Draft Roundup

Well, the Bucs finished off their draft yesterday by selecting OL Jeremy Zuttah (3rd Rd), DT Dre` Moore (4th Rd), QB Josh Johnson (5th Rd), LB Geno Hayes (6th Rd), and RB Cory Boyd (7th Rd). The Bucs made the trade in the 2nd round that got them a pick in rounds 6 and 7, giving them a pick in each round.

Zuttah was the fastest lineman in the draft with decent size and average power, but with the versatility to play just about every position on the line. He'll be a very good back-up to add depth to the line as well as competition.

DT Dre` Moore was the fastest DT in the draft and had some very solid play at Maryland. He would have been drafted much higher if scouts didn't think he took plays off. Moore says that his defense makes it look that way because he often has to read the play or back up and prepare to drop into coverage. Which is true will soon be shown, as there are no read plays in this defense. With the Bucs you attack your gaps and hold the fort or make the play. If Moore plays consistently he could be a steal. This is because he only started playing football the last couple years and he's consistently gotten much better over time. So he's still not fully tapped, and this coaching staff should be able to get the full gamut out of him.

In the fifth round, the Bucs picked up a guy that some people can't seem to get a grasp on, which I will explain shortly. Many fans don't follow all the players enough to know who's who coming out, and most thought we should have picked up Brian Brohm in the 2nrd round, or at least Chad Henne. Bumpkis, I say. The Bucs would have created too much pressure at the position if they had picked up a QB in round 2. By selecting one in the 5th, they can afford to wait. But even better, the Bucs picked up a guy that, to paraphrase Bruce Allen, has not good stats, nor great stats, but spectacular stats. When I first saw his numbers a couple of months ago, I immediately recognized what a talent he will be. The numbers 113 to 15 (TD's to INT's) is phenomenal at any level. When combined with his roughly 69% completion percentage, and the nearly 10,000 passing yards, it's clear he know how to place the ball in the right spot (his lone pick last season bounced off the chest of his Tight End first). Now add the fact that Jim Harbaugh (former NFL QB that learned under Gruden) brought in Gruden's WC offense, and that's what Johnson has been running, you can see why the Bucs took him. Not too mention he was the fastest QB and ran for 1800+ yards. Needless to say, if any young QB is likely to be "developed" under Gruden, this is it. I think he'll light it up in Pre-Season, but will need time to adjust to the NFL speed to be regular season ready. Mark my words: Johnson is a steal for the Bucs and will push McCown for the right to start when Garcia hangs 'em up or becomes ineffective/hurt.

The Bucs then picked up FSU LB Gen Hayes who some thought was the next coming of Derrick Brooks, though he's more like the next coming of "Don't tase me, bro!" Still, he could be a solid player for this team, though I envision him finding his way to the practice squad, since that now makes 12 LB's on this team.

The Bucs finished their draft by selecting RB Cory Boyd out of South Carolina. He's a back with good size, speed, and vision, but lacks the break-away speed that would have put him much higher in the draft. He's a very good receiver as well, so he should make a nice addition to the staple here, but will have to fight his butt off to earn a spot.

Overall, the Bucs did a solid job in this year's draft, and reminds me to some degree of last year. I don't think they really blew any picks, though some are still hung up on Talib (get over it...he's BETTER than Jenkins!). Nevertheless, we'll find out soon what these rooks are made of. With Johnson's selection, Gradkowski's fate is sealed. Simms is likely to be gone too, unless he shows up for workouts and just outright beats Griese out. Garcia and McCown are the other locks, and the Bucs will only go to camp with 5 QB's so two are going to be gone before camp. They will probably carry 4 during the season.

Bucs Take WR Dexter Jackson In 2nd Rd

The Bucs added some serious speed by tagging the fastest receiver in the draft, and the one that burned Michigan in the Appalachian game. He's very fast and can return punts and kicks. He's a little small, but seems to be able to play against the bigger guys, as he showed all last year.

The Bucs also got him after swapping picks with the Jags and picking up a 5th rounder this year and a late round (6th if I remember correctly - UPDATED: 7th rounder) next year. So the Bucs made out pretty good here. So far the draft is shaping up well. Some are disappointed, but that happened last year, and yet that defense was reborn and Sears helped solidify the offensive line. The front office does appear to know what it is doing. We'll see if these 2 picks make an impact this year.

Bucs Surprise: CB Aqib Talib Taken In 1st Rd

The Bucs surprised quite a few people when they chose Kansas CB Aqib Talib with their 20th overall pick. This is even more surprising when hometown favorite USF CB Mike Jenkins was still on the board. The thing with Talib is that he has top tier talent but slipped due to marijuana issues during his first year or so in college. He is reportedly clean and has said that he's beyond that stage in life.

If he's clean, which I suspect he is (we did take Sapp though) he could turn into a top tier corner in this league. He apparently was compared to Charles Woodson by Gruden and Monte had a chance to evaluate him and Jenkins, so this could be the move that keeps our secondary hummin' for years to come. I like the pick, but wasn't overly thrilled that they passed on some players I would have liked to see them get. There's no question, though, that Talib would not have been there if the pot issues weren't there.

It will be interesting to see who they end up with in the second round considering the players that are still available (as of 7:02pm).

Trade for DE Allen?

