It's uncertain how much of a weapon Phillips would be as a pass-rusher from the WLB slot. He has just three career sacks from the safety position. However, the team is confident that Phillips can provide the rugged and sure tackling they need out of their linebackers, and his coverage pedigree is obviously strong given his years as a defensive back. Even though the safety-to-linebacker experiment caught some observers by surprise, it's actually fairly natural for Phillips. At 6-2 and 230 pounds, he's a big safety and in the same general area as most of the Bucs' linebackers. Brooks, for instance, usually played a few pounds shy of 230 during his prime. Phillips has also long been known as a hard-hitter.
Of course, Phillips is not the only candidate for the weakside starting job; far from it. The Buccaneers are eager to see what they have in recent draft picks Quincy Black (2007 third round) and Geno Hayes (2008 sixth round) and both could figure into the competition.