Prospect Watch: S Budda Baker

I think we can all agree that over the last few years the Bucs safety play has been questionable to say the least. It is one position that the team will finally upgrade this off-season as there are good options via free agency and the draft. Now the Bucs safety play was better last year especially in the second half of the season. Keith Tandy stepped up his game and has a good chance to return as a starter in 2017. Teammate Bradley Mcdougald also had a solid season and has a good chance of returning to the team with a new contract. That gives the Bucs two safeties as I think they will let Chris Conte go elsewhere and will look to add new depth at the position.

Like last year with the corner position, I think the Bucs double up on the safety position this year adding one through free agency and the draft. One player that our team here at realbucstalk really likes is Washington Huskies's safety Budda Baker. Baker is a heat sneaking missile on the field as he is constantly all over the field making plays. Baker has good football instincts and seems to always be around the football. Here is a play of Baker showing his physical style and range as a safety.

Budda just didn't want him catching this ball pic.twitter.com/UysWPM7cwT

— realbucstalk (@realbucstalk) February 27, 2017

Baker is a playmaker in the secondary which is something the Bucs could use more of in their secondary. Now lets take a closer look at Baker's strengths and weaknesses as a prospect.

Budda Baker 5'10 192lbs 70 tackles, 9 TFL, 3 sacks, 2 Int, 5 PD

Strengths: Baker has very high football IQ and above average field awareness. He has good instincts and feel for the game as he is rarely out of position and is always near the football. Plays with passion and explodes towards the ball every play. Has the ability to run through receivers to knock the ball loose or force a turnover. He displays good fundamentals and takes smart angles in his tackle pursuit. Shows ability as a blitzer and can make plays coming off the edge. He plays with speed and shows range in coverage and has the ability to close on the ball like a corner. Has flexibility to play in the slot or in center field as a free safety. Baker is a leader as well and has been described as a winner.

Weaknesses: Baker's main weakness is his size as he is only 190lbs and is under 6 feet tall which is not ideal size for safeties in the NFL. Can Baker hold up physically and maintain health throughout his career will be the main question for him. At times can be too aggressive as a tackler and get out of control. Liability going against tight ends in coverage due to lack of size.

Here is a quote from an NFC scout on Baker and what role would suit him best per NFL.com

"I would leave him as a centerfielder and then roll him down over the slot if you needed too. He's too small to cover tight ends, but he's got great instincts in coverage which is why he should shine as a single-high." - NFC area scout

Overall, I think Baker is very similar to Bob Sanders or current NFL safety Earl Thomas and has the football IQ and instincts to overcome his size issues. I believe the Bucs could target Baker as early as 19th overall in the draft and would be an upgrade at the position immediately. With Baker, the Bucs could move either Tandy or Mcdougald to strong safety allowing Baker to play free safety where he can play sideline to sideline. According to reports, Baker is a outstanding guy off the field and truly loves the game of football and should make an high impact to whatever team he goes to. If the top targets on the offensive side of the ball are gone, Baker could be a top choice for the Bucs at 19.

What?!?! The Bucs Only Have 2 Safeties Under Contract

by Douglas O'Connor
follow me on Twitter @Ren_Daxt by clicking HERE 

     The Buccaneers safety position has been in the cross hairs of nearly every Buc fan at one time or another these past couple of years. The underwhelming combination of two year starters Chris Conte and Bradley McDougald were a part of a defensive backfield that gave up a NFL league worst 70% completion rate in 2015.

     The addition of corner backs  Brent Grimes and Vernon Hargreaves and new defensive coordinator Mike Smith shaved almost seven points off of that total, but the Bucs are still only middle of the pack in the category.

     Most NFL personnel experts agree, for the Buccaneers to take the next step. An upgrade at the safety position is needed. Luckily, the free agents and 2017 draft class has the players to do just that, and Jason Licht has the cap room to make it happen.

