Here’s another opinion piece for Bucs Life News.

Here are a few reasons to be optimistic about the Buccaneers in 2019. Bruce Arians is officially the head coach of the Bucs. The team will finally have a competent head coach. Bruce Arians has a 61.9% winning percentage as a head coach in six years of being a head coach. Don Shula is the winningest NFL head coach of all time with a 67.7% winning percentage over 33-years as a head coach, so I’ll take a coach with a 61.9% winning percentage. In his six years of head coaching experience, Arians had only had one losing record.

2013 with AZ: 10-6
2014 with AZ: 11-5
2015 with AZ: 13-3
2016 with AZ: 7-8-1
2017 with AZ: 8-8

Obviously, the three areas that have to improve the most are the secondary, the offensive line and the running game. The Bucs defense finished the season ranked as the second to last worst defense in the NFL, at #31 out of 32.

Arians knows how to evaluate and develop talent. Arians is a great offensive minded coach and is often referred to as a QB whisperer. Arians likes Jameis Winston a lot and can probably develop Winston a lot further into a potential star QB. There were some questions regarding who is going to be joining Arians in Tampa Bay but now that had been hired those questions have been answered. Harold Goodwin, who was Arians will come in as the running game coordinator and Olines coach, former NFL QB Byron Leftwich will be the offensive coordinator, and call plays, and Clyde Christensen as the QBs coach. Arians also reached out to former HC and his former DC at Arizona 2013-2014, Todd Bowles and he is bringing in Kacy Rodgers as Lines coach. During that time Arizona had a top ranking defense.

This past season, statistically, Tampa Bay had the most prolific offense in the NFL and in Bucs franchise history. Obviously, there are still some glaring and obvious needs on this team with several areas of concern that need to be addressed and improved in the offseason. Many of those areas of concern, as far as player personnel is considered, I addressed in my previous opinion piece that is posted on Bucs Life News Facebook page.

Even with the team that we had this year, combined with all of the injuries, especially on defense, despite the team finishing 5-11, there were six games that the Bucs only lost by a touchdown or less.

Pittsburgh: 30-27
@Atlanta: 34-29
@Cincinnati: 37-34
@NYG: 38-35
@Dallas: 27-20
Atlanta: 34-32

A few of the other close losses include losing to Baltimore by 8, New Orleans by 14, Washington by 13 and Carolina by 14. The only game that the Bucs got blown out in was @Chicago, 48-10. If the Bucs take away six of those losses that were only by a touchdown or less and make them wins, this team, as bad as it was is 11-5, in the playoffs and in the hunt for the Super Bowl.

There is talk that the Bucs have a legitimate chance at landing Le’Veon Bell. I’m still on the fence about whether I want him or not, or whether the team needs him or not or if they can afford him with all of the other areas of concern that need to be addressed. Either way, this team really needs a legitimate, consistent running game to take the pressure off of Winston.

If some of the right moves are made this offseason, the salary cap is not going to be an issue. After releasing several guys that need to be let go, there will be plenty of cap space to work with to sign some big name free agents. Having the fifth overall pick in the draft is huge. As long as the front office makes some wise choices in the draft, this team is going to be ready to compete for the NFC South title in 2019. Go Bucs!

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The Buccaneers have hired 66-year-old Arians for the head coaching position.

Arians first stated that he would only be interested in returning to head coaching if he could to take over the HC spot in Cleveland. After letting Tampa know that their vacant spot was intriguing to him mutual interests flared.

Quarterback Jameis Winston was likely the main source of Arians’ intrigue and Tampa’s reason for looking into Arians, to begin with. Arians and Winston have a prior connection.

Per Ian Rapoport:

The #Bucs are signing Bruce Arians to a 4-year deal with a fifth-year option, source said. Among the coaches Arians hopes to finalize deals with: Harold Goodwin as Run Game Coordinator/OLine, Byron Leftwich as Pass Game Coordinator and Clyde Clyde Christensen as QB coach.

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Quarterbacks are the most important position for a football team. They are the leaders of the offense and are usually getting paid the most. The college football scene has a plethora of very good quarterbacks this season. There are numerous teams in the market for a young gunslinger. Alabama, Ohio State, and Clemson all have elite quarterbacks under center. Where will they land in the NFL only time will tell?

Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins has already declared for the 2019 NFL draft. He will be one of the top picks this year. The quarterbacks won’t start coming off the board until possibly pick #5. Tampa Bay, New York Giants and Jacksonville Jaguars will possibly be looking at quarterbacks. Haskins is an absolute stud coming out of Ohio State. He had an incredible year. Haskins is 6-3 and weighs 220 lbs. he is the perfect size to play the position at the next level. Haskins played in 14 games in 2018 and went 373-533. He had a completion rating of 70% and threw for almost 4,900 yards. He tossed 50 touchdowns with only 8 interceptions. Haskins will be a prized pick for someone in 2019.

