The Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2011 Draft, with video comments by Buccaneers General Manager Mark Dominik:
Round 1/Pick #20: Adrian Clayborn, DE, Iowa
GM Mark Dominik Day 1 Wrap-up Press Conference
Round 2/Pick #51: Da'Quan Bowers, DE, Clemson
GM Mark Dominik, Second Round Pick Comments
Round 3/Pick #84: Mason Foster, LB, Washington
GM Mark Dominik, Third Round Pick Comments
Round 4/Pick #104) Luke Stocker, TE, Tennessee
Round 5/Pick #151) Ahmad Black, SS, Florida
Round 6/Pick #187) Allen Bradford, RB, Southern California
Round 7/Pick #222) Anthony Gaitor, DB, Florida International
Round 7/Pick #238) Daniel Hardy, TE, Idaho
Draft Wrap-Up Press Conference
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Talib Not Going Anywhere (Unless)
Aqib Talib will not be leaving the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, unless he really did fire a weapon in Texas.
Contrary to other reports, there is not a movement inside the Buccaneers organization to let Talib go. And while the blogosphere is quick to judge, jury, and execution, just because you don't look at the facts does not mean they do not exist. Really, bloggers "calling" for the release of Talib? Get Real.
Don't get me wrong -- if Talib fired the gun, the NFL will be quick and decisive in it's actions. And dismissal from the team is a real possibility.
But, so far, Talib is still only a "person of interest". He has not been formally charged. In fact, a grand jury will decide whether to indict Talib. The facts of the case are sketchy, with many coming from the notorious "unnamed sources close to the investigation". And several don't pass the "common sense" test, such as the man allegedly shot at was at the scene when police arrived -- this is a guy who claims two people shot at him; was he looking for a third time? The suspect led the police to the gun which was allegedly discharged at him; it was in a neighbor's trash can -- again, shot at, ran away, but knew where the gun was?
A grand jury will decide if charges need to be brought against Talib. Until then, he's done everything the team has asked of him, including anger management courses and limited time with the media. The team will not make a decision before this process is fully resolved.
So let's just let it play out, OK?
Contrary to other reports, there is not a movement inside the Buccaneers organization to let Talib go. And while the blogosphere is quick to judge, jury, and execution, just because you don't look at the facts does not mean they do not exist. Really, bloggers "calling" for the release of Talib? Get Real.
Don't get me wrong -- if Talib fired the gun, the NFL will be quick and decisive in it's actions. And dismissal from the team is a real possibility.
But, so far, Talib is still only a "person of interest". He has not been formally charged. In fact, a grand jury will decide whether to indict Talib. The facts of the case are sketchy, with many coming from the notorious "unnamed sources close to the investigation". And several don't pass the "common sense" test, such as the man allegedly shot at was at the scene when police arrived -- this is a guy who claims two people shot at him; was he looking for a third time? The suspect led the police to the gun which was allegedly discharged at him; it was in a neighbor's trash can -- again, shot at, ran away, but knew where the gun was?
A grand jury will decide if charges need to be brought against Talib. Until then, he's done everything the team has asked of him, including anger management courses and limited time with the media. The team will not make a decision before this process is fully resolved.
So let's just let it play out, OK?
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Another Big At Running Back?
By now, Buccaneer fans understand General Manager Mark Dominik is very serious about filling every roster spot with a quality football player. His eye for free agents has been uncanny, resulting in finds like Donald Penn and LeGarrette Blount.
So it's worth the time to take a peek at what happened January 4th, 2011, or, more precisely, what arrived. January 4th was the day the end-of-season practice squad roster had it's members signed to the offseason roster -- have new surprises arrived?
One big thing that arrived was Rendrick Taylor. Taylor was signed on May 3rd, 2010, and spent the offseason with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers only to be cut on the final roster countdown after training camp last year. Obviously, he left a big impression.
Taylor is a 2010 free agent, undrafted out of Clemson. The 6'2", 265lbs running back was a 5th year senior with a history of injuries in college including a broken wrist in 2005 and a broken arm in 2006. He missed his entire 4th college season (2008) due to injury.