     I'll breakdown who the Bucs have under contract. What possible free agents they could be looking at and what draftees could be catching Jason Licht's eye.

Who The Bucs Have

     It may come as a surprise to Buccaneers fans that their team only has two safeties under contract. A five year roll player and a futures contract guy who has never played a down in the NFL. 

     Kieth Tandy was drafted by the Bucs in 2012 out of the University of West Virginia. Only 7 starts in his first 4 years Tandy's seemed to be destined as a career NFL backup. That all changed when starter Chris Conte went down with an injury in week 12. Taking over the last 5 games Tandy put up Pro Bowl type numbers, with 44 TOT, 7 PDEF and an eye popping 5 INT, including 2 that sealed Buccaneer victories.

     Tandy's late season play defiantly earned him a starting safety spot when training camp opens. Buc fans will just have to wait and see if Tandy was a flash in the pan or can become a long term solution.

     Isaiah Johnson bounced around during his college career. JUCO to the University of Kansas and finally landing with the Gamecocks in South Carolina. Known as a big hitting safety with above average cover skills Johnson could make the 53 man roster because of the lack of safeties under contract.

Free Agents

     The 2016 free agent season saw Buccaneers GM Jason Licht sign key second tier contributors to fill out the roster. I expect much of the same from Licht this year. ACCEPT when it comes to the safety position. Given the depth on the roster, age of the top free agent safeties and amount of cap room the Bucs have. Licht could go all in this year, hoping to shore up one of the two safeties spots for years to come.

     Eric Berry, Age 28 Regarded as the best safety in the NFL. Berry is a 5 time Pro Bowler and a 3 time All Pro. Already the highest paid player at his position Berry as come out and said he will not play the 2018 season under the franchise tag and who can blame him. 

     The franchise tag guarantees a player makes an average of the 5 highest paid players at his position. Since Berry is already the highest paid player essentially he would be taking a pay cut. As of time of posting the Kansas City Chiefs, the team Berry currently is under contract with, only has 4.7 million of cap space to sign free agents and draft choices. 

     Best guess. Berry hits the free agency market but his asking price is more than the Bucs are willing to pay him.

     John Cyprien, Age 27 Has been playing football in the state of Florida his entire life. A Miami area product that suited up for the Panthers of FIU before being drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2nd round of the 2013 draft. A sure tackler with over 100 TOT in each of his first 4 years. Cyprien is a thick bodied and likes to play physical with the wide receivers. If this kid played for a perennial playoff team, he would be a household name.

     Jacksonville has plenty of cap room to sign Cyprien and he should never hit the free agency market, but there have been player grumblings about the scheme DC Todd Walsh runs. Especially from the DB's. 

     Best guess. Cyprien test the free agent market and continues his football career in the state of Florida. Jason Licht makes a hard push for Cyprien and he will have to decide between the Bucs and the Jags.

     Tony Jefferson, Age 25 A 2013 UDFA that signed with the Cardinals and has had the opportunity to learn from some of the best DB's in the game. And it looks like he paid attention. Jefferson is a jack of all trades type of player. Solid tackler, good cover skills, above average blitzer and a knack for causing fumbles. His NFL arrow is pointed straight up and he isn't yet in his prime. Arizona has the money available to pay him but also has to try and resign high priced free agents Chandler Jones and Calais Campbell. 

     Best guess. Jefferson listens to his agent and hears offers from other teams. Someone is going to overpay for this guy thinking that their safety concerns are over for the foreseeable future. This is the guy I see Licht coveting for that very reason. Add in that he is only 25, Jefferson will be seen as a cornerstone type player. Something every team is looking for.

Mike Adams, Safety - Indianapolis Colts

     Mike Adams, Age 36 If Jason Licht misses out on his targeted young free agent safeties, Adams is the type of bridge player he likes. A mentor for the young guys on the team to teach them the right way to go about being a pro. A player like Adams could be instrumental to the development of the safety the Bucs will certainly pick up in the 2017 draft. 

