Breaking Down All the New Faces on the 2015 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Another offseason, another significant roster overhaul for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
A new franchise quarterback, another attempt to rebuild the offensive line and adding more playmakers to an offense already stocked with firepower gives the Bucs plenty of new faces for fans to watch come training camp this year.
No. 1 overall pick Jameis Winston is the most recognizable of the newcomers, but Tampa Bay made plenty of other additions that should have a fairly significant impact on its chances of success in 2015. From economical role players added in free agency to promising, athletic linemen who could be counted on to start from Day 1, Tampa Bay will have plenty of positions sporting a new look this year.
Who are the fresh faces Tampa Bay fans will see at One Buc Place this season? Let's take a look at some of the top names and how they'll fit into the team's plans this season.
QB Jameis Winston
1 of 13
Thanks to owning the league's worst record in 2014, the Bucs secured the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft for the fifth time in franchise history and the first time since 1984. Just like they did that year, they spent the pick on a player they hope will be their franchise quarterback for the next decade and beyond.
Vinny Testaverde only played half a decade for the Bucs and never became the field general they were hoping for. This time, another Heisman Trophy winner from a Florida school will get the reins to the franchise.
Tampa Bay did extensive research on Winston, doing its best to figure out if his off-field issues were concerning enough to keep the team from taking him with the top selection. Both the front office and coaching staff came away impressed with his overall character and haven't been afraid to say it since drafting him.
Winston has already made an impact in the locker room with his magnetic personality and leadership qualities, with veterans already lauding his ability to bring positive energy to the entire team. He's been saying and doing all the right things—both on and off the field—giving both the team and fans the impression he's put his immature ways behind him.
Though Mike Glennon already has plenty of starting experience and played fairly well in limited work over the past two seasons, Winston is likely to be the Week 1 starter under center. With the weapons he'll have at his disposal in the passing game—including Mike Evans, Vincent Jackson and Austin Seferian-Jenkins—he could make quite a splash in his first NFL season.
OT Donovan Smith
2 of 13
After the Anthony Collins experiment crashed and burned last season, Tampa Bay was left with a gaping hole at offensive tackle yet again this offseason. This time around, the team chose to address it through the draft, spending the 34th overall selection on Penn State's Donovan Smith.
A mammoth blocker at 6'6", 338 pounds, the former Nittany Lion made 31 starts in college before skipping his senior season to enter the 2015 draft. Still a fairly raw player, Smith has size you just can't teach and impressive athleticism for his frame.
It's a dangerous business handing the starting left tackle job to a rookie, but it appears the Bucs may be confident enough in Smith to do just that in 2015.
Smith still needs plenty of refinement, but he has the size and natural talent to develop into a dominant player. It looks like he'll need to learn quickly on the fly, though, all while protecting the Bucs' new franchise quarterback.
OL Ali Marpet
3 of 13
It's not often you see a general manager thrilled about trading back into the second round to grab an offensive lineman from tiny Hobart College, but that's exactly how Jason Licht felt when the Bucs moved up for Ali Marpet in the 2015 draft.
Watching Marpet dominate his competition at the Division III level was impressive, but it wasn't until he got to the Senior Bowl that NFL teams started to take notice of his potential. Sliding inside to guard from his left tackle spot, he wowed scouts all week by holding his own against some of the best interior defensive linemen in the country.
The buzz continued to grow at the combine, where Marpet showed off his impressive athleticism during individual drills, while also endearing himself to personnel executives during the interview process with his humble, hardworking attitude.
Along with fellow second-round pick Donovan Smith, Marpet could earn a starting spot by the time Week 1 rolls around, as the Bucs don't have an incumbent entrenched at right guard at the moment. It may take some time for him to adjust to the speed of the NFL game, but he has the talent and the work ethic to develop into a longtime starter.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
LB Kwon Alexander
4 of 13
Tampa Bay knew it needed to get deeper and more athletic at linebacker this offseason, and it did just that by trading up in the fourth round to grab LSU's Kwon Alexander.
An undersized but explosive player, Alexander is the perfect fit for what the Tampa 2 defense needs in an outside linebacker. At 6'1", 227 pounds, he may not have the ideal bulk to fit many NFL defenses, but the Tampa 2 is known for maximizing the speed and range of smaller linebackers—see Lavonte David—and Alexander looks to be no different.
