Bucs Add to The Safety Position With J.J Wilcox

It has been a busy off-season so far for the Bucs as they have added WR Desean Jackson, DT Chris Baker, and now today S J.J Wilcox. Wilcox, 26 is a former 3rd round pick by the Cowboys and will have a chance to compete for a starting role with the Bucs. Wilcox is a big hitter and loves to play physical, has good ball skills and can make plays in the passing game. However, he lacks instincts when it comes to playing the safety position and is still learning the position. Here is Bucs Gm Jason Licht on J.J Wilcox and what he can bring this season per pewterreport.com.

“Wilcox is going to compete for a starting role with Chris [Conte] and Keith [Tandy],” said Licht. “He’s a really hard-hitting physical player that’s really still got an upside. He played running back for most of his career in college – only played one year at safety. That’s a position that’s tough to get to know. He’s still coming into that position.”

Wilcox is a good athlete and at times shows the instincts and awareness allowing him to make plays on the ball. Then other times, he hesitates and is either late or misses on making the play on the ball. He does miss tackles as well due to poor angles or failing to wrap up so he needs to clean that up in his game. I will say Wilcox is always flying to the ball which is good to see and can play special teams as well. Wilcox playing in a more aggressive scheme will help him as he is usually at his best when he is able to play downhill and use his speed. With that being said I would still expect the Bucs to draft a safety in the upcoming draft as it is a very deep class. Here are some clips of Wilcox showing his strengths and weaknesses as a player.

Some Film on new #Buc JJ Wilcox good read on this play. pic.twitter.com/uGBWfx7qcl

— realbucstalk (@realbucstalk) March 12, 2017

Here is better look Wilcox travels about 20 yards in 3 seconds. pic.twitter.com/lDM3m4ZQ5B

— realbucstalk (@realbucstalk) March 12, 2017

Wilcox flies in missed the ball though. pic.twitter.com/6OWau71pK0

— realbucstalk (@realbucstalk) March 12, 2017

Wilcox can't let this happen...still needs work. Inconsistent pic.twitter.com/UQd8HoLrfH

— realbucstalk (@realbucstalk) March 12, 2017

Bucs Finish The 2016 Season Strong

At one point this season the Bucs were 3-5 and things were looking to be spiraling downward towards another losing season for the team. However it's not how you start it's how you finish and this team finished strong. The Bucs put together a five game winning streak with outstanding defense and a clutch offense. Ultimately the team finished 6-2 down the stretch in which they beat two playoff teams in the Chiefs and Seahawks.

The defense made big strides along with special teams as both units got better as the season went along. Unfortunately, the offense took a step back as injuries and inconsistent play hurt the unit and just wasn't good enough during critical times of the season. With that being said for this team to fight and stay together all season was great to see as this team brought the effort every Sunday. I thought the coaching staff as a whole made improvements especially Dirk Koetter and Mike Smith as they made adjustments to help the team win. Now with the off-season underway, the Bucs have to be confident they can make improvements and carry this momentum into the 2017 season. Progress was made and the arrow is pointing up for this franchise.

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

Things To Watch For Today Bucs Vs Hawks

by Douglas O'Connor
follow on Twitter @Ren_Daxt 

 Turnovers, penalties, and the ability to run the ball are tried and true factors to winning any NFL game. Dig a little deeper and you will find it's the little things that are just as important to gaining a victory . Here are some things to watch in the Buccaneers game against the Seahawks that can translate into a big win for Tampa.

Rushing Lanes The Bucs defensive ends, especially Noah Spence, use their superior speed to out race the offensive tackle to a preconceived spot in the backfield hoping to find the quarterback just finishing his drop back. This outside speed rush opens up huge lanes in between the rushing DE and the DT trying to collapse the pocket from the inside. Seattle QB Russell Wilson is exceptional at seeing these open lanes and using the space to extend plays and finding open receivers after the coverage breaks down. Look for the Bucs DE's to use more inside spin moves and to directly attack the OT inside shoulder to keep the lanes closed forcing Wilson to stay in the pocket and make quicker decisions.

Backside Coverage Head coach Dirk Koetter and Defensive coordinator Mike Smith both made a point to mention Russell Wilson's ability to throw to open men on the opposite side of the field while scrambling. Normally this is frowned upon by offensive coordinators because of the high interception rate, Wilson is making it a weapon. Look for the off corner, safety, and linebacker to stick to their man like glue until Wilson crosses the line of scrimmage.

