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Midweek Gameplan 9-26-12

Mark McKenna MD — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 03:20:44 +0000

The Bucs Most Recent

Much has already been chronicled about the Buccaneers recent offensive ineptitude against the Cowboysthis last Sunday. It was incredibly painful to watch and it will be very difficult to watch them this year if this vanilla offense continues. Last year was forgettable, but I think one of the answers to moving the ball better may lie in the 2010 campaign.

Josh Freeman may need to start using his feet to get yards rather than just his arm.

What was lost in the analysis of that season and how great Josh Freeman was that year is the fact that he often made plays with his feet rather than with his arm. He had many runs where he escaped the pocket and gained positive yards on the ground, often resulting in a first down. A few of these runs went for 10 yards or more. This year, he stands tall in the pocket, moves around if he gets pressured, but very rarely takes off for a positive gain. If he does this more, it creates a new aspect to the passing game, makes the defense keep a player up towards to line to try and stop it, and can increase the throwing space for him in the intermediate routes.

I don’t think this is the ultimate solution to the offensive woes from last week, but it is a simple solution that can be implemented next week in order to sustain drives and move the ball effectively. Despite missing some stars, the Redskins defense is still pretty good and moving the ball may be difficult at times. (more…)

Friday on the Links: Olympians, Backups and the Future

Josh Hill — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 12:35:52 +0000

(Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-US PRESSWIRE)

Here’s a quick rundown of some must-read Bucs stories as we take it easy and and relax on the links.

Five Backups to Watch – BucsNation.com

Sander over at BucsNation on SB Nation details five backups you need yo watch tonight when the Bucs host the Titans in Tampa.

History of Olympians in the NFL — NFC South Blog

I usually don’t read much of what ESPN puts out on account of it’s usually late and sloppy. But Pete Yasinkas details a short list of former Olympians who tried their hand at an NFL career as a tribute to Jeff Demps signing with the Patriots.

Mark Barron, Najee Goode Reflect on first NFL training camp — PewterReport.com

Rookie Mark Barron and Najee Goode sit down with Pewter Report to dish on what it’s like to finally be an NFL players and reflect on how their first ever training camp went.

Five Things to Watch: Buccaneers vs. Titans — TBO.com

Stephen Holder also details five things that you should watch tonight when the Bucs get the Titans at home. It’s a little different then the SB Nation piece so it’s worth a read, as usual with Holder.

WWM: Ronde Barber Moving to Safety

Patrik Nohe — Mon, 14 May 2012 15:57:04 +0000

Lost amid a lot of the news coming out last week was the fact that Ronde Barber will reportedly move to safety next season after spending his entire 15 year NFL career at corner. This move is a little surprising, but not really once you’re given time to think about it.

December 17, 2011; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Ronde Barber (20) tackles Dallas Cowboys running back Felix Jones (28) during the first half at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-US PRESSWIRE

Barber is well past prime as an NFL corner, he wins now on his intelligence and instincts, but his athleticism is not what it once was. Moving him to safety allows the Bucs to keep his football IQ in the secondary, but alleviates some of the liability that comes with lining him up as a boundary or field corner (he’s still solid in the nickel).

Right now, the move seems to be more related to the Bucs’ needs than Barber’s skill-set though. With the exception of the oft-injured Cody Grimm, there are no safeties returning next season and the team is desperate to find a capable player to team with first round pick Mark Barron.

“If we need to make a move to pull Ronde back from safety and down to corner, we can do that in a heartbeat,” Dominik told the Tampa Tribune.

The team still needs to make a decision on Aqib Talib, but given their depth right now and the lack of corners that they added in the draft, I can’t see them making the decision to part with Talib lightly. Personally, I think they’ll cut ties with the troubled corner when his contract expires, but until then they need him in their secondary.

Either way, look for Barber to be lining up somewhere new next season…