Season Review: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Record Overview: 3-13



In all honesty, did anyone really expect the Buccaneers to have a good record this season? Not only were they transitioning from the defensive system that took them to a Super Bowl title, not to mention keeping them from being known as the “Yucs” for the majority of former defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin’s tenure; they were also trying to change to new offensive system. That really didn’t work out so well, they fired Jeff Jagozinski before the season even began; leaving them with little to no experience with the system they were using at the time. This inability to maintain any sense of offensive continuity from training camp to the season resulted in them being ranked 30th in points scored. They were also near the bottom in yards gained (28th), passing yards gained (24th) and rushing yards gained (23rd). On the positive side, they had made some good strides in terms of getting their young offensive players time. This could bode well for the future of the team.



The offensive line is the area that is in the most trouble this off-season. Not necessarily from bad play, they played pretty well considering the circumstances. They all tried to slim down for Jagozinski’s zone-blocking scheme, but obviously that was scrapped. Trying to return to mauling, man-on-man blocking scheme they used in previous years was a slow and difficult process. It didn’t help that Donald Penn pulled a Mike Williams and ballooned up to between 360 and 370 pounds. He was once considered to be one of the top up-and-coming tackle prospects in the league. Now, it would be very surprising if the Bucs aren’t looking for someone to at least push him for the starting job. Jeremy Zuttah had to step in for Arron Sears (who missed the season due to a personal issue) and was alright, but not nearly has good as Sears had been as been. He still does bring good experience and depth to the team. Jeff Faine was solid after returning from injury, but there was only so much that could be accomplished with the left side of the line underachieving the way they did. Davin Joseph and Jeremy Trueblood was clearly the two best offensive linemen on the team, though Trueblood still has some issues in pass protection. These two are both maulers who were stuck in the transition to a zone blocking scheme and took all season to return to form. That being said, both were still strong players who are stalwarts on the line. The biggest issue with this line is not the clear underperformance in game situations which can be partially attributed the offensive system changes that took place and the underperforming quarterbacks. The bigger issue is the fact that Penn and Trueblood are both restricted free agents and Davin Joseph’s contract is not too far behind in terms of expiration. Sears and Zuttah are also not too far behind. The Buccaneers have already made Jeff Faine the highest paid center in the NFL and have other needs. In short, decisions about pay need to be made and, at least in the case of Joseph, they may be dishing out a large pay check. This is one case where if the there’s no salary cap going forward, it would benefit the Bucs so they don’t have to make a choice for a couple more years.



In terms of the tight end position the Bucs are pretty well set. Kellen Winslow Jr. lives up to his namesake as a receiver. Not only did he lead the Bucs in every receiving statistic other than yards per reception, he did so by a solid margin. He fell one catch short of doubling the number of receptions from the next nearest receiver (77 to 39). He also led the next nearest receiver in terms of yards by 284 (884 to 600) and scored 5 touchdowns. He has all the receiving talent that his father had and has shown that talent while catching passes from QBs who have barely a quarter of the talent that Dan Fouts (his father’s Hall of Fame quarterback) had. He has had problems in the past with injuries and some character concerns, particularly when his contract in Cleveland was running out. Many of those character concerns related to his contract status were dealt with when he signed a six-year, 36.1 million dollar deal after he was traded from Cleveland. The injury issue is something to watch, but I don’t think it’s any more of an issue than it would be for any other player. They also have some pretty good depth for next year with Jerramy Stevens and John Gilmore. Stevens is a solid receiving tight end and Gilmore is a strong blocker. They will probably look to add depth past next year, but this position is set so long as Winslow is healthy.



