Tampa Bay Bucs: Serious Team Needs in 2012

Other than all-new coaching at Head Coach, Offensive Coordinator, and Secondary Coaching. Seriously. This has been a baaaaaaad year.

Need listed by position from QB onward:

Quarterback: While Josh Freeman has certainly slipped from his sophomore year, he still has the skill sets to be a franchise QB. The depth concern is there with backup Josh Johnson demonstrating this year why he's still riding a bench... and I think this off-season Josh is a free agent who might jump elsewhere. The Bucs can't draft too high, but they could look at bringing in a long-term project in the later rounds.

Need: Low Projected Draft Spot: Sixth Round

Running Back/Fullback: Blount is a bulldozer with leaping abilities. He's the first real yard-gaining threat on the team since Cadillac Williams' rookie year. The problem is that he's currently used in running situations ONLY: the Bucs do not like to have him out there in passing plays... even though the guy they've sent out there - Lumpkin - may be a decent catcher but a lousy ground gainer. You'd want to keep defenses guessing pass or run play, and obvious personnel changes like that don't help. A third-down alternate-type RB would be an option here, someone akin to Warrick Dunn. It depends on the needs (cornerback!) the Bucs have that are higher priority (CB! CB! CB!), which would force the need at RB down into the mid-rounds of the draft. I'd like to believe that a good smallish-fast-durable scatback RB can be found by the Third Round...

Need: High Projected Draft Spot: Third Round

Wide Receiver: The Bucs still don't have a Marquee-name receiver that would strike fear into the hearts of defenses, that's true. But the WR corps we have - especially Benn, Williams and Stroughter as the major guys - are still young and show room for improvement. If Williams can get back on the same page with Freeman, and stop dropping passes... well it'd be 2010 all over again, which would be nice (understatement). If there's anything wrong it's lack of experience (the oldest guy is now, what, Michael Spurlock?!), so drafting ANOTHER young receiver might not be a good idea. Unless it's a sure-fire, lights-out, speedster-with-hands WR that can catch 10 TDs a season GUARANTEED, the Bucs shouldn't be wasting a draft pick here.

Need: Low Projected Draft Spot: None

Tight End: There's a love-hate problem with Kellen Winslow IMHO. I love that he's a great receiver, that he can get yards and first downs. I hate that the passing game seems to over-rely on him especially in Red Zone situations where the opposing defenses triple-team him and snag those painful INTs. It's like we're constantly trying to force touchdowns his way (damn you fantasy leagues). Past that, the team needs at TE are pretty low right now, having used this year's draft to snag Luke Stocker. If depth concerns are here, they can be better resolved through free agency.

Need: Low Projected Draft Spot: None

Offensive Tackle: In 2010 the Bucs had a patchwork offensive line and it worked. In 2011 we had a more stable lineup and it's not working as well. Left Tackle is anchored by Donald Penn, who's actually underrated and does play reasonably well. The problems are 1) the Right Tackle currently anchored by Jeremy Trueblood who is not the best choice for OT, and 2) healthy reliable backups. The Bucs should really consider going after a Right Tackle, which can be had in the mid-rounds of the draft as the more-valued Left Tackles get taken off the boards first.

Need: High Projected Draft Spot: Third to Fifth Rounds

Offensive Guard: Our starters here - Davin Joseph and Jeremy Zuttah (for the most part) - are pretty good. Problem is that Zuttah might be better suited to play Center, especially if/when C Faine departs the team (which I think is this offseason as a FA). Depth concerns would definitely crop up, and it would also be a question of how well our current OGs - Ted Larsen especially - continue to play/stay healthy.

Need: Middle Projected Draft Spot: Seventh Round

Center: Jeff Faine may leave, but Zuttah can slide over from Guard without a problem. The concern here would be for future development. Not really needed.

Need: None Projected Draft Spot: None

Kicker: Connor Barth is still playing well as the FG kicker (with Punter Koenen taking care of kickoffs). All things considered, drafting a Kicker is more of an indulgence than a need, and the Bucs can rely on the UFA part of the draft to sign a decent kicker on the cheap without wasting a pick that could take care of higher needs.

