What happened in 2011:

Disaster, that's what happened. The linebacking corps wasn't overhauled, as the only addition to the team was third-round rookie Mason Foster, but boy did the play suck. It's quite possible that this was the worst performing unit on the entire team - and given the level of suck this team reached, that's quite an accomplishment.

Yet, after four games, I wouldn't have written any of this. Early on, the linebackers (and the entire front seven) played quite well. They were aggressive, played downhill football and managed to get good results. But the rest of the way this group just collapsed. Quincy Black may have been the biggest disappointment, as he clearly showed that he wasn't worth his massive contract. Formerly a two-down linebacker with some potential, he now turned into a disaster. Similarly, Geno Hayes didn't manage to convince in his contract year, as he was at one point benched in favor of Adam Hayward.

By midseason, none of the linebackers were playing well. Mason Foster showed some promise, especially as a blitzer, but injuries set him back and his play never again reached the level it did early in the season. Quincy Black was disastrous, while Geno Hayes couldn't even provide the splash plays he had provided earlier in his career.

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What happened in 2011

With next to no proven talent at defensive end on the roster at the start of 2011, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers knew they had to quickly rebuild the position. And they did so rapidly and with reasonable success. By selecting Adrian Clayborn and Da'Quan Bowers with their first two draft picks they added a lot of talent to a major position of need. What helped the Bucs get a fairly consistent performance out of their defensive ends was the emergence of Michael Bennett, who had an outstanding year, especially as a run-stopper.

In addition, the Bucs focused on improving the defensive line through coaching. Despite a shortened offseason, they brought in two defensive line coaches: pass-rush specialist Keith Millard and run defense specialist Grady Stretz.

Despite that, the defensive ends didn't blow away anyone in 2011. Adrian Clayborn had a good season for a rookie, spending a lot of time on the field, but his 7.5-sack total isn't going to break any records. Da'Quan Bowers flashed talent at times, but was extremely inconsistent, especially in run defense. Bennett was the most consistent player of the bunch, but he struggled through numerous injuries.

Behind those three (relative) stars, the Bucs had a number of other players perform. Tim Crowder was a solid but unspectacular backup, and the most experienced defensive end on the roster, although he finished the season with an injury. George Johnson led the team in sacks during the preseason and flashed some pass-rushing skill during the regular season, but ended the season on IR. The Bucs also added Daniel Te'o-Nesheim and Nick Reed as late-season stopgaps.

Overall, the defensive ends may have constituted the best unit on a very poor 2011 Tampa Bay Buccaneers team.

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What happened in 2011

What looked like a posiition of potential strength in 2011 turned out to be perhaps the biggest weakness on the team. Most of that was the case because for the second time in two seasons, Gerald McCoy suffered a season-ending injury. The second-year player started the season in excellent form and he looked like he would fulfill the promise of his draft status. His play against the run was especially strong. Unfortunately he suffered a high ankle sprain in week five, and suffered a season-ending biceps tear a couple of weeks later. Without him, most of the defense collapsed as it lacked a stout presence inside, or any kind of pass-rushing threat at defensive tackle.

2010 second-round pick Brian Price was able to play for most of the season, but he was barely effective as he was still recovering from extensive surgery to his pelvis and hamstrings. Behind Price, the Bucs had a collection of ineffective defensive tackles, and they brought in Albert Haynesworth midseason to help kickstart the defensive line. To virtually no one's surprise, Haynesworth proved largely ineffective and was a liability against the run, and the Bucs' problems at defensive tackle continued throughout the season.

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What happened in 2011

Decent, unspectacular play. That's what most centers produce, and it's what the Tampa Bay Buccaneers saw out of their own centers this season. Jeff Faine wasn't horrible, but he's declining and that's visible. He's having more and more problems taking on defensive linemen one-on-one, and there's no real drop-off from him to backup center Jeremy Zuttah. Faine once again missed a game with injury, forcing Zuttah to move to center.

Center isn't a difficult position on the offensive line to fill, as centers spend most of their time helping out their guards rather than blocking defensive linemen one-on-one. Intelligence and the ability to set protection schemes are very important, however, and Jeff Faine does do a good job in that respect. The Bucs see very few free rushers get to the quarterback, which in part is a reflection of Faine's ability and in part a reflection of Freeman's.

