Coach Analysis: Who Is Mike Smith

Every Bucs fan remembers Mike Smith from his days in Atlanta where he annoyed many Bucs fans with his constant yelling at refs from across the sideline, but who is he really?

Mike Smith is a former college linebacker that has brought himself up the ranks by being successful at every level. He came into the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens as a linebackers coach and had many noticeable names like Ray Lewis, Peter Boulware and Jamie Sharper. He went on to be promoted to defensive coordinator with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

No one thinks of Jacksonville as a defensive powerhouse right? Yet from 2003-2007 Smiths defense ranked 4th in overall defense. Proof is in the pudding. Those were the days you actually saw Jacksonville competing for the playoffs not the top pick.

Smith went on to become the head coach of the Falcons, taking them to the playoffs 4 out of the 7 years and missing the super bowl by one game in 2012. Smith was the coach of the year in 2008 and also has the title as the winningest coach in Falcons franchise history.

Mike Smith our defensive coordinator is one highly respected coach among his NFL peers and the Bucs should feel lucky and grateful to have him. He will bring a fire to this defense that has been lacking for years. Smith is one of those hard nosed football coaches with a highly intelligent defensive mind. He has gone on record as saying he will bring a 4-3 defense to Tampa as well as sprinkling in 3-4. Expect him to utilize his players wisely as many weren't under Lovies command.

Who Is the Real Doug Martin?

The Bucs want to re-sign running back Doug Martin, but for the right price and length of years. Martin has express his want to return to the team which is good and probably why the two sides are in contract negotiations. However, the bigger question is last years Martin here to stay, or we going to see a running back that looked lost in years 2 and 3 of his career.

I think the 2015 version is here to stay, and knowing Jason Licht he will get the right contract that will benefit the team first and Martin second. I believe Martin is fully committed to his craft now and does a much better job of taking care of his body throughout the whole year. This past off season, Martin came into OTA's and mini camp looking like a new player, and it showed on the field. He was in great shape weighing at 223 which allowed him to play with quickness but also power as he led the league in average per carry after contact.

Here is a little stat from Pro Football Focus:

Tampa Bay's Doug Martin was the only RB this season with 150+ carries to average more than 3.0 yards per carry AFTER contact (3.15)

That is just crazy and just shows how good Martin was in 2015, and now with him being more focused on his craft these type of seasons should only continue from here on out. So 1,400 rushing yards should be the minimum now, and with Koetter as head coach he will demand the same.

Keeping Vincent Jackson Is the Right Move

The Bucs offense was looking potent at times during this past season, and the one common thread was Vincent Jackson. When Jackson was on the field, the Bucs just looked like a new offense, just look at the Eagles game where the Bucs put up their highest point total of 48. The offense is just able to do more as it allows more flexibility when you have Evans and Jackson out there together. He is very reliable on third down, and is just a consistent solid player. Yes he is 33yrs old and is making almost 10 million in salary, but he provides so much to this team that you could make a case that he is the MVP.

He is an outstanding leader, and frankly Mike Evans needs him here as Evans is just not ready to do it by himself. Plus the young talent in Kenny Bell, Donteea Dye, and Adam Humphries all look up to Jackson, so having him on the team is vital not only to the offense but helping the future of this team as well. Hopefully this year, Jackson can stay healthy and help the other receivers improve but help Jameis take the next step as well.

If healthy he can still do things like he did in this video below.

Draft and Develop

New Bucs offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach Todd Monken might be my favorite coach just because his way of thinking is the right one. During his press conference, he talked about the process and how its all about the players, that its his job as a coach to develop them. He repeated several times explaining the process that its draft, develop, free agency, and coach better.

“This is a game about talent. I mean, it starts with having talent. You’ve to have talent. You’ve got to have people in position to draft talent. So my belief in the last couple of drafts and Jason (Licht) … my belief in Coach Koetter and Coach Smith and the staff that’s been assembled, all of that has been a big part of it.”

  “I love to be around players and see them achieve all their dreams. It’s always about the players; it’s what this game’s always been about. It’s about you helping them to become the best version of them. Plain and simple, that’s what it’s about.”

Monken is spot on here, and went on to talk about the key to having a good team is developing 4th,5th, and 6th round picks into good players because that's what you have to do to contend. If Monken can make Mike Evans into the best version of himself then the rest of NFL better look out because that will be bad news for 31 other teams.

