Buccaneers Have Been Searching For Backup To Center Jeff Faine For A Long Time

On September 5th, the day after the 2010 roster cuts from 75 men to 52, there was one transaction which was lost in the shuffle.  And it might be an indicator of things to come.

Going into Week 5 of the 2010 season, the only center on the Buccaneers roster was Jeff Faine.  When Faine needs to be spelled (or is knicked up), current starting Guard Jeremy Zuttah slides over and veteran Keydrick Vincent (G) steps in at left guard.  That means two players who graded out at different positions are responsible for defending quarterback Josh Freeman, who still has less than one year of starting experience.  When Faine left the game against the Bengals, all the experienced offensive line talent was called into duty -- with no room for another injury.  There is no room for injury because of the event I've alluded to.  And that event was . . .

Jonathan Compas (C) going on IR.  Compas entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2008. The Buccaneers moved Compas to center behind Faine on the depth chart last season.  When Compas went on IR just before the 2010 season started the Buccaneers got very thin in the middle.  And thin in the middle is dangerous with a young quarterback at the helm.

The day after Compas hit IR (Sept 6th) the Buccaneers signed Ted Larson, a 2010 6th round pick by New England, when the Patriots tried to sneak him over to their practice squad.  But this was not really a depth move, it's was a for-the-future move.  Playing center is complicated.  It's well known how Jeff Faine calls the coverages for the big guys up front.  To play center, you have to be on the same page as the quarterback as well as the entire offensive line.  Oh, and you have to snap the ball as well.  So Larson, with no training camp, is essentially a learn-as-you-go player.  In other words, don't expect him to be on the field before he goes through a full offseason with the team.

Which brings us back to Compas.  Compas was in the same position last year that Larson is in now.  Jeremy Zuttah was playing full-time at Guard because of the loss of Aaron Sears. Then the worst case scenario unfolded: Faine went down with a triceps injury (harsh when you're the center) in Week 1.  The Buccaneers opted to not put Compas on the field, and instead pulled Sean Mahan off the street due to his familiarity with the system (Mahan, an experienced center, had been cut at the end of training camp just before last season after playing for the Steelers in 2008).

When Faine returned in Week 6 of 2009, Mahan was released.  In Week 7, Josh Freeman made his first appearance for the Buccaneers and Week 8 of 2009 Josh Freeman started his first NFL game.  Coincidence?  I think not.  Did it go unnoticed?  You bet -- but it clearly demonstrates how important center Jeff Faine is to this team.

Now, the next chapter begins.  Compas was taken off of IR on Sept 24th and cut, opening a spot for 2010 draft pick Erik Lorig to be promoted from the practice squad to the active roster.  If Faine is down for an extended period, things get tight.  This certainly shows the value of General Manager Mark Dominik bringing in Keydrick Vincent from the Carolina Panthers during the past offseason.  It at least makes the Zuttah/Vincent/Faine position swap possible.  And kudos to the coaching staff and Head Coach Raheem Morris for getting Zuttah snaps at center during the preseason.  If Faine has a long duration injury, the Vincent move is front office gold, and the preseason experience provided to Zuttah by the coaching staff shows excellent foresight and attention to detail.

It appears the Buccaneers could be in a tricky situation and there is not an easy solution running around.  Where Mahan was available after being cut last season, Compas was already declared for the IR and cannot play this season. Zuttah and Vincent must pick up the slack.  This is an issue which we have been following for a quite a while now -- and it has struck again.  Zuttah and Vincent stepped in against the Bengals with good results (a win), but from now on teams will challenge them.

Obviously a high-quality backup center is something General Manager Mark Dominik has been trying to identify and injury derailed his plans this season.  The problem is there is no viable solution.  It's too early to say for sure, but this is one injury situation which could define the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as simply "improved" or an actual Playoff Team in 2010. 

Bye Week Analysis: Young Core Defense

This is a check similar to the one done last January.  I've cross-referenced the depth chart and roster for the defense and kept only the players with four or fewer years in the NFL (i.e. less that 5 years of wear at tear).  This chart then represents the "Young Core" of the Buccaneers -- put another way, these are the players who will have to get us to the playoffs in 2013-2015 (2 to 4 years from now).