Open Set The Bucs never run a 4 wide receiver set, but they will line up in a 3 WR set with the tight end split out from the line. Pro Bowl S Earl Thomas is inactive and with Richard Sherman shadowing Mike Evans look for the Bucs to spread out the field to get some 1 on 1 match ups with the 2nd string safety.

     The Bucs are looking for two straight victories against elite NFL opponents. With a win today the national media will sit up and take notice. These three factors could be the difference against the Seahawks.

     Thanks for reading and as always GO BUCS!

Defense Played to Their Strengths

After losing two in a row in which his defense struggled to make stops consistently and were giving up a bunch of yards via the passing game, Bucs defensive coordinator Mike Smith said enough is enough. Smith finally got back to a more aggressive style of defense in which they had success against the Panthers and 49ers respectively. He ask his corners to play more press man coverage allowing the safeties to play more in the middle of the field and closer to the line of scrimmage which suits their strengths more effectively. Then bringing pressure from your front seven with linebacker blitzes along with corner blitzes were very effective as it allowed this defense to play downhill which is how they should be utilized every week.

Mike Smith was trying to compensate for the lack of pass rush by trying to mix up his coverages and pre-snap looks which ended up just causing miscommunication on the field. After the Atlanta game, the coaching staff got together and realize that this defense needs to be more aggressive and allow the players to play fast and downhill. Coach Koetter wanted them to be suffocating and after the Bears game he thought they were just that via Buccaneers.com.

That was great to see because so many of the things that the coaching staff identified and [Defensive Coordinator] Mike Smith and his staff worked into the game plan, to see the players carry it out like that, to see them playing fast, playing downhill and getting after the ball, really tightening up the coverage, the pass rush, hitting the quarterback, disrupting the quarterback. Fun to see, fun to see those guys have that kind of success.”

 “Across the board, the entire defense that we felt like we needed to – yeah, we needed to tighten up. The word we used was suffocating, we needed to be more suffocating with our coverage and I’ve got some really good film clips to show them on Wednesday of them doing that.”

With Kansas City being the next opponent, the Bucs defense needs to bring the same approach they did last week and bring the pressure on the Qb. Chiefs offense is an west coast style as they run a lot of route combinations and quick passes. The Bucs defense needs to continue to play press man coverage and allow their linebackers to play downhill and attack. Make Alex Smith throw it deep and play the short routes and likely their will be chances for interceptions.

Bucs v Eagles Film Doesn't Help Much

by Douglas O'Connor

follow on Twitter @Ren_Daxt

     The Tampa Bay Buccaneers faced of against Chip Kelly's Philadelphia Eagles on November 22, of last year and walked out of Lincoln Financial Field with a 45-17 win. Jameis Winston threw for 5 touchdowns tying a rookie record and Doug Martin ran for a whopping 235 yards. Initially you'd think that the Bucs could dust off that game tape and use it as a blueprint against the now Kelly led San Francisco 49ers. Sure the offense schemes are the same but just about everything else has changed.

Offense
     Chip Kelly's offensive scheme is the same, but obviously the players have changed. The biggest change is at quarterback. Gone is the turnover machine Mark Sanchez replaced by a more mobile and more dangerous Colin Kaepernick. Sanchez threw 3 interceptions and put his team in a hole almost from the start. Now that Kaepernick is at the helm the read option will be a much bigger part of Kelly's game plan. 

     Dirk Koetter's offense put up 45 points and over 520 yards of offense against the Eagles last year. Giving Chip Kelly an up close and personal look at all of the Bucs offensive weapons. What makes the tape near worthless is that 2 of the 5 offensive touchdowns and 365 of the 520 total yards won't be on the field Sunday. Mostly in the form of Doug Martin, Charles Sims, and Vincent Jackson.

Defense
     Granted the Eagles offense didn't do a lot to help out their defense. 4 turnovers and only 7 points, but the offensive game plan the Bucs conceived for Philly is pointless now. Not only are the players different, but so is the coordinator and scheme. When Chip Kelly "moved" from the Eagles to the 49ers he didn't bring then defensive coordinator Billy Davis instead he hired Jim O'Neil away from the Cleveland Browns. The only thing that is a consistent factor between the 2 defenses is that they both lineup in a 3-4.

     The Buccaneers defensive film against the Eagles will be the most helpful, but with the hiring of new defensive coordinator Mike Smith his plan won't be identical. The addition of 4 new Bucs that will see significant playing time and Kaepernick's mobility changes the defensive approach enough to use the the tape more as a guideline not a blueprint.

