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Offseason Needs? Rusher, Backs

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By ROY CUMMINGS | The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 28, 2008

TAMPA - It could come later today, or down the road, in a week or two. Either way, the end of the season is near. When it gets here the Bucs will quickly turn their attention to free agency and the draft.

Both may require more attention than usual this year. After all, if the past three weeks have taught us anything about this year's Bucs, it's that they're not quite as good as their 9-3 start suggested.

Like just about every other team in the league, they have some glaring weaknesses and some areas that need to be patched up. With that in mind here's a look at the five areas the Bucs need to address most in the offseason.

PASS RUSH

The departure of defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin is not likely to lead to a departure from the Cover 2 scheme the Bucs have employed since Kiffin arrived here 13 years ago.

The Bucs have built their defense around the Cover 2 but it's been weakened by the lack of an elite pass rusher. There's still hope Gaines Adams can be that elite player, but the Bucs can no longer wait for Adams to develop.

Whether it's through free agency or the draft, the Bucs must add a dominant pass-rushing end, even if it means signing or drafting a right end and permanently moving Adams to the left side.

Adams has improved as a run stopper and he'll have to be a good one if he's going to play the left side, but with a dominant rusher on the right and Adams on the left, the Bucs could once again dominate defensively.

RUNNING BACK

Earnest Graham is coming off a season-ending ankle injury, Warrick Dunn will soon be 34 and Cadillac Williams may forever remain a shadow of the player who once won rookie of the year honors.

The bottom line here is the Bucs just aren't sure of what they have in their top three backs. If all are healthy and playing at an optimum level, fine. But what's the likelihood all will always be healthy and playing their best?

The Bucs need to think not just about the 2009 season here, but about 2010, 2011 and 2012, when Dunn and maybe even Graham or Williams are gone. That means drafting a feature back of the future.

We're not suggesting the Bucs spend a first-round pick on this position. But if they can get a future contributor who could possibly develop into a future star in the second or third round, they should not hesitate.

WIDE RECEIVER

If you look deep into this position, the ranks here are not only thin, but also they're aging.

Joey Galloway just turned 37, Ike Hilliard will soon be 33, and beyond that there isn't much they can be sure of. This was a top priority a year ago and will remain one even if the Bucs re-sign Antonio Bryant.

As with the running backs, the Bucs have to look beyond the season ahead. It might not be so pressing a matter if the Bucs knew they could count on Maurice Stovall, but they can't.

At the very least the Bucs need players who can either push the likes of Stovall to be his best or push him off the roster. Either way, the Bucs need depth and impact playmakers here.

OFFENSIVE TACKLE

The Bucs got lucky at this spot this year. They didn't lose either of their starting tackles for a single game due to injury.

But imagine for a second how things would have been if they had.

The Bucs would have had to turn to either Anthony Davis, who is now gone, James Lee, who has seldom played, or rookie Jeremy Zuttah. All might have proved to be quite capable, but none would have proved to be special.

Just as they've done at guard and center, the Bucs need to beef up their depth at the tackle spot. Even if the newcomer simply pushes starters Donald Penn and Jeremy Trueblood to be better, the Bucs need to get stronger here.

QUARTERBACK

The Bucs could solve this problem simply by re-signing Jeff Garcia and Luke McCown, but there's no way of knowing just yet if they're interested in bringing either one back.

Ideally, you'd like to see the Bucs go after someone who could be their quarterback for years to come, and a couple of players who could fit that bill such as Matt Cassel and Derek Anderson could be available. The likelihood, though, is the Bucs will sign a veteran, possibly even Garcia, in an effort to bridge the gap between now and the time Josh Johnson is ready. But what if Johnson never makes the grade?

The Bucs need to be prepared for that.

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