Buccaneers Training Camp 2008
It’s that time of year again!!!!!
Training Camp is days away, so it’s time to deliver the 2008 of my annual Bucs Report.
This off-season brought little fanfare other than the signing of Center Jeff Faine and a draft that was unfortunately not very strong at our position of greatest need: Wide Receiver. While the team could have made a greater effort to sign one of the so-called big-name free agent Receivers, the market seemed a bit thin in free agency and, in my honest opinion, demonstrated a gross overpayment of seemingly mid-tier players at that position. So the front office continued in their normal fashion, finding more cap-friendly cast-offs to provide an opportunity for development.
The 2007 season (a season I commonly refer to as the phantom 11-5 season) delivered a 9-7 record, a Division Title, a home playoff game and an abrupt playoff exit for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Though the tools for rebuilding were being placed, there is still significant room for the team to grow talent-wise and, allegedly, significant cap space remaining to be filled. The early playoff loss to the inevitable Super Bowl Champion New York Giants, though disappointing, was also marked by key injuries to Jeff Garcia and Joey Galloway, which significantly limited the time the offense was able to stay on the field. In true Tampa Bay fashion, Buccaneers fans made certain there was ample seating for Giants fans to attend this game. Being in attendance, I found this a deeply disappointing and continuously disturbing trend (RE: 2005 Redskins game, Rays-Red Sox games, etc.).
But, fear not, as I am hopeful that with an added year of seasoning and the addition of Faine, coupled with the least discussed and likely most important acquisition in the off-season of Brian Griese, this team should be somewhat improved on offense and should be able to move the ball effectively even in the absence of Garcia. Then again, there are those constant rumors of Brett Favre circulating in every football market in the country these days. I’ll leave that business to the front office, though I have to admit, it is certainly an intriguing thought. Alas, the Almighty Favre has stated he prefers cooler weather. The return of Warrick Dunn brings competition to a fairly loaded backfield that also includes Cadillac Williams, Earnest Graham and Michael Bennett. With Cadillac’s availability questionable and Dunn’s age a lingering concern, Graham would appear to be the heavy favorite to carry the load for the team in 2008. Particularly after posting an impressive breakout campaign in 2007. Given last year’s return to a run-heavy presence by the Buccaneers, our offensive concerns now lie with the passing game.
The bigger question to be answered is the psychological state of Jeff Garcia after an off-season of deeply rooted criticism of the organization. Will Jeff Garcia be able to overcome what he feels was an underhanded effort by the team to rob him of duly earned money? After a long drought of inconsistent Offensive Line play following the departure of Paul Gruber in 1999, the line has become a seemingly cohesive unit that can be credited with the improvement in the running game in 2007, though when faced with a punishing Giants Pass Rush during the Wild Card game in the playoffs, the ghost of O-Line past seemed to surface once again. Last, will a receiving corps that added rookie Dexter Jackson and Free Agent acquisition Antonio Bryant be deep enough and improved enough to deliver an improved product to the Tampa Bay offense? These are the questions that need to be answered. Having watched the NFL Scouting Combine, I was intrigued by the pure speed of Dexter Jackson, but his size leaves much to be desired at the position (NOTE: He did not appear to be 5′9″ tall when watching the Combine). Antonio Bryant was a 1,000 Yard Receiver in Cleveland in 2005, but his off-field issues had him run out of San Francisco after his first season with the team in 2006. Speculation out of summer workouts is that Bryant has looked very impressive, but there is still doubt as to his ability to sustain this through Training Camp and into the season. Last, there will be huge questions lingering over Michael Clayton and Maurice Stovall. Stovall made a distinct impression with his special teams play prior to being injured last season, however, he has yet to translate his potential into pure receiving skills at the NFL level. Clayton, on the other hand, rushed out of the gate during his rookie campaign four years ago and has fallen into obscurity since. Last, will Joey Galloway be able to remain injury free as a 36-year old Wide Receiver?
The 2007 Buccaneers defense returned to prominence, however, they lacked the intense pass rush from the front four that defined the Tampa Two system that caught on ten years ago. Additionally, the unit saw the departure of Brian Kelly, a key component playing opposite Ronde Barber. To compensate, the team spent their first round pick on Cornerback Aqib Talib out of Kansa, however, speculation is that Talib will play the Nickel in 2008. There are also questions about his off-field issues, mostly centered around Marijuana. Feel free to correct me, but I do believe we drafted a defensive player in the mid-1990s with similar off-field issues and I do believe that guy might just end up with a bust in Canton. Phillip Buchanon was a surprisingly adequate player as a reserve, but will he be able to carry the load as a starter opposite the seasoned Barber? If the secondary corner is an exploitable position, the Buccaneers could face some serious problems in pass defense.
Training Camp is going to be the first glimpse of how these questions are going to be answered and I, as a fan of this team and a fan of the game, am looking forward to making my annual trip to Disney to watch the festivities and perhaps snap some action photos as I always do.
In all, I think the Bucs have a realistic shot to repeat as Division Champs, though I say that somewhat reluctantly given the history of the NFC South. Division history aside, and dependent on whether or not the Saints bounce back from a VERY inconsistent season, my pre-Training Camp prediction has the Buccaneers winning the division at 10-6, the Saints winning the wild card at 10-6, the Panthers showing moderate improvement based on the rookie additions of Otah and Stewart at 9-7 and the Falcons completely tanking at 3-13, despite the additions of Michael Turner and Matt Ryan. As I have stated emphatically in the past, I would never rest my season on the shoulders of a rookie Quarterback and I think that the growing pains are going to make it difficult for Turner to move out of the backfield, especially with the perceived lack of talent in their receiving corps.
Players I am most anxious to watch in Training Camp: Sabby Piscatelli, Aqib Talib, Antonio Bryant, Michael Clayton, Dexter Jackson, Warrick Dunn, Barrett Ruud and the entire Offensive and Defensive Line units.
I will revisit these questions and my pre-season prediciton once Training Camp and the Pre-Season wrap up. I am looking forward to the start of both the NFL and NHL seasons this fall and am hopeful that Gruden will be able to make the most out of a mixed-bag of offensive talent.