Clayborn's Final Stand

Entering what is now the final year of his rookie contract, Adrian Clayborn needs to break out if he wants to continue his career in Tampa Bay. He’ll have the opportunity to do just that, as he’s being surrounded with more talent on the defensive line than any of his previous years. That talent could either push him to break out or push him to the bench, but Clayborn will have his opportunity to play up to his draft selection before being labeled as another bad draft pick by Mark Dominik.

In three seasons, Clayborn has been a mixed bag—there’s been some good and some bad—but, overall, his play has been just above average. His rookie year made Buccaneer fans excited at the thought of finally having a defensive end who could push for 10 sacks per season. His seven sacks weren’t the only reason for excitement, though. The style of play that he brought was violent and angry—the type of play that is contagious and pushes teammates to match his intensity. As a rookie, he brought a mean streak that was evident with each snap he took and each sack he recorded. Just ask Matt Ryan.

In his second season, “the bad” showed its face. Before suffering a season-ending injury against the Dallas Cowboys, Clayborn wasn’t playing up to his draft status, with only two tackles recorded before tearing his ACL as Gerald McCoy sawed down Tony Romo. Last year, while recovering from the ACL injury, Clayborn displayed some of the things that got fans excited in 2011, but had the cards stacked agasint him. He was the only proven pass rushing threat (besides McCoy) along the defensive line and was often bookended by undersized and overvalued Daniel Te’o-Nesheim. Additionally, he was coming off of a devastating injury and demanded to run an obscene amount of defensive line stunts rather than pinning his ears back and attacking. Still, Clayborn managed 19-1/2 tackles for loss and 5-1/2 sacks in a scheme that asked him to stand as a 3-4 OLB, attempt to avoid contact with offensive lineman and, at times, cover running backs out of the backfield. The sack total isn’t great, but consider the circumstances.

Heading into his fourth season in the NFL, Clayborn has been displaced from the position that he’s accustomed to playing. The signing of talented defensive end Michael Johnson has pushed Clayborn to the strong side, where some believe Clayborn’s weak side—caused by Erb’s Palsy—will limit his ability to be effective. This post on Bucs Nation gives good insight on Erb’s Palsy and its effects. The condition has been cause for concern from scouts since Clayborn’s college days and Bucs fans sonce he was drafted, but Clayborn himself says it has not limited him; however, the upcoming season will be the first time that Clayborn will play left defensive end, a position in which his right side’s strength will be tested like never before. His next payday, as well as his tenure with the Buccaneers, depends on him transitioning well.

“B-U-S-…”

Through his first three seasons, he recorded 13 sacks, hardly what you’d want from a defensive end taken so high in the draft; however, the organization believes there is hope and a move to the opposite side of the line could make him a valuable piece on the defense. Sounds familiar, right? It’s basically the same story that many Buccaneer fans should have become familiar with within the last year: the story of Michael Strahan, who Hall of Famer Warren Sapp blasted for being on the Hall of Fame ballot ahead of teammate Simeon Rice, who played right defensive end his entire career. Although the sacks numbers for Clayborn and Strahan in there first three seasons have been identical, Clayborn’s numbers have come in six less games than Strahan’s. With that said, the move could be more difficult for Clayborn if his condition does indeed affect him. It’s not entirely his fault, but Clayborn finds himself in a similar situation to early career Strahan and ia close to being labeled a bust. As Sapp put it, “When they were putting the label on him as a bust, they put ‘B-U-S . OK, let’s transition him on the other side and see if he can play in his fourth year.’” The “B-U-S” has been spelled out, but a breakout performance from Clayborn could stave off the “T” being tacked on. Unfortunately for Clayborn—although fortunate for the Buccaneers—the competition he faces for playing time won’t make that easy. Clayborn’s time in Tampa Bay may not only depend on how ineffective he is on the right side, but how effective Williams Gholston and Da’Quan Bowers are.

The Competition

With 13 sacks so far in his short career, Clayborn is by far the most accomplished of the players competing for time at left defensive end, but he may not be the most talented. As he was given more playing time toward the end of the season, Wiliam Gholston put together a strong final month. Against Buffalo, Gholston notched 1.5 sacks as the Buccaneer defense made things miserable for E.J. Manuel. He followed that performance with strong showing against the 49ers, where he posted eight tackles and two pass defelctions. Greg Schiano stated that Gholston had gotten better through repetition—a trend that I expect to continue—and Gerald McCoy likened Gholston’s size and ability to Julius Peppers, a player who averaged 10 sacks per season during his time playing under Lovie Smith.  With Bowers, Gholston and Clayborn fighting for time at left defensive end, some may thing that there aren’t enough snaps for all three players; however, taking a look at Leslie Frasier and Lovie Smith’s resumes, they’ve each been successful in getting quality play from second stringers along the defensive line. Clayborn’s ability to be an impact player will determine who those second stringers are.

Robert Herron: "Nothing is Given"

New rookie Robert Herron learned long ago that “nothing is given.” Herron had a rough upbringing. His father was incarcerated for much of his childhood. The absence of his father, combined with the inconsistent presence of his mother, led to him being taken in by a family member who cared for him as her own. In school, Herron faced more hardships. He didn’t receive many scholarship offers as a high school senior, despite his hard work and achievements and the fact that Herron lettered in both football and track in his final two years. His break finally came when he was offered the opportunity to leave South Central Los Angeles and begin a new journey in Wyoming.

Having no parental figures and living in an environment where there were many distractions and temptations, Herron was set up for failure. However, with drive to succeed and to escape his childhood neighborhood, Herron did just that. When Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ quarterbacks coach Marcus Arroyo, who was then the recruiting coordinator for University of Wyoming, reached out to Herron, he was offering more than just a scholarship. Arroyo offered him an opportunity to prove wrong anyone who has ever doubted him and to ensure that his future was a complete contrast of his past.