The Bucs may be looking to trade for DE Jared Allen from the Chiefs, who had 15.5 sacks last season. If they do, this would further shore up the DE spot for the Bucs, and give them a formidable trio of Adams, White, and Allen. The Bucs are apparently in competition with the Vikings. Pewter report has more details here. If it happens, it would be a good thing, though the salary cap would take a noticeable hit. Having three guys that can be rotated though the DE spots, four if one of the other DE's becomes an impact player, is a very good thing as it would keep the pass rush fresh all game long and force the opposing tackles to study multiple guys, which can always help in causing some play confusion.

The Bucs have been otherwise quiet for a while, now. The draft is almost here, and it's becoming more likely they will target certain positions, as they haven't addressed them during the FA period. If they trade Haye away, as part of the deal for Allen, then they'll have a more glaring need at DT to tackle either in the draft or through FA's or trades. Right now WR and CB are the most glaring areas where new blood is needed. The schedule looks favorable, but the Bucs will still need all the help they can get shoring up their line-up.

Dunn's Back! Antonio Bryant Signs As Well

The Bucs brought back Warrick Dunn to help them out for the next two years. Dunn is still a solid back with good speed and great hands. How much he plays remains to be seen, but he helps fill out the roster and brings back a Buc who should have never left (thanks McKay!), though Atlanta's offer was outrageous.

The Bucs also signed WR Antonio Bryant. He's a very good receiver who played with Galloway in Dallas. He got into some trouble in 2006 for driving too fast and possibly being DUI. We'll see if the Bucs can get someone straightened out, like Pittman, or another Boston. If he's back on the straight and narrow, he could be just what this team needs. I believe the Bucs will still address this spot in the draft, as Bryant isn't a lock to make this team by any stretch.

It will be interesting to see if the Bucs pull any more moves off before the draft.

Bucs Sign Ben Troupe! Re-sign The Candy Man!

In a bit of excellent news, the Bucs came to terms with TE Ben Troupe who went to Florida and was drafted in 2004 by the Titans. The Titans really failed to use him properly, and he should be an big time target for Garcia. Troupe is big, has good hands, and is pretty fast for a guy his size. He can block, but his receiving skills are much better. With him and Smith, the Bucs will be able to send to potent receiving targets into the middle of the field out of the two TE sets. Should greatly add to the explosiveness of this offense, and Troupe doesn't have the off-field issues that saddled Stevens.

The Bucs also re-signed Sammy Davis, at least giving the Bucs the same secondary they had for most of last season. The signing cerainly doesn't hurt, and it gives the Bucs some options going forward. I still expect the Bucs to pick a corner in this year's draft, as the CB position is pretty deep.

Now if the Bucs can just address the Wideout spot...

First Big Splash - C Faine Now A Buc!

Pewter Report just hit the net with official word that Center Jeff Faine is now officially a Buccaneer. His contract is a lucrative $37.5 million deal (just over $6 million per year) and makes him the starter by default. Faine was the Saints' starting Center the last two seasons and is a younger version Wade, but a much better pass blocker and a slightly better run blocker. We should see a LOT less rushes getting success up the middle, and the Guards can better concentrate on their blocks rather than trying to help out an aging Wade, who was begginning to get blown off the line with regularity.

The Bucs really needed to address this position and Buenning was apparently too much of a risk in the Bucs' minds. Signing Faine is an excellent move, and should allow the Bucs to really form a nice pocket for Garcia, and even allow the Bucs to run up the middle with more success.

Free Agency Almost Here

With FA almost upon us, speculation has been running rampant From Shockley, to Coleman, to Crumpler, to Samuel, a list of players are popping up under rumors and agent talk. Whether or not the Bucs will truly be a player in this FA period remains to be seen, but there are some good players out there that address some key needs.

The Bucs main off-season needs are Center, Wide Receiver, Defensive Tackle, and Corner Back. Running Back and Defensive End are positions that could use some bolstering too, but we could get by with what we have in place now. The CB spot is probably the least worrisome of the needs, but could be addressed by a couple of corners that could hit the market, most notably Asante Samuel from New England. Rumors have him already signed to New Orleans, which would be tampering, but it could all be a ploy to drive up his value.

The Center position has some options out there like Faine and Newberry, but the Bucs may look to draft a Center while relying on Buenning to pick the position up. They could also resign Lehr or Wade, but it's not likely that they want to go with the centers they used last season as most of the pressure came from up the middle. Shoring up the Center position with a long term younger player, like Buenning, would be idle and would allow us to grow our strong OL unit to become one of the upper echelon units (wouldn't THAT be a refreshing first around here!).

Wide Receivers are going to be available in FA, with guys like Stallworth and Moss getting a chance to test the waters (though Moss may be planning to go nowhere). So the Bucs have some options out there. Javon Walker has been linked to the Bucs through trade, but I don't see that happening. If the Bucs don't pick up a top flight FA receiver, count on them snagging one in the first 3 rounds. There's some depth on day one in this draft, but it thins pretty quickly.

But one position I expect the Bucs to try and find some talent to address is the DT spot, more specifically the UT. The Bucs absolutely must get more pressure from the UT spot. If Haye is still here, he may do well enough to make some impact, but the Bucs will likely look to bring someone in that can be rotated through the DT spots to give the Bucs more consistentcy by keeping players fresh. Coleman looks to be the best option there as he can be rotated and kept fresh along with Haye, and we could see double digit sack numbers from the UT spot as a whole. If the Bucs can get the pressure level up to a more consistent level, and maybe add another 10 sacks from the line, then you will see this defense dominate again.

We'll see how the draft will start shaping up by the moves they make here during the next few weeks. Should be a more interesting FA period than last year with more players availble for their need areas. Hopefully, they continue to spend wisely, but make an impact move here or there.