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.

Let The Practice Squad Search Begin

Since camp started Buccaneers General Manager Mark Dominik has pulled the strings on three personnel moves.

Gone are Safety Matt O'Hanlon, Defensive End George Johnson, and Wide Receiver Marrio Urrutia.

New to camp are Cornerback Darrell Pasco, Defensive Back Vince Anderson, and Tight End Martin Rucker.

This continues a trend from the regular season last year when a large number of defensive backs were rotated through One Buccaneer Place.  What is Dominik looking for?  A particular type of special teams player?  Better depth at Corner? at Safety?  All of the above?

There are now 15 defensive backs (Corners & Safeties combined) on the roster, nearly one fifth of the available 80 roster spots.  Obviously this number will be reduced before the season begins.

None of these players come in with more than 2 years of NFL experience, nor are they accomplished players as yet, so it would be way off base to think these are offensive or defensive starters.  Certainly they may be well known as special teams players but only Special Teams Coach Rich Bisaccia would know for sure.  It seems more likely the Buccaneers have started looking for some hidden gems for the practice squad. These players could see time this Saturday night in the first preseason game and need to make an impression quickly.  Watch for when they play and how much -- it will give a barometer on what they might bring to the team.

There is one additional angle to consider for the only one of these three players who was a draft pick:  Martin Rucker, who was selected by Cleveland in the 4th round in 2008.  Rucker was an accomplished Tight End coming out of Missouri.  In fact, he finished his college career as the most prolific pass-catching Tight End in the school's history.  Think that's not saying much?  Ask Kellen Winslow -- The First -- who shares the same Alma Mater as Rucker.  With two of the five oldest players on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers being Tight Ends (John Gilmore and Jerramy Stevens both with 9 years in the NFL) and add in that apparently the Cowboys were also interested in Rucker and this almost plays out like an extra 4th round draft choice addressing a future need now.  Of course, he has to make the team first!  Rucker is certainly a preseason name to watch.

Mark Dominik has an established history of finding the occasional gem (Donald Penn from the Minnesota practice squad, Tim Crowder from the waiver wire last year), so these players are worth keeping an eye on.  Hopefully they all will get enough playing time Saturday night to see what they bring to the table!

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.

The Tanard Jackson Question

In 2009 the Buccaneers suffered through the most difficult win/loss record since 1991.  It was a tumultuous year following an offseason of major changes.  A new front office came in and a group of old veterans moved on.  With a change in leadership the Buccaneers needed all the experienced players it could mould from within.

Then, just before the 2009 season, the Buccaneers found out that Tanard Jackson would be suspended for the first four games of the season.  It created an experience void in the defensive backfield the team struggled with the first month of the 2009 season.

Jackson returned to the team and moved back into the starting lineup finishing sixth on the team with 60 solo tackles, adding 11 assists, 2 forced fumbles, and five interceptions scoring touchdowns twice.  Clearly Tanard Jackson is an impact player for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  And while his standing within the locker room appears to have been restored, there is still a big question mark which looms over his head.

One more mistake and Tanard Jackson sits out the season.

The two strikes penalty for substance abuse in the NFL is, unfortunately, well known.  Every time the punishment is handed down it makes headlines across the sports world.  Nobody expects the NFL to need this option with Tanard Jackson.

This is not a rehash of old mistakes, this is a front office dilemma which impacts the team and the roster for as long as Jackson is a Buccaneer.  So this is a personnel issue and deserves scrutiny.  Unfortunately, after the first strike, the threat of another mistake never goes away.  The team struggled without Jackson on the field -- imagine a full year without him.

How will General Manager Mark Dominik deal with this unknown?  Will it be important to keep an additional safety on the roster this season, just in case?  Or is it a matter of crossing the fingers and hoping there is something worthwhile on the wiaver wire should the unthinkable happen?

With Jackson holding down a starting position, Dominik is almost forced to carry one extra safety on the roster.  It is not practical to assume a waiver wire pickup would have any knowledge of the Tampa Bay defensive reads or responsibilities.  That is, a waiver pickup means a loss of coaching time getting an unfamiliar player up to speed.  Instead it would be better to have a player who has been through training camp ready to step forward, or step into second on the depth chart (and the resulting part time game day responsibilities), easing the impact to the rest of the safeties and, even, the rest of the team.

There is also a long term component to this issue -- essentially Tanard Jackson now requires two roster positions.  Is he worth it?  For how long?  Certainly, at this point, the team must consider him valuable since he is still on the roster.

