Deal for Steelers: It’s pretty obvious what’s going on here. Leftwich has experience in Pittsburgh’ scheme going 21 of 36 for 303 yards 2 touchdowns and 0 interceptions as a backup for Pittsburgh in 2008. The Steelers either know that Big Ben will be suspended, in which case the public would find out tomorrow or so, or have a really good feeling that he will and need Leftwich to step in as a stopgap for however many games (presumably 4). Leftwich knows the scheme, did well in the scheme in 2008, and has more experience than Dennis Dixon so, if Roger Goddell decides to suspend Big Ben despite the fact that he was never convicted, there are worse things for the Pittsburgh Steelers than having to start Leftwich for a few games. Good use of a 7^th rounder.

Grade: A

Deal for Buccaneers: Pretty simple deal. Josh Freeman is the starter in town and they have Josh Johnson who can be a backup. Leftwich was expendable and nothing wrong with picking up another 7^th rounder.

Grade: A

 

 

3. 3-4 DE Marcell Dareus A

Normally I blast teams for passing on a quarterback when one is needed, which is the case in Buffalo, but Blaine Gabbert would not have been the right move here. I was sold on him at all and this is a bad year to need a quarterback. They can go into 2011 with Fitzpatrick and a better supporting cast and not be laughed at and Dareus is part of that better supporting cast. They needed 3-4 front 7 help and Dareus tops my board when it comes to that.

34. CB Aaron Williams C

Cornerback depth was needed, but this team had way too many needs to address this position in the 2^nd. They have Leodis McKelvin, Drayton Florence, and Terrence McGee. Florence and McGee are 30, but they’re not quite over the hill. I don’t see where Williams fits. He could also play safety, but again, that’s not a huge need and he’s too similar to Jairus Byrd there to compliment him. It’s not like Williams is some great value either.

68. MLB Kelvin Sheppard A

I had a late 2^nd round grade on Kelvin Sheppard so the early 3^rd is a good value for him. He also fills a need inside at linebacker and is an excellent fit for their scheme.

100. S Da’Norris Searcy C-

Another defensive back? Safety depth was needed, but again, they had bigger needs and they could have gotten a safety depth/special team type player in the late rounds. Searcy was a reach too.

122. OT Chris Hairston A

The Bills haven’t drafted a tackle before the 5^th round since 2002…until now. Hairston breaks that trend in the 4^th round. He’s a good value and fills a need for a team that obviously needs it.

133. RB Johnny White D

Another running back? I guess 2010 9^th overall pick CJ Spiller and incumbent starter Fred Jackson weren’t cutting it…or something. White wasn’t a good value here either.

169. MLB Chris White C+

Another middle linebacker? They really only needed one in this draft, though White fits the range and can play special teams. They had much bigger needs, like rush linebacker and the interior of their offensive line. Also, how about a developmental quarterback. Somewhere.

206. CB Justin Rogers D

This pick would have been great if Aaron Williams weren’t drafted at 34. Rogers give them the necessary depth at a cheap rate and he fits the range. Unfortunately, after the Williams pick, this is just another unnecessary defensive back.

245. G Michael Jasper C

One of the few players drafted I’ve never heard of, which is bad because I researched about 450 prospects to prepare by top 300 big board, but it is the 7^th round and he does fill a need so I’m not bashing this one too much.

Overall: 

I think they nailed their first round pick. #3 overall for Blaine Gabbert or Jake Locker would have been much too high as I wasn’t a fan of either of those quarterbacks. I like that they didn’t take a quarterback in the first 2 rounds in a class where demand greatly exceeds supply. Ryan Fitzpatrick is capable for one more year. However, he’s not the long term answer. Where’s a developmental quarterback? I would have liked Ryan Mallett in the 3rd. I like that value. Also where’s a rush linebacker? They can’t count on Shawne Merriman, Aaron Maybin, and Chris Kelsey. I know they have a lot of money tied up in the position, but they did just manage 27 sacks last year. Marcell Dareus helps, but not enough. Tom Brady and Mark Sanchez will have all day in the pocket against this secondary twice a year. That’s not a good thing. They also didn’t address their interior line until the 7^th round and they did it with someone I hadn’t heard of. Instead, they drafted 3 defensive backs, 2 middle linebackers, and a running back. Also, how about some weapons for Fitz. Another receiver and a tight end were needed before a 2^nd linebacker, a 2^nd cornerback, or a running back.