     You can follow fellow staffers @realbucstalk
     As always thanks for reading and Go Bucs!

         
     

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!

    

Who Is RB Antone Smith? Pro Stats And Draft Analysis

by Douglas O'Connor

follow on Twitter @Ren_Daxt

     The Buccaneers made a change to their 53 man roster Monday when they signed free agent running back Antone Smith. His name might sound familiar to local fans having spent his college days at Florida State before spending his 1st 5 years in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons. Where he spent 3 years in Head Coach Dirk Koetter's offense.

     Antone hasn't had much of an opportunity to play during his 7 year NFL career, but when he does gets his chances he finds the end zone. With only 35 touches Smith has found pay dirt 7 times. That's an impressive percentage. Antone is averaging a touchdown every 6.4 times he touches the ball. 

     I've provided some links so you can learn more about the newest Buccaneer. First here is the predraft breakdown of Antone Smith on NFL.com. Next is his NFL stats per Pro Football Reference. 

     Finally I'm supplying a link of Head Coaches Dirk Koetter's press conference, held Monday October 17th. Koetter talks about reasons why Jason Licht signed Smith and the return of Louis Murphy.  

     Going into the meat of our schedule Jason Licht has completely overhauled the running back roster. Replacing UDFA with experienced veterans that are familiar with Koetters offense. If Doug Martin can't go this Sunday look for Antone Smith to get between 3-7 touches.

     You can also follow Real Bucs Talk staffers on Twitter @realbucstalk. As always thank you for reading and Go Bucs!

Fun fact: The picture at the top of the article with Antone Smith, Dirk Koetter, and Mike Smith is against the Buccaneers.

Doubts Already About Koetter

While looking around NFL.com I discovered a story by Gregg Rosenthal describing in his opinion the struggling pick ups of the NFL. He pointed out Coach Koetter and Mike Smith as being struggling already. To me thats way to early and his reasonings are off as well as you can read below.

Koetter, promoted from offensive coordinator in January, has made some curious game-management decisions as the man in charge. In Week 2, he left quarterback Jameis Winston vulnerable to big hits late in a blowout loss. In Week 3, his hatchet job of the team's timeout situation robbed Winston of at least two to three more plays in crunch time of a defeat to the Rams.

For one Winston isn't a seasoned veteran that needs rest, he's still a 2nd year player and the more reps the better. I don't care what the announcers were saying during the broadcast and obviously Winston didn't want to come out of the game. Secondly, yes Koetter didn't take a time out late in the Rams game which I and his game management coach both said he should have but he did draw up a perfect play that if Winston delivered, would have made Koetter look like a genius!

#Bucsfilm2016wk3 Perfect play call against Rams zone here. Outside CB bites on Brate, had ... https://t.co/pODldutBlg

— Steven Cheah (@CHEAH_SAY) September 29, 2016

I truly believe Koetter is the right man for the Bucs right now. He isn't afraid to put his foot down and make a statement and makes sure players are accountable. He is only 3 games in and already getting scrutinized for one blow out where everything went wrong and one close game that could have gone either way. Give it time, you can't judge a coach by his first 3 games.

Now on to Mike Smith and the Defense. Against the Cardinals and Rams the safeties have looked downright retarded. Everyone sees where our biggest weakness is on defense and it is in the back end. The Dline may not be getting too much pressure on the QB ever since Ayers went down but that because all they have out our run stopping lineman and guess what, we are pretty good against the run only allowing 22, 54, and 85 to the lead rushers of each team we have faced. Let's see if the safeties can turn it around and prevent the big play as they did in the Falcons game. The defense needs improvement no doubt but I'm not going to jump ship just yet.

Mike Smith Believes Defense Will be Better

Let's be the real the defense has been pathetic over the first three games of the season. Now granted the offense hasn't helped them out with 8 turnovers so far, but this defense is still allowing way too much in order for this team to win. Lack of pass rush, poor communication, and bad play calling has hurt this defense and is keeping it from being successful. Mike Smith spoke with the press today and pointed the finger at only one person and that is himself via Rick Stroud.

#Bucs defensive coordinator 'Mike Smith: "The only guy who has to get better is Mike Smith."

— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) September 29, 2016

Mike Smith is right as he needs to be better by putting his players in better position to succeed on the field. Smith went on to say the pass rush has been "dead average" and he needs to do better in finding ways to get that going. The amount of explosive plays that are being allowed are hurting this defense from being a more consistent unit. The Bucs need to make this defense simple by playing more press man coverage, keep the safeties back, and let the front seven stop the run.

