Sailing Around the World | Tampa Bay Bucs Franchise

[Mit]

Game: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Game: Madden 11
Platform: PS3
Difficulty: All-Madden

Thanks to Albidinis for the template for the banner.​

 

[Mit]

 

[Mit]

 

[Mit]

 

[Mit]

ed

 

[Mit]

Just

 

[Mit]

in

 

[Mit]

case.

Now you guys can post.

 

[Macken]

looks great so far

 

[Rudi]

Love your chises always. Glad to see you rolling on PS3 as well, just like me. We'll have to play some games.

 

[packersfan4eva]

Sick as always. Following for sure

 

[Mit]

Round 1 (#3 Overall): Gerald McCoy - DT - Oklahoma

Gerald McCoy is an excellent run-stopping defensive tackle and he provides an instant upgrade to the position for the Bucs. McCoy should be a really good player for years to come, as he has the work ethic to constantly improve. McCoy also has the explosiveness, power, and athleticism to push back the offensive lineman and provide pressure. If Suh was still on the board, the Bucs would have went with him, but instead they got McCoy, who is still an excellent player. Great pick for the Bucs.​

Grade: 10/10

Round 2 (#35 Overall): Brian Price - DT - UCLA

The Bucs drafted two defensive tackles with their first two picks in the NFL draft. They selected McCoy with the 3rd pick in the draft and then Brian Price with the 35th pick in the draft. McCoy and Price will be two guys that the Bucs are looking to rebuild their front seven around. Price is pretty much a lite version of Gerald McCoy. Price is a disruptive force against the run and has great strength, just like McCoy. Although, Price is not the ideal height for a defensive tackle. He can also be inconsistent sometimes with his pad level and footwork. Although, McCoy and Price will be two players that opposing lineman do not want to face. Another solid pick by the Bucs.​

Grade: 8.5/10

Round 2 (#39 Overall): Arrelious Benn - WR - Illinois

Last season, Josh Freeman struggled passing the ball because he did not have very many weapons on offense. He did have Kellen Winslow and Antonio Bryant, but he needed more. Bryant was let go in the offseason, so drafting a Wide Receiver was a priority for the team. The Bucs traded up three spots to snag Arrelious Benn in the 2nd round and the Bucs feel like they got a real special player. Benn is a big, athletic receiver, who can jump up and get the ball. He is also very dangerous after the catch with his speed and size. Benn does struggle with his route running, which is one aspect of his game that he needs to polish up. He has the potential to be a great #2 receiver for the Bucs.​

Grade: 8/10

Round 3 (#67 Overall): Myron Lewis - CB - Vanderbilt

There's no denying that veteran Corner, Ronde Barber, is only going to be getting older. The Bucs need to find an heir to Barber and Lewis can be that guy. Lewis is a big, physical corner, who has the ability to jam receivers at the line. He is also very quick and excels more at the line of scrimmage than in the open field, where his lack of recovery speed can cause him to get burned with the deep ball. Lewis also does not match up well against quicker receivers in man coverage, which will probably keep him from being the #1 corner on the team. Although, he will compliment Aqib Talib really well, as they should be a good Cornerback duo for the Bucs.​

Grade: 8.5/10

Round 4 (#101 Overall): Mike Williams - WR - Syracuse

When you hear the name Mike Williams, it makes you think about the receiver that the Lions drafted in the 1st round in the 2005 draft, who has not lived up to his potential. The Mike Williams from Syracuse, who the Bucs drafted, wants to make a name for himself in the NFL. The Bucs drafted a very athletic receiver, who is tall and has a good frame. He is explosive off the line and is a red zone threat with his outstanding leaping abilities. Also, Williams blocks very well for a receiver and does not take plays off. Although, drafting Williams does come with a price. Williams has a long history of character and attitude issues. He was caught cheating on a test and missed the entire 2008 season for that. Williams then quit the team in November 2009. The Bucs will really have to work hard to change this guy's attitude towards football, but he has a real chance at being the #1 receiver for the Bucs in the future if he works hard at it.​

Grade: 9/10

Round 6 (#172 Overall): Brent Bowden - P - Virginia Tech

Bowden is a pretty good punter and had a great season last year for the Hokies, Bowden has great leg strength and punts with poise and strength. He also has a tremendous work ethic, which will make him an even better punter. Although, there were other players on the board that the Bucs could have selected such as Jonathan Dwyer to bolster their backfield, but they did not.​

Grade: 5/10

Round 7 (#210 Overall): Cody Grimm - LB - Virginia Tech

There isn't too many good things you can say about Cody Grimm. I mean, he is a high motor, intelligent player, but he lacks the skillset to be a starter or even a backup in the league. Chances are, he will be a special teams specialist for the Bucs.​

Grade: 4/10

Round 7 (#217 Overall): Dekoda Watson - LB - Florida State

The Bucs got an absolute steal here in Watson. Watson fits the defensive scheme that the Bucs run and should be a good backup to Geno Hayes, who is also a former Nole. Watson is extremely versatile, as he can play both the inside and outside. He has also shown flashes of being a decent pass rusher in the future. Although, Watson is not very good in coverage and lacks proper technique to be a starter in the NFL.​

Grade: 9/10

Round 7 (#253 Overall): Erik Lorig - DE - Stanford

Lorig is an intriguing selection for the Bucs here. He is an extremely intelligent player, who has had his share of injuries in the past. He is a high motor end, who has size and strength, but lacks the athleticism to be good. He can end up as a possible reserve.​

Grade: 5/10

Overall

The Buccaneers were able to draft defensive lineman and a cornerback, which were two of the positions that they needed players in. They were unable to draft a safety or an offensive lineman, but those were not immediate concerns for the Bucs. Tanard Jackson and Sabby Piscitelli should hold up well as the safeties and the Bucs already have a decent offensive line. Their line just needs more depth. Overall, this was a very good draft for the Bucs. They got two guys in McCoy and Price, who the Bucs will look to build their defense around. Josh Freeman also got more offensive weapons in Mike Williams and Arrelious Benn and the Bucs may have found Ronde Barber's heir in Myron Lewis.​

Overall Draft Grade: B+​

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[Aso]

It looks good so far, I'll be following.