Nonetheless, the Buccaneers brought Taylor back to the practice squad on December 8th, 2010 and signed him to the current roster on January 4th, 2011. He fills a void left when Chris Pressley, the only fullback on the Tampa Bay roster at the time, was cut in October 2010 to make room for offensive line promotions as the injuries started to pile up last season.
Can Taylor be a surprise in 2011? Journeyman Erik Lorig played well at fullback during the second half of last year, but it's still not clear if the Buccaneers would rather use Lorig at tight end or defensive end. Taylor is the tallest and heaviest runner on the Tampa Bay roster, and the Buccaneers plan to continue to develop their physical running game.
This will be a key offseason for Taylor, making him a story worth watching during the next training camp. If he has worked through his injuries and is healthy again he could be a player which extends the game for others, like Lorig or Earnest Graham, which would make him very valuable to the team.
So it's worth the time to take a peek at what happened January 4th, 2011, or, more precisely, what arrived. January 4th was the day the end-of-season practice squad roster had it's members signed to the offseason roster -- have new surprises arrived?
One big thing that arrived was Rendrick Taylor. Taylor was signed on May 3rd, 2010, and spent the offseason with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers only to be cut on the final roster countdown after training camp last year. Obviously, he left a big impression.
Taylor is a 2010 free agent, undrafted out of Clemson. The 6'2", 265lbs running back was a 5th year senior with a history of injuries in college including a broken wrist in 2005 and a broken arm in 2006. He missed his entire 4th college season (2008) due to injury.
Nonetheless, the Buccaneers brought Taylor back to the practice squad on December 8th, 2010 and signed him to the current roster on January 4th, 2011. He fills a void left when Chris Pressley, the only fullback on the Tampa Bay roster at the time, was cut in October 2010 to make room for offensive line promotions as the injuries started to pile up last season.
Can Taylor be a surprise in 2011? Journeyman Erik Lorig played well at fullback during the second half of last year, but it's still not clear if the Buccaneers would rather use Lorig at tight end or defensive end. Taylor is the tallest and heaviest runner on the Tampa Bay roster, and the Buccaneers plan to continue to develop their physical running game.
This will be a key offseason for Taylor, making him a story worth watching during the next training camp. If he has worked through his injuries and is healthy again he could be a player which extends the game for others, like Lorig or Earnest Graham, which would make him very valuable to the team.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
What Is Josh Johnson Worth?
With multiple media reports stating the 49ers may be interested in Josh Johnson, could a trade be in the works? Johnson has completed his rookie contract so would not carry any additional cap penalties, making him very interesting to the right party. So the question is: what is the Buccaneers current #2 signal caller worth?
San Francisco has a lot of draft picks to use for bait this season. Currently the 49ers have 12 picks: 1 in each round, plus an extra in the 4th and 6th rounds, and three extra in the 7th round. Johnson was originally a 5th round pick by Tampa Bay in the Class of 2008. Certainly Johnson has proven he is worth more than his original pick, particularly with his expanded role in the Buccaneers two QB set (the "wildcat formation").
How badly does San Francisco need a quarterback? Currently the 49ers only have David Carr on their roster, the #1 overall pick in 2002. What makes Josh Johnson so interesting to the 49ers is he and new 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh are familiar with each other and the offense Harbaugh wishes to utilize due to time spent together at the University of San Diego.
The 49ers currently have the #7 pick this season. The top two prospects at quarterback, Blaine Gabbert of Missouri and Cam Netwon from Auburn, are currently not rating above that position on the draft boards of the more reliable sources, yet mock drafts across the web have both men gone by the time the 49ers pick. The next two quarterback prospects, Jake Locker of Washington and Christian Ponder of Florida State, should be off the board before the 49ers get their second pick. This scenario could leave Harbaugh either grasping early for the #3 QB at the seventh pick, or settling for the #5 quarterback in the class (Ryan Mallett of Arkansas). In the case where the top two quarterbacks are selected before the seventh pick, the trade value for Josh Johnson picks up considerably.
Other positions of need for the 49ers are defensive as the 49ers had one of the statistically poorest squads in the NFL last season. And if they do not select a quarterback with the seventh overall pick, they will their choice of one of the top two defensive ends or defensive tackles in the class of 2011.
