Bucs Need More Linebackers
April 28th, 2012
Greg Schiano backpedaled a little bit tonight after enthusiastically saying freshly drafted Lavonte David would play outside linebacker, but for Joe the message was clear: David’s on the outside.
And for Joe that means Mason Foster is back starting at middle linebacker and the $11 million man, Quincy Black, is the other starting linebacker.
This troubles Joe because it feels like the positions are set and there’s not enough quality depth. Sure, Dakoda Watson and Adam Hayward are on the roster, but Joe wouldn’t bet a nickel against Black, Foster and David getting starting nods.
With the Angelo Crowell and Jermaine Phillips linebacker experiments failing quickly in 2009, then Crowell again in 2010, then Foster being gifted the starting middle linebacker job last year, Joe’s feeling like the Bucs haven’t had strong competition at linebacker in quite a while. It was one thing when veteran Pro Bowlers Derrick Brooks and Cato June played alongside up-and-comer Barrett Ruud in 2008. These Bucs haven’t proven themselves like that crew had.
Joe just wants to see depth and competition — what every coach and GM says is invaluable. Hopefully, rockstar general manager Mark Dominik is stalking a linebacker in free agency.
April 27th, 2012 at 11:49 pm
I think Watson will be great competition. Dude is an athletic freak.
April 27th, 2012 at 11:51 pm
Sit tight, Joe. It aint over yet! I guarantee they snag another LB…
April 28th, 2012 at 12:00 am
They may bring in Gary Brackett who played MLB for Coach Schiano at Rutgers and Dungy with the Colts. He’s been hurt for the last 2 years but IF healty could provide depth and mentor Mason Foster.
April 28th, 2012 at 12:01 am
I’d like to get Jenkins from Dallas. Need to prep for the aftermath of Talib’s target practice.
April 28th, 2012 at 12:01 am
Nigel Bradham in the 5th or Miles Burris in the 6th, both athletic Sam/Mike backers.
April 28th, 2012 at 12:10 am
TE, LB, RT, CB coming up!
April 28th, 2012 at 12:11 am
Not necessarily in that order. 😉
April 28th, 2012 at 12:14 am
I would like to see one of those picks go for vurfict from Arizona state it wouldn’t cost much and he has a lot of potential got be a good steal in the later rounds I think with some good coaching and motivation he can do good
April 28th, 2012 at 12:35 am
Henderson is out there. Any chance there?
April 28th, 2012 at 12:37 am
heard that osi , and perhaps mike jenkins are on trading blocks… why couldnt we snag one of those guys for a draft pick in the later rounds, if possible?
April 28th, 2012 at 12:45 am
I can see a play for Alfonzo Dennard (may require moving up to the 4th), possibly Burfict or Acho at LB in the 5th or 6th. We may look for a TE in the 6th or 7th. I doubt we do much at OL until undrafted free agent signing. I do think Watson and Hayward are adequate backups at LB but would like to see one more.
Without knowing Talib’s situation, it’s hard to pin down our CBs. But Barber and Wright can start if Talib is suspended (or worse). Biggers has plenty of game experience now and has shown some decent flashes over the past two years. I know he’s not starting caliber, but he can step in when needed. We still don’t know what we have in Myron Lewis (if anything). And so many were high on Anthony Gaitor in last years draft, but no one mentions him now. Another question mark there. Add Dennard and we’ve at least got some competition.
We know Barron will start, but who will be alongside him? Grimm? Quite an injury history there, but has shown good run support when healthy. Ahmad Black? A complete unknown at this point. Holland? Asante? Best I can hope for here is another 7th round find or undrafted free agent to help out. Still one of the weakest positions on the team.
TE is another weak point. Winslow is always a health concern (although he has played every game for a couple years now). Stocker hasn’t proven anything and hasn’t exactly been the healthiest either. We could certainly use more help here, especially a blocking TE. We may be able to “hide” our deficiency at TE with more 3 WR sets though.
I’d like to see them also bring in some competition at FB. I’ve liked what I’ve seen from Lorig so far, but there’s really nothing to compare him to. He really lays a hit on guys when he blocks, but he also completely whiffs at times. Another area we can address with undrafted free agents.
Overall though, the team has definitely filled some gaping holes on the roster. Maybe not depth, but starters are looking more adequate. O-line looks really good. WR seems strong. RB is much improved. QB is set. DL should come together and even have more depth this year. I’m liking the rotations of Price, GMC, Okoye inside (with Miller in case of injury) and Clayborn, Bowers and Bennett outside.
If they pull together good schemes offensively and defensively, I think they have most of the personnel in place to be successful this year.
