Debate the Buccaneers off season in the Football Fan Forum
2010 Preview:
If I had to pick one of the three rookie quarterbacks who started last year, Matt Stafford, Mark Sanchez, and Josh Freeman, as the most improved this offseason, I’d have to go with Freeman. Reports out of Tampa rave about Freeman’s work ethic this offseason and how he’s spent a good majority of his offseason in the film room, studying last year’s film, and on the field, getting into better shape and improving his throwing mechanics. Unless he spent all that time at the Buccaneers’ facilities inefficiently, doing things other than becoming a better football player, I think he’ll be a much better football player this year. Remember, even Peyton Manning struggled as a rookie, but if you can improve in your sophomore year, no one will remember your rookie year.
That being said, that improvement might not translate to the stat sheet and the win loss record quite in the way one would expect. I expect his picks to decrease this year (18 picks in 290 throws last year), but his supporting cast isn’t as good as Mark Sanchez’s, or even Matt Stafford’s. He doesn’t have Sanchez’s amazing supporting cast. He doesn’t have Calvin Johnson. I’d even go as far as to say that Detroit’s running game and defense are better than Tampa’s. This defense should be better this year, especially against the run with the additions of Gerald McCoy and Brian Price in the first two rounds of this year’s draft, but they still lack a strong pass rush, and overall they lack talent on the defensive side of the ball.
They’ll be better this year, especially through the air offensively, but the talent isn’t there in Freeman’s supporting cast. Freeman won’t look as good as he should this year, even though close examination may show Freeman as the best quarterback in the 2009 draft class this year. Some teams have to be the worst and the Buccaneers, because of their overall lack of talent, look like a team destined to be among the lowly of the league.
Projection: 4-12 4th in NFC South
Power Ranking: 27
Last Season: 3-13
Draft:
#3 DT Gerald McCoy (Oklahoma)
Normally I am against using a Top 3 pick on a defensive tackle, but when you have your franchise quarterback and left tackle already in place and there are no franchise defensive ends available in the draft range, and you were the worst team in the league against the run last year, and it’s a player like Gerald McCoy, I say it’s a great pick.
Grade: A
#35 DT Brian Price (UCLA)
Very interesting pick, he is definitely one of the best available and when you are dead last against the run, you need all the help you can get, but something about seeing a 3-13 team go DT-DT doesn’t seem right. One upgrade at defensive tackle would have been sufficient this year for a team that needs DE, WR, S, CB, LB, etc, but it’s not an awful pick.
Grade: B-
#39 WR Arrelious Benn (Illinois)
There were certainly better wide receiver options on the board, but Benn is one of the highest upside wide receivers available and the Buccaneers’ don’t need a #2 or #3 guy. They need #1 guy and Benn could be that guy in the future, though I would have taken Damian Williams.
Grade: B+
#67 CB Myron Lewis (Vanderbilt)
I like Lewis a lot and I guess former defensive backs coach Raheem Morris did too. They need a successor for Ronde Barber and Lewis can certainly be that in time, but I’m not convinced this was the best pick they could have made with guys like Everson Griffen on the board.
Grade: A-
#101 WR Mike Williams (Syracuse)
Williams has a huge list of character issues, not caring about school, getting kicked off the team, quitting on his team, showing up out of shape to the Combine, but he has 2nd round talent. I don’t love the idea of this team going with 2 boom or bust WRs, but it could definitely work out for the best.
Grade: B
#172 P Brent Bowden (Virginia Tech)
Yeah, they needed a punter, but with other needs, why would they take one before the 7th round. Bowden wasn’t even the best punter available.
Grade: B-
#210 S Cody Grimm (Virginia Tech)
Grimm was a linebacker in college, but because of size he’ll have to move to safety. He’s a project, but Raheem Morris knows a thing or so about defensive backs and he fills a need. At the very worst, he’s a solid special teamer.
Grade: A
#217 OLB Dekoda Watson (Florida State)
I don’t know if there was a bigger steal or a better fit all night. Watson is built in the mold of Buccaneer great Derrick Brooks and he was a legitimate 3rd round prospect available in the 7th for a team that badly needs linebacker help. I would be very surprised if Watson wasn’t a main stay on this defense for years to come. You don’t get that type of player in the 7th round very often.
Grade: A
#253 DE Erik Lorig (Stanford)
Lorig should not have been drafted. He doesn’t offer a pass rush like the Bucs need and he doesn’t fit the speed to fit the scheme. This is one of the worst 7th round picks of the day.
Grade: D
Overall:
It’s hard to give a bad grade to a team that could legitimately come away with 7 future starters in one draft, but considering those guys are DT, DT, WR, WR, CB, OLB, P, they probably could have done some better things with positional value and gotten some pass rush help, though this was a weak DE class.
Grade: B
Key undrafted free agents:
QB Jevan Snead (Mississippi)
K Hunter Lawrence (Texas)
OLB Rico McCoy (Tennessee)
OT James Williams (Harvard)
G Sergio Render (Virginia Tech)
OT Derek Hardman (Eastern Kentucky)
TE Jeron Mastrud (Kansas State)
DE James Ruffin (Northern Iowa)
Positions of need:
Defensive Tackle:
The Buccaneers were extremely weak through the middle of their defensive line last year and couldn’t stop anyone on the ground. Ranking dead last in the league against the run last year in almost every major category. This will have to be improved if they are going to improve.
