TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
2009 RECORD: 3-13-0
(4th in NFC South)
HEAD COACH: Raheem Morris
Key Additions: WR Reggie Brown (trade/Philadelphia), S Sean Jones (FA/Philadelphia)
Key Losses: WR Antonio Bryant (FA/Cincinnati), S Will Allen (FA/Pittsburgh), QB Byron Leftwich (trade/Pittsburgh)
Offense: After averaging just 288 yards per game and finishing 30th in the NFL with 244 points scored, the Buccaneers have a lot of work to do on offense.
Quarterback Josh Freeman showed some promise, but struggled for the most part during the '09 season. The second-year QB had 1,855 yards passing to go with 10 touchdowns, but threw 18 interceptions. Third-year player Josh Johnson is the backup.
Running back looks to be solid with Cadillac Williams and Derrick Ward handling the duties.
Williams ran for 823 yards and scored four times while Ward gained 409 yards after putting some impressive numbers the previous two years with the New York Giants. B.J. Askew will be the fullback.
The wide receivers include Michael Clayton, Sammie Stroughter (31 catches for 334 yards), Mike Williams and rookie Arrelious Benn. The tight end is Kellen Winslow, Jr., who led the Bucs with 77 catches for 884 yards and five TDs in 2009.
The men up front include center Jeff Faine, guards Davin Joseph and Jeremy Zuttah and tackles Donald Penn and Jeremy Trueblood.
Defense: Tampa Bay has prided itself over the years on having a good defense.
That was not the case last season as the Bucs simply could not stop the run, allowing a league high 158 yards per game. The pass defense was decent, finishing 10th in the NFL with 207 yards allowed per game.
Up front in the 4-3 scheme are two rookies at tackle. Brian Price and Gerald McCoy were drafted high by Tampa Bay and will be thrown right into the fire. The ends are Kyle Moore and Stylez G. White.
The linebackers are Barrett Ruud in the middle and outside backers Quincy Black and Geno Hayes.
The secondary has Aqib Talib and Ronde Barber at the corners and the safeties are Tanard Jackson and Sean Jones. Both Talib and Jackson picked off five passes a year ago as the Bucs finished the '09 season with 19 interceptions.
OUTLOOK: Playing in the NFC South with the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers is a daunting task for the young Buccaneers team.
Freeman will continue to develop in the system the Bucs employ and the running game will be the focus.
The defense has to improve against the run in 2010. That is why two highly touted rookies will be the starting defensive tackles.
This is clearly a team in the rebuilding stages after a sharp decline from two years ago when they lost their final four games after a 9-3 start. After finishing 3-13 a year ago, Head Coach Raheem Morris would like to see improvement.
A 4-12 finish looks to be what is in store for Tampa Bay this season, which would be an improvement from a year ago.
TEAM SCHEDULE:
Week 1- vs. Cleveland
Week 2- at Carolina
Week 3- vs. Pittsburgh
Week 4- Bye Week
Week 5- at Cincinnati
Week 6- vs. New Orleans
Week 7- vs. St. Louis
Week 8- at Arizona
Week 9- at Atlanta
Week 10- vs. Carolina
Week 11- at San Francisco
Week 12- at Baltimore
Week 13- vs. Atlanta
Week 14- at Washington
Week 15- vs. Detroit
Week 16- vs. Seattle
Week 17- at New Orleans
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