NFC South: July stock watch

Atlanta Falcons, FLATThe Atlanta Falcons have one of the most complete rosters in football. There's no huge, glaring holes, and they'll likely cruise, rather comfortably, to a divisional title. The Falcons' big stumbling point has been the playoffs, but this could be their year. They won't have to play the scariest team in football, the Denver Broncos, on the NFC side of the bracket, making their path to the Super Bowl much more manageable.

New Orleans Saints, SLIGHTLY RISINGThe Saints come off as a stable organization, which is a far cry from where they were at this time a season ago. With that stability, expect the Saints to get off to a quick start. It's possible that they'll compete for a divisional title, but it's far more likely that they'll be in the running for a wild card position. Unlike the Falcons, the Saints' defense isn't the best of units, and they'll lose some games because of it.

Carolina Panthers, UP: The Panthers are a confident bunch, and with Cam Newton, they certainly have the talent. My big concern with this team is that they've shown little mental toughness over the past two years, and if they run into a couple of tough losses, they come across as a team that could be crushed under the weight of disappointment. Expect another "meh" year out of the Carolina Panthers in 2013.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers, SLIGHTLY DOWNThe Buccaneers may be a tough team, but talented they are not. Josh Freeman probably isn't the long-term answer as was originally hoped, and the addition of Darrelle Revis fixes one part of the Buccaneers' defense. The biggest problem for Tampa Bay, however, is the lack of playmakers on offense. With every other team in the division having a quick-strike capability, it's hard to imagine the Bucs going anywhere without those types of playmakers.

About Shane Clemons

Shane Clemons came from humble beginnings creating his own Jaguars blog before moving on to SBNation as a featured writer for the Jaguars. He then moved to Bloguin where he briefly covered the AFC South before taking over Bloguin's Jaguars blog. Since the inception of This Given Sunday, Shane has served as an editor for the site, doing his best not to mess up a good thing.

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