The
linebacking unit, led by All-Pro weakside linebacker Lavonte David has been one
of the stronger defensive units for the last couple of years. Under Greg
Schiano, the unit flourished, with both
Lavonte David and Mason Foster improving from year one to year two under their
former head coach. With the implementation of the "Tampa 2" under
head coach Lovie Smith, the linebackers will have different responsibilities
than they've had recently, likely with more coverage duties involved. Here's a
look at the unit.
Lavonte David
Lavonte
David took the league by storm, immediately becoming an impact player after
being selected in the second round by Tampa Bay. In his first season, David
notched 139 combines tackles, adding two sacks and an interception. Last
season, David improved on every statistical category, becoming a playmaker and,
at least to Buccaneer fans, one of the best linebackers and defenders in the
entire league. David's 2013-2014 campaign was one for the history books, as he
recorded 145 combined tackles and became just the seventh player in NFL history
to record five interceptions and five sacks in the same season. Although Tampa
Bay and fans of the team were able to witness the making of a star, David was
regularly overlooked by many involved in the national media and left off of the
Pro Bowl roster (even though he was ultimately given a higher honor of being
voted as a first team All Pro).
The
traditional "Tampa 2" is the same defense that brought the Buccaneers
a Super Bowl title, with the best weakside linebacker and defensive tackle
being integral parts of their dominance.
With the current roster, Smith inherits a very similar pairing, with
Lavonte David and Gerald McCoy representing (arguably) the best at their respective
positions; however, David also represents the only sure starter in the
linebacker corps.
Mason Foster
Foster is
another player who has really played well for the last couple years, with
2013-2014 being his best year yet. Foster is an effective blitzer and solid
tackler, but must improve his coverage skills if he plans to be the Mike
linebacker in Lovie’s Tampa 2. In this defense, the middle linebacker’s
responsibility is to diagnose the play as either a run or pass and move into
position to defend it. At the snap, the Mike typically moves toward the line of
scrimmage, but then drops back into coverage if he diagnoses the play as a
pass…and the drop is what makes the difference in the Tampa 2. In this
coverage, the Mike is asked to drop to the deep middle, typically running with
the deepest interior target. The question that Foster must answer with Lovie is
whether he is athletic enough and fast enough to fulfill that responsibility.
In the past few years, Foster has not seemed to be the most fleet of foot, and
his athleticism may leave something to be desired at the position. Could there
be a new linebacker pushing Foster for playing time in the near future? You can
bet that Lovie Smith is going to do his best to eliminate weak links in the
defense and, if Foster cannot accomplish the tasks that are asked of him as a
Tampa 2 MLB, his spot as starter will not be secure.
Johnathan Casillas
Casillas
has the potential to be a very good player to pair up with David as the outside
linebackers. In a scheme that is reliant on speed from the position, Casillas
fits right in. Although he hasn’t become a superstar, Casillas played well for
the Buccaneers last season before being put on injured reserve. He is good in
pass coverage and a sound tackler as well, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see
some wrinkles added to the defense to take advantage of his speed and
athleticism.
Here are a couple of videos of Brian Billick explaining the Cover 2/Tampa 2 defense:
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