4 Expectations for Atlanta Falcons after first wave of free agency
By Nick Halden
3. Atlanta is winning the NFC South
In any other division, you can have a conversation about who is deserving of being the division favorites. In the NFC South, however, it should be an easy and straightforward answer. The Tampa Bay Bucs didn't lock up the division until the final week of the season with an unconvincing win over the Carolina Panthers.
Yes, they did win a playoff game, but it was over a team that had let go of the rope and given up on the season.
The Falcons hung with Tampa Bay with Arthur Smith and Desmond Ridder leading the way. While Tampa has maintained the majority of their core Atlanta has gone out and made massive upgrades at the most important positions.
Carolina is lost and is going to continue to struggle until their owner decides to take a step back and allow the team to run as it should. New Orleans could be decent but isn't a playoff team with the same aging core that wasn't able to chase down Tampa last season.
This division is Atlanta's to lose and the moves in free agency speak to that. Anything less should be viewed as a failure even in year one for Morris and Cousins.