Early Draft Predictions

Today marks 88 days until the 2016 NFL draft and its never too early for mock drafts to be sprouting out from everywhere. Any ordinary Buccaneer fan can say without a doubt the biggest need the Bucs have is on the defense. But what position in this Swiss cheese defense? Early mock draft have that answer in Florida cornerback Vernon Hargreaves lll. Per draftcountdown.com

After shoring up their offense last offseason it’s now time for the Bucs to shift their focus to rebuilding a defense that has a number of holes.  Florida CB Vernon Hargreaves III might be the best fit when factoring in both value and need.  The major knock on Hargreaves is a lack of ideal size / length.  While there is precedent for sub-6’0” cover guys coming off the board in the Top 10 overall it doesn’t happen often.  Hargreaves has a chance to be one of the exceptions.  Despite his somewhat diminutive dimensions Hargreaves plays a lot bigger due to an aggressive, physical mentality.  Hargreaves will be paid handsomely  for his coverage ability though, where his speed, quick feet, fluid hips and instincts allow him to stick to opposing wideouts down the field.  Hargreaves is also a playmaker in the secondary, finishing his Gators career with 28 pass breakups and 10 interceptions in just three seasons.  Think of Hargreaves as a rich-man’s version of Jason Verrett.  Tampa Bay must also upgrade at defensive end and address a severe shortage of pass rushers but at the end of the day the back-end of the defense is a more pressing concern.

Corner would be a perfect start to fixing the pathetic excuse for a secondary the Bucs put out there every Sunday. Hargreaves is a Tampa boy coming from our own local high school Wharton. What better than to come home and play for your Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The guy has elite skills and was rarely thrown to in his 3 years at Florida and still came up with 10 ints. I feel he will be gone by 9 but this is a perfect scenario, more crazy things have happened before. 

Culture Change Starts With Your Leader

This Buccaneer team is going through a total change all over again. This time it's centered around our franchise QB who is without a doubt the heart beat of the team. As a rookie Winston willed his team to 6 wins while forcing them to realize losing was never an option. For years, this Buccaneer team accepted losing and expected to lose at the end of the day. Jameis is under construction along with Dirk Koetter and the entire organization to change this football teams culture into a winner. The heads down and complaining is going to stop. Here is a view of the passion Jameis brings into the locker room, he was born to lead.

"Im going to lead, Im a quaterback, they lead"-Jameis Winston

New OC Is Going to Bring Fun

New Bucs offensive coordinator Todd Monken is fired up and wants to bring more explosive plays and have fun doing it. Monken who work with Koetter when they were with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2007, was known for bringing energy and having fun with his players.  Now with Tampa, he wants to bring the fun back and a winning attitude as well.

"I like having fun. I don't know why it has to feel like such drudgery," Monken said. "I just don't. I've never understood that. I want a fight song. We don't even have a fight song, I don't think. I want a fight song. Is there a fight song? Cool. You get to sing a fight song. Call me a college guy. When I was in Jacksonville they called me a college guy. That's great, I love it. I love coaching, the excitement of it, why can't it be fun?

 "Watch the Carolina Panthers. They have fun! That looks like fun to me. I wanna have fun. I want our quarterback to have fun. I want our guys to have fun doing it together. I want the locker room to be fun. Is that harder in a pro setting? Yes, because of the change. You have so many different pieces that change, you gotta make that blend together, and guys that play for more than just themselves. Which is difficult in a pro setting because of the money, as we know.

Completely agree with coach, as this team can use some fun and why not copy a Superbowl team like the Panthers. So far looks like coach Monken will be great addition to the team.

Potential fight song for the Bucs?

Moving Up the Ranks?

Its no secret that the Bucs need more from their pass rush as they look to add to it with the use of free agency and the draft. Usually teams don't find great pass rushers in free agency and must look to the draft to find a guy that it can develop into a star. Looking at the draft, I don't see many great pass rushers but one does stand out to me and that is Noah Spence.

Spence racked up 22.5 tackles for loss and 13.5 sacks for Eastern Kentucky this past season, displaying great hands and speed off the edge.  At 6'2 254, he has the athleticism similar to a Von Miller where he can play in multiple schemes as DE or OLB and cause havoc in the backfield. Spence is on the South team for the senior bowl this week, and has been unblockable so far in the practices, making scouts rethink their original evaluations of a round 2,3 grade.

If Spence continues to shine in workouts, team interviews there is no reason he couldn't be a top 15 pick come April.  With the Bucs at 9, I think Jason Licht has to consider him in the discussion of who to take.

Here is some of his game tape vs Kentucky.

Jameis Winston is Going to Hawaii

Nothing much to say other than the kid deserves it, he was great as a rookie on a team where he didn't have much help. This is just the beginning.

Here he is after a big win against the Falcons.

Bucs Could Use A Freak at DE

His name is Bruce Irvin, who plays for the Seahawks and is just a freak of nature. A guy like Irvin could come in right away and play hybrid end/linebacker being that speed rusher we need.

