SB Nation - Jermaine Phillips

Does roster makeup pre-determine outcome?

Buc Wild — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 13:30:14 -0000

Lee Caz posted an article the other day that looked at our secondary and the round at which they were drafted. It got me thinking, is there any correlation with the Bucs in terms of talent and draft position? So I took the two deep roster of the Bucs, ignoring special teams and looked at their draft position, how we acquired them, and who acquired them (front office). The who acquired them was just for historical purposes, in case that argument ever gets brought up.

I also will look at two other nameless teams and chart their draft positions only to see if there is any rhyme or reason to the outcome of a season and player draft position. For those teams I'll go two deep where available and use just the round they were drafted in.

Onwards we go.

First up, we'll look at the Bucs. Remember, I'm only looking at the two-deep chart here, meaning I'm only looking at starters and backups. I'm also looking at our expected starting line up, meaning Tanard Jackson and Phillips will be in the lineups. Same for the two teams below.

Here's the Buc's two deep roster

Player	Year Drafted	Round	how acquired
Byron Leftwich	2003	1st	free agent (Dominik)
Josh Freeman	2009	1st	drafted (Dominik)
Cadillac Williams	2005	1st	drafted (Allen)
Derrick Ward	2004	7th	free agent (Dominik)
Earnest Graham	2003	undrafted	free agent (Allen)
B.J. Askew	2003	3rd	free agent (Allen)
Antonio Bryant	2002	2nd	free agent (Allen)
Michael Clayton	2004	1st	drafted (Allen)
Kellen Winslow	2004	1st	free agent (Dominik)
Jerramy Stevens	2002	1st	free agent (Allen)
Donald Penn	2006	undrafted	free agent (Allen)
Jeremy Zuttah	2008	3rd	drafted (Allen)
Marc Dile	2009	undrafted	free agent (Dominik)
Jeff Faine	2003	1st	free agent (Allen)
Sean Mahan	2003	5th	free agent (Dominik)
Davin Joseph	2006	1st	drafted (Allen)
Marcus Johnson	2005	2nd	free agent (Dominik)
Jeremy Trueblood	2006	2nd	drafted (Allen)
Demar Dotson	2009	undrafted	free agent (Dominik)

Jimmy Wilkerson	2003	6th	free agent (Allen)
Kyle Moore	2009	4th	drafted (Dominik)
Ryan Sims	2002	1st	trade (Allen)
Roy Miller	2009	3rd	drafted (Dominik)
Chris Hovan	2000	1st	free agent (Allen)
Dre Moore	2008	4th	drafted (Allen)
Gaines Adams	2007	1st	drafted (Allen)
Stylez White	2002	7th	free agent (Allen)
Geno Hayes	2008	6th	drafted (Allen)
Matt McCoy	2005	2nd	free agent (Allen)
Barrett Ruud	2005	2nd	drafted (Allen)
Niko Koutouvides	2004	4th	free agent (Dominik)
Quincy Black	2007	3rd	drafted (Allen)
Adam Hayward	2007	6th	free agent (Allen)
Aqib Talib	2008	1st	drafted (Allen)
Torrie Cox	2003	6th	drafted (Allen)
Ronde Barber	1997	3rd	drafted (McKay)
Elbert Mack	2008	undrafted	free agent (Allen)
Jermaine Phillips	2002	5th	drafted (McKay)
Will Allen	2004	4th	free agent (Allen)
Tanard Jackson	2007	4th	drafted (Allen)
Sabby Piscitelli	2007	2nd	drafted (Allen)

We have a TON of early round talent on offense with a few later round or undrafted players thrown in there. We can sport about 7 first rounders on offense on any given play. But first round status doesn't mean they are/were elite players.

On the defensive side, it's a hodge podge of players. Seems we have guys from just about every round possible.

Looking at the other two teams let's see where their players were drafted. (When reading this, the starter is listed first, then back up. For positions like Tackle or End, it is listed as left/right)

Position	Team 1	Team 2	Bucs
Quarterback	1st/2nd	6th/1st	1st/1st
Running Back	undrafted/1st	1st/undrafted	1st/7th
Fullback	5th	5th	3rd
Wide Receiver	3rd/1st	2nd/3rd	2nd/1st
Tight End	1st/3rd	4th/undrafted	1st/1st
Tackle	3rd/4th	1st/1st	undrafted/2nd
Guard	6th/3rd	5th/3rd	3rd/1st
Center	6th	4th	1st
Defensive End	4th/7th	1st/3rd	6th/1st
Defensive Tackle	1st	5th/undrafted	1st/3rd
Outside Linebacker	undrafted/2nd	7th/3rd	6th/3rd
Middle Linebacker	1st/1st	2nd	2nd
Cornerback	5th/4th	2nd/3rd	1st/3rd
Safety	1st/undrafted	undrafted/3rd	4th/5th

When I look at the first two teams, I don't see any drastic differences. They are fairly similar in make up across the board. Offensively, the 2nd team has higher picks and defensively, it's pretty close. So no real difference right?

Looking at the Bucs, we seem to have more talent (based on draft status only) on the offensive side of the ball and are close to being in line on the defensive side of the ball. No real variance between the three teams. Of course, we are only looking at three teams, so there could be some variance with the rest of the league.