The next two quarterbacks haven’t declared for the draft and one of them can’t declare until 2021. Clemson Tiger quarterback Trevor Lawrence can’t officially declare for the NFL Draft until 2021. He has to be three years removed from high school, which hasn’t happened yet. He put on an absolute showcase in the National Title game vs Alabama. In 2018, Lawrence threw for 3,280 yards with 30 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. He is a Georgia product that shattered several of the state’s school records. He is 6’5 and 205 lbs. He will undoubtedly improve over the next 3 seasons at Clemson. Lawrence will have teams running for the phones to start improving their draft selection in 2021.

Tua Tagovailoa was the runner-up in the Heisman trophy race in the 2018 season. He led the Crimson Tide to the National Championship game. He is on the smaller side only standing 6’1 and 218 pounds. Tua is a rare breed that can run the ball and possess an absolute cannon from inside the pocket. The Tide was an unstoppable force this season on offense. Tua led the charge going 245-355 for 3,966 yards. He threw 43 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. Can he make it in the NFL? I believe he can the kid can make every throw scouts want and has a very high football IQ. Tua is going to be the perfect fit for the right system. He has yet to announce that he will be going to the NFL.

NCAA football is producing quarterbacks that are producing eye-popping stat lines and the NFL better be on notice. These quarterbacks are franchise changing guys. Teams better start making calls to get as many picks in the first round as possible because these guys won’t last forever and if you’re lucky enough to get one it could be the beginning of something special for your franchise. Other notable quarterbacks to look at if Tua doesn’t enter the draft with Haskins are Drew Lock (Missouri), Will Grier (West Virginia), and Ryan Finley (NC State).

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The only team that may know more about kicking woes than the Chicago Bears is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The role of kicker has been a revolving door since the days of Martin Gramatica. The Buccaneers have been the laughing-stock of the NFL when it comes down to late game heroics from the kicker. They just can’t seem to get it right. The Buccaneers even selected the nation’s best collegiate kicker in Roberto Aguayo, and he turned out to be the worst one of them all. That could all be forgotten with one free agent move: Robbie Gould.

The former Bears, Giants, and current 49ers kicker is set to hit the free agent market. He has been about as good as it gets when talking about kickers. In fact, Chicago Bears fans were surprised that he was even let go after the 2015 season.  Gould went 33 of 34 in the 2018 season. That is a 97.1% success rate on field goals. Think about how many more wins the Buccaneers would have if our kickers made 97% of their attempts. Robbie Gould has missed three field goals since the 2016 season. He will be the “Gould” standard for free agents if your team is looking for a kicker.

Robbie Gould will be entering his 15th year as an NFL kicker. He is 36 years old and last season made $2 million in base salary and another $250,000 in bonuses for the San Francisco 49ers. In his career, Gould is 358-408 on field goal attempts made. That puts him at 87.8%. He is 454-465 on made extra points, which is 97.6%. Tampa Bay should look into the possibility of signing Gould for the 2019 season. Our window is still open, but the kicking game needs to get better, and Gould could be the answer in Tampa. We have the money to make a move like this, but if we don’t Cairo Santos will be serviceable for the Buccaneers. I know many of you will agree that it is time to start making some important kicks in Tampa.

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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will go into the 2019 NFL season with one quarterback on the roster. Jameis Winston proved to the organization that he is capable of leading the Buccaneers by his play late in the 2018 season. Backup quarterbacks Ryan Griffin and Ryan Fitzpatrick are both unrestricted free agents. Who will Tampa Bay bring in to compete with Winston in 2019?

Let’s take a look at the free agents.

The 2019 market for quarterbacks will definitely be limited, but there are some names that could land in Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers will probably take a look at the current starting quarterback in Philadelphia: Nick Foles. He has done just about everything to prove he is still a viable choice to lead a playoff team. Foles is a story unlike no other in the NFL. He went from retiring/ looking for another career to Super Bowl MVP. In 2018 he was thrust into action when Carson Wentz went down due to injury. Foles threw for 1,413 yards and 7 touchdowns. His career numbers are 11,165 yards and 68 touchdowns. He has a completion rating of 88.5%. Nick Foles would be a hard get in Tampa Bay due to the plethora of teams that will be undoubtedly calling him this offseason.

The next free agent quarterback on the market is New Orleans Saints backup: Teddy Bridgewater. He is still on the comeback trail since his 2015 knee injury that left fans covering their eyes. He is still young and can chuck the ball all over the field. In his lone game of 2018, Bridgewater threw for 118 yards and a touchdown. In his short career, Bridgewater has thrown for 6,268 yards, 29 touchdowns, and 23 interceptions. He has a completion rating of 64.6%. What sets him apart from other free agents is his ability to run and improvise outside the pocket. He has played with the Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints. It would be a tough sell for fans due to his inability to stay healthy.

