2010 Roster Cutdown, Part 3

Next, draft picks.  This team has not cut a draft pick since Mark Dominik took over at General Manager.  The plan is to build through the draft, so the draft picks will stay.

2009 Draft Picks not listed with the 28 known "starters":
CB #31 E.J. Biggers
T #68 Xavier Fulton
WR #18 Sammie Stroughter

2010 Draft Picks not listed with the 28 known "starters":
DT #92 Brian Price
WR #17 Arrelious Benn
CB #23 Myron Lewis
S #35 Cody Grimm
LB #56 Dakota Watson
DE #97 Erik Lorig

I am confident of this group because I believe the Buccaneers are confident in their ability to pick Football Players in the draft.  Some just take more time to get adjusted. 

And, since it is no secret, QB #12 Rudy Carpenter will also make it to opening day.

Adding this group to the previous 28 gives a total of 38 players for the roster, leaving 15 more spots.

2010 Roster Cutdown, Part 2

Let's talk about starting players.  It's a short conversation this year.

The following men will make the 53-man roster because they started the third game of the preseason as well as either the first or second preseason game:

Starters: Offense
WR 19 M.Williams
LT 70 D.Penn
C 52 J.Faine
RG 75 D.Joseph
RG 76 J.Zuttah
RT 65 J.Trueblood
FB 34 E.Graham
RB 24 C.Williams 

Others on Offense who are certainly going to make the roster:  LG #66 K.Vincent, who displaced the versatile Jeremy Zuttah; QB #5 J.Freeman, recovering from a thumb boo-boo; QB #11 J.Johnson, who has solidified the second quarterback position; TE #82 K.Winslow, last year's leading receiver; TE #86 J.Stevens, who appears to be on the second line behind Winslow.

Starters: Defense LE #94 K.Moore
DT #93 G.McCoy
DT #90 R.Miller
RE #91 S.White
SLB #58 Q.Black
MLB #51 B.Ruud
WLB #54 G.Hayes
LCB #25 A.Talib
RCB #20 R.Barber
SS #26 S.Jones
FS #36 T.Jackson

This will be the opening day defense.  Except for an injury to Talib for Game 1 and Sabby Piscatelly starting Game 1, this unit has been the same throughout the preseason.  Hopefully the early playing time for the same group will lead to early season defensive success.

That is 13 offensive and 11 defensive players, for a total of 24.  Add in Punter #1 B.Bowden and Kicker #10 C. Barth, and you have 26 locks for the opening day roster.  We're almost halfway there already!

2010 Roster Cutdown, Part 1

Let's see if we can work out the 53-man roster before Saturday -- first thing is to see who played in the more meaningful preseason games (Note: the fourth game of preseason is a glorified scrimmage between reserves.  If you stand out only in the fourth game of preseason, it's because you are only as good as the reserves of the other team).

So the first data we will use is the following chart, organized by team jersey number, of who played in what game.  The top two sections are the starters (first offense, then defense) and the rest of the list is people who substituted in during the game.  Of course, if you started all three preseason games, you've made the squad.


More data is coming soon . . . .