But there is still this unease for me regarding the safety position.  Two experienced Buccaneer safeties have become unrestricted free agents:  7th year veteran Will Allen (singed Pittsburgh) and  8th year veteran Jermaine Phillips (unsigned, perhaps done).  Phillips was the first option when Jackson was suspended last year -- not anymore.  This two-player void has been filled by 7th year free agent acquisition Sean Jones (from Philadephia).  Is it enough?

These questions must have been discussed during the run-up to the 2010 Draft.  One safety was drafted (Cody Grimm, 6'1" 203 lbs, 7th round pick) but this seems to be the normal player churn and not a bold move to replace anyone in particular.  In fact, Dominik has stated the 7th rounders are likely to earn their way onto the field through special teams.

So it appears there is no rush to supplement the roster at this point, nor is there a signal for a long term fix.  Perhaps the Buccaneers are confident that Jackson has put whatever happened in 2009 behind him.  Let's all hope so.  We'll have to watch carefully during the offseason and preseason to see if there are any indicators of the team's thinking on this point.

But the bottom line is to hope and cheer for Tanard Jackson to keep things on the straight and narrow and play the game we all love to watch. 

Be careful, Tanard!!  We need you!!

Projecting Future Drafts: 2011, 2012, and 2013

Oh yes, I am fearless enough to project draft needs three years out.  Do I expect to be right?  Yes, actually, I do.  Will I be?  No, not 100%., but the reasons for missing will simply be the unpredictable future, not the certain facts I will lay out in this article.  Call this an exercise in reading the obvious and ignoring the future.  It's a pretty basic exercise -- just going through the logic which nailed the correct position of 7 of 9 draft picks in 2010 then moving forward for each of the next three years.

Remember that the draft is not a factory for immediate starters.  It is a method of harvesting the best possible talent to fight it out during the offseason for a position on the roster.  The plan laid out by General Manager Mark Dominik and Head Coach Raheem Morris is to have competition at every position.  The draft helps land as much talent as we can get our hands on to fuel the competition.  These picks are not required to be immediate starters -- they are just "the next in line" as needed.  Some may become starters quickly, but some may stay on the depth chart competing against future draft picks and free agents, increasing competition and creating a higher talent level.  That is The Plan.


2011
To project the needs for the 2011 draft, I took the young core offensive and young core defensive positional rosters and sorted out the 5th year players:

Offense:  WR Stovall, T Penn, G Joseph, T Trueblood, LS Economos
Defense:  LB Jon Alston

This does not mean that I expect these players to be released, cut, injured, or change careers before next offseason.  This means these players are now well above the 2-4 year average NFL career and so, statistically, may start to decline in production.  A good team has ready replacements waiting or even sharing the load so a smooth change can be made when needed.  The players listed are at positions which, by this logic, need a young player to fold into the mix.

For 2011, obvious trends are immediately apparent:  lots of losses on offense, only one loss on defense, many of the offensive losses are on the line.  So, with confidence, it appears the top need, first and foremost, will be offensive linemen.  The team may need two tackles, one guard, and perhaps a long snapper.  After a defense-heavy draft in 2010 there is only one need defensively for 2011 -- a linebacker, preferably outside.  Some of the media in the Bay Area appear to think that defensive end is a big need for this team but I disagree.  The one place were the talent base could be a bit off from the rest of the team is running back -- there are only two young ball carriers in the stable -- otherwise the Tampa Bay Buccaneers should be in a good position to take the player they want with their seven regular and one extra fifth round pick next year.



2012

Now, we remove the 4th year players from the young core and assume the 2011 draft filled the voids created by the 5th year players.

Offense:  Nothing, nada, zilch, zero.
Defense:  DE White, DE Crowder, LB Hayward, S Piscatelli, and S Jackson leave the chart

2012 will clearly have a strong swing back to the defensive side of the ball.  Now defensive end is a significant need -- so defensive end and safety look to be the primary focus as two players at each position could be needed.  The defensive end need, however, could vanish.  The Buccaneers have eight men competing for the two defensive end positions during the 2010 offseason.  If the team decides that six men competing for two positions is enough then the need vanishes (this could happen if the team decides the talent level is sufficient for good competition).  Finally, what is shaping up as an annual need at linebacker continues to appear.


2013

Remove the 3rd year players from the young core, assume the 2012 draft filled the voids created by the 4th year players, and assume the 2011 draft filled the voids created by the 5th year players.

