"I Lead, Thats What I Do"

As a rookie last year, Jameis Winston was beyond better than expected and was a main reason the Bucs won 6 games last year. Winston quickly became the leader of the team, and is ready to do even bigger things in year 2. Bucs defensive tackle Gerald McCoy talked about Jameis on NFL Network's show NFL's Top 100 and is happy that Winston is on his team and can't wait to see what he becomes as he will only get better in time.

"Enjoy being a rookie, and just be the best Tampa Bay Buccaneers Qb that you can be," McCoy told Jameis. "No, that's not me, I lead that's what I do," said Jameis.  "It's just who he is, It's in his blood I'm happy he is on our side," said McCoy.

Jameis is a born leader, and his desire to win is unmatched by his competition. He is working non-stop to build this team into championship form. Jameis has the ear of his teammates which is a sign of a great leader and how the Quarterback should be viewed as. Jameis still has to grow and learn more but he is ahead of the curve which should lead to a great second season in the NFL. Here is the full video below.

.@Jaboowins isn't just a QB.
He's a leader;
A grinder;
A kid on his way up.
Almost landed in the #NFLTop100 at #126.https://t.co/hMsbnKAz0W

— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) June 29, 2016

Who Stands Out to Koetter?

A photo posted by Dan Vitale (@danvitale86) on Jun 19, 2016 at 5:20pm PDT

If there is a way to make the roster its to stand out to the head coach. So when asked last week who is standing out in practices Koetter gave a politically correct answer then threw out one name above all.

Are there names that have popped out to you from this rookie class?

 Oh sure on different days all those guys have. I mean we got the tight ends, the running backs, the defensive lineman, Luke the middle linebacker has moved up the depth chart a little bit. These guys are all working hard and you know its a long way from 90 to 53 but love the way their working.

That middle linebacker is Luke Rhodes of small school William & Mary, where he was a 2 time team captain and is known for his vocal leadership and extreme motor. Luke has an NFL ready body 6'2 242 lbs similar to Dan Vitale (seen above) and has all the athletic gifts to become a good player. Considering the already crowded room the bucs have at linebacker, Rhodes will have to compete to earn a spot on special teams. Lets see how high up the depth chart Luke can rise?

Will The Bucs Have Top Ten Ranking on Offense and Defense?

The Bucs offense took a big step forward last season as they finished 5th in total offense and broke franchise records. However, the offense wasn't perfect as they were 20th in scoring offense and are looking to be much improved in that area in 2016. The offense should be close to last year's ranking if not better with the continiuty in place for the unit, the bigger question is the defense. Enter Mike Smith, whose defense will be multiple but tailored to the player's strengths allowing them to play fast.

If the defense can make a big leap forward similar to how the offense did in 2015, then the Bucs could be in store for a special season in 2016. The defense has improved depth up front in the trenches specifically on the edge with Robert Ayers and Noah Spence coming aboard. The Linebacking core is very talented with Lavonte David and Kwon Alexander as well as new veteran Daryl Smith making the unit improved and more experienced. The secondary is probably the most improved unit on paper with additions of Brent Grimes, Josh Robinson, Vernon Hargreaves, and Ryan Smith.

This team is ready to win, and I believe it finally has the right coaching staff in place with Dirk Koetter and Mike Smith leading the offense and defense respectively. The offense will be there with Winston, Martin, and Evans leading the way every Sunday. The key will be the defense making major improvement and into a top ten ranking which is definitely possible with the talent on board. Could this be the year the Bucs have a top ten offense and defense? Wouldn't that be something Bucs fans!

Humphries is Ready to Compete for Playing Time

Adam Humphries has some stiff competition for the slot receiver and returner positions as we get closer to July. Humphries was one of the few bright spots on the team last year as he stepped up nicely filling in for the injured Louis Murphy as the slot receiver. He is not the biggest or the fastest but reliable and that is what you want from your third receiver. Humphries had a decent rookie season hauling in 27 catches for 260yds and one touchdown. Humphries is working hard to improve in all areas and feels he has already improved via Buccaneers.com.

