Today the NFLPA will vote to approve the new CBA, and our Buccaneers will return to ONE BUC sometime around Wednesday, with Free Agency starting between then and Saturday.
It’s now time to move on past this lockout, and begin talking Bucs football! This segment beginning this morning with the offense, and concluding later this afternoon with the defense, will grade last years Bucs into three categories;
- Step Back: This grade means a player wont have as good a year as 2010.
- Same: No matter if the player was great or a disapointment, no change.
- Improved: Applies to good players or bad- expect better from this one.
Before we start, we cant judge newcomers that Mark Dominik is going to bring in, but you wont find any big time Free Agents coming to the Bucs, no matter how many millions the team has to spend. There will be FAs, but they will be of the lesser variety. LeGarrette Blount was one such player last season.
On offense, QB Josh Freeman has shown he is for real because he puts the work into it. While this offseason prevented further education, he put time in regardless and his peers may not have come close. Freeman will improve upon 2010.
LeGarrette Blount will take a step back in 2011. Blount was nowhere to be found when Bucs were getting together at the IMG academy.
Add to that the Bucs will bring another runner into the fold this season. By step back however, He’ll still run at 4+ yards a clip. Overall, I believe the Bucs will run for 1600 yards between two main runners. How that splits up, no one knows.
Mike Williams will Stay the same, which is no knock on him; all he did was break the Bucs WR touchdown record set by Joey Galloway. No, not the rookie TD record, THE overall TD record! Wiliams is a truely gifted athelete in the mold of the great wide receivers, and he will make Bucs fans proud a decade from now when his career winds down.
Please READ MORE for rest of the offense.
Offensive Line– This unit will improve in 2011, because it has a new O-Line coach that will abandon the zone blocking scheme that none of its players were good for, and return to old fashioned smash mouth run blocking. This will give an edge to RT Jeremy Trueblood if he should be brought back, to compete with James Lee, whom I feel will win the RT spot. Jeff Faine gets injured each year, that will happen again at some point this season, and when it does, Jeremy Zuttah will take over. He may not reliquish the Center spot once he plays it again. Ted Larsen may lose the LG spot to Zuttah, that will be a great competition, but either way Larsen is the man unless someone else is brought in the mix.
Kellen Winslow Jr– Same: Josh Freeman has some solid targets on the outside, yet he still will rely on K2 up the middle. Expect solid stats from Jr as he will perform at the top level we expect of him since he has been here in Tampa Bay. (NOTE: Sorry for the oversite)!
Arrelious Benn– Improved: He was coming on when he got hurt in week 15. He was reported healthy at the IMG mini camp and should start opposite Williams.
Desmon Brizcoe- Same- Meaning same as where he left off. It would be better if Brizcoe would have been in plain site at IMG, but he was a no show. That doesn’t bode well for him until after midseason when he should catch up and be a good no.3 along with Sammy Stroughter.
Up Next tonight: The defense.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
