Fantasy Football Notes: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Close, but no cigar. That pretty much sums up the 2008 Buccaneers. First, they appeared to be front-runners to land veteran QB Brett Favre only to watch him go to the Jets. Then, after winning the NFC South in 2007, a 9-7 record in 2008 failed to win them their conference. Wild Card hope remained, though, that is until an embarrassing loss to the Carolina Panthers on Monday Night Football in front of the whole country, pretty much kept them out of the playoffs as it was the first of four straight losses the Bucs had to end the season. Fans salivating at the idea of a home field advantage Super Bowl were left highly disappointed and concerned about their team.

2009 marks the beginning of a new regime in Tampa. Soon after the regular season, head coach Jon Gruden, was fired along with GM Bruce Allen. And after having announced his intentions in mid-season, longtime defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin left to join his son in Tennessee.

Now, former defensive backs coach Raheem Morris takes over, along with new defensive coordinator Jim Bates. Bates is planning to make a transition from the Bucs’ standard Tampa Cover 2 defense to a defense that’s based more on power than speed. Depending on how quickly the players adapt, this could re-energize the D.

Offensively, there is no starting quarterback yet but there is a very heated battle between front runners Luke McCown, Byron Leftwich and first-round draft pick Josh Freeman to see who it will be under center come week one. The emergence of Antionio Bryant and the recent addition of Kellen Winslow should give whoever wins the job some decent targets to throw at.

Meanwhile, signing Derrickk Ward will place an emphasis on a strong running game. If Earnest Graham and Cadillac Williams can stay healthy, the trio could be pretty potent.

Needless to say, there’ll be a lot of changes, new faces and a good share of question marks for the Bucs heading into 2009, but it looks like Tampa has amassed an impressive array of weapons to challenge the NFC South in the upcoming season.

KEY ADDITIONS

Kellen Winslow (TE) - The sixth overall pick in the 2004 draft, Winslow has all the tools and the talent to be the best tight end in the league. Unfortunately, a series of injuries and a few bad decisions have kept him from consistently demonstrating his full potential each season. In fact, the only full season he played was in 2007, a year he went to the Pro Bowl due to his 82 receptions, 1,106 yards and five TDs. However, before he could continue on his path to stardom, a staph infection kept him sidelined during the 2008 season cutting his numbers in half and leading to further questions about his durability and decision making. Tampa Bay acquired the 25 year-old tight end from the Browns during the off season. If Winslow stays healthy, he’ll make the offense much more dynamic and give whoever is QB, a great target. If he doesn’t, the Bucs could be in for a long season.

Derrick Ward (RB) - Paired with Brandon Jacobs, behind a dominant Giant’s offensive line, Ward was very effective in 2008 rushing for 1,025 yards and two TDs as a back-up. Now, he goes into the 2009 season as Tampa Bay’s starting running back. He’ll share the field with potential goal line back Earnest Graham and, if healthy, a highly talented Cadillac Williams, but Ward should still see a majority of the carries. The back should see continued success in Tampa and should give the team a more consistent and powerful running game.

Byron Leftwich (QB) - Add one more to the mix. Leftwich comes to Tampa Bay to compete with three other quarterbacks for the job. Throughout his career, he has been serviceable, but despite some good performances, he has never been consistent enough and healthy enough to reach an elite status. In fact, Leftwich has never completed a 16 game season. However, the veteran QB has looked good in camp and could very well get the nod to start in 2009. If he does, expect him to put up decent numbers behind a solid running game and some good receiving options in Winslow and Bryant. Even if he doesn’t start, his experience may be beneficial for the Bucs’ as Leftwich could play mentor to rookie QB, Josh Freeman.