April 28th, 2012 at 12:55 am
i would prefer boykin personally
April 28th, 2012 at 12:55 am
Say no to Burfict.
April 28th, 2012 at 1:00 am
Don’t forget about LB Rennie Curran. I think he realizes this is his last chance and will work well in this system. Keep an eye on him come training camp.
April 28th, 2012 at 1:05 am
Sure, let’s draft Burfict. We’ll have him room with Talib. Aqib will keep him out of trouble.
April 28th, 2012 at 1:12 am
Boykin and Trevin Wade are possibilities. I can’t say no to Burfict if he’s a 6th round pick. Really, how can that not be a value pick. Even if he doesn’t make the team, it’s worth the shot. Also Ronnell Lewis and Terrell Manning are still out there. They could surprise us all and get another RB considering Lamar Miller, Chris Polk and Chris Rainey are all out there. Also possible is a backup QB like Kirk Cousins. Not saying we’re drafting any of these guys, but there are still decent players out there. Never know where we will draft (trade up, down…). I do think we’ll add some lesser “need” positions after the draft though (like competition at FB, maybe RT, etc.). I also think, at this point, we won’t send a 6th or 7th pick to get Mike Jenkins or anyone else, mainly due to salary cap considerations. Sure, we wouldn’t give up much to get the player, but we would spend cap space on someone that probably won’t stick with the team for long.
April 28th, 2012 at 1:16 am
Talib was a thug before he was drafted and still got the 1st round pick. Burfict is a thug, but he’s paying the consequence by dropping to the bottom of the draft (if at all). That can be very humbling to a guy and a big wakeup call. It’s possible that if Talib had fallen to the 5th round or later he could have changed his priorities to football and prove people wrong. Instead, he was basically told “we don’t care what you do wrong, just play well”. And look what’s happened…
April 28th, 2012 at 1:28 am
I would love to have these guys
CB-Alphonso denard-good depth corner
MLB vontez burfict ,ceiling high with coaching
OLB- Miles Burris,he lives in the back field
OLB-ronell Lewis -cerified thumper
April 28th, 2012 at 1:31 am
If Burfict goes undrafted I’m all for bringing him in as camp fodder and sizing him up. Don’t forget, we have a coach that won’t tolerate bad behavior now. Burfict can easily be cut. If he’s good give him a 2 year deal at minimum or put him on the squad.
No to Jenkins trade. Jerry Jones would want more than a seventh. I’d rather hope for the best with a rookie. Teams are also already releasing players. Jags released 3 LBs & 1DB already.
And if the cowboys get no offers for Jenkins they might just release him as well.
April 28th, 2012 at 1:45 am
I doubt we draft Burflict because schiano is all about leaders and high character guys, the complete opposite of vontaze.
April 28th, 2012 at 3:46 am
My God I had forgotten what Quincy Black gets paid. #OccupyQuincyBlack.
April 28th, 2012 at 3:56 am
$11 million needs to figure out how to tackle.
April 28th, 2012 at 4:03 am
I would love to see a sixth or seventh round pick used on Burfict but it isn’t going to happen. We have a coach who thinks he’s still in college and I’ll assume Burfict isn’t a “Buccaneer Man”. Somebody needs to tell Schiano to GTFO with that silliness.
April 28th, 2012 at 5:28 am
rutgers defense need to be drafted or undrafted but picked up ..the know the system and learning curve is low giving thsat they been in Shiano’s system…thats who i would like to see being on the second string backing up these guys
April 28th, 2012 at 6:48 am
I doubt Burfict is a possiblity for a team that is trying change the culture. THere are some intriguing LBs available however:
Nigel Bradham may likely be gone in the 4th round, but he COULD b there.
Tank Carder is a MLB that should fall in the 5th round range. Rangy and instinctive, he’s a tad light.
Najee Goode is athletic and a sure tackler.
Sammy Brown of Houston was an extremely productive pass rusher and is very athletic.
Jerry Franklin will likely go undrafted, don’t know why, he’s athletic, productive, and good in coverage.
Josh Kaddu could also fit the bill.
April 28th, 2012 at 7:21 am
I say we kick the tires on Ernie Sims and trade for Mike Jenkins. Then we’d be well on our way.
April 28th, 2012 at 7:22 am
Dennard has legal issues, but if available in round 5, talk to his teammate you just drafted, take a flier on this guy he could be a future starter, definitely a nickel, he had a lot of mention, even first round potential prior to combines.
April 28th, 2012 at 7:35 am
I can’t help but compare Burfict to a disgruntled Warren Sapp when his draft stock fell back in the 90’s. We could use a nasty inside LB presence. He’s put in work to improve his performance since the combine, which shows he can get better.
