4 steps to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers winning the NFC South
By Cory Kinnan
Shut down Pro Bowl running backs
It is no secret that the NFC South may have the best bunch of running backs in the entire NFL; Tampa Bay has to face Christian McCaffrey, Alvin Kamara, and Devonta Freeman twice a year, all who have been named to the Pro Bowl in their career. If the Buccaneers want to contend for an NFC South title, then they must focus on shutting down these high-powered backs.
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All three of these backs have an innate ability to both find holes between the tackles, outside the box, and catch passes out of the backfield with ease. Good news in Tampa Bay is that they have added the personnel to keep up with these talented backs out of the backfield. Third-round pick and safety Mike Edwards will also give the Buccaneers package flexibility to add more speed to the field.
Adding hybrid linebacker Deone Bucannon will give the Buccaneers a ton of flexibility to work in multiple packages and speed to get to the corner and contend with these backs. In addition, Devin White was the fastest linebacker in the entire draft, and while he needs work with gap discipline, he has the motor to chase down Kamara, McCaffrey, and Freeman in the backfield and around the edge.
While these NFC South running backs are young, talented, and only getting better, the Buccaneers have added a ton of speed and flexibility to the defensive side of the football to counter. Keeping them in check is a necessity if the Buccaneers want to compete for a division title in 2019.