It's time for a regime change. But don't call it a rebuild, as this Buccaneers team is just a few easy tweaks from being a contender for years to come.
Although I respect Jason Licht and Dirk Koetter and feel they could have some success in other organizations, it is time to start fresh.
I won't speculate on who their replacements will be. Instead I'll give my own personal take on what we need to do to turn around this bottom feeding franchise we all love so passionately.
Number one issue: What to do with Winston.
While this isn't a popular opinion, I still beleive that Jameis can be a top 10, even MVP caliber QB in this league. I believe that mostly ALL of his problems occur because this team has failed, year in and year out, to build a running game. Winston needs a balanced offense around him, as he thrives off of play action. I believe a part of the success Fitz had to start the year can be attributed to defenses respecting our run game. Once teams realized we can't lean on our RBs they played the pass more often, making it an extreme uphill climb for any QB to be successful for four straight quarters, despite the myriad of weapons. Bottom line, Jameis' boneheaded mistakes will dissipate the day we start running the football consistently.
How do we fix the run game? First off, I am officially starting the bandwagon for RB Damien Harris out of Alabama to be the Bucs #1 draft pick (assuming we pick in the 7-12 range). Harris projects to be a rich mans version of Doug Martin, meaning more of the 100yd type of games and less of the clunkers. Harris is an all around, three down back. He runs with power but also possesses great burst and eluaiveness. His run blocking is above average for a college RB, and he has proven to be a weapon as a pass catcher as well.
To bolster this run game, I would turn Desean Jacksons 10+ million dollar salary into acquiring the top offensive lineman on the market, preferably a right guard. I would also consider following up the Damien Harris selection with a 2nd round OT.
Great, so now we have a running back and an improved offensive line. Our offense, with Jameis at the helm will be virtually unstoppable. But it cost us our top two draft picks and possibly our only big purchase in free agency.
What about the defense?
Obviously there will be a new coaching staff in place and changes on the defense are inevitable.
Unfortunately, this means saying goodbye to Gerald McCoy, who wouldn't surprise me if he hung it up after this season. The dude is tough, battling through injuries on a regular basis, but he may decide to ride off into the sunset of retirement. Either way, his play no longer justifies his pay, and a business move has to be made.
Resigning Kwon is a tough decision. Fortunately, he should be healthy to begin 2019. I would definitely take a chance on him bouncing back. A one year deal sounds right for both sides.
At this point in my approach, I feel the offense will be fully maximized. The defense will feature a great LB group with Lavonte, Kwon, and Kendall. The holes left at this point are on the defensive line and the secondary.
Vita should be a decent nose tackle moving forward, but we don't have a three tech to replace 93. I would expect a free agent to come in for that role. Our third round pick should probably be used on what looks to be a deep DL class. This could be another three tech to compete for McCoy's vacancy, or a DE to battle Nassib for the rights to start across from JPP.
Okay, let's recap now that we're down to the nitty gritty.
Our offense should be looking good with a bellcow RB in the fold and an upgrade or two in the trenches.
Defensively, we replace McCoy (as well as Vinny Curry *sidenote*) with hopeful upgrades via free agency and a third round roll of the dice. We also resign Kwon to retain what should be a solid LB group if all are healthy at the same time.
Our secondary will be addressed, don't worry. Brent Grimes will not be retained. We will look to free agency to find a proven commodity that will compete with Carlton Davis, Vernon Hargreaves, and MJ Stewart. Don't expect a Patrick Peterson caliber player. It will be more of a B+ signing than a home run signing.
So our goals in free agency are to turn Desean Jackson, Brent Grimes, Vinny Curry, and Gerald McCoy into a whole lot of dollars. These dollars will hopefully stretch far enough to acquire or retain the following:
Jameis Winston
Kwon Alexander
Donovan Smith
FA Cornerback
FA Right Guard
FA Three Tech
Draft:
1 - RB Damien Harris
2 - RT (best available)
3 - DL
I believe that with these personnel changes, and the right coaching staff leading the team, the Bucs can quickly right the ship and become a contender.
Run the football, and attack the opposing QB. Didn't we use to call that Buc Ball?