Offense:  T Lee, G Zuttah, QB Johnson, RB Smith, PK Barth exit the chart
Defense:  LB Hayes, CB Talib, CB Mack, S Lynch move off the chart

Really stocking up on the assumptions at this point but, considered carefully, there is still useful information here.  For 2013, the pendulum swings to the middle with equal numbers of needs on offense and defense.  And, for the first time in four years, a look at quarterback will be in order.  Topping that, for the first time in 6 years a running back selection will also be in order.  On the defensive side of the ball, besides the annual linebacker selection, three defensive backs will be needed, two at corner and one at safety.  There are nine players listed here, so, in addition, the Buccaneers could use a couple extra picks (or need to use extra picks in 2011/2012 to avoid these shortfalls).



There you have it.  I confidently walked out farther on the draft branch than any sane person would ever do.  The only way to know if the branch broke is to see if this information stands up about 10 months from now, so look for a revisit during the run up to the 2011 draft.  And, if necessary, I'll eat a nice helping of crow.

But I don't think so!

A Couple Insights

Item 1:  Previous analysis has shown that a young core middle linebacker is not on the roster.  I have information that, contrary to the final published depth chart for 2009, the Buccaneers are planning to groom Adam Hayward at MLB.  This fills in an important spot for the young core defense and also reduces the need to draft for that position this year:

LE - Kyle Moore (1), Micheal Bennett (1)
DT - Roy Miller (1)
DT - Dre Moore (2)
RE - Stylez White (4), Tim Crowder (4), Maurice Evans (1)
SLB - Quincy Black (4), Lee Robinson (2)
MLB - Adam Hayward (4)
WLB - Geno Hayes (3), Rod Wilson (4)
LCB - Aquib Talib (3), Derrick Roberson (2), Brandon Anderson (1)
RCB - Elbert Mack (3), E.J. Biggers (1), Stoney Woodson (2)
SS - Sabby Piscatelli (4), Corey Lynch (3), Emanuel Cook (2)
FS - Tanard Jackson (4), De'von Hall (1)
P - Sam Paulescu (3)

Item 2:  It appears that many within the Tampa Bay Buccaneers front office feel there is not a pressing need to be active in free agency this year.  There are several reasons behind this.  First, most are satisfied that there is a good amount of talent on the roster (evidenced by the win over New Orleans) and experience and consistency on game day can improve the team significantly.  Secondly, with ten draft picks coming to the roster this year the team can continue to build from within.  Third, with the CBA looking less and less likely to be extended, free agents are going to get a couple extra years tagged onto current free agency restrictions which will significantly reduce the number of available free agents.  But most importantly, General Manager Mark Dominik appears to be rock solid in belief that building through the draft and only adding the occasional free agent where absolutely necessary will not just get the Buccaneers back to the playoffs but keep them in contention year after year.  Think draft for long term, free agents for the coming season.

Item 3:  With the coaching transitions in Seattle and Washington it would be preferable to play these teams earlier in the season than later.  Tampa Bay has no power over this so it would be just a nice-to-get.

What Is The Game Plan?

The plan before the 2009 season was for new offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski to to install a running game using a zone blocking scheme.  This new scheme would take advantage of the young offensive line and talented running backs on the Buccaneers roster to create a powerful rushing attack.  This philosophy was detailed by Head Coach Raheem Morris during his first offseason (Apr 2, 2008):

"'When you talk about the violent football teams, the physical football teams, the Pittsburgh Steelers, you think about downhill running and people smashing,' said Morris. 'That's just what it is. When you talk about violent football teams like the Jacksonville Jaguars, you talk about people smashing you and running the ball downhill. We want to become those guys.'" -- Head Coach Raheem Morris

Unfortunately, Coach Jagodzinski was released during the preseason due to prolonged attention-to-details issues which I interpret as poor performance under game time conditions (such as play calling or working with assistants to get the right personnel on the field, etc).  This interpretation of these events makes sense since game day trouble would not be detectable during a normal interview or during training camp.  Coach Jagodzinski had been a head coach at Boston College.  The focus of a head coach on game day is strategy.  A coordinator must focus on tactics.  The only other offensive coordinator duties that Jagodzinski had previously had was "passing game coordinator" at Green Bay.  As such he had never flown solo as an offensive coordinator before and therefore may have been an ineffective tactician.

But the lure of what Coach Jagodzinski brought to the interview table is obvious.  He was fresh from dealing with college players.  His program at Boston College had just graduated the (arguably) top rookie QB the year before (Atlanta's Matt Ryan).  In the context of an upcoming draft with plans to grab a young signal caller, the fit is natural and too good to pass up.  Protect that new young quarterback with a solid running game and have a proven coach in place to groom him into the passing game.

