Is it Time to go All in?

With the off-season about to get into full swing in a few weeks, many Bucs fans are talking about what direction this team should take. Personally Im excited to see what route Bucs Gm Jason Licht decides to take as the last two off-seasons he has built the foundation through the draft while adding key depth and role players through free agency. The question I ask now, "is it time to go all in"? I say yes and no as I believe it is time to be more aggressive in free agency and the draft as long as it is what is best for the team. With expectations growing, along with the core players having more experience and are now ready to take that next step, it might be time to speed up the process and go for it all.

I expect Licht to follow what he did last off-season in terms of re-signing his own, adding good starters/role players via free agency and then finding core players through the draft. The big topic has been about adding more weapons on offense in which the unit had some setbacks and could be much better with a few more pieces to work with. With that being said, I would like to see the Bucs go after these positions via free agency: WR, DL, DB and perhaps OL. Then go after those positions in the draft as well including the RB and TE position which are probably the two deepest positions in this years draft.

The Bucs did this last year by adding CB Brent Grimes and DE Robert Ayers via free agency and then went on to draft CB Vernon Hargreaves and DE Noah Spence. This allowed Hargreaves and Spence to grow into their roles and eventually became big pieces of the defense in their rookie years. At the same time, the defense got instant impact from Grimes and Ayers whom both helped this defense become one of the better units in the league down the stretch of the 2016 season. Now the Bucs can do the same on offense this year by adding some impact players via free agency.

Some names I like for WR are Desean Jackson, Kenny Stills, and Pierre Garcon. Any of those 3 would be a big help then in addition add a guy like Cordarrelle Patterson to help with special teams and the team instantly becomes more dynamic. Then add some pieces to the defense by going after a Dontari Poe or even Calais Campbell to help the front four, and then go after a playmaking safety in either Eric Berry or Tony Jefferson to help solidify the secondary. If the Bucs could pull off some of these moves and then go into the draft and double down on a few of these positions there depth would be tremendously improved. So will the Bucs go all in? Is it time Bucs fans to go for more than just making the playoffs?

Bucs Won Third Down in 2016

Yes it's sad our Buccaneers are not playing today but huge progress was made towards building a contender for 2017. The Bucs finished the season at 9-7 which is quite an accomplishment after starting the season 3-5. There were a lot of areas where this team improved but winning third down was the biggest improvement for this team. In 2015, the Bucs were 30th in opponent third down conversion allowing 46% which is awful. In 2016, the Bucs were 1st only allowing 34.5% conversion rate which is outstanding. The Bucs offense improved as well going from 10th to 6th converting on third down 44% of the time.

There are a few factors to the defense improving so much in one year. One is the free agents brought in with Brent Grimes and  Robert Ayers who have helped this defense tremendously. The Bucs were far more aggressive on third down which is coaching hence Mike Smith's aggressive nature. The secondary was in better position which led to more breakups and interceptions. Consistent pass rush and tighter coverage does a lot, but also better scheme and personnel goes a long way. As for the offense, it was just Jameis Winston being more precise on third down. Winston had probably some of his better plays this season coming on third down. Overall, the Bucs won third down in 2016 and it is definitely something they can build off of for 2017.

Bucs Start 2017 With a Win

The Bucs couldn't afford to go into the offseason with a three game losing streak after losing four straight to end the 2015 season. Well it didn't happen as the Bucs found a way to beat the Panthers by a score of 17 to 16. The Bucs finish the 2016 season with a record of 9-7 giving them their first winning record since 2010. Unfortunately the Bucs just fell short of making the postseason as they finished seventh in the NFC.

This game was not looking good for most of the game as the offense couldn't get anything going as they had two turnovers, two missed field goals, and too many three and outs. The good news is that after the first offensive drive for the Panthers, their offense was just as bad as they had three turnovers and missed three field goals. The Bucs defense was pretty good as they did a good job of containing the run game, and getting consistent pressure on Cam Newton. Standout players for the defense was CB Brent Grimes, S Keith Tandy, and LB Lavonte David.

All three made big plays for this defense at critical times during the game. Grimes came up with the play of the game with a pick 6 to put the Bucs in the lead and also had 4 pass breakups. Tandy was everywhere as he had 12 tackles and two interceptions and has really emerge as one of our better players. As for David, he got two big sacks and was stout against the run all game.

