I know we have a couple of the Bucs loyals in here... How are you guys feeling about this offseason? Here are some of the offseason moves: Re-signed CB Phillip Buchanon Signed DE Kevin Carter Signed DE/LB Patrick Chukwurah Signed FB B.J. Askew Signed LT Luke Petitgout Signed QB Jeff Garcia I like what Bruce Allen has done thus far in the offseason... he's brought healthy competition for Simms and I think Garcia would be better fit to run this team for a season or two, then hand the job over to Simms after he sees how to win games. I also like us resigning Buchanon... this is a real underrated move because B KEL is done in Tampa... this bolsters up some of our secondary issues. Askew is going to be a great fit once Alstott is ready to retire... I think we still need to address a couple of other things... WR, S, LB, RB (Duckett would be great so we can run a 2-back system) and oh yeah.... WE FINALLY HAVE A LEFT TACKLE!!!!!!!! What can be done now? Who should we draft? please... dont fill this thread with posts about how great Calvin Johnson is... we know... but what about the 2nd 3rd 4th rounds?
Monte Kiffen was at the Florida Gators Pro Day, so don't be surprised to see 2nd/3rd/4th round picks involving Gators such as Ray McDonald, Brandon Siler, Earl Everett, Ryan Smith, and Reggie Lewis. Here's his exact quote... ""I like a lot of the guys right there (on defense)," said super successful Tampa Bay Buccaneers' defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin of the possible nine UF players who could be taken in the NFL Draft in April. "I wouldn't mind taking this whole group with us back to Tampa. It's only an hour-and-a-half ride. It would be awesome." "There are a lot of good players here on defense and they had a really good workout. They all worked out very hard." http://www.gainesville.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a...07070/-1/sports
<div class="quote_poster">GatorsowntheNCAA Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Monte Kiffen was at the Florida Gators Pro Day, so don't be surprised to see 2nd/3rd/4th round picks involving Gators such as Ray McDonald, Brandon Siler, Earl Everett, Ryan Smith, and Reggie Lewis. Here's his exact quote... ""I like a lot of the guys right there (on defense)," said super successful Tampa Bay Buccaneers' defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin of the possible nine UF players who could be taken in the NFL Draft in April. "I wouldn't mind taking this whole group with us back to Tampa. It's only an hour-and-a-half ride. It would be awesome." "There are a lot of good players here on defense and they had a really good workout. They all worked out very hard." http://www.gainesville.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a...07070/-1/sports</div> nice... thats a great article gators... i love the players that UF has... they bring a LOT of speed. I love that Kiffin is active during the offseason and he's commited to bringing in players to bring back the 2002 defensive form. I would LOVE McDonald, he's got so much talent for a DT. He creates a great push and he agile enough to play DE... I just really hope that the Bucs focus this draft on defense. Moss would be nice too. =) don't think he'll fall to us, but i can always dream. we've used so many previous draft picks on offense, that the defense isn't nearly as deep as it once was... this should be a great draft for the Bucs to improve on their defense. Gators... you know the Florida team better than anyone else around... any standouts that I should know about? Sleepers from Florida?
<div class="quote_poster">MickyEyez Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">nice... thats a great article gators... i love the players that UF has... they bring a LOT of speed. I love that Kiffin is active during the offseason and he's commited to bringing in players to bring back the 2002 defensive form. I would LOVE McDonald, he's got so much talent for a DT. He creates a great push and he agile enough to play DE... I just really hope that the Bucs focus this draft on defense. Moss would be nice too. =) don't think he'll fall to us, but i can always dream. we've used so many previous draft picks on offense, that the defense isn't nearly as deep as it once was... this should be a great draft for the Bucs to improve on their defense. Gators... you know the Florida team better than anyone else around... any standouts that I should know about? Sleepers from Florida?</div> Bucs should really consider looking at Billy Latsko in the 7th round or as an undrafted FA. He is basically Mike Alstott #2, but with better hands, but he isnt' as bruising of a runner. He was probably the hardest worker on the team and originally was a walk on. He played special teams, FB, TE, and LB in his 4 years at UF. He ran a 4.7 40, which is very good for a FB. Urban Meyer's offense doesn't use a FB, but he implemented a FB just to get Latsko out on the field. He would be a fan favorite(similar to how Alstott is now). Another intriguing prospect is Jemalle Cornelius. He is about as classy as you can possibly get. Urban Meyer deemed him as "the face of Florida football" this year and has gone public plenty of times about how he hopes his kids grow up to be as good of a person as Jemalle is. He does whatever it takes to get out on the field. He was a great special