Tampa Bay Buccaneers Begin Fine Tuning the Machinery

The fine tuning has begun.

How good must it feel for these Tampa Bay Buccaneers, knowing that a few tweaks here and there can make this team even better in 2011?

Rather than bore you with a long litany, let's hit this quick with a lot of topics:

Raheem Morris

Yes, he wasn't really given a new contract, just a simple extension for two more years. His base is $2 million, nothing to leap and scream about, and he's still one of the lesser-paid coaches in the NFL, but that's the Glazer way, isn't it? 

He does have some nice incentives that could double the base, but that is still less than rookie head coach Jim Harbaugh will be making with the 49ers.

Mark Dominik

Same thing, except he was given a one-year extension. Sorry, after finding Mike Williams and LeGarrette Blount, he deserves more, but that's the Glazer way, isn't it?

Josh Freeman

Just keep on doing what you're doing, laddie. You have to love this guy and love the way he played. He's walking, living proof that when talent combines with hard work, you get results.

Todd Wash

Hopefully this defensive line coach is washed up here. The defensive line made little to no progress, and Gerald McCoy progressed at a snail's pace. Hopefully, Tampa Bay can land Karl Dunbar from Minnesota.

Gerald McCoy

How much better will the D-line be if someone can coach this guy up?

Brian Price

How much better will the D-line be if he can become healthy?

Barrett Ruud

Aren't you sick of folks in the stadium giving that ridiculous R-U-U-U-U-D call when the PA announcer calls his name? This guy is too soft to be a middle linebacker. Perhaps the Will is more suited for him, but wouldn't it be nice to see a really, really tough guy in the middle? Enter Tyrone McKenzie, let's see what this former USF kid can do.

Arrelious Benn

He's become the mad Twitterer. Says his ACL surgery went great. The Bucs need him to make a very speedy recovery. He was coming on like a mad man, and he has mad skills. He could be a force.

Mike Williams

Can't wait for the fall. Can't say enough about him. His play spoke for itself. Pure gold standard for rookie receivers.

LeGarrette Blount

Speaking of the gold standard, 24-carat LeGarrette was a beast. What a find, what a steal, this guy alone should have earned a nice bonus for Dominik.

Just think how good he'll be when he finally begins to understand what he's doing. How good can he become with offseason workouts in store?

Cody Grimm

What a great find, what a player. We need him back healthy. How good can he be with more experience?

The Corners

Will Ronde Barber return? Can Aqib Talib stay healthy and out of trouble? There's depth here with E.J. Biggers and Myron Lewis. Good group.

Tanard Jackson

You wonder what the future is for him. Will Raheem be inclined to give him yet another chance? Depends on how he emerges from rehab. He has a major problem, but he's a major talent if he can stay clean and sober.

Offensive Line

Hard to believe the way this team performed with a makeshift offensive line over the final month. Could Davin Joseph be moving on? What about Jeff Faine?  The guy can't stay healthy and he's making a small fortune. He could be gone.

This unit really looked good considering what happened to the starters. A few good draft choices could really make this an interesting group.

Linebackers

This is a position that needs some fine tuning and some draft picks.

The 2011 Draft

The Bucs will pick 20th, and there will be someone really good there for them who won't break the bank like Gerald McCoy. Do they go linebacker or defensive end?

Draft Sleeper

It's a bit early, but here's a guy who may fall a long way in this draft. He would have been a top-10 pick had he come out last year, and the Bucs loved him: Greg Romeus. Romeus played for Pittsburgh. He had a back issue that required surgery and he missed a lot of games, and he came back too soon and tore an ACL.

Now he'll have to prove he's physically capable of playing, but he will fall in the draft. The guy is 6-foot-7, 285 pounds, and was fast and agile. If he falls to the third round or worse, he could be a steal if he is physically okay.

All of this should give you food for thought while you watch the other teams go at it in the playoffs. Great games last week in the first round, with the exception of Kansas City vs. Baltimore.

The Bucs didn't make it, but no big deal. This team made MONSTER strides in 2010.

From 3-13 and laughing stock to 10-6 with a lot of respect.

Who would have known?