Week 1	Week 2	Week 3
Starters: Offense
WR 19 M.Williams	WR 19 M.Williams	WR 19 M.Williams
LT 70 D.Penn	LT 70 D.Penn	LT 70 D.Penn
LG 76 J.Zuttah	LG 76 J.Zuttah	LG 66 K.Vincent
C 52 J.Faine	C 52 J.Faine	C 52 J.Faine
RG 75 D.Joseph	RG 75 D.Joseph	RG 76 J.Zuttah
RT 65 J.Trueblood	RT 65 J.Trueblood	RT 65 J.Trueblood
TE 86 J.Stevens	TE 86 J.Stevens	TE 82 K.Winslow
WR 85 M.Stovall	WR 15 R.Brown	WR 18 S.Stroughter
QB 5 J.Freeman	QB 5 J.Freeman	QB 11 J.Johnson
FB 34 E.Graham	FB 34 E.Graham	FB 34 E.Graham
RB 24 C.Williams	RB 24 C.Williams	RB 24 C.Williams
Starters: Defense
LE 94 K.Moore	LE 94 K.Moore	LE 94 K.Moore
DT 93 G.McCoy	DT 93 G.McCoy	DT 93 G.McCoy
DT 90 R.Miller	DT 90 R.Miller	DT 90 R.Miller
RE 91 S.White	RE 91 S.White	RE 91 S.White
SLB 58 Q.Black	SLB 58 Q.Black	SLB 58 Q.Black
MLB 51 B.Ruud	MLB 51 B.Ruud	MLB 51 B.Ruud
WLB 54 G.Hayes	WLB 54 G.Hayes	WLB 54 G.Hayes
LCB 33 E.Mack	LCB 25 A.Talib	LCB 25 A.Talib
RCB 20 R.Barber	RCB 20 R.Barber	RCB 20 R.Barber
SS 21 S.Piscitelli	SS 26 S.Jones	SS 26 S.Jones
FS 36 T.Jackson	FS 36 T.Jackson	FS 36 T.Jackson
Substitutions:
P 1 B.Bowden	P 1 B.Bowden	P 1 B.Bowden
K 8 H.Lawrence	K 8 H.Lawrence		[CUT]
K 10 C.Barth	K 10 C.Barth	K 10 C.Barth
QB 11 J.Johnson	QB 11 J.Johnson
QB 12 R.Carpenter	QB 12 R.Carpenter	QB 12 R.Carpenter
WR 13 C.Brooks			[CUT]
WR 15 R.Brown		WR 15 R.Brown
WR 17 A.Benn	WR 17 A.Benn	WR 17 A.Benn
WR 18 S.Stroughter	WR 18 S.Stroughter
	S 21 S.Piscitelli	S 21 S.Piscitelli
		RB 22 C.Smith
	CB 23 M.Lewis	CB 23 M.Lewis
S 26 S.Jones
CB 27 D.Pasco			[CUT]
	CB 27 T.Williams	CB 27 T.Williams
RB 28 D.Ward	RB 28 D.Ward	RB 28 D.Ward	[CUT]
CB 29 D.Roberson	CB 29 D.Roberson	CB 29 D.Roberson
FB 30 R.Taylor	FB 30 R.Taylor	FB 30 R.Taylor
CB 31 E.Biggers	CB 31 E.Biggers	CB 31 E.Biggers
RB 32 K.Huggins	RB 32 K.Huggins	RB 32 K.Huggins
	CB 33 E.Mack	CB 33 E.Mack
S 35 C.Grimm	S 35 C.Grimm	S 35 C.Grimm
S 37 V.Anderson	S 37 V.Anderson	S 37 V.Anderson
CB 38 B.Anderson	CB 38 B.Anderson	CB 38 B.Anderson
RB 39 C.Brown	RB 39 C.Brown
S 41 C.Lynch	S 41 C.Lynch	S 41 C.Lynch
	S 43 D.Hall		[CUT]
LB 44 R.McCoy	LB 44 R.McCoy	LB 44 R.McCoy
FB 45 C.Pressley	FB 45 C.Pressley	FB 45 C.Pressley
TE 46 R.Purvis	TE 46 R.Purvis	TE 46 R.Purvis
LS 48 A.Economos	LS 48 A.Economos	LS 48 A.Economos
LB 49 L.Robinson	LB 49 L.Robinson	LB 49 L.Robinson
LB 50 J.Alston	LB 50 J.Alston		[IR]
LB 53 N.Koutouvides	LB 53 N.Koutouvides	LB 53 N.Koutouvides
LB 56 D.Watson	LB 56 D.Watson	LB 56 D.Watson
LB 57 A.Hayward	LB 57 A.Hayward	LB 57 A.Hayward
C 59 D.Raiola	C 59 D.Raiola	C 59 D.Raiola
DE 60 J.Ruffin	DE 60 J.Ruffin	DE 60 J.Ruffin
C 61 J.Compas	C 61 J.Compas	C 61 J.Compas
OL 62 M.Dile	OL 62 M.Dile	OL 62 M.Dile
G 66 K.Vincent	G 66 K.Vincent
		DE 67 G.Johnson
T 68 X.Fulton	T 68 X.Fulton	T 68 X.Fulton
T 69 D.Dotson
DL 71 M.Bennett	DL 71 M.Bennett	DL 71 M.Bennett
DE 72 B.Gilbeaux	DE 72 B.Gilbeaux	DE 72 B.Gilbeaux	[CUT]
T 73 D.Hardman	T 73 D.Hardman	T 73 D.Hardman
DT 74 C.Powell	DT 74 C.Powell	DT 74 C.Powell
T 77 J.Lee	T 77 J.Lee	T 77 J.Lee
WR 80 M.Clayton	WR 80 M.Clayton	WR 80 M.Clayton
WR 81 M.Spurlock	WR 81 M.Spurlock	WR 81 M.Spurlock
WR 83 T.Nunn	WR 83 T.Nunn	WR 83 T.Nunn	[CUT]
TE 84 J.Mastrud	TE 84 J.Mastrud	TE 84 J.Mastrud
		TE 86 J.Stevens
WR 87 P.Parker	WR 87 P.Parker	WR 87 P.Parker
TE 88 J.Gilmore	TE 88 J.Gilmore	TE 88 J.Gilmore
	DT 92 B.Price	DT 92 B.Price
DT 95 D.Moore	DT 95 D.Moore	DT 95 D.Moore
DE 96 T.Crowder	DE 96 T.Crowder	DE 96 T.Crowder
DE 97 E.Lorig	DE 97 E.Lorig	DE 97 E.Lorig
DT 98 R.Sims	DT 98 R.Sims	DT 98 R.Sims

Mirror, Mirror for Bucs and Jags

Last week we compared the rebuilding process done by General Manager Scott Pioli with the Kansas City Chiefs to the rebuilding done by General Manager Mark Dominik with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  This week, we'll compare Dominik to Gene Smith and his rebuild-in-progress in Jacksonville.  As you'll see, the two teams as well as the philosophies of their General Managers are mirror reflections.

As previously noted, Gene Smith inherited some valuable players at key positions, such as Quarterback and Running Back.  With these pieces in place, the Jaguars have spent their draft picks up front on both sides of the football:  in 2009, the Jaguars drafted offensive tackles with their first two picks, then added a defensive tackle in the second round.  In 2010, Jacksonville spent their first four picks on defensive linemen (another tackle and three defensive ends).  The results of this approach are, as all second year plans in the NFL seem to be, inconclusive at this point.