At Wyoming, Herron racked up 152 receptions for 2,030 yards and 20 touchdowns in his career, using his speed and endurance to regularly be a threat on the field as both a running back and receiver.  One of the best performances of his career was against Texas, when he recorded 5 catches for 173 yards and 2 touchdowns. Herron demonstrated speed, quickness and tackle breaking ability during the impressive performance. During his senior year, Herron played a big role in Wyoming’s 59-56 win over Hawaii, hauling in 11 catches for 141 yards and 4 touchdowns. He finished the season with 72 receptions for 937 yards and 9 touchdowns.

After the season, Herron was invited to the Senior Bowl and he jumped at the opportunity to go against the best of the best competition so that he could prove that he belonged, and he did. In practices, Herron regularly beat opposing cornerbacks with his combination of quick cuts and speed. Although he only caught one pass during the Senior Bowl game, Herron made his mark on draft scouts and, in their eyes, undoubtedly raised his draft stock, pushing himself into the third to fourth round range. Add in the 4.25 and 4.29 times he clocked in the 40-yard dash during his pro day and he was a lock.

Fast-forward to the draft. As the third and fourth round pass by, Herron’s name is yet to be called and he shows small hints of frustration via Twitter, with one post saying “It’s coo, I’m used to having to prove myself” and another saying “My phone must not be working.” Friends and followers chimed in, stating that teams were sleeping on Herron and not giving him his proper due. In the sixth round, Herron finally heard his name called. Herron was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His next tweet? “So blessed to be part of the @TBBuccaneers organization.”

Since becoming part of the Buccaneers, the rookie has stated that he’s carrying a chip on his shoulder because he feels that he should have been drafted earlier. Herron also stated that he’s modeling his game after Steve Smith, the now Raven who tortured the NFC South for years before departing the Panthers this past offseason. Herron has the speed, quickness and build to be a similar receiver to Smith, who was taken in the third round of the 2001 NFL Draft—the same range that Herron expected himself to be selected. Like Smith, he will also be given the opportunity to make a difference in the return game and as a receiver if he can beat out players like Skye Dawson, Chris Owusu, Eric Page and Louis Murphy.

Although he’s just 5’9”, Herron has continuously stood tall in the face of  challenges, meeting them all.  Despite every excuse to fail, Herron has pushed himself to success, and nothing has been given.

Position Battle: Left Defensive End

With the arrival of Lovie Smith in Tampa also came expectations of a tough, if not dominant, defensive team. The current roster boasts talent whose skills are comparable to their counterparts of the championship Buccaneers team. Hall of Famers Derrick Brooks and Warren Sapp have praised their counterparts—Sapp has said that McCoy may be bigger, faster and stronger than he was; Brooks has stated that David is further ahead than he was at the same point in his career—and each player has shown confidence in Smith’s ability to bring winning ways back to Tamp Bay, and it seems to all start from the defense. With All-Pros in McCoy and David, along with an infusion of talent through free agency, the defense has the makings of a very solid unit but one spot—more than any other—is up for grabs: the LDE spot that will bookend Michael Johnson.

In the mix for the LDE spot are the following players: Da’Quan Bowers, William Gholston and Adrian Clayborn—I believe Steven Means is a candidate to backup Michael Johnson on the weak side, but he could also receive snaps at LDE. Taking a look at that group of players, each of them has potential. Here’s a quick breakdown of each of them.

Da’Quan Bowers

Many fans have been disappointed in Bowers for not living up to his draft spot so far in his young career. That’s fair, and Bowers definitely has to prove that he can live up to the enormous potential that he has. In three seasons—the first two of which were injury-plagued—Bowers has just 5.5 sacks; however, Bowers has definitely shown flashes of what he could become. Bucs fans who aren’t hoping for his release are hoping that Lovie Smith and defensive line coach Joe Cullen and coaching intern Stephen White can harness that potential and raise the play of the former second-round pick.

Although Bowers has been a disappointment, his potential is undeniable. Even after being put in the doghouse by Greg Schiano—along with the abundance of stunts run last year—Bowers was pretty productive on a snap-to-snap basis. Unfortunately, he was inexplicably placed on the bench in favor of the terrible Daniel Te’o-Nesheim. Smith has shown confidence in Bowers ability to thrive in the defense that will be run under him—one in which the defensive linemen will be given freedom to rush the QB—and Bowers has shown his own excitement to play for Smith.

William Gholston

Gholston started the 2013 campaign slowly, often being rotated with Steven Means on the inactive list. Then, toward the end of the year, Gholston seemed to finally start to “get it.” Playing in a limited role, Gholston notched two sacks late in the 2013 season and became more consistent at applying pressure to the QB. With prototypical size and athleticism, he has the physical capability to become a good player in the NFL. If he continues taking lessons from veterans around him and works hard on the practice field, he could develop into a nice compliment to Michael Johnson, giving the Buccaneers a pair of tall, athletic ends.

Adrian Clayborn

With the acquisition of Michael Johnson, Adrian Clayborn’s future with Tampa Bay was put in doubt. Since Johnson has joined the team, there have been more signs of Clayborn not being a part of the Buccaneers’ future. Clayborn was one of nine players who didn’t have their fifth-year options picked up and will now be battling with at least two other players for a starting spot at a position that he has not played on a full-time basis. Some believe he is not capable of playing the position full-time because of the Erb’s Palsy that he was born with which, according to rumors, has weakened his right arm; however, Clayborn was effective in his time at LDE last year, notching an equal amount of sacks (3.0) on the left side as the right side. If he plans on having a future with Tampa Bay beyond the 2014-2015 season, he must raise his play to new heights.