Need: None Projected Draft Spot: None

Defensive End: Bucs just used two top draft picks in 2011 - Clayborn and Bowers - for DEs. Clayborn is proving to be a solid pass-rusher pick and Bowers is now coming off the knee injury concerns and showing signs of being a beast himself. Backup depth is with solid veterans - Bennett and Crowder - and in most respects drafting here is not a priority.

Need: None. Projected Draft Spot: None

Defensive Tackle: The middle of the D-line was the focus of the team's draft two years ago. While Gerald McCoy has shown some injury problems, the other top pick Brian Price has shown to be a decent force in the middle (when he's healthy as well). The biggest concern here is keeping these guys healthy. Regarding the backups, Roy Miller is still young (2009 draftee) and not too shabby but still needs to improve. The other issue is the very recent waiver pickup Albert Haynesworth: once a very feared DT, his last two stops with the Redskins and Patriots were disappointments (oy vey). While he's shown some motor during his brief stop with Tampa, if he stays with the team that questionable motivation has to be fixed big time...

Need: None. Projected Draft Spot: None.

Outside Linebacker: Arguably the biggest disappointment of the defense this season. Quincy Black re-upped with the team and quickly lost the ability to tackle guys. Geno Hayes showed up for 2-3 games and then fell into the Bermuda Triangle. Past Dekoda Watson, the Bucs have no depth with the LB corps. The big argument right now is whether the Bucs should draft a Cornerback first or if all the best CBs are already taken to go after best-available OLB...

Need: Very High. Projected Draft Spot: Second Round.

Middle Linebacker: Getting Mason Foster in this year's draft was considered a good thing. But considering the overall bad play of the LB corps and the defense as a whole... It may be that Foster needs another year or two to really get things going right. The real concern is depth: the LB corps looks pretty meager when counting the roster. Would bringing in another young MLB work, or should the Bucs pursue a decent-value FA as mentor/reliable backup?

Need: Low Projected Draft Spot: Seventh Round.

Cornerback: Welcome to my nightmare, and the nightmare of 20,000 Bucs fans crying in the wilderness. While there's been a combination of factors - the coaches' attempt to shift away from a Cover scheme to a Man scheme, the failure to develop the middle-round picks like Myron Lewis, injuries and off-field woes, etc. - the simple fact is that the CB corps is facing the departure of Ronde Barber to retirement (he can't play forever), and the possibility of Talib facing prison time for a shooting incident back in Texas. There is almost no depth or talent here past Talib (who isn't as good as he needs to be anyway). There's not only a need for best available rookie CB in the First Round, but the Bucs really have to pursue decent talent in the FA to add a veteran with skills... The good news with having a losing season is that Tampa's now looking at a Top 10 pick... and that the way the draft is setting up a good Corner can slip to the Bucs with little fuss...

Need: Very High Projected Draft Spot: First Round

Safety: The other other problem with the defense. In theory, our starters - Tanard Jackson, Sean Jones, Cody Grimm - are supposed to be good. In practice... Jackson needs to avoid off-field distractions, both Jones and Jackson need to re-learn the art of TACKLING, and Grimm is showing the sad habit of season-ending injuries. The bigger problem is that the Bucs' needs elsewhere - Corner, OLB, ROT, RB - may keep the Bucs from drafting high enough for a reliably good Safety to fix our woes here. On the other hand, the drafting of Safeties in recent years has not been a priority across the whole league, so the odds of good ones slipping down isn't too frightening. The Bucs should consider an aggressive FA push to find a value veteran as well...

Need: High Projected Draft Spot: Fifth to Sixth Rounds

Punter: The Bucs already have Michael Koenen, the BEST FREE AGENT SIGNING IN TEAM HISTORY (kinda: Hardy Nickerson was more Plan B than Free Agent so...). No need.

Need: None. Projected Draft Spot: None.

SO there we have it. Bucs should be looking at this kind of draft:

First Round: Cornerback

Second Round: Outside Linebacker

Third Round: Right Offensive Tackle

Fourth Round: Traded

Fifth Round: Running Back

Sixth Round: Safety

Seventh Round: Best available value pick

Compensatorys: Depends on what we get.