So there are some facts which make a trade between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the San Francisco 49ers reasonable. However, most reasons do not play out unless the 2011 NFL Draft falls a certain way. But, for once, it's nice to be the team waiting for the offer instead of being the team making the offer.
San Francisco has a lot of draft picks to use for bait this season. Currently the 49ers have 12 picks: 1 in each round, plus an extra in the 4th and 6th rounds, and three extra in the 7th round. Johnson was originally a 5th round pick by Tampa Bay in the Class of 2008. Certainly Johnson has proven he is worth more than his original pick, particularly with his expanded role in the Buccaneers two QB set (the "wildcat formation").
How badly does San Francisco need a quarterback? Currently the 49ers only have David Carr on their roster, the #1 overall pick in 2002. What makes Josh Johnson so interesting to the 49ers is he and new 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh are familiar with each other and the offense Harbaugh wishes to utilize due to time spent together at the University of San Diego.
The 49ers currently have the #7 pick this season. The top two prospects at quarterback, Blaine Gabbert of Missouri and Cam Netwon from Auburn, are currently not rating above that position on the draft boards of the more reliable sources, yet mock drafts across the web have both men gone by the time the 49ers pick. The next two quarterback prospects, Jake Locker of Washington and Christian Ponder of Florida State, should be off the board before the 49ers get their second pick. This scenario could leave Harbaugh either grasping early for the #3 QB at the seventh pick, or settling for the #5 quarterback in the class (Ryan Mallett of Arkansas). In the case where the top two quarterbacks are selected before the seventh pick, the trade value for Josh Johnson picks up considerably.
Other positions of need for the 49ers are defensive as the 49ers had one of the statistically poorest squads in the NFL last season. And if they do not select a quarterback with the seventh overall pick, they will their choice of one of the top two defensive ends or defensive tackles in the class of 2011.
So there are some facts which make a trade between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the San Francisco 49ers reasonable. However, most reasons do not play out unless the 2011 NFL Draft falls a certain way. But, for once, it's nice to be the team waiting for the offer instead of being the team making the offer.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Market Size Relevant to CBA Negotiations
When the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) negotiations broke down in Washington, D.C., the first casualty was "truth". Then the players got locked out. Then came court cases. It went south in a big hurry.
Since then we've only seen posturing as things need time to cool off before anyone can approach the bargaining table again.
Three years ago, the NFL owners decided to opt-out of the recently lapsed CBA. The CBA is the "rules of the road" for the relationship between an NFL team and an individual player, covering everything from contracts to retirement to salary caps to practice limits.
The old CBA carried some significant challenges for General Managers, including a skyrocketing salary cap and unbalanced rules regarding team income from luxury boxes and stadium advertising.
It appears the owners may still be struggling with the disparity of incomes for the various franchises. For example, the Cowboys get a nice chunk of change for all those new skyboxes in their new stadium, while smaller market teams (Buffalo, Green Bay, Kansas City, Tampa Bay) get much less for their stadium naming rights and box seats. These are serious issues among the owners.
So it is no surprise in the final days before talks ended the owners were represented by a large market team (John Mara, New York Giants), a middle market team (Art Rooney II, Pittsburgh Steelers), and a small market team (Clark Hunt, Kansas City Chiefs). This begs the question as to whether the owners have their own differences settled, or if the various market sizes have certain agenda items they wish to address.
If the owners don't have agreement among themselves, then an agreement with the players may not be coming anytime soon. The NFL players union demanded to see team-by-team financials just before the talks broke down -- perhaps the players sense some blood in the water regarding the owner's disputes over money and were looking to define it.
How silly will this get? The player's union has disbanded and now it appears players will be suing owners, using money the owners paid to the players. A prolonged court battle is the last thing the opening of the 2011 training camps need.
So, NFL fans, I encourage you to enjoy the 2011 draft. There may not be anything else but reruns for the rest of the summer.
Since then we've only seen posturing as things need time to cool off before anyone can approach the bargaining table again.
Three years ago, the NFL owners decided to opt-out of the recently lapsed CBA. The CBA is the "rules of the road" for the relationship between an NFL team and an individual player, covering everything from contracts to retirement to salary caps to practice limits.
