2010 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Preview

Divisional Previews

AFC: AFC East | AFC North | AFC South | AFC West
NFC: NFC East | NFC North | NFC South | NFC West

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Head Coach: Raheem Morris (2nd Season)
2009 Record: 3-13, 4th in NFC South

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2010 Schedule

Week 1 (9/12/2010) – vs. Cleveland Browns
Week 2 (9/19/2010) – at Carolina Panthers
Week 3 (9/26/2010) – vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Week 4 – Bye
Week 5 (10/10/2010) – at Cincinnati Bengals
Week 6 (10/17/2010) – vs. New Orleans Saints
Week 7 (10/24/2010) – vs. St. Louis Rams
Week 8 (10/31/2010) – at Arizona Cardinals
Week 9 (11/7/2010) – at Atlanta Falcons
Week 10 (11/14/2010) – vs. Carolina Panthers
Week 11 (11/21/2010) – at San Francisco 49ers
Week 12 (11/28/2010) – at Baltimore Ravens
Week 13 (12/5/2010) – vs. Atlanta Falcons
Week 14 (12/12/2010) – at Washington Redskins
Week 15 (12/19/2010) – vs. Detroit Lions
Week 16 (12/26/2010) – vs. Seattle Seahawks
Week 17 (1/2/2011) – at New Orleans Saints

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ overall performance in 2009 gave credence to the notion that the franchise had entered into a rebuilding phase with the major alterations to their personnel and staff. First year coach Raheem Morris was put in charge of a daunting challenge of coordinating a situation that lacked order from the start. But now that Morris, general manager Mark Dominik, and quarterback Josh Freeman all have had a year to familiarize themselves with the organization in their new roles, improved results are expected of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2010.

Offense

Quarterback

Contrary to the lack of stability at the quarterback position in 2009, the 2010 season should firmly establish Josh Freeman as the franchise’s future at the position. At a glance, Freeman’s 2009 statistics don’t look very impressive, (158-290 1,855 yards 10 TD 18 Int), but stats don’t tell the whole story of how the team decided to introduce him to NFL competition. In training camp and preseason, Freeman wasn’t given repetitions with the first team offense that are necessary for young players to become acclimated to the high level of competition. A wholly different approach is being taken in 2010. It has been firmly established that Freeman will be the team’s starter since last season, so he has had the luxury of running with the first-team offense throughout OTAs and training camp. However, a recent development that could test the Bucs’ depth at the position is the fact that Freeman fractured the tip of his throwing thumb in the team’s second exhibition game. Although Freeman is expected to be ready by opening day, this injury could affect his performance.

The backup quarterbacks for the Bucs consist of third-year pro Josh Johnson and Rudy Carpenter who was acquired off of Dallas’ practice squad late in 2009. Johnson started and lost four games in 2009, compiling a 50.9 QB rating in the process. Johnson is currently slotted as the second quarterback on the depth chart, but if his poor performance continues, a change could very well be made.

Running Back

If the Buccaneers wish to enjoy a rebound season, the running game needs to be the focal point, and it must be effective. Fortunately, the Bucs employ an experienced backfield in which each component has attributes that complement each other well. Primary halfback Carnell Williams put together a renaissance season in 2009, successfully recovering from a torn patellar tendon in his left knee by leading the team in rushing with 823 yards. Cadillac will be the workhorse in 2010 and will likely be a candidate to amass 220+ carries. There are two players fighting for the opportunity to claim the leftover backup carries. Derrick Ward seems to have lost his explosiveness that he showed with the Giants since the Bucs signed him a year ago, but Ward will remain the primary backup to Williams at the start of the season. However, if Ward looks sluggish at the start of the season, incumbent Kareem Huggins could ultimately steal carries from Ward and establish his presence as the team’s third-down back of choice. Through the first two preseason games, Huggins has rushed for 99 yards on 16 carries to Ward’s 31 yards on 17 carries.

Tampa Bay occupies much diversity at the fullback position. Starter Earnest Graham has had a full season’s worth of experience as a primary tailback, so he is well suited to carry the ball on occasion. Moreover, having caught 86 passes over the past three seasons, Graham has proven that he has a polished set of hands and can be a reliable safety valve in the flats. When it comes to lead blocking, Graham has come a long way in learning the position, but he will most likely end up ceding snaps to Chris Pressley whose body resembles that of a typical fullback relative to Graham’s smaller build. Pressley is an ideal option for the Bucs to utilize in short-yardage and goal line situations.

