Oct 6, 2012; Madison, WI, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini defensive tackle Akeem Spence (94) prior to the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

After a crazy weekend of wheeling and dealing, not even the general managers of the NFL can tell you who the best player selected in the 2013 NFL draft is, because the careers of these young players are months away from being tested on the field. But that should not stop us from looking at how the Bucs drafted, and judging them for the successes and failures based on an early assessment of the teams’ needs and how they have been filled.

Hits:

Cornerback: We got freakin’ Darrelle Revis, man. This made the draft a successful. Teams have to gameplan for a Bucs defender. They have not had to worry about that since the heyday of the Tampa 2, and this is a much different beast than the Buccaneers’ team defenses of the early 2000′s.

DT Akeem Spence: Call the police – the Bucs stole Akeem Spence with their first pick of Round 4. If you watch a lot of Big Ten football, which I do, you know that Spence is a real warrior and extremely durable – he started 38 games in college – and has the physical grit to fight for a starting spot at defensive tackle right away. He is not as big as a lot of 4-3 tackles, but he has a real nose for the ball. He finished with 72 tackles last year, a rare number for an interior defensive lineman at any level. He can push the pocket a little bit and add real depth to a position where the team has been thinned out because of free agency. I really like this pick.

Dec 31, 2012; Nashville, TN, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack quarterback Mike Glennon (8) looks to pass against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the first half of the Music City Bowl at LP Field. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports

Misses:

Where is the TE?: Clearly the front office and the coaching staff is comfortable with Luke Stocker. The free agent market is extremely thin at this position so it seems unlikely that someone with the potential to contribute will be brought in post-draft. It seems the staff is comfortable with the TEs currently on the roster: Stocker, Nate Byham, Tom Crabtree, Drake Dunsmore, Zach Miller, and Danny Noble. Anyone feel comfortable with any one of these guys lining up as the opening day starter? You had better get used to it.

QB Mike Glennon: Glennon was one of the guys that jumped up – way up – the draft boards. Glennon has a cannon arm and a thin build. At NC State his starting record stands at 15-10. Scouting reports compare him to Ravens QB Joe Flacco, by which I assume they mean he is tall and can throw the ball really far. Why spend a third round pick on a QB? If you do not believe in Josh Freeman, address the position in free agency in a year when the QB class is universally considered weak. Scouting reports say Glennon reminds them of current NFL QB Joe Flacco, by which I think they mean he is really tall.

Johnthan Banks, new Buccaneers’ cornerback. Mandatory Credit: Melina Vastola-USA TODAY Sports

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have added and subtracted from the roster this past weekend, and the end result is a team that is hopefully deeper and better prepared for the grind of an NFL season. But what can Buccaneers’ fans expect out of the newest members of their favorite franchise?

Let’s take a look at the newest Buccaneers in another edition of The Good, the Bad, and the Likely, and determine what the possible outcomes are for all of the new additions. (Note: There are three pages, scroll through and check them all out, then leave your comments on what you expect from the Bucs’ draft picks.)

Johnthan Banks, Cornerback

The Good: For Banks, the best case scenario would be to win a starting cornerback position and prove he’s able to keep up with NFL receivers after dropping down draft boards thanks to a slower than ideal 40 yard dash time. Banks is long, strong, and athletic, and plays faster than his 4.6 second 40 yard dash would indicate. With Dashon Goldson able to cheat to his side due to Darrelle Revis’ presence on the other side, Banks can use his size to jam receivers and jump routes to make plays on the football. Banks could conceivably be one of the best rookie corners in the league if he starts and is able to keep up with the speed of the game, and his ability to make plays could lead to an outside chance of Rookie of the Year contention.

The Bad: The worst case scenario for Mr. Banks is to be too slow to play outside, or at least not against certain receivers, and find himself playing less often. He would play in the slot in the role Ronde Barber played when not at safety in 2013, which could of course mean he’s competing with Barber himself. Banks would then turn into a long term project to develop into a suitable nickel corner.

The Likely: Banks isn’t going to be forced into a starting role, but he may compete for one. I think the most likely scenario is that Banks earns a sizable role in the defense, playing more than half of the snaps, but never being the official starter. He’s also likely to be pressed into duty when Wright has to miss snaps or games due to injury, so he’ll see the field enough to prove he’s worthy of a second round pick. I think he’s got the potential to be a very good player in this league and will show that from day one, because he’s not lacking in football IQ and instincts.

Mike Glennon, Quarterback

The Good: For Mike Glennon, the best and worst case scenarios are tied to the performance of Josh Freeman. Assuming that Josh Freeman is fully capable of starting and finishing the 2013 season as the Buccaneers starter at quarterback, the best case scenario for Glennon is to get his chance in mop-up duty in blowout wins, and perform well and earn confidence of the team and coaches should he ever be pressed into duty.

