Miami Dolphins/Tampa Bay Bucs: Evaluation
 

Evaluation and some notes:

Offense:
- Freeman started shaky but began to pick it as he got comfortable. Shaky and erratic passes (missed an easy throw to a Wideopen kellen Winslow.). I'm not worried about Freeman though.

- Blount had a nice run after catch. He's a beast who can hit the home run as well. 5 caries for 10 yards isn't good at all, but honestly, I don't think he's running hard. Gotta stay healthy, regarding our depth and the position he plays. He'll be full go week 1.

- Jeff Faine needs to go and he needed to be cut this offseason. He's awful and he looks lighter. He even said he shed weight to 280s LB area. That is small for an o-lineman. Zuttah is going to be our Center.

- Please make Brandon Carter push for Larsen's LG spot. He's a mauler and a nasty dude who will get physical. This is a guy who SHUT DOWN Suh and McCoy in college. Dude's got game if he can do that.

- I think Hardy, TE drafted in round 7, is going to be cut. Just seems to have stone hands.

DEFENSE:

- D-line looks good. Okam was a nice pick up. Run-stuffing NT that we have been looking for and I think we have a good DT rotation.

- Pass Rush is finally existant in Tampa again.

- Dekoda Watson HAS to get on the field. Geno Hayes, YOU SUCK MAN! Raheem has been nothing but sing Dekota Watsons praises in TC and Preseason. He also said he can play all 3 LB positions, so replace Geno Hayes please. Watson at least makes plays. THANK YOU!

- Thankfully Aqib Talib won't be suspended this year. This shows how much he means to our secondary. Biggers is not a #1 nor maybe even #2 CB in this league. He was abused tonight and Henne, YES Chad freakin Henne picked on him. He's a good nickle type of CB, anmd that's his best position.

- Depending on how Myron Lewis pans out, CB is got to be the Bucs number 1 need. If Talib is found guilty, he's done. Meaning, we need a top flight CB.

- Larry Assante is the best Safety right now on this defense (well, until Tanard Jackson comes back). He is going to take Sean Jones' position. He is terrible. I was glad to see Assante get playing time with the 1's.

- Grimm looks different out there. I hope it's just the leg injury being not 100% yet, but he looks slow and unaware of things.



Thoughts?

We should have drafted Dunlap instead of Patrick Starfish aka Price. Roy Miller and Frank the Tank are better than Price. I know it's early an Price has been hurt, but that's all I could think about after watching Price get hit by Pouncey and then was slow to get up. Dude's out of shape and seems like he isn't ready to be a pro.

Hardy had a great catch and run when JJ was in @ QB. My feed died so I didn't get to see much after that.

Faine is a bum. I will be beating this drum all year.

Couldn't agree more, although I would have went CB or OL in round 2 over Price. I like our DE situation right now.

BTW, that was a cheap shot by Pouncey on Price.

I'm not down on Price. The Bucs love tape and Price's tape was as good as ANYBODY's that year...plus he was the youngest DT in the NFL last season so he's still developing physically (if he ever gets healthy).

Zuttah replaced Ted Larsen in the 2nd quarter with the 1st stringers, so there's hope that Larsen will be gone soon. I'd like to keep him as Zuttah's backup at OC while Carter starts at LG but it looks like Zuttah is getting first crack at LG. Whatever, Faine is average at best, Zuttah's snaps have improved quite a bit from last season and is probably the best OC on the roster.

I didn't have a problem with Biggers' coverage on Marshall. He was right there, his feet got tangled, he fell. It happens, his coverage was excellent. He's not a #1 CB but is a good #2.

Freeman being off scares me. He's throwing off his back foot even when he has time. THis is just me being nervous, hopefully, but if his mechanics or confidence is off right now, it could be a season long issue. Of course, he is far ahead of where he was last season at this point in preseason considering he didn't play after week 1.

The thing about Zuttah is he's been tried out at G many times and was an absolute fail there. He is a better center. Carter has a mean streak that you love and is perfect for our power blocking scheme. You have to remember, is the blocking scheme change a struggle for guys like Larsen and James Lee, who have had poor offseasons?

How do we know Larsen and Lee had poor offseasons? If you want to argue that they are more finesse players and are poor fits for the power scheme, then okay. But you and I have no idea how anybody's offseason went.

I completely disagree about Zuttah failing at OG. He was beat out be Keydrick Vincent, he replaced Davin Joseph the year before, and it both cases he played well enough. And if he at least plays average, that's a big upgrade over Larsen. I like Carter at LG more,one because he's a mauler and a manbeast, but two, because it frees Zuttah up to replace weak-link #2, Jeff Faine.

Next season, I think we go into the draft thinking that getting a good RT is the priority.

What I meant by offseason, I meant poor preseason play and TC play. Sorry if you misunderstood that.

Yes, RT and CB are probably at the top of the list for next offseason as needs.

I don't even think Dunlap is a starter dude. He's a situational pass rushing 290 pounder than can't stop the run. Price is out-of-shape because he had a serious injury. He's young and dominant when healthy. Give him time. Frank the tank looks awesome and Miller is always solid but Price brings something different, a quick, stout disruptive interior player.

Faine should be cut. He's too small and bigger guys just bull their way past him. Zuttah should be a starter somewhere in the interior. I don't understand the value of Faine...if his veteran leadership is so crucial (line calls), why was NE sending 3-4 free blitzers at us all game?

Freeman is off, and it's not just a minor hiccup. He hasn't been setting his feet and he's missed ever single throw I've seen him attempt when there are defenders in his face disrupting his rhythm. Detroit will be in his face quite a bit with the weak links we have on the OL, so I'm worried that his struggles will carry over to start the year.

We cut Brandon Carter today, WTF !!!???

Yeah I don't understand. He's been better than Larsen. Maybe he got hurt?

Because Carter wasn't that good?
He's too finesse in run blocking for a guy who is supposedly physical.

Zuttah will be the starting LG by 9/11.

I still prefer Zuttah at Center.

Honestly, what about Derek Hardmen? I mean, he broke out last year by containing Suh very well and played excellent when he started in place of Joseph.

Yeah i like Hardman, he's been pretty quite.

Yeah. I honestly don't know what most Buc fans are thinking in quickly to replace Larsen with Zuttah. Zuttah struggled at LG early last year and couldn't beat out Vincent either. Yet, he played very good at Center, which is his prime position.

Off-season goals:

Dump Faine, promote Zuttah to starter at C.

Last two drafts we went DT, DE first two selections. I really wouldn't be suprised to see us go O-line (LG & RT) first two selections.

Replace Hayes with Watson.

I'd be a happy camper.

Finally someone with some sense!

Looks accurate to me. I don't see LB being a need anymore, nor does our CB/S situation look so dire anymore. OL and RB are the biggest needs. I'd love to see us take Andrew Datko and Brandon Washington.