Wide Receiver/Tight End

Wide receiver has arguably been the least productive position in franchise history, evidenced by the fact that only one player has ever surpassed 100 receptions in a single season. And with the departure of Antonio Bryant in the offseason, the state of the receiving core looked grim, forcing management to make necessary improvements. By acquiring Arrelious Benn and Mike Williams in the second and fourth rounds, respectively, of the NFL draft, the Bucs bulked up on the outside, as both players are 6’2” and 210+ lbs. Likewise, Mark Dominik was able to add some experience to the position by signing six-year veteran Reggie Brown off of free agency. These acquisitions will supplement long time breakout candidate Maurice Stovall, epic disappointment Michael Clayton, and second-year pro Sammie Stroughter.

Stovall was the man originally penciled in to be the number-one receiver on the team, but an ankle injury he suffered in the team’s first preseason game has cast some doubt as to whether he will be ready for the regular season. If his injury persists, Sammie Stroughter is the top candidate to claim his role. But regardless of circumstance, Mike Williams’ stellar showing in training camp and preseason has all but guaranteed him a starting gig opposite either Stovall or Stroughter. The next receiver in line that could see significant time in the slot and as the team’s fourth receiver is Reggie Brown followed on the depth chart by Arrelious Benn and Michael Clayton.

An additional threat that Josh Freeman has at his disposal is tight end Kellen Winslow. Winslow was the Bucs’ main offseason acquisition last year, and he didn’t disappoint, as he played in all 16 games for only the second time in his career and ended up being the team’s go-to target through the air.

Offensive Line

The offensive line has developed into one of the strengths of the team, and the effectiveness of Josh Freeman and Cadillac Williams depends on the unit’s stability. Four out of five spots on the line have already been secured by starters from the previous season. Donald Penn at left tackle, Jeff Faine at center, Davin Joseph at right guard, and Jeremy Trueblood at right tackle all have little competition behind them that can threaten their stature as the starter. Conversely, the left guard position is mired in an open competition. 2009 starter Jeremy Zuttah exhibited a fine performance, starting in all 16 games albeit due to the fact that 2008 starter Aaron Sears never reported to training camp. But the Bucs signed free agent Keydrick Vincent in July in order to add some depth to the line. Vincent started 16 games for the Panthers in 2009 and has proven to be a stout run blocker. A telling indication of who is the favorite to be the starter come opening day is the fact that Raheem Morris named Vincent the starter for the team’s third preseason game.

Defense

Defensive Line

Seeing as the Buccaneers’ rush defense ranked last in the NFL in 2009 by giving up 158.2 yards-per-game, it’s no surprise that the most notable roster adjustments the front office made were to the defensive line. First off, room on the line was freed up when 10-year veteran defensive tackle Chris Hovan, who had been losing his ability to penetrate off the snap, was released from his contract. The void was filled when the team selected Oklahoma standout defensive tackle Gerald McCoy with the third overall pick in the draft and subsequently chose defensive tackle Brian Price in the second round. McCoy was drafted with the expectation that he would be an immediate starter, and Price has made great strides in OTAs and training camp, making him the frontrunner to start beside his rookie colleague.

Considering the fact that McCoy and Price are the favorites to start in the middle, eight-year veteran Ryan Sims and second-year prospect Roy Miller will accordingly be relegated to backup roles. However, seeing as McCoy and Price are only rookies, Sims and Miller will still get enough repetitions for them to make noteworthy impacts. Raheem Morris has been experimenting with a 3-4 defense in preseason and training camp. If it is decided that the 3-4 is to be used during the regular season, Roy Miller will most likely be the man who will be assigned to clog up the middle. This makes sense since McCoy and Price weigh about a combined 37 lbs. less than Miller and play more of a finesse game as opposed to purely taking up space.

The pass rush has been a major issue for the Bucs in recent years, so if noticeable improvements aren’t made in 2010, multiple jobs could be shed by season’s end. Currently, Kyle Moore and Stylez White are the favorites to earn the starting nods at left end and right end, respectively. Moore is an exciting young player who is equally capable against the run and as a pass-rusher. White progressed nicely in 2009, as he ended up leading the team in sacks with 6.5. The Bucs have little depth at defensive end in terms of talent, so Moore and White will be forced to carry much of the load in terms of getting pressure on the opposing quarterback.

