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Bucs' 5 Biggest Needs

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By ROY CUMMINGS | The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 20, 2008

TAMPA - From quarterback Jeff Garcia to General Manager Bruce Allen, everyone at One Buc Place is in agreement on at least one front. What the Bucs need more than anything this offseason is playmakers.

Lots and lots of playmakers.

Be they receivers, running backs or tight ends, the Bucs need players who will improve their offense's ability to capitalize on its scoring chances.

That will be the primary focus of Tampa Bay's offseason game plan, which will be kicked into high gear Thursday when the annual NFL Scouting Combine gets under way at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis.

During the Combine, scouts and coaches will interview, watch and dissect players. Doctors will poke, prod and examine them. And general managers such as Allen will secretly huddle with player agents in an effort to get a jump on free agency, which begins Feb. 29.

With that in mind, it's time for an offseason primer for fans who are eager to know what the team's greatest needs are and how the Bucs might go about filling them between now and the new season.

Wide Receiver

OVERVIEW: The Bucs had the NFC's third-rated quarterback in Jeff Garcia last season, but they ranked 11th in the conference in scoring. Why? Only two teams had fewer passing touchdowns than the Bucs, who had 18. Six of those were scored by Joey Galloway. Although he is still a top-level performer, you saw in the playoffs what can happen if he's not 100 percent or he gets shut down.

HOW TO FIX THE PROBLEM? Garcia has suggested the Bucs promote from within and make better use of Michael Clayton and Maurice Stovall. That may be a good start, but it won't be enough. The Bucs could target a top-level wideout such as Donte' Stallworth or D.J. Hackett in free agency, but they're more apt to sign lesser-known players on the rise such as Bryant Johnson of Arizona or Drew Carter of the Panthers. They could also wait until draft day and land the stud they missed out on last year when Detroit nabbed Calvin Johnson. Notables such as Mario Manningham (Michigan), James Hardy (Indiana), Malcolm Kelly (Oklahoma) and Early Doucet (LSU) could be there for them in the first round, while Donnie Avery (Houston) and Eddie Royal (Virginia Tech) could be there in the second or third.

Tight End

OVERVIEW: The Bucs have a solid but not spectacular tight end in Alex Smith, but that's literally it. Anthony Becht and Jerramy Stevens will become unrestricted free agents next week, and the likelihood is the Bucs will look for upgrades on both.

HOW TO FIX THE PROBLEM? Striking a deal for Jeremy Shockey, should he be placed on the trading block, is a possibility. The Bucs aren't afraid to make deals, and Shockey would give them the added playmaking ability they need here. There's also a chance the Bucs will sign former Falcon Alge Crumpler. He's probably the best of a weak group of free agents that also includes L.J. Smith of the Eagles, Eric Johnson of the Saints and Ben Utecht of the Colts. The Bucs have the money to reel in one of them. Should that fail, the Bucs could choose a tight end on the first day of the draft. Fred Davis of USC is the best of the bunch this year, and he should be available when the Bucs' first pick comes along. The Bucs also have shown a lot of interest in Martin Rucker of Missouri and Kellen Davis of Michigan State. Rucker could be had in the third round, while Davis may prove to be a bargain in the fifth.

Running Back

OVERVIEW: The Bucs can hope all they want, but the brutal truth is that Cadillac Williams may never play again. Even if he comes back from his devastating knee injury, he might never play at the level he once did. No matter how you look at it, the Bucs have to prepare for the worst. They got off to a good start by re-signing Michael Bennett. He's a home-run hitter, just like Williams, but he's not enough.

HOW TO FIX THE PROBLEM? The Bucs need to think big here. You can do a lot worse than Earnest Graham, but you also can do better. Forget about Michael Turner. You don't re-sign Bennett if you have plans to go after Turner or anyone like him in free agency. The Bucs could make a play for LaBrandon Toefield of the Jaguars or Mewelde Moore of the Vikings, but this is probably an area the Bucs will continue to target on draft day. Spending a second-round pick on someone such as Chris Johnson of East Carolina, Steve Slaton of West Virginia or Ray Rice of Rutgers would go a long way toward solving the problem. Waiting and spending an early second-day pick on someone such as Matt Forte of Tulane or Allen Patrick of Oklahoma could do it, too.

Cornerback

OVERVIEW: This was something of a need even before Brian Kelly decided to opt out of his contract and become a free agent. The reason is the Bucs just don't have a lot of depth here, and there's no way of knowing who their starting corners will be two or three years from now.

HOW TO FIX THE PROBLEM? Having missed on Alan Zemaitis two years ago in the draft, the Bucs probably will seek to fill this area of need through free agency. That can be pricey, but Tampa Bay has plenty of money to spend, and its situation should be attractive to young players such as New England's Randall Gay or Denver's Dominique Foxworth. Even a veteran such as Drayton Florence of the Chargers could find coming here attractive. If all else fails, the Bucs probably will fill the need for a future starting corner on draft day. Trading down in the first round for a player who needs some polishing such as Leodis McKelvin (Troy) or Aqib Talib (Kansas) wouldn't be a bad idea. Nor would taking a chance on someone such as Trae Williams (USF) on Day 2 of the draft.

Offensive Line

OVERVIEW: With the exception of center, the Bucs are pretty much set here. They have talented, improving young starters across the board, but they need that center and they need depth at guard and right tackle.

HOW TO FIX THE PROBLEM? The new center probably will come from within the organization. The Bucs have been working to make Dan Buenning a center for the past year, and this could be the season he unseats John Wade. The depth at right tackle and guard could come via the free agency market, but there isn't a whole lot available this year so don't look for the Bucs to sign anyone whose name you automatically recognize. And don't look for the Bucs to spend any early draft picks here, either. Though this is a need, the likelihood is they will add some players they can develop, and that means drafting them late or signing them off the street after the draft.

Roy Cummings

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