Well I think it is pretty safe to say that the Bucs won't be making many changes if at all to the offensive line this off-season. Both Gm Jason Licht and HC Dirk Koetter echoed that today as both said they like their current group and feel they have a good nucleus to work with. Now that doesn't mean they don't need to improve as coach Koetter said they need to get better as a group per Rick Stroud.
Koetter said they're happy with their personnel on the offensive line. But they have to get better.
This makes sense as the Bucs have invested heavily into the O-line the past few years by adding key draft pieces in Donovan Smith, Ali Marpet, Kevin Pamphile, and Caleb Benenoch. Plus the team will get back J.R Sweezy who was signed last off-season and is expected to make an impact this season. The team also has key veterans in Evan Smith and Demar Dotson coming back who both provide depth and starting ability. I think the Bucs will try to bring back C Joe Hawley for the right price as they will try to keep last year's unit intact.
Now let me be clear I do not agree with the Bucs opinion of their O-line as I think we need to upgrade the C and RT positions. I would like the team to bring in players at those positions via free agency or the draft. On the other hand, the Bucs might have the answers already on the roster to upgrade these positions. Donovan Smith, Ali Marpet, and Kevin Pamphile should continue to get better as they gain more experience and all three want to be great.
So right there I say you have 3 out of your 5 starters and are looking for two more to step up to the plate. Now some internal options include JR Sweezy, Caleb Benenoch, Ben Gottschalk, Leonard Wester, and newly acquired James Stone. The Bucs are very high on all five and I think Gottschalk and Stone have a chance to be the upgrade at center if the Bucs choose not to resign Joe Hawley. Again the Bucs feel they have a good group and I think the ideal scenario is they can move either Pamphile or Marpet to C and have Sweezy play G, giving you a strong line of Smith, Pamphile, Marpet, Sweezy, and Dotson. It's going to be an interesting off-season for this unit as they are coming off a down season and must improve overall as an unit.
The hot topic this off-season for the Bucs has been about adding more weapons for Jameis and the offense. Well today Bucs Gm Jason Licht spoke in front of the media at the NFL Scouting Combine and started it off by saying this per Gregg Rosenthal.
Bucs GM Licht: we want to add playmakers. (I expect them to be very active in FA)
It sure seems like Licht agrees with the fans in that this team needs more weapons around Winston and the offense. I believe the Bucs will be aggressive in free agency and the draft but will be smart and focus on value as well. The team needs to add players with more speed, someone who can be a game changer, especially at the RB or WR position. The Bucs have Mike Evans and Cam Brate but need more around them to become a more complete offense. The NFL is about big plays and last year the Bucs offense didn't have enough, so look for the team to look for players that can make defenders miss and create big plays. This is why I believe the Bucs will target FA WR Desean Jackson once free agency begins as he brings speed and big play ability plus being a great number 2 next to Mike Evans. Others that I think the Bucs look at include S Tony Jefferson, DE/DT Calais Campbell, WR Cordarrelle Patterson, TE Jack Doyle and S Duron Harmon. These are players I can see the Bucs targeting to help fill needs and add depth.
Again not expecting the Bucs to sign every free agent, but similar to last year in which they will add four to five which will include some high level starters. This team is very close and I think Jason Licht understands that and will be aggressive in his efforts to improve the personnel. In addition, this year's draft has good depth at positions that the Bucs need to add to which should help this team take that next step if the proper moves are made. I will say this if the Bucs can add a Desean Jackson, then in the draft pick up a combo of TE D.Njoku, WR C.Henderson, and RB K.Hunt, the Bucs would become instant playoff contenders. Only eight days away till free agency begins, lets hope Licht and his staff come out throwing the heat.
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.
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.
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.
Much talk has been about the Bucs need at WR and RB, but there is another position that the Bucs could use more depth and upgrades and that is TE. Now Doug (Follow @Ren_Daxt) went into this a few weeks back and talked about specific TE options for the team(Click Here). One of the options was signing UFA Jack Doyle from the Colts, who had a breakout season last year and would instantly upgrade the position.