At the flashiest skill position, wide receiver, there was a great deal of upheaval and expectations were not met. Antonio Bryant did lead the wide outs in most receiving categories (trailing Kellen Winslow in overall team stats) but was still only accounted for on 39 receptions. A far cry from the player the Bucs thought they were getting when they named him their franchise player, particularly since he was paid 9.9 million on a one year deal and had 83 catches for 1248 yards and 7 touchdowns the previous season. On the positive side he did lead the team in yards per catch at 15.4, which was the only reason he stayed remotely close to Winslow in terms of receiving yards. Though he was injured several times, he was struggling to produce when he was on the field and then blamed everyone but himself which has left his future with the team in extreme doubt. The wide receiver who started the majority of games opposite Bryant was Michael Clayton, who also happened to sign a contract extension of five-years and 24 million dollars. While he also had a good average of yards per catch (14.4), he only caught one touchdown on 16 receptions for 230 yards. Those numbers are worse than the two receivers below him on the depth chart and Cadillac Williams and Derrick Ward. Most receivers who have numbers this terrible would normally be dumped. On top of all of this, he often was not putting in the kind of effort he needed to catch some of the passes that were catchable, but not necessarily accurate. For example, on numerous passes that were just out of easy reach, he would extend only one hand and made no effort to use the other hand. That kind of effort is unacceptable. If he sticks around it will be solely because of his salary. Fortunately production from the rest of the receiving corp. wasn’t this bad. The two receivers mentioned early were Maurice Stovall and Sammie Stroughter, both whom had good seasons and both would seem to factor into the Bucs future plans at receiver. Stovall started about half of the games when either Clayton or Bryant couldn’t go, and was better than Clayton and more consistent than Bryant. He is not flashy, but he always finds a way to get the jobs done. He can find seams through zone coverage, is quick enough to get open or out-physical most defender in man coverage. He’ll likely be starting next season, whether or not they try to sign another star receiver, he’ll just keep hanging around and end up starting. Stroughter was more of a surprise. Not much was expected of the seventh round pick because of perceived long speed issues, dropping problems and small size. He ended up returning some kicks (proving the long speed issues were not valid) and was a great asset against third and fourth corners. He ended up having the third most receptions on the team (31) and the fourth most receiving yards (334). For the record Stovall had the fifth most receptions with 24 and the third most receiving yards with 366. Stroughter is at least a great slot option and may be able to work his way into the starting lineup. Brain Clark adds depth but there are better options.



The runningback situation is in good position. Carnell “Cadillac” Williams stayed healthy for the majority of the season and was as strong a runner this season as he was as a rookie. While he only averaged 3.9 yards per carry, which was more a product of the re-transitioning from the zone blocking to the mauling style of run blocking, he still was able to rack up 1000 all-purpose yards and 7 touchdowns (all-purpose). He showed all the power, shiftiness and speed he had when he run rookie of the year in 2005, an amazing feat considering the number of surgeries on his patella tendons he has had since then. He remains the best option as a starter going forward. The injuries are a bit of a concern, but he seems to have healed from his previous injuries with little noticeable effect so, there is no point in creating more personnel issues. Derrick Ward, one of the major off-season acquisitions, wasn’t as good as the Bucs had hoped. He was solid in much the same way that Williams was, providing receiving and rushing production and giving Williams a breather. However, Ward was always more effective when the line playing in front of him is playing well. When they underachieve, he tends to perform as not as well. Still, he is a good backup who should help keep Williams healthy. Earnest Graham, who filled in well several years ago for Williams, was moved to fullback to help out after starter B.J. Askew went down. They didn’t give him the ball that often, but when they did he had a respectable 4.7 yards per carry average. He did have trouble doing the blocking and they brought Chris Pressley in to handle that part. It’s seems like a waste to me, paying to two or three people the job that one can handle, but no one was bad enough to not be brought back, especially since none of them are getting an extremely high paycheck. Graham should return to a pounder’s role next season and Askew will likely return to the starters job next year. Clifton Smith is a good returner, but is rarely used on offense. He likely won’t get more looks next year with the good stable of backs already on the payroll.



