Top 5 Things We Learned About the Bucs Through Their 2011 NFL Draft Picks
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Draft class showed us a lot more than their skills and athleticism Thursday night through Saturday. They gave us a look into how the Buccaneers feel about their team as a whole.
By looking at what positions the Bucs drafted, where they were drafted and the style of player they were going for, you can get a feel for how the Buccaneers envision their 2011 season playing out.
Here are five solid lessons about the Buccaneers that we can take from the 2011 NFL Draft.
1. Leaving Talib to the Legal System Showing Faith in Corners
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We all know the Aqib Talib story. Going from a very promising young talent on the Bucs, to arrests and an ugly looking offseason for the star corner.
Many thought that the Buccaneers would address the cornerback position in the draft. By taking a cornerback in the first three rounds, they would be strengthening their roster and preparing for the eminent departure of Talib. Raheem Morris and the Bucs have shown that they do not tolerate legal issues on their team. But, those weren't exactly stars.
By not addressing the cornerback position in the draft until an unmarked DB in Round 7, the Bucs did two things. They told us that if Talib is allowed back, he will be welcomed with open arms. His fate does not rest with the Bucs, but rather with the legal system, and of course Roger Goodell and the NFL.
Secondly, it showed us that even though this is a big risk, they are confident in their corps of cornerbacks. Ronde Barber is aging, but he is still going strong. E.J. Bigger isn't the biggest playmaker on the field, but he has shown flashes.
Tampa has faith in their younger guys as well. One thing is certain with the lack of cornerback in this draft: Biggers, Myron Lewis and Elbert Mack were all just challenged to step their game up, meaning the success of this secondary lies largely in their hands.
2. Tampa Bay’s New Offensive Goal: Running You Over
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The Buccaneers could have opted for a smaller running back. A runner who would sub in on third down to assist the passing game out of the backfield. Preferably one with decent blocking chops to match.
But instead of going for the improvement on passing downs, Tampa bay chose to add another bruiser, Allen Bradford. With the same size and style of last year’s leading rusher, LeGarrette Blount, Bradford looks like the big step in establishing one of the most punishing backfields in football.
Tampa Bay’s running game will be strictly about power. An additional blocking tight end and a wrecking ball to join Blount at RB in the 2011 NFL draft prove that the Bucs have no problem running straight through you.
3. Tampa Bay Will Do Whatever It Takes to Pressure the Quarterback
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It was no surprise going into the draft that the Bucs would go after defensive talent heavily. They were among the worst in quarterback sacks and pressures. Well, we learned on Thursday and Friday that this was hands-down their number one priority as they dedicated their first two picks to defensive ends.
Adrian Clayborn slowed in his final year in the NCAA, but is an incredibly talented pass rusher who should lock down one of their corners. In Round 2, Tampa Bay snagged one of the surprising fallers of the draft, Da’Quan Bowers.
Bowers can easily lock down the opposite side, providing one of the most effective rookie pass-rushing tandems in all of the NFL. Injury is a question, but the Buccaneers are confident that they solved their most glaring issue in their first two selections.
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4. Solid Defensive Core, With or Without Ruud
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The heat is definitely on Tampa Bay Buccaneer inside linebacker Barrett Ruud after they essentially replaced him with Mason Foster in the third round.
Foster is a talented linebacker who can play all over the field. He has the ability to step into the starting role on Day 1. This selection serves as an invitation for Ruud to try out free agency, and the Bucs way of saying “Thanks a lot, Barrett. It’s been fun.”
Foster’s instincts at the position will make him a solid run-stopper, holding down the middle alongside 2010’s first and second-round picks. To put it simply, Foster is the 2007-2008 version of Ruud, replacing the underperforming Ruud we’ve seen in the last few years.
5. The Bucs are Confident in Their Young Receiving Corps
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Tampa Bay did end up drafting two tight ends. One of them likely won’t make the team, and the other is more of a stab at severely underwhelming tight end, Kellen Winslow. Luke Stocker should make fine contributions to the run game with his blocking, as well as give a pass-catching option over the middle for Josh Freeman.
That being said, the Buccaneers chose not to touch their young receiving lineup, a decision that shows a tremendous amount of confidence in the offense. Mike Williams came out of nowhere last year, gathering 65 catches for over 950 yards.
The Bucs expect their other recent picks to contribute even more in the 2011 NFL season. Arrelious Benn managed just 395 yards, but missed significant time to injury. Other promising wideouts, Sammie Stroughter, Michael Spurlock, Stovall and Briscoe should be prime to step up as well, making the passing game and Josh Freeman that much more effective.
All in all, this draft tells us that the Bucs are no fluke and can make some waves in the NFC this season.
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