     Adams has been a top NFL safety for many years and the Colts are looking to get younger on defense. I think Adams would jump at the chance to end his playing days with a young competitive team. 

     Best guess. I don't think it comes to this. Licht will make sure he gets a young free agent safety on his roster in 2017. It's not out of the question that Adams ends up with the Bucs as well, given the lack of experience on the team. If the price is right of course.

2017 NFL Draft

     The 2017 NFL draft is stacking up perfectly for the Buccaneers. Every position where the team has a need the draft is deep and the safety position might be the deepest of all. Some sites have as many as 30 safeties with draftable grades. 

     Now knowing this I'm just going to go quickly go through some top players because I firmly believe that one of those players will be drafted by the Buccaneers.

Malik Hooker, Ohio State - 1A best safety in the draft. Will not be available for the Bucs at 19.

Jamal Adams, LSU - 1B best safety in the draft. Will not be available for the Bucs at 19.

Obi Melifonwu, U Conn - His size to speed ratio is the best in the draft. A sub 4.6 40 at the combine cements his day one draftability. 

Jabrill Peppers, Mich - Freakish athlete, to small to play LB not enough reps at safety to be considered a 1st rounder. Total wildcard IMO.

Budda Baker, Wash - Makes plays all over the field, on the smallish side but great instincts. Won't make it out of the 2nd round.

Marcus Maye, UF - Does everything good nothing great. Broken arm cut his season short, could end up being the safety steal of the draft.

Justin Evans, Texas A&M - Better in the box tackler than a cover man. Slated to be a SS by most analyst. 

Marcus Williams, Utah - A turnover machine and will stick his nose in there despite his sub 200 lbs frame. The combine and his Pro Day performance will decide which round he is taken.

Rudy Ford, Auburn - A solid SEC safety. His Senior Bowl week opened some eyes. Watch for his stock to rise after the combine.

Eddie Jackson, Alabama - A liability in the run stop game but outstanding ball hawking skills. Jackson is a gifted punt returner as well.

     Just to be clear Buc fans this is not my Top 10 list. It is a list of 5 players you probably heard of and 5 players you might not.

What I Think Will Happen

     The Buccaneers will add at least two safeties this off season, probably more because there is zero depth as of now. Most will come as UDFA to fill out the training camp roster. 

     If Jason Licht gets his young safety in free agency I see the Bucs not drafting one until the 4th round or later. If he misses on his top targets the Bucs will draft safety early, no later than the 3rd, depending on how the draft breaks.

     Lastly don't rule out the return of Bradley McDougald. His play was very consistent throughout the year and he knows Mike Smith's system.

you can also follow us on Twitter @realbucstalk by clicking HERE  

as always Thanks For Reading and GO BUCS!

More Aggressive Scheme Equals Better Defense

The Bucs defense has been mixed with good and bad play this season and there are multiple reasons for that. Earlier in the season, there were tons of moving parts with injuries and guys still learning where to be on the field. Plus the defense was being put in bad positions due the offense struggling to protect the football. So the result was 1-3 and the Bucs needed to make changes which was protect the football better and be more aggressive on defense. The Bucs won two in row to get back at 500 and then for some reason, the Bucs D was trying to do too many things against the Raiders and Falcons and the result was 1000 yards given up and 73 points allowed. So at 3-5, the Bucs defensive coaching staff got together and decided they were going to be more simple scheme wise and be aggressive on the ball and get after the Qb.

After the Falcons loss, the defense has been outstanding allowing only 10.7 points plus 9 takeaways and 10 sacks over the last three games. The Bucs are playing more press man coverage and our allowing their secondary to attack the ball which is needed in this pass happy league. DC Mike Smith has made the proper adjustments and is doing a better job of mixing his blitzes but also putting in his pass rush unit on the field more during 1st and 2nd down has really helped. Most good offenses are all about timing and to be a good defense in this league you have to disrupt that timing somehow. Easiest way is with pressure in the backfield whether it's a run or pass and with an healthy D-line finally, they have been able to do just that. The Bucs defense will need to continue to be aggressive by being suffocating in coverage and allowing the front four to generate pressure. Let's hope the defensive success continues as they are their best when they are aggressive and allowed to play fast.

