How Will Vitale Be Used?

The Bucs 6th round pick Dan Vitale was known as a super back in college as he was used in so many different ways and thrown all around the offense, but how will Koetter use him here in Tampa? Will Koetter make him a traditional fullback that occasionally gets carries up the gut or will he utilize all his talents?

Vitale had over 100 catches in his college career and more than showed his athletic ability at the scouting combine where he ran a 4.6 forty yard dash and 38.5 inch vertical at 6'1 240. The man is built like a brick and has the potential to be a weapon if used right and hopefully that's what Koetter is thinking. Versatility is a word you will hear all Bucs coaches saying and Vitale fits the bill with that.

The NFL is all about mismatches and Vitale can be that, as not many linebackers have his speed and not one safety or corner has his size. Will the bucs create their own super back in the NFL, we all can hope so.

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.

Bucs Hire Game Management Coach?

When it was first reported that the Bucs were going to assign a position as a game manager, many thought it was a bad decision as that responsibility should be assigned to the head coach. Looking more into it and all the responsibilities Dirk Koetter already has, it makes sense. Koetter will have his hands full with overviewing the whole team as well as play calling the games, having a game manager will help Koetter out with his transition to head coach.

The man getting the position is Andrew Weidinger, who is in his 9th season in the NFL and is very familiar with both Koetter and Mike Smith as he was a part of the Falcons from 2007 to 2014. Weidinger must have built a strong trust with Koetter when he was an offensive assistant to Koetter. Delegating some responsibility is a smart move by Koetter as having too much on your plate can overwhelm you at times. Koetter explained the position in his interview with Jason Cole of Bleacher Report here.

“Because I’m going to stay as the play-caller, and there are plenty of guys in the NFL who stay as play-callers as head coaches. There are just so many situations that come up in NFL game, whether it’s clock management or just game-ending situations, to have someone that they’re fully dedicated to that preparation in leading up to the game and on game day made sense,” Koetter said. “When I was the offensive coordinator, if I was up in the box, we always had a designated coach on the field that if I said, “This situation is up” and the head coach was on the other side of the phones talking to the defensive staff, that coach on the field would go remind the head coach about this or that. There is so much pressure when that clock is ticking, you have to have somebody who is on top of that and looking ahead.”

This could be a smart move or a bad move. If communication breaks down this could result in delay of games and wrong decisions, but thats why its important that Koetter chose a man he is familiar with and has a trust in. To me this is a good move as this could be a security blanket for Koetter in knowing that he has a man that can handle those critical situations when the game is on the line. Time will tell as we won't see much from Weidinger until the season starts.

It's Like Having a Coach on the Field

Bucs Lb coach Mark Duffner had a chance to talk with the media and talk mostly about the impact that Daryl Smith will bring to this team. Duffner was Smith's coach for seven years in Jacksonville so both know each other very well. Duffner said Smith is a true professional and will only help guys like Lavonte David and Kwon Alexander get better. Smith has been highly productive especially the past three seasons in Baltimore averaging at least 120 tackles per season. Smith is very familiar with this defense and Duffner thinks having Smith on the team is like having an extra coach out there on the field.

The linebackers group is in good hands with David, Alexander, and Smith who all can run and hit as well as cover if needed making the group pretty formidable. Daryl Smith might end up being the best free agent signing from this off-season just due to the fact he knows this defense and that he will be a leader on and off the field. I see this being very good for Kwon Alexander as he can learn from Smith and really learn how to anticipate what the opposing offense is going to do next. Meaning Alexander will be able to play even faster which will only help this defense become more formidable. Hopefully Smith can have a big impact this season, and make the defense click on the field.

Under the Radar: Kourtnei Brown

One player that could have a role on this defense and finally find a home is DE/LB Kourtnei Brown. Brown has all the measurables with good size and speed plus brings versatility by being able to play defensive end or linebacker. Unfortunately for Brown it hasn't worked out so far as he has bounced around the league due to inconsistencies on the field. Brown came to the Bucs last season and didn't get much playing time but that could change under Mike Smith. With the Bucs wanting to be flexible in their scheme, Brown could really be a fit for this defense.

He has the speed off the edge as well drop back into coverage if necessary so just maybe he can finally stick on the roster this year and be a solid contributor. If he can be that rotational pass rusher along with playing good special teams, Brown could provide that depth that winning teams need. Especially with the Bucs wanting to bring a aggressive/attacking style defense which should help guys like Brown play more to their strengths which is to attack non-stop. Tons of competition along the defensive front so it wont be easy for Brown, but he is definitely someone to keep an eye on.

Spence Will Play Both Sides of the D-Line

The Bucs have big plans this season for rookie defensive end Noah Spence but at the same time are going to be patient with him. Bucs DC Mike Smith said he expects Spence to play both end positions right or left this season to put him in the best position to succeed. Smith thinks Spence is your prototypical right end as he has all the traits you look for in an edge rusher. Spence has the elite first step, hand quickness and speed to bend the corner. Spence rushed from both sides in college and had pretty good success at it, so by the Bucs allowing him to do the same in the NFL isn't a bad idea.

This is the right move because you want Spence to be as comfortable as possible but at the same time you want to challenge him so he can grow as a player. This allows the Bucs defense be more flexible but also allows Spence to take advantage of mismatches that he will see by playing both sides. Hopefully by doing this Spence will be able to master his technique on both sides where he can be dominant and it wont matter what side he lines up on.

Here he is rushing from the right side:

Here he is rushing from the left side:

I would say Spence has a chance to be special, hopefully he can do this on Sundays for the Bucs.

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.