How Atlanta Falcons can take advantage of NFC South in the future

The Atlanta Falcons are in the middle of the playoff race—shockingly—this season, but the future could be positive for the team when looking at the state of the NFC South.

This division has been tough for a number of years, especially after Tom Brady decided to join. It was a division comprised of Matt Ryan, Tom Brady, and Drew Brees last year, not exactly the easiest path to a division title. The good thing is that the future is on the side of Atlanta.

The Atlanta Falcons may have the brightest future in the NFC South

The Atlanta Falcons do not have an edge in the division right now, but they might in the years to come, assuming Tom Brady eventually retires.

The Saints are going through a tough period—to the celebration of Falcons fans—they are a decimated team with a quarterback who is only known for turning the ball over. They also do not have money right now or in the future. They are in the proverbial “salary cap hell.”

Then when you take into account how their draft position will be lined up, they are either a team that will barely miss out on the playoffs or if they somehow get in, they will not be good enough to go far, meaning they will not have a good draft pick either way. New Orleans will not be able to get that day one game-changer like Atlanta was able to in this past draft.

It will take a while for the Saints to get back on track, and become a legit Super Bowl contender.

Moving on to Carolina, they are a young team but one that has no direction. They thought they could possibly have their future quarterback during the first few weeks of the season in Sam Darnold but that quickly washed away as he is looking as bad as ever.

Now they are reportedly out on Deshaun Watson, so you can cross off that on their path to finding a franchise quarterback.

They have no real plan in finding a top passer. Their draft position could be in the top ten but they could also potentially be just outside, making the path more difficult. They will not go anywhere until they find that quarterback who can win games for them.

Last, but not least, is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who may be the world champions but they will not have Tom Brady forever—at least we hope.

Once Tom Brady moves on it will have a ripple effect on the entire roster. All of a sudden players will not see it as a top destination, and current Buccaneers will not be so willing to take less money to play for them. They will likely have a lot to clean up after Brady retires, as they have sold out on him.

Even Bruce Arians, the head coach, might want to move on if he does not want to coach football anymore since Brady has left. This team could end up being a huge mess after their “Tompa Bay era” ends.

When you look at the Atlanta Falcons, while they are certainly not in the best shape, at least they have a quarterback who could potentially play for many more years. This is where they have a leg up, Matt Ryan has been showing that he can play with the best of them and it will only continue to get better as Arthur Smith and him continue to get used to each other.

The Falcons may not have much money in the coming years, but they have young talent in guys like A.J. Terrell, Kyle Pitts, Chris Lindstrom, and many others, while also having Grady Jarrett, Matt Ryan, Calvin Ridley, and Deion Jones.

It may not be by much, but the Atlanta Falcons have the brightest future in the NFC South.