"I do feel like I'm a better player [this year]," said Humphries. "I feel like every year I need to improve and that's what you have to do to stay in this league. I had a good offseason and I feel like so far in OTAs we've improved. Personally, I feel like I've improved and that I've performed well this offseason.

Humphries looks up to New England's star receiver Julian Edelman and wants to evolve his game similar to him by being precise in his route running and overall lateral quickness. If Humphries can become anything close to Edelman then the Bucs got another steal and the offense will be in good hands. Humphries is going to have to earn it as he faces tough competition from Kenny Bell and Evan Spencer. The receiver position will be a fun one to watch come training camp.

Alstott Sees Success for Rookie Vitale

Every Bucs fan remembers the A-train Mike Alstott as he is one of the legends in Buccaneer football history. A player that not every Bucs fan knows is 6th round pick Dan Vitale out of Northwestern who has an similar playing style to the Buc legend. Vitale had the chance to sit down with Alstott to talk about football and what it takes to be successful in the NFL. Alstott had nothing but great things to say about the rookie, and thinks he has a bright future via Buccaneers.com.

"What a great kid," said the former Buc great. "He has a lot of similar traits to me when I was growing up, his work ethic and his passion. You can just tell in the first 10 minutes of talking to him what kind of guy he is, how blessed he feels to be here and what he's going to do to make the team. He knows he needs to do everything he can on special teams, and he knows he needs to pick the brains of the veterans."

Vitale has the right mindset and work ethic according to Alstott and believes he will have success right away because he loves the game of football.

"You have to earn your way on special teams first, and at the same time learn your position and do whatever it takes," said Alstott, recounting his words to Vitale. "Early mornings, late nights. Be on time. He understands all that already. He is very passionate, and if you have that, you've got half the battle won." 

Vitale is working at tight end/fullback and is likely to be the starting fullback at some point during the 2016 season. Vitale has the skillset to be a weapon on offense and special teams, and should become a fan favorite pretty quickly just like his football hero Mike Alstott.

Dirk Wants Competitiors

Head coach Dirk Koetter has set the tone ever since becoming the lead man for Tampa and hasn't shied away from saying what he wants. Last week during practice a fight broke out in which Dirk jumped in to break up the skirmish. When asked later what he thought of the fight, Koetter gave his usual strong answer.

I want a team full of competitors, I want a bunch of guys that are going to play emotional, hard-nosed football. Hey I don't think we should be backing down from anything. If you think its not going to get a little heated out there we're kidding ourselves.

 "Never back down from anything", was the strongest quote in my opinion. The bucs over the years have learned to become losers and give up at times. It seems Koetter refuses for that to happen. He along with Winston have that strong passion to win no matter what. Koetter truly believes he has a good team and will push them to get the most he can out of them. You are either on his ship or not but either way his ship is being pushed in the right direction, who all is on board?

Koetter Says Good Off-Season so far

The off-season has been kind so far to the Buccaneers as they have been able to put in quality work and for the most part have been healthy for the entire workout program. Coach Koetter expects full participation from all 90 players when training camp starts at the end of July and is proud of the work the team has done so far via buccaneers.com.

“Well, what we accomplished, number one, is we put in a whole new defensive scheme [and] a whole new special teams scheme," said Koetter. "We integrated 24 rookies and five or six free agents into our system [and] we continued to develop our offensive scheme."

That is great news for this team as they get closer to the start of the season where this year's training camp will feature some intense position battles throughout the roster. The other bright spot is allowing Jameis to put more on his plate which is great for the offense as it will allow the unit to grow even more.

"Jameis can handle a lot and does handle a lot every day," said Koetter. "He can handle more than we’re giving him. Compared to last year at this time, he knows way, way more than he did a year ago at this time." 

The Bucs are about 6 weeks away from training camp and as of now they appear to be in great shape to get things back to winning ways.

VH3 is Displaying Why He's a First Round Selection

The Bucs have been missing playmakers in the secondary during the past few seasons as they really haven't had a gamechanger back there since Ronde Barber or even Aqib Talib. This is why the Bucs drafted corner Vernon Hargreaves with the 11th selection because one thing is for sure he is a playmaker. Hargreaves had 10 interceptions for his college career at Florida and so far all he has been doing during practice is making plays on the ball for his new team. He could be the missing piece on defense as it could use players that can make game changing plays. Coach Koetter sees it every day up close via buccaneers.com.

