Today’s piece on the Bucs though is quite different, “Tampa Bay Buccaneers have bigger needs than at quarterback.”  Stroud is spot on in this short piece.  The Bucs have much bigger needs, especially on the defensive side of the ball than the QB position.  I understand, and Stroud obviously does too, that without a permanent fixture at QB, that a bad cycle develops in that regard.  My thinking though is that the Bucs have to see what Luke McCown is capable of.  We traded a pick for the guy, invested a lot of time into his development, and resigned him this offseason.  He is a QB who has all the physical tools to get the job done (arm, legs, size) and if we draft a QB in round 1 and Luke McCown does perform, than we have a predicament.  We don’t want to be forced to play a guy because of a contract, and disregard the skills of the guy who previously played in front of him.  

As I just mentioned, besides lettting Luke play, we need defensive help.  DT’s and DE’s that fit Jim Bates scheme do not currently exist on our roster.  

“We’ve got obvious needs,” Raheem Morris said. “We want some defensive tackles. We addressed a lot of our needs, obviously, in (free agency) on offense. We feel good about some of those positions. But in the draft, you’re thinking D-tackles, you want to add corners, you want to add some players at those positions.

I like Raheem’s thinking.  I’ve always been of the mindset that DT’s, OLineman, DE’s, CB’s are the most valuable players to draft at an early time.  They are the scarcest in the league as far as quality is concerned so high picks should generally be spent on those positions.  

Stroud bring up a point that I talked to a friend about this morning, trading down.  I know this is the craze for all teams right now, and most of the time the rumors are about trades in the top 10, but generally trading out of the top 10 is impossible.  Trading out of the 18-32 area though is something that happens every draft day.  If Peria Jerry from Ole Miss is too small to fit our scheme, than trading back into round 2 and drafting a Ron Brace type might be the better option for the Bucs.  

Regardless of what position defensively we draft, drafting a QB is something I don’t want to see the Bucs do.

Freeman is supposedly visiting the Buccaneers at some point in the next couple weeks, so barring a smokescreen, it seems as though there is some actual interest from the front office.  In my mind though, a player on the defensive line or a WR is a must with our first round selection, barring a player at LT or CB falling (Malcolm Jenkins, Andre Smith).    Everette Brown, Peria Jerry and Darrius Heyward-Bey would be three ideal candidates in my mind.  

My hope is to get one player up each day this week for potential Round 1 picks, and then do the same thing next week for round 2, etc.  

Without further ado…

DT Peria Jerry – Ole Miss

The Buccaneers’ biggest weakness right now is at the defensive tackle position. While Head Coach Raheem Morris specifically spoke about how we are fine at the defensive tackle position, it seems kind of like smokescreen to me. Behind Chris Hovan and Ryan Sims, there isn’t much experience. Greg Peterson and Dre Moore, two players drafted in the last 3 years are slated to backup both defensive tackle positions. Peterson has never seen significant playing time, and Moore was on the Practice Squad all of last season.

Perry is a guy who can bring back the days of a Buccaneer interior pass rush. Unless running a 3-4 defense, pressuring the QB from the DT positions is essential to defensive success, and in my opinion, is the most important position on the field. Pressure from the interior helps free up serious pass rushers on the outside which open holes for linebackers and allows corners to not have to remain on an island for a prolonged period of time. Peria led the SEC, the best conference in football, with 18 tackles for loss last season.

NFL.com Draft Profile

Possesses rare burst off the snap, lateral quickness and a nose for the football. Emerged as one of the flashiest prospects at any position in the 2009 draft. A highly touted prep prospect, Jerry spent the 2004 season with Hargrave Military Academy before arriving at Mississippi. He broke out as a junior, earning second team All-SEC accolades by finishing with 58 tackles, including 14 tackles for loss. Often faced two blockers in 2008, when Jerry improved his play behind the line and led the SEC with 18 tackles for loss. He was a four-time SEC Defender of the Week as a senior, and raised his stock even more with a dominating week of practice at the Senior Bowl. He’s likely to be a top-20 pick in April.