I look at this set up and don't see any difference, but yet I see three separate paths in terms of each team. Looking at a team based on draft status of starters doesn't show us anything. Three different teams, three different records, three different histories, but very similar roster make up when looking at only draft position.

It leads me to the conclusion that draft status means virtually nothing outside of pay grade. The real emphasis and what not only gives a roster character, but what defines it and ultimately decides which way it goes is coaching, system and scouting. Proper scouting and making the right selection at your draft slot plays a much more integral role than what round your pick comes from. In theory, every team has a pick in rounds 1-7, so there shouldn't be any differentiation. Obviously each team picks at different slot, but it's what you do with that pick that matters. Properly scout it, determine strengths and weaknesses in your system and make your pick. Or blindly pick a player and expect success due to draft status. I feel pretty good in saying that the above charts show draft status at position alone don't mean anything, it's the work done before and after the pick that makes the difference.

By the way, Team 1 is the Pittsburgh Steelers and Team 2 is the St. Louis Rams.

Game Balls - A review of the Bucs/Cowboys game

Buc Wild — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 14:00:43 -0000

It's tough to look back at a loss objectively and try to pick out the good and bad without being jaded by personal feelings on players. That being said, let's take a look at the recipients of Buc 'Em's game balls (both good and bad) for Week One. I'm going to do my best to not name entire units or teams as winners, but try to find individuals who deserve to be singled out.

Game Balls

Carnell WIlliams - I'm already breaking the rules about not making it personal. But who can argue with me. First game ball has to go to Cadillac Williams. Dude was a beast yesterday. 13 carries, 97 yards, 1 TD, 0 injuries. A great stat line for Cadillac. Watching him run with determination, with force was a great thing. He looked like an NFL feature back. He hit the hole strong, he made good reads and cuts, and he finished his runs. In fact, his least impressive run was his half dive half jump into the endzone. But the fact that he has become part machine with two knee injuries and is playing in the NFL, on Sundays, and scored against the first string D, just an awesome story. I hope we have 15+ more games of that.

Ronde Barber - I'll be the first to admit I was concerned with him coming into this year. Count week 1 as a win for him. Made some nice plays, did NOT get beat deep, had a sack, a few deflections and a near pick. I'll take it.

Geno Hayes - Don't want to get all sacrireligious on the Bucs here, but we'll just say an FSU grad played the WLB spot very well today.

Honorable Mention: Byron Leftwich, Michael Clayton

Anti Game Balls

Before I get started here, I could use a better name than Anti Game Balls, just not feeling creative this morning.

Sabby Piscitelli - I'm gonna go easy on him here, because I still want to do the "Grading out the Offense/Defense" columns, where he will be roasted. But good grief. For a guy who was supposed to be a starting safety even BEFORE T-Jack got hurt, this was embarrassing. Learn to stay with your assignment.

Jermaine Phillips - Took some pretty bad angles on the ball. Decided to go back to 2006 or 2007 with all the missed tackles (I counted at least 5 at the game). Granted, he is being asked to go from LB to S, but c'mon, learn to wrap up. That horrid missed tackle on Miles Austin (but he did tackle Mack!) was a reminder of how up and down he can be. A story is also circulating that Phillips threw a cup of water and ice along with a dozen or so "F" bombs into the crowd after hearing Sabby being heckled. Keep this in mind, it may turn out to be a bigger story.

Mike Nugent - After watching Niko's highlight video, he's right, that blocked field goal was not Nugent's fault. I assumed it was due to a low kick, at least partially, but that didn't seem to be the issue. The big concern. He missed a field goal before half. The bigger concern, it missed the entire net by about 5 yards. Ugly. His kickoffs werent much better than Bryant's and on days when Folk/Buehler were finding the end zone on kickoffs, Nugent was about 12 yards short of them.

Raheem Morris - It was his debut, so expecting a Parcells-like experience was probably expecting a bit much. But here's how I see it. Through all the double talk, mishaps, and rookie head coach happenings, we ended up here. I thought the offensive game plan was pretty solid, and with all the missed assignments, its tough to make a call on how the defensive playcalling was.

But here's a fact I can't escape. Imagine you didn't know Morris, or where he was from or where he coached. But someone told you that before being head coach he was a positional coach. What position would you guess he coached based on Sunday's game? I'd guess either RB, QB, or OL. No way would I guess our head coach was the DB coach. These are his guys, there isn't one new guy in the bunch, so his coaching style and imprint is still on them. And as a head coach who used to be a positional coach, don't you think he still probably plays a tad bit more attention to them as opposed to others? I know I would.

But in the last few months we've had a player get suspended (Jackson), a player beat a cabbie, allegedly (Talib), a player miss several tackles and still take bad angles (Phillips), miss several jams at the line and be beat (Mack), and a player look like he had never played football before (Piscitelli). The only guy who didn't get lit up was Ronde. Most guys seem to stay close to their roots. Dungy, Tomlin, Parcells, Lovie, Reid, Gruden. They came from the Walsh system, Dungy system, etc and they still hold true to those roots. Morris was a DB coach, and the worst part of our team with NO new players was our DB's.

