Out With the Old, In with Uncertainty for the Tampa Bay Bucs

In our annual Preseason Preview issue, PossessionPoints.com looks at factors such as the last year’s performance of each team to evaluate what adjustments should be addressed in the off-season to produce a playoff-caliber team when the new season begins. 

Along with the past season’s performance data, we also make adjustments for hard-to-quantify factors such as coaching continuity.   Well, no team cries out for more evaluation than the Tampa Bay Bucs who have not only fired their veteran coach but have cut several of their most successful and consistent veterans as well. 

At the start of last season, the Bucs appeared to have put it together.  They had a noteworthy 9-3 start, but then something went awry.  Their final record of 9-7 pushed them out of playoff contention. 

The abysmal finish prompted the Bucs management to fire Jon Gruden and replace him with their 32-year-old Defensive Backs Coach, Raheem Morris. 

The reasons for the Bucs downfall may be plentiful, but it is amazing to note that the Tampa’s slide began when Defensive Coordinator Monty Kiffen made the decision to join his recently fired, ex-NFL coach son, Lane, at University of Tennessee for the 2009 season. 

Perhaps the firing of his son and his own new position proved to be a distraction to the Bucs’ defense in the second half of the season.  Could the Kiffen family drama have been a catalyst in the Bucs’ swoon?

We can only speculate on that. We also agree that the lack of defense shown in the latter half of the season proves that the Bucs need to make improvements on both sides of the ball especially defense (see PossessionPoints Team chart below).

However, no matter what the reasons for the defensive problems, it is hard to imagine that the cutting of five veteran players would pave the way for success in the upcoming season. Gone from the Tampa Bay roster are Derrick Brooks, Warrick Dunn, Joey Galloway, Ike Hilliard, and Cato June.  Veteran Ronde Barber did manage to avoid the sweeping out.

We acknowledge that a fresh start is healthy in many situations, but when you expel most of your veterans, you expel leadership and character-traits many teams are lacking.  Along with their NFL-history making careers, both Brooks and Dunn are important community leaders who have inspired their teammates into action both on and off the field.

Both are pro bowlers many times over who made their mark in the NFL record books with many of their accomplishments occurring in the last two to three years. The Bucs may feel this immense void in the season to come. 

When you look at championship teams you almost always see a blend of veteran leadership and raw youthful talent. Looking at the 2009 Bucs, we have to wonder where the leadership is going to come from.

We hope that this trend to cut veterans is not an age thing.  Four of the five players are younger than this coach. Hopefully, there is another reason why these consistent performers are no longer part of the Tampa Bay family.