"Over the course of these OTAs and camp there is at least one thing every day that Vernon shows up making a play," said Koetter. "He has a real knack for the ball. Some guys can be in position and never seem to make a play on the ball. When Vernon gets his hands on it he’s going to catch it."

Hargreaves is just a playmaker and the Bucs definitely need that in the secondary as the unit has been a weakness the past few seasons. Hargreaves provides versatility as he will play on the outside and inside at the nickel position and coach Koetter says he will play often whether that is at nickel or on the outside remains to be seen.

“He’s going to play," said Koetter. "The guy has made plays every single day. Vernon is a football player, everything we thought when we drafted him. He’s going to play. It will all fall in place. A lot of that will be determined by health, but I’m very confident that Vernon can either play inside at the nickel or play outside. For whoever doesn’t know the difference, the nickel corner plays over the slot and regular corners play outside on the wide out and Vernon can play both."

Look for Hargreaves to become a guy the Bucs can count on to make a big play when needed on defense.

He Can't be Stopped in the Redzone

Even though the Bucs offense had one of their best years statistically, they could still have been way better in the red zone last season. One way to improve red zone efficiency is having reliable targets and the Bucs have one in tight end Cameron Brate. Brate was one of the nice surprises last season and so far this off-season, he just continues to do the right things especially when it comes to catching touchdowns in the red area. Coach Koetter is happy to have Brate on his side and talked about how Cam finds open spots in the red zone via NFL.Com and Tampa Bay Times.

"Cam has got an uncanny ability to show up in the red zone and we saw that again today,'' coach Dirk Koetter said Thursday during the team's final day of minicamp

Brate is on track to get more playing time in 2016 and should be a favorite target for Jameis to throw to. Brate is a grinder type player which makes coaches love him and it wouldn't surprise me if Brate starts the season as the starting tight end. ASJ has all the talent in the world but if he can't get the right mindset then he could easily be unseated by the man from Harvard. Bucs need to be better in the red zone, and Brate will be one of the solutions for 2016.

Bucs Want More No-Huddle

Last year, the Bucs offense was usually at their best when they Incorporated the no-huddle offense as it allowed Jameis Winston more time to see the defense. Now heading into the 2016 season, coach Koetter wants to utilize the no-huddle offense more given the fact that Jameis is more advanced now and the rest of the offensive players are now in year 2. Jameis is on board with the no-huddle and thinks it will help this young group on offense even more per Rick Stroud.

"I think when you’re playing fast paced, the more you can cut out thinking, the better you are," Winston said. "Especially for the young guys that we had. You get up there, you call the play and you go with it."

The no-huddle does a good job of keeping the opposing defense off balance and allows more creativity for a good play caller like coach Koetter. Koetter did tons of no-huddle when he was with the Falcons, and is looking to bring that here with the Bucs. Winston is ready to take on more as the quarterback of this team, and using no-huddle will be just one of the many responsibilities he will have for this offense.

Potential Sleeper at the Receiver Position?

The Bucs have talent at the receiver position with Mike Evans and Vincent Jackson leading the way, along with Louis Murphy, Russell Shepard, and Adam Humphries. Evans is a true number one and will be a dominant force for years to come. Jackson is on the older side as he is 33 but is still very productive and should bounce back if healthy. Murphy and Shepard are both decent players but nothing special as both have plateau. Humphries has potential as a slot receiver and displays consistent hands and hopefully can continue to get better.

However, there is one receiver that was mainly on the practice squad this past season that is starting to make noise and that is Evan Spencer out of Ohio State. Spencer is only 23 and has good size at 6'2 208lbs plus he has the speed and hands as well. Teammate Mike Evans had good things to say about Spencer per pewterreport.com.

“He’s a hard worker,” Bucs wide receiver Mike Evans said. “He’s 6-foot-1 and he has good speed, but he has really good hands. That’s what people don’t realize. He has really good hands.”