Focus on keeping everything in front, and then attack from all angles to put pressure on the Qb. Mike Smith also said this defense needs to be more resilient as it's time to be accountable and flat out play better. I'm glad that Mike Smith is being accountable as he knows he must be better in order for this defense to be where it needs to be. Bucs defense has their hands full with the Broncos offense as they are very good and put up 28 points a game. It's time for this unit to show some fight and bring it for four quarters.

Bucs Must Improve The Details of Their Game

Little things have been hurting the Bucs so far as they have lost the last two games against the Cardinals and Rams. Turnovers, defensive communication, clock management, and unbalanced play calling are things the Bucs need to tighten up in a hurry or the Bucs are going to continue to lose games. The offense has been pretty good as an unit despite the turnovers which has hurt them the last two weeks, if the unit can eliminate the bad timing turnovers they can be a force offensively. The play calling needs to get back to being more balance and have Jameis under 30 pass attempts a game. Bucs need to run the ball at least 25 times per game to keep the defense guessing and also keep their defense more fresh during the game.

Clock management needs to be better as well as Dirk Koetter was a little too aggressive during the end of the first half against the Rams. Bucs had a critical interception and instead going into halftime with a 20 to 10 lead, it was 20-17 at half. Then at the end of the game, Koetter admitted to being dumb by not calling timeout with 36 seconds left after Sims had just got a first down which cost the Bucs valuable seconds off the clock. Its the little things like this that the team must clean up if they want to win consistently.

Then on the other side of the ball, communication and better play calling needs to occur as the Bucs defense is allowing too many big plays. The safeties and corners need to be on the same page as this team shouldn't be allowing guys get past them downfield. Our run defense is superb and if we are going to blitz then either send the linebackers or safeties not our corners. The gameplan needs to be simple on the defensive side until the players get comfortable with the scheme. Too many breakdowns are occurring causing big plays to happen against them. Bucs have tough road ahead and better work on the details or it could get ugly.

Make Keenum Beat You

This week should be a great game for the Bucs defense to get back on track and build some confidence in this new defensive scheme. The Rams offense is not good as they have scored 9 points total through their first two games, and struggle to move the ball consistently. The Bucs defense has struggled so far as they have allowed 28 points per game and have given up 12 explosive plays for over 400 yards. The defense has to be better and defensive coordinator Mike Smith says it's on them to get it fix starting this week against the Rams per pewterreport.com

#Bucs DC Mike Smith at the podium. Said they're "giving up way too many explosive plays and its on us, not them"

— PewterReport.com (@PewterReport) September 22, 2016

The gameplan should be real simple this week against the Rams offense and that is make Qb Case Keenum beat you. The best player on their offense is running back Todd Gurley who is a special back and can make big plays if he gets room to operate. Bucs need to load the box and be discipline with their gap control and force the Rams to throw the ball. Last week, the Bucs linebackers didn't have a good week as Lavonte David didn't record a tackle and Kwon Alexander missed too many tackles. I expect both to rebound in a big way and do their job in shutting down Gurley. Mike Smith should dial up the run blitzes and have his corners play up and look for the quick passes. Bucs defense needs to come out early and set the tone by letting the Rams know it's going to be a long day. It's time for the Bucs defense step up and play fast and physical, this Sunday is a good game to get it on track.

Kwon Alexander Was Dominant In Week One

The Bucs defense looked much improved in their week 1 win against the Falcons in which they held them to only 52 yards rushing and an 25% redzone conversion rate. The Bucs were aggressive throughout the game in which they mixed in multiple coverages and blitzes and for the most past did a great job of keeping everything in front of them. However, one player on the Bucs defense stood out above the rest and that is middle linebacker Kwon Alexander. Just take a look at his numbers against the Falcons per Daniel Jeremiah.

TB LB Kwon Alexander
17 tkls, 1 sack, 2 tfl's, 2 QB hits.

The Bucs have a very fast, athletic LB group.

— Daniel Jeremiah (@MoveTheSticks) September 12, 2016

This defense allows it's linebackers to go make plays and be aggressive in their pursuit towards the football. Kwon and Lavonte David made play after play at the line of scrimmage or in the backfield. Alexander was flying all over the field making tackles left and right, but what was impressive was how he was playing under control and not getting out of position with his speed. Alexander said last night on his radio show that new linebacker Daryl Smith has taught him how to play with more control and know when to use his speed. This is great to hear and also how he is becoming a student of the game by knowing his opponent better with film study. Kwon is on his way to being something special and I believe these kind of performances will be the norm for him, especially in this defense which lets him play to his strengths. This defense is going to be fun to watch with Kwon Alexander leading the way.

