2005 Draft Retrospect
#5 Carnell Williams / RB
Carnell was on track to become our every down back by setting the record for most yards in the first 3 games in a career and first rookie to post 3 consecutive 100 yard games and finished with 1178 yards with 6 TD’s. He was slowed down in year 2 behind a poor offensive line and nagging injuries, he settled for 798 yards and only 1 TD. 2007 was the year that changed Carnell’s career. He suffered his first torn patellar tendon and putting up 208 yards and 3 TD’s before going out only 4 games into the season. He returned mid-season 2008 but was placed on the PUP(physically unable to perform) list. His first game back was against the Lions and scored his first touchdown that season against the Saint on Nov 30th. He played 6 games that season and put up 233 yards and 4 TD’s. However, during the season finale he tore his patellar tendon in his left knee against the Raiders. Carnell came back in full force in 2009. Surprisingly posted his first receiving touchdown of his career and posted his first 100 yard game in over 2 years. He finished the 09 season with 832 rushing yards and 217 receiving yards with 4 rushing TD’s and 3 receiving TD’s giving him his highest total of TD’s in his career.
#36 Barrett Ruud / MLB
Barrett’s rookie season he played in all 16 games and putting up 17 tackles. In 06 he started 5 games after injuries to Nece and Quarles and posted 57 tackles. In his first year of starting 15 games he put up 114 tackles and 2 interceptions. In 08 he improved to 137 tackles, 3 sacks and 2 interceptions. In 09 he improved his tackles to 142 but had no sacks and only 1 interception. Ruud is one of the most underrated MLB’s out there even consistently putting up numbers with the likes of Willis, Beason and Ryan, but have yet to be sent to the pro-bowl or received the recognition like they have.
#71 Alex Smith / TE
As a rookie Smith started 10 games and caught 41 receptions for 367 yards and 2 touchdowns. In 06 he only started 7 games with a decrease in receptions to 35 and only 250 yards but increased his TD’s to 3. In his last year with the Buc’s in 08 he started 12 games and again decreased in catches to 21 for 250 yards and 3 TD’s. He posted 129 catches for 1,252 yards and 11 TD’s in 58 games. Not saying he is anywhere near the talent of Kellen but too compare stats, Kellen had 77 catches for 884 yards with 5 TD’s in only 16 games with the Buc’s.
#91 Chris Colmer / OL
Coming out Colmer was rated as the 6th best OT just below Michael Roos and above David Stewart, one of the top RT’s in the league and was selected after Colmer. He was released on June 6, 2007.
#107 Dan Buenning / G
Buenning was rated as one of the top 10 guards coming out that year. He did not amount to much on the line and later played shortly for the Bears and is currently playing for the Florida Tuskers, an UFL team.
#141 Donte Nicholson / S
Donte was rated as the 2nd best SS coming out that year. In 05 he recorded 5 tackles in 9 games and only played in a combined 2 games in 06 and 07 with no tackles. He played briefly in 08 and posted his career year with 6 tackles.
#155 Larry Brackins / WR
He signed with the team on July 28, however he did not make the roster and was released on September 7. On January 10, 2006, he re-signed with the Buccaneers, and went to training camp with the team, where he made two receptions for 19 yards. However, he was again released on July 25. He currently plays for the Dallas Vigilantes in the AFL
#178 Anthony Bryant/ DT
Bryant came out of Alabama as the 11th rated DT. However he was only on the Bucs from 05 to 06 and went on to play with the Lions and was part of the Falcons, Ravens, Dolphins and Giants during the offseason and he is currently on the Redskins.
#221 Rick Razzano / FB
Razzano was suspended for four games during his rookie season for testing positive for steroids. He was alter released.
#225 Paris Warren / WR
Paris spent the first 5 weeks on the 53-man roster but was waived and spent the rest of the time on the practice squad. He made the team in 06 and played in 8 games, making 5 catches for 63 yards. Parris unfortunately broke his leg on a touchdown catch in the preseason. He sat on the IR and later released. He is currently on the River City Gators
#231 Hamza Abdullah / SS
He was waived at the end of training camp and spent the first two months of the 2005 season on the team’s practice squad. He is currently on the Arizona Cardinals.
#253 J. R. Russell / WR
He was re-signed to the Bucs’ practice squad on November 30, 2005, and was competing for a spot on the opening day roster, along with former Arizona Cardinals Pro Bowler David Boston and rookie Maurice Stovall from Notre Dame. Russell was released on August 29, 2006
Retrospect
Looking back on the draft and too me it shows that Gruden was never really able to find gems later in the draft and occasionally in the beginning rounds either. Carnell and Ruud are the only ones that have contributed too the team. Smith started out good but then got traded to the Patriots and haven’t been able to progress any further then where he was when he left Tampa. The rest of the draft was filled with players that didn’t even make the team and gave special teams extra bodies. The only downfall on Carnell has been his injury history. When he has managed not to be injured during the season he has put up decent numbers but he’s slowly getting to that horrible number for running backs, 30. Hopefully the front office sees that Ruud is one of the best coverage MLB’s in the league and is the perfect LB for our system.
I’m not saying that Gruden and Allen should’ve hit on every pick, that will never happen but to get 2 players out of 12 too still be on the team and contribute in some form. I go by the theory that teams are build through the draft and finished off through Free Agency. We all know Gruden and Allen loved to add the pieces we were missing with aging Vet’s and I think that is why we are where we are now.
Final Grade = C-
Only because we drafted our MLB of the future and Carnell was on the right track but was set back due to injuries.