Grade: C

 

 

Debate the Buffalo Bills offseason in The Football Fan Forum

Last season: 6-10

2010 Preview:

There’s an old saying that says, if you’re not getting better, you’re getting worse. That is true in the NFL, especially in the AFC East, where everyone figures to be a little bit better this year, whether it be the Patriots with a fully healthy Tom Brady and a fully motivated Randy Moss, or the Jets with their additions at many spots on the football field, or the Dolphins and the addition of Brandon Marshall and the maturation of Chad Henne.

The Bills pretty much stayed pat this offseason, at least where it matters. New regimes normally like to come in and bring in their own quarterback. This regime seems to think all this team needed was a simple scheme change. Trent Edwards behind this offensive line is a tried and failed approach. Ryan Fitzpatrick behind this offensive line is a tried and failed approach. Brian Brohm may have something, but if they thought he did, I don’t understand why you don’t upgrade the line. This line was hands down the worst in the league last year.

I don’t think Chan Gailey’s “genius” scheme is going to be enough to turn their offense around. Notice I put genius in quotation marks. Gailey’s only NFL experience since 2001 was as the offensive coordinator of the Kansas City Chiefs in 2008, a team that went 2-14 and ranked 26^th in the league in points per game scored and 28^th in the league in yards per passing attempt.

I don’t understand why they waited until the 5^th to draft an offensive lineman and the 7^th to draft a quarterback. CJ Spiller is a fine player and all, but if their quarterback and their line aren’t playing well, their running game isn’t going the best it could be. Besides, it’s not like they struggled running the football last year. They were one of the best in the league and they still only won 6 games. Their defense could be alright, but if their offense isn’t playing well and the defense stay off the field, their defense isn’t going to be able to play as well as they should be able to play. The team is far from competing in this tough division.

Projection: 3-13 4th in AFC East

Power Ranking: 30 

Draft:

#9 RB CJ Spiller (Clemson)

Spiller is not a starting caliber running back. He’s a really cool weapon who will help them a ton on special teams and as a 3^rd down and change of pace back, but he does not fill a need. They already have Fred Jackson and Marshawn Lynch (who is probably on the block now), but they needed a quarterback badly, a left tackle badly, and a nose tackle badly. 

For more on this, click here 

Grade: C

#41 NT Torrell Troup (Central Florida)

The Bills needed a nose tackle, but Linval Joseph, Cam Thomas, and Terrence Cody were all still available. Troup is not even a starting caliber nose tackle in my mind. Taking any of those nose tackles would have been smart, as would taking Jimmy Clausen, or a left tackle, but they reached for a player.

Grade: D

#72 3-4 DE Alex Carrington (Arkansas State)

Carrington is a good player and fits the scheme, but the Bills didn’t really need another 3-4 end. They signed Dwan Edwards and they already had Marcus Stroud and Kyle Williams, so I don’t understand the need to take a guy like Carrington when they still need a quarterback and someone to protect the quarterback.

Grade: C-

#107 WR Marcus Easley (Connecticut)

I am really happy to see Marcus Easley get drafted because of his story as a former walk on, but the Bills really need to start address needs with more value. They don’t have a quarterback. They don’t have anyone to protect the quarterback, but they take a wide receiver who is a bit of a reach here.

Grade: D

#140 OT Ed Wang (Virginia Tech)

He fills their need at left tackle, but I don’t think he actually helps them. Wang is not a good pass protector. He really struggled in the Senior Bowl and was extremely inconsistent last year. But, at least he fills a need, position wise.

Grade: B-

#178 RLB Austin Moats (James Madison)

They needed a quarterback, but this is their best pick so far. They need a rush linebacker opposite Aaron Maybin and Moats projects nicely into their 3-4 longterm. He fits right into the draft range and helps them get after their opponent’s quarterback, which will be helpful, because, from the looks of things, the Bills are going to have mediocre quarterbacks with bad pass protection next year again.