#Bucs have something special in @Showtime17Kwon ...comes out of nowhere on this play! pic.twitter.com/G0bFQ4WZNM

— realbucstalk (@realbucstalk) September 13, 2016

Good Start for Third Down Defense

Last year the Bucs defense was one of the worst defenses in the league and struggled to get stops consistently each week. One of the biggest issues was third down defense in which the Bucs allowed their opponents to convert 46% of the time. That is just awful and it usually means the defense is on the field too much which leads to wearing out as an unit as the season goes on. Probably one of the reasons why the Bucs crumbled at the end of last season losing four straight to end the year.

The good news is that was last year and the Bucs have a new defensive coordinator in Mike Smith who preaches third down defense and getting off the field. When Smith was hired he listed 3 goals for his defense this season per buccaneers.com.

“What you have to have to be successful on the defensive side of the football is you’ve got to have the ability to stop the run when people are trying to run the football because, if not, it’s a slow death,” Smith said. “The other thing that you have to do is you have to be able to take the ball away and you have to be able to win on third down. 

Well the Bucs did two of those things in their season opener against the Falcons in which they held their offense to a 23% third down conversion rate and only 52 yards rushing. The Falcons were 3 of 13 on third downs which is outstanding by the Bucs defense and that is what we call winning football. It starts with better first and second down defense which the Bucs forced Atlanta into more 3rd and longs which allowed the defense to force checkdowns. If the Bucs can hold teams under 30% conversion rate on third down, they are going to be successful more often than not.

Start Fast

The Bucs have been known for getting off to slow starts during games as well as during the season, especially the last few seasons. It's time to change that and get off to a fast start today against the Falcons and kick this season off right with a victory. The Bucs need to come out today aggressive and set the tone right away. Look for the Bucs offense to show some no-huddle to pick up the tempo and play fast as an unit.

The Bucs will try to establish the ground game with Doug Martin and Charles Sims who were the best running back duo in the league last year. If the Bucs can do that, expect to see play action with multiple shots downfield to get big plays. The Bucs have mismatches they can take advantage of against the Falcons defense. Look for them to attack their linebackers and cornerback Robert Alford who will be going against 6'5 receivers as he is only 5'10. Look for the offense to attack these mismatches especially in the redzone.

As for the defense, they just need to do one thing and that is bring the heat on Falcons Qb Matt Ryan. It starts with Gerald McCoy, Robert Ayers, Noah Spence, and Jacquies Smith as they need to put consistent pressure throughout the game. The defense will be more aggressive and that means bringing blitzes which should be often today as they want Ryan to be rushing his throws. Again this team needs to start fast and a good way to do that is play aggressive and stay aggressive.

Defensive Depth

Coach Koetter had nothing but good things to say when discussing the improvement of his defense and how much Mike Smith has changed things up.

On Defense, they've been doing great. Very excited for not only how hard they're playing but how much they're buying in tho what Smitty's (D-coordinator Mike Smith) doing. Smitty blitzed a lot last night, played a lot of man coverage when he wasn't blitzing. Players have bought in. I think we have... were developing our depth especially across the front line. I think we got good depth at corner.

The defense has improved leaps and bounds from last year already based purely on pass rush and scheme understanding. Just having players understand their assignments helps that much more and it seems like this defense is easier to understand than Lovie Smiths. Koetter made sure to speak about the depth across the dline as there seems to be a nice combination of speed and power all the way through it. One thing he didn't mention was depth at the safety position which to me still seems to be a big achilles heel in this defense.

In Position to Make Plays

I know it's early and there is still a long way to go but the Bucs defense just looks way better in how the players are in position and understand their assignments on the field. Watching the defense the past two years I couldn't say that as players were out of position often and seemed to be lost on the field. This defensive coaching staff led by Mike Smith has done a great job of tailoring the scheme to fit the player's strengths allowing them to be comfortable on the field. The focus has been on details and putting an emphasis on clear communication between the players and coaches.

When watching the Eagles game again, I saw guys in position to make plays on the football for pretty much every play. There was no blown coverages, opposing receivers running scott free down the field and not many missed tackles which was very encouraging. Again there is still a long way to go, but from watching most of training camp and then watching last week's game and comparing it to last year the difference is night and day.

