 |
| Search |
|
|
|
|
NFC South
Coaching: Jon Gruden is on the hot seat. He has yet to perform well enough to justify the amazing price the Bucs paid to extract him from OAK. His staff will likely pay for his and their inconsistent performance. Look for some wholesale changes here in the offseason.
Offense: QB Jeff Garcia was Da Man. He’s been a winner everywhere he’s been, and still gets little respect. He played Gruden’s offense to perfection and only faltered when his supporting cast let him down. Forget Chris Simms or the other 247 QB’s that were on the roster. Garcia should be Da Man next year. Cadillac Williams needs to stay healthy at RB, but if not, the team has quite serviceable help in the form of Earnest Graham (who?) and the ever-present Michael Pittman. Graham was so good in relief that Michael Bennett hardly saw the field. At WR, Joey Galloway and Ike Hilliard had serviceable years – but both are eligible for AARP. Maurice Stovall was hurt, and Michael Clayton was inconsistent. None of the backups seemed to shine in any way. At TE, Jerramy Stevens showed signs of life before getting hurt, and Alex Smith got hurt and then showed signs of life. The OL was always in flux, but the youngsters including Davin Joseph and Jeremy Trueblood made headway. Look for continued rebirth along the line. John Wade, the longtime OC, may be on his way to the pasture, opening a hole for another youngster. B.J. Askew and a cast of thousands handled the FB slot; longtime Buc Mike Alstott will finally retire this year after sitting on the IR from Week 2 on.
Defense: Gaines Adams developed at one DE, and after the underwhelming Greg Spires went down, Greg White (who?) showed flashes at the other DE slot. Chris Hovan and Jovan Haye (who?) were serviceable at the DT holes. Hovan is getting up there in years, so look for the Bucs to spend some money to upgrade here over the next couple years. At LB, Barrett Ruud was quite serviceable at the IB slot, and the ageless Derrick Brooks and newcomer Cato June were quite good outside. When June was hurt, Ryan Nece was there to step in. Ronde Barber, Phillip Buchanan, and Brian Kelley rotated among the CB slots. Kelley is getting injury prone and Buchanan is finally living up to expectations; look for Kelley to retire soon and for the Bucs to get more secondary help in the offseason. At S, rookie Tanard Jackson and Jermaine Phillips were quite serviceable and onetime starter Will Allen was a capable backup.
Offense: Nothing much to say here. XK Matt Bryant and XP Josh Bidwell were competent, as were the coverage and return units. Nothing good, nothing bad.
Offseason: The Bucs HAVE to continue a youth movement. In particular, the WRs are old, Derrick Brooks, Brian Kelley, Ronde Barber, and Chris Hovan are old. The OL still has some holes. Look for action in the free agent market AND in the draft to address these issues. But, the good news is that there is a solid core here now that the QB situation seems to be solidified. Realistically, Garcia has only a few more years left – but maybe the Bucs can continue to rebuild around him whilst grooming a QB – any QB – to be his successor.
EFSports Fantasy Football
© Copyright 2003 by EFSNews.com
Top of Page
|
|
|
NFC South
Latest Headlines
|
|