After the conclusion of Greg Schiano’s first season, the Bucs finished with the record of 7-9. For the first time in a long time, the offense was clicking. Our running game was performing almost at a top 10 level and our passing game was great until the last three games of the season with Josh Freeman at the helm. What Schiano was brought in for was to fix the defense and he did a lopsided job. Our passing defense was the worst in the NFL. The running defense turned into the best in the NFL. Going into the offseason, the biggest concern was the many big plays that were converted on the defense in 2012.
Unlike during the Raheem Morris days, Greg Schiano and Mark Dominik were given the checkbook to fix the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The past offseason, they signed players to over $100 million. This offseason, it was the same thing. The biggest offseason acquisition had to be CB Darrelle Revis. While with the New York Jets, he shut down half the field on his own. But at what cost did we get him?
Trades:
Traded | For | |
#1 | RB LeGarrette Blount | RB Jeff Demps |
2013 7th Round Pick | ||
#2 | WR Arrelious Benn | 2013 6th Round Pick |
2013 7th Round Pick | ||
#3 | 2013 1st Round Pick | CB Darrelle Revis |
2014 4th Round Pick | ||
#4 | 2014 6th Round Pick | OT Gabe Carimi |
Released:
Pos | Name | What Happened |
DE | Michael Bennett | Super Bowl Champ |
CB | E.J. Biggers | Signed w/ Redskins |
OT | Jeremy Trueblood | Signed w/ Redskins |
DT | Roy Miller | Signed w/ Jaguars |
RB | D.J. Ware | Never Played |
OLB | Quincy Black | Never Played |
WR | Sammie Stroughter | Never Played |
Signed:
Pos | Name | Years | Amount | What Happened |
S | Dashon Goldson | 5 | $41,250,000 | Traded 2015 |
DT | Derek Landri | 2 | $3,250,000 | Released 2014 |
WR | Kevin Ogletree | 2 | $2,600,000 | Released 2013 |
TE | Tom Crabtree | 2 | $1,600,000 | Released 2014 |
OLB | Jonathan Casillas | 1 | $1,400,000 | Resigned & Traded |
DE | George Selvie | 2 | $1,360,000 | Released 2013 |
K | Nate Kaeding | 1 | $900,000 | Retired 2013 |
WR | Steve Smith | 1 | $780,000 | Retired 2013 |
FB | Brian Leonard | 1 | $780,000 | Didn't Resign |
This offseason had some good highs and some questionable signings. We got the "shutdown" cornerback that we needed and the safety we thought we did. We got rid of Quincy Black’s contract but didn’t resign Michael Bennett. It was like we were trying to model the offseason after Ying and Yang. But going into the draft we still had a few glaring needs. Due to Eric Wright’s issues and Ronde Barber’s retirement we needed help at Cornerback. Since we didn’t have much of a pass rush, we needed Defensive Ends and a compliment to Gerald McCoy. With Trueblood’s departure, we needed depth at the Tackle position. And for most of the offense, we needed depth. To put a big bow on it, we needed CB, DE, DT, OT, QB, and depth.
1st Round
In the 1st round, we didn’t have a draft pick due to the Darrelle Revis trade. Say what you must about it but in the end the Bucs got the short end of the stick. The Buccaneers gave up the 13th pick in the draft for the best corner in the league. What we missed out on could’ve helped the Buccaneers through the rough patch they have been in.
Need: DT Sheldon Richardson, DT Star Lotulelei, OT Justin Pugh, CB Desmond Trufant
BPA: SS Kenny Vaccaro, FS Eric Reid, FS Matt Elam, FS Jonathan Cyprien, G Kyle Long, C Travis Frederick, WR DeAndre Hopkins, WR Cordarrelle Patterson, MLB Alec Ogletree, TE Zach Ertz, RB Giovani Bernard
2nd Round
In the second round, we decided to draft for need and pick up Johnathan Banks with the 43rd pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. Coming out of Mississippi State, he was tall and lanky. He didn’t possess the blazing speed needed to catch the fast WR in the NFL but he had the ability to make plays on the ball against tall WRs. If you want to compare him to other CBs in the Tampa 2, he is a lot taller but has the athletic ability. The question is if he can make instinctive plays or read the QBs eyes while playing in the Zone Defense.