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What happened in 2011

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers re-signed Davin Joseph to a seven-year $53 million contract with $19 million guaranteed this offseason, and he was one of the few players who didn't disappoint. Joseph had a very solid year, especially as a run blocker, and earned his second Pro Bowl berth. The

The left guard position wasn't nearly as well-filled, however. While second-year player Ted Larsen started at left guard early in the year, he was quickly benched for Jeremy Zuttah - who promptly looked like a very good player for about three games, before injuries struck and he once again returned to his mediocre (but not poor) form.

That injury and a later injury to Jeff Faine forcing Zuttah to move over to center gave Ted Larsen some extra playing time, but he failed to take advantage of the opportunity. Neither Larsen nor Zuttah could produce consistently at the position, leaving the Bucs with more question marks for the 2012 season.

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What happened in 2011

Before the season started, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had to decide on their right tackle situation. Jeremy Trueblood was a free agent (and wasn't all that good to begin with), while the Bucs probably couldn't count on James Lee to step up if need be. Instead of bringing in a free agent, the Bucs re-signed Jeremy Trueblood to a two-year, $10 million contract - a lot of money for a mediocre (at best) right tackle.

Preseason and one game late in the year showed the Bucs' 'wisdom' in re-signing Trueblood, however, as James Lee looked absolutely horrible at right tackle. Meanwhile raw project Demar Dotson looked a little better when given a chance, but he wasn't ready to take over as right tackle either. Jeremy Trueblood was pretty clearly the overall best right tackle on the roster, and he even had a relatively good year - for his standards at least. He's cleaned up the penalties, and is now mostly a liability against speed rushers while he can handle most other things fairly well.

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The tight end position was supposed to be a strength in the 2011 season for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but somehow it turned into a weakness.

What happened in 2011

The Bucs went into the season with essentially two tight ends: Luke Stocker and Kellen Winslow. They carried a number of completely interchangeable tight ends on the roster like Zach Pianalto and Collin Franklin. In effect, though, the Bucs' fourth-round pick Luke Stocker wasn't exactly any better than Pianalto or Collin Franklin, either. He produced next to nothing in the passing game, while being a lackluster blocker. In part that can be blamed on injuries - but just in part.

Kellen Winslow, on the other hand, did produce. He caught 75 passes for 763 yards and two touchdowns. That production was pretty decent, but not outstanding. Those statistics do miss something, however: Kellen Winslow was the most-targeted Buccaneer on interceptions. That's because Josh Freeman kept honing in on Winslow, while Winslow failed to haul in the tough catches and failed to separate from any player not a linebacker.

Kellen Winslow is still a useful tight end and certainly the best tight end on the roster, but his liability as a blocker combined with his losing any speed he once had is causing his effectiveness to drop off a cliff.

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As we move on with the 2011 Season in Review series, we come to the running back positions - perhaps the most discussed, but also most misunderstood position on the team.

What happened in 2011?

During the 2011 season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers ran for fewer yards than all but two teams in the entire NFL. They had just 9 rushing touchdowns, 23rd in the NFL. No team ran the ball less than the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the 2011 season, but despite that the Bucs actually averaged 4.2 yards per attempt, 16th in the NFL.

The reason the Bucs didn't run the ball more? They never committed to the running game, and they constantly got blown out forcing them (to an extent) to abandon the run. Add to that an early injury to Earnest Graham, causing him to miss half the season, and a Kregg Lumpkin who never turned into a good player and the Bucs' running game and their running backs were awfully ineffective.

Legarrette Blount

Legarrette Blount didn't reach the 1,000 yards mark, but was still relatively successful as a runner. With 781 yards on 184 attempts, Blount averaged a respectable 4.2 yards per carry. He was still inconsistent, but he was much improved from the previous season. His vision was better and he ran with power and the right pad level more consistently.

Fumbles plagued him at the end of the season, however, and that's something he will have to correct. More importantly he needs to use this offseason to learn his responsibilities as a blocker. Pass-blocking isn't a physical problem for Blount, as I've seen him execute blocks consistently, but he couldn't get on the field as a pass-blocker - which means it is likely a mental thing.

Ultimately, though, Blount remains a limited running back. He can't make a man miss in the open field, and he can't run outside the tackles. That limits his effectiveness as a receiver and a runner. He can be used to pound the ball inside the tackles, but that's about it. It's something you can certainly build around, but you also need a complementary back to provide a different element - and that's what the Bucs missed in 2011.

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