Grade: B+

#192 RLB Danny Batten (South Dakota State)

I don’t like Batten as much as Moats. They need a quarterback, but Batten does have some positional value, even though I don’t like them double dipping on 3-4 rush linebacker guys.

Grade: C-

#209 QB Levi Brown (Troy)

They finally filled the quarterback need, but they didn’t take the right guy. This must be extremely frustrating for Bills fans. Jevan Snead and Jarrett Brown have way more upside than Brown, who doesn’t have a strong arm and really looks like a career backup guy to me.

Grade: C-

#216 OT Kyle Calloway (Iowa)

Finally a pick I like, Calloway looks like a future starter at either right tackle or right guard and I like him a lot more than Ed Wang, their 5^th round pick. Calloway is a major 7^th round steal and can compete with Jamon Meredith for the starting right tackle job right away. The right side of their line is pretty well off, but the left side is not.

Grade: A 

Overall:

The Bills needed to draft a quarterback, a left tackle, and a nose tackle, but they didn’t draft a quarterback until the 7^th round, and when they did, it was the wrong one, they didn’t draft a left tackle until the 5^th, and I’m not even sure Wang won’t have to move over to the right side, and the nose tackle they drafted in the 2^nd was a huge reach, not one of the best available, and was drafted over a franchise caliber quarterback guy in Jimmy Clausen. It must be frustrating to be a Bills fan. They had some decent picks, but they were few and far between.

Grade: D

Key undrafted free agents

RLB Antonio Coleman (Auburn)

WR Naaman Roosevelt (Buffalo)

WR Donald Jones (Youngstown State)

S Dominique Harris (Temple)

G Cord Howard (Georgia)

RB Joique Bell (Wayne State)

CB Stephan Virgil (Virginia Tech)

Positions of need: 

Offensive Tackle:

Jason Peters was traded in the offseason for a first round pick, but they never replaced him. Langston Walker was supposed to move over from right to left tackle to start the year, but he was cut a week before the season. Demetrius Bell took over and did an awful job of protecting the quarterbacks blindside and was one of the most penalized offensive tackles in the league. The offensive line, as a whole, was one of the most penalized offensive lines in the league, and, no surprise, the offense struggled. Trent Edwards had too potential 1000 yard receivers, but because he didn’t get any time in the pocket, he was benched midseason for Ryan Fitzpatrick who wasn’t much better. They need to find Peters’ replacement this year and if they do, Edwards could continue to be their quarterback of the future.

Drafted Ed Wang (#140), Drafted Kyle Calloway (#216) 

Quarterback:

In case they don’t view Trent Edwards as their quarterback of the future, they may want to find a replacement at the position. It is a completely new regime in town so they may be partial to wanting to find a different guy at the quarterback position. However, after Clausen and Bradford are off the board, the quarterback position gets pretty thin unless they want to take a chance on Tim Tebow. If Clausen or Bradford fall, I doubt the Bills pass on either. If not, they will target one in the 2^nd or 3^rd rounds. Their name has also been linked to Michael Vick and Donovan McNabb.

Drafted Levi Brown (#209) 

Nose Tackle:

They were 31^st in the league against the run last year and now they are switching to a 3-4 defense. They aren’t going to get better unless they add a true nose tackle to the roster which they don’t have right now. Cam Thomas could be a possibility in the 2^nd round. They may not want to wait until the 3^rd to address the position because this is a thin nose tackle position and they are a lot of teams that need nose tackles. They may have to make a major reach in round three for a guy like Torrell Troup or Jay Ross.

Drafted Torrell Troup (#41)

Middle Linebacker:

The Bills are making a major scheme switch from a zone style 4-3 to a 3-4 and they don’t have linebackers anywhere near big enough to play the 3-4 middle linebacker spot because a zone scheme requires speed at the linebacker position and not size. They may target Rolando McClain at 9 if they view him as the best available prospect. They have to address this need in the first 3 rounds.

