Buccaneers: NFC South opponents I’d rather see somewhere else

Dec 24, 2016; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) talks to Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston (3) after their game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The Saints won, 31-24. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 24, 2016; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) talks to Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston (3) after their game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The Saints won, 31-24. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports
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Carolina Panthers

Linebacker Luke Kuechly

The Carolina Panthers have a few players that I’d like to see gone but none of them make me more nervous than middle linebacker Luke Kuechly. If this was at the start of last season it definitely would’ve been Cam Newton but their offense has fallen off a cliff this past season. Greg Olsen is still scary on offense but he is 32 and Cam Newton is getting less accurate as each season. Luke Kuechly is only 26 years old and is quite possibly the best linebacker in all of the NFL. He’s so smart and makes impact plays all over the field while most of them aren’t recorded on the stat sheet. In eight career games against the Buccaneers Kuechly has 66 tackles, one sack, and one interception.

Under his defensive leadership the Buccaneers only average 15 points a game when Luke plays, scoring more than 20 points once back in 2012, his rookie year. A lot of this can be attributed to the Panthers having a stellar defense but he is the one making sure everyone is in the right spot doing their job. If the Panthers decided to let some one go this off-season I would probably throw a parade if Kuechly ended up in another division.

Schedule