Past decisions force Bucs to start over

The instant the Tampa Bay Buccaneers embarked on that veteran purge in February, this 2009 season became a referendum on the club's draft prowess during the past decade.

Young players such as cornerback Aqib Talib and linebackers Geno Hayes and Quincy Black are starters for the first time. Safety Sabby Piscitelli has moved up to No. 1 on the depth chart and the top two quarterbacks, Josh Johnson and Josh Freeman, have all of two starts between them.

"I feel blessed to be in this position right now, because somewhere else I might be sitting around waiting my whole career for my shot," said the 22-year-old Hayes, who is second on the Bucs with 41 tackles. "Opportunities came early for some of the guys here, and you have to take advantage of it."

While it is premature to judge the past few draft classes, Tampa Bay's recent legacy is not encouraging.

From 1998-2008, encompassing six drafts with Rich McKay as general manager and five under Bruce Allen, the Bucs selected only two players who went on to earn Pro Bowl berths.

Kicker Martin Gramatica (third round, 1999) made the Pro Bowl following the 2000 season, and right guard Davin Joseph (first round, 2006) was added to last year's Pro Bowl roster as a first alternate.

"Any time you miss on premium picks, there's a price to be paid," said Fox Sports analyst Brian Billick, who coached the Ravens through a rebuilding program. "It's a cascading set of events when you don't draft well for a prolonged period."

As Tampa Bay's owners watch and evaluate, the Buccaneers have plunged to the NFC South basement while recent draft picks like guard Jeremy Zuttah and rookie defensive tackle Roy Miller play prominent roles.

Other premium choices (tight end Alex Smith, tackle Chris Colmer, guard Arron Sears, wide receiver Dexter Jackson) are no longer with the Buccaneers because of ineffective play, injury or personal issues.

For every fourth-round find like safety Tanard Jackson, the Bucs whiffed on a Kenyatta Walker or a Jacquez Green.

Wide receiver Michael Clayton, a first-round pick in 2004, has caught two touchdown passes in his past 60 games.

"You really can't afford to miss on the first-day picks," said Steelers director of football operations Kevin Colbert. "Obviously, when a guy gets picked high, you felt really good about his ability. You expect him to produce to that level, and if he doesn't it's not his fault - it's our fault because we probably expected him to be better than he was."

The hits keep on coming.

When the Bucs traded with Jacksonville and moved back six spots in the second round of the 2008 draft, dropping from No. 52 to No. 58, they pocketed two extra picks.

Then the Bucs selected Jackson, a speedy receiver out of Appalachian State who was supposed to stretch opposing defenses.

But if Tampa Bay had kept its original spot in Round 2, the Bucs could have chosen Michigan quarterback Chad Henne, who ended up going to the Dolphins at No. 57.

All Henne did Monday night was rally Miami past the Jets 31-27 in his second pro start in place of an injured Chad Pennington.

After completing 20 of 26 passes for 241 yards and two touchdowns, Henne drew praise from ESPN analyst Jon Gruden, the former Bucs coach who was in the draft room on that fateful day 18 months ago when Henne was taken off the board one pick before Tampa Bay chose Jackson.

Jackson didn't catch a pass for the Bucs in his rookie season, and he was released this summer. Carolina just picked Jackson up, and he could be active for Sunday's game at Raymond James Stadium.

Meanwhile, Henne appears poised to take over Miami's quarterback duties on a permanent basis.

"We rebuilt a team in Baltimore - they're rebuilding an entire organization in Tampa," Billick said. "It's a total repudiation of what has gone on there before with the draft and the front office. In essence, they're saying, 'We're starting over.'"