That says something to me. Maybe it's a one week issue. But with him coming from a DB background, these being his guys that he used to chest bump, pump up and coach, they were beaten badly all day long. I'm sure I'll get a mixed reaction on this, and I can't quantify it, but this seems like an issue.

Honorable Mention - Gaines Adams, Two Minute Offense

Have at it, dissect away.

Bucs start strong, limp home in loss to Cowboys

Buc Wild — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 03:00:33 -0000

More photos » by Reinhold Matay - AP

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In the season opener for both the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Dallas Cowboys, youth lose to experience as Dallas stomped into Raymond James Stadium and beat the Bucs 34-21. It was certainly a tale of two halves, with the Bucs hanging tight at halftime only down 13-7 at the break.

The game opened up with a decent kickoff return by the Cowboys. The defense had the typical bend don't break philosophy and tightened up once in the red zone and held Dallas to a field goal from 50 yards. The Bucs would counter with a strong running attack and work there way down to Cowboys territory and stall. The Bucs lined up for a field goal just to see it blocked.

The Bucs D would again have to defend a short field, and did so nicely holding Dallas to another field goal, putting them up 6-0. The Bucs offense would take the same approach and ran the ball well, ultimately capping a long drive with a Cadillac Williams one yard TD run. After the extra point, it was 7-6 Bucs.

The teams would trade a few punts until the Bucs got the ball with two minutes remaining deep in their own territory. Rather than run the ball a few times and go into half up 7-6, they threw a pass, attempted another pass where Leftwich ran out of bounds, and then ran the ball on third down. Dallas called a timeout and would get the ball back with just over a minute left.

The Bucs poor clock management would come back to haunt them as Romo connected with Miles Austin who beat Elbert Mack and eluded Jermaine Phillips to make it 13-7 Dallas. The Bucs would get the ball back and still were looking to put points on the board. Leftwich hooked up with Michael Clayton on a huge 47 yard pass play to get in field goal range, only to see Mike Nugent miss just before half, leaving the score at 13-7.

Somewhat encouraged, but surely deflated, the Bucs looked to start the second half. The Bucs opening drive stalled and after a punt, chaos ensued. In a coverage mix up, Sabby Piscitelli was left to cover Roy Williams, who took a pass 66 yards from Romo to put the Cowboys up 20-7. This was the start of a bad half for both the Bucs and the Cowboys.

Both defenses held tough as each team punted 2 times, leading to the Bucs getting the ball back. Working mostly through the air, the Bucs were able to dodge an interception on an illegal contact call and connect with what looked to be a touchdown for Sammy Stroughter. After review, he was ruled down just short of the goal line, where Derrick Ward came in to clean up the mess and score. 20-14 Bucs.

On the second play after the kickoff, Patrick Crayton would take Sabby Piscitelli to school, scoring on an 80 yard pass from Romo. 27-14 Bucs. The Bucs would mount a 5 minute drive that ended on a 4th and 7 pass that fell incomplete as Kellen Winslow bobbled a wide open pass.

The Bucs were deflated at this point, and Dallas just marched down the field, capping the drive with a 6 yard Marion Barber TD. 34-14 Bucs. Trying to salvage some momentum, the Bucs would move down the field and score a garbage TD with Leftwich hitting Kellen Winslow for the late score. 34-21 Cowboys. The game would end after an unsuccessful onsides kick.

The Bucs running game was particularly impressive, with Cadillac Williams and Derrick Ward combining for 25 carries, 159 yards and 2 scores. Leftwich was efficient, going 25 of 41 for 276 yards and 1 TD. The Bucs did not turn the ball over.

With the loss the Bucs fall to 0-1 and now are 0-4 in home season openers. They travel to Buffalo to take on the Bills, who have New England on Monday night.

Redemption Trail, but for Whom? Dallas vs. Tampa Bay Preview, Part I

Rafael Vela — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 15:00:31 -0000

by Brian Blanco - AP

The Bucs begin the Raheem Morris Era this Sunday. (AP Photo/Brian Blanco)

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Two teams who suffered dismal Decembers last year match up in Tampa Bay this Sunday, with each hoping the game will represent game one on the redemption trail. The Cowboys story has been told and re-told. A 1-3 finish left them a game short of the playoffs.

Less told, but very similar, was Tampa Bay's late crash. The Bucs entered December at 9-3, having won four straight after a 13-9 loss in Texas Stadium. Their defense, which finished in the top 10, cratered that month, allowing 123 points as Jon Gruden's guys went 0-4. The meltdown prompted a housecleaning. Gone was Gruden, who cost Tampa Bay two top picks in 2002. Long-time defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin, a maestro of the Tampa Two scheme, left to direct his son Lane's defense at the University of Tennessee.

Sunday begins the Raheem Morris Era and the team he'll field bears little resemblance to the one which battled Dallas last October.

When Dallas Has the Ball

Morris chose former Cowboys assistant and former Broncos and Packers coordinator Jim Bates to run Tampa's D. Morris hinted this week that Bates would rip up the passive Tampa-2 schemes Kiffin ran and attack Tony Romo. That makes some sense if you look at Bates' history. He worked in Dallas when it ran Jimmy Johnson's wide-end 4-3, which is close to a Tampa-2 in philosophy, but he's been far more aggressive as a coordinator.