Let's compare: 

2009 First Round Picks:
Buccaneers:  Josh Freeman, QB
Jaguars:  Eugene Monroe, OT
Quarterback in Tampa had been a revolving door since the SuperBowl victory in 2002.  While Josh Freeman is the designated starter in his second year, he will not play for the rest of the preseason to nurse a broken bone in the thumb of his throwing hand.  Meanwhile, Jacksonville already had an established veteran in David Gerrard and so was able to select elsewhere.  Monroe started the Jaguars second and third preseason games in 2010.

2009 Second Round:
Buccaneers:  No Pick
Jaguars: Eben Britton, OT
Britton has been inactive for both the Jaguars preseason games this season but started opposite of Monroe against Tampa Bay 

2009 Third Round:
Buccaneers:  R Miller, DT, starter for all 2010 preseason games
Jaguars:  T. Knighton, DT, starter for all 2010 preseason games, and Derek Cox, DB, currently at the top of the depth chart at one cornerback position after a promising rookie season.

2010 First Round:
Buccaneers:  Gerald McCoy, DT, starter for all 2010 preseason games
Jaguars:  Tyson Alualu, DE, not active for the first preseason game but started the second and third.  Are you noticing the defensive draft patterns here?  Did I mention that these two francises have proud defensive histories?  Hold on, more on the way.

2010 Second Round:
Buccaneers:  Brian Price, DT,  not active for the first preseason game but started the second and third; Arrelious Benn, WR, currently mired in a suddenly deep receiver group.
Jaguars:  No pick.
This flips the 2nd round from 2009. 

2010 Third Round:
Buccaneers:  Myron Lewis, CB, hampered by injuries saw his first time in the 2nd 2010 preseason game and played in the third.
Jaguars:  D'Anthony Smith, DT, has not played in the preseason in 2010.

Some common attributes for new General Managers are starting to become apparent.  The first is getting a talented QB in position.  As evidenced by Dominik and Holmgren this past offseason, continuing with Pioli in KC and Smith in Jacksonville, all the newly appointed General Managers have either inherited a competent starting quarterback (Smith), gotten one from free agency (Holmgren, Pioli), or sought one through an early draft pick (Dominik, Holmgren again).  Other Class of 2009 General Managers are doing the same thing:  Denver traded for Kyle Orton and drafted Tim Tebow; Detroit drafted Matthew Stafford; St. Louis drafted Sam Bradford (QB).  Settling the Quarterback position seems to be job #1.  In many cases, these men are living up to the job (though not all, yet).

For the Buccaneers and the Jaguars, the next step was upgrading the defense.  Both teams have spent a great deal of draft picks up front on defense, and likewise you saw two young defenses play strong last Saturday night to a 10-6 at half, 19-16 final score.

In fact, these two teams specifically are starting to look very similar, with youth up front on defense, at the corner, and at the wide receiver positions.

Will these teams have similar success this season?  In less than two weeks we'll start to see the answer unfold!

Bucs vs Jaguars: Dominik facing another GM Classmate

Gene Smith of the Jacksonville Jaguars is not only the General Manager, he is the first General Manager ever in Jacksonville.  Mark Dominik is the fourth General Manager of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  The two men have very similar backgrounds, as well as paths to their current positions.

Both started in the NFL in 1994 -- Dominik with the Kansas City Chiefs and Smith with the Jacksonville Jaguars.  Dominik moved to the Buccaneers in 1995 after a year and a half of college scouting. 

Smith has only ever worked for Jacksonville, becoming director of college scouting in 2000 and director of College and pro scouting in 2008 before becoming General Manager in 2009.

Dominik started with Tampa Bay as a Pro Personnel Assistant and was promoted to Pro Scout in 1998, then to Pro Personnel Coordinator in 2000.  In 2001, Dominik became Director of Pro Personnel -- a role he maintained until 2009 when he became the fourth General Manager of Tampa Bay.

The common career paths, though, had nothing to do with what the men were handed when they got to the top of the ladder. 


Smith inherited Gavid Garrard, an established NFL quarterback who threw for nearly 3,600 yards and 15 TDs vs 10 INTs in Smiths first year.  Add in an established running game which garnered Maurice Jones-Drew almost 1,400 yards rushing and 15 TDs and you have something to build around.  Yet Jacksonville had a roller-coaster ride last year to 7-9, including a thrilling 24-22 win over the Jets (who went on to the AFC title game), but also including a 41-0 loss to Seattle, one of only five wins for the Seahawks in 2009.

Dominik used his first pick in the 2009 draft to stabilize his quarterback position.  Although he inherited running back Cadillac Williams, Williams was coming off two consecutive seasons of knee injuries and the associated surgury.  Dominik went to free agency to get Derrick Ward to solidify the running back position.  The Buccaneers suffered through a youth movement and 3-13 record in 2009, with a signature win over the SuperBowl champion New Orleans Saints on the road as the high point of the season, and a Week 2 loss to the Buffalo Bills, 33-20, as the low point.

So although these two GMs have much in common, they are at different points in shaping their teams.  Dominik released veterans and has built through the draft around a young core.  Smith inherited a veteran core, but needs to quickly build depth before the veterans start to decline.  One thing to watch during the preseason contest tonight is the mental toughness -- do the Buccaneers play mature?  Do the Jaguars play old?  Finally, both franchises (and both GMs as well) emphasize excellence on defense and physical play, so it should be a very rugged and fast game -- the best kind of NFL football!

