Oct 21, 2011; Syracuse NY, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers long snapper Cody Nutter (87) warms up before the game against the Syracuse Orange at the Carrier Dome. Syracuse defeated West Virginia 49-23. Mandatory Credit: Jason O. Watson-US PRESSWIRE

Following the Mountaineers theme, the Bucs have given West Virginia long snapper Cody Nutter a tryout. The senior will report to rookie camp on Thursday and is looking to impress coach Greg Schiano and the rest of the coaching staff. Schiano is familiar with Nutter and the other WVU players, as he coached those Big East foes while at Rutgers.

Nutter is viewed as a quality long snapper and someone who was a sure-fire signing after the draft, and he spent three seasons as a starter for West Virginia. A great long snapper, Nutter was also a depth tight end as a redshirt freshman and is known as a great teammate.

“I am leaving here on Thursday, flying out of Pittsburgh and will take part in Tampa Bay’s rookie mini-camp until Sunday,” Nutter said. “Basically, the competition will be between me and one other guy for the long snapping job. The winner will get to sign his contract.”

We’ll see how the battle ends up for the two-time Big East Academic All-Star, who actually majored in physical education teaching (I thought that was a bit interesting). Nutter has the ability to get the job and the roster spot, and it’s time to see if he can perform well enough on Thursday to obtain it.

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Dec 22, 2011; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Boise State Broncos quarterback Kellen Moore (left) and receiver Tyler Shoemaker (89) embrace after the 2011 Las Vegas Bowl against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Sam Boyd Stadium. Boise State defeated Arizona State 56-24. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE

1. WR Luther Ambrose, Louisiana-Monroe- 65 catches for 752 yards and six touchdowns in 2010

2. QB Zach Collaros, Cincinnati- A star for the Bearcats and their leaders, team was devastated after his injury. Career average of eight yards per attempt, fifth highest career passer efficiency rating in Big East since 2000.

3. S Tramain Thomas, Arkansas- Intriguing defensive back on SEC powerhouse and finished with 91 tackles, five picks, and 11 passes defended last year. Top five in picks and top ten in tips.

4. T Bradley Sowell, Ole Miss

5. C Chaz Hine, USF- Leader and quality starter for Bulls. Versatile enough to play at either guard spot but best off at center.

6. DT Donte’e Nicholls, Tennessee State

7. G Michael VanDerMeulen, Toledo

8. T Desmond Wynn, Rutgers- Quality starter for Rutgers and has the Schiano connection. Underrated, will most likely kick inside and play guard.

9. CB Quenton Washington, USF- Ninth in Big East with nine passes defended.

10. TE Tyler Urban, West Virginia- 37 career catches

11. FB Cody Johnson, Texas- 36 career touchdowns and average of 4.2 yards per carry. Was second in Big 12 in rushing touchdowns in 2009 and has 25th most career touchdowns in Big 12 dating back to 2000.

12. LB Ryan Baker, LSU- Had seven sacks in 2010, finished with 64 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and 3.5 tackles for loss in 2011.

13. CB Leonard Johnson, Iowa State- Averaged 26.4 yards per return on 40 kick-off returns as a freshman. 64 tackles in sophomore and junior seasons, had a career-high 72 tackles last year. Six career interceptions and was eighth in nation in 2008 in kick-off return yards.

14. WR Tyler Shoemaker, Boise State- A key contributor in one of the best offenses in college football, Shoemaker hauled in 62 passes for 994 yards and 16 touchdowns (16 yards per catch) last year. He was fourth in the nation in touchdowns receptions and has a good shot at making the roster with teammate and star back Martin.

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November 25, 2011; Morgantown,WV, USA: West Virginia Mountaineers linebacker Najee Goode (52) looks to the sidelines against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the third quarter at Milan Puskar Stadium. WVU won 21-20. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USPRESSWIRE

As a senior, Goode had the best year of his career and broke out to become one of the best defensive players in the Big East. He was eighth in the conference with 87 tackles and finished tenth with 14 tackles for loss. He also brought down the quarterback five times, forced a fumble, tipped two passes, picked off a pass, and he recovered a fumble as well.

Najee Goode is 6’0″, 244 pounds and has the versatility to play at any linebacker position in any scheme. He is athletic and has a good build for the position, and Goode is viewed as a player who can have a huge impact on special teams while also being a capable, utility backup in the NFL.

There isn’t anything special about Goode, but he is a solid run defender and makes up for the pass rush ability that is sometimes lacking. The five sacks show that he is capable in that regard, but I don’t think he would fit as a 3-4 OLB.

Other things to like about Goode include good instincts, solid game speed, sound tackling ability, and leaping ability. He isn’t great at anything in particular, and the only things he is clearly poor at are his ability to get off of blocks and his coverage skills.

What I like about Najee Goode, besides his name, is his solid tackling technique that this team was sorely lacking last season. He also has impeccable work ethic, so he’s clearly willing to get better in coverage. One thing about Goode is he struggles while playing in space, which is something he will need to work on as a 4-3 OLB (if he plays outside) on the Bucs.

Goode is not an every down starter, but he looks like a guy who can be a decent backup and solid special teams player. He has some flaws to his game, but he has useful strengths that give him the upside of a two-down LB.

The Bucs mainly needed some more depth at linebacker, especially someone with the ability to play on special teams and make plays against the run. Goode fits that label, and it will be interesting to see how many snaps he gets in a backup role. I would rather play him as a middle linebacker, but the versatility to play on the outside is something that we’ll all gladly take. Want a word to describe Goode? Blue collar worker.

You can follow Joe Soriano on Twitter @SorianoJoe.

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