And Tampa Bay's defense needs a shot of aggression. The '08 squad sacked opposing QBs just 29 times. Rookie RE Gaines Adams had a promising rookie campaign,and led the team with six sacks. His matchup with LT Flozell Adams will be one to watch.

I have to question Morris' honesty; I'm not saying he's lying. I do think, however, that he might be sandbagging. The Bucs have drafted Tampa-2 style guys for more than a decade, and its hard to junk a speed front seven and zone coverage scheme overnight. The Bucs corners are not speed merchants. They play zone better than man-to-man. The linebackers are small; think Dallas in the Dexter Coakley, Dat Nguyen days and you'll get the picture.

The Bucs also have a lot of new players in the lineup, and veterans playing out of position. Starting DT Jovan Haye left in free agency and will be replaced by journeyman Ryan Sims, a top-ten pick by the Chiefs several years ago. In the linebacking corps, middle backer Barrett Ruud has emerged, but he'll be flanked by two young newbies. Last year's starters, strongside LB Cato June and long-time standout Derrick Brooks, are gone. 25 year old Quincy Black debuts on the strong side this weekend. On the weakside, Tampa Bay will rush second year man Jeno Hayes into the fray.

Morris planned to shift last year's SS Jermaine Phillips into the WOLB spot. (That he would move a safety to linebacker tells me Morris is still invested in the Tampa-2.) Morris had to scrap the idea when FS Tanard Jackson was suspended by the league. Morris moved Phillips into Jackson's spot to quarterback his back seven. Backup Sabby Piscitelli will replace Phillips at the strong.

The shuffling leaves Tampa in flux at both outside LB spots and at both safety spots. This suggests Jason Garrett will test these four with running back tandem of Marion Barber and Felix Jones and his tight end duo of Jason Witten and Martellus Bennett.

When Dallas runs, look for them to attack the tackles, primarily Sims. When Dallas beat Tennessee's 4-3, it double teamed both DTs on isolations, with the center and guard taking any strong side guard who lines up in one of the A gaps off the center, or with the guard and tackle doubling any DT lined up over the guard.

When the Cowboys run wide, they like to show a lot of different inside/outside options to confuse the ends and outside linebackers and to blunt pursuit off the backside. Let's go back to Tennessee for another example. Dallas ran Felix Jones inside. Then, they faked an inside run right and sent Patrick Crayton on an end around to the left side. A few plays later, they faked a run left to Jones and popped a scrren pass to him over the crashing left end. When Dallas was in 4th and one later on, Garrett faked a dive to his fullback and pitched wide to Barber, who outraced the outside linebacker, who had bitten on the fake, to the sideline.

The Cowboys run this inside/outside action at you, get the ends and LBs looking to cut Jones off before he can gain the corner, then they can run a play-action fake off this and target Witten and Bennett up the seams. Both tight ends overmatched all the linebackers and safeties they faced this summer. I expect Dallas to send one or both of them at Piscitelli and Phillips.

If Dallas wants to throw to the wide receivers, I look for a lot of motion and deeper routes in the middle of the field. Romo has had some trouble with teams that play a lot of pure cover two, teams like Buffalo and Detroit in '07 and Washington last year. Romo got in trouble by trying to force passes to receivers, who get a lot of double coverage. He excelled when he stayed patient and threw to the tight ends.

If DC Bates chooses to blitz heavily, he'll expose his corners to man coverage and ask them to play coverage they don't play very often. The Bucs also have some inexperience and uncertainty here. 34 year old Ronde Barber continues to man the right corner spot, because he has retained his high level of play. Phillip Buchanon resurrected his career with a strong campaign at left corner. He left in free agency. Second year corner Aqib Talib was prepped to replace him. Talib was arrested on August 20th for assaulted a cab driver and his availability appeared in question. Talib will play this Sunday, and if the Cowboys go hard at either Bucs corner, I think they'll target him.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-1) vs Miami Dolphins (2-0) Preview - Game 3 Preseason

Buc Wild — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 09:15:29 -0000

The third preseason game is the one that most resembles a regular season game as starters typically play about a half before giving way to backups. The fourth game is largely a scrimmage between camp fodder to see who will be the 53rd man on the roster.

This game holds some additional meaning for Bucs fans. It's the first home game (which I'll be attending), first chance for Cadillac to get on the field, and the game which should determine who lines up on opening day at many positions, none more ballyhooed than quarterback.

With a short week to prepare, the Bucs are looking to open up their home season in style. Let's take a look at some of the game info.

Date: Thursday, August 27, 2009

Time: Kickoff at 8:00 PM ET

Where: Raymond James Stadium (Seating capacity of 65,857)

Where to Watch: Fox- Channel 13 (Brighthouse/Verizon) or 613/513in HD (Brighthouse/Verizon)

Where to Listen: 103.5 FM or WDAE 620 AM

Miami Dolphins

Miami is 2-0 and coming off a 27-17 win over Carolina. The Dolphins are a team built in the Bill Parcells mold. They aren't flashy, they don't wow you, but they get the job done. We all know the 2008 story for the Fins. 1-15 the prior year, they stormed the league and made the playoffs, concluding a remarkable turnaround. They won't sneak up on anyone this year as Sparano and company are on the radar.