Offensive Line Showing Strength

If there is one thing we now know about the 2010 Tampa Bay Buccaneers it is the offensive line is ready to go.

Facing a blitz on nearly every down last Saturday night against the Kansas City Chiefs at Raymond James Stadium, the quarterbacks and offensive line worked in tandem to audible out to quick hit pass plays and slowly dissected the Chiefs.  How good was it?

Zero sacks.  None, nada, zip, zilch, zero.  Granted the Chiefs were a 4-12 team last year and gave up the most yards in team history against the Cleveland Browns last year.  But still it was mostly 6-8 versus the Buccaneer's front 5 for most of the night.  And zero sacks against anyone in the NFL is not easy to do.

The Buccaneers 53-yard touchdown from Josh Johnson to Micheal Spurlock was a prime example:  facing an all out  blitz (including the Cheifs top draft choice Eric Berry from the safety position) the offensive line reacted correctly and accounted for all the defenders, Spurlock evaded one-on-one coverage from Kansas City corner Brandon Flowers, and Josh Johnson laid in a quick but accurate throw.  Touchdown!

I think, looking at both games so far this preseason, it's becoming obvious that the offense is quite a bit ahead of the defense so far.  It should not be a surprise -- rookies on the defensive line take time to adjust to NFL schemes and trickery.  If it is the case the defense needs more time to jell, then it will be up to the offensive line to move the chains and win time of possession which will limit the number of opportunities for the opposing team.  It appears the offensive line is up to the task.

The same unit has started both preseason games so far in 2010 and is the same group that started most of the 2009 season:
Left Tackle:  #70 Donald Penn
Left Guard:  #76 Jeremy Zuttah
Center:  #52 Jeff Faine
Right Guard:  #75 Davin Joseph
Right Tackle:  #65 Jeremy Trueblood

Coach Morris has already announced the Keydrick Vincent, a 10 year pro and 2010 free agent signing, will replace 3rd year pro Jeremy Zuttah at Left Guard this Saturday night against Jacksonville.  Zuttah was pressed into service with the unexpected departure of Aaron Sears during the 2008 offseason.  Zuttah has shown some versatility this preseason:  when Vincent entered the game Zuttah moved inside and took snaps at center.  This is an important need for this team -- when Center Jeff Faine went down with an injury for a few weeks last season the offense sputtered and the team had to go to the waiver wire to find a suitable replacement.  Was it actually because there was no suitable backup for Zuttah?  It would explain the offseason signing of Vincent, but only the GM knows for sure.  Nonetheless, if Zuttah can back up both Left Guard and Center his value to this team skyrockets, and anything he learns from Vincent is icing on the cake.

The opponent this Saturday night is the Jacksonville Jaguars, well known for their defensive-minded coach and recent efforts to rebuild a defense which has been very stout in the past.  If the offensive line can continue to protect the quarterback in passing situations and furthur develop the running game this week it could establish itself as the strongest unit on the team going into Week 1 against the Cleveland Browns.  It may even be possible to control and win some of the early season games with ball control, giving the youthful defense more time to develop.

A strong showing by the offensive line this week will set a strong tone for early part of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers season.  If it gets contagious for this young team big things could happen this year!

Bucs vs Chiefs is Dominik vs Pioli . . . Philosophically

When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers square off against the Kansas City Chiefs in a game where the score does not matter this Saturday night, there will be more than players competing on the field.  The philosophies of the General Managers, Mark Dominik of the Buccaneers and Scott Pioli of the Chiefs, will also be on display.

Mark Dominik and Scott Pioli are members of the NFL General Manager class of 2009.  Both men inherited teams struggling with identity, direction, and results.  They have both turned over their rosters and are now one year down the road of rebuilding their respective franchises in their own images.  Saturday will be a chance to watch these rebuilding projects in action.

A comparison shows the two men have made some different choices but have also had some common experiences in their first seasons at the top of their personnel departments:

Dominik/Buccaneers	Pioli/Chiefs
3-13 record	4-12 record
Drafted quarterback Josh Freeman with his first ever draft pick (first round of his first draft)	Traded for then-Patriot Matt Cassel, who was coming off his first full season as a starting quarterback.
Freeman did not start until 2009 Week 9	Cassel has started since 2009 Week 1
Traded 2010 2nd round draft pick to the Cleveland Browns for TE Kellen Winslow (lead team in receptions in 2009)	Traded away TE Tony Gonzalez (led team in receptions in 2008) to the Atlanta Falcons for a 2010 2nd round draft pick
The Browns used the Winslow 2nd Round Pick to trade down	The Chiefs used the Gonzalez 2nd Round Pick to get CB Javier Arenas
Fired their offensive coordinator the week before the start of the 2009 season	Fired their offensive coordinator the week before the start of the 2009 season
Fired their defensive coordinator during the season with head coach Raheem Morris taking over defensive coordinator duties	Fired their wide receivers coach during the 2009 season and their defensive coordinator after the 2009 season
No coordinators changed during 2010 offseason	Two new coordinators for 2010: Romeo Crenell on defense and Charlie Weiss on offense
Has drafted 9 defensive players, 5 offensive players, and 1 specialist since becoming GM	Has drafted 7 defensive players, 7 offensive players, and one specialist since becoming GM
Has retained 4 of 5 offensive lines starters from prior GM	Has retained 3 of 5 offensive line starters from prior GM
Has retained none of the starting defensive linemen left by the prior GM (selected a defensive tackle with his first pick in 2010)	Has retained neither of the starting safeties left by the prior GM (selected a safety with his first pick in 2010)
Dominik finished 2009 with a player he inherited at tailback:  Cadillac Williams, who rushed 211 times for 823 yards and 4 tds.	Pioli finished 2010 with a player he inherited at tailback:  Jamaal Charles, who rushed 190 times for 1120 yards and 7 tds.
Continue to run the Tampa-2 version of the 4-3 on defense	Have converted from a 4-3 defense to a 3-4 defense
Had only one rookie starter by the end of 2009 (QB Josh Freeman)	Had only one rookie starter by the end of 2009 (DE Tyson Jackson)
Has two players with more than 10 years NFL experience on his roster:  CB Ronde Barber and OG Keydrick Vincent.	Has six players with more than 10 years NFL experience on his roster:  LB Mike Vrabel, C Casey Wiegmann, RB Thomas Jones, G Brian Waters, WR Chris Chambers, and DT Ron Edwards.

Seems both men have had their share of difficult decisions to make since taking on their new role and responsibilities.

Clearly both men have not had much time to make grand changes to the personnel on their squads. It appears this is by design, as both men are dedicated to building through the draft with all 2009 (and 2010) draft picks still on their respective rosters. The build-through-youth philosophy also shows in the 80-man camp rosters for both clubs: the Chiefs have 41 players on their 80-man camp roster with 2 or fewer years of NFL experience (i.e. youth added by Pioli) while the Buccaneers have 43 players with two or fewer years of experience (i.e., youth added by Dominik).   Clearly both teams will have a significant number of young players on the opening day 53-man roster.

But the last point of comparison in the chart above shows a significant, early difference in philosophy of the two men:  Dominik quickly purged a group of 5 veterans from the roster he inherited from former Tampa Bay GM Bruce Allen (now with the Redskins) and Dominik has clearly "gone young".  Pioli, however, has added more veterans (Vrabel, Jones, Chambers) to the roster he inherited from former Chiefs GM Carl Petersen and Pioli has "gone to free agency".  Neither of these teams saw these moves pay off in their first season but both have high hopes to see their teams make solid progress in 2010.

Which brings us to this weekend and why fans of both teams should be very interested in this game from start to finish.  In the first half, it's the "Upstarts (young Bucs) versus the Old Farts (veteran Chiefs)" in a battle of who-can-win-and-win-now philosophies.  Will one approach clearly show benefits over the other on Saturday night? In the second half, it's the "Clash of the Kids" -- which team has the better young talent, which players make for a bright future? Will the decisions made by the assembled, disassembled, then reassembled coaching staffs create success through relentless preparation?   

I believe this game will feel like two different preseason games separated by a three year halftime time warp.  And I plan to enjoy every minute of it!

And did someone say the score won't matter?  I have a strong feeling the score will matter to both Chiefs GM Scott Pioli and Buccaneers GM Mark Dominik as they watch their philosophies play out.  And that makes the game all the more interesting to watch.

Clayton Not Vanishing, What About Clifton Smith?

The Buccaneers rolled into a pig pen in Miami last Saturday night and came out down 10-7.  Regardless of the score, the team was on an entirely new planet compared to the same game just one year ago.  Freeman was poised and collected running the show at quarterback.  Rookie Mike Williams made a splash in the passing game with a 30-yard tightrope catch along the right-hand sideline.  Rookie first rounder Gerald McCoy saw his first action.  With the first stringers on the field the Dolphins did not touch Buccaneer territory.  Sure it was preseason, but it was also impressive.

Before the game Saturday we ran down the wide receiver position and the curious placement of Micheal Clayton on the depth chart.  Seems Clayton's spot on the depth chart did not actually reflect his standing with the team.  He played several downs with the starters and most of his minutes were in the first half. He was also on the field when Sammie Stroughter scored the only Buccaneer touchdown.

It now looks, however, like I may have focused on the wrong part of the offense.

While Clifton Smith did not travel with the team after sitting out some practice time with nagging injuries, second year player Kareem Huggins put in an eye-catching performance.  Huggins lead Tampa Bay in in total rushing yards as well as the longest run from scrimmage.  He displayed some impressive running instincts and excellent speed.  He also caught two passes.

Carlos Brown, signed with the release of recently signed Tight End Martin Rucker, had nearly identical numbers to Cadillac Williams and showed some power in his game as well.

Clifton Smith went to the pro bowl for his return skills, a versatility he has consistently displayed since his arrival in Tampa.  On Saturday night, though, the Buccaneers utilized several members of the wide receivers in the return game and those players had great results.  So if the Buccaneers did not miss Smith on this trip do they need him on the roster?

With the running backs already stacked high with Cadillac Williams, Derrick Ward, and Earnest Graham, there will not be room for many additional running backs on the roster.  Clifton Smith needs to get healthy and be available for the next game or his preseason may be over before it even gets started.