teamer. He is a little small, but has pretty good speed and amazing hands. He is a solid route runner and when the Gators needed a big catch it seemed like he would make them. An interesting thing that I thought about is maybe move him to CB in the NFL. He is a smart guy so I bet he would change pretty good. Other than Reggie Nelson, Earl Everett was my favorite player on the defense. He just destroys players and is famous for the without a helmet tackle on Troy Smith, so you know he pours his heart out on the field. He's not exceptional in anything, but he is very good at everything. Don't be surprised to see him be like DeMeco Ryans and get overlooked during the draft and then have a very good rookie season. Brandon Siler also fills in with that, IMO. (they will both be borderline 2nd and 3rd round picks). The main former Gator that is sneaking under the radar is Marcus Thomas. He got kicked off the team and has attitude problems, but he is a first round talent. If a team gets him in the 2nd/3rd round they will be very pleased with his skill level. If he can get his head on straight, then he will be a stud and a perennial Pro Bowler. Steve Rissler can be a quality C. You are absolutely right about Ray McDonald, he is as versatile as they come. You can play him at DE or DT and he is very good at both. He flew a little under the radar with Moss and Thomas getting most of the press, but he finally stayed healthy and proved why he was one of the top players in his recruiting class. Only one word can describe Jarvis Moss and that is FREAK. He's very fast and has very good technique. Whatever team drafts him won't realize what he actually can do. I hear rumors that he might switch to an OLB in a 3-4, but we'll see. Ryan Smith and Reggie Lewis will be solid picks. Lewis was a former WR and has only played CB the last 2 years. He is still learning the position, but both of these guys have great hands. I think both of them will be solid nickel CB picks, but not much more. Personally I don't think Dallas Baker is going to be that great of a WR. He'll be a solid redzone threat, but he doesn't really have good arm extension and he catches EVERYTHING with his chest. Down in the red zone he is very good, because of his jumping ability and the ability to adjust to the ball. He's not very fast either. Chris Leak would be a pretty good pick for the Bucs in the 5th/6th round. I don't think he will ever be a star or anything in the pros, but he is a very good QB and I think he could be a starter in a couple of years or at worst be a spot starter. He throws a very soft ball and doesn't have too many drops. He's another quality individual as well. Reggie Nelson is by far our best prospect. He does everything. He destroys people, while still being a very sure tackler. He has great cover skills as evidenced by his 6 INT's. Not to mention he's versatile, he can play S or CB. He blocks kicks on special teams and can even return punts.
Jeff Garcia could be a gem for you guys. He played with so much passion/fire in Philly, it's a shame he had to leave our organization. But I'm not really sure what he has left in the tank. Plus, the guy only seems to succeed in a west coast offense (not sure what offense the Bucs run). It should be an interesting QB battle though, Garcia - Simms - Plummer
Rumor has it that we are looking at Randy Moss are offering Oakland a pick and Jake Plummer who could essentially solve some of their quarterback woes. I'd love to bring Moss in because our offense would be so exciting to watch and I think he could help us win. Garcia, Moss, Galloway, Cadillac, and Clayton on offense would be awesome and would be a huge step up from last year. In other news, Mike Doss worked out for us today and he seems to be interested in signing here. I'd love that because Doss is a stud and would fill our void at safety. It's a shame Quarles is retiring but we'll move on. Let's hope Ruud can step up and fill his spot.
i've always loved jeff garcia who i also think still has some left in the tank. We need to get our o-line straight so we can utilize cadilliac more. It should be an interesting year in the nfl where almost any given team can win..no push overs this year
<div class="quote_poster">Swish Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Rumor has it that we are looking at Randy Moss are offering Oakland a pick and Jake Plummer who could essentially solve some of their quarterback woes. I'd love to bring Moss in because our offense would be so exciting to watch and I think he could help us win. Garcia, Moss, Galloway, Cadillac, and Clayton on offense would be awesome and would be a huge step up from last year. In other news, Mike Doss worked out for us today and he seems to be interested in signing here. I'd love that because Doss is a stud and would fill our void at safety. It's a shame Quarles is retiring but we'll move on. Let's hope Ruud can step up and fill his spot.</div> Moss would be GREAT! we all know what he brings... Doss would also be great, I think he is one of the more underrated safeties in the league, but he would definitely bolster up our secondary. Nebraska's all-time leading tackler Ruud is finally getting 1st team responsibilities... it should be great to watch him develop in this league. I've always liked him and for the last 2 years i wanted to see him step in for Quarles.
