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NFL Mock Draft 2009 Draft of 2009 Lacks Star Power NFL Draft 2009: Getting Started Super Bowl Well Worth Tuning In For
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The Bucs Don't Mind Being Overlooked By Ron Jumper The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been completely left out of the preseason talk about who is a division contender or a playoff bound team. The talk has been all bout Carolina, Seattle, Chicago, Dallas, Washington, and even Arizona. Well let me ask this question, how does a team that returns 21 of 22 starters and won their division last season with the #1 defense and a young offensive core not get any consideration for doing the same thing again this year? This is a team that went 11-5 with rookies being counted on at numerous positions. Carnell Williams, who was banged up for a quarter of the season, is expected to be a load this season for the Bucs, who revamped their offensive line via the draft and free agency. The only question is whether he can stay healthy for the entire season and, if so, should have an even better season than his Offensive Rookie Of The Year debut. For the Bucs, this is something different for them. They have normally been the popular preseason pick as a lock to make the playoffs, especially in the Tony Dungy era. When they didn’t meet the high expectations, many labeled them as “paper champions” and said how “overrated” they were. They would later go on to silence the critics with a decisive Super Bowl victory over the Oakland Raiders. So if anyone knows how to ignore the critics and all the hoopla, it would certainly be the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I feel like this is a Bucs team that really is built to win now and, especially on defense, expects to be dominant. Veterans like Derrick Brooks have taken less money to keep this unit intact because they truly feel they can win another Super Bowl together.  Quarterback: Chris Simms has the confidence of his teammates to play the way he knows how to play. He is the guy, there is no looking over his shoulder or wondering if the team has faith in him. With your quarterback, having confidence makes everything so much easier. There is no better cure for a young player, especially one who has struggled or taken criticism like Simms has in the past, than confidence. Don’t expect a Pro Bowl year from him though, but a solid season of 16 to 20 TD tosses and over 3,000 yards isn’t out of the question. If Simms goes down, look for Jay Fiedler or Tim Rattay to be a capable replacement. Running Back: The trio of Carnell Williams, Michael Pittman, and Mike Alstott gives the Bucs quite possibly as good of talent at running back as anybody in the league. Williams gives you a back that can carry the load, Pittman gives you a versatile back who catches the ball very well, and Alstott could be the best short yardage back in the history of the game. Not too bad… Wide Receiver/Tight End: This is an interesting area for the Bucs, they are pretty sure they will have a 1,000 yard receiver but the only real question left is who will it be? Joey Galloway, Michael Clayton, and David Boston have all been over the 1,000-yard mark in their careers but all three have also fallen very short of that mark in other years. You would assume at least one of the three has to have a solid season. At tight end, there are two guys who get it done and they do it in completely different ways. Anthony Becht is the more traditional blocking tight end, while Alex Smith is a very solid pass-catching tight end. Expect both guys to get numerous reps and flip flop on the depth chart a few times this season. Offensive Line: The area on this team that, in the past, I have watched play mediocre at best. There have been times where I felt Kenyatta Walker wasn’t even on the same planet as everyone else. Walker, who is a former 1st round pick, has got to become the consistent productive OT we know he can be. The good news is that Davin Joseph is going to improve the offensive line all by himself. He could very possibly change the mentality of that offensive line with his bruising run-blocking style. I can’t wait for him to open up lanes for the Cadillac this season. At first, I was like most Bucs fans who said it was a reach to take Joseph in the first round but then I realized he is going to be a wonderful fit. If Joseph can start from day 1, the offensive line should be improved. The line still won’t be dominant, but there is going to be improvement. Defensive Line: Probably the deepest d-line in the NFL, there really isn’t any shortage of stars along the front line. Simeon Rice, who I feel doesn’t get recognized enough for his dominance, is an amazing specimen at defensive end. Greg Spires, Anthony McFarland, Chris Hovan, and Dewayne White round out the soundest and deepest unit in the league. Many would say Carolina has the most talented line, which is a fair argument, but the Bucs are very sound. Linebacker: Derrick Brooks has the respect around the league as the dominant linebacker that he is, but your average NFL fan really needs to understand just how good this guy is. Beyond statistics and numbers, Brooks has anchored this defense for nearly a decade. When the Bucs lost Warren Sapp and John Lynch, most felt the defense would fall off drastically. Instead, Brooks and company kept the defense ranked near the top season after season and finished last season ranked #1 in the whole league. That speaks volumes about his abilities and his leadership qualities. Defensive Back: The experts say there isn’t enough depth and that this unit is aging but give me Ronde Barber and Brian Kelly any day of the week. Neither will burn you with speed or intimidate you with their stature, but look at the numbers on a yearly basis and you will know that they get the job done. Barber is so versatile and tackles so well, Monte Kiffin plays him all over the field. Kiffin had better appreciate his two bookend corners because, without them, the cover 2 scheme would have fallen apart after losing starting safety after starting safety. Even with the changes on the depth chart, this defense kept on being dominant and never really even seemed to go through any transition periods. In the NFL, it is truly remarkable to be dominant for nearly a decade with the way the salaries and all the rules that are in place.  Overall: The Bucs are a better football team than they were last year. This is a team with more experience and more depth as well. The schedule will be tough and their division is loaded with contenders but they should be ready to go. It never ends up really mattering about who had the most talent on paper and who got the most preseason hype, the team that comes to play week-in and week-out is who will win the NFC South and go on to a very solid playoff run. With the Bucs running game and defense, they should be a pretty consistent football team. Carolina and Atlanta will be the more spectacular teams to watch on Sunday, but at the end of the day winning is what counts. As long as Simms limits the big mistakes, the Bucs appear to have a very solid team from top to bottom. Carolina has a couple of issues that bother me, Deshaun Foster’s inability to stay healthy and Keyshawn Johnson’s inability to stay happy. Foster has never made it through an entire season healthy and Keyshawn Johnson may not like his limited role alongside Steve Smith. Atlanta, plain and simple, is just too dependant on one guy and really doesn’t have a chance without a spectacular year from Michael Vick. The Falcons lack of playmaking receivers makes it too easy for fast defenses like Tampa Bay and Carolina to shut down their offense. The Saints just don’t have any talent on defense yet, but the offense should be amazing when it gets rolling. August 14, 2006 |
| NCAA Football | |
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Be Careful What You Wish For
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Jumpology: My Bracket Jumpology: Scouting The Heavyweights Jumpology: Reviewing The Bracket
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