Offense

The epitomy of an efficient, non high octane offense. The Dolphin's attack revolves around running backs Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams to power them. Chad Pennington is one of the most accurate passers in the NFL, but we all know the knock on his arm strength. He relies on reading defenses and anticipation to beat teams. The Dolphins were the first team to successfully use the Wildcat offense, with Ronnie Brown taking direct snaps. This year, they've added former Mr. Everything from West Virginia, Pat White, to not only add depth at QB, but to perhaps spice up the Wildcat attack. The receivers aren't household names, but Ted Ginn Jr is the deep threat, with Camarillo and Bess running the possession routes. They'll kill you with efficiency if the defense gives up 4 yards a pop. Pennington will play a half, and then give way to Chad Henne, who should take them the rest of the way.

Defense

A different group than most remember, although there is one new yet familiar face. Jason Taylor is back with Miami, and looks to provide the pressure. Joey Porter, his mouth, and Channing Crowder will be bringing the lumber at linebacker and the defensive backfield features Vontae Davis, Will Allen, and Yeremiah Bell. The run a 3-4 defense, and have the parts to be successful. No official word, but expect the starters to go a full half before coming out.

Previous Game

While preseason games don't mean much, going 2-0 is better than being 0-2. Beating Jacksonville by 3 and Carolina by 10 has the Fins ready to come to Tampa and look for their third win. This will be Miami's first road game of the year, after playing at Landshark Stadium for the first two weeks.

Top Story Lines - Miami

What will the Wildcat bring in 2009. As mentioned, Pat White can be a new and key part of the WildCat attack. Keep an eye on the running back split between Brown and Williams, as Brown looks to take command of the job and see more carries. The receiving trio will need to continue to be clutch, as big plays and Penningtons arm dont often collide. Anthony Fasano will probably end up being a big part of their success.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Once again the Bucs come into a game with the expectations to name a starter when it's completed. After a close win against Jacksonville, the Bucs are looking to chalk up back to back wins in their first home game of the year. This will be a key game in shaping the team as players are juggled into new positions

Defense

Big changes this week as Jermaine Phillips slides back to safety, Angelo Crowell hits the IR, and Geno Hayes looks (for now) to take over the WLB position. The front four will need to continue pressuring the QB. The run defense has been fairly stout thus far, and will receive a good test on ability and discipline with the Fins attack coming into town. The secondary will have to avoid the big plays against them and try to create some turnovers this week, as last week was a lesson in what not to do on defense.

Offense

We all know the big story. Who will be the QB? Each starter will go 1.5 quarters to see who can win the job. There still are some battles at running back (who knew) and wide receiver. Something to key on is the progress the OL makes this week. We need to continue to see progress being made, holes being opened and assignments being understood. When the starters are in, expect a more balanced attack, particularly to see how the run game does, and how the quarterbacks handle all situations.

Previous Game

A down to the wire win over Jacksonville, highlighted by Freemans, score and stumble. The Bucs sit at 1-1 after their win at half empty Jacksonville and look to continue on. Big plays were a part of both side of the ball.

Top Story Lines - Tampa Bay

Obviously the QB battle, but how about Cadillac seeing his first time since shredding his other knee? Word is, he will be the last player introduced. Flip moving back to safety is a move to watch, as well as the battle at kicker (if both play) and for the third wide receiver spot.

Players To Watch

- Cadillac comingback from his second surgery. If this guy gains any yards, consider it a remarkable, improbable comeback. All the pundits and talking heads left him for dead, I'm excited to see what he can do.

- Sabby Piscitelli: How will he fit in with Flip coming back to safety?

- Barrett Ruud: He has to make an impact this week. He's been invisible for too long

- How each quarterback handles the situation. This is the last fight for the job.

Things to Watch For

- Will attendance be as bad as everyone thinks?

- How will Morris' 2-2-1 splitting of series for running backs work?

- WIll the defense shut down the big plays?

- Can the D remain disciplined against the Wildcat

- How will Morris' home tenure start

Injuries

Kareem Huggins, Matt Bryant, Antonio Bryant, Dexter Jackson, Michael Clayton, Donte Nicholson, John Gilmore and Will Allen are all out of tonight's game.

Elbert Mack is questionable and will be a game time decision.

Prediction

I think Morris gets the team fired up and they play well. I'm expecting a 27-13 win for the Bucs. Particularly with our starters most likely going a bit deeper than Miami's

(Editor's note: This is preseason for the staff also. If there are other looks, pieces of info or segments you want, let me know. I figure a look at each team, their injuries, stat leaders, team stats, and stories on each side of the ball should work, but as always, I'm open to suggestions).

Cannon Shots: Quick Notes on the Bucs

Buc Wild — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 19:40:58 -0000

Couple of quick notes on the Bucs as they prepare for the 2009 season.

- Cadillac will play Thursday night, approximately 2 series with the starters and will be the last player introduced.

- Jermaine Phillips will be at safety for the Cowboys game. Geno Hayes should be the weakside LB starter. He's currently the leader and I don't see anyone over taking him.