<div class="quote_poster">GatorsowntheNCAA Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Bucs should really consider looking at Billy Latsko in the 7th round or as an undrafted FA. He is basically Mike Alstott #2, but with better hands, but he isnt' as bruising of a runner. He was probably the hardest worker on the team and originally was a walk on. He played special teams, FB, TE, and LB in his 4 years at UF. He ran a 4.7 40, which is very good for a FB. Urban Meyer's offense doesn't use a FB, but he implemented a FB just to get Latsko out on the field. He would be a fan favorite(similar to how Alstott is now). Another intriguing prospect is Jemalle Cornelius. He is about as classy as you can possibly get. Urban Meyer deemed him as "the face of Florida football" this year and has gone public plenty of times about how he hopes his kids grow up to be as good of a person as Jemalle is. He does whatever it takes to get out on the field. He was a great special teamer. He is a little small, but has pretty good speed and amazing hands. He is a solid route runner and when the Gators needed a big catch it seemed like he would make them. An interesting thing that I thought about is maybe move him to CB in the NFL. He is a smart guy so I bet he would change pretty good. Other than Reggie Nelson, Earl Everett was my favorite player on the defense. He just destroys players and is famous for the without a helmet tackle on Troy Smith, so you know he pours his heart out on the field. He's not exceptional in anything, but he is very good at everything. Don't be surprised to see him be like DeMeco Ryans and get overlooked during the draft and then have a very good rookie season. Brandon Siler also fills in with that, IMO. (they will both be borderline 2nd and 3rd round picks). The main former Gator that is sneaking under the radar is Marcus Thomas. He got kicked off the team and has attitude problems, but he is a first round talent. If a team gets him in the 2nd/3rd round they will be very pleased with his skill level. If he can get his head on straight, then he will be a stud and a perennial Pro Bowler. Steve Rissler can be a quality C. You are absolutely right about Ray McDonald, he is as versatile as they come. You can play him at DE or DT and he is very good at both. He flew a little under the radar with Moss and Thomas getting most of the press, but he finally stayed healthy and proved why he was one of the top players in his recruiting class. Only one word can describe Jarvis Moss and that is FREAK. He's very fast and has very good technique. Whatever team drafts him won't realize what he actually can do. I hear rumors that he might switch to an OLB in a 3-4, but we'll see. Ryan Smith and Reggie Lewis will be solid picks. Lewis was a former WR and has only played CB the last 2 years. He is still learning the position, but both of these guys have great hands. I think both of them will be solid nickel CB picks, but not much more. Personally I don't think Dallas Baker is going to be that great of a WR. He'll be a solid redzone threat, but he doesn't really have good arm extension and he catches EVERYTHING with his chest. Down in the red zone he is very good, because of his jumping ability and the ability to adjust to the ball. He's not very fast either. Chris Leak would be a pretty good pick for the Bucs in the 5th/6th round. I don't think he will ever be a star or anything in the pros, but he is a very good QB and I think he could be a starter in a couple of years or at worst be a spot starter. He throws a very soft ball and doesn't have too many drops. He's another quality individual as well. Reggie Nelson is by far our best prospect. He does everything. He destroys people, while still being a very sure tackler. He has great cover skills as evidenced by his 6 INT's. Not to mention he's versatile, he can play S or CB. He blocks kicks on special teams and can even return punts.</div> gators... you sure do know your gators football. Billy Latsko seems really interesting to me. I like that blue collar football player. I remember when the Bucs drafted Rick Razzano in the 6th round or something like that... he didn't quit pan out, but he had the same characteristics as Latsko, except he didn't play on a Champion team. =D Has Cornelius played CB in the past? I wish that we could take the entire UF DL... honestly... i would be happy with McDonald or Moss... Moss is probably a no go though, given our positions in the draft (i think he'll go anywhere from 10-15). McDonald is in our reach though... and we need help on our DL. Nelson would UNREAL! This is unlikely like Moss, but damn... if we could get Mr. Reginald Nelson we would be set... I doubt this will happen... but one can always dream... I've always like Leak.... he reminds me of Garcia. Works hard when people are constantly trying to bring him down. He shuts critics up year in and year out. He played for 4 different coaches right? 3 or 4 i'm not sure, but the kid has moxy... he will stick it out and work hard to be successful... that's what i like in QBs... not QBs that assume everything should be easy and everything should be given to them.
<div class="quote_poster">MickyEyez Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">gators... you sure do know your gators football. Billy Latsko seems really interesting to me. I like that blue collar football player. I remember when the Bucs drafted Rick Razzano in the 6th round or something like that... he didn't quit pan out, but he had the same characteristics as Latsko, except he didn't play on a Champion team. =D Has Cornelius played CB in the past? I wish that we could take the entire UF DL... honestly... i would be happy with McDonald or Moss... Moss is probably a no go though, given our positions in the draft (i think he'll go anywhere from 10-15). McDonald is in our reach though... and we need help on our DL. Nelson would UNREAL! This is unlikely like Moss, but damn... if we could get Mr. Reginald Nelson we would be set... I doubt this will happen... but one can always dream... I've always like Leak.... he reminds me of Garcia. Works hard when people are constantly trying to bring him down. He shuts critics up year in and year out. He played for 4 different coaches right? 3 or 4 i'm not sure, but the kid has moxy... he will stick it out and work hard to be successful... that's what i like in QBs... not QBs that assume everything should be easy and everything should be given to them.</div> I don't believe Cornelius has played CB in the past, but he is a very smart player and runs good routes. He is a very quick learner and seems to do whatever it takes to get on the field. He's got great hands and pretty good speed, but is a VERY high character guy. McDonald is the perfect DL, because of his versatility. He could back up any position on the DL and be successful in every one of them. He's not the best player athletically and he does have injury concerns(last year was the first one that he wasn't injured), but his versatility definitely makes him a coaches dream. Leak had 3 offensive coordinators in his 4 years and the 1 that stayed was the one that was BY FAR the worst offense to his strengths.