Game sealing interception by McDougald. Easily his best game as a pro. https://t.co/IrSGUAYRD3

— realbucstalk (@realbucstalk) November 29, 2016

Safeties Finally Getting It

Sunday against the 49ers may have been the best game by both of the bucs safeties. Bradley McDougald came away with his first pick and Conte didn't allow the big play and also came away with a couple key stop as you can see below.

McCoy splits 2 defenders and causes enough pressure to cause Kap to throw an interception to Bradley McDoug... https://t.co/CBtlnwQRrJ

— realbucstalk (@realbucstalk) October 24, 2016

I give him such a hard time always but Conte coming up with a big tackle to force 3rd down. We force punt n... https://t.co/4UyfT4ilg5

— realbucstalk (@realbucstalk) October 24, 2016

Great blitz scheme. Everyone at the line and Kwon and David stay back as Conte and Jude fly in and meet at ... https://t.co/qre68yjAYW

— realbucstalk (@realbucstalk) October 24, 2016

Both McDougald and Conte have gotten a lashing here from us at Real bucs talk but it looks as if they are finally figuring it out. They may have done well against a below average team in the 49ers but they still were in the right places at the right time. Conte, whom I bash the most seemed to always be in the right assignment and played fast. McDougald obviously flashed with the interception but also totaled 5 tackles and one pass deflected. Its good if you don't hear the safety's name called as they are the last line of defense and usually are making the tackle after everyone else has missed.

Hopefully McDougald and Conte take this game as a confidence booster and go into this Raiders game ready to play knowing the level at which they can play. It's the best I've seen them play this season and that can only be a good sign.

Big Hitting Safety Added To Bucs Practice Squad

by Douglas O'Connor
follow on Twitter @Ren_Daxt

     The Tampa Bay Buccaneers added big hitting safety Trae Elston to their practice squad on Monday. A 4 year starter from the University of Mississippi whose college resume includes a Sports Illustrated cover and consecutive wins against SEC bully Alabama.

     His measurables won't jump off the page at you 5'11" 195lbs. with a pro day time of 4.46 in the 40, but is adept at attacking the ball at it's high point and has soft hands, according to NFL.com. Find his full predraft bio HERE. 

     Starting Buccaneers safeties Chris Conte and Bradley McDougald have had some communication problems thus far and have let some receivers run free in the back end of the defense for big gains this year. 3rd safety Keith Tandy hasn't fared much better. While rookie Ryan Smith only sees the field as the Bucs kickoff return man.

    Given that the Bucs starting safeties aren't under contract after this year is telling that they are looking to upgrade. Trae could finish the year out on the practice going to meeting and learning Mike Smith's defense. That would put him in a good position to compete for a roster spot next training camp. No matter what happens with Elston, chances are that the Bucs shake up their safety position sooner than later and Jason Licht thinks this kid has a chance to contribute.

     I did find this highlight reel of Elston on the New England Patriots website. If you'd like to check it out you can find it HERE. 

     You can follow other Real Bucs Talk staffers on Twitter @realbucstalk. As always thanks for reading and Go Bucs!

    

State Of The Bucs 1-3

    
Realbucstalk has added to their team, here is an article written by our newest member Douglas O'Connor,  you can follow him on twitter as well: @Ren_Daxt

The pieces are in place for the Buccaneers to become a perennial playoff team.  Though young the Bucs have top tier NFL talent throughout their organization. General Manager, Jason Licht, who understands player contracts and how to work the draft. Experienced coordinators on both sides of the ball and Pro Bowlers dot the roster at key positions. Then why is Tampa Bay 1-3 and in danger of falling 3 games out of first place just after passing the quarter pole of the season? There are many reasons for the disappointing start but all can fall under the umbrella of growing pains. 