The old CBA carried some significant challenges for General Managers, including a skyrocketing salary cap and unbalanced rules regarding team income from luxury boxes and stadium advertising.
It appears the owners may still be struggling with the disparity of incomes for the various franchises. For example, the Cowboys get a nice chunk of change for all those new skyboxes in their new stadium, while smaller market teams (Buffalo, Green Bay, Kansas City, Tampa Bay) get much less for their stadium naming rights and box seats. These are serious issues among the owners.
So it is no surprise in the final days before talks ended the owners were represented by a large market team (John Mara, New York Giants), a middle market team (Art Rooney II, Pittsburgh Steelers), and a small market team (Clark Hunt, Kansas City Chiefs). This begs the question as to whether the owners have their own differences settled, or if the various market sizes have certain agenda items they wish to address.
If the owners don't have agreement among themselves, then an agreement with the players may not be coming anytime soon. The NFL players union demanded to see team-by-team financials just before the talks broke down -- perhaps the players sense some blood in the water regarding the owner's disputes over money and were looking to define it.
How silly will this get? The player's union has disbanded and now it appears players will be suing owners, using money the owners paid to the players. A prolonged court battle is the last thing the opening of the 2011 training camps need.
So, NFL fans, I encourage you to enjoy the 2011 draft. There may not be anything else but reruns for the rest of the summer.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Buccaneers Need Experience, Not More Youth, At DE
Great defenses keep the other team from scoring. It's not about how many sacks they record (unless you're talking Fantasy Football). The Buccaneers do not need a defensive end just to accumulate more sacks, they crave the disruption a fast end can create.
But do the Tampa Bay Buccaneers need another young defense end? In 2009, the Buccaneers drafted Kyle Moore, a defensive end from the University of Southern California. That same year they also tapped the waiver wire and swiped Michael Bennett from the Seattle Seahawks and Tim Crowder from the Denver Broncos.
Currently the Buccaneers have 8 defensive ends on the roster, with Crowder and Stylez White being the old men of the group with just five years of experience each. White, Crowder, Bennett, and Moore along with undrafted rookie Brandon Gilbeaux were all on the Buccaneers roster just after the 2010 draft. The Buccaneers even tried 2010 draft pick Erik Lorig (a tight end in college) at defensive end for a while. Lorig is still listed as a Defensive End on the current roster even though he played a substantial number of downs as a fullback last season.
Also during the 2010 season, Tampa Bay traded for Alex Magee, a 2nd year player originally drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs. Magee came to Tampa as a Defensive End but is now listed as a Defensive Tackle.
Clearly Tampa Bay GM Mark Dominik has been working on this position since he landed in the Big Chair at One Buccaneer Place. But is there an answer for the Defensive End position in the upcoming draft?
Dominik may be better served to dip his toe in the free agent pool instead.
Taking a look a defensive stats from 2010, there were twelve defensive ends with 45 or more tackles; they are the most productive ends in the league last year.
The average years of experience (last column) of these men is just over 7 years. Note that there are certainly youthful achievers on this list. An interesting fact stood out while assembling this table: all the players in this list with 7 or fewer years in the NFL have spent their entire career with the same team. None of the players in this list with more than 8 years of experience have spent their entire career with the same team.
My basic point, however, is none of the players in the list above have less than 4 years of NFL experience.
Current Tampa Bay Buccaneer Defensive Ends
All in all, it appears the Buccaneers have a steady stream of young talent coming through the ranks at defensive end. Both Bennett and Moore were drafted players and Crowder and White are productive. In the Tampa 2 defense it is all about gap protection and avoiding the big play against you. These men have proven to be a capable part of a strong defensive unit.
Are the current Buccaneer ends on the verge of a breakout? The group has been more or less in place for a full season now, and they have reached the experience level where big numbers could be just around the corner. Do they need a young defensive end? Only if they are willing to give the player time to develop. And they can because there are productive players ahead of them.
Should the Buccaneers be shopping for some immediate defensive end experience? That is a big question -- one to examine in the near future.