Starters through the first three games of 2010 are in bold: 

RDE  White, Stylez (4th year); Bennett, Michael (2nd year); Gilbeaux, Brandon (1st year)

RDT  Price, Brian (1); Miller, Roy (2)

LDT  McCoy, Gerald (1)

LDE  Moore, Kyle (2); Crowder, Tim (4); Lorig, Erik (1)

WLB  Hayes, Geno (3)

MLB  Hayward, Adam (4)

OLB  Black, Quincy (4); Watson, Dekoda (1)

RCB  Mack, Elbert (3); Lewis, Myron (1)

LCB  Talib, Aqib (3); Biggers, E.J. (2)

SS   Piscitelli, Sabby (4)

FS   Jackson, Tanard (4); Lynch, Corey (3); Grimm, Cody (1)

 

A lot of these names are the same as January in the linebacker group and the defensive ends.  The defensive backfield has many of the same names as well.  Back in January it was mentioned that quality on the interior of the defensive line was needed, and indeed the interior defensive line has been fortified with two top-flight defensive tackles by way of the 2010 draft.  The linebacker group remains high on talent but low on numbers.

Veterans holding starting positions on the defense are, of course, Ronde Barber at left corner, Barrett Ruud at middle linebacker, and Sean Jones at strong safety.  Nonetheless, there is good depth here among the youngest Buccaneers which bodes well going forward, particularly since many of these players are already starters and learning to play together.

What is needed (and there is never enough in the NFL) is depth.  And lots of it.  And not run-of-the-mill stuff, but high quality athletes which can maintain a high level of play when the current starters need a break.  When the team reaches that point the Tampa Bay Buccaneer defense will have returned to top form.

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.

What To Do With Piscitelli

It was a rugged year for the defensive backfield in 2009. It started with Tanard Jackson's four game suspension and finished with Jermaine Phillips on the injured reserve.

The 2009 version of the pass defense started out by giving up 353 yards to Dallas and Tony Romo, leaving a season-long bad smell in the air even though there were 3 interceptions by the Buccaneers in the game. Fifteen weeks later, the Buccaneers gave up 258 yards (and had zero interceptions) in a game at New Orleans and Drew Brees -- and won! This inconsistency shows clearly it wasn't just the pass defense which was the problem. Another facet of the problem was the defensive backs not getting much help up front. The Buccaneers had a total of 28 sacks over 16 games in 2009 (tied for 26th in the league) with the lowest (Jacksonville) having 14 sacks and the best (Minnesota) having 48 sacks.

Through all this, the Tampa Bay defensive backs ended the season tied for 9th with 19 interceptions in 2009 (the Packers topped the league with 30; the Raiders and Rams tied at the bottom with 8).

But there were going to be changes. You knew there were going to be changes. And there have been quite a few.

Nine year pro Jermaine Phillips is gone from the roster and, as seems to be more the rule than the exception during the Dominik/Morris era, has not been picked up by another team. Enter Sean Jones, a 7th year free agent pickup from the Philadelphia Eagles (FYI, Jones played but did not start against the Buccaneers in week 5 last year. He recorded one special teams tackle). The Buccaneers also drafted cornerback Myron Lewis which could be a very telling move -- for the safety position.

Why take a corner and not a safety? Is it possible the fans and the reporting about the problems in the defensive backfield were (gasp!!) misdirected?

One player who took a great deal of heat last season for pass defense was Sabby Piscitelli. In his third year of NFL ball he found himself in the difficult position of starting at strong safety without Tanard Jackson at free safety for the first four games.  Tanard Jackson is a big difference maker back there. Unfortunately, Piscitelli was in the area for some of the long completions in the Dallas game, leaving an impression with some fans (and bloggers) the mistakes were his. Anyone who has played a down of football knows that the player closest to the end of a play is rarely the person who broke down -- in fact, as a safety, shouldn't Piscitelli be part of the last line of defense? If Sabby had been nowhere in sight with a receiver running free in the defensive backfield then it would be correct to say he was out of position or not playing the position correctly. Did he play every down to perfection?  I'm sure Sabby himself would tell you he did not.  But to say it's on him alone is very unfair; to say he is not capable is an outright lie.