Rd | Pck | Pos | F. Name | L. Name | Drafted Team | H | W | 40Yd | 20Yd | 10Yd | Bench | Vert | Broad | 20SS | 3Cone | CAV/PG |
1 | 22 | DBCB | Desmond | Trufant | Atlanta Falcons | 73 | 190 | 4.38 | 2.47 | 1.50 | 16 | 37.5 | 125 | 3.85 | 6.67 | 34% |
2 | 43 | DBCB | Johnthan | Banks | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 74 | 185 | 4.57 | 2.61 | 1.59 | 10 | 34.5 | 126 | 4.27 | 6.97 | 34% |
2 | 51 | DBCB | David | Amerson | Washington Redskins | 73 | 205 | 4.35 | 2.50 | 1.50 | 15 | 38.5 | 132 | 4.13 | 6.75 | 28% |
5 | 159 | DBCB | Micah | Hyde | Green Bay Packers | 73 | 197 | 4.52 | 2.55 | 1.59 | 12 | 33.5 | 121 | 4.20 | 6.67 | 28% |
When comparing the top 4 CBs in the draft, you can almost split them in half. Trufant and Amerson are the most athletic CBs in the draft. Banks and Hyde are two of the slowest CBs in the draft. Being tied with the slowest 10 yard split for CBs, Banks would have to be good at press coverage or to be instinctive. His vertical jump leaves much to be desired but due to how tall he is, it isn’t much of a concern. Also, his agility is okay based on his shuttle and 3cone data but it wouldn’t be wise to make him run with Wes Welker. In the end, Banks sort-of fits into Lovie Smith’s scheme for the Buccaneers.
Need: DT Bennie Logan, CB David Amerson
BPA: RB Le’Veon Bell, RB Eddie Lacy, OLB Jamie Collins, OLB Sio Moore, SS D.J. Swearinger, FS T.J. McDonald, TE Travis Kelce, G Larry Warford
3rd Round
With Josh Freeman’s play faltering in the last few games of the season, the Bucs needed to look for a quality QB for a possible back-up to Freeman. The rumor was that Schiano wanted nothing to do with Freeman and that this QB might also start for the Buccaneers. We wouldn’t find out until the season started but I’ll give you a hint, he looks like a giraffe. With the 73rd pick in the draft, the Buccaneers chose QB Mike Glennon out of NC State.
Since QBs are not known for their workouts, I won’t compare the drafted QB to each other. Mike Glennon was the tallest QB in the draft at 6’6" and was fairly slow. If I had to describe him based on QBs in the NFL, it would be Peyton Manning based on just size. The good thing is that the Bucs scouting report was correct. They found a good QB in the 3rd round who turned out to be one of the best QBs in a weak QB draft.
Need: None
BPA: WR Terrance Williams, WR Keenan Allen, FS J.J. Wilcox, G Hugh Thorton
4th Round
With how the Buccaneers played last season, they needed a lot of help on the defensive front. They performed well against the run but not the pass rush. In Schiano’s system, the linemen are used to eat up as much space as possible so that they linebackers blitzing can reach the QB. With that being said, the Buccaneers decided to stick with need and draft DT Akeem Spence out of Illinois.
