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.

Situational Defensive Fronts

During his press conference on September 2nd, Head Coach Raheem Morris laid out the rotation for the front seven on defense.

"Base"
RE: Adrian Clayborn
DT: Roy Miller
DT: Gerald McCoy
LE: Michael Bennett
WLB: Geno Hayes
MLB: Mason Foster
SLB: Quincy Black

"Nickel"

RE: Adrian Clayborn/Tim Crowder
DT: Roy Miller/Brian Price/Frank Okam
DT: Gerald McCoy/Frank Okam
LE: Michael Bennett/Da'Quan Bowers
WLB: Geno Hayes
MLB: Quincy Black/Mason Foster
SLB: Dakota Watson

Regarding Frank Okam, who will play either inside tackle positions, Coach said he is a "large, smart human".  Also according to Coach Morris, Adam Heyward will be available at all linebacker positions.  Mason Foster is still learning nickel coverages (this is where the lockout hurts).

For the Buccaneers to reach the playoffs in 2011 the defensive front seven needs to be more disruptive.  With the additional speed of Mason Foster and the power of Adrian Clayborn, it could be the group to get Tampa Bay over the top.

Defensive Line Showing Teeth

After spending both their first and second round picks on defensive linemen in 2010 and 2011, the youth movement up front is starting to show improvement.  Granted, it's preseason and it can be deceiving.

Nonetheless, during the 2010 preseason, Tampa Bay recorded a total of four quarterback sacks.

So far in the 2011 preseason, with one game to go, Tampa Bay has recorded thirteen quarterback sacks.  League wide, the Buccaneers stand alone in fourth place, with only the Buffalo Bills, Houston Texans, and Philadelphia Eagles ahead of them (tied for first with 14 sacks).

And it's not a matter of a weaker preseason slate:  Last year's preseason opponents (Miami, Kansas City, Jacksonville, and Houston) won a combined six preseason games.  This year's opponents (Kansas City, New England, Miami, and Washington) have already won six preseason games with one game each remaining.

Tampa Bay defensive end George Johnson (another member of the 2010 practice squad) is currently tied for the league lead in sacks with 3.0; he is tied with three other players.  Right behind the lead group is Buccaneer linebacker Dakota Watson with 2.5 sacks.  Other Buccanneer players with 2 or more sacks are DE Tim Crowder and DE Kyle Moore.

The draft focus of the past two years appears to be taking shape.  Based on the third preseason game against Miami, the likely starting four on the defensive line will be:
RE: Adrian Clayborn, 2011 First Round Draft Pick
DT: Frank Okam, 2010 Waiver Wire pickup
DT. Gerald McCoy, 2010 First Round Draft Pick
LE: Micheal Bennett, 2009 Waiver Wire pickup

And the depth:
RE: Tim Crowder, 2009 Waiver Wire pickup
DT: Roy Miller, 2009 Third Round Pick
DT: Brian Price, 2010 Second Round Pick
LE: Da'Quan Bowers, 2011 Second Round Pick

Miller, Price, and Bowers are currently working their way back from injury and appear to be ready for the regular season.

This is a group which will probably not reach their collective prime for another season or so.  Based on results so far, this could be the squad to watch in 2011.

Buccaneers On Course To Start Season With New Backfield

With the third preseason game in the books, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers appear to have settled on a completely new running back tandem to start 2011.

The 2010 season started with Cadillac Williams at tailback and Earnest Graham at fullback.  With Cadillac now with the Rams, the tailback job has fallen to 2010 undrafted free agent LeGarrette Blount.  And starting at fullback is the last player selected by the Buccaneers in the 2010 draft, Erik Lorig, a converted tight end.  In fact, Blount and Lorig were both inactive for the first game of 2010.

These are crazy days in Tampa.  With 75% of the roster having less than four years of experience, it just gets weird sometimes.

The writing was on the wall for Cadillac after Blount did not start the first three games of the season yet still managed to gather over 1,000 yards to lead all rookies last season.  Williams, who was also a dependable pass catcher, may have outlasted his value for the Buccaneers opting instead to sign a one-year contract with the Saint Louis Rams.

Lorig, on the other hand, has come out of nowhere to unseat the granddaddy of the Bucs backfield, the venerable Earnest Graham.  Graham will play, and play plenty, this season for Tampa Bay -- I do not doubt this for a moment.  But Lorig, who also spent practice time last season at tight end and defensive end, continues to impress with his 6'4", 275 lb frame (similar to 2011 2nd round pick DE Da'Quan Bowers).  This, in a nutshell, is the tradeoff the Buccaneers are making:  experience for power.