If Spencer can provide consistency and show the ability to make big plays, he could very well beat out Louis Murphy or Russell Shepard for a roster spot on the team. The Bucs need a speed/deep threat and perhaps that is Spencer. Maybe this is why the Bucs passed on drafting a receiver this year.

Ali Marpet Primed To Be Even Better

Ali Marpet proved last year that the jump from division III football to the NFL wasn't too big for him and that he was ready for the stage. Marpet may have been the best man mover on that line last year and that is not a discredit to anyone else on the line. You could see it early on in the process during training camp last year has he often frustrated Gerald McCoy on many occasions. This year Marpet looks to only improve on his rookie season based on his Instagram photo.

What is my profession? Day in day out, I push large men around a rectangular grass field. #BucsOTAs #GetBetterEveryDay

A photo posted by Ali Marpet (@alimarpet) on Jun 10, 2016 at 11:45am PDT

Marpet fits the mold of an old school mauler that loves to push guys around and another year of progress will benefit the bucs and especially the running game. Marpet and the O-line look to be the most strong position group on the bucs and they will look to only grow on that this year.

What Does Koetter Think About Short Corners

The Bucs roster is mostly filled with smaller more quick twitch athletes at corner in Brent Grimes, Alterrraun Verner, Josh Robinson and Rookie Vernon Hargreaves but that doesn't seem to bother head coach Dirk Koetter as he gave one of the best quotes ever about his smaller guys. Via Greg Auman Tampa Bay Times.

"They're not going to grow, alright? So we've got 5,000 stories out there about short corners. You can't bitch about your players. They're the ones you've got. These guys aren't going to grow."

Koetter is a straight shooter and obviously doesn't beat around the bush. If a guy can play he can play and obviously by collecting all these guys with similar traits means that's the type of corner that fits this defensive scheme. Koetter went on to describe the research of the ratio between shorter and taller corners.

"There's plenty of research both ways about size and corners. There's some misnomers out there," Koetter said. "There's just as many corners that are 5-10 that have been successful as corners that are 6-4. So the guys are who they are. We're happy with our guys and we're going to keep working with them."

All that matter's is who is on your team right now. You work with what you got and you make the most of it and that seems like what Koetter's mind set is. Looking at the roster right now the only corner above 5'11 is Jonathan Banks (6'2) so who is the outlier? The bucs seem confident with the height of their corners right now, lets see if that confidence shows itself on the field come game day.

How is Noah Spence Looking?

Spence has become a crowd favorite as he looks to a savior for the bucs severe lack of pass rush. Reporters always ask coach Koetter about Spence and after Friday's practice he gave a little insight to how he's doing.

Noah Looks like he doesn't like being blocked out there. What do you think about that?

 Well again, Noah's doing a fine job. Lets not forget we're in underwear now so supposedly no winners no losers everday. Different guys sometimes are going different speeds, but were excited with what Noah's doing and look forward to seeing him in the pads when we get back in the fall.

Noah is obviously winning in underwear football as the big uglies can't get there hands fully on him just yet but he's taking it as a learning process. He seems to be taking the same path as Winston did last year as he has been nothing but quiet and nose has been completely clean and in the playbook, unlike fellow teammate ASJ. Spence has all the ability in the world and if he stays driven can finally be the pass rush specialist the bucs have been longing for.

Koetter Expects Accountability

Bill Belichick is a big believer of players being held accountable as they should be. Its a big reason why the Patriots have been so successful over the last decade. Belichick has the quote "Do Your Job", which means being prepared, working hard, paying attention to details, and putting the team first. Buccaneers head coach Dirk Koetter is trying to create that kind of mindset with his players as he expects accountability and that players will be paying attention to the details by knowing what their job is on every snap.

Well today, Bucs tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins got kicked out of practice for apparently not knowing what to do on a certain play, and Dirk Koetter was not happy at all.

