IMPACT ROOKIES FOR 2013 NFL SEASON-NFC SOUTH

The NFC south has the potential to be an interesting division.

You have a Superbowl favorite being chased by 2 improving teams led by young stars and a team that recently dominated this division who is looking for a revitalization after a season wrecked by suspensions.

Everyone of them had gaps to fill in the draft.

ATLANTA FALCONS

Projected Starters:

Desmond Trufant CB: Trufant is a long corner with good feet and excellent speed.  He can cover at this level right now, which is why he is playing with the first string.  He is not a great tackler however, and I look for the Falcons to work to help him improve his overall strength.  If he can do that, we might be talking All-Pro.

Likely Contributors:

Robert Alford CB/KR: Alford is a small school guy, but he exploded onto the scene at the senior bowl. This guy is as fast as anyone and is electric with the ball in his hands.  He also looked to have solid cover skills, but I expect there to be some growing pains as he adjusts to the level of competition.

Levin Toilolo TE: The Falcons have very good receiving TE's, but they want to run the ball.  Look for Toilolo to be the second tight end for their running formations.

Kemal Ishmael S: Ishmael has surprised in camp, working his way to the 2-deep at safety.  He is a sure tackler, but there are concerns about how his ceiling is.  Regardless, he gives the Falcons quality depth right now, which is huge in a division where you have to play Drew Brees and Cam Newton twice.

New England Patriots score big with Aqib Talib gamble

The New England Patriots have been the NFL’s Betty Ford Clinic rehabbing talented players that many thought were lost and also losing a few battles along the way.

After hits and misses with the likes of Randy Moss and Albert Haynesworth, the team’s latest project has come in the form of former No.1 draft pick Aqib Talib.

The cornerback showed flashes of brilliance in Tampa Bay but found himself on the wrong side of both the law and the league’s front office on numerous occasions.

New England traded for him in early November as he was in the midst of serving a four-game suspension for a violating the league’s PED policy.

Buccaneers general manager Mark Dominik told Sports Illustrated’s Peter King the reasoning why they let a blooming shutdown corner go for just a fourth-round draft pick.

Terrible Third Quarter Plagues the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 31-23 Loss to the Denver Broncos

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had a monumental task in front of them as the prepared for the Denver Broncos – try to slow down quarterback Peyton Manning with a secondary that ranks dead last in the NFL.

Everybody knew it wasn't going to be easy, but the Bucs did a great job… for one half.

The Bucs held a 10-7 halftime lead on Sunday against Manning and the Broncos.

But a disastrous third quarter doomed the Bucs as they lost 31-23 to the Broncos and fell to 6-6 on the season.

Tampa Bay quarterback Josh Freeman started and finished the game hot, but ended up just 18-of-39 for 242 yards with two touchdowns and one costly interception.

Freeman's pick capped off an ugly third quarter, one that the Broncos dominated by scoring 21 unanswered points. After two Manning touchdown passes to wide receiver Demaryius Thomas, linebacker Von Miller intercepted Freeman and returned it 26 yards for a touchdown.

Miller, who is among those considered for the Defensive Player of the Year Award, was a one-man wrecking crew and finished with six tackles, 1.0 sack, one forced fumble, one interception, and one touchdown.

Report: Gruden To Get Ownership Stake In Browns If He Takes Vols Job

The rumor mill is churning right now in regards to Jon Gruden, and the longer this goes on, the more outrageous or insane the rumors get.

News Channel 3 in Memphis is reporting that Gruden has an amazing contract offer in his hands from the University of Tennessee, and the main sticking point of that offer would be Gruden owning a piece of the Cleveland Browns.

Josh Freeman Leads Improbable Comeback as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Shock the Carolina Panthers in Overtime, 27-21

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers came into Sunday's contest firing on all cylinders.

The Carolina Panthers had them sputtering for nearly the entire game until quarterback Josh Freeman completed a crazy fourth quarter comeback that gave Tampa Bay a 27-21 overtime win.

The Bucs fell behind by 11 points late in the fourth quarter, but they never gave up and forced overtime thanks to some huge catches by wide receiver Vincent Jackson, who had six receptions for 94 yards and one touchdown.

In overtime, Freeman was 3-for-3 for 32 yards and one touchdown. Freeman was money late in the game when the Bucs needed him the most. He did a nice job shaking off two early interceptions and finished 25-of-46 for 248 yards with three touchdowns.

Has Tampa Bay Buccaneers' SS Mark Barron Hit the Rookie Wall?

Strong safety Mark Barron came out on fire early in the season, but lately the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' first first-round selection has been a liability at times on the field.

Barron, who was drafted No. 7 overall by the Bucs in April, has struggled in the passing game as of late. He seems to be out of position way too much and has had trouble covering tight ends, which is something a fast, young player like himself should be able to do.

Barron also hasn't learn a very simple principle that all defensive backs need to do – get your head around when the ball is coming. Last week, Barron got flagged for pass interference after he didn't turn his head toward the ball while knocking down a pass. The flag was picked up so no harm was done.

Patriots Acquire troubled cornerback before deadline

Aqib Talib, the troubled but talented cornerback who has spent his entire career in Tampa Bay, has been traded from the Buccaneers to the Patriots. There’s no word yet on what the Patriots gave up to acquire Talib, although it is likely a conditional draft pick.

Talib is currently serving a four-game NFL suspension for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing drug policy, for what Talib says was taking the prescription drug Adderall without a prescription. Talib has also faced off-field legal troubles throughout his career, and there was talk that Bucs coach Greg Schiano would send Talib packing before his suspension ended, talk that Schiano dismissed — but which turned out to be true.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Lose Shootout in Controversial Fashion to New Orleans Saints, 35-28.

It was a day of record performances and career-highs for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense.
And the Bucs still lost.

Quarterback Josh Freeman threw for a career-high 420 yards with three touchdown passes and zero interceptions. Wide receiver Vincent Jackson had a franchise-high 216 receiving yards, including a 95-yard catch that was the longest play in Buccaneers history.

But it wasn't enough to overcome Drew Brees, who threw for 377 yards and four touchdowns, and the prolific Saints offense, and the Bucs lost their third straight game wearing their throwback uniforms.

Brees and the Saints got the ball to start the game. Brees got the offense to midfield, but had a third down pass attempt tipped at the line of scrimmage by defensive tackle Gerald McCoy and intercepted by free safety Ronde Barber, who returned his 46th career INT down to the Saints' 13-yard line.