NFC South Notes: Buccaneers, Falcons, Panthers, Saints

Buccaneers

• Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer writes the Buccaneers are likely to cut TE Cameron Brate, as they could save $6 million and their offense isn’t that tight end-friendly.
• The Athletic’s Greg Auman writes that if Buccaneers WR Breshad Perriman is too expensive to retain, as is very possible, getting a third wide receiver is on Tampa Bay’s shopping list in 2020. 

Falcons

• Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer writes the Falcons are likely to cut RB Devonta Freeman to save $3.5 million despite a $6 million dead cap hit.
• While Rams DE Dante Fowler would make sense as a free agent target for the Falcons, Breer isn’t sure how it will work cap-wise. 

Panthers

• Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer mentions it’s unlikely the Panthers bring back DT Dontari Poe unless he takes a pay cut and could save $10 million by moving on.  

Saints

Saints HC Sean Payton has consistently praised QB Taysom Hill, even alluding to the current jack-of-all-trades Hill as New Orleans’ future franchise quarterback. Hill is set to be a restricted free agent this year and Payton says the team is preparing for someone else to try and make a run at him. After the Saints place the first-round tender on Hill, another team can make an offer, with New Orleans then having the option to sign Hill to that offer or let him leave and receive a first-round pick in return. 

“I think someone is going to make him an offer,” Payton said via NBC Sports’ Peter King. “But the first thing the fan has to understand is . . . if we tender Taysom [at the first-round level], the team that makes the offer on him and signs him to an offer understands they’re going to give up a first-round pick if we don’t match. That’s easier to do if you’re pick 22, 23, 24, 25. We might very well see it if it’s a team in the second half of the [first round].”