Rd | Pck | Pos | F. Name | L. Name | Drafted Team | H | W | 40Yd | 20Yd | 10Yd | Bench | Vert | Broad | 20SS | 3Cone | CAV/PG |
1 | 13 | DT | Sheldon | Richardson | New York Jets | 75 | 294 | 4.96 | 2.71 | 1.68 | 30 | 32.0 | 116 | 4.59 | 7.33 | 47% |
1 | 14 | DT | Star | Lotulelei | Carolina Panthers | 76 | 320 | 5.14 | 3.12 | 1.89 | 38 | 30.0 | 105 | 4.63 | 7.79 | 47% |
3 | 67 | DT | Bennie | Logan | Philadelphia Eagles | 74 | 309 | 5.08 | 30 | 28.0 | 104 | 4.67 | 7.53 | 38% | ||
4 | 100 | DT | Akeem | Spence | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 73 | 307 | 5.09 | 2.81 | 1.74 | 37 | 30.0 | 107 | 4.62 | 7.82 | 28% |
6 | 198 | DT | Chris | Jones | Houston Texans | 74 | 302 | 5.10 | 2.99 | 1.87 | 30 | 31.0 | 105 | 4.44 | 7.34 | 38% |
At 6’1" 307 pounds, he was one of the shortest DTs in the draft. If he could use that leverage along with his brute strength, he had the ability to bull rush the QB and get blitzing linebackers to the QB. Comparing him to the top 4 DTs in the draft, he was fairly quick in his 10 yard split and was backed up by his average vertical and broad jump. Where he faltered was his agility. It was one of the lowest for the defensive front. In the end, he is a space eater but not much else.
Need: OT David Bakhtiari
BPA: OLB Alex Okafor, OLB Jelani Jenkins, OLB Gerald Hodges, TE Dion Sims, C Brian Schwenke
Luckily for the Bucs, they had another draft choice in the 4th round. They decided to use it on DE William Gholston out of Michigan State. Compared to other draft classes for Defensive Ends, this had to be one of the weakest. Only four of them have turned out to be statically good to great. One of them is Gholston.
Rd | Pck | Pos | F. Name | L. Name | Drafted Team | H | W | 40Yd | 20Yd | 10Yd | Bench | Vert | Broad | 20SS | 3Cone | CAV/PG |
1 | 5 | DE | Ezekiel | Ansah | Detroit Lions | 77 | 271 | 4.56 | 2.66 | 1.62 | 21 | 34.5 | 118 | 4.26 | 7.11 | 47% |
1 | 26 | DE | Datone | Jones | Green Bay Packers | 76 | 283 | 4.75 | 2.72 | 1.61 | 29 | 31.5 | 112 | 4.32 | 7.32 | 16% |
4 | 126 | DE | William | Gholston | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 78 | 281 | 4.93 | 2.75 | 1.74 | 23 | 28.5 | 110 | 4.59 | 7.20 | 19% |
4 | 127 | DE | Malliciah | Goodman | Atlanta Falcons | 76 | 276 | 4.87 | 2.70 | 1.67 | 26 | 33.0 | 117 | 4.48 | 7.10 | 16% |
When comparing all of the defensive ends selected in the draft, Gholston was one of the biggest at 6’6" 281 pounds. He was also one of the slowest. His 1.74 10 yard split was second worst in the draft. He had average strength and agility too. But what made him useful was his size. Again, Schiano used blitzing to get to the QB. What then needed was a bull rushing defensive line to create holes for the linebackers. Gholston fit the role perfectly along with being a stout run attacker. But for Lovie Smith’s defense, he would fit into the "Greg Spires" role.
Need: DE Malliciah Goodman
BPA: WR Kenny Stills
5th Round
Through the first 4 rounds, we addressed most of the holes that the team needed. But the Bucs still had needs at DE, OT, and depth. In the 5th round, we decided to try and fix our pass rush on the defensive line. Out of Buffalo, Steven Means was drafted with the 147th pick in the NFL Draft. As a tweener between DE and OLB, he had the size to be both a pass rushing DE and OLB. Considering we were running a 4-3 Defense, we would be using him at DE.