A former 4-star recruit from Oxford, Alabama, per 247Sports, Alexander tallied 90 total tackles in 2014 for the Tigers, with 7.5 of them going for a loss. He chose to forgo his senior season and enter the draft a year early, and the Bucs jumped at the chance to add a player with his level of natural talent as late as the fourth round.
Not only will Alexander provide immediate help on special teams, but he's likely to challenge Danny Lansanah in training camp for the starting job on the strong side. Regardless of who wins that battle, Alexander's presence will make Tampa Bay's linebackers a deeper group in 2015, an area in which the team sorely lacked last season.
WR Kenny Bell
5 of 13
The Bucs' starting receivers both went over 1,000 yards in 2014, but the unit suffered from a severe lack of depth heading into the offseason. But they may have stolen a gem in the fifth round by grabbing Nebraska's Kenny Bell, who has the size and skills to make an immediate impact.
He flashed plenty of big-play ability during his career with the Cornhuskers, starting 49 games and snagging 21 touchdown passes while averaging nearly 15 yards per catch for his career.
At 6'1", 197 pounds, Bell has the frame to hold his own on the outside against bigger, more physical corners, which should allow the Bucs to slide either Mike Evans or Vincent Jackson into the slot in three-receiver sets. The Bucs also love receivers who are willing to do the dirty work and block downfield, which is another area of strength for Bell.
He hasn't wasted any time in turning heads during offseason workouts, from one-handed catches to showing off his impressive deep speed. He was Jameis Winston's roommate during rookie minicamp, which likely helped him build some immediate chemistry with his new quarterback. Evans, Jackson and Austin Seferian-Jenkins will likely take most of the looks this season, but don't be shocked if Bell makes a sizable contribution as well.
WR Kaelin Clay
6 of 13
Heading into last offseason, the Bucs needed an explosive receiver who could make plays from the slot while also contributing in the return game. They thought they may have found that player in 2014 sixth-round pick Robert Herron, but the rookie struggled to make an impact in either role as a rookie.
If at first you don't succeed, try again.
This year, Tampa Bay spent another sixth-rounder on a player it hopes will fill both of those roles. Utah's Kaelin Clay was one of the nation's most explosive return specialists last season, averaging 15 yards per punt return and taking back four kicks for touchdowns.
Clay isn't just a one-trick pony, though. As a receiver, he led the Utes with 523 yards through the air on 43 receptions last season, tying for the team lead with four touchdown catches.
The Bucs cycled through multiple options in the return game last year but never found a consistent performer, so it could be Clay's job to lose on both punt and kick returns. He also adds quality depth to the receiving corps, which was lacking in 2014.
RB Joey Iosefa
7 of 13
Since the days of Mike Alstott carrying entire defenses on his back for touchdowns, the Bucs have been searching for a big, bruising runner who can get grind it out in short-yardage situations and also contribute as a receiver.
They hope to have found just that in their seventh-round pick from Hawaii, Joey Iosefa.
A talented natural runner who excels between the tackles, Iosefa started all six games in which he appeared last season and made the most of them, racking up 643 yards on 151 carries and leading the team with eight rushing touchdowns. He also showed versatility over his college career, hauling in 60 passes for 438 yards and three touchdowns. He even threw a pair of touchdowns.
The Bucs have Iosefa listed at fullback, where he'll compete with veteran Jorvorskie Lane, who is returning from a broken leg that ended his 2014 season prematurely. It's usually quite a long shot for seventh-round picks to make the final roster, but Iosefa may be just what the Bucs need in a short-yardage back who can chip in as a receiver.
DT Henry Melton
8 of 13
A fourth-round pick out of Texas in 2009, Henry Melton signed with the Bucs as a free agent this offseason, adding yet another solid veteran presence to what was already the team's deepest position.
Melton spent the 2014 season with the Dallas Cowboys, but he spent his first four NFL seasons with the Chicago Bears. In fact, he was most productive as a pass-rusher during the three years he played for Bucs head coach Lovie Smith in Chicago, racking up 15.5 of his 20.5 career sacks across those seasons.
The addition of Melton gives the Bucs added strength up the middle on defense, where they will have a formidable rotation at defensive tackle that includes Pro Bowler Gerald McCoy, Clinton McDonald and Akeem Spence. Look for all four to rotate plenty throughout games, keeping each of them fresh for the fourth quarter.
