Quote (EwokHellKite @ Apr 10 2012 07:57am)

Signed Okoye.. please stop

Quote (JaredV @ Apr 10 2012 05:28pm)

how many of you guys live in tampa?

Quote (Kamahl16 @ Apr 10 2012 10:57am)

Quote (JaredV @ 10 Apr 2012 17:28)

how many of you guys live in tampa?

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He's a very good defensive coach. The times when he was running the defense himself were when RU was at their best on that side of the ball. He seemed to always be able to put together a good plan for whatever personnel he had available. I expect him to do the same with the Bucs.

On offense... well, he's not an offense guy. We went through OCs like popcorn. We usually ran some variety of pro-style offense. I would sum up his preferred offensive game plan as power running with downfield passing. Pound it up the middle to soften the defense up, then run play-action and hit them with the big play. That only works if you've got the personnel to do it, and Rutgers only did for a few years in the middle of his tenure, when we had Ray Rice, Brian Leonard, Mike Teel, Kenny Britt, and a few more. When those players left and RU didn't have suitable replacements, the offense really struggled. But in the NFL you can just go out and sign whatever players you need, so I think it's easier to keep that going.

Schiano has something of a reputation of a being a micro-manager and hard to work for, but many of his former players all seem to really love him. He also ran his program here very much like an NFL team in terms of preparation and conditioning and meetings etc, which is why more Rutgers players made the NFL during his tenure than under any other coach; they were better prepared. He's definitely a discipline guy, but I question how well his authoritative personality will sit in an NFL locker room filled with pros who are playing for a paycheck, not for love of the game or to try to make the League. But he was a position coach in the NFL years ago, so he should have some idea how an NFL team works. I'm one of the few (only?) here who has always thought his preferred style of play was better suited to the NFL than college. He's not a strategy guy, he's an "execute better" guy.

Hope this helps. Schiano really did get the Rutgers program straightened out (it was such an unbelievable mess before), but by the time he left I was okay with him going. I think we had seen the best we were going to get from him at Rutgers.

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Team needs: Tampa Bay Buccaneers


ProFootballTalk
Posted by Michael David Smith on April 12, 2012, 12:20 PM EDT


After moving quickly and aggressively to upgrade their roster in free agency with wide receiver Vincent Jackson, guard Carl Nicks and cornerback Eric Wright, the Bucs now turn their attention to the draft, where they have several more needs to address.

Cornerback: Tampa Bay would definitely like to upgrade at corner, but whether improving at the position is a luxury or an absolute necessity will depend in large part on the trial of Aqib Talib, who will go on trial on a felony assault with a deadly weapon charge on June 25. Depending on the trial and the NFL’s determination of whether Talib violated the league’s personal conduct policy, Talib could start the season in prison, or suspended, or cleared of wrongdoing and ready to play.

LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne is a strong possibility for the Bucs at No. 5 if they don’t feel confident about Talib’s status. Claiborne is the best cornerback in this draft and would be expected to start from Day One. If the Bucs don’t go with a cornerback in the first round, they might hope that North Alabama cornerback Janoris Jenkins slips into the second. However, Jenkins has plenty of off-field issues of his own, and the Bucs might not like the idea of adding another problem player at the cornerback position.

Running back: Bucs coach Greg Schiano has made clear that he’s not totally sold on LeGarrette Blount, whose nine fumbles in two seasons are a source of concern. Alabama running back Trent Richardson is more talented than Blount and won’t fumble as much as Blount, and although Blount wouldn’t like it, the arrival of Richardson would allow the Bucs to employ just the kind of run-first, ball-control offense that Schiano prefers.

Linebacker: Last year’s third-round pick, Mason Foster, started in the middle as a rookie. The Bucs would love it if they could find another starter at linebacker in this year’s draft.

