Former Buccaneer Ian Beckles asked Joseph what Freeman needed to do to get better.

Joseph had a simple, accurate observation of Josh Freeman’s situation:

“Josh needs a better team around him,” Joseph said without hesitation and he was quick to explain his take.

“Look at the Super Bowl teams (Baltimore and San Francisco). They didn’t have the two best quarterbacks in the league. What you had were the two best teams.”

Joseph was right. If the Buccaneers had any kind of pass defense and pressure from their defensive front on opposing quarterbacks, there would be less pressure on Freeman and the offense to do all the heavy lifting.

Hopefully, GM Mark Dominik and head coach Greg Schiano will keep that in mind when free agency begins on March 12 and followup it up with a nice draft in April.

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The good news for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is that Carl Nicks and Davin Joseph should return at full strength to give the team two incredible starting guards. That will leave just one question mark — right tackle.

Greg Schiano found out last season that Demar Dotson may not be the answer for a starting right tackle. Yes, Dotson is a good backup and is still learning the position. But that’s one position where the Bucs will have some great choices in the draft.

The good news is that the NFL Combine showed that this year’s class of offensive linemen is deep. There are more big, athletic guys who aren’t carrying a lot of fat on the their frames. GM Mark Dominik hasn’t been a big drafter of offensive linemen but this may be the draft where he can find a great candidate for right tackle in the third, fourth or even the fifth round.

One such player is Dallas Thomas of Tennessee. He was a three-year starter for the Vols. He has the ability to play both the tackle and guard position and the Bucs love versatility in their offensive linemen. Thomas has good size at 6-5, 310-pounds and an NFL strength coach can probably add another 20-30 pounds to that frame of his. He has good film. One of his best games was against South Carolina defensive end Jadaveon Clowney. He flat-out stopped Clowney cold in his tracks last year and Clowney might have been the first overall pick if he was eligible for this year’s draft.

Thomas will probably go in the third round but if the Bucs don’t pick him, there is plenty of talent left.

The post Will Buccaneers Draft an Offensive Lineman? appeared first on One Buc Site.

Sadly, that is one of the areas of great concern for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as they approach the beginning of free agency, then the April draft as they prepare for the upcoming season.

To make things worse, some of the names linked to the Buccaneers turned in less-than-stellar performances when the corners performed on Tuesday, the final day of the NFL Combine.

National Football Post had its scouts on hand and the observations surrounding some key names weren’t good.

Xavier Rhodes ran a very fast time in the 40 but that’s where good things ended for the Florida State star. One of the big observations by NFP is that he appeared to have “terrible hands” which brings back memories of the great quote by former Buccaneer coach Raheem Morris, who once told his secondary players: “Anyone can knock a pass down. You’re supposed to intercept it!”

Johnathan Banks out of Mississippi State had been bantered as one of the top players among the corners but the combine did nothing to help him, in fact, he ran slow and performed poorly in drills.

Another player linked to the Bucs is Washington corner Desmond Trufant. Again, another guy who ran a fast 40 but looked stiff and uncomfortable in the drills that help give a feel for a corner’s abilities in coverage situations.

The one corner who stood out was, of course, Dee Milliner of Alabama, who may have thrust himself into the top five picks, putting him out of reach for the Buccaneers.

With all this in mind, don’t be surprised if the Bucs go corner shopping in two weeks when the free agency period gets underway.

The post Buccaneer Corner Dilemma: Big Names Struggle at NFL Combine appeared first on One Buc Site.

Speaking on his Tuesday afternoon talk show on 98.7 The Fan, former Buccaneer and Indianapolis Colt Booger McFarland weighed in on the odds that Ronde Barber will return to the Buccaneers for the 2013 season.

“My gut tells me he’s not coming back,” McFarland said. He went on to say, they he, like many Bucs fans, wants Barber back. “Selfishly, yes, I want Ronde Barber to come back,” McFarland told his listeners.

McFarland and co-host Rich Herrera went on to say that if the Bucs are going to get together with Barber to discuss the matter, they need to do it and do it fast, as in before the March free agency period and certainly long before the April draft.

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Won’t happen.

Milliner cemented himself into the uppper echelon of the April selections when he ran the 40 on Tuesday.

He first put up a 4.31 then a 4.37. Blinding speed.

Detroit, with the fifth overall pick, needs corners as desperately as the Buccaneers.

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First, consider that Hunt, a native of Estonia, is huge. At 6-8, 277 pounds, he’s the biggest guy there.

Now get this — he ran 4.6 in the 40. If that’s not enough, he topped all defensive linemen, tackles included, with 38 reps on the bench press at 220 pounds.

His vertical jump was 34.5 inches and he broad jump a shade more than 10 feet.