A Veteran Staff

Dirk Koetter completed his coaching staff today, and on the outside it looks like a quality staff that will bring experience and toughness to this team. I think the staff has good people who are quality teachers first, much like the head coach and that should lead to good staff chemistry.
Dirk Koetter: Head Coach
Nate Kaczor: Special Teams Coordinator
Todd Monken: Offensive Coordinator/ Wide Receivers
Mike Smith: Defensive Coordinator
Mike Bajakian: Quarterbacks
Butch Barry: Assistant Offensive Line
Dave Borgonzi: Defensive Quality Control
Mark Duffner: Linebackers
Jon Embree: Tight Ends
Jay Hayes: Defensive Line
Jon Hoke: Secondary
Dave Kennedy: Head Strength & Conditioning
Brett Maxie: Defensive Backs
Carlos Polk: Assistant Special Teams
Tim Spencer: Running Backs
Paul Spicer: Assistant Defensive Line
Ben Steele: Offensive Quality Control
Chad Wade: Assistant Strength & Conditioning
Joe Vaughn: Assistant Strength & Conditioning
George Warhop: Run Game Coordinator/ Offensive Line
Andrew Weidinger: Assistant Wide Receivers/ Game Management
Zack Grossi: Assistant to the Head Coach
The staff has a big challenge ahead of them, but they will have plenty of experience to lean on.

Day 3 Prospect: Javon Hargrave

Jason Licht loves drafting lineman, as he has drafted three in his first two drafts all being offensive but now its time to get some on defense. The good news is this draft has good value in defensive lineman that will be available on day 2 and 3.

One guy I like is defensive tackle Javon Hargrave out of South Carolina State. Hargrave,22 measuring in at 6'2, 295lbs, he brings good leverage and quickness which allows him to get to the quarterback often putting up 13.5 sacks this past season.  Not only did he get to the quarterback, but he made plays in the backfield with 22.5 tackles for loss which displays his quickness off the ball and is a pretty good penetrator.  After drafting a small school guy like Ali Marpet last year, who was an absolute home run, you gotta think Licht could go back to that again with a guy like Hargrave who could be the next Geno Atkins.

The Bucs need help on defense, and by adding Hargrave it would be a great start to fixing it. Hargrave is playing today in the East-West Shrine game for the East team, tune in at 4pm on the NFL Network. Watch the interview below courtesy of Football Gameplan, Hargrave describes himself as a big 300lb point guard.

Play on the Edge Not Over the Edge

It seemed while watching the Bucs, you were just waiting for a yellow flag to be thrown on every other play. Unfortunately this is what happened as the Bucs were the most penalized team in the NFL this past season.  The Bucs had 143 infractions which is just unacceptable, and it cost the team some more wins this year.

Enter Mike Smith, who when with the Falcons did an outstanding job of limiting penalties and his teams were usually at the top with fewest flags. Smith is all about playing smart but physical at the same time, he does a great job of putting an heavy emphasis on reducing flags because it takes a toll on the team if occurs too many times.

“The defensive pass interferences are probably the toughest ones to deal with, then the egregious late hits and things like that. You want guys to play tough, you want them to play smart, though. We want to be tough, we want to be aggressive, but we’ve got to play smart. We always talked about taking it right up to the edge, but let’s not go over.”

Mike Smith added that its extremely important to play penalty free football, especially on defense.

“One of the things that I think is very important is that you strive to play penalty-free football. On defense you have to play penalty-free football because if you don’t you’re getting a lot of opportunities to have the spot fouls. The things that really hurt you are the defensive pass interferences or the silly, dumb penalties. As a defense we’re going to strive to play on the edge, not over the edge. That’s a fine line and when teams play on the edge they’re ready to play and they’re ready to play the way the game is supposed to be played.”

I completely agree, the Bucs got to stop the flags if it wants to make the playoffs in 2016, with Koetter and Smith here I think there's a great chance of that happening.

Potential Free Agent Target?

We all know the Bucs need an upgrade at defensive end, how about potential Miami free agent Olivier Vernon.  He is 25 and brings a nastiness to the field.  Here he is mic'up for the Cowboys game.

Diamond in the Rough?

I was at the West team's practice today in preparation for the East-West Shrine game on Saturday and one player really intrigued me. That would be defensive end David Onyemata, who played for the Manitoba Bison where he had 50 tackles, 5 sacks, and a forced fumble this past season. Onyemata is big in stature measuring in at 6'4 300lbs, but not only does he have power he has speed to go with it. He has good quickness off the edge that you need to have at the defensive end position, and then again he has the power to move inside to play the defensive tackle position so that is huge for him as a player. Onyemata is someone to keep an eye on as we get closer to the draft, he could end up being a steal for some team in the middle to late rounds.

Here is a video of Onyemata talking a little about his background, he mentions winning mindset. Love that!

Coach Analysis: Who is Dirk Koetter?

