NFC South 2022 offseason needs: Bucs, Saints and Panthers all on the hunt for a quarterback

The NFC South has had no shortage of storylines during the early stages of the offseason. The Buccaneers are stepping into a new era following the retirement of Tom Brady, while New Orleans is also amid a reset in the aftermath of head coach Sean Payton stepping down. Meanwhile, both the Falcons and Panthers could look to reshape their rosters over the next few months as well. 

With the division as wide open as it’s been in years, any one of these clubs could look to make a seismic push to put themselves over the top in 2022. As the offseason is about to jump into hyperspeed over the next few weeks with the NFL Scouting Combine on deck and free agency unfolding not long after, here’s a look at the biggest needs for each team in the NFC South. 

Note: Salary cap figures courtesy of Spotrac.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Top-five needs (unranked): QB, RB, OL, CB, DL

Naturally, quarterback is going to be the biggest need for the Buccaneers following Brady’s retirement. In-house, the club has Blaine Gabbert and 2021 second-round pick Kyle Trask on the roster to possibly ascend to QB1. If they don’t feel like either one is up to the task, they could look outside of the organization either via the draft, trade market or free agency. Earlier this offseason, Deshaun Watson was reportedly eyeing the Bucs as one of his possible landing spots if/when he is traded away from the Texans. Of course, other quarterbacks — Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, Jimmy Garoppolo, etc. — could also be on the market for Tampa Bay to make a Brady-like swing as well. 

Outside of quarterback, possible free agent departures could determine the biggest needs for the Bucs. Receiver Chris Godwin, center Ryan Jensen, and cornerback Carlton Davis are the heavy hitters slated to hit unrestricted free agency. The franchise tag could be utilized on one of those players to retain them for the 2022 season, but the team is facing a potential…