The offense didn't have much success, but Jameis and company made it happen when it counted as the Bucs got a big touchdown from Mike Evans. Koetter was smart to get the offense in the no huddle and let Jameis go play. Jameis was 5-6 for 71yds and 1Td on the drive and here is the game winner by him and Evans below.

The Winston Magic. Eyes downfield as he climbs up the pocket and delivers a strike to Evans for the game wi... https://t.co/xqhXukmUtI

— realbucstalk (@realbucstalk) January 2, 2017

Overall, it was a big win for the team as they go into a huge off-season in which now they will be regarded as a contender for 2017. Expectations are growing and this team is on the rise.

2 Out Of 3 Last Week, What To Look For Against The Chargers

by Douglas O'Connor
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     Chances are that writing about Mike Evans, Jameis Winston and the turnover battle will just be a regurgitation of obvious keys to victory that you have read this week and all season long. Here are some lesser known things to watch versus the Chargers that can deliver a Buccaneers victory.

Open Field Tackling: San Diego Head Coach Mike McCoy's offense relies heavily on draws, screens, and rubs (legal picks). Getting his athletes the ball in space and letting them make a play. Outside corner backs Brent Grimes and Vernon Hargreaves are going to have to get off blocks and make solo tackles against bigger Charger receivers. When you hear "another great open field tackle by a Buccaneer", coming from announcer Sam Rosen, you know they've been doing their job.

Rush Lanes: I spotlighted this one last week as well but for a totally different reason. Rush lanes were important against the Seahawks for keeping Russell Wilson in the pocket. This weeks importance has to do with stopping the draw. Buccaneers DT need to stay in their lanes, pushing the pocket back and clogging the middle giving Gordon nowhere to go. MIL LB Kwon Alexander will also have to challenge the releasing center instead of using his speed to slip the block awarding Gordon an easy cut to get into the secondary. Here against the Rams is a 3rd and 19 that went for a 1st down. Bad lanes and slippage from Kwon left the runner uncontested until he reached the 3rd level.

Disciplined rush lanes will be a factor in keeping Gordon from doing this against the Bucs on Sunday. pic.twitter.com/1akfZvOANx

— Douglas Sean OConnor (@Ren_Daxt) December 3, 2016

Max Protection: Buccaneers Head Coach Dirk Koetter believes in protecting the passer more than spreading out the defense. Last week the Bucs threw the ball out of a 6 OL set and have used backs and receivers to chip opposing DE to ensure his quarterback remains upright. The Chargers have 20 sacks on the year with half coming from two players, Melvin Ingram and rookie Joey Bosa. Look for the Bucs to continue this trend and allow Jameis Winston to progress through his reads and pick apart a poor and beat up San Diego secondary.

     Seven out of eight experts have picked the Chargers in this game, for the record these same experts all picked the Chiefs and the Seahawks too. The more I look at this game I see a double digit win for the Bucs. San Diego is 6th against the run but their leading tackler is out this week leaving 3rd stringer Korey Toomer at ILB. I think the soaring confidence and new found nastiness of the Bucs OL puts up a nice performance in the run game. The ability to run the ball and the extra protection for Winston equates to the Bucs easily moving the ball up and down the field. The Chargers offensive scoring numbers are inflated by all the short fields their defense have been giving them. Couple this with San Diego's leading receiver will be wearing a brace on his shoulder for a torn labrum and the new look Buccaneers defense stinginess. I envision lots of smiles on the team flight back to Tampa.

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CB Brent Grimes Is Phillip Rivers Kryponite

by Douglas O'Connor
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     San Diego Chargers quarterback Phillip Rivers has been taking apart NFL defense's for 13 years. Known for his big arm, big temper and the mentality that he can fit a football through a keyhole from 40 yards away.

     Given Rivers supreme confidence in his right arm, you would think his interception numbers would be higher. He has the least amount of turnovers through the air than any of his high profile counterparts that entered the league with him (2004). Eli Manning leads the way (209) followed by Carson Palmer (274) Ben Roethlisberger (154) and then Rivers (147). Seeing these numbers makes corner back Brent Grimes play against the San Diego gunslinger even more impressive.