2010 Preseason: By The Numbers: Wide Receiver

The first preseason game of the 2010 season is less than 24 hours away -- finally!!  We last had a look at the Wide Receiver competition just after the draft.  So what do we know now?

Currently there are 10 Wideouts on the camp roster of 80 men.  At the end of last season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were carrying eight wide receivers on the active roster.  With the assumption this is the target number for 2010, Micheal Clayton could be on the bubble.

Using the recently released depth chart for the first preseaon game, the battle breaks down like this:

#19 Williams, Mike; 6'2", 212, Rookie (2010 Draft)
#85 Stovall, Maurice; 6'5", 220, 5th Year (2006 Draft)
#15 Brown, Reggie; 6'1", 197, 6th Year (2010 Free Agent)
#18 Stroughter, Sammie; 5'10", 189, 2nd Year (2009 Draft)
#81 Spurlock, Micheal; 5'11", 200, 3rd Year (2009 Waiver Wire)
#17 Benn, Arrelious; 6'2", 220, Rookie (2010 Draft)

A pretty solid looking top six with a mix of experienced veterans and highly drafted young talent -- possibly the best looking overall group on the Buccaneers roster in almost a decade.  Hopefully it translates to the regular seaon (with the continued improvement of Josh Freeman at Quarterback).

This leaves four men to battle for possibly the last two roster positions:

#13 Brooks, Chris; 6'2", 215, (Undrafted Rookie)
#80 Clayton, Michael; 6'4", 215, 7th Year (2004 Draft)
#83 Nunn, Terrence; 6'0", 195, 2nd Year (2009 Wiaver Wire)
#87 Parker, Preston; 6'0", 200, (Undrafted Rookie)

Clayton sticks out like a sore thumb in this group.  While he occasionally displays the talent that made him the Buccaneers top pick in 2004 (Round 1, #15), each of the other men in this group have also has their "flash moments" in camp.  The wierd thing about Clayton is it does not feel like the swansong of a veteran player -- you still find yourself frustrated at the unfocused talent he possesses and can't help but pull for him.  Looking at the top six you have to wonder if anything he might show during the 2010 preseason would be too little too late.  Nunn is also at a pivotal point, having been with the Buccaneers for more than half a season.  Brooks and Parker, provided they continue to show not only their Wide Receiver skills but also a willingness to play on special teams, are prime candidates for the practice squad.

Without taking the depth chart of the first preseason game too seriously, what this mostly means is that the four men on the bubble should get a lot of snaps Saturday night as a final audition.  They may all survive until the 53-man cutdown date of September 6th, but there is no guarantee any of them will survive to the 7th.

Nothing To Hype Here

There has been much ado about nothing on two topics during the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2010 training camp so far.  Time to put them both away:

Barrett Ruud is Just Fine:  While some people might want to rift the team over Donald Penn getting a long term contract it is not going to happen.  Barrett Ruud, usually very open about his desire for a long term, lucrative contract, has shown more maturity over Penn's contract than a number of reporters have given him credit for.  It is not a surprise they have underestimated him.  And, in fact, Ruud should be glad to see such an investment in a player with nearly the same experience (Penn is entering his 5th year, Ruud his 6th).  With a young and talented line in front of him this year he should have his best opportunity to shine since taking over in the middle of the defense. This is his best chance to show he can handle being the core of this defense for many more years.  If he does it,  he will probably get that big contract next year (or after the looming strike).

Brian Price Will Play Week 1:  Barring some new, disasterous injury, Brian Price will play come week 1.  Although he had to watch some of the summer program while nursing some nagging injuries, and although he has been rested on occasion through training camp, he will be there on Day One of 2011.  Count on it.

After slamming on the changes made to the team for a full season it may take some time for some reporters to fully swallow their crow.  They better hurry before this young, aggressive, and talented team shoves it down for them.

The Defensive Lineman Nobody Is Talking About

Gerald McCoy and Brian Price, the first two picks of the Buccaneers in the 2010 draft, have rightfully received a lot of attention.  Roy Miller, drafted in the third round in 2009, had a fantastic rookie year.  These three men have practically been handed the starting positions/rotation with less than a fourth of training camp completed.  It's a case of ultra-hype in full swing.

Why doesn't anyone remember the 16-game-starter defensive tackle which is still on the roster?  Do they think he's just going to watch from the sidelines this year?

Youth will be served on the defensive front.  It is clearly the direction General Manager Mark Dominik and Head Coach Raheem Morris are driving the team.  Add in Dre Moore and you have two first year and two second year players with a grand total of one start among them all.

So you can't throw away experience just yet.  And the Buccaneers obviously know it.

The rookies, along with Miller and Moore, still have much to learn about playing interior line in the NFL.  A lot of it comes through playing time -- you have to experience it to understand it, then practice through it until you can defeat it.  And each offensive line you come up against is a bit different.  That's why interior linemen generally start slow and improve significantly during the first three years of their careers.  Roy Miller was an exception last year.  Perhaps one of the rookies will also be able to adapt quickly.

But until those young players get their time in, Ryan Sims, now the old man of the defense with 9 years of experience (one of the five eldest Buccaneers going into the 2010 season), has to be the one to provide a steady force next to the raw young talent in the middle of the four man Buccaneer front.  The first half of the season is when he will need to be at his best.  By the second half of the season, if all goes well, Sims should be even more effective as the rotation with the young players expands.