Linebacker

An interesting chicken-and-egg conundrum can be disputed regarding the Buccaneers’ poor rush defense in 2009. Was it primarily the defensive line’s inability to clog up holes that exposed the linebackers, or were the linebackers dispositioned to the point where it looked like the linemen weren’t getting the necessary push? Taking into account the fact that a conscious youth movement was implemented to the linebacking corps, a combination of both inquisitions may be correct.

The starters at linebacker will remain identical to the previous season. Barrett Ruud remains the anchor in the middle of the defense, as he has accumulated three straight 100-tackle seasons. Starting on the strong side will be 2007 third-round selection Quincy Black who tallied 84 total tackles in his first season as a starter in 2009, and on the weak side remains third-year pro Geno Hayes. The Buccaneers’ first outside linebacker off the bench if either Black or Hayes get tired would be offseason acquisition Jon Alston. Alston played previously played for the Raiders and started 8 games over the last two seasons.

Defensive Back

Despite all the woes of the defense in 2009, the secondary emerged as a strength of the team. At cornerback, the Bucs have implemented one of the most intriguing starting tandems in the league. Ronde Barber, a potential future Hall of Famer, plays on the right side and has mastered the Tampa 2 style of coverage that Raheem Morris has inherited from Monte Kiffin. Two-deep coverage requires its cornerbacks to be proficient at making open-field tackles, an attribute that Barber has excelled at throughout his career. Aquib Talib is the other starting corner who has displayed versatility that is not often seen in the NFL. Talib is a legitimate shutdown, one-on-one cornerback who will frequently be matched up against the opposing team’s best receiver.

Tampa Bay’s depth at cornerback comes in the form of Myron Lewis, Elbert Mack, E.J. Biggers, and Derrick Roberson. Biggers, one of the team’s seventh-round picks in 2009, has supplanted Myron Lewis and Elbert Mack as the team’s first option at nickelback. Biggers didn’t play last season due to injury, but his solid performance this preseason has caught the coach’s attention and has allowed his role to increase substantially.

Free safety is occupied by fourth-year pro Tanard Jackson. Jackson has started 44 games in his first three seasons in the league and has solidified himself as the team’s best playmaker on defense. Although he plays aggressively and is known for his highlight reel hits, Jackson rarely overpursues and is fast enough to keep up with most receivers on deep routes. At strong safety, Sean Jones was brought in to spark competition between he and last year’s starter Sabby Piscitelli. Piscitelli displayed poor coverage instincts in 2009 and thus far looks like the one who is going to take the backseat in this positional battle.

Special Teams

The kicking game was in flux for much of 2009 until the team signed Connor Barth midseason. Barth solidified his presence on the team when he hit three 50+ yard field goals in a single game against the Dolphins on November 15th. Barth will continue to handle the field goal duties for the Bucs in 2010. With their sixth-round pick, the Bucs went an unorthodox route and selected punter Brent Bowden. Bowden possesses all the desirable attributes of a solid NFL punter. Both Clifton Smith and Micheal Spurlock will hold down the kick and punt returning duties, seeing as both players consist of two out of the three players who have ever returned a kickoff for a touchdown in franchise history. Long snapper Andrew Economos is entering his fifth season with the Bucs and has developed a reputation as being one the most consistent players on the team, year in and year out. Economos has totaled 15 career special teams tackles and has never muffed a snap in his career.

Projected Starting Lineup

Offense
WR1 – Mike Williams
LT – Donald Penn
LG – Keydrick Vincent
C – Jeff Faine
RG – Davin Joseph
RT – Jeremy Trueblood
TE – Kellen Winslow
WR2 – Sammie Stroughter
QB – Josh Freeman
RB – Carnell Williams
FB – Earnest Graham

Defense
LE – Kyle Moore
DT – Gerald McCoy
DT – Brian Price
RE – Stylez G. White
SLB – Quincy Black
MLB – Barrett Ruud
WLB – Geno Hayes
CB – Aquib Talib
CB – Ronde Barber
SS – Sean Jones
FS – Tanard Jackson

2010 Season Prediction: 7-9 (3rd in NFC South)