May 15, 2012; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Lavonte David (54) works out during organized team activities at One Buc. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-US PRESSWIRE

The WLB recorded 152 tackles, six sacks, and 12.5 tackles for loss as a junior in the 2012 season back when Nebraska was a Big 12 powerhouse. He led the Big 12 in tackles and was third in the nation in that statistic. David was seventh in the conference in tackles for loss, and he was also ninth in sacks.

Last season, David had 133 tackles, 5.5 sacks, 12 tackles for loss, and forced three fumbles in the team’s first season in the Big Ten. Prior to the 2o11 season, David had not played a direct role in a turnover.

The top coverage LB was third in the Big Ten in tackles, and the conference is known for its hard-nosed runners. The decrease in production is misleading, because it was more difficult for Lavonte David to record tackles. In any case, he was still great and was ninth in the Big Ten in sacks and in the top five in fumbles forced.

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Before he was hired by the Buccaneers, Schiano was a relative unknown to Bucs fans. When he was hired, many asked, “Who is this guy?” and wanted a bigger name. The ones who were familiar with Schiano knew about how he turned around Rutgers football and revamped the Scarlet Knights recruiting power. You see, that’s one of the marks of a great coach in college football; the great ones drive recruits. Don’t believe me? Look at all the quarterbacks who want to play for the Kansas Jayhawks ever since Charlie Weis became the head man in Lawrence; people want to play for good coaches.

May 4, 2012; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Greg Schiano during rookie mini camp at One Buc. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-US PRESSWIRE

Therefore, the more informed fans who were well-versed in Schiano’s motivational power, solid player evaluation, and sound schematic knowledge were excited by a hire. Greg Schiano represents the best of both worlds. He’s a young, energetic coach with plenty of fresh ideas, but he’s also wise in his decision making and doesn’t tolerate head cases. But he sure knows how to deal with them. After all, it is far easier to find enigmatic players on a college team than it is to find them in the NFL.

But for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, past success in the college world doesn’t mean much. It isn’t just that “talk is cheap”, but it also has to do with the disparity between the NFL and college football. The NFL is for the big coaches, and only the best college football coaches succeed in the NFL. Despite not coaching a major program, it was apparent that Schiano was one of the best coaches in college football. At the very least, it was apparent that he was one of the best to the Bucs.

At first, Tampa tried to hire Oregon Ducks coach Chip Kelly, who is one of the brightest offensive minds in the game. He’s built a powerhouse out west, and the Ducks are a perennial title contender under Chip. He stayed to focus on the Ducks, and one great, young coaching mind yielded way for another.

It’s easy to say that Chip Kelly is the better coach than Greg Schiano based on how their college teams produced, but there were concerns associated with Chip. Although he knows how to motivate a team and knows the offensive side of the ball extremely well, many were skeptical about his ability to manage a defense. It is a reasonable concern, but it was also a little bit overblown.

Even though Kelly is the better-known coach, Schiano fits the Bucs better. The team needed a coach who knows how to turn a team around and has a great working knowledge of defensive schemes. Schiano fits that description, and the “loud” coach has invigorated new life into this Bucs team. He’s also been classy in his first 100 days on the team, and this culminated in the signing of paralyzed former Rutger Eric LeGrand.

More importantly, Schiano has been getting results. He helped orchestrate a grade A draft that yielded three quality, starting-caliber players. The Buccaneers now have a new safety in the cerebral Mark Barron, who will be a solid player at the position for quite some time. Former Cornhuskers standout linebacker Lavonte David has been praised by Derrick Brooks and was a steal in the late second round. Former Boise State running back Doug Martin is an underrated, great all-around back who has a chance to start.

The Bucs also made some great pick-ups in the latter rounds, including versatile defensive back Keith Tandy who starred for the West Virginia Mountaineers in college. Another late-rounder to watch for is running back Michael Smith, who adds a new dimension of speed to this team and was an absolute steal for the Bucs.

The future looks bright in Tampa Bay with a new coaching staff in place, a great draft class, and Greg Schiano leading this ship into the future. He’s a better coach than Raheem Morris could have ever been, and it’s showing in the new aura surrounding this team. He’s the right man to turn around this football squad, and he is showing it. The signings of Vincent Jackson and Carl Nicks are huge, as the two elite players have massively upgraded this offer.

As for Schiano’s grade, it’s difficult for me not to get ahead of myself and give him a resounding “A+” for his work so far this offseason. It may be premature and the regular season results are more important, but Schiano has exceeded expectations in Tampa. He’s done an excellent job and deserves all the high praise that he has received.

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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.

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