- As we've discussed, the QB battle rages on. Both guys (McCown and Leftwich) will get 1.5 quarters each, with starters playing around them. This should give the coaches their last look and the opportunity to make the decision quickly.

- The set up for the running backs is interesting. Morris plays on using a 3 way split with the starter getting 2 series, the next guy in line getting 2 series, and the third back getting a series. No word on who will be what position going into the season.

If it works, that's what Id like to do. I want to into it with that thought

- Raheem Morris on the RB split

Some interesting info there for sure, particularly the RB situation. What do you think about a 3 way split?

Cannon Shots: Updates from Tuesday's Practice

Buc Wild — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 00:10:40 -0000

Pretty eventful day. It's the second to last day of training camp I believe, and with the Tanard Jackson suspension, it adds a few more questions into the mix. You have to wonder where Phillips will end up now. Could mean an extra LB or Safety makes the team initially.

- The big news is T-Jack got busted for his T-crack. Ok, lame jokes aside, it isn't reported what he took, but he said it's been going on for awhile. Pot would be the best guess I could offer, but it's just a guess. With him gone, Will Allen has to step up and Jermaine Phillips did take some snaps at safety today. Keep an eye there.

- I'm sure it was speculated on elsewhere, but I know that it was definitely mentioned here at Buc 'Em that the loser of the McCown/Leftwich battle may get cut. Josh Johnson is seeing a ton of reps in practice and while it may be nothing more than a chance to evaluate the young QB, it could open some eyes.

- In terms of the offensive line, check out this nugget from TBO.com's running update of practice.

11:50: And down goes McCown. The O-line continues to struggle.

Not what we wanted to hear. But this is still with Faine out and Mahan in. Hopefully Faine is the missing link

- No pads in the afternoon practice. Morris and crew rewarded the team with a light afternoon after a brisk morning practice.

- Alot of energy at practice, with the RB's doing a chant aimed at the LB's and Jameel Cook and Elbert Mack having a dance-off. No word on who won.

- Caddy was fielding punts again. They seem determined to get him involved.

- Stovall dropped a TD pass, but made up for it later with a great catch. Bad celebration though. Went to dunk on the goal post and got rejected by the post. Embarrassing.

- The Bucs are still mentioning that Hankton is in the mix for the slot WR position. I will refuse comment on this. If you want to know what I think about that, check either the game thread or my grading out the offense column.

- Injuries: Antonio Bryant is still out, Matt Bryant sat out, Will Allen, Matt McCoy, Dexter Jackson, Stylez and Winslow all sat out one or both practices. If Matt Bryant wants to make the team, he better start kicking. At this rate, Morris has to go with the available guy it seems.

Not how I wanted to wind down training camp. No Bryant (either of them), Clayton not getting a lot of reps, Caddy sitting out two games, a disaster at QB and a suspension. Maybe our adversity this year comes early?

The Point After - Grading out the Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Defense

Buc Wild — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 14:45:08 -0000

We've graded out the offense after the first preseason game (can be seen here), now let's turn our heads to the defense. This is a unit that not only lost on field and locker room leaders, but guys that were counted on to make plays. We've taken some of the same players and shuffled the deck, moving them to a new spot on the field. We've asked some players to bulk up to fit the new scheme, and others to learn new moves to become the player they should have been. Let's see how the defense grades out.

Defensive Line

First String - When looking at an entire unit, the grading becomes more a function of the team than the players. The first string D line provided some good plays, but seemed inconsistent overall. Stylez G. White had a great game, and it only took a quarter to put the numbers up, going for 3 tackles, a sack and a pick. Overall, the line wasn't creating the pressure needed to wreak havoc and keep it at a 4 man rush. In his limited time, Gaines Adam didn't record anything statistically significant (no tackles or sacks). The run was shut down with a mob attack, but the Titans had plenty of time to throw. Grade: C

Second String and beyond- You could almost throw the same analysis in here as we did for the first string. The second string didn't register a sack, and only a very small amount of pressure. The running game wasn't able to get going, minus one long run by Javon Ringer. One of those mediocre efforts that will lose more games than they win. Grade: C

Linebackers

Jermaine Phillips - He did generate one tackle and one assisted tackle but overall, did exactly what I expected. His first game was largely an expirement. He showed the same flashes he did as a safety, and the same problems. Missed a few tackles where he was first to the ball carrier and rather than make a sure tackle appeared hell bent on blowing the play up. Result? He did neither. Will take some time to acclimate, but must prove to be a better tackler to succeed. Grade: C-

Quincy Black - I was as excited as anyone to see him play. Go check the boxscore, he didn't make it in there. Disappointing. For all the hype, all the talk, he didn't show up on paper, but played well on the field. Looked fluid in coverage and was able to get up the field in limited attempts. Need more film to study him in live action. Grade: C+ but should be INC

Rest of the First String - Really just Barrett Ruud. 1 assisted tackle. Have to credit him or Bates' for the run defense. The players were in the right position to shut it down. Excellent job in flowing to the ball as a team. Looked to be more of the same, in a good way. Grade: B

Second String and on - There were some fantastic plays, and some not so good plays. Geno Hayes was flying around, Adam Hayward made some good tackles, but there were plenty of missed opportunites. Guys getting stuck on blocks, not hanging in coverage. Was pleased with their effort against the run game. Grade: C+

