Plenty Of LB Competition

The Bucs have themselves a nice set of starting linebackers with David, Alexander and Smith but who will play behind them? Licht drafted Devante Bond in the 6th round so maybe he sticks but who else is there competing for spots?

Licht went out after the draft and found himself 3 fine candidates in Micah Awe, Cassanova McKinzy and Luke Rhodes that will make training camp and pre-season really fun to watch. All of which have different traits that could help them stick to the roster. They will all be competing with guys already on the roster in Jeremiah George, Josh Keyes and Adarius Glanton. Licht has brought in plenty of competition for the defensive line, linebackers and corners that will truly bring the best out of everyone and make simple practices that more intense. The defense needed a boost in talent and thats what happened this year.

Player Profile: Cassanova McKinzy

Mike Smith spoke with the media yesterday, and mention undrafted rookie Cassanova McKinzy as one of the players who stood out during the rookie mini-camp. Smith said he is a run and hit type player and could have immediate impact on the special teams unit. McKinzy is 6'3 235lbs plays with power and has decent speed as well. He was an impact player for the Auburn Tigers as he really came into his own the past two seasons. McKinzy collected 263 career tackles plus 28.5 tackles for loss and 8 sacks in his three years at Auburn.

McKinzy is excellent against the run as he can shed blocks with ease and is a down hill type player that loves to be physical. Unfortunately he struggles against the pass and is consider to be only a two down player which is one of the reasons he went undrafted. The good news is the Bucs just need him to excel on special teams and provide depth at the linebacker position which he is more than capable of. Now if McKinzy wants to be a starter one day, he needs to work on his coverage ability but right now he has versatility with his run defense and ability to rush the passer which will help him make the team. He is certainly a guy to keep an eye on come training camp time.