The Bucs like to run two tight end sets as it gives the offense more flexibility and makes it harder for the defense to predict run or pass. Many times last year, the Bucs had to bring in Luke Stocker or Brandon Myers and right away most defenses knew it was a run play due to both not being a threat as a receiver. Doyle at 6-6 267lbs provides size and decent speed to be threat in the redzone and a key piece in the run game.
If the Bucs could add Doyle, it would automatically improve their offense as they can run two tight end sets with Brate in the slot which is a mismatch. The Bucs could pair Luke Stocker and Doyle as their two main blocking tight ends which would allow the Bucs to be more versatile in the run game. Allowing Brate to operate more as pass option instead of having to block will be good for the Bucs offense as it will create more balance overall.
Now there are two issues for the Bucs that could stop them from going after Doyle in free agency. One would be cost as Doyle who is only 26 could have many suitors for his services which could jack up the cost. Two is that the TE position is very deep this year in the NFL draft and the team could get someone with a similar skill set to Doyle at a much lower cost. With that being said, adding a player like Doyle makes sense for the offense and would definitely improve the running game which is needed. I think the Bucs go with drafting a tight end, but if they do go the free agent route, Jack Doyle is definitely the guy to go after. Here is D'Qwell Jackson on teammate Jack Doyle per Colts.com.
“He does all the dirty work and comes to work with his hard hat on. He’s a guy you need on every team. You get a bunch of Jack Doyle’s on your team, you’re going to be successful. You know what you’re going to get every time he steps on the field.”
by Douglas O'Connor
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Here at Real Buc Talk we pride ourselves on reader interaction. Most of this comes on Twitter but we also reply to any and all comments posted on our articles. Sometimes going back and forth with the Real Buc Talk community on social media isn't enough. Let's face it, 140 characters is a tight restraint to squeeze in all of our Bucs passion. So we came up with a Mailbag. Just tweet your questions using the #RBTMB and we will try to answer as many as we can.
This weeks Mailbag was flushed with draft prospect questions and since I want to give our readers the best answer I can. I've decided to wait until after the combine to tackle those. I hope you aren't disappointed I just feel that I owe you the most informed opinion I can give.
So without further delay...
If You Were Jason Licht, Who Would You Draft In The 1st Round?
Glad this question came in. Playing GM during the off season is one of the only ways to get your football fix during the months of February through April. Although I do not proclaim to be a draft "expert", I do enjoy projecting who the Bucs will select in the first few rounds. So here is my best guess.
First you have to identify the teams biggest needs. My list in no particular order is as follows. Wide receiver, safety, running back, tight end, defensive tackle, edge rusher and finally corner back. Now using my projections on what the Bucs will do in free agency DE, DT and CB come off the list as real needs on draft day.
The TE position is a little more tricky. If the Bucs bring in a veteran during free agency that moves the need to the rounds 4-7 spot for me. If they stand pat then look for a TE in the 1st three rounds and yes maybe even round 1.
So with the TE position in limbo that leaves us with WR, RB, and S.
Wide receiver has a very deep draft class in 2017. The two players that stand out among the rest are Corey Davis and Mike Williams who probably won't be around by the time the Bucs pick at 19. After that it becomes whomever each team likes more. I REALLY like ArDarius Stewart and think he could still be there in round 3. So WR is a pass for me.
Running back, as luck would have it is another deep class this year. Once again two names dominate the "who's best" discussion. And as previously Dalvin Cook and Leonard Fournette should be off the board when it's the Bucs turn to select. I loved Doug Martin when he first came to the Bucs in 2012 and there is a RB out of Wyoming, Brian Hill that reminds me a lot of Martin. I think the Bucs don't pull the trigger until the 4th round on a RB and get a steal with Hill.
So that leaves safety. "But Douglas" you say "Hooker and Adams will surely have been drafted when it's the Buccaneers turn to hand in their card". To this I reply, "you are absolutely correct".
Obi Melifonwu is 6'4" 220 lbs and can cover. His combine workout will put him in the "guys that most improved their stock" conversations. Making him a distant memory by the time the Bucs pick in the second round. Now there are some other good safeties out there but none with this guys ceiling.
Obi... Obi Melifonwu you are my only 1st round hope!
Which Released Players Should The Bucs Pursue?
As of time of post...none.
I say this for a couple of reasons. First, it's a pretty short list and second it's a pretty underwhelming list.