I believe this is the play where Dirk Koetter sends Austin Seferian -Jenkins off field for lining up improperly pic.twitter.com/jfLlXjkfZ2

— Jeff Tewksbury (@JeffTewksFox13) June 9, 2016

 This shouldn't happen especially since this offense is going into year 2 now, so the players from last season should know the offense. Now yes mistakes do happen but mistakes is what cost you games and the Bucs can't afford stupid mistakes like lining up incorrectly on the field. ASJ needs to mature and become more accountable and focus on what his job is or he is going to be seeing the bench often this season.

Bucs coach Dirk Koetter on play before Austin Seferian-Jenkins was sent off: "He didn't know what he was doing."

— Greg Auman (@gregauman) June 9, 2016

This is the NFL and it is hard to win in this league as the Bucs have seen up close for the past 9 years. Koetter made the right move as it sends a message to the rest of the team that if you are not here to do your job and be accountable then we will find someone else to do it. As far as ASJ goes, lets see how he responds from this and hopefully this makes him even better and he finally breaks out this year. This is good to see though and it shows Koetter expects accountability from his players or else it will be riding the pine for that player.

Make or Break Year For Dotson

Two seasons ago, right tackle Demar Dotson was probably the best offensive lineman on the Bucs and still was heading into last season. However, he suffered a knee injury prior to the start of the season and was sideline for 8 weeks in which he was replaced by free agent pickup Godser Cherlius. Cherlius did a decent job but wasn't on the same level as Dotson is as far as pass protection goes. Not saying Dotson is a elite right tackle but is at least above average which is good enough for a right tackle.

Dotson is heading into a contract year and must get back to his 2014 form which was probably his best season as a pro. This will probably be his last big contract as he is already 30 years old and will be looking for top dollar. At 6'9 315lbs, Dotson has the size and length plus the athleticism to dominate at times on the field and is usually pretty consistent every week. Dotson and Cherlius will compete for the starting job during training camp and preseason which should be an interesting battle. I expect Dotson to win the job just due to the fact he is the better player and if healthy that should be an easy decision for the coaching staff.

Lets hope Dotson brings his best in 2016 and gives more time for Jameis to see the field and not have to worry about the edges at all. Dotson is a solid run blocker as well, and also does a good job on screen plays by getting out in the open field quickly to set up blocks for the RB. Having Dotson at his best in 2016 will be big for the Bucs offensive line, and more importantly it needs to happen for Dotson or he will be gone in 2017.

Who is Dominique Robertson?

One of the undrafted free agents that caught my eye the most is West Georgia LT Dominique Robertson and its for good reason. He's a full grown man standing 6'5 324, with 36 inch long arms. Robertson fits the eye test for an NFL lineman for sure but is he a looks like Tarzan plays like Jane type of player?

Robertson had a long path to get to the NFL as he went through community college, a quick stint with Texas Tech, then down to division II school West Georgia. He dominated his competition at West Georgia as his shear size and brute strength (30 bench reps of 225) could push around smaller and less athletic players. He was noticed by the bucs most likely from his play but he's also the nephew of bucs o-line coach George Warhop. Having a family member like that helps even that much more in trying to make a roster.

Here with the bucs he's going to have a hard uphill battle as the o-line may be the strongest position on the roster. It seems as if he will switch to guard to start his NFL journey as his uncle George Warhop stated, per Rick Stroud of Tampa Bay Times.

"We're looking at him inside,'' Warhop said. "He was more of a tackle in college. He'll spin his way inside for us. He's a powerful kid. He plays a powerful game and he's got really good quickness, which is what we want inside, now we like to play and pull our guys and get them in space and that fits him.''

Robertson fits the perfect physical specimen of a mauling guard, lets see if he can put all of his gifts together and get a spot on the roster.

Glennon Trade Report is False

The trade whirlwinds of Mike Glennon took another turn this past week as supposedly Bucs Gm Jason Licht was offered day 2 picks for the back up Qb before the draft began back in late april.

According to 247Sports insider Luke Rodgers, the Cowboys have a standing offer on the table for Glennon if the Buccaneers decide to trade him. Rodgers' source informed him that the Cowboys attempted to trade for Glennon on draft day with the Bucs looking into their 2016 third-round pick and 2017 third-round pick.