     I will start at the top. Jason Licht has proven to understand the draft process and find ways to get the players he covets. His free agent acquisitions however have largely been busts his first two years. This off seasons signings is a mixed bag, mostly to to injuries but all in all his best group yet. Buc fans hope Jason has figured out the difference between contract year performers and solid contributors.  

     Coaches: One of Head Coach Dirk Koetter's biggest worries about becoming the big man on campus was his ability to manage the clock late in games. So much so he assigned Assistant Wide Receivers Coach Andrew Weidinger as a Game Management Coach to help him in such occasions. Fast forward to week 3 against the Rams. The Bucs were driving for the winning touchdown with under 2 minutes to go when coach Koetter didn't call a time out hoping to catch a tired Rams with a winning TD pass. Weidinger was telling Koetter to call a time out but he ignored the plea and took the shot into the end zone. The pass was overthrown and over 40 seconds had ticked off the clock. Fans can debate if that was the way to go or not, but the fact of the matter is that the Buccaneers ran out of time before they ran out of downs and lost the game.

     Offense: This analysis, as it always will, begins and ends with number 3 Jameis Winston. Having a young quarterback lead your team and the phrase, growing pains, being thrown around is about as common as Doug Martins name showing up on the injury report. I can't tell fans anything about Jameis that they don't already know but here is my two cents anyway. Jameis is putting his football team in bad situations by making bad decisions with the football. There is no 10 point play in football. Sometimes a sack is better than forcing the ball into a tight window. Going 3 and out and punting isn't the end of the world. Take what the defense gives you and move the chains. All fans love his competitive nature but when two defensive linemen are hanging off of you, it's time to take the sack and get'em on the next play.

     Defense: Not surprisingly the defense is going through the biggest pains. Having to learn a new scheme and language is no small task, but NFL teams do it every year and aren't last in the league in points given up. Which the Bucs are. Defensive Coordinator Mike Smith has stated that it takes four weeks to learn his defense, react on the field instead of thinking. He has also talked about how Chris Conte and Bradley McDougald, the Bucs starting safeties that have been in fans cross hairs, are communicating much better. Well coach it's week 5, time to show how much the guys on your side of the ball have grown in your system.

     Special Teams: To be perfectly honest I really don't even want to do this one. Did you hear that the Buccaneers traded up back into the second round and selected a kicker and said kicker is struggling on his extra points as well as field goal attempts? Yay, so did everyone else in the NFL fandom kingdom. Look Roberto Aguayo is going to be the Bucs kicker this year and next year no matter what happens. It is what it is and I totally understand the frustration. When points are at stake almost every time you touch the ball going through growing pains can be soul crushing for the invested fan. Bright side, the punter is really good.

Someone Needs to Step up!

It's getting closer to the start of training camp for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers which will be the start of some intense position battles along with tough decisions for coach Koetter and Gm Jason Licht. Licht and his staff have put together a solid roster this off-season and could make a playoff appearance this year. However, there are still question marks surrounding the roster, and one of them is the safety position. The Bucs stood pat at the position bringing back the same group from last year with rookie Ryan Smith being the only new addition. Who is going to step up this year and become a impact safety for this team?

I say it's going to be Bradley Mcdougald, this is a good fit defensively for him and should allow him to play to his strengths. Mcdougald was decent at times last year which is good considering the secondary was below average in 2015. Mcdougald has the physical tools and has the experience now to allow him to play even faster. He is only 25, and last season was his first full season as a starter in which he had 87 tackles and 2 ints. Now being coached by Jon Hoke and Brett Maxie along with Mike Smith who helped developed some good safeties in Reggie Nelson and Thomas Decloud, hopes he can do the same with Mcdougald. Someone out of the safety group has to step up, so why not Bradley Mcdougald.