Buccaneer linebackers have productive shoes to fill

Two years ago the Buccaneers went 10-6. The leading tacklers on the squad were Barrett Ruud (85 tackles, 33 assists) and Geno Hayes (72 tackles, 10 assists).

After the 2010 season, Ruud entered free agency and left Tampa Bay for the Titans.

After the 2011 season, Hayes entered free agency and has left Tampa Bay for the Bears.

Since the retirement of Derrick Brooks in after the 2008 season, Hayes and Ruud were #1 and #2 in tackles until Ruud departed. That's a great deal of production out the door in just two seasons. However, the timing may have been exactly right.

Ruud signed a one year deal with the Tennessee Titans but only played in 9 games before going on injured reserve. He entered free agency again this offseason and was not resigned. Apparently, the Titans fans also were not extremely impressed with his play. Ruud has now signed a one year pact with the Seattle Seahawks. It appears the Buccaneers may have released him for good reason and at an appropriate time.

After starting all 16 games in 2010, Hayes was benched in Week 9 of the 2011 season for three games, making the 2011 season his least productive since his rookie year of 2008. The statistics show a sharp drop-off in performance: appearing in 16 games in 2011, Hayes recorded 45 tackles and 19 assists compared to 72 tackles and 10 assists in 2010 (also 16 games) and 80 tackles and 18 assists in 2011 (his best season and only 15 games). The Bears have given Hayes a one-year contract.

Training camp will open this year with many young faces in the linebacking corps. To replace the productivity above, the Buccaneers have spent three draft picks in two years on linebackers: Mason Foster in 2011 and Najee Goode and Lavonte David in 2012.

Foster was extremely production last season, finishing the season with 58 tackles and 28 assists, leading all NFL rookie linebackers last season. The third rounder (#84 overall) was the third most productive tackler on the Tampa Bay squad last season behind veterans S Sean Jones and CB Ronde Barber. Foster, an extremely productive player in college, has shown flashes of being the type of player you can build around. Clearly, Foster will be on the field for the opening snap of the 2012 NFL season.

Goode and David, drafted with the third and fourth picks by the Buccaneers this past April, will have to climb past three veterans to reach the starting lineup. Dekoda Watson, Quincy Black, and Adam Hayward all appeared in at least 14 games last season (Watson and Hayward had two starts; Black had 12). These players will have experience on their side when camp opens.

And there will be three new faces: Rennie Curran was a midseason waiver wire pickup last season, Jacob Cutrera was signed last October and finished the season on IR, and Antonio Leak is a 2012 undrafted college free agent from Henderson State (Arkansas, Div II).

Linebacker could be the make-or-break position for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2012. They have a lot of experience and productivity to replace. They have a lot of draft picks invested. They play an even front scheme, which means linebackers have to make tackles while the linemen up front take up gaps.

And they need some young players to grow up quickly.

 

Defense Showing Growing Pains

In the Week 1 loss to the Detroit Lions (27-20) the Tampa Bay defense showed it has some growing to do this season.  Not (in any way) to heap blame for the loss on the defensive squad.  Across the team small changes will mean big improvements.  It's just easier to see after-the-fact on the defensive side.

The now famous Tampa-2 defensive scheme, even with the changes added by Head Coach Raheem Morris, is still based around driving play to the middle of the field.  As a consequence, the Middle Linebacker position (also called the "Mike" linebacker) makes a lion's share of the tackles each season.  Going back just five years, the leading tacklers were all Middle Linebackers:

2010 118 tackles, 33 assists (Ruud)
2009 142 tackles, 35 assists (Ruud)
2008 137 tackles, 35 assists (Ruud)
2007 109 tackles, 25 assists (Brooks) (& 114 tackles, 31 assists (Ruud, 2nd leading tackler))
2006 121 tackles, 25 assists (Brooks)

Mason Foster, drafted in the 3rd round this past April, is now the starting MLB for Tampa Bay.  Against Detroit, he recorded 5 tackles and an assist.  Not at all bad for a rookie in his first game and first start.  However, five Buccaneer defensive players finished with more tackles than Foster.  In fact, in the first three games of the 2010 season, the Middle Linebacker lead the team in tackles each game.  Clearly, one indicator of a well-oiled Tampa-2 defense will be when Mason Foster is leading the team in tackles.

Why didn't Foster lead the team in tackles in Week 1?  Coach Morris has already stated Foster is currently not always going to be on the field in nickel situations, so one reason is the summer lockout and lack of OTAs.  Another reason is, no doubt, Foster is still learning the position.

The third reason may be the most important, and it's staggering on the stat sheet.  2011 first round draft choice Defensive End Adrian Clayborn did not record a single tackle (nor an assist) against the Detroit Lions. 2011 second round draft choice Defensive End Da'Quan Bowers recorded 1 tackle, no assists.  The more experienced Defensive Ends on the squad, Tim Crowder and Michael Bennett, each recorded four tackles.

I'm not saying defensive ends should lead the team in tackles -- that is not the Tampa-2 way.  Defensive Ends should contain and force the play inside or stretch the play to the outside and make the tackle.  That is basic defensive end assignment football from pee-wee leagues to the pros.  When defensive ends do this, the play flows to the middle linebacker.

A low number of tackles by the defensive ends could mean they are holding the offensive backfield from running to the edges of the field.  To me, and I think those who were able to watch the game would agree, this was not the case against the Lions.  There was actually a lack of containment by the defensive ends.  Again, lots of youth learning to play on the edges now and I think it shows.

All this is correctable.  When all the defensive ends have similar stats and the middle linebacker leads the team in tackles, the Buccaneers will win.  The questions is will that happen this weekend against the Vikings?

To make the playoffs, the Buccaneer defensive rookies must grow into their new positions sooner rather than later.