The Bad: The worst case scenario is to never see the field and never know what he’s capable of. Glennon is going to make the roster and is going to be the backup to Josh Freeman, so his worst case scenario is to never know how he’d fare in an NFL game. This is the best news for Buccaneers’ fans tho, because it means Josh Freeman plays every down of every game and plays well enough to never bring Glennon out for a tryout.

The Likely: Glennon is the perfect backup for Josh Freeman, and that’s what he’ll do in 2013. There’s not much more to say here. Long term, the likely outcome for Glennon is to be traded to or signed by a more quarterback-needy team, or to replace Josh Freeman in 2014 as the team’s starting quarterback. But in the short-term, he’ll be holding a clipboard.

Click the “Next” button to see the Buccaneers’ fourth round picks best and worst case scenarios.

Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

The draft provided the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with six additional players. Johnthan Banks, Mike Glennon, Akeem Spence, William Gholston, Steven Means, and Mike James will all provide depth and competition at their various positions on the depth chart. (You can read about them here, and here.) But the frenzy of free agent signings after the draft provide teams with an opportunity to add many more players, with no draft order or selection clock to deal with. With players like Chase Thomas, Tyler Bray, and Da’Rick Rogers still available after the draft meeting concluded, there was certainly talent to be found on the open market. The Buccaneers did not select any of these big name undrafted prospects, but did bring a large amount of prospects to push for roster spots in 2013. Here is a list of players the Buccaneers have signed or invited to rookie camp, although it should be noted this information is not 100% confirmed. The fine folks at nepatriotsdraft.com have been one of the leaders in undrafted free agent news for years now, so we consult their website for the latest on the Bucs’ undrafted free agents:

Akrem Shavers, RB, Purdue
Nick Carlson, OL Wyoming
Branden Smith, CB, Georgia
Rashaan Melvin, CB, Northern Illinois
Hubie Graham, TE, Pitt
Evan Landi, TE, USF
Nick Speller, OT, UMass
Brice Schawb, OT, ASU
Deveron Carr, CB, ASU
Robert Marve, QB, Purdue
Montel Harris, RB, Temple/Boston College
Chris Denton, WR, Mount Union
Jeremy Lewis, OL, Miami
Tim Wright, WR, Rutgers
Tenarius Wright, DE/LB, Arkansas
Orwin Smith, RB, Georgia Tech
Jace Daniels, OT, Northern Michigan
Taimi Tutogi, FB, Arizona
Jerrell Gavins, CB, Boise State (Tryout)

Nov 24, 2012; Alliance, OH, USA; Mount Union wide receiver Chris Denton (1) celebrates his touchdown with wide receiver Jasper Collins (8) in the third quarter against Johns Hopkins at Mount Union Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

A few interesting things to note here. The addition of Chris Denton, WR from Mount Union, may indicate that the Buccaneers were looking into Jasper Collins, the star receiver from Mount Union who I believed would be a valuable pick for the Bucs late in the draft. Collins was not selected, but the Dolphins were the team able to secure his signature for a roster spot or camp invite. The Buccaneers opted for the lesser known receiver from the Division III powerhouse, who happens to be a special teams ace. He tied the NCAA record for punt return touchdowns in a season, netting five scores returning punts in 2012. He has fumbling concerns, but also was a dominant playmaker on special teams at the lowest division of the NCAA. His skills may translate well enough for a roster spot with the Buccaneers, but he’ll have to show improved ball security.

The Buccaneers also brought in multiple tight ends and cornerbacks, proving the desire for competition at these positions remains high. Neither of the tight ends invited to compete seem to have the skills needed to unseat any of the Buccaneers top three tight ends (Stocker, Crabtree, and Byham), but the cornerbacks brought in may provide more of a threat to players like Myron Lewis, Anthony Gaitor, and James Rogers to make the final spots on the roster at corner.

It should be noted that the Buccaneers only brought in one player from Rutgers, but brought in two from Purdue, and two from Arizona State. Greg Schiano’s connection to Rutgers was clearly overstated by many heading into this draft, as he only added one Scarlet Knight through the entire process, and he is a wide receiver unlikely to make the team, particularly since he’ll be competing with an experienced NFL receiver from Rutgers in Tiquan Underwood for playing time at the position.

The Purdue prospects are interesting, especially Robert Marve, who was having a very productive 2012 season despite suffering an ACL injury. He was injured at the end of a solid performance against defensive juggernaut Notre Dame, and it was his third ACL injury of his career. He would fight through the setback and continue to play for the Boilermakers and finish with 15 touchdowns to only 5 interceptions and a 65% completion percentage. The former Plant High School standout and Miami Hurricane transfer hasn’t proven he can stay healthy, but does have potential as a quarterback with good athleticism. He may not catch on with the Buccaneers, but don’t be surprised if he’s given a shot somewhere, since the pedigree and talent are there with Marve.

If there are any other interesting free agent signings that are announced, we will be sure to provide you with the information you need. And if there’s any of these players that you have watched, and want to let Buc Nation hear about them, leave it in the comment section below!