May 15, 2012; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Preston Parker (87) works out during organized team activities at One Buc. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-US PRESSWIRE

Preston Parker was given a one-year extension worth $1 million, with $50,000 of that coming in guaranteed money. He signed a one-year deal worth $540,000 in April, and the Bucs were able to buy out Parker’s RFA year in 2013 with this extension. $1 million is cheaper than what the Bucs would have paid him if he became a restricted free agent, so this make sense for the Bucs.

Parker had a breakout year for the team with 40 catches for 554 yards and three touchdowns last year. He was the most consistent receiver on the team, in a season that saw too much inconsistency from the position. While he wasn’t great, Parker didn’t make mistakes and was a solid WR for the team.

He hauled in 62.5% of the passes thrown at him for a total of 8.7 yards per target while operating on short and medium passing routes. It was a quality year for him, and he will slot in comfortably into a reduced role as the team’s No. 4 receiver. In fact, he is one of the better No. 4 wideouts in the league.

Wide receiver Dezmon Briscoe reported for the second week of OTAs after missing the first week, and he will need to be at his best in order to receive a roster spot. Briscoe is the team’s No. 5 WR, but he enjoyed a decent 2011 campaign. He caught six touchdown passes and hauled in 68.6% of the passes thrown at him for an average of 7.6 yards per target. Briscoe should be able to at least get a roster spot, but he is fighting for targets at this point.

Undrafted FIU receiver Greg Ellingson played for the Jacksonville Jaguars as a rookie in 2011, and he was recently waived by the Jags before recently signing with the Bucs. He is a practice squad guy and could be cut after training camp. Ellingson was added after former Boise State star and current undrafted rookie Tyler Shoemaker was “waived/left squad”.

In tight end news, Luke Stocker was unsurprisingly named the starting and “every-down” tight end by Mark Dominik. The Buccaneers traded Kellen Winslow Jr. and then promptly picked up former Indianapolis Colts star tight end Dallas Clark. He is injury-prone and getting up there in age, but Clark is still a great pass-catcher and a difference-maker in that regard, despite being a poor blocker. Stocker, on the other hand, is a quality blocker and deserved to be the every-down guy, with Clark getting the targets as the No. 2 TE.

Expect Clark to get more targets than the Bucs, as the team will likely utilize his talents as the primary pass-catcher. Last season, Stocker was targeted just 17 times and finished with 12 catches for 92 yards.

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Dec 17,2011;Boise,ID, USA; Utah State Aggies running back Michael Smith (20) runs in for a touch down during the second half of the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl against the Ohio Bobcats at Bronco Stadium. Ohio defeated Utah State 24-23. Mandatory Credit: Brian Losness-US PRESSWIRE

Smith had a terrific senior season, but he didn’t receive as much press for it and became even more unheralded due to the back who played in front of him; WAC Player of the Year Robert Turbin.

The Aggies starter rushed for 1,517 yards on 249 carries, while Michael Smith received just 114 carries and less goal-line rushes. Still, Smith averaged more yards per carry (7.6 to 6.1) than Turbin and finished with 870 yard and nine touchdowns. He is a top pure rusher who was third in the NCAA in yards per attempt last year. Before his final season at Utah State, Smith received just 70 carries but was impressive in those limited snaps.

It wasn’t like Smith was completely overlooked in the draft, because a team offered the Buccaneers a 2013 sixth-rounder for the rights to the talented Aggies back. The Bucs rejected the deal for the seventh-round pick, because they loved his ability. Coach Greg Schiano raved about the WAC star’s tape, and he was a huge sleeper pick for pundits before the draft.

To give a general overview of Smith’s incredible speed, only one number needs to be stated: 4.33. His forty time. He has great lateral speed and isn’t a purely straight-line player either, and having the third-highest yards per carry average in all of college football isn’t the easiest thing to accomplish either, even in a weaker conference.

Greg Schiano had this to say about Michael Smith.

“I think every time Mark and I watched tape he would jump off the tape at you, just a different kind of speed than everybody else on the field,” said Schiano.  “How we utilize that is going to be our job.  We’ve got to make sure we find a way to utilize that speed and there are several different ways you can do it, but speed wins.  This guy brings quite a bit of that as well as being a very athletic guy.”

The deal for the 23-year-old back will take him through four seasons with the organization, and the signing was announced yesterday. Expect him to be the team’s third back with his great pure rushing ability (a Greg Cosell favorite) and pass-catching upside that definitely offsets his poor pass protecting.

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July 30, 2011; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Mark Dominik watches practice during training camp at One Buc Place. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-US PRESSWIRE

Given that many Bucs fans also pull for the Rays I’m sure you’ll appreciate the comparison, but nobody thinks Brian Cashman is any kind of genius. Has has money to play with and regardless of the party-line answers given at all introductory press conferences, money talks. More often than not if you offer the right cash, you get the player. Period.

Now comes the hard part though, the second and third tier of players is littered with gems, but also full of potential landmines, guys that will take up cap space and provide little return or no discernable upgrade. This is the time for Mark Dominik to earn his money.

Now, I like Dominik. I think he has a keen eye for talent and value, and I like the way he has been able to draft and turn over a very old roster into a promising young one. But the next few weeks for the Buccaneers are integral.

Right now the Bucs have around 15 million dollars in cap space, but assume it’s 12 because there needs to be some reserve for draft picks (future transactions not withstanding). Despite addressing the line and receivers, the Bucs still need a third down back, linebackers and a safety. There are good fits out there, players that just need the right kind of push to truly excel, but now it’s up to Mark Dominik to find them.

You can’t get it all done now, some will have to come in the draft, but there are still players around that cans shore up holes, add depth and make the Bucs a better team.

Let’s take a look at a couple spots that still need attention.

Secondary

The most addressable need on the Buccaneers is still in the secondary, where several talented corners and group of good safeties are still available. Part of the issue is that Tampa needs to decide who to trust. Aqib Talib and Tanard Jackson both have exception skill sets but have run into enough off-the-field trouble to cast serious doubt on their long term prospects with the Bucs.

If Jackson and Talib are going to stick around, things are a bit easier. Regardless of Ronde Barber the Bucs need to draft a corner in the first two rounds this year. Morris Claiborne seems to be the obvious choice but there will be good DB’s around at the top of round two as well.

The place Dominik will have the most luck in the coming weeks is at safety. The Bucs need at least one, two if Jackson is out. LaRon Landry, Brandon Merriwether and OJ Otogwe are all viable options, but finding the best fit will be challenging.

Linebackers

The Buccaneers linebackers absolutely need to have better production in 2012, but the available options are not all that suitable to the kind of defense the Bucs have historically run. This may be the position that Dominik needs to make a concerted effort to try and scout well for the draft because there’s a good chance the Bucs will need to double down on the position come April.

One of the smart moves Dominik has already made was not giving into the demands of Curtis Lofton, a talented linebacker that would not fill well in Tampa. Lofton would have been a great steal for the right price, but at top dollar he would be a poor fit and the thrill of stealing him for Atlanta wouldn’t make up for the cap hit that comes with a middle linebacker that struggles in coverage.

There may be a player or two available to help the Bucs on special teams or with depth, but as far as linebackers go it may be wiser to hold off until the draft.