This quarterback is someone that most wouldn’t consider, but the Baltimore Ravens are shopping Joe Flacco. The Buccaneers would be smart to get on the phone to inquire what the Ravens asking price is on the veteran quarterback. He’s had a marvelous career in Baltimore that includes a Super Bowl victory. He, unfortunately, has been benched for an unproven mobile quarterback in Lamar Jackson. Flacco has thrown for 38,245 yards, 212 touchdowns, and 136 interceptions. He has a career completion rating of 84.1%. In 2018, Flacco (4-5) threw for almost 2,500 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions. Those are pretty good stats for someone who was benched. Jameis Winston went 4-5 in 2018. He threw for 2,992 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions.  This, in my opinion, is who the Buccaneers should take a serious look at in 2019 to start over or back up Jameis Winston in 2019.

The Buccaneers will sign one of the mentioned quarterbacks in this free agent class, but will probably look at the draft to bring in someone to compete. If they want to look at the immediate future Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins has declared for the 2019 draft. The Buccaneers have too many other positions that need to be addressed before that happens (secondary and offensive line). It will be a fun offseason in Tampa Bay, so stay tuned for upcoming news from Bucs Life News and All Things Bucs.

There are some honorable mentions in this class: Brock Osweiler, Tyrod Taylor, or Ryan Fitzpatrick.

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2016 brought us Jon Hoke-secondary coach and Brett Maxie-defensive backs coach hired by Dirk Koetter, fresh off the dumpster fire that was/is Lovie Smith. Looking at the numbers from 2016-2018 these two should have been fired along with Mike Smith. 72.5 % completion from opposing Quarterback this year is just offensive, running just one coverage all year is too.

With Bruce Arians set to negotiate a deal with Tampa to be the next head coach, he still has a say on who stays and goes; These two have no chance of staying. Since they were hired in 2016, they were responsible for over 12,000 passing yards and 80 passing TD’s thrown on our defense, yet these guys lasted this long.

I get that the coaches don’t play on the field, but they are responsible for teaching the players. The Tampa secondary has been horrible under Jon and Brett’s tutelage, so I guarantee Bruce Arians is cleaning house. I’m betting he, and Todd Bowles brings in their guys to coach our young secondary. I for one, can’t wait for this to happen and I’m even willing to order a U-haul and even help move Brett and Jon myself.

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The 2019 draft is closing in again, and the Buccaneers have the 5th pick in the first round. There’s been a lot of chatter circulating about the selection and the overall needs of the Buccaneers on both sides of the ball. A new head coach may want an entirely different scheme defensively, if we’re still are looking at a 4-3 defense over the next few years, then there will be a need for future investment, during this draft.

Our star defensive tackle, and only true 3-technique DT, Gerald McCoy could be facing retirement, release, or a restructured contract soon. While some think it’s time to move on, losing McCoy open’s a massive hole on the defensive line, especially without a suitable replacement. I think 4-3 star DT Quinnen Williams from The Alabama Crimson Tide would be the suitable replacement for McCoy in future years.

Kalyn Kahler of Sports Illustrated had this to say about him:

“He is a one-year producer for Alabama, but he has had a breakout year. He’s slippery, he can win with quickness, and power which is hard to find. A really good technician knows how to use his hands, so he’s hard to block. He’s put together a really nice season, and I think he and Raekwon Davis play off each other well. Raekwon is so disruptive with power, and this guy can be so disruptive with his quickness, and power. He is a really instinctive player. He has a really good feel of where the ball is going. As much hype as he’s getting, he might come out of the draft, but he is only 19 years old. Is he ready to be a grown man, and be an adult in the league?”

You can view the original article here:  NFL Draft 2019: Scouts’ Takes on the Loaded Defensive Line Class.

Jon Ledyard of TheDraftNetwork.com talked about his Pro’s and Con’s:

Pros: Exceptional power and violence in his hands. Displaces blockers with power and is almost never pushed around. Controls exchanges at the line of scrimmage with terrific hand placement and torque. Terrific job processing his keys and attacking, difficult to reach in the run game. Drops anchor vs. doubles and rarely gets displaced despite his size.

Despite playing from a square stance, still shows a quick first step off the snap. Reaction timing to the snap is excellent, quickly finds his opponent’s edge and shows the power and flexibility to turn tight corners to the pocket. Quick-footed will lull blockers to sleep and then burst by them.

Cons: Not the biggest or longest defensive lineman. Can’t always maintain a preferable distance from blockers with full arm extension, which can make stacking and shedding a bit messy at times. Stance will need work, often plays from a square stance in college and will benefit from playing more staggered in the NFL.

As a pass rusher, I would like to see him eventually incorporate more counters into his arsenal. He can sometimes get hung up on his first move. So, he could benefit from some quicker transitions to counters.”

You can view the original article here:  2019 NFL DRAFT PLAYER PROFILE: QUINNEN WILLIAMS.

He’s a younger player at age 19, but this can be an advantage in the long run when it comes to training and growth. At 6’3″ 285lbs he will inevitably bulk up and get stronger as he ages, and by the time he’s 21, he could be the full-time replacement for the undoubtedly retired Gerald McCoy. Playing next to players like Vita Vea and Jason Pierre-Paul will allow him to develop chemistry for years to come. With the team in the condition, it’s in on both sides of the ball, this would be an opportune time to draft for the future of Buccaneers, and Quinnen Williams would be an amazing selection.

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