Trade Back Partner?

The Bucs may find themselves in a fine position come draft day as more chatter and trades continue to happen. As of right now the Rams hold the first pick after trading a kings ransom to the Titans which included the 15th pick overall. The Bucs hold the 9th spot which may be of strong value to the Titans who are in desperate need of a left tackle to protect their franchise QB. Laremy Tunsil will be long gone by pick 9 but the second best option Ronnie Stanley, may still be available when the bucs are on the clock. Which makes a Bucs-Titans trade look possible.

Titans are trying to trade back into the top 10, reports @JasonLaCanfora.

— NFL Update (@MySportsUpdate) April 15, 2016

Jason Licht's relationship with Jon Robinson may come into factor here as they are very close and both have chips to help each other out. If the Bucs are sitting at 9 and a top guy like Joey Bosa falls into their hands its an easy decision in my opinion, but say they don't value anyone available of being the 9th pick and Stanley is still on the board. You better believe Licht and Robinson will be on the phone discussing trade possibilities. Imagine the Bucs picking up say an extra 2nd and fourth round pick to drop down 6 spots and still pick up a guy they really want. This draft is playing out to be an exciting one and is only 12 days away!

Ronnie Stanley Would Be A Safe Pick

When the Bucs selected Jameis Winston in last years draft, the team's mindset quickly became lets protect Jameis by providing talent around him. The Bucs did that by selecting LT Donovan Smith, and RG Ali Marpet, who both went on to have good rookie seasons. Now entering the 2016 off season, I think the Bucs could do that again in this years draft by selecting Notre Dame's left tackle, Ronnie Stanley, who can really pass protect and is really athletic for a guy his size. Stanley displays outstanding footwork as he gets quickly into his pass blocking sets which allows him to lock in on his defender right away. His core power is a concern as he needs to work on his overall strength, but showed improvement in his run blocking which is a good sign.

Stanley needs to continue to work on his technique, but at 6'5 305, he can get away with some little flaws. Overall, he is a dancing bear with outstanding movement skills, who still needs to clean up some things, but with time he should be a pro bowl left tackle for years to come. A offensive line consisting of Stanley, Pamphile, Hawley, Marpet, and Smith would provide great athleticism and power to provide Jameis the necessary protection as well as an dominant running game.

If the Bucs do draft Stanley, it would provide an instant starter and it would cement the offensive line as a strength of the team. Enjoy his game tape vs USC, courtesy of draftbreakdown.com.

Could the Bucs Go Offense Again In Round 1?

As most of us know, the Bucs need help on defense and rightfully so since the unit was just historically bad last season. The big question is will there be a top ten talent on defense to select which could prompt the Bucs to go offense again with their first round selection. To the casual fan, the Bucs needs are pass rusher and Cornerback, however Jason Licht and company might see it differently. Per pewterreport.com;

The perceived needs that we have according to the public – some of them [our thoughts] are in alignment with,” Licht said. “We also are still kind of going through a re-evaluation of our roster, how that aligns with our coaching staff, and what they feel like their perceived needs are. Defense is something we need to bolster, there’s no question about it and a lot of different positions. This happens to be a very strong defensive draft, too, in my opinion.

But that doesn’t mean that we’re going to, at number nine, definitely draft whatever position that is, defensively, because we can’t force ourselves [into someone] and I always hate to force a pick. Anytime I’ve been somewhere that a pick was forced it rarely works out – the guy’s never as good as you think he is or doesn’t work out, so that’s just not going to be the case.”

Licht even mentions the possibility of moving down to acquire more picks if the right player is not there at 9. Per pewterreport.com;

“Maybe we move back,” Licht said. “This is a strong defensive draft and maybe we think the value’s better moving back and we pick up more picks. To say that we’re definitely taking a certain position at nine and then in the second round – that would be ludicrous for us to say we’re going to do that and to do that. If it aligns with your need then it’s great – like last year.”

 This is great to hear from our general manager because it means he is going to take the best player regardless of position. This is why I could see the Bucs taking tackle Ronnie Stanley who is a big man who can move and pass protect. Stanley could come in right away and play either tackle spot with the Left side probably his better side, the Bucs could move Donovan Smith to the right side and create a dominant run blocking tandem in Ali Marpet and Smith, It would benefit Jameis the most, as he would have a young core of lineman to grow with and make the Bucs offense a force for years to come.