Targeting Corners
March 4th, 2016
Things appear to be looking up for Alterraun Verner.
Joe can’t tell you how much his acid reflux acts up when thinking of last year’s Bucs defense.
The pass defense was such a sieve there were backup high school quarterbacks in Pasco County who dearly wanted snaps against it.
Just hearing what Joe is hearing and watching the few moves the Bucs have made before the free agency dinner bell rings in five days, Joe is confident the pass defense will bounce back.
Look at the coaches hired on that side of the ball; it suggests improvement. And, yes, Joe expects a rebound in play from Alterraun Verner and Johnthan Banks.
Still, Mike DiRocco of BSPN believes the Bucs shouldn’t still still next week. He believes the Bucs should load up on corners in free agency.
Make the secondary the No. 1 priority: The Buccaneers need help at every position in the secondary after having one of the NFL’s worst pass defenses last season. They gave up 31 touchdown passes, and opposing QBs completed an NFL-high 70 percent of their passes and had a 102.5 passer rating, which was worse than all but one team (New Orleans, 116.2). Cornerbacks Sean Smith and Janoris Jenkins and safety Eric Weddle should be high on the Bucs’ list of potential targets.
Actually, the No. 1 priority should be a pass rush, but Joe gets where DiRocco is coming from. He’s not exactly wrong.
Look, Verner is paired again with Brett Maxie, his old Titans position coach when Verner was an All-Pro and led the AFC in picks. The fact the Bucs kept Verner despite his hefty $6.75 million salary this season (per Rotoworld.com) should tip folks off.
Should the Bucs grab a decent corner as a free agent? Sure. But no need to get carried away.
March 4th, 2016 at 10:01 am
Insane to keep Verner at that salary but not get Doug signed if that happens
March 4th, 2016 at 10:05 am
Talent was not the problem at CB last year.
March 4th, 2016 at 10:07 am
Hmmm…I thought Brett Maxie was his old position coach.
March 4th, 2016 at 10:08 am
Lovie and his friends and family plan being gone instantly upgraded the entire team including the defensive secondary. Biggest mistake in franchise history hiring that bum and his family. Living in the past is ignorant. Pick up 1 corner and 1 safety in Free agency no need to go overboard as joe suggested.
March 4th, 2016 at 10:14 am
Still no reason not to get Hargreaves. He is a once in a lifetime type corner. We could use that.
March 4th, 2016 at 10:18 am
Yes we still need to improve the secondary…..surely we need at least 1 CB & 1 S in FA…..and if we add a CB & S in the draft…..that is 4 starters.
Add a DE in FA & 1 in the draft and we have 6 new starters on Defense….
Unless we plan to start Carter in place of Lansanah….we also need a LB.
March 4th, 2016 at 10:18 am
Licht isn’t going to go crazy with FA’s to fix the defense because he knows the roster is far better than Lovie let it be.
I’m guessing one FA at DE, CB and Safety. Weedle, Smith and Tamba Hali are all worth consideration.
March 4th, 2016 at 10:22 am
If he was really the next Deion Sanders, he’d be a top-five pick. Joe hasn’t heard any reliable NFL guy say that. It is unlikely he is the first corner picked.
March 4th, 2016 at 10:22 am
@Fsuking
He is a once in a lifetime type Defensive End. We could use that…
He is a once in a lifetime type Defensive Tackle. We could use that….
He is a once in a lifetime type Safety. We could use that……………….
March 4th, 2016 at 10:28 am
@tmax- Lovie isn’t even close to the worst in franchise history. There’s a list an arm’s-length of horrible coaches that have “graced” us over the years. Does Ray Perkins ring a bell?!!!
I do agree however that we shouldn’t overlook who we have on the roster right now. The scheme these guys played in did not show us anything about their playing ability (or lack thereof). So, yea, maybe a couple of veteran DBs/S and concentrate on D-line.
March 4th, 2016 at 10:45 am
I don’t understand why there isn’t much chatter about the best corner on our roster last year….Sterling Moore. IMO he should be our #1 FA target.
March 4th, 2016 at 10:46 am
i like how this guy thinks. bring in 1 of those corners….with all of the nickel and dime teams have to run, CB depth is always a good thing. and fix the safety position for the love of God. Conte, McDougald, Tandy are all nice depth and special teams players, but they have no business starting. a guy like Weddle can bring instant leadership to the D. or they can go for youth and look at Tashaun Gipson, who is a quality playmaker. draft someone else like Miles Killebrew or Darian Thompson. that would instantly revamp the back end and make the defense credible.
March 4th, 2016 at 10:48 am
I am not concerned about our Cornerbacks. The coaching has been upgraded there. At most, we need a reliable 3rd CB because of the number of WRs offenses use these days.
I’m not opposed to getting one in free agency. But certainly not in the first 3 rounds of the draft (not at this point of the off season).
We need other things addressed more.
Defensive End, Right Tackle and maybe Left Guard (if Mankins retires).
I think we can address all of them in free agency at least once.
March 4th, 2016 at 10:49 am
@Bama- Interesting! Looks like we’ve been overlooking him in our conversations. Good eye!
I agree, we should sign him. Based on last year’s performance, can we have enough competent corners? I’d say not.
March 4th, 2016 at 10:49 am
Ditto with BucsFanMan’s position, but we better also resign the second best running back in the NFL last year to keep our Offense from regressing.
March 4th, 2016 at 11:19 am
Target the pass rush first and then see what value is remaining at CB.
Rebuild from the front >>> back!
March 4th, 2016 at 11:25 am
1 decent corner or safety via draft/FA.
heck resign Sterling Moore.
however I think the biggest culprit was the system. Tampa 2 is outdated and QBs and offenses no how and where to attack it.