     Grimes has faced Rivers once the past three years while patrolling the secondary for the Miami Dolphins. During those match ups Brent has 4 interceptions, getting at least one drive stopping turnover in each game. While Grimes was with the Atlanta Falcons they faced Rivers and the Chargers twice. Once in 2008, Grimes 2nd year in the league, where he didn't appear in the box score.  Brent only played in 12 games that year so it is unclear if Grimes even saw the field that game. The Falcons once again faced the Chargers in 2012 in week three, but Grimes had suffered a season ending Achilles injury during the opener against the Chiefs and missed the game.

    Vernon Hargreaves, whom I've given the nickname The Jackal do to his mic'd up performance, should be Brent Grimes shadow during this weeks preparation. Grimes track record against Rivers could be the edge that The Jackal needs to record his first NFL interception.

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Bucs Wins Have Common Recipe

The Bucs have two wins on the season and there is two common things in both wins. Those two things being the offense protecting the ball and the defense making timely stops. In other words, the Bucs playing team ball and not putting their defense in bad situations has helped them win against the Falcons and Panthers. Winning the turnover battle is critical in today's NFL as it usually decides who wins the game. When the offense is committed to protecting the football like they were in their two wins they are hard to beat due to the talent on this team.

Quarterback Jameis Winston just needs to play smart in the second half of this season and stay committed to the run game, creating balance on offense. Avoid the careless turnovers and this offense has shown it can be dangerous, just need to build that consistency. Then on defense, the unit has been coming up with critical stops at the end of games. For instance, getting an 4 and out against the Falcons to seal that win, or Brent Grimes making an game changing interception in the 4th quarter of the Panthers game. If this team wants to continue to win, these two things need to keep occurring especially taking care of the football. There are still a lot to clean up with this team but if they can focus on just keeping it simple on both sides of the ball, this team can easily get on an winning streak.

Interesting Buc Stats For Consumption During The Bye Week

 
by Douglas O'Connor
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    No Buccaneers football this weekend, no problem. We here a Real Bucs Talk gotcha covered. Most of you that read our blog more than likely follow @TBBuccaneers on Twitter. I'd like to introduce you to another organizational Twitter feed that all Bucs fans should be following, @BuccaneersPR. They are continuously putting out great content, just like us. Tweets about Buccaneer stats and records that our kind of Buc fan gobble up like a handful of jellybeans.

    Recently they tweeted out a 57 page PDF file that had some interesting tidbits. I've sifted through the abundance of material and picked out some of the more interesting facts and placed them here for your enjoyment.

Jameis Winston started the season outside of the top 10 for passing yards in Buccaneers franchise history. After 5 games he has moved into 8th spot. Knocking out local legend Shaun King and pushing down Brian Griese and Jeff Garcia one spot. Winston should pass Craig Erickson by mid season and be right on the heels of  6th place holder Steve DeBerg after 16 games.

Brent Grimes interception Monday night bumped him up to 4th in most picks since 2013, Only 2 behind stat leader Richard Sherman. It's not to far out of the question to see Grimes leading this category by years end.

Tampa Bays Defense is impressive in a few categories. They rank 3rd in 3rd down conversion rate at 31.1% only .7% behind the leading Seahawks. Not surprising the Bucs defense also has 3rd best single game 3rd down rate. It was on Monday night against the Panthers 12.5% where they only went 1 for 8. The Bucs defense is also ranked in the top 10 in yards per rush, coming in at 9 giving up only 3.65 per carry.

Kwon Alexander is 3rd in the NFL for solo tackles with 37. Less than a handful behind 2 of the best linebackers in the league. Carolina's Luke Kuechly and Buffalo's Zach Brown. Kwon has also only one of 6 NFL linebackers that have recorded 100+ tackles, 5+ sacks and 3 interceptions in his first 16 games.