Defensive Backs

Sabby Piscitelli - Good play on the interception. Didn't get beat deep. Looked to be in position, played the run well. Great start to 2009. His playmaking ability has always been discussed, but needs to maintain discipline in positioning and stay healthy. Grade: B+

Tanard Jackson - I'll admit, I didn't watch him too closely. Only big play involving T-Jack was a long completion to Bo Scaife with TJ in trail mode. Would like to see tighter coverage, but he gives up side and there are inherent difficulties with a safety on a tight end. Grade: C

Ronde Barber - Pretty darn pleased with his effort. Nice tackles in the backfield. Looked at home in coverage. Was able to read and react. Very positive step for Ronde in shutting the media up. Grade: B

Aqib Talib - Only big play his way was the Sabby INT and Talib was in good position. Will need to see some more time on field or more attempts his way. Grade: INC

Second String - The obvious blown coverage on the VY to Britt TD. Mack, for all his playmaking in camp, was so-so. Made a nice deflection, also lucked out on a pass attempt where he was late to get a hand up in the endzone. Torrie Cox was alright in coverage. An average effort from an average group of players. Grade: C

Overall

The defense as a unit played well, particularly against the run. The defense shut down the Titans after a fumble in our own territory and only surrendered 6 points in first half. Pass defense looked to be in good order, but pass rush was lacking. Was thinking about a B minus, but gave up 20 points (other 7 were from Freeman pick) and didn't allow run game to get going. Very solid first effortFinal Numbers: 17 allowed first downs, 7/15 (46%) on 3rd downs, 92 rushing yards, 186 passing yards (278 total), 2 sacks, 2 INT's. Overall Grade: B

So what do you think Buc's fans? How would you grade out the Bucs defense after their first game?

A look back at the first week of training camp

Buc Wild — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 23:30:09 -0000

More photos » by Brian Blanco - AP

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The players are out watching the new G.I. Joe movie. And deservedly so, they just finished the first week in training camp, one that was more physical than the last few seasons due to Coach Morris' mandate on wearing pads and hitting. We've seen and heard alot about the Bucs in the last week, but what have we learned? With week one fully in the books, let's take a position by position stop around the team and recap the first week of the Tampa Bay Buccaneer's 2009 training camp.

Quarterback - We all know about the expectations, question marks, and relative inexperience at the quarterback position. But how is the battle shaping up? Josh Johnson, though not performing poorly, seems like a man destined for the practice squad, either here or with another team. Josh Freeman has had ups and downs. The young gun definitely has the arm strength, but as you'd expect, he's still green. A three interception day in camp is not what you want to see. At this point, I'd expect him to have a clipboard in hand come opening day. The last two are the vets, Byron Leftwich and Luke McCown. They'll be battling for the job all camp long. McCown has been fairly level while Leftwich started slow and has come on towards the end of the week. It'll be interesting to see who wins out. No one seems to separate themselves from the pack. I wonder if it's possible that Johnson could be kept on over Leftwich or McCown? Too soon to tell.

Running Back -Here we have the four headed monster. Earnest Graham has looked good, even ripping up equipment and ending a drill early when he pulled a cord off the goalposts. Derrick Ward is a bit hobbled right now, with his foot in a walking boot. Let's hope it's nothing serious. We need him this year. Clifton Smith is Mr. Everything right now, hitting special teams and running back. Cadillac is back at it on the field, looking good. His hands are still suspect, but he will be a valuable commodity during the year. No real movement on the depth chart here. Graham and Ward (assuming both are healthy) are the guys here.

Wide Receiver/Tight End - We know what we have in Antonio Bryant, and he hasn't let us down yet. Michael Clayton has come on strong in camp and looks like a number two receiver. The battle for the third spot continues and each day a new receiver has a strong day. Today was Cortez Hankton, but Brian Clark, Sammy Stroughter and even new addition Mario Urrutia have come on strong. Dexter Jackson started off strong but in recent days has started shying from contact again and dropping passes, not a good combo. Winslow and Stevens are known commodities and while Winslow was called out for his emotional outbursts, it's nothing we didn't know. As far as camp goes, no real surprises here as the top dogs are performing as such and there are some good battles going on for the lower spots

Offensive Line -Let's just hope everyone stays healthy. Jeff Faine is out with a groin injury and with Arron Sears still not in camp, we can't afford any more losses. The line is still adapting to the new zone scheme and for every great play and correct read, they have one that doesn't look so good. But that's to be expected in training camp.

Defensive Line -Big movers here. Gaines has been called out by the coach for a double digit sack year. Stylez G. White and Jimmy Wilkerson are having alright camps, but not spectacular. Chris Hovan hasn't had his name called much and I'd imagine he and Ryan Sims are incumbents in name only. The guys making some noise are newbies Kyle Moore and Roy Miller. Moore has been everywhere in the backfield drawing praise and Miller has been eating up the middle. I'd like to see Gaines get to the QB more and be more aggressive. This group, although the rookies are playing well, needs to step it up

Linebacker -Let's start with Barrett Ruud. I'm just happy he's in camp without that new contract. We need him to be a leader and he is doing just that. Jermaine Phillips can still hit you, but his reads have got to improve. He's learning on the job, and that will have some bumps in the road, but let's go Flip, you're a linebacker now. Geno Hayes may not be turning heads, but he's been alright. Consistent with only a few big plays. The big game changer thus far? Quincy Black. I hope his performance translates to the field. His performance in camp has been great and if he can make it count on Sundays then we have a pretty good player here.