Signed Andra Davis 

Rush Linebacker:

If anyone is excited by the scheme switch, its undersized 2009 1^st round pick Aaron Maybin, who is an ideal rush linebacker. However, they need one opposite him. They only had 32 sacks last year and Aaron Schobel, their sacks leader with 10, could be retiring.

Drafted Arthur Moats (#178), Drafted Danny Batten (#192), Signed Reggie Torbor

3-4 Defensive End:

Not a huge need, because of the lower positional value, but they need some more 3-4 personnel, especially on the defensive line. This need will only be addressed if they feel someone at the position represents best available. If Tyson Alualu falls to them in the 3^rd, they could take him.

Signed Dwan Edwards, Drafted Alex Carrington (#72) 

 

Free agents:

#10 WR Terrell Owens- signed with Bengals 1 year 2 million

Owens proved that he could still be a decent addition to a team in the second half last year with 548 yards in 8 games, but he only had 281 in his first 8 games. He caught only 55 passes, the least in any full season since his rookie year. Some of that could be blamed on the quarterbacks and on his primary role as a downfield decoy. If he were the #1 option on a team with an above average quarterback, he very well could have had another 1000 yard year. However, that being said, he’ll turn 37 in December and he hasn’t done anything to prove to me that, at that age, he deserves any more than a one year deal. 

WR Josh Reed- signed with Chargers 1 year

WR Justin Jenkins 

TE Derek Schouman (restricted)- resigned 1 year

TE Derek Fine

TE Joe Klopfenstein (restricted)- resigned with Bills

OT Jonathan Scott- signed with Steelers

G Richie Incognito (restricted)- not tendered, signed with Dolphins 1 year 

DE Ryan Denney

DT Marcus Smith

DT Marlon Favorite 

OLB Keith Ellison (restricted)- resigned 1 year 1.1 million

OLB Jon Corto (restricted)

MLB Marcus Buggs (exclusive rights) 

CB Ashton Youboty (restricted)- resigned 1 year 1.1 million

S George Wilson (restricted)- resigned 1 year 1.7 million

S Bryan Scott- resigned for 2 years

S John Wendling 

Offseason moves:

Bills cut DE Aaron Schobel

Bills sign RLB Reggie Torbor 

Bills announce retirement of QB Gibran Hamdan

Bills cut DT Marlon Favorite

Bills sign RB Chad Simpson 

Bills re-sign TE Derek Schouman 

Bills re-sign CB Ashton Youboty

Bills re-sign S George Wilson

Bills re-sign OLB Keith Ellison

Bills re-sign TE Joe Klopfenstein

Bills sign OT Cornell Green

Bills re-sign S Bryan Scott

Bills tender OLB Keith Ellison

Bills tender TE Derek Schouman

Bills tender CB Ashton Youboty

Bills tender S George Wilson

Bills announce retirement of OT Brad Butler

Bills waive TE Derek Fine

Bills cut WR Justin Jenkins

Bills cut S John Wendling

Bills cut DT Marcus Smith

Bills cut MLB Ashlee Palmer

Bills cut C Marvin Philip 

# refers to unrestricted free agent rank

 

 

I have known for a while that Bucky Brooks is an idiot. His mock drafts are so outrageous every single time he posts them. In January, he had Eric Berry falling to the Niners at 13, Selvish Capers going to the Saints at 31, Carlos Dunlap going 6^th to the Seahawks, and Jimmy Clausen nowhere to be found. In February, he has Trent Williams going 5 to the Chiefs, Jason Pierre Paul going 3^rd to the Buccaneers, Berry falling to the Niners again, and Sam Bradford falling to the Cardinals at 26, as he has in January.

This month, he has revealed yet another “masterpiece.” It made so sense, yes, but there was something different about it. It was different. Not only did Bucky Brooks make completely ridiculous selections, but they were completely difference ridiculous selections as his previous months. In one month’s time, Sam Bradford went from 26 to 1. In one month’s time, Ndamukong Suh went from 1 to 8, Jason Pierre Paul from 3 to 26.