For the first half of the season, however, the guy that nobody talks about will be the guy with the biggest impact on the defensive line.  And if his experience serves him well he will be a very significant part of a much improved defense in 2010.

Kyle Moore Emerging Quickly

With 10 days of training camp in the books some trends are starting to emerge and some trends are continuing. 

One of those continuing trends is the stock of the Buccaneers 2009 Draft Class.  Not just because first round pick Josh Freeman is showing leadership and keeping a firm grip on the starting quarterback position.  Not just because third rounder Roy Miller is continuing to develop into a dominating physical presence inside.  Not just because seventh rounder Sammie Stroughter could be an opening day starter.

The big boost to the power of the 2009 draft class is the player showing the most improvement during training camp of all the 2nd year players:  2009 fourth round defensive end Kyle Moore.

Moore has been a consistent force from the right end position during camp.  He shows no signs of the nagging injuries which haunted his rookie year.  And he looks every bit the part of an emerging difference maker.

His improvement shows the faith placed on him by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will reap deep rewards.  Those rewards are easy to see --  without such faith, the Buccaneers would not have one of defensive tackle Brian Price, wide receiver Arrelious Benn, cornerback Myron Lewis, or wide receiver Mike Williams, opting instead to draft another defensive end with one of those 2010 picks.  Considering all four of those players have worked their way into the two deep (with two possibly starting on Week 1), the value of Kyle Moore and the importance of his emergence becomes obvious.

Solid play by Moore can also bring another benefit -- Tim Crowder can continue to backup Stylez White, putting the Buccaneers top two sack producers in a rotation at right defensive end.  Keeping the pressure coming from the right puts the heat right in the quarterback's face and will help the Buccaneers improve their defensive performance in 2010.

Watch for Moore (#94, left defensive end) on the first defensive series Saturday night against the Dolphins.  It could be the next piece of a nasty pass rush falling into place.

Penn To Get Top Ten Money

If everyone signs on the dotted line, Donald Penn will report to the Buccaneers training camp firmly entrenched as one of the ten highest paid offensive linemen in the NFL at around $8 million/year, joining fellow Buccaneer Jeff Faine near the top of the offensive-line-salary-cap-hit chart:

Top 10 2009 Offensive Line Salaries
Player (Team)	Total Salary	Cap Value
Staley, Joe (SF)	$ 12,677,280	$ 13,527,280
Peters, Jason (PHI)	$ 10,504,680	$ 12,704,680
Jones, Walter (SEA)	$ 6,206,240	$ 9,806,240
Long, Jake (MIA)	$ 8,006,240	$ 9,606,240
Clifton, Chad (GB)	$ 6,373,610	$ 8,040,280
Faine, Jeff (TB)	$ 2,006,760	$ 8,006,760
Faneca, Alan (NYJ)	$ 7,000,000	$ 7,890,000
Hutchinson, S (MIN)	$ 5,500,000	$ 7,500,000
Backus, Jeff (DET)	$ 4,500,000	$ 7,273,176
Dielman, Kris (SD)	$ 5,506,630	$ 7,206,630

Don't forget: Davin Joeseph's contract will be up after this season as well. Excluding labor unrest, the cost to keep this group of offensive linemen together will be a big topic for the 2011 offseason.

Bradford, Berry Contracts Narrow McCoy Contract Numbers

Sam Bradford, the #1 pick in the 2010 draft, has signed a six-year, $78 million contract (with incentives which could escalate to over $86 million).

Eric Berry, the #5 pick in the 2010 draft, has signed a six-year, $60 million contract.

Gerald McCoy, picked #3 in the 2010 draft, by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, has an approximate contract value of six years, $69 million.

With these deals bracketing McCoy, confirmed rumors of him on his way to Tampa, and McCoy's agent finally done with Sam Bradford's deal, expect McCoy to have a done deal in short order, perhaps even tonight.

Penn Contract: Very Little Up Front, Big Incentives

It appears the initial rumors are starting to pan out -- Penn will sign a contract which is multi-year (what he wanted) and has low up front number with lots of incentives (what the Buccaneers wanted).  Looks like a good deal for all.  Quiet talk is that Dominik and Penn agreed for Penn to have the most success this season Penn needed to get to camp on time -- and this formed the basis for the negotiations today which appear to have paid off in the form of a new contract and no more lost time for Penn.

Here is a look at the offensive line salaries last year:

2009 Buccaneer OL Salaries
Player	Total Salary	Cap Value
Faine, Jeff	$ 2,006,760	$ 8,006,760
Penn, Donald	$ 2,797,200	$ 2,797,200
Joseph, Davin	$ 1,511,760	$ 1,711,760
Trueblood, Jeremy	$ 541,760	$ 849,260
Economos, Andrew	$ 541,760	$ 646,760
Zuttah, Jeremy	$ 391,760	$ 570,260
Lee, James	$ 391,760	$ 391,760
Fulton, Xavier	$ 491,000	$ 355,250
Dotson, Demar	$ 310,000	$ 310,000
Murphy, Shawn	$ 390,980	$ 249,118

Is It All Happening Tonight?

Another rumor, this one with substance, says that Gerald McCoy has left Oklahoma and is on his way to Tampa.  I do not hear anything about an agreement -- but it seems something may be in the works, stay tuned!!