Most of the NFL players that have been released by their teams and joined the ranks of the unrestricted free agents have been role or depth players. The only problem is that they don't play positions where the Bucs need depth but there are two exceptions.
WR Victor Cruz best years were between 2011-2013 where he racked up over 3,500 yards and 23 touchdowns. Since then he has only appeared in 21 of a possible 48 games and his yards and TD's have suffered, less than 900 and 2 respectively. There are plenty of better free agent wide receivers on the market.
C Nick Mangold has been to 7 Pro Bowls as the center for the New York Jets. Now 33 he has become too old and expensive for their rebuilding plan. Most believe that Mangold has a few years left to give an NFL team.
No question that Mangold would be an upgrade at center for the Bucs. I just think that the long anticipated move of guard Ali Marpet to center is finally going to happen. The three best Buc linemen all play guard. Marpet, Sweezy, and Pamphile all need to be on the field for the Bucs to get their best five out there. The easiest way to make this happen is to move Marpet to center, place Sweezy in Ali's vacant right guard spot and leave Pamphile in the left guard position.
It's not that I don't like Mangold as a center. It's just as of now there is no room for an All Pro veteran center on the Bucs roster.
What Do You Make Of Jameis Winston's Comments?
It's been a hot minute since I've seen a topic that has raised the ire of Bucs fans faster than the article written by Tampa Bay Times sports writer Tom Jones. Now I'm not going to go into what Jameis said or what tone Jones chose for his article, which can be found in it's entirety HERE. I will simply say this.
I do not believe Jameis Winston is a bad person.
I do not believe that Jameis Winston has a personal agenda to try and subservient girls or women.
I do believe that it is important to Jameis Winston that he is a good role model for young boys.
I do believe that it is important to Jameis Winston to be a good role model for everyone.
I also believe that Jameis makes an effort to better himself everyday.
I believe that this effort is used to improve the ones around him, as much as it is to improve himself.
I think that he strives to give more than what is asked of him.
I believe that he believes, being a leader is about sacrifice.
I believe that for the rest of his days as a Tampa Bay Buccaneer he will strive to make his team and his city better than he found it.
Finally, I believe that this is more than any of us can ask of him.
you can also follow us on Twitter @realbucstalk by clicking HERE
Thanks for reading and as always GO BUCS!
The Bucs need to find weapons for their offense and most importantly help Jameis Winston progress to the next level. Now most Bucs fans want the team to address the receiver position in the first round but as I have wrote before it might be day 2 when that happens. I think the Bucs will address the WR position through free agency and the draft as they need to bolster their depth at that position. Today we are going to focus on a rising prospect in Carlos Henderson who brings plenty of explosiveness to the position. Here is a quote from Tony Pauline per Draftwire.com talking about Henderson's speed and rise among team's draft boards.
There have been questions about his size, specifically his height, but I am told Henderson will measure a shade over 5-feet/11-inches. He is expected to run under 4.4s in the forty at the combine, with some believing he could drop into the 4.35s area.
I’m told Henderson has received high praise from rival coaches in Conference USA. When asked they’ve told league scouts Henderson was impossible to cover.
That is strong praise for the explosive wide out out of La Tech who continues to make an impression among the scouting community. Let's now take a deeper look at Henderson's game and what he brings to the football field.
Strengths- He is a natural hands catcher as he doesn't let the ball hit his body often. Explosive is an understatement as he has good short area quickness and speed in his routes. Henderson can make defenders miss as it usually takes more than one guy to get him down, even though small in stature Henderson plays big. Possesses ability to win deep with his speed as he does a great job with route precision to create separation. Adds versatility as he can play special teams and return kicks as he had two touchdowns off kick returns this season.
Weaknesses- Weak competition will cause scouts to question his ability and whether he has the ability to play on the outside. He rarely faced press man coverage and at times his play speed was inconsistent. Needs to improve on his route tree and become more sound with his fundamentals as a receiver. He will have to learn to come back to the football as he tends to wait rather than attacking the ball.
Here is a quote from an NFC South scout on Henderson's game and how he translate to the NFL per NFL.com.