Bryan Anger is among league leaders in net yards and punts downed inside the 20, but he's the punter so who really cares. #KiddingNotKidding

Mike Evans has taken a lot of flack from Buccaneers fans during his short career and rightfully so. Leading the NFL in dropped passes, consistently drawing undisciplined penalties and complaining to the refs every time a defensive back breathed on him. Won't exactly endear you to your fan base. Given all of Evan's short comings he has always put up impressive numbers, some of the best since he entered the league. Mike is 9th in receiving yards with a total of 2,706 to start his career and ranks 8th in total receiving touchdowns with 19 during that same amount of time. This year he ranks 7th in receptions, 5th in receiving TD's and 7th in yards. Evans has turned a 180 in relation to his drops, penalties, and attitude. If he keeps this up he'll be a shoe in for his 1st Pro Bowl.

     Please feel free to comment below. Check out other articles in the archives to the right and give the blog a follow if you'd like.

    As always, thank you for reading and Go Bucs!    

Good Team Win

The Bucs got an much needed victory last night beating the Carolina Panthers on a last second field goal by Roberto Aguayo by a score of 17 to 14 final. One of our keys to the game was protecting the football and the offense did just that which helped them win the game. The Bucs offense was a little conservative last night but they were physical and ran the football with purpose as spot starter Jacquizz Rodgers had over 100 yards rushing. I personally liked that coach Koetter started the game with 6 straight runs as he wanted the offense to set the tone for the game and how it was going to be played. The Bucs needed a game like this as every unit made big plays and it was a great team win.

Huge credit for last night's win has to go to the defense though as they forced three turnovers and showed tons of fight throughout the game. This was without most of their starting defensive line as the Bucs started two rookies up front and still managed to get stops and force turnovers. It wasn't perfect but to be without their best player in Gerald McCoy, and to play the way they did have to give big kudos to the defensive coaching staff and the whole defensive line group. Our two playmakers in the secondary made big time plays especially Brent Grimes who made one hell of a play to prevent a go-ahead touchdown for the Panthers.

Finally our special teams made some big plays as well in which they recover a fumble, our punter was outstanding, and our kicker Roberto Aguayo made a big kick to win the game. Most importantly, the Bucs are 2-0 in the division and 2-3 overall as this was an huge win for this team. Hopefully this win will start an winning streak and this team can gather some momentum.

Negatives From Preseason Game 3

Everyone looks good when you win but there still were mistakes and bad plays mixed in the 30-13 victory the bucs had over the browns.

CB height:

Brent Grimes was one of the bucs big acquisitions over the offseason and he was worth every penny of it, but his height is what everyone was scared about going against all the taller receivers in the NFC south (Jones, Benjamin, etc). I'm not saying Grimes is over the hill and isn't any good, I'm just saying the lack of height obviously showed and not just on the two deep throws to Josh Gordon. Terrelle Pryor used his bigger frame as well to body the ball in front of the smaller Grimes. Teams will be able to game plan against this slight weakness. The height issue goes for all of our corners, not just Grimes.

Safety Position:

Safety has been the most glaring weakness to me on the bucs roster. No one has clearly stood out and made any plays to warrant needing to be in the starting lineup. On both deep balls to Gordon there was no safety in sight, leaving Grimes on an island. It also seemed like on the deep 44 yard pass on 3rd and long in the first that Grimes played the underneath route, trusting that he would have safety help. Now this could be a miscommunication, but who was it on? Grimes or Conte? Based on the lack of safety help is looks as if the bucs will be susceptible to the deep ball again this year. The defense looks as if they are molded to get pressure to prevent the deep ball but if the pressure isn't there it won't look pretty.

Fullback Position:

The Bucs may not even go with a fullback at all this year and just have 3 tight end sets as no one on the roster can play the position well. Dan Vitale, although an amazing athlete and fan favorite, got called for holding on his first play as fullback. Vitale needs to learn the position as he wasn't asked to be a blocker in college and he shouldn't be learning in a game situation.

Missed throws:

Jameis isn't perfect, there were plays he left on the field last night that during the regular season could have been interceptions or costly drive staller. Jameis no doubt is our franchise QB and has shown signs of progression already but he holds himself to a higher standard than anyone else and I'm pretty sure he knows he needs to put the ball in a better position for his receivers.