 

[Rudi]

Benn and Mike Williams could be sick WRs in the NFL if they pan out.

 

[Mit]

It looks good so far, I'll be following.

Thanks man. Glad to see that you're on board.

Benn and Mike Williams could be sick WRs in the NFL if they pan out.

I really like them a lot. I'm thinking of having them being the #2 and #3 receivers on my depth chart and Reggie Brown at #1. Benn would be facing corners like Charles Woodson, Chris Gamble, Asante Samuel, etc. Def not something a rookie should be doing. Plus, I'm digging Brown so far.

 

[Rudi]

Benn would be sick in the slot IMO

 

[Mit]

By ESPN Analyst Adam Schefter

Three Questions
1. Is Gerald McCoy the answer to the Bucs down-in-the-dumps defense?
The Bucs drafted Gerald McCoy when the Lions drafted Ndamukong Suh 2nd overall. The Bucs are hoping that he can restore the defensive swagger that the team had in the last decade. The Bucs were the definition of great defense, but that has not been the case the past few years. They were near last in run defense last season and that was the main reason for drafting McCoy, who will be playing alongside fellow rookie, Brian Price. McCoy has looked really sharp in training camp thus far. He has showed excellent work ethic and has exploded off the line of scrimmage to stop the run quite a few times. The fellow next to him on the defensive line, Brian Price, has struggled. He has not been able to get to the RB or QB with the ease that McCoy has. Price has also been a little too jumpy, as he has been offsides quite a few times. Regardless, these two guys are two major components in rebuilding this entire defense. Both should provide solid play this season and should be able to give the Bucs a boost in the run defense.

2. Is Aqib Talib ready to become a shutdown corner this year?
Aqib Talib has all the tools of becoming a shutdown corner, but he currently holds the "Great Cornerback" title. He is not mentioned amongst the best like Darrelle Revis, Nnamdi Asomugha, Asante Samuel, Leon Hall, etc. Talib is definitely in the top 13 of the best CB's in the league. I think this is the year that he steps it up. There is a chance Ronde Barber retires at the end of the season, as he is in the last year of his deal and he is also 35 years old. Talib is a very physical corner and must improve on his technical skills and becoming a better tackler to become one of the best. Arguably the best CB in the league, Darrelle Revis, is a great player all around. He has textbook form, can cover really well, and isn't afraid to tackle. With extensive practice, Talib will be in discussions with Revis and Asomugha by the end of the year.

3. Who is going to be starting alongside Aqib Talib?
Chances are, the rookie out of Vanderbilt, Myron Lewis, will be starting alongside Talib. Lewis is another physical CB, like Talib, who prefers to jam receivers at the line than cover them in the open field. Lewis will push Barber into the nickelback role, which is a good place for Barber at this point in his career. The Bucs hope that Lewis can pan out and become a solid #2 CB alongside Talib, as they would make a nice 1-2 combo.

Three Hot Issues
1. Can Josh Freeman lead this team?
2. Is Mike Williams ready to put his past behind him and mature on and off the field??
3. What can fans expect out of the Bucs this season

Biggest Surprise
Wide Receiver Reggie Brown has surprised coaches during training camps. He hasn't been dropping passes, he has been running his routes well, and he also has been working really hard to fix his mistakes. Brown has been a disappointment for Eagles fans, as he was supposed to be the WR for the future for them. Unfortunately, he did not pan out. If he wasn't getting the ball, he didn't really care if he played or not. The Bucs are giving him a chance to be the vet in the locker room and mentor the young receivers.

Biggest Disappointment
QB Josh Freeman was expected to make progress after a learning experience last season. Unfortunately, he has not shown this progress so far during training camp. He is still not able to locate passes where he wants to and he is still having trouble reading the defense. There were multiple times where Freeman was only looking for Kellen Winslow on passing plays. He needs to learn to spread the ball out, so that he can utilize all his weapons.

Observation Deck

• Defensive End Stylez G. White has been working really hard so far in training camp. Definitely a good sign from White, as this is a contract year for him.
  
  
• I saw Ronde Barber trying to cover Reggie Brown on a post pattern and Brown burned Barber on the play. Looks like Barber has lost a step or two since last season. There's no doubt that Barber's best days are behind him, but if he fails to perform well, Barber could be let go if he doesn't retire.
  
  
• Head Coach Raheem Morris is still unsure if he wants to start Sean Jones or Sabby Piscitelli at Strong Safety. Jones is good if the Bucs want to send him in on a safety blitz, but Piscitelli is a better tackler and is also faster. This is definitely one of the many position battles.

 

[Rudi]

Leon Hall a top corner in the league. I like it.

 

[Mit]

Leon Hall a top corner in the league. I like it.

Haha yessir.

 

[Woy]

Following.