Bucs have just signed CB Sammy Davis and WR Levon Thomas... Not big names... but we are improving our depth here.
CATO JUNE!!!! <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Mar 17, 2007 - In a move that unquestionably strengthened their defense, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have signed unrestricted free agent linebacker Cato June, the leading tackler this past season for the Super Bowl champion Indianapolis Colts. As is team policy, terms of the deal, including its length, were not disclosed by the Buccaneers. The acquisition of June comes just one day after he visited the Buccaneers as one of three defensive standouts to meet with Tampa Bay Friday. He joins a Buccaneers linebacker corps that was already quite talented; June, Derrick Brooks and Shelton Quarles have all won Pro Bowl honors. June, who became an unrestricted free agent this month, has been a starter the past three seasons in Indianapolis and earned his first Pro Bowl selection in 2005 when he tallied 109 tackles and five interceptions, including two returned for touchdowns. That same year he was also named to the Associated Press NFL All-Pro Second Team and the Pro Football Weekly/Professional Football Writers of America All-NFL Team. A converted college safety, June was drafted in the sixth round (198th overall) of the 2003 NFL Draft by the Colts, and quickly became a lynchpin at the linebacker position in the Colts’ Cover Two-oriented defense. In 2004 – June’s first year as a starter – he led his team in tackles, posting 128 stops. Pro Bowl honors followed the season after, and last year June’s 162 tackles were again a team-high. Only 27 years of age, the 6-0, 227-pound June is considered one of the up-and-coming linebackers in the league and is widely viewed as an excellent fit for the defensive scheme employed by the Buccaneers because of his coverage and pursuit skills. To date, June has played in 56 games, starting 45 of them, including all 16 last season for Indianapolis. In addition to his 162 tackles, the athletic June recorded one sack and three interceptions. And in the Colts’ Super Bowl victory over the Chicago Bears, June registered five tackles and two assists. At the University of Michigan, June started 26 of 36 games, posting 138 tackles, four forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and three interceptions. He also received All-Big Ten honorable mention as a senior for the Wolverines. </div> http://www.buccaneers.com/news/newsdetail.aspx?newsid=5706 What a GREAT pick up by the bucs... we have a depleted linebacking core year in and year out, but this will really help the bucs and it doesn't hurt that he's PERFECT for the Tampa 2 D. He will probably replace Nece on the depth chart, but this should really help this pass and run defense. He's not the best run stopper though so we really need to pick up a safety soon and the defense should be set. GOOD JOB BRUCE ALLEN!!
Bucs have signed KC TE Long Snapper Adam Johnson... not huge news... but hey, long snappers are needed too...
Oh damn, I forgot to post about Cato June. Anways, CATO JUNE!!!!! I'm so excited. He is an awesome linebacker and already knows our system since he was with Dungy in Indy. I can't wait to see him play because he'll make a huge impact for our defense. This has been a busy offseason and I'm excited for the draft and then the preseason.
<div class="quote_poster">Swish Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Oh damn, I forgot to post about Cato June. Anways, CATO JUNE!!!!! I'm so excited. He is an awesome linebacker and already knows our system since he was with Dungy in Indy. I can't wait to see him play because he'll make a huge impact for our defense. This has been a busy offseason and I'm excited for the draft and then the preseason.</div> heck yea!! There are rumors that with 2 2nd round picks, tampa may want to trade up to lock up CJ or they may be looking at ANOTHER QB. either way... should be interesting when draft day comes around... http://www.tbo.com/buccaneers/MGBPS42SRZE.html Another interesting story is Gruden thinking about adding the shotgun to the playbook, which would certainly provide a more potent offense IMO...
I think it would be worth it to move up to ensure we get Calvin Johnson because I honestly think he's going to be a stud for many years. Having a great wide receiver would not only help our offense but it would also take some pressure off of Cadillac. He had an off year last season but I think it was because team's knew that if they locked down on him, we couldn't score. Speaking of scoring, the shotgun offense would help us a lot and it would be exciting as hell. Please add it Chucky!
<div class="quote_poster">Brian Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Is Cato June even that good?</div> Cato June > Takeo Spikes.
