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'Tough' Talk Bucs' Way Of Channeling Aggression

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By JOE HENDERSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 24, 2009

TAMPA - Coach Raheem Morris said Tuesday he wants "angry workers and tough guys" playing for his first Tampa Bay Buccaneers team this fall. The nation exhaled in obvious relief because our worst fears are over.

No wimps need apply at One Buc Place.

This meets with universal approval, although it's probably not good news if you were hoping to make that career leap from librarian to linebacker.

It probably doesn't rule out Jay Cutler, though, since he most definitely is angry these days. But — as his coach in Denver has said and will no doubt say again today when he meets the media at the NFL owners meetings in California — Cutler isn't going anywhere.

Morris and Bucs general manager Mark Dominik want tough guys.

The bulletin is going out across the NFL and to all the ships at sea. Somewhere in his cave in Oakland, Al Davis just fired three coaches because they didn't think of that.

I jest, of course.

I think that between free agency and the buildup to his first season as a head coach, Morris is just running out of things to say. I mean, everyone in the NFL is tough. The players the Bucs had last year were tough. Come to think of it, Oakland was tough — at least it looked that way against you know who during the last game of the season.

Let's move past the cliché and get to the heart of the kind of team those two have created thus far because the first minicamp is almost upon us and the draft will be here before you know it.

Crowell Should Help

When Morris says "tough," what he really means is "aggressive." Now there's a different approach, if the Bucs really stick to it.

You keep hearing things about the plan from new defensive coordinator Jim Bates — like more blitzing, press coverage, more pressure from the line. He's talking about making some changes with defensive end Gaines Adams to see whether he can finally reach the potential we've heard so much about.

"They'll move Gaines around a little bit more, maybe widen out his stance so he's coming off the edge in a little more of a pinch so he has more of an opportunity to take a straight line to the quarterback,'' Dominik told TBO.com comrade Ira Kaufman at the owners meetings.

The potential move of safety Jermaine Phillips to linebacker is an eyebrow-raiser, but he seems excited about it. We do know that Jermaine is, dare we say it, a tough guy. He also gets hurt a lot, but you can't play scared.

We know what they're doing on offense, with the addition of running back Derrick Ward and the apparent new emphasis on the ground game. That's a tough-minded approach, although I'd still like to see a new receiver with some real speed out there. Antonio Bryant is fine, but extra help might make things a little easier when they need a touchdown to win, there are two minutes to play and there are 80 yards to go.

Moving On From Cutler

Actually, about the best news to come out of the owners meetings, so far, is probably the end of the Jay Cutler melodrama – at least on the Bucs' end.

The Broncos have mangled this situation with their quarterback basically every way you can, and no matter what Denver coach Josh McDaniels says about not trading Cutler, my guess is that a deal with eventually happen.

It just won't happen here.

There are some guys out there the Bucs could sign to increase competition — Rex Grossman, J.P. Losman, guys like that. But at this point, toss the ball to Luke McCown and see what he can do.

I'll be curious to see how he looks in an offense where Mensa membership is not a requirement. McCown is an athletic guy with a strong makeup who seems to have the arm and ability to handle the job. The fact he didn't pout when the Cutler rumors swirled says a lot. I mean, we saw what Cutler did when his name came up in trade talks.

Cutler didn't exactly exhibit … oh, what's the word?

Toughness.

That seems to be important these days.

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