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With a new regime coming in to lead the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, change was inevitable, but not many fans expected the amount of
change that has transpired this past offseason as Lovie Smith overhauled the
roster to—in his words—“make a better team.”
This offseason has seen departures of long-time
Buccaneers like starting linemen Davin Jospeh, Donald Penn and Jeremy Zuttah,
special teams aces Adam Heyward and Dekoda Watson and $16 million man Darrelle Revis,
but Smith has brought in capable replacements in player like Anthony Collins,
Evan Dietrich-Smith and Alterraun Verner, as well as bringing in talented
defensive end Michael Johnson to man the right side of the defensive line and
put pressure on opposing QBs.
While the loss of Darrelle Revis stung many fans,
the offseason has been a success on many accounts, with the Buccaneers earning the top grade of all
32 teams from Pete Prisco, while addressing several
positions of need with talented players. The roster has been improved and Jason
Licht and Lovie have put the Buccaneers in great position to take BPA rather
than need in the upcoming draft. I predict that the Buccaneers will be a
much-improved team in 2014, especially if they hit on some good picks in the
draft. Speaking of the draft, let’s take a look at a few players and how they
could fit in with the current roster.
Watkins is an electrifying
player, easily seen as the best WR in this draft and, by many, has been deemed
the best WR prospect since Julio Jones and AJ Green. With Vincent Jackson at
the top two spot (and the jettisoning of "troubled" Mike Williams,
Watkins may be thrown into the fire rather than being brought along slowly like
Minnesota Vikings' Cordarrelle Patterson but can provide a much-needed
dimension of speed to the receiving game as well as being a threat in the
return game. Jeff Tedford has stated that he wants to get “speed in space,” and
Watkins has speed to burn.
Mack is one of my favorite players in this draft and
one who I've hoped falls to the Buccaneers. With the acquisition of Michael
Johnson, many believe that Mack is no longer on the radar for Tampa Bay, but
Lovie Smith is a defensive-minded coach who loves, among other things,
versatility and pass rushers. Mack offers both.
There’s no secret that the Buccaneers are in need of
a franchise QB. Lovie and Licht have brough in competition for Mike Glennon in
the form of Josh McCown, but if they don’t believe Glennon has the ability to
become a Super Bowl QB, then it’s time to bring in someone who can QB the team
for the next 10+ years. If Teddy Bridgewater is available at the #7 spot, he’ll
be a pick that many may want, but a QB like Derek Carr may present better value
in the late first round/early second round area that he’s been projected in.
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