Most prominent media sources well tell you that the quarterback position was an awful mess this past season for the Bucs. To say they were completely wrong is misleading and wrong, but it wasn’t as horrid as they make it sound. Byron Leftwich did throw more touchdowns than picks, but his elongated motion didn’t mix well with the slimmed down and inadequate protection the offensive line provided. He just wasn’t able to get the offense to produce enough to keep up with the then porous defense. Josh Johnson did fare better, but not well enough to keep the pressure from the fans from getting him replaced after the bye week. He did throw eight picks against only four touchdowns, but when he was playing he was a better at being a double threat than Leftwich and he was really good at throwing on the perimeter. A lot of his mistakes were issues that could be at least partially blamed on other members of the team as well as himself. He does tend to throw high when he screws up so, there is still work that needs to be done. All-in-all, he played very well for a first time starter from a division two school. While he won’t challenge Josh Freeman for the starters spot, he should stay on as the top backup. Freeman himself was one of the best positives Tampa Bay had to look at this season. He made excellent strides as the season went along and looks to be the franchise quarterback that the Buccaneers have been looking for, for the entirety of their franchise’s history. He still needs to make strides and improve on his accuracy, but there are enough positives to take from this season that the Bucs should have no issues letting him return to the starter’s position next season. A great down-the-field threat would greatly complement Freeman’s strong arm. Just food for thought.



Defensively, the fall from grace couldn’t have been more dramatic or drastic. A team that has been so reliant on it’s defense for years, the Bucs felt that it was time to try a different approach on defense after Monte Kiffin left the team to join his son at Tennessee. They tried using Jeremy Bates’ two gap, man-to-man defense as oppose to the one gap, zone based Tampa-Two defense that they used in years prior. The big problem with this was the fact that they didn’t have anyone who fit that new scheme and didn’t bring people who did fit the system. Part way through the season, they fired Bates and head coach Raheem Morris took over for the defense, after which the defense improved by leaps and bounds. They still need to get younger in some areas, but that Tampa Two still works and they should stick to it as long as they have someone who can coach it pretty well. Between being terrible early in the season and pretty good late in the season, they finished 27th in points allowed and yards given up, dead last in rushing yards allowed and 10th in passing defense. To be fair, their secondary is actually still pretty good so don’t think their high ranking in pass defense is solely because of the poor run defense.



The defensive line was the spot where it was most evident that Jim Bates’ defensive system was not the kind of system that fit the talent they had. They never really tried to bring in players who had worked in Bates’ system before and drafted players who were a better fit for the Tampa Two then for Bates’ system. After Bates was fired and Morris took over, the line played much better. The late Gaines Adams started the first five games before being traded to Chicago. Since he was traded it is obvious that he wasn’t having a great season, but in the game against Washington in week 4, you could definitely see why the Bucs drafted him with the fourth overall pick in 2007. He was getting sacks, batting down passes, recovering fumbles and providing all kinds of pressure. That was the game that should be the tribute for his time with the Bucs. Jimmy Wilkerson had a career year, getting 6 sacks and forcing two fumbles. He did find a way to keep himself on the field for the majority of the season, that being said, he is still little more than serviceable backup. He tore his ACL towards the end of the season and is questionable for the beginning of next season; even then it would take time for him to return to form. Stylez White led the team with 6.5 sacks, but really is a third down pass rusher more than he is a full time starter. Mid-season pickup Tim Crowder was more than an adequate replacement for Wilkerson. Ultimately he played better in those limited snaps than Wilkerson had played for the majority of the season and looks like a building block for the future. On the inside, Ryan Sims and Chris Hovan are both older and are no longer reliable options without a rotation. Sims is likely to be released to save money, but Hovan will likely hang around. He is a consummate professional and, while his talent is no longer up to snuff, he still plays well enough to be one of the starters. Draft picks Roy Miller and Kyle Moore got some good playing time and Miller looks like he’ll be a legitimate starting option next to Hovan. Moore needs more time to develop, but is still a viable option for the rotation going forward.