Better Secondary Play is Due to Coaching

Last year there were too many times where opposing receivers had open space and separation from Bucs defenders leading to big plays every Sunday. The root cause of this was mainly due to the secondary having no clue where to be on the field most of time, too much thinking going on instead of reacting and playing fast. The Bucs had three secondary coaches last season which is way too many and there were just too many voices in the room causing confusion and leading to guys doing things they are not comfortable with on the field. The Bucs had talent in the secondary last year but failed with poor communication and not being detailed in where to be on the field.

Going into this off-season, the Bucs secondary improved just by hiring secondary coaches in Jon Hoke and Brett Maxie respectively. Jon Hoke is one of the more respected defensive backs coaches out there in the NFL, and Brett Maxie helped developed some good corners when he was with the Titans including Bucs CB Alterraun Verner. Now the Bucs did add talent to the secondary by adding Brent Grimes, Josh Robinson, Vernon Hargreaves, and Ryan Smith which has brought more speed and athleticism to the group. However, the Bucs also kept pretty much the same group from last year which was quite telling that the coaching staff was not doing a good job with the secondary.

Just by re-watching the Eagles game from last week, I could tell the players on defense were more comfortable and every player was in position and able to make plays on the football. It was assignment football as guys got to their spot and everyone was working together on the field. It also helps to have smart football players like Vernon Hargreaves watch below.

Fun to watch Vernon Hargreaves move. Carries into one zone, releases back into his assignment. https://t.co/fjIU1HlBAn

— Josh Norris (@JoshNorris) August 14, 2016

This is perfectly executed as he drives the wideout to his teammate's zone then gets back into his area and cuts off the open option for the Qb. This is what we call team defense and on Thursday it was fun to see that again. Players understanding their jobs and going out on the field and actually doing them was refreshing. Still long way to go as it is just preseason, but I saw a lot of positive signs from the defense in that first game.

Most Consistent

Dirk Koetter was asked today who he thought was playing the most consistent in these first 5 days of camp and of course he gave the big names like McCoy and Lavonte David but he also gave some names that you wouldn't have thought.

Alterraun Verner and Brent Grimes at corner, Chris Conte at Safety. On the offensive side of the ball Demar Dotson, Right Tackle, off to a fast start. Cameron Brate, Tight end, fast start. Doug Martin and Charles Sims, fast starts.

Its great to hear him name drop players like Verner who had an off year last year and Dotson who is coming off of an injured season. Its also good to see Cameron Brate's name in there, showing that he has improved and is showing that on the practice field. Its still really early in camp but getting the attention of the head coach is a good sign. Time to keep improving and getting better day by day.

What Does Koetter Think About Short Corners

The Bucs roster is mostly filled with smaller more quick twitch athletes at corner in Brent Grimes, Alterrraun Verner, Josh Robinson and Rookie Vernon Hargreaves but that doesn't seem to bother head coach Dirk Koetter as he gave one of the best quotes ever about his smaller guys. Via Greg Auman Tampa Bay Times.

"They're not going to grow, alright? So we've got 5,000 stories out there about short corners. You can't bitch about your players. They're the ones you've got. These guys aren't going to grow."

Koetter is a straight shooter and obviously doesn't beat around the bush. If a guy can play he can play and obviously by collecting all these guys with similar traits means that's the type of corner that fits this defensive scheme. Koetter went on to describe the research of the ratio between shorter and taller corners.

"There's plenty of research both ways about size and corners. There's some misnomers out there," Koetter said. "There's just as many corners that are 5-10 that have been successful as corners that are 6-4. So the guys are who they are. We're happy with our guys and we're going to keep working with them."

All that matter's is who is on your team right now. You work with what you got and you make the most of it and that seems like what Koetter's mind set is. Looking at the roster right now the only corner above 5'11 is Jonathan Banks (6'2) so who is the outlier? The bucs seem confident with the height of their corners right now, lets see if that confidence shows itself on the field come game day.

What Will Happen With Jude?

Last year the secondary was down right embarrassing and Lovie would throw anyone and everyone out there to see who could play the best. That when number 38 was thrown into the fire. A guy with a name no one could pronounce and could barely fit on his jersey. The guy was practice squad rookie Jude Adjei-Barimah out of Bowling Green State.

Jude's background is in soccer and he didn't even start playing football until his freshman year of high school. When he was thrown into live action he looked just as bad as everyone else in the bucs secondary but he did show flashes of athleticism and hustle. He ended up playing in 13 games and starting in 7 of them as well as totaling 41 tackles. He was targeted often due to being a no name rookie but it seemed as if he never shied away from it and took it as a learning curve.

