but to compare him to Jerry Rice is really stretching it.

WhoDat

How many games did Stallworth win BY HIMSELF? How many times did Stallworth take the ball from center and then turn a busted play into a score?

I can count at least 4 off the top of my head for Vick. The guy changes the game when he is on the field.

BillyCarpenter1

Doesn\'t matter if he won all 16 games by himself. He still can\'t be considered one of the greatest. He does have potential. Which means \"he hasn\'t done it yet.\"