First of all, looking at his 1^st and 2^nd mocks, when was the last time a future franchise quarterback like Sam Bradford fell to 26. Looking at his 3^rd mock, when was the last time a consensus top player like Suh fell to 8 and when was the last time the Raiders had the consensus top player fall to them at 8 and they actually drafted him, rather than going for some guy whose really fast. How bout JPP? He must have had a bad month to drop himself 23 spots. Actually, he had a great month with beyond amazing measurables at the Combine.

 

 

The Buccaneers went 10-6 in 2010 and almost made the playoffs. However, after LeGarrette Blount took over as the starting running back week 7, and added a new dimension to their offense, rushing for 5 yards per carry out of the backfield, they didn’t lose by more than a touchdown for the rest of the season, hanging within a touchdown of the Falcons twice, and the Ravens.

From week 7 on, Josh Freeman went 197 for 315 for 2408 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions. He got even better late going 78 for 109 for 1009 yards, 9 touchdowns, and no interceptions in his final 4 games. The Buccaneers beat the Saints in a legitimate week 17 game in New Orleans. They did all this despite missing Pro Bowl safety Tanard Jackson from week 3 on, 2010 2^nd round pick Brian Price from week 6 on, rookie 3^rd overall pick Gerald McCoy from week 15 on, talented rookie safety Cody Grimm from week 13 on, and #1 cornerback Aqib Talib from week 14 on. All of those players are expected to be back this season.

They also drafted well, adding 3 front 7 starters at positions of need in Adrian Clayborn, Da’Quan Bowers, and Mason Foster. It’s for these reasons that many people have this as a sleeper Super Bowl contender. However, I do not have them as a Super Bowl contender or even a playoff team.

That New Orleans game week 17 was their only win against a .500+ team. They went 1-5 against .500+ teams last year. They had a ridiculously easy schedule last year and they won’t have that luxury this season. They play 7 games against playoff teams from last season (Indianapolis, Green Bay, Chicago, New Orleans twice, Atlanta twice). They also play 3 teams that could easily be .500+ teams this season, Dallas, Houston, and Detroit. They’re going to be a Super Bowl contender at some point in the next couple years, but I think they’re about a year away and could easily have a sophomore slump. I think they’re still the 3^rd best team in their division. New Orleans and Atlanta are both very, very good football teams.

Their biggest area of question is their secondary. Aqib Talib won’t be cut following a felony arrest in the offseason, but he could be suspended, even before he case goes to trial in March. Tanard Jackson is a very talented safety when he’s in the lineup, but he’s currently serving a calendar year long suspension. He is expected to be reinstated week 3, but there are no guarantees that he will actually be reinstated (it wouldn’t be the first time Roger Goddell has decided not to reinstate someone). There are also no guarantees he stayed in shape during his suspension. He hasn’t been able to work out with his team and a year is a long time.

The other 2 starters in the secondary are cornerback Ronde Barber and safety Cody Grimm. Grimm, a linebacker in college, was extremely impressive as a mere 7^th round rookie last year, before getting hurt. Meanwhile, Ronde was decent last year, but he’s 36 years old so a steep decline could be on the way. If he does decline, 2010 3^rd round pick Myron Lewis could step into the lineup. At strong safety, until Jackson can return, Sean Jones will be the starter. He’s not very good at all.

At linebacker, the Buccaneers have two decent players in Quincy Black and Geno Hayes. I really like backup linebacker Dekoda Watson. He’s a great fit for their defense and I had a 3^rd round grade on him coming out in 2010. He fell to the 7^th round, but played well in limited action as a rookie. He could find himself in the starting lineup before the season is over, though considering the Buccaneers just gave Black a ridiculous 5 year 29 million dollar deal, I find it hard to believe that he’d be the one who gets benched.

At the middle, Tyrone McKenzie is currently penciled in as the starter, but I fully expect 3^rd round rookie Mason Foster to become the starter sooner rather than later. McKenzie hasn’t played much in 2 years in the league and I really just don’t see him as a starting caliber player. Foster will be hurt by the lockout, but he’s their best option at the position. He has nice upside.