Consider this:  if it was all on the safety play, the Buccaneers would have drafted another safety as part of the youth movement, right?  But they haven't (2009 or 2010).  In 2010 they drafted on the defensive line as well as corner -- the two pieces which indirectly have the biggest impact on safety play (more quarterback pressure, better coverage outside). In 2009 they also drafted a defensive lineman and a corner. 

So is it possible the talent at safety is sufficient and just needs better support around them? I think the answer is "Yes", so my take is a different angle:  Is it possible that Sabby Piscatelli was playing the wrong position when he incurred the wrath of media and fans?

Obviously Tanard Jackson will be the starting free safety.  With former Eagle Sean Jones replacing the departed Jermaine Phillips you have a strong safety who has solid performances under his belt and plenty of experience.  With those two as capable starters Piscitelli can now be groomed for either (or both) positions.  Last year he was needed at Strong Safety -- I think the Buccaneers would be well served to give him a look at free safety where his speed plays to his advantage.  It also provides a bit of a hedge against future problems for Tanard Jackson.

I'll be watching for a Piscatelli/Jones Tampa-2 a few during the preseason.  If it proves capable it will allow for giving Tanard Jackson a breather on occasion, helping him stay fresh for the fourth quarter.  This subtle move may not generate a few extra wins for the Buccaneers (the line and corner moves could!), but it could put more players in the right position to make plays.

Post Draft Update: The Young Core Offense

Yesterday we had a look at the future of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense.  Today it's the offense, and there is plenty to be excited about here as well.

We last reviewed the young core offense as part of our pre-draft team needs analysis. The "young core" is made up of the players on the 80-man roster with five or fewer seasons.

Bold is a 2010 draft pick, italics is 2010 college free agent, slashed is cut, and bold with italics is an  exclusive rights free agent not yet under contract.  The players are arranged by experience, nothing else:

WR - Maurice Stovall (5th Year), Terrance Nunn (2), Mario Urrita (1),  Mike Williams (0)
LT - Donald Penn (5), James Lee (3), Marc Dile (1), Derek Hardman (0)
LG - Jeremy Zuttah (3), Sergio Render (0), Arron Sears (3)
C - Johnathan Compas (2)
RG - Davin Joseph (5), Vladimir Richard (0),  Shawn Murphy (3)
RT - Jeremy Trueblood (5), Demar Dotson (2), Xavier Fulton (2). James Williams (0)
WR - Micheal Spurlock (3), Sammie Straughter (2), Arrelious Benn (0), Preston Parker (0)
TE - Ryan Purvis (1), Jeron Mastrud (0)
QB - Josh Johnson (3), Josh Freeman (2), Rudy Carpenter (2), Jevan Snead (0)
RB - Clifton Smith (3), Kareem Huggins (1)
FB - Chris Pressley (2)
PK - Conner Barth (3), Hunter Lawrence (0)
P - Brent Bowden (0), Sam Paulescu (1)
LS - Andrew Economos (5)

Another perfect position chart for the Buccaneers.  Competition at every position.  Some of these lists have all players at that position (QB, for instance) demonstrating the efforts put into the youth movement over the past two years.  The rebuilding process is also complete on this side of the ball.  Note also that, unlike the defense, there are still young players on this side of the ball who are not under contract for 2010 as yet. 

While some are completely confused by what they see on this side of the ball it is clear to me that the plan is in place, competition will be fierce, and there will be an offseason and preseason unlike anything in recent memory at One Buc Place.  The offensive line can still be a major strength of this team and will need to be for this team to improve over the 2009 season.

There will be some real battles at some of these positions this offseason.  There are only 22 positions on the two-deep for offense and some positions have up to 8 players competing (WR, T).  If the quality rises to the top and there is talent to back them up the Tampa Bay Buccaneers could surprise some people in 2010.