Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Battle Lines Are Drawn

If only quarterbacks were like pitchers. The more decent pitchers a major league team has, the more depth it has. In the NFL, the adage is if you have two quarterbacks then you don’t have one.

The Buccaneers went for broke when they drafted a quarterback of the future in Josh Freeman when they moved up to get him in the first round. This is vaguely familiar to what was said about Josh Johnson in last year’s draft, when they selected him in the fifth round. So we have a quarterback controversy for the future and one for the present.  

Luke McCown and Byron Leftwich are in a heated battle for starter of the 2009 season. You couldn’t pick two players more polar opposites then McCown and Leftwich.

McCown is a pure athlete who has the NFL quarterback pedigree (although it might be as a back-up). He will make plays on bootlegs and through scrambling like his predecessor Jeff Garcia.

Last season, McCown had as many passing attempts as running back Earnest Graham. However in 2007, McCown had some success. He completed over 67 percent of his passes in 139 attempts. He didn’t complete many long passes but that wasn’t asked of him in Gruden’s west coast offense. 

Byron Leftwich has a huge arm which he showcased at Marshall, which led to him being selected in the first round by the Jacksonville Jaguars. However his lack of mobility, long wind up, and injuries all factored into his release by the Jaguars. This relegated him to back up duties for the Pittsburgh Steelers. When Ben Roethlisberger went down with an injury, Leftwich’s number was called.

When duty called, Leftwich showed he still could contribute. In front of his hometown in Washington, DC, Leftwich threw efficiently and accurately to propel the Steelers to a victory last season.  In his 36 attempts during the season, he completed 21 passes (58.3 percent) for 303 yards, two touchdowns while going interception free.

What it boils down to is what philosophy Raheem Morris would like to exercise. The Buccaneers invested heavily in center Jeff Faine in hopes to sure up their offensive line. Once seen as a problem, their offensive line could be one of their strengths.

If a pocket passer is what Morris prefers, Leftwich should get the nod over McCown. Whoever is selected as the quarterback should be handing off to the plethora of capable running backs that the Buccaneers have.

As for the youngsters, Freeman and Johnson, we’ll see you next year.

The most interesting position battle lies on the other side of the field. The defense had trouble trying to stop the run last season and the defensive line held most of the blame. If that deficiency doesn’t look like its being dealt with in mini camp, rookie Roy Miller could get more action in the trenches.

The 6’1” Roy Miller may not have the ideal stature for a defensive tackle, but he has the strength. He’s a former power lifter and was the strongest man on the line at the University of Texas. His 500 lbs bench press and 625 lbs squat show he has the raw strength to be on defensive front.

If Ryan Simms or Chris Hovan aren’t able to plug the gaps and stop the run like last season, Miller could get a shot. Look for Roy Miller to get some snaps in running situations throughout training camp.

The most perplexing position battle started when General Manager Mark Dominik signed former New York Jets kicker Mike Nugent. Nugent is a Tampa native and has been a pretty solid kicker with some power. This brings some competition to Matt Bryant.

Matt Bryant hasn’t made a field goal over 50 yards since his miracle 62-yard attempt to beat the Philadelphia Eagles in 2006. Even though he has been all but automatic in field goals under 40 yards, going 49-for-50 the past two seasons, Bryant’s range hasn’t been impressive.

It will come down to range and consistency. After Nugent had an injury plagued 2008 season, it will come down to how he comes back from his muscle strain.

Regardless, the Buccaneers have enough battles to face even before the season gets underway.