Cadillac Williams (5'11", 217 lbs) vs. LeGarette Blount (6'0", 247 lbs)
Earnest Graham (5'9", 225 lbs) vs. Erik Lorig (6'4", 275 lbs)

That's an increase of 80 pounds of running back, plus additional height at both positions (following a notable offensive trend of the past two years). GM Mark Dominik and Head Coach Raheem Morris have talked at great length about becoming a bigger, more powerful running team.

Apparently, the next step towards that goal has been taken.

Second Draft Just Two Games Away

The Second Draft is one week from Saturday.  It feels like 10 days until Christmas.

Tampa Bay's leadership group of GM Mark Dominik, Scouting Director Dennis Hickey, and Pro Personnel Director Shelton Quarles have given Buccaneers fans a second draft day each of the past two seasons.  When the other teams drop their roster count to 53 men, Dominik leads a feeding frenzy at One Buccaneer place, reeling in players like RB LeGarrette Blout and WR Desmon Briscoe.  Or OG Ted Larson and RB Kregg Lumpkin.  You get the picture.

Apparently nothing gets past One Buc place, or at least no player.  The rest of the NFL has taken notice as well.  The Buccaneers know for every good player which makes a roster, or every veteran who keeps his roster position, another player has to be let go.  

Tampa Bay keeps detailed notes on each NFL player.  Did they target them for the draft?  Was it a player who was graded to have the intangibles as well as the tangibles?  And they will move quickly on September 3rd to sweep up players not only for their practice squad (Ryan Purvis, Briscoe last year) but players for their regular season roster as well (Blount, Lumpkin, and Larson; all last year as well).

Will there be a similar haul this season?  Cetainly there will be talent out there, and Tampa Bay is certainly building a reputation for giving practice squad players playing time.  It was the quality on the practice squad which helped the team get to the end of the season with 10 wins while injuries piled up by the roadside.  Now those players are rising through the depth chart.  Wouldn't you call Tampa if you had a big, fat you-will-regret-cutting-me chip on your shoulder?

So, enjoy the last two preseason games.  And don't forget there is one more Buccaneer holiday before the season begins!

Talib To Meet With Goodell Tuesday

Buccaneers cornerback Aqib Talib will have a meeting with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on Tuesday.

There is no way this ends well -- you remember those trips to the Principal's office, right?

Unfortunately, Talib and the commissioner are not strangers, a fact that can only play against Talib.  After an altercation with a cab driver (which was settled on a plea), Goodell held Talib out for a game last season.  This past summer, Talib was implicated in gunplay back in Texas.  And while the report of his impending release by the Buccaneers was wrong, General Manager Mark Dominik and Head Coach Raheem Morris have to be getting tired of these visits to New York.  Particularly during preseason, right after a game where the defense was roughed up a bit.  Clearly, Talib has proven beyond the shadow of a doubt that he will not (and can not) be a leader on a defense where personal accountability is so important.  It has to impact his value to the team.

Talib has not been found guilty at this point, and if Goodell has league resources looking into the situation in Texas he must be careful not to tip his hat.  The fear is that, having missed a game last season, Talib may be in for a much bigger smack to the wallet (i.e. longer suspension) this time around.

With an early season schedule packing some serious heat (DET, @MIN, ATL, IND), this no time to be one man down.

Buccaneers Pass on Three Defensive Starters

As the Buccaneers wound up the 2010 season, Tim Crowder was starting at left defensive end and Barret Ruud was the man in the middle of the Tampa2.  Stylez White, who started all but three games last year, was coming off the bench.  In 2011, none of them are with the team as training camp hits full speed.

Each man was a significant contributor last season:

• Ruud started all 16 games in 2010 (as he did in 2009 and 2008) and contributed 85 tackles, 33 assists, 2 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and an interception.
• White started 13 games in 2010 and recorded 28 tackles, 8 assists, and led the team with 4.5 sacks last season.  He also forced two fumbles.
• Crowder started 9 games in his second season with Tampa Bay since getting claimed from the waiver wire early in 2009.  He has appeared in every game since joining the team.  Last season, he recorded 22 tackles, 9 assists, 3 sacks and a forced fumble.

These men were the first, tenth, and thirteenth most productive tacklers last season, making Middle Linebacker and Defensive End (both left and right) positions to watch during the 2011 preseason.

DE White Will Not Return to Buccaneers

In a tweet left less than 60 minutes ago, Stylez G. White confirmed the Buccaneers are no longer interested in his services:

stylezwhite Stylez G. White 

The Bucs go I don't believe they need my services anymore.. So NO not goin to Bucs.. Hope u can still luv me #bucnation :)

1 hour ago Favorite Retweet Reply

We all wish him well!