Remember, this was the most feared LB in college at one point. From what I’ve read, it seems he’s a big softie who purges inner turmoil from his childhood experiences via his football play.
I say put the “Buccaneer Man” standard in front of him, and let him strive to be it. To me, the Bucs have the perfect environment to mold him into something great.
http://www.stlouisrams.com/media-center/videos/Combine-Arizona-State-LB-Vontaze-Burfict-Presser/1293062b-4061-4708-b527-06b28eb51c6c
April 28th, 2012 at 7:45 am
I would love the bucs to add Nigel Bradham and the kid from Arizona St., can be had cheap, and would be an upgrade to what we have,
April 28th, 2012 at 7:46 am
Where are people getting the impression that Burfict is a thug? He may be a highly misinformed, lazy, idiot but he’s not a thug. He doesn’t have legal issues like Talib.
April 28th, 2012 at 7:54 am
Burfict is just immature, he needs structure, routine & discipline which I believe Schiano and his staff can provide, especially with the new veterans we have on the roster, this may be an instance where it takes a village to get this kid squared away, I would love to bring him in as an UNDRAFTED FA, which will definitely humble him because his upside is unlimited he is an athletic freak.
April 28th, 2012 at 7:57 am
The Bucs like Tank Carder and if he makes it to the end of the 4th round, they will trade up for him. If the trend continues for hitters/tacklers, look for Nigel Bradham or James Michael Johnson. If they are looking for CB, look for Ron Brooks or D-III sensation Chris Greenwood from Albion.
You can’t believe they’re serious about the “Schiano Way” and believe they would ever pick Burfict. I personally don’t mind a play-making thug here or there, but I think it’s only choirboys and team captains from here on out!
April 28th, 2012 at 8:20 am
I was hoping for Brandon Boykin in round 3. He won’t be there in round 5. The interesting thing about the David pick is: it may suggest a move of Foster to Sam, David playing the Will.
Quincy Jane Black’s days may be over or limited – which is a great thing and shows Schiano knows what he is doing.
I will be shocked if they leave Foster in the middle. I realize that Foster had the worst defensive coaching in NFL history last year, but his play evidenced a bad fit for a Mike.
April 28th, 2012 at 8:33 am
@Alex
Burfict is called a thug by whites because he’s black.
Most of the time.
April 28th, 2012 at 9:16 am
Boykin,should be our next pick if available. The Bucs love Ronnel lewis and Tank Carder so depth shouldt be an issue.
Stanglassman, you hit it on the head.Rennie curren is going to be in the mix at lb. (Joe you should do a lil write up on him !!!)most Bucs fans dont know him but those who were fans of the SEC should have seen him having his way with everyone he played .Former late 2nd or early 3rd round pick of TEN dude is a stud.
Congrats to our front office. for all the S@%t we gave them last year they are killing FA and the Draft.Sooooo Exciting feeling this team is now being built for a big time legit deep playoff run in the near future.
April 28th, 2012 at 9:23 am
Burfict is not a thug but he is not a good teammate, he is lazy, smokes pots, and does not LISTEN. When your coach tells you to come off the field and you tell him no something is wrong. When your teammates are nervous to talk to you something is wrong, when your friends don’t call you before 10 am because they are scared you will flip out something is wrong. Nobody wants a guy like that and Schiano would be going against everything he has said if he drafted him.
Go get Bradham or Carder or lewis all who can thump with the best of them.
April 28th, 2012 at 10:17 am
Thibs says:” Burfict is not a thug but he is not a good teammate, he is lazy, smokes pots, and does not LISTEN”
Sounds like the ideal description of RahRah player and 70% of the roster under RahRah. Burfict is probably being listed after by RahRah in Washington, RahRah thinks that he would be perfect to pair with THC Jax in the Weedskins defensive back 7.
April 28th, 2012 at 10:19 am
Brackett is still waiting for his phone to ring
April 28th, 2012 at 10:21 am
I cant say Burfect is a bad character guy. I will say he is unintelligent and doesnt appear to be very motivated… However, he has a tremendous ceiling and if Schiano thinks he can make something out of him I would be all for it… Now Dennard on the other hand, (punching a cop in the face?) bad character guy… wont be a buc. If they can somehow come away with Boykin in the 4th (cuz he wont last til the 5th) I’d be ecstatic with this draft.
April 28th, 2012 at 11:10 am
Oh my how far we’ve come… releasing Mr. Derrick Brooks before the 09 season was the WORST DECISION EVER!… With the exception of Rudd for a couple of seasons, our LB’s have been a mess… i hope David and Foster play extremely well and start turning our defense around.