On the defensive line, they are very young. Defensive tackle Gerald McCoy was the 3^rd overall pick in 2010 while defensive end Adrian Clayborn was the 20^th overall pick in 2011. Left end Da’Quan Bowers is a 2^nd round pick rookie, while Brian Price at defensive tackle was a 2^nd rounder in 2010. Price, however, is currently not in the lineup in favor of the mediocre Roy Miller. Price reportedly showed up to camp out of shape after surgery last season. He’ll have to earn his starting job back. Overall, even though they are young and hurt by the lockout, they should have more than the 26 sacks they had in 2010.

 

Offensively, Josh Freeman, LeGarrette Blount, and Mike Williams might be the best young QB/RB/WR trio in the league. Blount should get even more carries this season than he did in 11 starts last season. Gone is Cadillac Williams, their only legitimate backup from last year. Earnest Graham will play clear passing downs, but that’s it. He’s not a very talented player. They have next to nothing on the depth chart behind Blount and Graham. Their #2 back is Kregg Lumpkin, who has 2 career carries. Their #3 back is 6^th round rookie Allen Bradford. Their #4 back is Armando Allen, an undrafted rookie.

Freeman won’t just have Mike Williams to throw to. Arrelious Benn, a 2^nd round pick in 2010, is still their #2 receiver. He should be better in his 2^nd year after a disappointing rookie year. Kellen Winslow is a talented starting tight end when he’s healthy and they drafted Luke Stocker in the 4^th round to be a blocker. Winslow is a terrible run blocker. We should see more 2 tight end sets from them this season.

On the offensive line, they return all 5 starters, good for continuity’s sake, but that might not be the best thing overall. Jeremy Trueblood, a mediocre talent, is once again the starting right tackle. He could be beaten out by James Lee, another mediocre talent, who finished last year as the starter after Trueblood was benched. The Buccaneers resigned Davin Joseph, but way overpaid him, giving him Jahri Evans type money. He struggled last year and is coming off major surgery as well.

Left tackle Donald Penn is a decent player, but he allowed 6 sacks and 36 quarterback pressures last season. Young Ted Larsen took over as a left guard last season, but he isn’t great either. Meanwhile, center Jeff Faine is injury prone and coming off major surgery. They only allowed 30 sacks as a team last year, but this is not a great offensive line. Josh Freeman makes it look better than it is. They also aren’t a great running blocking line either.

As I said earlier, this team is a year away. They have a lot of young talent. It seems like every starter is young and talented, but they’re not quite on the level of Atlanta and New Orleans and I don’t think they get a wild card spot in the playoffs this season. Their schedule is extremely tough, they don’t have a lot of experience playing with a bull’s-eye on their back, and they didn’t do that well against good teams last season.

Quarterback: B+

Running backs: B+

Receiving corps: B-

Offensive line: C+

Run defense: C+

Pass rush: B-

Pass coverage: C+

Coaching: B+

Projection: 9-7 3^rd in NFC South

 

 

Cornerback

Aqib Talib faces potential jail time in his March trial for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Talib was almost cut after he was arrested, but their GM was talked out of it by Head Coach Raheem Morris, who is no longer with the team. Even if he’s not released, he’s a free agent after the 2012 season and the Buccaneers suck against the pass even with him. They ranked 31^st against the pass this year, allowing 8.2 YPA. Opposite Talib, the soon to be 37 year old Ronde Barber is on his last legs and could retire this offseason, while neither Myron Lewis nor EJ Biggers have proven themselves to be very good. Morris Claiborne looks like the heavy favorite to go #5 to Tampa Bay, should he last that long.

Outside Linebacker

The Buccaneers’ linebacker trio was really bad last season. Geno Hayes was the best of the 3, but that’s not saying much. Mason Foster was awful as a rookie, but he could get another shot at a starting job because he was just a rookie. Quincy Black was the worst of the 3. ProFootballFocus rated him the worst 4-3 outside linebacker in the league. He missed 16 tackles, most of any 4-3 outside linebacker, and only had 60 tackles on the season. I have no idea why Dekoda Watson, a 2010 7^th rounder who has been good in limited action, doesn’t get more of a shot. Maybe he will in 2012, but either way, I think they have to add a linebacker at some point. They could draft one, but they also have a good amount of cap space so they could sign one.