Ah, but the best laid plans . . . .

Before the 2009 season a zone-blocking run system was installed to replace the assignment blocking system of the prior coaching staff.  During the preseason players gushed about how they could tell it would work and they liked it.   Then, just before the last preseason game, Coach Jagodzinski was dismissed and Coach Greg Olson was promoted to Offensive Coordinator.

Suddenly, Tampa Bay came out throwing.  And throwing.  And the Buccaneers have rarely stopped since.  What was to be a powerful rushing offense finds itself throwing 57.5% of the time through Week 14.  In only 3 of 13 games so far in the 2009 season have the Buccaneers rushed the ball more than pass the ball.  Those run-focused games were against Washington, at Carolina, and Miami -- three of the four narrowest losses this season.  While there have been games when the run/pass count was different by less than 5 attempts (Miami, Atlanta, New England), there have been four games with 15+ more passing attempts than running attempts (Carolina, Philadelphia, NY Giants, and Buffalo).  In contrast, the widest margin for the run game so far this season has been 8 more rushes than passes (Washington, at Carolina).  The win against Green Bay was fairly balanced with only 6 more passing attempts than rushing attempts.  In raw numbers, the most rushing attempts in a single game this year has been 31 twice (Dallas, Miami) and the most passing attempts in a single game this year has been fifty (50!) twice (Buffalo, Philadelphia).

There is no discernible pattern -- the high pass attempts are not specifically in games where the Buccaneers were far behind and playing catch-up football (for example, the Buccaneers were down by only 6 points at the start of the fourth quarter at Buffalo, one of the 50 pass attempt games).  And it was not a matter of which quarterback was playing:  games with Byron Leftwich averaged 20 rushes and 39 passes, games with Josh Johnson averaged 26 rushes and 30 passes, and games with Josh Freeman have averaged 25 rushes and 33 passes (Leftwich and Johnson each had a 50 pass game, Freeman's high attempt mark was 44 in his game against Carolina).

So very clearly we see that Coach Olson is a pass-first type of offensive coordinator.  This is not entirely surprising as his background includes time at Purdue as quarterbacks coach with Joe Tiller and time in Detroit as quarterbacks coach with Steve Mariucci.  As the season has progressed the offense has lost more and more of the zone blocking schemes and returned to the rather West Coast look of the past few years (just as the defense has also returned to what has previously been utilized).

While the debate about having a rookie quarterback and using a run game to remove the game from his shoulders is valid, it is not the subject here.

The change from the Jagodinski-run system to the Olson-pass system has severe consequences for the upcoming offseason.  During the 2009 offseason, the offense was tooled to be a running football team with good, young size up front, blocking wide recievers, versatile tight ends, a fullback, and a multiheaded tailback.  Several of these facets of the offense were established in free agency last year.  By addressing these things last offseason the Buccaneers are primed to be aggressive on the defensive side of the ball this year.

However, if the Buccaneers are going to be a pass-system team then it's not so clear that the offensive side of the ball is where it needs to be.  In fact, several positions on offense may need to be addressed during the 2010 offseason (free agency and draft).  Wide receiver is underproductive for the number of pass attempts -- perhaps the Buccaneers need to give up some downfield blocking ability for speed, route precision, or hands/physical size.  Offensive linemen need to be evaluated on pass-blocking ability and changes made if needed.  You could also assert that the multiple back scheme is not necessary and replace tailbacks with more wide receivers.  Perhaps the fullback position is not necessary and can be used for a defensive player instead.

The downside of all this is that it will detract from adding more young talent to the defense which is clearly in need.

While currently there is no clear sign that the direction will be anything different from what we've already seen, three games remain in the 2009 season.  It is possible to establish an identity in these games different from the prior 14 games, though unlikely.

It will be intersting to watch how this plays out.  The issue of the Tampa Bay offensive identity will most likely be the single most important driver of the 2010 offseason.

Tampa Bay Buccaneer Roster Changes between 2008 and 2009: Defense

Strictly based on who's gone and who's new (and disregarding returning players), here is a brief rundown of roster changes from opening day 2008 to opening day 2009.

Linebacker

Here: Angelo Crowell, Niko Koutouvides, Rod Wilson

Gone: Cato June, Derrick Brooks

• Two long-time pros out.  Brooks could be the best Buccaneer player -- EVER.  It's a big change but the tank could be empty for June and Brooks.  Crowell played in Buffalo last year but was injured.  He starts the year on IR.  This position is not improved.