One wrinkle to keep an eye on comes from Zach Shapiro of PewterReport.com, who reported the Bucs could end up giving Melton snaps at defensive end in certain situations. Tampa Bay doesn't have nearly the depth on the edge that it does at defensive tackle, so sliding Melton outside from time to time could make sense.
S Chris Conte
9 of 13
Another player who spent time playing for head coach Lovie Smith when he was with the Chicago Bears, Chris Conte signed with the Bucs in free agency to help bolster their depth at the safety position.
A third-round pick out of California in 2011, Conte spent his first four years in the NFL with the Bears, tallying 231 total tackles, 21 defensed passes and nine interceptions over 52 starts.
When healthy, he has been a decent player, but multiple concussions have led to serious questions about his durability. There isn't a star in the safety squad for Tampa Bay at the moment, but Conte will have to fight off some solid players for quality snaps this season.
His experience playing for Smith and in the Tampa 2 defense should definitely help Conte's chances of contributing right away, but he'll have to avoid injuries to have that chance.
LB Bruce Carter
10 of 13
The Bucs may not have broken the bank for any big-name free agents this offseason, but they signed a few key players whom they will count on to improve important positions across the depth chart. The most important signing of this year's free-agency period could well be Bruce Carter, who will take over for the departed Mason Foster as the starting middle linebacker.
Tampa Bay needed to get faster and better in coverage down the middle, and Carter brings exactly what the team needs to the table. His injury history is a bit concerning, but when healthy, he's proved to be a playmaker who can frustrate opposing quarterbacks with his athleticism and instincts.
Like multiple other free agents signed by the Bucs this offseason, Carter has valuable experience playing in the Tampa 2 defense, which should allow him to make a instant impact without too much of a learning curve regarding the scheme.
Carter will team up with Lavonte David to give the Bucs an athletic pair of linebackers on the field in nickel situations, which should lead them to more success on passing downs.
S D.J. Swearinger
11 of 13
A former second-round pick out of South Carolina, D.J. Swearinger failed to live up to high expectations during his two seasons with the Houston Texans, leading to him landing with Tampa Bay on waivers earlier this offseason.
Swearinger's stat sheet may not look terrible—144 total tackles, 10 defensed passes and three interceptions over 22 career starts—but the film tells a different story. A perfect fit in the box as a run stuffer, Swearinger's shortcomings are in coverage, where he struggles with his fluidity.
Tampa Bay traded away a similar player last season in Mark Barron, but the team seems willing to take a chance on the natural talent that made Swearinger such a high draft pick.
There are plenty of bodies on the depth chart at safety for the Bucs, but only Bradley McDougald showed much promise last season. Swearinger has already spent time running with the starters during offseason workouts, and it looks like he'll have every chance to hang onto that starting gig when the regular season rolls around.
DE George Johnson
12 of 13
A former Buc who entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2010, George Johnson has yet to start a single game in his NFL career, but Tampa Bay will count on him to make a significant impact in 2015.
After appearing in just 11 games over five seasons with the Bucs and Minnesota Vikings, Johnson played in all 16 games for the Detroit Lions in 2014, logging the first six sacks of his NFL career while playing in a situational role.
Johnson returns to a Bucs roster lacking in elite pass-rushing talent, as well as proven depth across the board at defensive end. He has never been a full-time starter, but it looks like that could change this season.
After missing hard on Michael Johnson in free agency last year, the Bucs avoided the bigger names on the open market this offseason, including a few pass-rushers who could have given them a huge boost. Instead, they'll be hoping George Johnson builds on his career-best numbers from last season.
CB Sterling Moore
13 of 13
The nickel corner is one of the most vital roles in the Tampa 2 defense, but the Bucs struggled to find anyone on the roster who was a good fit for the job last season.
An undrafted free agent out of SMU, Moore entered the league in 2011, spending his first two seasons with the New England Patriots before playing the next three for the Dallas Cowboys. Bucs general manager Jason Licht is already familiar with Moore, having been a personnel executive for the Patriots when they signed him to their practice squad in 2011.
Moore has plenty of experience playing in a similar defense, having spent the past three years under former Bucs assistants Monte Kiffin and Rod Marinelli. He saw the most starting action of his career last season, logging 46 tackles and 12 defensed passes over seven starts.
At a position desperately in need of an upgrade, Moore gives the Bucs a veteran who may still be climbing toward the ceiling of his potential. His experience in a similar defense should help him transition fairly smoothly to his new team, allowing him to contribute early in the season.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