Looking at the roster now, the bucs have loaded up on corners in hope to fix the mess that was our secondary last year. That means Jude will have stiff competition to make the final roster in 2016. With Grimes and Verner getting the early first team reps and top pick VH3 likely to win the nickel position where does that leave Jude? He will have to compete with veteran Jonathan Banks and free agent pick up Josh Robinson to make the roster. Luckily for Jude it seems like the bucs defense values smaller quick corners and that fits Jude to a T.

He no doubt caught the eye of Jason Licht and I will never doubt Licht's talent evaluation based on his recent draft decisions. It's all up to Jude now to prove he's worthy of a roster spot and most likely will have to shine in special teams to make the team.

Brent Grimes Already Making Plays

The Bucs brought in Brent Grimes to make plays in the secondary for them which didn't happen last year as they only had 2 ints from their corners last season. Grimes, 32 has 26 ints in his career along with 99 pass breakups which is pretty impressive. Now being back with Mike Smith and his defense, Grimes is in his comfort zone where he can play to his strengths. Grimes showed what he can do on the first day of OTA's which is making plays on the football.

Brent Grimes with a pick and a hustling PBU on back-to-back plays. Good to see.

— Scott Smith (@ScottSBucs) May 24, 2016

Grimes is going to be such a big addition for this team because of his leadership and his knowledge of this defense. More importantly Grimes can produce turnovers and that is what is needed to have a good defense.  Another important note by having Grimes on the team is it is going to make Jameis better during practice with Grimes challenging him to make accurate throws. This secondary should be much improved from last year.

Hargreaves Introduced to Tampa

The bucs officially introduced 11th pick Vernon Hargreaves to Tampa and local media today during his press conference. Hargreaves Spoke a little about himself and didn't shy away from stating how confident he is in his abilities.

Confidence isn't something that leaves you, its with you. It's something that you have. It's kind of a trial and error thing. I'm going to go in and whatever happens, happens. I'm going to get beat, if I get beat I got to bounce back, make more plays and I'm going to learn.

Hargreaves is all of 20 years old and doesn't turn 21 till June. He will have one of his favorite player's in Brent Grimes to learn from, to help speed up his learning curve and Grimes isn't short of confidence himself. When asked what best describes him, his answer was short, sweet and straight to the point.

Press Man, end of discussion

The bucs grabbed themselves the most fundamentally sound corner on the board in Hargreaves. VH3 showed willingness to sacrifice his body in game tape and of the tackling fundamentals he will bring to the bucs and how he's excited to showcase them on Sundays.

Most important thing in the game, If you don't tackle you definitely don't win. Can't be scared, got to throw your face in the fan and get the guy on the ground.

Hargreaves is saying all the right things and seems to be an extremely confident dude. Will he be a shut down corner the bucs desperately need? Time will tell but he sure does have the swagger and confidence of a shutdown guy and he is more than welcomed here in Tampa.

Bucs Secondary Has Quality Depth Now

With the selection of CB Vernon Hargreaves at 11th overall, the Bucs have quality depth at the cornerback position for 2016 and beyond. The Bucs added free agent corners in Brent Grimes and Josh Robinson whom both bring athleticism, playmaking ability, and toughness to the position. Don't forget about last year's group in Alterraun Verner, and Johnthan Banks whom both should be way better in Mike Smith's aggressive defensive scheme.

Now with Hargreaves on board, the Bucs can be very flexiable in their schemes and can be more creative with their corners. Grimes, Verner, and Hargreaves all have the ability to play outside or inside which allows the Bucs to play more dime and nickel packages which means 5 dbs or more. With the corners that have been added, it looks like Mike Smith is looking to bring a mix of press man coverage along with some off zone which plays to the strengths of the corners mentioned. 

Bucs are definitely more athletic and quicker in the secondary than they have been in past years which should lead to more interceptions. The Bucs only had 2 interceptions last year from their corners which is unacceptable, expect a higher total in 2016. The Bucs secondary now has solid depth, better coaching, and could be a strength for the team this season.