Defensive End

Here: Kyle Moore

Gone: Jovan Haye, Kevin Carter

• Carter's top years are behind him.  Haye was an impact player and worked well inside and out.  Moore is a rookie.  This position is not improved.

Defensive Tackle

Here: Roy Miller, Dre Moore

Gone: Chris Bradwell, Greg Peterson

• Miller and Moore are the 300 pounders the new defense needs.  Miller showed glimpses during the preseason of the player he can become.  This position is slightly improved.

Cornerback

Here:  E.J. Biggers

Gone:  Phillip Buchanon

• Buchanon was not the impact player the team had hoped for and was even worse in one-on-one tackling.  Biggers is a draft choice with potential.  This position is slightly improved.

Safety

Here:  Torrie Cox

Gone:  None

• If Cox provides depth or even reliable special teams play, this position is improved.

Punter

Here:  None

Gone: None

• No change for 2009

Tampa Bay Buccaneer Roster Changes between 2008 and 2009: Offense

Strictly based on who's gone and who's new (and disregarding returning players), here is a brief rundown of roster changes from opening day 2008 to opening day 2009.

Quarterback

Here: Josh Freeman, Byron Leftwich

Gone: Jeff Garcia, Brian Griese, Luke McCown

• Garcia and Griese were cut and have not been picked up.  McCown was traded for a future draft pick.  Freeman has been designated as the future franchise QB that never appeared during the Second Era.  This position can finally be considered upgraded.

Running Back

Here: Clifton Smith, Derrick Ward

Gone: Warrick Dunn, Jameel Cook

• That's a lot of experience gone by the wayside.  Smith did contribute in 2008 but was an undrafted, mid-year pickup which went to the Pro Bowl.  Ward was integral to an excellent Giants running back group in 2008.  The only loss is experience, but considering Dunn was not picked up by another team it appears it was the right time to move on.  This position is neutral but certainly younger.

Wide Reciever

Here: Kelly Campbell, Brian Clark, Sammie Stroughter

Gone: Ike Hilliard, Dexter Jackson, Joey Galloway

• The Jackson experiment only lasted a year.  Hilliard was Mr. 3rd Down.  Galloway appeared to take a step back as far as wear and tear.  Campbell is a CFL free agent, Clark a youngster, and Stroughter a 7th round pick.  While the new WR group is certainly younger, they are also unproven in the NFL.  This position was unimproved.

Tight End

Here: Jerramy Stevens, Kellen Winslow

Gone: Alex Smith

• Are you kidding me?  Normally the loss of Smith would be reason to declare a downgrade, but the replacements are top level performers and respectable run blockers.  If the Bucs can make this talent work defenses will be scratching their heads each and every week.  This position was upgraded.

Guard

Here: Jonathan Compas, Marcus Johnson, Arron Sears

Gone: None

• Arron Sears remains on the roster but will not play in 2009.  Compas and Johnson are for depth (at least for now).  While Sears was a starter in 2008 it appears a capable replacement was already on the roster -- but in that case the depth suffers.  This position was unimproved.

Tackle

Here: Marc Dile, Demar Dotson, Xavier Fulton

Gone: None

• Xavier Fulton (2009 5th round) is on IR and will not play in 2009.  Dotson could be the college free agent find of the year for the Buccaneers.  This was already a position of strength and experience on the team, so no shiny new pieces were needed.  Nonetheless, this position is slightly improved.

Center

Here: None

Gone: None

• This position is unchanged.

Place Kicker

Here: Mike Nugent

Gone: Matt Bryant

• Bryant lacked some leg strength but was reliable.  Nugent is only a couple years younger (5th year vs. 8 years for Bryant).  This move was dictated by injury, but it was fortunate to have already had Nugent in camp for competition before the injury occurred.  This position is slightly improved.

And so began the Third Era

On January 17th, 2009, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers promoted Mark Dominik to General Manager. This marks the third GM since the arrival of the Glazer ownership (and the birth of the Pirates of Pewter Pants).  


The General Manager drives the composition and character of the team more than any other front office position. Besides Tampa Bay, seven other teams changed General Managers after the 2008 season: Cleveland, Denver, Detroit, Jacksonville, Kansas City, New England, and Saint Louis. This blog is dedicated to chronicling the NFL General Manager Class of 2009, emphasizing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. And, who knows, maybe some scoop here and there.


Bring the Lombardi Trophy back to the Bay!!