TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -The Tampa Bay Buccaneers intend to be young, tough and have a nasty disposition.
At least that’s what first-year coach Raheem Morris envisions, with the 19th pick in this weekend’s NFL draft likely to be one of the keys to making that a reality sooner rather than later.
The Bucs lost their final four games to miss the playoffs after a 9-3 start last season. Enter Morris and new general manager Mark Dominik, who have spent the past three months reshaping an aging roster through free agency and a major trade.
“You guys call it a youth movement. I just call it getting younger so we can finish down the stretch. … Being a young team helps you do that,” said Morris, who wants the Bucs to be “more physical, more violent” under his watch.
The youngest coach in the NFL at 32, Morris was tabbed to replace Jon Gruden, in part, because of his ability to relate to players – especially a talented but largely inexperienced group of holdovers that must emerge if the Bucs are going to be successful.
he notion that not re-signing quarterback Jeff Garcia and releasing proven veterans such as linebackers Derrick Brooks and Cato June, running back Warrick Dunn and receiver Ike Hilliard has left the team with gaping holes to fill.
“This is not a time business. This is a business where you either win or you lose. You get your shot or you go home,” Morris said, adding that the turnover with the roster has not been as radical as some think.
“People don’t know our younger players because they haven’t had a chance to play. Guys have to step up and become household names.”
Quarterback and defensive tackle are the team’s most pressing needs entering the draft, although this month’s signing of Byron Leftwich may affect whether Morris and Dominik try to land the QB of the future in the first round.
While there has been plenty of speculation about Kansas State’s Josh Freeman winding up in Tampa Bay, it may be difficult to use the pick on him if a player with the potential to make an immediate impact on defense is available, too.
Among the possibilities is Mississippi defensive tackle Peria Jerry. USC linebackers Brian Cushing and Clay Matthews are highly regarded, too.
The Bucs brought in Leftwich, a starter for much of his career, to compete with Brian Griese, Luke McCown and second-year pro Josh Johnson, a fifth-round pick a year ago, to be the No. 1 quarterback.
m battle, best man win,” Morris said.
The coach is also familiar with the 6-foot-6, 250-pound Freeman from the year Morris was Kansas State’s defensive coordinator.
“I don’t know if he’s a Daunte Culpepper type because Culpepper was a big-armed thrower down the field. This kid has a lot of touch as well,” Morris said. “He can drop a flare screen or a check-down just as well as he can drop a 27-yard comeback. He can throw on the move, and he throws across his body impressively.”
The selection of a quarterback would be yet another move to bolster an offense that has already received a lot of attention since Morris and Dominik took over for Gruden and former GM Bruce Allen in January.
In addition to putting the franchise tag on Antonio Bryant, a 1,000-yard receiver in 2008, the Bucs traded this year’s second-round draft pick, as well as a fifth-rounder in 2010, to Cleveland for tight end Kellen Winslow.
Morris and Dominik addressed a need at running back with the signing of former New York Giants backup Derrick Ward. They also made it a priority to re-sign Michael Clayton, an inconsistent receiver under Gruden who Morris believes can blossom in a new offensive system.
In each case, the Bucs are counting on players who offer a blend of youth and experience. Winslow is 25, Clayton 26 and Bryant 28, while Ward and Leftwich are 29.
e it’s going younger – and it is – there’s experience and production with the guys we’re bringing in,” Dominik said.
The draft will make the roster even more youthful. The Bucs have seven picks on the second day, three of them in the seventh round.
Cornerback figures to be one place the team seeks help.
Last year’s first-round pick Aqib Talib is set to become a starter. Meanwhile, the Bucs will be on the lookout for someone who can eventually replace Ronde Barber, one of the mainstays in the Tampa 2 scheme that’s been dumped for the system being installed by new defensive coordinator Jim Bates.
Another priority is improving the pass rush, though Morris is confident Bates can get more out of end Gaines Adams, the first defensive player (No. 4 overall) selected in the 2007 draft and other young linemen.
But more than anything else, the coach believes making the team tougher and more physical is essential to re-emerging as a contender.
“It’s more about the core beliefs than what you’re calling. … It’s about us becoming who we want to become,” Morris said.
Add A Comment