Bucs Select Vernon Hargreaves

Your newest Tampa Bay Buccaneer is Cornerback Vernon Hargreaves. Hargreaves was the popular pick for Tampa since mock drafts first started coming out and now it has become true. The biggest knock on Hargreaves has been his height (5'10) and being able to cover the taller receivers in the NFC South (Julio Jones, Kelvin Benjamin). I'll say this, he has 2 6'5 receivers to practice against everyday in VJax and Mike Evans. Hargreaves has all the fundamentals and competitive fire you want in an NFL starting corner and he gets to learn under new addition Brent Grimes who is very similar to Hargreaves.

Welcome to Tampa VH3 and bring the confidence and competition you showed every game at florida the past 3 years. Time to be a part of the culture change and turn this pitiful defense around.

Bucs Free Agent Signings Have Winning Past

The great Vince Lombardi used to say that "winning is habit, but unfortunately so is losing", and the Bucs have made losing a habit since 2007 which is their last playoff appearance. Bucs Gm Jason Licht is trying to change the culture and build a winning organization. That started last year by getting franchise Qb in Jameis Winston, who has stated before that in 2016, the team is going to create a winning mindset. So far this off season, it looks like Jason Licht wants to accelerate that winning mindset by bringing in free agents who can not only play at a high level, but have a history of winning and playoff experience.

The Bucs have signed J.R Sweezy, Brent Grimes, Robert Ayers, Josh Robinson, and Daryl Smith whom all have been apart of winning organizations, and have won in the playoffs. Sweezy and Ayers have played in the Super Bowl which was in 2013 as they went against each other with their former teams in Seattle and Denver respectively. This free agent group is very talented with winning experience which will hopefully rub off on this roster, and can help this team learn how to win and finish games. The Bucs have a high quality veteran at every level of the defense as Ayers,(defensiveline), Smith(linebackers), and Grimes (cornerbacks). This is key as young guys like Jacqueis Smith, Kwon Alexander, and Johnthan Banks can learn from them and become better players as a result.

Jason Licht knows this team needs to start winning as 8-24 over the last two years are just unacceptable. It looks like Winston's end of the year press conference hit home with Licht, as it is time to create a winning mindset because this team has had a losing one for too long. With now having key quality veterans in place on defense, hopefully they can help Jameis instilled a winning culture into the rest of the team.

Options

During Brent Grimes press conference Jason Licht shed a little light on his way of working the draft. He was asked how the draft would be affected since they have now addressed some of their needs and Licht came back with a quick direct answer.

"In the Draft were going to have the same approach. Its going to be best player, wether were picking at 9, moving up or moving back. Its going to be the best player that makes us better."

He later went on to comment about how having "quality" players like Brent Grimes and Robert Ayers, can open up different options in the draft.

"Helps give us options and we always like options here."

 Funny how Licht talks about moving up or down in the draft. Moving down would obviously produce more options in the form of additional picks but for that to happen it takes two to tango. The defense all though improved with the additions of Ayers and Grimes still needs an influx of talent and the best way to do that without over paying in free agency is through the draft. The strength of this draft is on defense so lets see if Licht decides to wheel and deal to pick up some more draft picks to drive competition up across the board.

I Make Plays On The Ball

Earlier today the Buccaneers held an introductory press conference for new cornerback Brent Grimes who signed with the team last Friday. Jason Licht was very happy talking about Grimes and what he will provide for the defense in 2016 per Scott Smith.

Jason Licht says the last 3 years have been 3 of the best years in Brent Grimes' career. Says he will make an immediate impact.

— Scott Smith (@ScottSBucs) March 14, 2016

Licht went on to rave about Grimes's athleticism and his ability to be a playmaker in the secondary in which he has collected 13 interceptions over the past three years. Grimes agrees with Licht as he feels his best trait is making plays on the ball per Rick Stroud.

"What do I do best as a corner? Make plays on the ball," Grimes said. "I feel like that is my strong suit. I go get the ball. That's what wins games in the league, making plays on the football when the ball is in the air. I believe that's a strong suit for me."

The defense is much improve with a player like Grimes on the roster, and should help this team win more games, and as Dirk Koetter has said before " The only thing that people give a crap about is wins".