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Bucs Defensive Coordinator Wants To Be More Aggressive

News Channel 8 photo by MICHAEL EGGER

The Bucs' new defensive coordinator, Jim Bates, speaks with local reporters Wednesday morning.

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By ANWAR RICHARDSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 18, 2009

TAMPA –The Bucs defense will have a slightly different philosophy under new coordinator Jim Bates, one that incluldes more pressure.

Bates, who met with Tampa Bay media today for the first time, will continue to run a 4-3 scheme, but cornerbacks will have a bigger role than in previous years under former coordinator Monte Kiffin.

"If anything will really strike you, the corners will play a lot more bump coverage," Bates said. "We will play off ... some of the things we've done have been very, very successful in the past. We will be a lot more aggressive with corner play as far as the bump technique."

Bates, 62, expects that through aggressive play from his cornerbacks, the defensive line can apply more pressure on opposing quarterbacks.

"If we're really good, we'll rush four," Bates said. "If we can rush four and defend with seven, that's the way we'll go. If we need to bring five, or need to bring six with an all-out blitz, we have to have it in our game plans and our core initial teaching that we have that in place.

"If you were to ask any defensive coordinator what you'd rather be, you'd rather be a four-man rush and get after them. We do play tight match coverage so the quarterback holds the ball, and we've had tremendous success improving a lot of sacks as far as with our four-man rush."

Tampa Bay DE Gaines Adams was drafted fourth overall in 2007 with the hopes of becoming a premier pass rusher. Bates said he believed Adams has the tools, but hinted he needed to learn more moves in order to be successful.

"Yes, he has that ability. I'm looking forward to working with him," Bates said. "You never know until you get into the season what different things we'll do with Gaines Adams that will hopefully help him, and experience helps in this league. It really helps, especially with that defensive line play. It takes a while for some of them to grasp the game and get some different ways of rushing and not just being the same speed guy.

"So many guys come out of college and they're speed guys and all they do is just rush off the edge. And in this league, you can't do it. They have to have what we call different pitches. If you've only got a fastball, you better lookout because they are going to hit home runs against you. You have to have some changeups."

Bates still is in the process of evaluating players on the team and could not give his opinions on every individual, including whether he thought CB Ronde Barber and LB Derrick Brooks could still be key players this season. He will leave for the NFL Scouting Combine on Thursday and continue to figure out what Tampa Bay's biggest needs are.

One area Bates did emphasize was Tampa Bay's necessity to have big defensive tackles, not the smaller players the Bucs usually utilize.

"If you're an undersized team, it can cost you, especially against these big offensive lines," Bates said. "You can't play 60, 65 plays a game at 275 or 280 pounds."

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