Who is your new Tampa Bay Buccaneer head coach. We all know he did an amazing job handling Jameis Winston and put together a top 10 offense, but what is his back ground?

Dirk Koetter is a former quarterback and son of a head coach. He has worked his way up from being offensive coordinators for college teams, to even being a head coach for Boise State and Arizona State. Koetter is known for his vertical passing game which will be on full display this year in Tampa.

The most important thing I believe about Koetter is who is he as a man? One of the best ways to tell what type of person someone is, is by seeing what other people say about them. Mike Smith our new defensive coordinator had a few nice things to say:

Dirk has great people skills and a great leader.

He is organized and is understanding of his players

Great relationships, thats what strengthens an organization, thats what strengthens a team

High praise from a high profile coach. Dirk has succeeded in every destination he has been. He produced top 10 offenses with the Jaguars, Falcons and your Buccaneers with a rookie quarterback. I see the Bucs moving in the right direction with Dirk at the helm. He already has his offense installed from last year and will continue to open it up, given that he has total control of his players. Dirk seems to be well liked among coaches and players alike. Its time the Bucs be pushed in a new direction as Lovie's soft spoken nature wasn't getting the job done.

Play to Your Strengths to Hide Your Weaknesses

Today, new Bucs defensive coordinator Mike Smith met with the media and I was impressed with a lot of what he had to say.  In particular, when he was asked about what kind of scheme he intends to run in which he said it depends on what fits best for the players.

"You want to put your players in the best position that you possibly can; that's what coaching is all about. It's about putting them in a spot where they can be successful and be the best version of themselves."

Smith went on to say that the defense will be flexible in its looks meaning we might see some 3-4 this year at times, but I like that he is going to build a scheme that will suit the players strengths.  This is what makes a good coach, you evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of your players and then put those players in the best situations to succeed. Looks like the Bucs finally have a staff that can adapt to its players strengths.

Win the Locker Room First!

After hiring Dirk Koetter as head coach, the big question is who would be the defensive coordinator, would it be former Falcons head coach Mike Smith, who has coached with Koetter in the past, or would it be someone else. Well the next day we found out from Koetter that it would be Mike Smith, which I feel was the best hire for this team because Smith has a winning mindset and not to mention he is one hell of a defensive coordinator. While Smith was taking the year off in 2015, he wrote a book called "You Win in the Locker Room First", and guess what the first chapter is about?

Its about creating a winning culture, this is why I said the Bucs have already listen to Jameis Winston in that a winning culture needs to be established. Mike Smith is a leader of men and he is going to bring accountability and some nastiness to this defense that it sorely needs. That winning mindset is coming Tampa! Its about time.

Create a Winning Culture

Shortly after losing 38-10 to the Carolina Panthers, Jameis Winston was furious in how the team played down the strecth to end the season, losing the last 4 games to finish with a record of 6-10. Winston said its time to create a winning culture and get this team to believe its going to win everytime.

“We’re going to create a mindset this offseason – a winning mindset. I guarantee it,” Winston said. “A mindset that you will never give up, a relentless mindset of being able to persevere over adversity. We’re going to have that next year.”

Winston went on to say he is going be himself by leading this team back to winning football.

 “I’m going to be me,” Winston said. “That’s me. I persevere. I’m relentless. I want to win and that’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to protect the football. As a quarterback, you lead.”

 I think the Bucs have listen to Winston already with some of the moves they have made so far this offseason. I will have more on this later today, but for now enjoy the video below of Jameis Winston talking about what needs to take place this offseason.

Could the Bucs Go Linebacker With the 9th Overall Pick?

The Bucs must pick defensive end or corner with the 9th pick right? Not so fast my friend, if jack of all trades UCLA linebacker Myles Jack is on the board, the Bucs should definitely consider taking him at 9th overall. Jack is the real deal, has all the tools you look for in today's NFL player.

Watch the video below, Jack is a beast and easily a top 5 player in this year's NFL Draft.

Is Dirk Koetter the Next Bruce Arians?

Could Dirk Koetter be the next Bruce Arians? Absolutely, but the bigger question is will he, I say he will but not right away.  Koetter and Arians are both very simalar in coaching style and background as they are both straight shooters and love to be aggresive in their attack.  Like Koetter, Arians has been a college head coach and long time offensive assistant for mulitple NFL teams before becoming the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals in which he has them in the NFC championship game for the first time since 2009.

Gm Jason Licht was part of the coaching search when Arizona hired coach Arians, and I think he believes Koetter can have the same magic that Arians has had so far.

Licht sees Koetter in that same light like Arians, a guy who has had success everywhere he's been and there is no reason that success shouldn't continue as head coach of the Buccaneers. Is Dirk Koetter the next Bruce Arians, we will find out soon enough.