Defensive Back -This group, well, it's been tough. Much like the OL, for every good play, there's a bad play. Ronde Barber has actually been fairly solid in the new scheme, something most Bucs fans didn't expect. Elbert Mack has been on fire, making play after play after play. Smart money is on him to be no worse than second string. The surprise? Aqib Talib and his poor play. He's been beaten, missed some tackles, just seems in a funk. Hope he can find his form quickly. The safety position has been quiet, with Tanard Jackson and Sabby Piscitelli making few plays, but also being somewhat solid in coverage. Will Allen looks to be in the mix as a rotating player.

Special Teams - Josh Bidwell is doing his thing. The kicking battle is close. Though Mike Nugent has missed more kicks, I'd say he's in the lead just based on Matt Bryant sitting out with a leg injury. Bryant has to get back into camp and make some kicks to show he's the man in Tampa. Several players have been returning kicks and punts. Clifton has been back there, Sammy Stroughter, Elbert Mack, even Cadillac. Alot of faces back there, but it's gonna be Clifton's job to lose.

So there you have it, a quick run around camp position by position. As far as dominating story lines, here you go

- Padding up: Players in full pads and live hitting in most drills. Not usual for Bucs camp

- No rest for the weary: The cool down tent is gone, get used to the heat

- McCown running with the ones: He's had first crack most days with the first team, followed by Leftwich

- Cadillac is back: Hasn't missed a practice, good to have you back

- Injuries: The lack of injuries is a great thing, though a few players have been dinged up

- All players in camp: Outside of Sears, every player has been in camp, another good sign

Practice starts back up tomorrow morning and is followed with an afternoon session. Hope the players enjoyed the night off, it's a full day tomorrow.

Cannon Shots: Quick hits on Wednesday's morning practice for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Buc Wild — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 17:39:26 -0000

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STRANGER DANGER! STRANGER DANGER!

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Wednesday morning's practice is over, after being delayed a bit by rain. All accounts had it being a slick, muddy surface they were practicing on, which may not be a bad thing. You don't always get 80 degrees and sun on game day. Couple of injury updates, some playmaking abilities on display, and one of the old-timers makes a play.

Click on over to the info after the jump

- Geno Hayes is getting to run with the ones on defense. While no one will ever be able to replace Derrick Brooks, Hayes comes from the same lineage as Brook. Undersized linebacker with great speed from Florida State. Hayes is still raw and coming off an injury, but I thought he was a bit of a steal last year, and I'll continue to think that until proven otherwise. Dominik said our deepest position was linebacker. I'm starting to believe him with Hayes, Barrett Ruud, Angelo Crowell, Jermaine Phillips, Quincy Black, Adam Heyward etc.

- Antonio Bryant, Kellen Winslow, Torrie Cox, and Angelo Crowell all sat out with injuries, though Raheem Morris said he expects Bryant and Winslow to be back tomorrow.

At the tail end of practice, Michael Clayton looked to tweak a hamstring after a touchdown catch. Dude is on fire right now. It's practice, but he's improving.

- Josh Vaughan is getting some snaps at fullback. Alot of people feel he could be squeezed out of a roster spot with four quality backs ahead of him, but depth at FB is key, and if he can pick up special teams, he may find a niche with the Bucs

- Phillips drew alot of praise from the coaches. He was challenged to be physical and to play at full speed and he did so today. I've never been worried about him being physical, it's more the wrapping up of ball carriers I'm concerned. Still early in the project though, keep it going Flip.

- Some trickery in the red zone as a reverse was run. I hear that Trueblood annihilated Stylez G. White. He's got a mean streak, if he can keep from the troublesome false start.

- Byron Leftwich was the QB of the day, looking the best. He was zipping throw around the field and threw no picks. Always a key. Luke McCown looked adequate today, and while he made no mistakes, didn't appear up to par with Leftwich. Seems he's still the leader though.

- The running game had some ups and downs. A few good runs by Ward and Clifton were the good, a few guys being hit in the backfield was the bad. The new scheme is coming along nicely though.

- Quincy Black is shaping up to be a force. If he can translate his practice play to game play, he will be a treat to watch. It'll be interesting to see how they use him throughout the game.

The team has a second practice this afternoon, weather permitting. All things are shaping up on schedule. Of course, this is just training camp. We're still facing our own guys, and alot of the time not even going first string against first string. It's always tough to read what performance in training camp means, especially for veterans. You can usually predict who will or won't make the team, but with guys like Clayton, it's tough. You know he's on the team, he's had some trials the last few years, but this training camp, he's doing everything and doing it well. Does this mean he's a 100 catch 1,400 yard guy? Maybe. You don't know until you get on the field and see it happen in live action.

As always, Buc 'Em keeping you updated on the Bucs training camp.