Penn Contract Rumor Has Legs

I'm hearing rumors of six years and possibly $48 million over six years -- unconfirmed at this point -- but I do know there is something going on.  Rumor is very little up front money with a major bonus for getting to the Pro Bowl -- stay tuned!!

Expectations for 2010

A quick look at the expectations for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is in order as everyone gets ready for camp to open on August 31st.  For the record, I expect the team to press for an 8-8 season this year, but six wins with this level of youth would also be a very good season.

Gary Shelton (tampabay.com) is more blatant about his lack of confidence in the upcoming season. His article parrots an article from earlier in the summer by Pat Kirwan (NFL.com).  In the article, both guys believe youth is the downfall of this team.  And while growing pains will happen, I have already offered clear proof of how much youth can contribute to a successful season (case in point: Roy Miller). Miller, who was a rookie defensive tackle last year, had an outstanding season which went completely unnoticed by most, completely disproving the points of Shelton and Kirwan.  With two more rookie defensive tackles coming in this year, having Miller as a mentor is solid gold.  I mean, I get it -- the Buccaneers are too young to win the Superbowl this year.  Duh.  So were the Jets last year but they had a pretty good season anyhow.

At this point, the ESPN "Group Think" has the Bucs rated 30th in the NFL.  They, however, have been distracted by baseball and World Cup soccer so their rankings have not been reconsidered since the end of the 2009 season.

Pete Prisco of CBS Sports rated the Buccaneers 28th on May 7th.  He has not shuffled the order since the end of 2009 but has added comments.  While he believes "they are at least a year away" he also admits "I do like the way they are building this team."

BleacherReport has the Buccaneers at 27th and will probably lower that number to match ESPN once they realize it's different.  Why do they rate Tampa Bay at 27?  Because Tampa Bay did not draft a defensive end in the second round of the 2010 draft.  Wow.  Are we supposed to be impressed with that "outstanding analysis"?  Did they miss the drafting of Kyle Moore in 2009 and the emergence of waiver-wire free agent Tim Crowder last season?  Perhaps a longer look at the depth chart would serve them well -- or even a first look.  Stowaway regulars have seen the real analysis and can see right through this "ranking" as a meaningless placeholder until someone tells them what to think.  Seriously, if you are going to blog about the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, you should have some pride.  The players have been sweating bullets for months yet you wipe away everything because you mis-predicted the draft?  The players deserve better than that.  A lot better.  Perhaps they will pay more attention next year.

Fox Sports did offseason rankings way, way back on February 11th.  Fox finished the season with the 3-13 Buccaneers at 27th, ahead of the 4-12 Redskins, 4-12 Chiefs, and 5-11 Seahawks, among others. Obviously they liked where the team was heading during the second half of the season.

Peter King of Sports Illustrated had the Buccaneers ranked 30th on May 16th, 2010, -- he really likes the draft picks but feels the team is far too young this year to move up the ratings.

NFL.com writer Pat Kirwin also has produced a team-by-team ranking.  His was last published on June 7th, 2010.  He rates the teams into five tiers of six teams each.  The Buccaneers are in the bottom tier, but Kirwin says "The Bucs are headed in the right direction and should be tougher in the second half of the season".

Finally, NFL.com writer Steve Wyche released an actual preseason team-by-team review on June 17th, 2010.  He placed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at 22nd after a 28th place ranking at the end of 2009.  This is above the Redskins, Lions, Browns, Panthers, and Rams who are all on the 2010 season schedule.

This is not exactly glowing praise for the 2010 season.  It is a dose of reality -- a 3-13 team does not get a lot of respect the following season.  That's the nature of sports media.  Add in the half-thoughts usually given to the "small market" NFL teams and this set of early reviews feels like what would normally be expected. 

This team must win early if the perception of the team is to change.  And that perception will be a main focus this season -- when youth believes in what can happen they can pull surprises.  And a few surprises this year would go a long way in putting the 2009 season in the rear view mirror.

(r)Amp Up for 2010!!

Wow, there is nothing like a long, hot summer!!  Hope everyone has had time to enjoy it!  It's been a madhouse of Organized Team Activities (OTAs) and individual workouts at One Buccaneer Place.  Now it's getting close to time to get to work.

Oh-yeah!!  Football Season is only about two weeks away!!

It has been a very busy offseason for the Buccaneers:  a promising draft is in the books, the scouting staff has been reorganized, the team held off on OTAs until after the draft so their rookies could fully participate (as far as I've seen or heard, Tampa Bay was the only team to do so), and contract work has gone on all summer.

Camp starts July 31st.  Are you feeling it yet?

So not too long to prep for camp, and there is a lot to review and analyze, not the least of which are the following:

1)  Unsigned draft picks:  #1 Gerald McCoy, #2 Brian Price, #3 Arrelious Benn, and #7a Cody Grimm.
2)  The players released as these rookies get signed.
3)  One Restricted (and now Exclusive) Free Agent, Donald Penn, has not signed his contract for the upcoming season.
4)  Position battles on the Offensive Line, at Safety, and at the Wide Receiver positions.

Plus a revisit to the young core rosters to check on the rebuilding process and see how many of the young players have survived the offseason. 

Oh, and the Buccaneers are carrying one too many Quarterbacks as well.

You gotta be feeling it!  Tell me you're feeling it!!

Let The Games Begin!!!