At linebacker, there was a great deal of upheaval with former starter Cato June and future Hall of Famer Derrick Brooks both being cut. They went into the season with huge questions marks at both of those spots. Coming out of the season, this is one of the strongest positions on the team. Quincy Black and Geno Hayes both came into the league as “athletic but undersized” players who projected as special teams players at best. Both became starters this year and were at least solid, though strong would probably be the more appropriate term for their play. Black is raw, but extremely fast and smart. He came from New Mexico, playing their “Lobo” position, the same spot that perennial Pro Bowler and All-Pro Brian Urlacher came from. Black’s not as good as Urlacher, however he has all the tools Urlacher had coming into the league in the 2000 draft. He didn’t make nearly as many “impact” plays as the Bucs were expecting, but he was exceptionally solid in making all the plays he needed to make as the season progressed. He still has room to grow and should make big strides in the coming offseason. Geno Hayes was a second (now third) year player from Florida State who was considered a bit undersized and too weak to be legitimate starter, particularly on a team whose defensive tackles aren’t very good. Honestly, that sounds a lot like another player from Florida state who that Bucs drafted a number of years back. What was his name? It’s on the tip of my tongue but I can’t get it out. Oh yeah, it was Derrick Brooks and that’s who Geno Hayes reminded me of this past season. He was able to use his speed and intelligence to find the holes in the blocking and zipped into the backfield to make a number of tackles behind the line of scrimmage. He was also really good in coverage, snagging two interceptions and not getting beat by tight ends or runningbacks in man coverage. He was also a good blitzing option, collecting three sacks over the course of the season. He could become one of the next great outside linebacker in the NFL with time. The only returning starter was Barrett Ruud in the middle. He was able to grab somewhere between 140 and 200 tackles, though there have been rumors that he really doesn’t control the huddle that well. A number of media outlets complain that he makes too many tackles from behind or past the line of scrimmage, basically meaning that he isn’t very good because he does make a lot of tackles for a loss. I personally think that’s a terrible argument, mostly because it assumes that one player should be able to make plays completely independent of the rest of his team. It’s like saying a runningback isn’t good because he can’t break long runs when no one is blocking for him. Ruud is a very good middle linebacker; the only question is if they want to keep him longer term. They should, but might not because of high contract demands.



In the case of the defensive backfield, the Bucs really are set. Many people point to the corners and safeties as the main reasoning for the poor pass defense (ignoring the fact that they were 10th in overall pass defense), which is completely unfair. The poor pass rush has as much to do with the perceived porous pass defense as the play of the DBs did. There were some issues with depth, particularly at corner, where poor play by second and third corners ended up costing the Bucs some deep touchdown passes. In that regard, Elbert Mack was perhaps the best and worst when it came to covering the slot, at least among the backup corners. There were times when he would get burned in coverage (mostly when in man) but other times when he would snap up interceptions and bat down passes (mostly when in zone). He is a much better fit for the Tampa-Two defense, which the vast majority of the defensive players are better at. In terms of the starters, Aqib Talib is a really good corner, border lining great, who can play well in either man or zone. He always knows how jump the route but also use his athleticism to keep fast receivers from getting away from him. He also is rarely fooled by play-action or double moves. The main reason I’m not quite willing to call him a great or elite corner just yet is that he had 3 of his 5 interceptions this year in one game and didn’t cause any other turnovers or score on those turnovers. It’s not that he is a bad player or even a not good player. I’m just not willing to say that he had a great season this year. He is still one of the two best defensive backs the Bucs have right now and look like he was well worth the first round pick they used on him two years ago. On the other side, Ronde Barber turned in another solid season, but his age is showing. He failed to record an interception for the first time since his rookie year, but made up for it with solid tackling, two forced fumbles, two sacks and solid, though not great coverage. On occasion the Bucs would slip him into the slot when the opponent went into three or four receiver sets and line up a backup corner to take on the speedier outside receivers. This worked out pretty well and could bode as the future of Barber in his coming years with the Bucs.



At the safety position, there was a good bit of continuity once Tanard Jackson returned from a league imposed suspension. Jackson and Sabby Piscitelli started every game after week four and were often on opposite ends of the spectrum of quality. Piscitelli was caught out of position a number of occasions and is undisciplined in run support, allowing strong runners to run through his arm tackles. He also had the occasion to take bad angles in pursuit and didn’t “make plays” when he was in position to. There will be a lot of bashing on him for these reasons and because Eric Berry is in the draft, however much of it is unfair. While he had his issues, all players who are first time starters have problems. His were fairly glaring, but I think that’s more a case of him being caught in the defensive transition, I have been mentioning throughout the article, and that he didn’t get a great deal of interceptions or make a great deal of eye-popping plays. The point is that the Bucs have no need to go out and break the bank for a safety when they can bring in a cheaper option to compete with Piscitelli and still have an adequate option should the new player not work out. It also doesn’t help that Tanard Jackson was swiping all the big plays. Once he returned from suspension, Jackson was the playmaker that the Bucs had been looking for since John Lynch departed for Denver. Jackson was a solid hitter and used his excellent range and athleticism to be in position to knock balls away, or just knock the receiver out, whatever worked at the time. He tied with Talib for the team lead in interceptions and also was able to force fumbles. He is a lock to return at his current spot in the starting lineup. Jermaine Phillips is not however. The Bucs tried to move him to linebacker during the offseason, but when Jackson was suspended they moved him back to safety out of necessity. He lasted two games before injuring his wrist and being place on injured reserve. He is not likely to be retained because of his injury issues so they do need to look for another safety, if for no other reason than to add depth.