New system, new coaches we will see massive improvement. Now maybe with improvement the secondary is still a need. but it pales in comparison to the DL.
it might even be lower in my priorities than OL and WR.
March 4th, 2016 at 11:54 am
Tweaking the defense won’t cut it. Bucs need an infusion of new talent either thru free agency or thru the draft. Personally I’d prefer that we pick up 2 starting DEs, 1 depth DT, 1 starting LB and 1 depth LB, 1 starting CB and 1 depth CB, plus 2 starting Safeties. That’d be 5 new starters and 3 more for depth on defense. Ain’t gonna happen, but that’s still what we need to make a push for the NFC South crown.
March 4th, 2016 at 12:36 pm
Again, this team shouldn’t be letting ANYONE go!, with the exception of jenkins and wright. Sterling Moore, Chris Conte and DUH…Doug Martin NEED to be signed AND add more bodies…2 defensive ends, 2 safeties, a cornerback(+moore), another offensive lineman and a wide receiver should be the shopping list….
March 4th, 2016 at 12:38 pm
@Joe Buc, I remember when the fans were calling for Ronde Barber to be released. This is why fans are fans, and no talent scouts.
March 4th, 2016 at 1:20 pm
1st thing On defensive backfield – Agenda
Licht gotta call Seattle – and discuss compensation for disgruntled ALL – PRO SS Kam Chancellor
March 4th, 2016 at 2:44 pm
I like our Cbs on this team and hope they don’t blow the 1st pick on one with a great DT or very good DE on the board that is unless by some miracle Jalen Ramsey slips to 9 and we’d play him at Safety. I just don’t think Verner, Banks, JAB and Moore had much coaching or enough pressure on opposing QBs to be effective. JAB and Moore played well and Verner and Banks didn’t just forget how to play.
I’d like to see *William Jackson III or Apple fall to them at 2 or Pick up Mills (LSU), Burns (U) or Canady (UVA) at 3 or 4th rd.
March 4th, 2016 at 3:12 pm
Already have taken major strides getting rid of that horrendous defensive scheme and play caller. The future is getting bright again
March 4th, 2016 at 3:54 pm
Verner will benefit playing press coverage at the receivers inside shoulder. Every snap our corners were off coverage. All offenses had to do was run a slant with a three step drop. However, that still dosent excuse our defense biting on play action often. Hopefully Mike Smith can get his point across. With Lavonte and Mccoy, there is no reason to let qb’s complete 70 percent against us.
March 4th, 2016 at 4:01 pm
We need SPEEED
March 4th, 2016 at 4:19 pm
Stang they sleeping on Will Jackson III that boy nasty raw. Ima Nole 4life make no mistake about it but there were two highly regarded cbs on the field when we got our backsides handed to us by Houston in our bowl game. Jackson look so special in that game man. Duke overshadowed Ramsey for real man. If is there in second I hope we take him and I’m saying that personally not feeling like really need a cb. He just look special man. Again put him up against Hargeeaves,Mackenzie or Ramsey man I’m taking Jackson all day.
March 4th, 2016 at 4:21 pm
And obtw pawel he ran a 4.3 at the combine.
March 4th, 2016 at 4:25 pm
I was going to say I liked WJIII better than VHIII but I didn’t want to start up a fuss.
March 4th, 2016 at 5:54 pm
I am hoping we go after Jackson from Houston and Karl Joseph in the draft and take a look at Rodney McLeod and Janoris Jenkins in FA
This would give us Verner, Jenkins, Jackson, Banks, and Barimah at CB and McLeod and Tandy at FS, then Wright and Joseph at SS.
I went with McLeod at S because he should have some chemistry with Jenkins from their time with the Rams together. If we need more depth still then I would resign Moore and Conte.
March 4th, 2016 at 6:06 pm
I feel you Stang but you know me,I ain’t got no problem starting controversy. To me HE BETTER THAN VHII.
March 4th, 2016 at 6:39 pm
I think the Bucs should make a strong push for Weddle! He can immediately become the leader back there, and is still a very solid player that gives it all every play.
March 4th, 2016 at 10:23 pm
I agree 100% with the article. We need a complete overhaul of our secondary. What is Maxie going to teach Verner that he has not alresdy teached him? Sure the scheme sucked but our guys could not cover receivers even when they were one on one and right with them. We can fix either the defensive line in the draft or the secondary but not both. Packman is already talking to Dallas and we just sit on the sidelines. I would take Sean Smith and Janoris Jenkins and safety Eric Weddle all day long and that with the draft would put us over the top. This is the only reason we should be letting Martin walk. Add those three and draft Deforest Buckner and move up and get Kevin Dodd in the second. SS Karl Joseoh in the third then a RB in fourth and man.. would this team be looking good. Still need a WR though.
March 4th, 2016 at 10:33 pm
Hargreaves is not a once in a lifetime CB. But he is a shut down CB with tons of talent. Ramsey will obviously be the 1st CB drafted. If VH3 is there at #9 we would be crazy to pass on him. Then hope Tyler Boyd is in the 2nd. And it sounds like Noah Spence could slip to the 3rd round or maybe further. Grab him or Carl Nassib in the 3rd.
We can fill a lot of our holes in FA and hopefully at least 3 by the draft.
March 4th, 2016 at 11:48 pm
These type of articles do make me realize we do need to just go BPA (mostly D) in FA and the draft.I don’t think I’ve read an article in the past 2 months not about the pass rush, secondary, or Doug. I would love to but I REALLY DON’T THINK WE’RE SB CONTENDERS this year (ya never know). If licht does know what he’s doing with these players then I’m all for the BPA