Add it all up and the guy is beyond impressive and maybe, just maybe he can bring his dynamic athleticism to the Buccaneers, but only if they believe he’s worth a first round pick.

After looking at this guy up close and personal, you’d think there will be a lot of teams interested in adding him to their defensive line.

When you consider Adrian Clayborn, Da’Quan Bowers and Michael Bennett, this guy is bigger, stronger and faster than all three.

He’s a look at Hunt on video.

The post Margus Hunt Has Beastly Performance at NFL Combine appeared first on One Buc Site.

If you had to circle some areas of true need for the Buccaneers, look simply at the defensive line.

There’s a good chance the Bucs may call the name of a defensive lineman in April with their first round selection and today they’ll get a chance to see the candidates perform the 40 and the various drills that simply indicate those who have technique and athletic ability.

Linebacker may be an area of concern as well for Greg Schiano and his staff.

The uncertainty surrounding Quincy Black, post-surgery, looms heavily and there’s the possibility that the nerve damage caused by Black’s injury last season could threaten to end his career.

The Bucs will pay special attention to the defensive ends. Michael Bennett is a free agent and although the Bucs want to re-sign him, they won’t break the bank if some teams wants to make a silly offer.

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No, they’re not about to break the bank to sign him.

No, they’re not going to use the franchise tag on him or any other player on the roster.

General Manager Mark Dominik is in Indianapolis at the NFL Combine and made those revelations but it basically goes along with the Buccaneer mindset.

Bennett performed well last year but is he worth $10 million or more per year? The Bucs don’t think so.

With Adrian Clayborn back and the team believing that Da’Quan Bowers will avoid any serious punishment from his arrest this month, the team will offer Bennett what it believes will be a fair offer. Obviously Bennett will test the free agency waters and he has agent Drew Rosenhaus to do that for him. But the Bucs aren’t about to let themselves overspend.

This could mean that they’ll look long and hard at the defensive end prospects on display the next few days.

The post Buccaneers Won’t Overpay for Michael Bennett appeared first on One Buc Site.

His future as a football player is very, very uncertain.

With the in mind, the Bucs may be paying close attention to the crop of linebacking talent that will work out on Monday at the 2013 NFL Combine. They may need to replace Black.

There are different possibilities. They may look for someone who can play in the middle and move Mason Foster back to his natural position on the outside. Jarvis Jones is regarded as perhaps the top linebacker in the draft but the 6-2, 240-pound Georgia star won’t work out in Indy, instead, he’ll perform at the Georgia Pro Day next month.

Here’s a rundown of some players the Bucs may consider:

Kevin Minter: This LSU Tiger was the most consistent defender last season and his team’s most valuable player. He’s 6-1, 245 and can play in the middle. He’s a nice run-stopper. May not be a first rounder but if he’s there in the second or third round, the Bucs might consider taking him. Full Scouting Report:

Alec Ogletree: While most scouts talk about Jarvis Jones, Ogletree got attention with his big plays, big hits and ability to create turnovers for the Georgia defense. Has a nose for the football and has the size to play in the middle at 6-3, 232. Full Scouting Report:

Khaseem Greene: Two important words here — Rutgers guy. That means Greg Schiano knows a lot about him. He’s a weak side linebacker and the Bucs are already set at that position with Lavonte David playing at an All-Pro level. Full Scouting Report: 

Chase Thomas: Here’s a Stanford linebacker who will be a nice second day selection for some NFL team. Has good size at 6-4, 248 but scouts will want to check out his speed and agility at the combine. Full Scouting Report: 

Manti Te’o: Here’s the deal with the Notre Dame star — he’s not a guaranteed star in the NFL. There is doubt as to his speed and abililty to make big plays in the National Football League. Some mock drafts have him going to the Bucs with the 13th pick — no way. He looked awful against Alabama. Don’t be surprised if Te’O's stock falls and he drops into the bottom of the first round or even the second round. Full Scouting Report:  

It’s an easy prediction that the Bucs will take a linebacker in this draft but it may not come until the third or fourth round. Remember, the Bucs got Mason Foster in the third round and that has worked out quite well for them.

The post Tampa Bay Buccaneers Shopping for Linebacker at NFL Combine? appeared first on One Buc Site.

Schiano had said after the season that he wants more competition at every position and naturally the world assumed that he meant the quarterback position as well, but that may not exactly be the case this season.

“Josh Freeman is our quarterback and I believe that with Josh Freeman we will be able to accomplish our goals. So that is my belief and our organization’s belief.”

Okay, so scratch the drafting of a quarterback in the middle or late rounds by the Buccaneers.

Freeman’s the guy because Schiano said so.

Remember, football coaches never lie.

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