Team MVP: Cadillac Williams


This really was not all that hard. “The Caddy” was the most relatively consistent player on the team and was a strong enough in his running and receiving skills that he was able to overcome poor play on the part of the transitioning offensive line and his previous injuries to lead the team in rushing (823) and yards from scrimmage (1040) as well as overall touchdowns (7). While his average was low (3.9 yards per carry), he never fumbled the ball and caught the ball well enough to rank fourth on the team in receptions. He will be the main runner going into next year and could challenge for a pro bowl spot should the offensive line return to form.


Offensive Player of the Year: Cadillac Williams

Noticing a pattern yet?


Defensive Player of the Year: Tanard Jackson


Some may question why Jackson deserves this over guys like Talib or Hayes, especially given how much I raved about Hayes a little bit ago. Really the difference is versatility and what I call “offensive defense.” Jackson was able to force fumbles and made more tackles behind the line of scrimmage than did Talib, speaking to his versatility. In terms of “offensive defense” (defensive plays that result in scores directly or in good field position), Jackson was the only player on the team to score a defensive touchdown, or rather two, both interception returns for touchdowns. That’s the main reason he gets the nod here over Geno Hayes. Like I said earlier, he tied with Talib for the team lead in interceptions and still had all the other stats to make him worthy of this honor.


Rookie of the Year: Josh Freeman


While Roy Miller played relatively well in a rotation, Josh Freeman was the bigger impact player. All three of the Bucs wins came with Josh Freeman as the starter, including a big win against eventual Super Bowl Champion New Orleans in week 16. While he did fumble the ball 10 times (losing only two) and threw 18 interceptions, he took huge strides during the course of the season in terms of maturity and leadership. He defiantly has the intangibles to be a great franchise quarterback going forward, but he does need to grow in terms of making decisions and improving his completion percentage. He is the quarterback of the present and future.


Breakout Player of the Year: Geno Hayes


I talked a lot about Hayes in my discussion about the linebacker corp. so this should be relatively short. Just to recap, he’s a lot like a young Derrick Brooks. He uses his speed and intelligence to overcome issues with size and strength and be a defensive force. He showed great versatility in getting sacks, intercepting and defending passes, forcing and recovering fumbles and making plays behind the line of scrimmage. He is a star of the future, he just needs to continue making these kinds of plays and he’ll be fighting for Pro Bowl and All-Pro selections for years to come.


Surprise Player of the Year: Sammie Stroughter


Sammie Stroughter came into the league as a seventh round pick and was expected to be little more than an extra special teams body and, maybe, a good fifth or sixth receiver. He came out of this year as a strong candidate to be the slot receiver going forward. He showed great quickness and good long speed, making him a good option for a third receiver and maybe even a starter if there are no better options. The one knock on him that he completely disproved was that he didn’t have great hands. He had few drops while playing receiver and returner. They thing that really puts him up at this spot is that he ranked fourth on the team in All-Purpose yards (note: the difference between All-Purpose yards and yards from scrimmage is that All-Purpose yards include return yards and yards from scrimmage are strictly rushing and receiving) and everyone who lead him in that number really weren’t that surprising. Taking the lead in that category was the Bucs main returner Clifton Smith (1145), followed by Cadillac Williams (1040) and Kellen Winslow Jr. (891). While it doesn’t seem like much, pulling in the 777 yards that Stroughter did is really surprising considering where he was drafted and what most scouts thought of him heading into the draft.