But do the Tampa Bay Buccaneers need another young defense end? In 2009, the Buccaneers drafted Kyle Moore, a defensive end from the University of Southern California. That same year they also tapped the waiver wire and swiped Michael Bennett from the Seattle Seahawks and Tim Crowder from the Denver Broncos.
Currently the Buccaneers have 8 defensive ends on the roster, with Crowder and Stylez White being the old men of the group with just five years of experience each. White, Crowder, Bennett, and Moore along with undrafted rookie Brandon Gilbeaux were all on the Buccaneers roster just after the 2010 draft. The Buccaneers even tried 2010 draft pick Erik Lorig (a tight end in college) at defensive end for a while. Lorig is still listed as a Defensive End on the current roster even though he played a substantial number of downs as a fullback last season.
Also during the 2010 season, Tampa Bay traded for Alex Magee, a 2nd year player originally drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs. Magee came to Tampa as a Defensive End but is now listed as a Defensive Tackle.
Clearly Tampa Bay GM Mark Dominik has been working on this position since he landed in the Big Chair at One Buccaneer Place. But is there an answer for the Defensive End position in the upcoming draft?
Dominik may be better served to dip his toe in the free agent pool instead.
Taking a look a defensive stats from 2010, there were twelve defensive ends with 45 or more tackles; they are the most productive ends in the league last year.
| Tackles | Sacks | Exp | ||
| Justin Smith | SF | 57 | 8.5 | 11 |
| Glenn Dorsey | KC | 51 | 2.0 | 4 |
| Charles Johnson | CAR | 51 | 11.5 | 5 |
| Trent Cole | PHI | 50 | 10.0 | 7 |
| Kenyon Coleman | CLE | 50 | 2.5 | 9 |
| James Hall | STL | 48 | 10.5 | 12 |
| Justin Tuck | NYG | 48 | 11.5 | 7 |
| Calais Campbell | ARI | 46 | 6.0 | 4 |
| Haloti Ngata | BAL | 46 | 5.5 | 6 |
| Vince Wilfork | NE | 46 | 2.0 | 7 |
| Jared Allen | MIN | 45 | 11.0 | 8 |
| Darnell Dockett | ARI | 45 | 5.0 | 8 |
The average years of experience (last column) of these men is just over 7 years. Note that there are certainly youthful achievers on this list. An interesting fact stood out while assembling this table: all the players in this list with 7 or fewer years in the NFL have spent their entire career with the same team. None of the players in this list with more than 8 years of experience have spent their entire career with the same team.
My basic point, however, is none of the players in the list above have less than 4 years of NFL experience.
Current Tampa Bay Buccaneer Defensive Ends
| Exp | Tackles | Sacks | |
| Crowder, Tim | 5 | 31 | 3 |
| White, Stylez G. | 5 | 36 | 4.5 |
| Bennett, Michael | 3 | 15 | 1 |
| Moore, Kyle | 3 | 18 | 0 |
| Gilbeaux, Brandon | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Lorig, Erik | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| Wilson, E.J. | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Johnson, George | 1 | 0 | 0 |
All in all, it appears the Buccaneers have a steady stream of young talent coming through the ranks at defensive end. Both Bennett and Moore were drafted players and Crowder and White are productive. In the Tampa 2 defense it is all about gap protection and avoiding the big play against you. These men have proven to be a capable part of a strong defensive unit.
Are the current Buccaneer ends on the verge of a breakout? The group has been more or less in place for a full season now, and they have reached the experience level where big numbers could be just around the corner. Do they need a young defensive end? Only if they are willing to give the player time to develop. And they can because there are productive players ahead of them.
Should the Buccaneers be shopping for some immediate defensive end experience? That is a big question -- one to examine in the near future.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Freeman Changing The Mold Up Front
When Josh Freeman was drafted with the 18th pick in 2009 there were a lot of questions. Those questions were answered in 2010 when Freeman put up, arguably, a Pro Bowl caliber year and demonstrated all the characteristics of a top-flight NFL quarterback. In short, Josh is a franchise quarterback.
What do you do when you have a franchise quarterback? You build the offense around him.
