No love for Ben Moffitt??

[bucjoe]

Chrispy, I like Moffitt, but, first of all, we don't need an lb at all.

Second, I don't get "he could provide future depth for when Brooks retires".

Just how would that happen?  First of all, he is a mlb, not wlb.

Second, he has nowhere NEAR the speed to be a Tampa 2 wlb.  I don't think he has the speed to be a Tampa 2 MLB!

[Samari28]

Lets see slow, undersized and not very bright - yeah lets waste a pick on this guy.  There is homerism and then there is just you been smellin the jock too much.  This guy will be lucky if he gets drafted and he will be Training Camp depth.

[king_frog]

I say pass !! For those who think that he has a great heart !! Ask his wife and kids.. We don't need him....

[Pirate Zone]

I heard his wife is the real villain in all of this, and again we'll just have to wait and see until the draft and then about half way into the season before we will know for sure. But I am betting he turns out being like a Teddy Brusci type and has a good career in the NFL.

[UFBucgator]

First off, depth at lb isn't anywhere near a need.  Second, Moffitt was an exciting player in college but simply doesn't project to the NFL.  UF had a 3 yr starter named Brandon Siler that started for the NC team..left school early and is barely a ST guy.  Earl Everett was 4 yr starter that never got drafted.  If you want to root for a USF guy on the bucs, go with M Jenkins or T Williams.  At least Moffitt got his education.  Errr, at least his ex-wife did.

[Pirate Zone]

I guess we can pretty much say that NONE of the college players in this draft will make it in the NFL cause we just don't know, because according to several people in this thread playing great in college means nothing so - let's just call them ALL busts for now.   

[PoorRichard]

Whaaat, a 6th or 7th?? Dude was a 3 year starter and true senior and was the heart and soul of that defense up the middle, I will bet you anything he goes in rounds 2-4 guaranteed(and I will bump this thread when that happens).

Whatever. Mediocre player, mediocre team, mediocre conference. Big Ben's back child support payments are enough to scare off any NFL team.

[PoorRichard]

First off, depth at lb isn't anywhere near a need.  Second, Moffitt was an exciting player in college but simply doesn't project to the NFL.  UF had a 3 yr starter named Brandon Siler that started for the NC team..left school early and is barely a ST guy.  Earl Everett was 4 yr starter that never got drafted.  If you want to root for a USF guy on the bucs, go with M Jenkins or T Williams.  At least Moffitt got his education.  Errr, at least his ex-wife did.

OK, don't compare B-Si and Big Child Suport. B-SI is another level of player and caught on as a 7th rounder and he will earn his time on the field eventually. Big Child Support will be playing arena ball in '09.

[UFBucgator]

Just an example how a guy who is a 3 yr starter isn't necessarily going to be a mid round pick.  B Si is one of my favorites. 

Scouts Inc. breakdown.

Strengths: Reads keys quickly, is aggressive and flashes the ability to make plays at the line of scrimmage. Stays disciplined and rarely gets caught out of position. Lacks ideal range but plays from snap until whistle, takes sound angles to the ball and makes more plays in pursuit than his measurables indicate. Squares up to ball carrier, wraps up upon contact and is generally a reliable open field defender. Plays with excellent intensity and has a knack for knocking the ball loose. Gets good depth and reads the quarterback's eyes when asked to drop in to zone coverage. Ball skills are better than average. Times the blitz well and takes the shortest path to the quarterback. Relentless in pursuit, has experience blocking on kickoffs and can contribute on special teams.

Weaknesses: Plays too high, hasn't shown great lower body strength and gets driven back at times. While gets adequate hand placement, doesn't explode into blockers and can take too long to shed blocks. Takes too long to reach top speed and will problems preventing quicker backs from turning the corner. Only time he has some trouble as a tackler is when he leaves his feet too early. Appears stiff when forced to change directions quickly, doesn't explode out of cuts and can't consistently hold up in man coverage.

Overall: Moffitt arrived at South Florida in 2003 and redshirted the year. In his first three seasons (2004-'06), he appeared in 36 games (30 starts) and amassed 231 tackles (29 for losses) and 6.5 sacks. As a senior in 2007, he started all 13 games at middle linebacker, turning in 104 tackles (12 for losses), four interceptions and five pass breakups.Moffitt is an overachiever with physical limitations. He lacks ideal speed and athleticism, which limits his range both versus the run and in coverage. However, it's hard not to fall in love with the way he plays the game when studying him on film. Moffitt is instinctive, tough and reliable. His leadership skills are apparent and he makes the players around him better. While he may never emerge as a starter in the NFL, Moffitt has the tenacity and football intelligence to at least become an effective backup who makes a strong contribution on special teams. In our opinion, he is worth the value of a fourth round pick.

 
* Player biographies are provided by Scouts Inc.

Not bad, but I don't think the Bucs need to draft him.  LB is one of our best depth positions.

Moffitt should be a solid career backup MLB in the 4-3 for a few years, but why would we draft him? We just signed Teddy Lehmen for peanuts, and they are nearly identical players. Plus we have Ruud, Black, Nece, McCoy, Hayward, etc. I dont think a backup MLB should be taken with one of our valiable picks

[Pirate Zone]

Whaaat, a 6th or 7th?? Dude was a 3 year starter and true senior and was the heart and soul of that defense up the middle, I will bet you anything he goes in rounds 2-4 guaranteed(and I will bump this thread when that happens).

Whatever. Mediocre player, mediocre team, mediocre conference. Big Ben's back child support payments are enough to scare off any NFL team.

Guess I will fully enjoy shaking my finger at you in let's say mid October this NFL season, when Moffitt is active on someone's 53 man roster and is making plays here & there about half way through the season.

[ryan24]

Moffitt will probably play in the NFL but he's not a great fit for the Bucs. He's not fast enough nor is he a great cover guy.

[yuccaneers]

I want to know what you are going to do when he is not drafted till after the fourth round?

[olafberserker]

Big Child Support will be playing arena ball in '09.

Funny nickname.  Make it up yourself?  He won't be in the arena league.