Rd | Pck | Pos | F. Name | L. Name | Drafted Team | H | W | 40Yd | 20Yd | 10Yd | Bench | Vert | Broad | 20SS | 3Cone | CAV/PG |
1 | 3 | DE | Dion | Jordan | Miami Dolphins | 78 | 248 | 4.54 | 2.59 | 1.61 | 32.5 | 122 | 4.35 | 7.02 | 9% | |
1 | 6 | LBO | Barkevious | Mingo | Cleveland Browns | 76 | 241 | 4.53 | 2.63 | 1.57 | 37.0 | 128 | 4.39 | 6.84 | 28% | |
1 | 24 | LBO | Bjoern | Werner | Indianapolis Colts | 75 | 266 | 4.81 | 2.78 | 1.67 | 25 | 31.0 | 111 | 4.40 | 7.30 | 28% |
5 | 147 | LBO | Steven | Means | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 76 | 257 | 4.68 | 2.73 | 1.64 | 21 | 38.5 | 128 | 4.31 | 7.26 | 3% |
Notice that the three I decided to compare Means to could also be either DEs or OLBs. At 6’4" 257, Means was fairly average for a pass rushing OLB but was small for a pass rushing DE. He had the speed to get off the line based off his 10 yard split, vertical, and broad jump. Per athletic ability, he was very good. What he didn’t have was the size or pass rushing moves to get to the quarterback. Very rarely do players less than 260 pounds turn out to be good pass rushers as defensive ends. Only Trent Cole has been able to use his small size to his advantage. I feel the CAV/PG is also misleading for Werner and Mingo. The only major difference between the stats of all four players is that Mingo and Werner have started 44% and 50% of their games compared to Jordan (3%) and Means (0%).
Need: CB Micah Hyde, T Jordan Mills
BPA: TE Luke Willson, TE Mychal Rivera, RB Zac Stacy, RB Andre Ellington, G Ricky Wagner, FS Josh Evans
6th Round
Going into the 6th round, the Bucs had two draft choices left. One 6th rounder we got from the Arrelious Benn trade and another for trading LeGarrette Blount to the Patriots. They decided use both picks to trade up with Minnesota and grab RB Mike James out of Miami. With the Buccaneers investing in Doug Martin, trading for Jeff Demps, and signing Brian Leonard, I didn’t think we needed another running back. The FO thought otherwise.
Rd | Pck | Pos | F. Name | L. Name | Drafted Team | H | W | 40Yd | 20Yd | 10Yd | Bench | Vert | Broad | 20SS | 3Cone | CAV/PG |
2 | 37 | RB | Giovani | Bernard | Cincinnati Bengals | 68 | 202 | 4.50 | 2.55 | 1.53 | 19 | 33.5 | 122 | 4.12 | 6.91 | 53% |
2 | 48 | RB | Le'Veon | Bell | Pittsburgh Steelers | 73 | 230 | 4.56 | 2.60 | 1.52 | 24 | 31.5 | 118 | 4.24 | 6.75 | 78% |
2 | 61 | RB | Eddie | Lacy | Green Bay Packers | 71 | 231 | 4.58 | 2.65 | 1.65 | 33.5 | 7.33 | 81% | |||
6 | 187 | RB | Andre | Ellington | Arizona Cardinals | 69 | 199 | 4.54 | 1.56 | 34.0 | 122 | 38% | ||||
6 | 189 | RB | Mike | James | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 70 | 223 | 4.50 | 2.56 | 1.57 | 28 | 35.0 | 115 | 4.34 | 6.93 | 6% |
When comparing the top 4 RBs drafted in 2013 to James, a few things stick out. Mike James was fairly average for his size. At 5’10" 223 pounds, he was smack in the middle of each group of players: the heavy hitters, Lacy and Bell, and the "make them miss" running backs, Ellington and Bernard. The same goes for his speed and broad jump. What he was good at was his strength and vertical jump. That usually signifies that he could throw a powerful stiff arm and keep the pile moving. What he didn’t have was good agility. One of the worst in the class at his 20 yard shuttle, he has to slow down to change direction. In the end, he would have to be a power running back similar to LeGarrette Blount’s role the past two years.
Needs: DT Chris Jones, CB Demetrius McCray, CB Marcus Cooper
BPA: MLB Vince Williams, SS Kemal Ishmael
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