And Tampa Bay has done so, with a follow-up draft in 2010 which brought Rookie of the Year candidate Mike Williams, as well as nine-game starter Arrelious Benn. This builds on the emergence of Sammie Stroughter from the 2009 draft. Throw in exciting young players like Micheal Spurlock, Preston Parker, and Dezmon Briscoe and you have a fleet of young wide receivers for Freeman to grow with.
Then add some young runners like LeGarrette Blount and Kregg Lumpkin and you give Freeman more options and more room to grow.
A more subtle and slow change, however, has been going on up front on the offensive line. The physical tools of Freeman have started to impact what the Buccaneers appear to be looking for in offensive linemen. Freeman is a tall man even by NFL quarterback standards. At 6'6" he is one of the six tallest men on the roster. It's the other five tallest Buccaneers where the changes are brewing.
Since 2009, Tampa Bay has added Demar Dotson (6'9"), Will Barker (6'7"), Derek Hardman (6'6"), and Brandon Carter (6'6") to the platoon of offensive linemen on the current roster (the fifth tall man on the roster, 6'8" Jeremy Trueblood, has been starting at left tackle for several seasons). Dotson and Barker are offensive tackles; Hardman and Carter are offensive Guards. These men are not just tall, they are big -- Carter, Barker, and Dotson are all over 315 pounds. Hardman is currently listed at an even 300 pounds. Even Donald Penn, the entrenched starter at right tackle, is a big man: 6'5" and 305 pounds.
When a quarterback drops back after taking a snap (or even starts from the shotgun), he must be able to see downfield to make various decisions about which and when receivers will be open. Taller offensive linemen (that is, above 6'3") have mostly been utilized only at the edges of the offensive line as tackles. Having a tall tackle does not generally obstruct the downfield view of the quarterback as they protect the outside on passing plays. And tackles with long arms mean it's harder for defensive ends to get a clean path to the quarterback.
The Buccaneers may be on the way toward a different philosophy. With a 6'6" quarterback standing tall in the pocket, and knowing offensive linemen play with bended knees to lower their center of gravity, GM Mark Dominik and Head Coach Raheem Morris' coaching staff appear to be targeting giant men all across the offensive line.
Tampa Bay appears to be finding NFL caliber players who fit the bill. Dotson, the tallest man on the team according to the current roster, played substantial minutes at left tackle in 2009 as an undrafted free agent. He showed enough promise to be held on IR for all of 2010. Hardman and Barker were signed to the practice squad after roster cuts last season (Dominik's Second Draft of 2010); Carter was also on the practice squad once the dust settled. By the time the Buccaneers closed the 2010 season at New Orleans, all three men were on the active roster and Hardman was starting at right guard.
This is no fluke. These men were sought out by the Buccaneers and have been promoted into the mix rapidly. There could be quite a battle up front on offense at the next training camp and it appears to be by design. If the youngsters make progress, Tampa Bay could have one of the largest offensive line groups in the NFL in the near future. In addition, I would not be at all surprised to see this trend show up in the Tampa Bay 2011 NFL Draft.
Only in the NFL could Josh Freeman dream of one day playing behind an offensive line where each man is physically larger than he is. If the trend continues, that day may not be far away.
What do you do when you have a franchise quarterback? You build the offense around him.
And Tampa Bay has done so, with a follow-up draft in 2010 which brought Rookie of the Year candidate Mike Williams, as well as nine-game starter Arrelious Benn. This builds on the emergence of Sammie Stroughter from the 2009 draft. Throw in exciting young players like Micheal Spurlock, Preston Parker, and Dezmon Briscoe and you have a fleet of young wide receivers for Freeman to grow with.
Then add some young runners like LeGarrette Blount and Kregg Lumpkin and you give Freeman more options and more room to grow.
A more subtle and slow change, however, has been going on up front on the offensive line. The physical tools of Freeman have started to impact what the Buccaneers appear to be looking for in offensive linemen. Freeman is a tall man even by NFL quarterback standards. At 6'6" he is one of the six tallest men on the roster. It's the other five tallest Buccaneers where the changes are brewing.