Defensive line: It might sound crazy to say the Bucs need to bolster the defensive line in the draft, considering that last year their first two picks were defensive ends Adrian Clayborn and Da’Quan Bowers, and the year before their first two picks were defensive tackles Gerlad McCoy and Brian Price. But Tampa Bay still needs to upgrade the D-line after giving up a league-high 494 points last season. A first-round surprise in LSU’s Michael Brockers is a possibility, but the defensive line is more likely to be addressed in the second or third round.



Schiano will want his team to win with a good running game and a physical defense, and that’s where the Bucs are likely to focus in the draft. Tampa Bay will look more like a Greg Schiano team when the draft is over.

Quote (JaredV @ Apr 10 2012 01:28pm)

how many of you guys live in tampa?

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Buccaneers head coach Greg Schiano has stated his commitment to the run game in 2011.  As with all scheme plans, nothing is ever concrete. Teams must adapt throughout a game, but the foundation is always there. By choosing to buck the pass heavy trend and focusing on the opposite, the Bucs could be ahead of the curve. As reported and debated among most media outlets, teams have devalued both the running back and linebacker positions. Gone are the days of obsession over guys like Brian Ulracher of the Chicago Bears. Instead, the focus has shifted to agile players capable of playing the run and the pass. As with anything, when the focus moves to quantity, you lose quality.

According to NFL.com,  Clay Mathews ranked 91st in tackles, Tamba Hali ranked 67th, Terrell Suggs 59th and Ray Lewis 33rd. Every one of those players are well known throughout the league as elite achievers at the position. Yet none could even break the top 20 in tackles. What they do provide are “splash” plays. Sacks, passes defended, interceptions and fumbles have become the new evaluation of value for a linebacker. Of course, arguments can be made about overall production, but how valuable are those splash plays if your team allows opposing running backs to run rampant? Bucs fans are all too familiar with this point after watching a season riddled with missed tackles, poor angles and a run defense ranked dead last. In contrast, players like London Fletcher, Curtis Lofton and David Hawthorne, whom are tackle machines and run savvy, saw lesser paydays and interest in free agency this year. Linebackers who affect quarterback play mean more in a passing league than those who affect running back play. Yet what happens when a team isn’t reliant heavily on their pass game?

Given the focus on versatile linebackers instead of run specialists, coach Schiano may be on to something. The Bucs have already drastically improved their pass game before Vincent Jackson even takes a snap. The threat is there, one which will keep secondaries and linebackers on their heels. The signing of Carl Nicks only adds to that threat, ensuring Josh Freeman has the time to make his reads and connect with the star wide receiver. Nicks’ arrival also ensures the Bucs will have among the best offensive lines when it comes to running the ball. While there has been a clamoring to draft Trent Richardson, it really may not matter who is running the ball, the success rate will be there. Divisional foe New Orleans finished the season 6th in total rushing yards despite a virtual roller coaster at the running back position. Ironically, it was the smallest man on the field, Darren Sproles, who finished as the leading rusher for the team. The point is, regardless of who is running the ball, it all boils down to the offensive line. The Bucs now have among the most seasoned and talented lines in the NFL. Combined with the vertical threats of Jackson, Mike Williams and Arrelious Benn, it won’t take an elite running back to find success.

Another point validating the success of the run game in 2012 is the Bucs strength of schedule. Based on 2011 opponents win-loss records, the Buccaneers have the 6th easiest schedule in the NFL. While many don’t buy into S.O.S. stats, a look at last season’s defensive performances of teams the Bucs face in 2012 gives more validation. Of the 13 different teams the Bucs will face, only two rank among the top ten in rush defense. The rest play out much weaker, many of the teams doing little to shore up their problems. Below is a list of 2012 opponents and their rush defense rankings last season.

Rams (31st), Raiders (27th), Chiefs (26th), Panthers 2x (25th), Broncos (22nd), Chargers (20th), Giants (19th), Redskins (18th), Eagles (16th), Saints (12th), Vikings (11th), Cowboys (7th), Falcons (6th).

While things certainly favor a running attack, the bigger problem is where the Bucs find themselves on this list…dead last.