Bucs going backwards

Last year, the Bucs were led by a young optimistic offense and a defense that played quite well for a team that lacked a lot of talent. But the Bucs spent another of their first two picks on the defensive side of the ball, which makes this assesment even harder to exclaim;

The Bucs are going backwards, especially on Defense.

This Tampa Bay Defense is so bad, were talking 1991 bad. Were talking 1986 bad- except that this team has better talent than those years in  history. All told, this 2011 Tampa Bay defense is now known for the following:

Bad Angles
Sloppy Tackling
Lack of effort

Perhaps the last one is unwarranted; perhaps. They will have an opportunity next week to prove that. But the first two, like Warren Sapp says, the tape doesnt lie. The old Bucs defense had the mentality to defend every blade of grass. I don’t see that level of play from the Bucs D.

The team was 10-6 last year, so the things you did when your winning are fine, but when your losing like the Bucs are now (This is now a losing team, for the first time since 2009), your poorly played defense cant escape without being dissected for everything they are doing.

While the defensive line is full of optimism, the linebackers appear to be nothing but a big mistake. With the exception of Mason Foster, who does show promise as a hard hitting rookie, the linebackers are a major weakness on this team, and must be upgraded via free agency next year. You cannot draft new linebackers 3 years into your project. The secondary is up in the air- Aqib Talib had the chance to turn the game around, but failed when he dropped the ball, AGAIN. Forget the fact the refs blew the call, DONT MAKE IT CLOSE- Catch the ball, make the interception. 

Last year the offense looked like the great hope of this team. Josh Freeman is not fully at fault, he has ZERO weapons this season. Kellen Winslow needs to be assessed this offseason, because he appears to be finished as an NFL player. As a tight end, especially a starter, he’s required to play TIGHT END, its not always a pass receiving position. Sometimes you have to block; K2 cannot block anymore. The years of knee surguries has obviously taken their toll on the once dangerous player from THE U. Whether or not Luke Stocker can be the guy will need to be addressed the rest of the year. If not, Free Agency will need to fill the starting TE as well  as a top flight WR too.

Josh Freeman is trying to make chicken salad with chicken spit. Mike Williams, Arrelious Benn, Sammy Stroughter, Briscoe and Parker are all 2nd and 3rd string WRs in the NFL. We have no dangerous WR, we missed out on that. And we cannot spend a premium pick on WR next year because we need to use that pick as a major running back threat, someone who can break a run 70 yards for a touchdown.

There is no room to criticize the play calling of Olsen, the Houston Texans ran the same plays the Bucs did, they scored 30+ points with them. The Texans have playmakers who can execute, the Buccaneers do not, because the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are headed in the wrong direction.

The Bucs are going backwards.