Drafted Gerald McCoy (#3), Drafted Brian Price (#35)
Defensive End:
They only had 28 sacks last year and no one had more than 6.5 so an elite #1 pass rusher for the future will be a necessity.
Drafted Erik Lorig (#253)
Wide Receiver:
I’d say there’s a good chance that Antonio Bryant won’t be brought back as a free agent this offseason, and even if he is brought back there’s a good chance that once he gets a longterm deal he turns back into a sloth, and even if he doesn’t becomes a lazy primate, they still could use an upgrade opposite him. Michael Clayton isn’t going to live up to his contract so they can just forgot that happening. Big mistake. They need to get Josh Freeman better receivers to throw to.
Drafted Arrelious Benn (#39), Drafted Mike Williams (#101), Traded for Reggie Brown
Outside Linebacker:
One the first thing Raheem Morris did when he was higher as a coach was to cut everyone older than him. If he were Mike Martz or Al Davis this would be an okay strategy, but Morris was 33 at the time. Both Derrick Brooks and Cato June were cut and replaced with the oft injured Angelo Crowell and a former safety. Gee, I wonder why the Bucs were awful on defense last year. They need to get a real outside linebacker.
Drafted Dekoda Watson (#217)
Safety:
As I’ve said before, the Bucs simply lacked talent on defense at almost every position. Safety is no exception. In fact, they haven’t had a good safety since Dexter Jackson in 2005.
Signed Sean Jones, Drafted Cody Grimm (#210)
Cornerback:
The one area the Bucs were actually decent at defensively was against the pass, but that could change if Ronde Barber decides to retire or gets cut because Morris realizes he is older than him. Aqib Talib looks like a good #1 cornerback of the future, but they have no depth behind him and Barber currently so if Barber is gone, they won’t have a good #2 corner.
Drafted Myron Lewis (#67)
Offensive Tackle:
Both of their starting tackles will be free agents this offseason. I expect Penn to be brought back because he’s doing a good job for them, but Trueblood was one of the worst starting tackles in the league last year so even if he returns, he could be upgraded.
Free agents:
QB Jevan Snead
RB Cadillac Williams (restricted)- resigned 1 year 2.3 million
RB Clifton Smith (restricted)- resigned 1 year
FB Byron Storer (exclusive rights)
FB BJ Askew
#9 WR Antonio Bryant- signed with Bengals 4 years 28 million
The talent is there, 1009 yards in 2005 and 1248 yards in 2008, but is the motivation? Chances are, if you give him a longterm deal, it won’t be. He’s still young, 29 in a couple of weeks, but you have to worry about his character concerns plus past concerns about injuries.
WR Maurice Stovall (restricted)- resigned 1 year, 1.1 million
WR Brian Clark (restricted)- not tendered, signed with Lions 1 year
WR Mark Bradley- signed with Saints
OT Donald Penn (restricted)- resigned 6 years 43 million
OT Jeremy Trueblood (restricted)- resigned 1 year 1.7 million
G Arron Sears
DE Jimmy Wilkerson- signed 1 year
DT Chris Hovan- signed with Rams
OLB Angelo Crowell
OLB Jermaine Phillips
OLB Matt McCoy (restricted)- not tendered, signed with Seahawks 1 year
MLB Barrett Ruud (restricted)- tendered (1st/3rd)
MLB Rod Johnson (restricted)
CB Elbert Mack (restricted)- tendered
CB Torrie Cox
S Will Allen- signed with Steelers 3 years
P Josh Bidwell
P Dirk Johnson
Offseason moves:
Buccaneers waive QB Jevan Snead
Buccaneers re-sign OT Donald Penn
Buccaneers sign G Keydrick Vincent
Buccaneers cut OLB Angelo Crowell
Buccaneers cut WR Mark Bradley
Buccaneers re-sign RB Cadillac Williams
Buccaneers re-sign OT Jeremy Trueblood
Buccaneers re-sign RB Clifton Smith
Buccaneers cut DT Chris Hovan
Buccaneers cut G Arron Sears
Buccaneers cut FB B.J. Askew
Buccaneers trade QB Byron Leftwich to Steelers for a 7th-round pick
Buccaneers re-sign WR Maurice Stovall
Buccaneers re-sign OLB Angelo Crowell
Buccaneers re-sign WR Mark Bradley
Buccaneers sign S Sean Jones
Buccaneers sign OLB Jon Alston
Buccaneers acquire WR Reggie Brown from Eagles for 2011 6th-rounder
Buccaneers tender RB/KR Clifton Smith
Buccaneers tender CB Elbert Mack
Buccaneers tender WR Mark Bradley
Buccaneers cut CB Torrie Cox
Buccaneers cut P Josh Bidwell
Buccaneers cut P Dirk Johnson
Buccaneers tender WR Maurice Stovall
Buccaneers tender ILB Barrett Ruud
Buccaneers tender OT Jeremy Trueblood
Buccaneers tender OT Donald Penn
# refers to unrestricted free agent rank
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