RIce Out; Bring On The Kids

With the Bucs continuing to get banged up on defense, they will have to start seeking the help of the younger players more and more as the season continues. Rice's injury was so problematic that the Bucs had him placed on IR and he will now likely undergo surgery to fix his shoulder. He joins Kelly, which makes for a rapidly thinning defense. With Quarles and Bolden questionable, and Wyms still doubtful, the younger players need to step up and help this defense play well down the stretch so the Bucs can avoid being embarrassed, especially tomorrow on national television.

The Bucs will likely have Zemaitis active as well, which could be interesting to see, especially if the Bucs decide to throw him out there and find out how far along he is. The Bucs really need Zemaitis to learn this defense as soon as possible, as it' been killing the Bucs whenever Kelly gets injured. The Bucs need good depth next season at the corner spot if they want to be able to maintain a strong defense going forward.

Ruud continues to get a lot of playing time, and the transition has been, in my mind, nearly seamless. His play is only slightly below Quarles' level, and I think Quarles may not be the starter next season. The Bucs are also getting good work out of a multitude of defensive linemen, including White, Jenkins, Bradley, and Haye. All are getting action and valuable playing time. If Rice comes back fully healthy next year, I think you'll see White supplant Spires, while the Bucs also look to either FA or the draft to bring in another top notch DE. Of course, the key spot they need to upgrade is UT where they need to get someone who can play at least in Sapp's ballpark, as opposed to what we saw out of McFarland. Wyms was looking to be a solid player, and an upgrade, but they need someone else who can take over games from time to time.

With the Bucs 3-7 and likely going nowhere, all we have worth watching is to see the young guys play and get better, while hoping we can win some games and not get embarrassed.