"He plays with good route strength and speed and he has good hands. His return value should lock him into a team. I think he will come in as a fourth receiver, but he could have upped his draft value with another year at school." -- NFC South regional scout
Overall, I think Henderson has a chance to come in right away and make an impact due to his speed and ability to help on special teams. I think he has all the intangibles and physical tools to be a very good player and could eventually be a very good number two receiver in this league. I don't see the hype on him as a first round prospect but I do feel he will be great value on day 2 of the draft. I think he could be a potential target for the Bucs especially if they address the position in free agency like I expect them to do. Henderson could come in and help the Bucs on special teams and work in slot position or on the outside if have to. Henderson is certainly someone to keep an eye on as we move closer to the draft as he very well could be a Bucs target on day 2 of the draft.
Henderson gets past 4 people here. Defense is drawn up to prevent him from getting in yet he goes in regardless. pic.twitter.com/uIVzrkUUyv
It's starting to get closer to that time where we start getting a idea of what direction teams are going to take during the off-season. For the Bucs it is pretty simple as they have to add more weapons on offense for Jameis Winston and company. The unit needs more speed and dynamic playmakers to compliment Mike Evans and Cameron Brate. Recently, I mention the possibility of signing Redskins WR Pierre Garcon who is set to become a free agent as he could be a solid number two option for the Bucs. However in the article, I also mention Desean Jackson who is also a free agent and is already a hot topic among Bucs fans as they really want more speed added to the team. Well earlier today, Espn's Josina Anderson got Bucs fans excited with this tweet about a possible connection with the Bucs and Desean Jackson.
I’m told #Bucs could be a posb destination for impending FA WR Desean Jackson. Understanding is Jameis Winston has an existing rapport w/ DJ
This just shows what kind of man Jameis Winston is as it looks like he has build multiple connections through his football career. This also shows that many veterans around the league respect his game and wouldn't mind being on his team. I think adding a player like Desean Jackson would be a solid move for the Bucs as he could be that veteran WR plus provide speed that can open up the field for Mike Evans to operate. With that being said, Jackson has been on record that he would like to stay in Washington but also left the door open to go elsewhere as well per Redskins.com.
“I do want to still be here,” Jackson said Thursday, via Redskins.com. “My family and my house, I have everything here and I don’t want to be in a transaction and move. First things first, I do want to be here and hopefully we can make it work. But once again this is a business so things happen. I’m just really excited about the opportunity I have to sit and now the ball’s in my corner a little bit and see what we can do. I’m just excited and I’m going to let my agent care of all that. Ready to just sit back and whatever offers come in but obviously, like I said, I do want to be here.”
Jackson is coming off a 1000 yard season in which he averaged 18 yards per catch which still shows even at age 30, he has the speed to make big plays downfield. Critics tend to point out his size and injury concerns but I would say he has done a good job to overcome those and only missed one game last season. I feel Jackson could have the type of impact that a former Buc had back from 2005 to 2007 if healthy. That former Buc would be Joey Galloway who put up three consecutive 1000 yard seasons and at the time was the Bucs go to guy. He did this while being in his mid 30's and without much help as well. Galloway was the offense for the Bucs during that time and that was with Brian Griese, Chris Sims, and Jeff Garcia as his QB.
I think Jackson can make a similar impact as he still has top notch speed and is in great shape.
Plus he will have a coach who can scheme to his strengths and a legit number one Wr next to him in Mike Evans which will allow Jackson to face single coverage which is already a mismatch. Now some would say the Bucs need someone younger and with more size who has a bigger catch radius since Jameis struggles with the deep ball. Those are valid points and there are signs that Dirk Koetter's offense does work better with bigger wideouts and Jameis is used to taller targets i.e Mike Evans, Kelvin Benjamin. However, I feel Desean is a rare athlete and would only make this offense better and ultimately help Jameis grow as a QB and take that step towards elite.
With Jameis and Desean already having that connection, it should help the Bucs if they do decide to target Jackson in free agency. I have said multiple times that the Bucs are going to add multiple receivers this off-season and getting a player like Desean Jackson wouldn't be a bad start. Now there will be competition for his services as he will have multiple suitors so it could come down to how much the Bucs are willing to pay and if they think he is the right fit for the team. I say the Bucs will be definitely one of the first teams to call Jackson once free agency begins.