KEY DEPARTURES

Jon Gruden (HC) - In a move that surprised many, head coach Gruden or “Chucky” was fired by the Bucs in the off-season. The move, though, isn’t that surprising, though, when you look at the facts. Throughout his time in Tampa, Gruden’s record has not been stellar, and he has faced his share of criticism for his play calling at times. And though in his first year the team won the Super Bowl, partially thanks to an amazing defense, the seasons that followed were not very successful. Though the sidelines in Tampa Bay won’t be the same without his fiery, passionate personality, his departure is an integral part to the revamping of the entire Bucs organization. New head coach Raheem Morris and a new defense will hopefully help this team get back to the playoffs. As for any Gruden fans out there, they can still catch him on TV, as one of the new commentators for Monday Night Football.

Phillip Buchanon (CB) - Tampa Bay appeared intent on re-signing Buchanon in the off season but instead he guaranteed himself a starting position by signing with the Detroit Lions for 2009. The 28 year-old cornerback came to Tampa Bay with some question marks, but quickly put those questions to bed with 52 tackles and two interceptions in 2008. With Buchanon gone, the Bucs may have to rely on 13-year vet Ronde Barber and second year man Aqib Talib. Looking at the roster right now, Buchanon’s departure looks to seriously weaken the Bucs’ secondary going into the 2009 season.

Joey Galloway (WR) - The 31 year-old veteran just keeps on going. Now, he’s going up North to New England to play his 15th season in the NFL with the New England Patriots in search of a Super Bowl ring before he calls it quits. Galloway has been a pretty consistent receiver throughout his career, going to the Pro Bowl four times and amassing 682 receptions, 10,710 yards and 77 TDs. Last season, though, he only caught 13 passes for the Bucs and due to his age and apparent loss of speed, has become no more than a third option at receiver. If truth be told, at this stage in Galloway’s career, the Bucs will probably miss his veteran influence more than his numbers.

ROOKIE TO WATCH

Josh Freeman (QB) - At 6’6, 240 lbs, the big rookie from Kansas State is a beast. He’s strong, making it hard for defenders to bring him down. He’s got a cannon arm and pretty good accuracy. However, Freeman needs to work on reading coverages and if anything, mini camp has shown that it may take him a while to catch up to the speed of the NFL and learn the offense. It looks like he is definitely being groomed to start eventually, but just not in 2009. With Byron Leftwich and Luke McCown there to help him acclimate to the new systems, hopefully he will make great strides to get himself ready to take over the team. If he does, he could have huge upside in 2010 or perhaps even earlier.

BRUNO BOYS SPOTLIGHT

Earnest Graham (RB) - Signing with Tampa Bay as a free agent, Graham had to wait for his chance to contribute to Bucs’ the running game. When he got it, he took off, rushing for a surprising 898 yards and 10 TDs in 2007. In 2008, though, his numbers decreased as he split carries with Warrick Dunn, served as full back at times and missed part of the season due to injuries. Looking forward, Graham’s powerful running style should work well with newly signed back Derrick Ward. While he will share the load with Ward, expect Graham to be the Bucs’ goal line back. If both he and Ward can stay healthy, Tampa Bay could have quite the combo on their hands and Graham’s numbers, especially his TDs, should rise.

Antonio Bryant (WR) - Bryant’s history in the NFL is not sparkling and his career numbers don’t exactly peg him as a Larry Fitzgerald or Andre Johnson type receiver, but in 2008 he emerged as Tampa Bay’s leading receiver with 83 catches for 1,248 yards and seven TDs. Consequently, the Bucs placed the franchise tag on him for 2009 to keep him from capitalizing on a good year and signing with another team. Considering he’s playing for a contract next year and is out to prove that he belongs in the number one slot, the Bucs’ expect Bryant to exceed his 2008 numbers and play a major part in Tampa Bay’s newly revamped offense. A lot depends on who starts at QB, but if the running game is successful and Winslow stays healthy, Bryant should remain the clear cut number one on this team.

*THIS ARTICLE WRITTEN BY BRUNO BOY DOMINIC BROWN. FOR MORE FANTASY FOOTBALL INSIGHT AND ADVICE, CLICK THE LINK BELOW.*

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