Skip Bayless slamming Falcons for signing Kirk Cousins will make Buccaneers fans smile

For the third straight year, the NFC South ran through Tampa Bay as the Buccaneers claimed yet another division title on their way to punching a playoff ticket. Until further notice, the Bucs are king and someone is going to have to come take the crown before anything else can be said.

That seems to be a motivating factor behind almost every move an NFC South team made this year. Tampa Bay spent its time and money bringing back key players, the Carolina Panthers spent close to $200 million rebuilding the offensive line, and the New Orleans Saints somehow got out of cap hell and added some pieces too.

Nobody had a more splashy free agency than the Atlanta Falcons, though.

Atlanta moved on from Desmond Ridder and Arthur Smith and hired Rahmeem Morris to run the show. Morris is a good hire, having learned from his mistakes with the Bucs to win a Super Bowl as defensive coordinator with the Rams. He arrives in Atlanta with something to prove and a brand-new quarterback.

Kirk Cousins left Minnesota to secure a $180 million bag with the Falcons, and it's a move that not everybody seems to be a fan of.

Skip Bayless slamming Falcons for signing Kirk Cousins will make Buccaneers fans smile

On a recent episode of his standalone show, Skip was asked whether he thought the Dallas Cowboys should have signed Cousins to replace Dak Prescott, which instead set him off on a pro-Baker Mayfield rant.

He went so far as to offer condolences to the Falcons for spending $180 million to be second-best.

"I know you were desperate and had to plunge," Skip said. "I offer my condolences."

Skip mentioned not only how Baker beat Kirk on the road last season but tossed the New Orleans Saints onto the scrap heap as well. He even called out Dak as being inferior to Baker, which seems like a bridge too far but doesn't make it any less awesome to hear.

"Baker Mayfield played so much better last year than Kirk Cousins did," Bayless said. "Think about what Baker did last year, he opened up the season by beating Kirk Cousins [at Minnesota]. Week 4 he went to New Orleans against their archrival that [Tom] Brady couldn't deal with ... Baker did a number on [the Saints]."

Of course, consider the source here. Skip isn't exactly the bastion of Good Takes, and having him ride for your quarterback isn't an endorsement worth hanging a banner about. That being said, hearing him praise the Bucs is like getting McDonald's -- it's not good for you but it's going to hit the spot for at least a little while.

Tampa Bay is once again getting undervalued and tossed aside as an afterthought despite how expectations were defied last season. Experts are already discrediting the free agency strategy of bringing back guys like Baker Mayfield and Mike Evans instead of overpaying for outside talent, and teams like the Falcons and Saints are already getting picked to win the NFC South.

We'll have to wait for the Bucs to do their talking on the field next season, but in the meantime, there's no reason for them to be getting as disrespected as they are. It just goes to show that nobody learned their lesson last year and the chip on Tampa Bay's shoulder isn't going anywhere.

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