2006 Draft Review and Final Grade: C


The first three picks still being with the team, the first two being strong starters and a pick that has found some success outside of the organization lead to a pretty good draft grade. Only having three out of ten picks still with the team and having about half of them not make it past a second year really pull down the grade. It all averages out to, well, an average draft.


Davin Joseph, Guard, Oklahoma


The first pick the Bucs made in this draft at pick 23, Joseph has been one of the best picks the Buccaneers have made since the 1996 when they draft Warren Sapp and Derrick Brooks in the same draft. Since being drafted, he has started 56 of 57 games played and has been a vicious run blocker. He also is a good pass blocker, who excels at pulling across the line. He was named to the Pro Bowl in 2008, received numerous All-Pro votes that same year, and was named a Pro Bowl Alternate this past season. He is considered one of the best guards in the NFL right now. This pick was a home run in every definition of the word.


Jeremy Trueblood, Tackle, Boston College


Jeremy Trueblood has been every bit the dominating run defender that Joseph has been. He has also stayed a little bit healthier than Joseph has been, starting 61 of 63 games played. His pass defense has been pretty good, but his technique hasn’t come along quite the way the Bucs had envisioned. He also has had an issue with the number of penalties he accounts for the last couple of years. These issues are legitimate, but have hardly caused the Bucs to look for a replacement or bench him so, they clearly are still very happy with his play. Another great pick


Maurice Stovall, Wide Receiver, Notre Dame


Maurice Stovall has been a consistent contributor since being drafted. His excellent size and good speed has kept him in the rotation and on the special teams units. He hasn’t gotten a great deal of starts or catches until recently, but he has always found a way to contribute, again mostly on special teams. He had a relative breakout year this season when he caught 24 catches for 366 yards and a touchdown and he will challenge for a starting position for next year. Good pick.


Alan Zemaitis, Cornerback, Penn State


Zemaitis was supposed to be a good corner that could play the slot and challenge for the starting role opposite Ronde Barber. He stayed on the team through his rookie season, but was active for only one week. The following training camp was his last experience in professional football. He was worked out by the Browns and Bears, but neither wanted to sign him. Bust.


Julian Jenkins, Defensive End, Stanford


Julian Jenkins followed a similar path as Zemaitis. He was on the team for his rookie season, gone in his second. Unlike Zemaitis though, he was able to get a contract with the Broncos for part of the following offseason. He was released later that offseason, but was picked up by the Calgary Stampeders later on. At last check, he was still there. But as far as the Bucs go, bust.


Bruce Gradkowski, Quarterback, Toledo


Bruce Gradkowski. It’s one of those rare players that gets drafted by one team, performs fairly well for that team, and then gets bounced around before finding the spotlight again on another team. Gradkowski came out of Toledo as a player who was an accurate, good-decision maker. He showed all of those attributes in the couple of games he started for the Buccaneers as a rookie. After that season, he was pushed to the third QB spot after Jeff Garcia was signed in 2007. He was then released in 2008 and bounced from the Rams to the Browns partway through the season. He signed with the Raiders in the offseason and got his chance back in the spotlight when the Raiders benched JaMarcus Russell and promoted him to the starting lineup. He played very well and helped lead the Raiders to a couple of wins between weeks 11 and 13. He then injured his knees and is questionable to be retained for the upcoming season. Overall he was good pick for the Buccaneers, but a better acquisition for any team needing a solid backup or transitional starter.


T. J. Williams, Tight End, North Carolina State


This player was brought in to add depth to the tight spot and perhaps become a nice receiver to compliment the starter at the time, Alex Smith. This was their hope, after he returned from an Achilles injury. He didn’t make it through training camp after he recovered and has dropped of the face of the map. Bust.


Justin Phinisee, Cornerback, Oregon


Phinisee was supposed to add depth to the defensive backfield, but between a groin injury and inadequate play, he didn’t make it out of training camp with the Bucs. He bounced around with the Chiefs, Patriots, Cowboys and Rams before finding himself unemployed last season. Bust.

