in 2005, the Starting Safeties for the Bucs, Will Allen and Jermaine Phillips showed big time promise as the concrete wall in the defense. Tampa Bay finished with the best defense in the NFL that year, but some coaching changes would be taking place that would have a large effect on that. Rod Marinelli; Gone to Detroit. Assistant Raheem Morris: Gone to be Defensive Coordinator. Mike Tomlin; Gone to be defensive coordinator of the Minnesota Vikings.
The Bucs secondary and D-line suffered. Not as bad as the Defensive backs did though. Will Allen and Jermaine Phillips were toasted regularly. It was so bad, that when the Bucs got Raheem Morris back as defensive backs coach instead of assistant, came back in 2007, the Bucs drafted a safety out of Syracuse Tanard Jackson, and started him as a rookie! Only once had Monte Kiffin had a rookie start for him, in 1996!
These days, Tanard is the main man, and will be again when his suspension is over. Will Allen is Captain; of special teams, where he actually does quite well.
This Sunday however, Will Allen will get the start with another safety Bucs fans have seen trying to chase down bombs in air. A strong outing would not only be completely unexpected, but would go a long way for Allen to redeem some respectability from not only his peers but the coaching staff too should a safety be called on to save the Bucs.