If Jason Licht who said after the draft he got no calls on Glennon, was really offered two thirds then Glennon would be a Dallas Cowboy already. Unfortunately, articles like this get put out there as they start conversations and generate traffic which this story has done but don't believe it for one second. Then also allegedly the Cardinals called and offered a second round pick for Glennon which was also turned down.

The Arizona Cardinals also recently attempted to land Glennon, per Rodgers. The NFC West team tried to sling a second-round pick for the quarterback before the start of the draft.

This is nonsense as Jason Licht and Arizona Cardinals Gm Steve Keim are close friends and if this was really offered then again Glennon would not be a Buc. The Bucs like Glennon as their backup Qb and want to keep him. Now with that being said if compensation like stated above was ever offered then the Bucs would gladly send him on his way.

More Rollouts For Jameis This Year

One of the surprises last season was how good of a runner Jameis was as he had 6 rushing touchdowns as a rookie. Jameis was very poise as a runner and usually made the right decision when to run and when not to. With the strength of the offense being the running game, look for the Bucs to incorpate more play action rollouts for Jameis to give him more pass/run options to make the offense more dynamic.

The Bucs are looking for more explosive plays downfield and one of the more explosive plays last year came on a rollout pass against the saints, here it is below.

Expect to see more of this in 2016 with Jameis having the choice of whether to run or pass allowing him to be more of a playmaker. The rollouts are very effective and it helps the O-line against fierce pass rushing defenses. Not having the same launch point on every throw is just smart offensive football, and can help make things easier for a young Qb like Jameis. Especially in the redzone where you can expect more plays like this below.

So this is just something to look for during the 2016 season, as it should be an exciting year for Jameis Winston and the Buccaneers.

Don't Forget About VJax

Everyone seems to be set on the Winston to Evans connection that they refuse to remember that the bucs also have a 3 time pro bowler and 6 time thousand yard season receiver in Vincent Jackson. Jackson had a long injury riddled season last year where he missed 6 games which is the reason for his drop off, not because of his age(33) as many people had thought.

If you take one look at Jackson you can see he takes his career seriously and may be the most physically fit buccaneer on the roster. Everyone is so enamored and happy about Brent Grimes and he is soon to be 33 as well, but he's not getting the negativity Jackson is. When healthy Jackson can form the twin towers the bucs were hoping for and I'm sure he's primed to show that this season. Also keep in mind early in the season against the great Carolina defense and Josh Norman, VJax had a 10 catch 147 yard day to go along with one score.

Look for Jackson to return to his pro bowl form again in 2016 as it is a contract year and you know last year left a bad taste in his mouth. Remember there are 2, 6'5 monster wide receivers Winston has to throw to, not just one.

Noah Spence Speaks

Since becoming a buccaneer Noah Spence hasn't talked much and has been letting his play on the practice field do the talking for him. He broke that silence earlier this week and gave us a peak at what he sees this bucs defense as.

How much more complex is this defense than Ohio State and Eastern Kentucky? 

Its a lot like Ohio States for real, but eastern Kentucky, its nothing like that.  

Is this a defense that fits your skill and where have they been working you? 

Oh yeah for sure, I really like all the schemes were doing and all the packages they got me in so far. Mostly right end and a couple 30 packages, where I'm standing up and walking around.

 So the Bucs defense is a lot like Ohio State's, huh. Hopefully he thrives in this defense as he did in his sophomore season at Ohio state as he was all over the field totaling 50 tackles, 14 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks. Spence is going to have every bucs fan's attention as we have been begging for a dominant edge presence ever since Simeon Rice and Spence is the new hope. Spence also gave a little insight to other guys around the league that he looks up to as well.

I love Justin Houston, Cameron Wake, of course Von (Miller) but I really like Cameron Wakes game, his get off, his relentlessness playing defense.

Looking at those three guys the guy he compares most to is Wake. Spence shares the same relentless motor as Wake and can be seen running plays down from behind frequently. If Spence can come anywhere near the production any of those 3 have produced there will be plenty of happy buccaneer fans all over Tampa.

