I just think a 2nd and 3rd DE, a 3rd and 4th CB, a 3rd DT, a 3rd and 4th WR, Two starting guards, and a TE all need to be addressed before we spend a 1st round pick replacing our inside linebacker, that is already a very solid player.
JD, everyone has an opinion. It's hard to determine what our weaknesses are for the draft until we go through Free Agency and see how many holes we fill.Foster is a solid player, but one with a big hole in his game when it comes to dropping back in coverage. He's also one year out of his second career contract. The need isn't as great THIS year, but that need will be there NEXT year. Mosley will add a impact player to a good defense, cover that coverage weakness and allow Foster to move to SLB where we currently have a need. I'd rather fill that need this year with a better and lower cost option rather than try to fill it next year when Foster is looking for a 5 year 30-35M contract.Update: BTW, I checked what the #7 pick would require contract wise and we gave Mark Barron a 4yr 14.5M package when we drafted him a couple of years ago and I believe we have a option on a fifth year.
I'm not sure Mosley is the right pick for us. I would prefer any of Matthews, Robinson, Clowney, or Watkins. Even if all of those guys are off the board then there is a QB there we should be able to auction to the highest bidder. Foster isn't an all-pro, but he is solid. Our solid players aren't the problem- the problem is all the crap around our solid players.I think we need to focus on oline, reciever, and 1 really good passrusher. Improving our mike from a B player to an A player won't make any difference if we can't fix those other 3 areas.
Defenses didn't blitz Manziel much. They held back and played contain. I think this made Matthews look a lot better than he really is. I'm no expert at scouting OL, but I hope we stay away from him.
That makes the oline as a unit look better because there's less pressure on the QB but that really has nothing to do with Mathews dominating his one on one matchups.
I'm not sure how you come to that conclusion. When you have the opposing DEs holding back and playing contain all year, rather than pinning their ears back and rushing the QB....it certainly seems like it would affect what you see on tape when watching the LT. I mean, how do we really know he can consistently stop elite pass rushers when he wasn't doing that in college? I'm just weary of the guy.
Because many games Mathews played left OTprotecting his blindside where the RDE was not playing contain as much. Teams like Alabama were rushing him from the right side while have the left DE stunt and LB came up to contain the outside. So Mathews was dominating a one on one rush against one of the best teams in the country as he usually does.
Matthews is constantly referred to as finess. That's not a good thing in my book. I think Greg Robinson is a beast though.
I like Robinson more, but people said the same thing about Joe Thomas and lots of other OTs.
Mathews and Dotson bookends excites me. Find a competent guard or two and the Bucs have something on offense (slot WR too).
I know that we have a lot of thoughts about needs, but if you have listened to Licht a few weeks ago, he indicated that needs on draft day are often different than needs in September. The point is, I don't think "needs" are driving the bus on draft day, and especially not in round 1. And btw, JD, it's unless your "tired" of Matthews, the word you are looking for is "leary" not weary.
As far as Mosley goes, he wouldn't be my pick. If he is the pick, then I would give Lovie and Leslie the benefit of the doubt. They know what kind of player they need at MIKE, and how important it is to their scheme. If Mason's not that player, then I'm fine with them upgrading.
Unlike most I am not against Mosley because pairing him next to Lavonte David and shifting Foster over SAM solves a lot of problems and ensures the Bucs are close to having one of the better front sevens in football.
Just for the record, remember that Lovie was our linebackers coach before he went on to be defensive Coordinator for the Rams where he had London Fletcher as his middle linebacker and then drafted Urlacker in Chicago to his linebacker there. Now, he has brought back Hardy to coach his linebackers and my feeling is that the linebacker position is going to be very important, especially the middle linebacker. If we had a offensive minded coach running the show, I don't think Mosley would even be in consideration.However, I see some dots, and I'm just connecting them. I think Mosley IS on the table, but I'm not positive he's our top pick at 7-12 or wherever we end up at - but I think he needs to be in the conversation because he fills a need and solves the SLB issue.
Even if they had the same "MLB is a need" thought that nitey has brought forth, if their thought is not to take the biggest need, but rather take BPA at a upgradable position...then I doubt Mosely will be the pick. Moving Mason and inserting Mosely may represent an upgrade 2-3 years down the road, but it doesn't now. Mosely will not step in and play any better than Mason did last year. Mason has continued to improve in all facets of his game. He isn't a top ten ILB by any means, but he is very solid and is a contributor that should not be demoted to a role where he will only see between 30-40% of the teams snaps. I don't see how he is an automatic upgrade over Mason vs the pass. It's very hard to tell if LBs will excel in coverage in the NFL. LVD was excellent at Nebraska, yet he has at times been pedestrian vs the pass. Even the best LBs lose matchups in the NFL. Covering these big TEs, shifty RBs and quick 3rd and 4th WRs is no easy feat and it's why you even see the best like Bowman and Willis have lapses. Fact is Mason in the last 2 years has shown considerable improvement and it's hard to imagine that a 24 yr old player with 3 yrs experience could not continue to improve under the watch of Lovie/Frazier/Nickerson. Let's draft a player who we will see a significant upgrade, not only 2-3 years down the road...but now. I could name 15-20 players I' would take over Mosely. I hope our front office is looking past these players alma mater.
Just for the record, remember that Lovie was our linebackers coach before he went on to be defensive Coordinator for the Rams where he had London Fletcher as his middle linebacker and then drafted Urlacker in Chicago to his linebacker there. Now, he has brought back Hardy to coach his linebackers and my feeling is that the linebacker position is going to be very important, especially the middle linebacker. If we had a offensive minded coach running the show, I don't think Mosley would even be in consideration.However, I see some dots, and I'm just connecting them. I think Mosley IS on the table, but I'm not positive he's our top pick at 7-12 or wherever we end up at - but I think he needs to be in the conversation because he fills a need and solves the SLB issue.
I can see it happening.Bucs have a very few LB's under contract currently and Foster's is on the last year of his rookie contract.
Matthews is constantly referred to as finess. That's not a good thing in my book. I think Greg Robinson is a beast though.
I like Robinson more, but people said the same thing about Joe Thomas and lots of other OTs.
Robinson is impressive and he has more upside, but if I am going to draft a guy to plug in as a rookie at LT to keep my QB clean, Matthews is by and away the top OT in this draft. Robinson would surely be a beast in the run game but in the year 2014 I need the top pass protector over the top mauler. Not that Robinson is bad at pass pro, but his technique needs work and if he doesn't improve the technique it could pose problems for him at the next level. I would be happy with either guy though. I think Robinson would give us a lot more flexibility because he has played guard and tackle.
The thing with Foster is he is a solid MLB in an attacking downhill scheme that Schiano ran. If Lovie goes with his bread and butter Tampa 2 than Foster will struggle because his coverage skills aren't there. Idk if Mosley will be the pick but I'd be willing to bet we pick up a new MLB whether it be FA or the draft, and we let Foster attack from the SLB position.
I think we stay in nickel or big nickel most of the time and then you have plenty of coverage on the field and Foster can do his thing. He is good in coverage with in 10 yards and he is very good at shedding blocks and stopping the run. He is even a decent pass rusher when given the chance. Just don't ask him to be in coverage 20 yards down field very often and we are good to go.