If players are in position more often that means more opportunities to make plays on the football which was rarely the case last year. This week will be a good test against the Jaguars potent offense and we will see if the Bucs can play assignment sound football on defense again. I'm just excited to see that this coaching staff is allowing their playmakers on defense to play fast and go make plays on the football. If this defense can stay healthy, I expect to see mass improvement this season.

Defense is Picking Up New Scheme Quickly

Last season, the Bucs defense was a mess from top to bottom which was unfortunate because the unit had plenty of talent. Main issue was poor communication and players not being utilized properly within the given scheme. Now with a new defensive coordinator in Mike Smith along with great staff under him plus more defensive talent added in Ayers, Grimes, Spence, Smith, and Hargreaves this defense has the tools to be a solid defense this season.

The question was how quickly could the players adjust to the new scheme so they could play fast and be more reactive than thinking too much. Well so far the defense has picked up the new scheme really well and are responding under the new defensive coaching staff. Players and coaches are communicating clearly, and both are learning what works and doesn't work on the field.

Today, the Bucs defense was dominant according to head coach Dirk Koetter in which they shut down the offense in redzone 9 straight times. This defense has plenty of speed and it is showing up so far in camp, here is more on the defense from Koetter per Greg Auman of Tampa Bay Times.

Video: Bucs' Dirk Koetter says "my impression is the defense kicked butt." Offense went 0-for-9 inside the 10 today. pic.twitter.com/BTVgPhg96n

— Greg Auman (@gregauman) August 9, 2016

Now granted there is still a long way to go as this defense needs to play in games with this new scheme to gain chemistry with the new pieces and see how it works against an opposing offense. One thing is clear the coaching staff has done a great job to get the players to learn a new scheme that quickly and it is allowing the defense to play faster as each day goes by. Players are raving about playing for Mike Smith and his defensive staff as the scheme is allowing guys to play to their strengths which is how it should be.

Staying Focused

The biggest question mark with Noah Spence has always been his judgement off the field, stemming from his issues with ecstasy at Ohio State. His on-field abilities have never been in question and it seems as if Spence has his eyes set in one direction and thats his goal of being the best player he can be.

Lord I'm so focused..more focused than ever been🙏🏾🖖🏾

A photo posted by Noah Spence (@noahspence) on Aug 2, 2016 at 7:20am PDT

If Spence can keep this focus and continue to learn in Mike Smiths new defensive scheme the bucs might have something special. Spence has frequently been seen in the backfield all through the first 5 days of camp and shows his relentless motor. This team may be young but it finally seems as if they all as a collective unit are striving to get better. Heads are finally up and it seems as if that loser mentality has been shrugged off.

Keep focusing Spence and you will be terrorizing QB's in the NFC south for years to come. Bet Matt Ryan has no idea whats coming for him week 1.

Blitzing is Returning to Tampa Bay

No more sitting back and allowing the quarterback to have all day in the pocket, those days are over for the Bucs as they get ready to enter training camp. Bucs defensive cordinator Mike Smith is looking to bring an more aggressive style which will include more exotic looks and sub packages. Most importantly, Smith will not hesitate to dial up blitzes to create more havoc in the backfield which hopefully will lead to more turnovers. Mike Smith knows he can't give these Qb's time because they will cut his defense apart if he does, so that means he has to bring pressure.

The Bucs finally have quality depth at each level of the defense starting up front with the defensive line which will finally feature a good 8 man rotation. Now granted the Bucs might not have to blitz as much as the Schiano regime did due to the guys up front, but the schemes and packages will be there for Smith and his staff to utilize as they see fit. With Lavonte David, Kwon Alexander, and Daryl Smith as your LBs, it's hard not to blitz due to the fact they do it so well. So look for the linebackers to be more aggressive allowing them to play fast and make it hell for the opposing Qb. Then with the secondary which has more speed and versatility, I would expect to see more corner blitzes along with some safety blitzes mix in as well.

Mike Smith and his staff won't put up with allowing these opposing Qb's to be able to just sit back and have all day to find a open receiver. If the front four is not getting there, he won't hesitate to utilize this linebacking core and versatile secondary to help get after the Qb. In the NFL to win games you have to put pressure on the opposing Qb because if you can't do that its going to be hard to get off the field on defense. Blitzing is coming back this year for the Bucs, as this defense is going to be very flexible during the 2016 season.