Charles Bennett, Defensive End, Clemson


A minor improvement over Phinisee, Charles Bennett was able to stay on the team until a year ago. While he never really cracked the rotation, he was consistently on the team and was able to make minor special teams contributions. He did miss some time with injuries but I really never was enough to take him off the team. Eventually they just got tired of waiting for him to develop. He did latch on with the Titans briefly last season, but was released early in training camp. He’s not really a bust, also not really a great pick either.


Tim Massaquoi, Tight End, Michigan


Another tight end that was drafted to provide depth and perhaps be a prospect for the future, but much like Williams, he didn’t make it through training camp with the Bucs. He did bounce around with the Dolphins and the Bills for a few years before finding his way out of the league last year. Bust.


Offseason Needs


Offensively, The Buccaneers could benefit from getting good depth across the board. Probably the one place where they don’t need to address a hole or depth concerns is at runningback, maybe tight end too. They really need a starter at the receiver position. It never helps when a team that had a hard time passing the ball is losing the second best pass catcher on their team. They could also use some depth or competition at the left tackle spot and at quarterback. Really they need to focus on helping out the defense.



Defensively, they need depth across the board and either starters or future starters at numerous positions. The biggest need is along the defensive line and a future starter at the corner spot. A good backup at safety would also help.


1st-round Draft Prediction and suggestions for ways to go.


1st Round Pick should be: Derrick Morgan, Defensive End, Georgia Tech.


Personally I think that Dez Bryant would be a great pick here, but I understand why he would be considered a reach. This pick basically agrees with some of the mock drafts I’ve seen to this point. Almost all of the other mocks I’ve seen put Eric Berry here. The problem I have with taking Eric Berry over a defensive end is that they already have a serviceable safety in Sabby Piscitelli and Tanard Jackson is already the playmaking safety on the Bucs. They can easily get a good safety in the later rounds. The defensive ends usually don’t come as talented in the later rounds as they do here. Now some think it would make more since to take more athletic players like Carlos Dunlap or Jason Pierre-Paul, but that rarely works out, especially when a player like Morgan, who is more intelligent and stouter against the run is available. He has great speed and strength in the pass rush, and will be able to contribute more immediately and for a longer term then some of the more athletic members for this draft class.


As far as other picks go, they really should address the defensive backfield in the second round, going to corners first. Guys like Kyle Wilson from Boise State or Devin McCourty from Rutgers. Trevard Lindley from Kentucky, Javier Arenas from Alabama, Syd’Quan Thompson form California and Alterraun Verner from UCLA are all good options in later rounds. But none are great options as long term as starters, at least not at this point. As far as Defensive Tackles go, D’Anthony Smith from Louisiana Tech is a great option in the later second round or early third, with Terrence Cody from Alabama and Arthur Jones from Syracuse being good options in the early second.


The third round would be a great spot to go with a receiver that they might have ignored in the earlier rounds. A running theme you may notice is that when I mention a receiver in the third round, one of the first names I am going to bring up is Eric Decker of Minnesota. I just really like the work ethic and the ability to stretch the field that I saw when I watched this guy play. Mardy Gilyard from Cincinnati is another good option should he slide. Other good options at this round and going forward would be guys like Taylor Price from Ohio, Riley Cooper from Florida, Marcus Easley from Connecticut or Danario Alexander from Missouri.



As far as their options go in building depth offensively they should look at guys like Rodger Saffold from Indiana, Sam Young from Notre Dame or Ciron Black from LSU to add depth to the offensive line. All of them played tackle and could be bumped inside to guard if it becomes a necessity. Zac Robinson of Oklahoma State, Sean Canfield of Oregon State and Matt Nichols of Eastern Washington would all be good options for depth at the quarterback spot. Defensively, they should consider Kam Chancellor and Stephen Virgil the safety and cornerback tandem from Virginia Tech to bring more depth to the defensive backfield in later rounds. Another nice option would be Barry Church from Toldeo or Darrell Stuckey from Kansas to filling the safety depth. For defensive end, Jammie Kirlew from Indiana, C.J. Wilson from East Carolina and Adrian Tracy from William and Mary would be interesting prospects to add for extra pass rush.