Since 2009, Tampa Bay has added Demar Dotson (6'9"), Will Barker (6'7"), Derek Hardman (6'6"), and Brandon Carter (6'6") to the platoon of offensive linemen on the current roster (the fifth tall man on the roster, 6'8" Jeremy Trueblood, has been starting at left tackle for several seasons). Dotson and Barker are offensive tackles; Hardman and Carter are offensive Guards. These men are not just tall, they are big -- Carter, Barker, and Dotson are all over 315 pounds. Hardman is currently listed at an even 300 pounds. Even Donald Penn, the entrenched starter at right tackle, is a big man: 6'5" and 305 pounds.
When a quarterback drops back after taking a snap (or even starts from the shotgun), he must be able to see downfield to make various decisions about which and when receivers will be open. Taller offensive linemen (that is, above 6'3") have mostly been utilized only at the edges of the offensive line as tackles. Having a tall tackle does not generally obstruct the downfield view of the quarterback as they protect the outside on passing plays. And tackles with long arms mean it's harder for defensive ends to get a clean path to the quarterback.
The Buccaneers may be on the way toward a different philosophy. With a 6'6" quarterback standing tall in the pocket, and knowing offensive linemen play with bended knees to lower their center of gravity, GM Mark Dominik and Head Coach Raheem Morris' coaching staff appear to be targeting giant men all across the offensive line.
Tampa Bay appears to be finding NFL caliber players who fit the bill. Dotson, the tallest man on the team according to the current roster, played substantial minutes at left tackle in 2009 as an undrafted free agent. He showed enough promise to be held on IR for all of 2010. Hardman and Barker were signed to the practice squad after roster cuts last season (Dominik's Second Draft of 2010); Carter was also on the practice squad once the dust settled. By the time the Buccaneers closed the 2010 season at New Orleans, all three men were on the active roster and Hardman was starting at right guard.
This is no fluke. These men were sought out by the Buccaneers and have been promoted into the mix rapidly. There could be quite a battle up front on offense at the next training camp and it appears to be by design. If the youngsters make progress, Tampa Bay could have one of the largest offensive line groups in the NFL in the near future. In addition, I would not be at all surprised to see this trend show up in the Tampa Bay 2011 NFL Draft.
Only in the NFL could Josh Freeman dream of one day playing behind an offensive line where each man is physically larger than he is. If the trend continues, that day may not be far away.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Why Defensive End?
Seems as soon as the final whistle blew in the Superdome to close the 2010 season, everyone was confident the Buccaneers would select a defensive end in the first round of the 2011 draft.
Most articles found on the topic dwell on the low number of sacks produced by the Buccaneers the past two seasons. My question is: So What??
The prototype defensive end in most Tampa Bay fan's minds is either Simeon Rice or Lee Roy Selmon. Rice twice posted 15 sack seasons (2002, 2003) and produced five straight seasons with 10+ sacks. Selmon, playing in a different era, also recorded double-digit sacks in a single (shorter) season, racking up 78 total over his nine year Hall of Fame career.
During the 2009 season and a 3-13 record, the Buccaneers as a team recorded 28.0 sacks. In 2010, while posting a 10-6 record, the Buccaneers recorded 26.0 sacks. Wait . . . huh? Two fewer sacks but 7 more wins??
Eleven teams recorded more than 39 sacks in 2010. Of those 11, only three (Pittsburgh Steelers, Philadelphia Eagles, and Green Bay Packers) made it to the playoffs.
Ten teams recorded more than 39 sacks in 2009. Of those 10, five made the playoffs.
The New England Patriots, one of the most consistently successful teams of the last decade, has only finished in the top 10 in team sacks four times. The Indianapolis Colts? Just three times.
Sack count is not an indicator of a playoff team. We already know the Buccaneers have a playoff caliber defense. But apparently this is the one statistic many have latched onto as "the thing to fix" this offseason.
It's another symptom of "Fantasy Haze", that state of mind when Fantasy Football statistics become "real" in the minds of NFL Fans (and those covering the NFL) too much.
For reference, search for "Brandon Marshall Buccaneers 2010". By the way, Marshall scored 3 TDs this season, while Buccaneers Rookie Mike Williams scored 11 TDs. Good news: GM Mark Dominik is a lot smarter than the average Fantasy GM.
So don't get too married to the idea of a Defensive End in the first round in 2011 for Tampa Bay. It's not as big a need as some may believe.
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