Offensive Tackle

No offensive lineman surrendered more pressures last year than Jeremy Trueblood, allowing 50 despite missing a game with an injury, and Trueblood didn’t even match up with the opponent’s best pass rusher on a weekly basis. He was a right tackle. They stupidly gave him a 2 year deal after a poor season in 2010, but they should still look for a new right tackle in the draft this year.

Wide Receiver

Mike Williams followed up an impressive rookie year with a disappointing sophomore year. Even more disappointing were the reports about just how poor his work ethic was last season. The Buccaneers old coaching staff said that he frequently partied during the week and put very little effort in the weight room. Meanwhile, in 2 seasons in the league, Arrelious Benn has been a bit of a disappointment after going in the 2^nd round in 2010. They need another receiver in the mix, particularly someone with speed to take the top off the defense.

 

Safety

Yeah, literally point to a position in the back 7 and the Buccaneers suck there last year. Sean Jones was a major liability in coverage, surrendering a 140.8 QB rating when thrown at, while Tanard Jackson missed more tackles than anyone in the league, missing a whopping 24.

Running Back

Mike Williams wasn’t the only Buccaneers offensive skill player who was out of shape, LeGarrette Blount followed up a breakout rookie year in 2010 with a very poor season in 2011. Blount was given just 184 carries as the Buccaneers gave carries to bums like Earnest Graham, Kregg Lumpkin, and Mossis Madu down the stretch. Blount was also useless on 3^rd downs once again. They really need a complimentary back for him at least.

Center

Jeff Faine used to be one of the best centers in the league, but those days are over.  He’s now overpaid and on the wrong side of 30. If they didn’t have so many other needs, he’d probably be a cap casualty, but he’ll probably go into next season as the starting center again. They could take someone late to groom behind him.

Guard

I have no idea why the Buccaneers gave Davin Joseph so much money last offseason. The guard was once again below average this season.

Middle Linebacker

They probably have to give Mason Foster another shot in the middle after a poor rookie year because they have so many other needs, but some veteran competition wouldn’t hurt.

Defensive Tackle

Gerald McCoy just can’t stay healthy, a big part of the reason why the Buccaneers were so bad against the run last year. Things were so desperate that they had to sign Albert Haynesworth off waivers. He’s been recently cut so they need depth at the position.

 

QB Rudy Carpenter (exclusive rights)

RB Cadillac Williams

RB Kareem Huggins (exclusive rights)

WR Michael Spurlock

WR Maurice Stovall

TE John Gilmore

OT James Lee (exclusive rights)

OT Jeremy Trueblood

OT Demar Dotson (exclusive rights)

G Davin Joseph

DE Stylez G. White

DE Tim Crowder

DE Michael Bennett

OLB Quincy Black

OLB Adam Heyward

OLB Jon Alston

MLB Barrett Ruud

MLB Niko Koutouvides

CB Ronde Barber- resigned 1 year

CB Elbert Mack

S Corey Lynch

K Connor Barth 

Offseason moves:

Resigned Ronde Barber

Cut Jon Alston

Draft

 

CB Josh Bellamy (Louisville)

WR Justin Blackmon (Oklahoma State)

DT Michael Brockers (LSU)

CB Ron Brooks (LSU)

MLB Tank Carder (TCU)

CB Morris Claiborne (LSU)

DE Quinton Coples (North Carolina)

OT David Gonzales (Washington State)

TE Ladarius Green (LA-Lafayette)

DE Chandler Jones (Syracuse)

OT Dennis Kelly (Purdue)

CB Dre Kirkpatrick (Alabama)

RB Trent Richardson (Alabama)

G Amini Silatolu (Midwestern State)

TE Taylor Thompson (SMU)

OLB Bobby Wagner (Utah State)

RB David Wilson (Virginia Tech)

S Tavon Wilson (Illinois)