Defense is Improving

For the longest time the Bucs were known for their great defense as they had one of the greatest defenses over a ten year period. Now heading into the 2016 season, Bucs fans are just hoping for improvement on the defensive side of the ball. It's early in the off-season practices but so far the defense is looking better according to head coach Dirk Koetter. The defense is adjusting to the new scheme very well per pewterreport.com.

“I see improvements with just our defense in general and our defensive scheme – how well our defensive players are running to the bell, how well they’re embracing the volume that [defensive coordinator Mike] Smith and the defensive coaches are putting in, the different looks that they’re giving us on defense, the energy that our defensive players are bringing to practice. I mean, our offense should be a little bit ahead of our defense right now because they are in the same system, but we’re just real happy with how our defensive guys are taking to the new scheme.”

That is all you can ask for as a fan of this team which is just keep improving every day and take that next step forward which will lead to wins. This defense has the talent and the depth for the most part and looks like it has the right scheme now to succeed in. Now it's about putting it all together on the field as Lavonte David said they have a chance to be the best defense ever per Greg Auman.

"I think we can be the best defense ever, to be honest. I'm going to go out there and say it," David said.

 "Yeah, I'm going to say it. Put it on me. I'm going to say it," he said. "NFL history, Bucs history, anything. That's just the type of attitude we have."

I love the confidence and it's smart by David as it puts a challenge on this defense and provides them with a winning mindset which they need to have at all times to be great on defense. One thing is for sure this defense is going to be mentally strong this season.

Future Center?

The theme of this off-season has been versatility as the Bucs have been looking for players that can play multiple positions. They have been also cross-training players as well with one of them being RG Ali Marpet who has been taking snaps at center during OTA's. Marpet could be the future center for the team since Joe Hawely and Evan Smith are both entering contract years. This is just smart by the team as it builds depth and most importantly its going to make Marpet a better player. Here is the news per Greg Auman.

Bucs going through their no-helmet walkthrough portion of OTA practice with curious wrinkle: Ali Marpet getting some work at center ...

— Greg Auman (@gregauman) June 2, 2016

The Bucs are also working guard Kevin Pamphile at center as well who could see more playing time this year and is someone that is on the rise. Ali Marpet did so well at guard last season that he will probably stay there but it is always good to expand your abilities as a player. This will allow Marpet to see the game from a different aspect which will only help his techniques and his approach. This is just another smart move by this coaching staff.

Lavonte David #53 in NFL Top 100

Every year NFL network takes a survey from NFL players to see whom they rate as the top 100 players in the NFL and the players have spoken. They rank Lavonte David as the 53rd overall rated player in the NFL. David is well worth that ranking as he has done nothing but produce every year and has turned into a tackling machine.

David continues to climb the ranks as he was rated 56th in last years top 100. David has obviously been known here in Tampa due to his play and now its about time the rest of the league understands how good of a player he is. The man has had at least 139 tackles or more in all of his 4 seasons as a pro.

McCoy showed face earlier on the list at 63 and is expecting to be much higher next year. Who else on the Bucs roster could show up on the list, Doug martin, Mike Evans? Lets see if the bucs are getting their respect or have to earn their respect this year.

Mike James Back to Form?

One of the more interesting camp battles will be the third running back spot which is up for grabs due to the departure of Bobby Rainey. The early favorite is 4th year Rb Mike James out of Miami who has had some big games for the Bucs during his young career. James has struggled with some injuries but is still a pretty good running back and is ready to prove his worth again in 2016. Here is what running backs coach Tim Spencer had to say about James per joebucsfan.com.

“I like Mike. Mike’s been around. Mike’s smart. He’s a pro. He’s worked his tail off,” Spencer said. “And I think even when he was in before I got here he had a couple of nice games. So I feel pretty good about that.

Not saying the number three job will be handed to James because he will have competition for it. Newcomers like Storm Johnson and Peyton Barber can play too and bring the versatility like James does, so it should be a great battle during camp and preseason. James reminds me of former Buc Earnest Graham who didn't really shine till his 5th year, so maybe this is the year James puts it all together and can find his role alongside Martin and Sims.