The State of the Union

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Offseason State of the Union By Luke Easterling Jun 24, 2015 Chris O'Meara/Associated Press If there's one thing Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Lovie Smith and President Barack Obama could commiserate about, it's having a royal mess to clean up once they took office.The Bucs took a step back in Smith's first season at the helm, finishing with a league-worst 2-14 record in 2014 and earning the right to make the No. 1 overall selection in this year's draft. Striking out on multiple attempts to bring in big-name free agents and losing their offensive coordinator just before the start of the regular season sent the Bucs to the top spot in the draft for the fifth time in franchise history.But despite failing to meet high expectations for a turnaround last season, the Bucs are heading into the 2015 season with plenty of hope and positive buzz, thanks to a new franchise quarterback in Jameis Winston, a proven offensive coordinator in Dirk Koetter and solid additions made in both the draft and free agency to help bolster the depth across the board.Now that the offseason workouts have wrapped up for the time being, let's dig into how the Bucs look in every department as they head toward training camp.Passing OffenseChris O'Meara/Associated Press Tampa Bay's passing attack averaged just 206 yards per game last year, good enough for 25th in the NFL, finishing next to last in the league by throwing 20 interceptions between Josh McCown and Mike Glennon.Obviously in need of some serious improvement under center, the Bucs spent the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 draft on Florida State's Jameis Winston, who should give the team the kind of playmaker it has lacked at the game's most important position.Winston will bring a much different dynamic to the offense, but his gunslinger style could easily lead to an increase in the interception column this season. That said, he's also likely to take full advantage of his arsenal of weapons—Mike Evans, Vincent Jackson, Austin Seferian-Jenkins and more—by taking chances and giving his receivers the opportunities to make big plays down the field and in the red zone.Evans exploded in the second half of his rookie season, catching 10 of his franchise-record 12 touchdowns over the final nine games of the year. He'll be a year more experienced this time around, and he's already been working with one of the league's all-time greats this offseason—Randy Moss—according to NFL.com's Chris Wesseling.Jackson and Seferian-Jenkins give Winston two more gigantic targets, and the addition of rookies Kenny Bell and Kaelin Clay will put even more explosiveness on the field for Tampa Bay when it goes to the air.One of the biggest question marks for the Bucs this year will be up front, where they'll have more overhaul after replacing four of five starters last year. It's possible they could have a rookie starter at left tackle in second-round pick Donovan Smith, which is a risky move, but they might not have much of a choice. That group will have to improve over last year's performance for the passing game to achieve success in 2015.Rushing OffenseChris O'Meara/Associated Press Thanks to injuries and an offensive line that struggled to open holes and win the battle at the line of scrimmage on a consistent basis, Tampa Bay's running game didn't find much success in 2014, finishing 29th in the league with 85.9 yards per game on the ground.This year, the same stable of backs will return to split most of the touches, with Doug Martin, Charles Sims and Bobby Rainey giving the Bucs three young runners with plenty of talent who can get the job done if they stay healthy and get help up front.Martin was hampered by multiple injuries last year, while Sims missed the first half of his rookie season because of ankle surgery. Rainey was the most productive runner on a per-carry basis but had fumbling issues.This group hopes to be running behind an improved offensive line, thanks to the addition of two second-round picks who could end up starting right away—Donovan Smith at left tackle and Ali Marpet at right guard. A bounce-back season from veterans Logan Mankins and Evan Smith would be a huge help, as well.The natural ability is there with this group, but it all starts in the trenches. If the Bucs want to maintain offensive balance, the offensive line will have to be much more effective this season than it was in 2014, which should help keep the backs healthy and productive.Passing DefenseChris Graythen/Getty Images In its first year back in the Tampa 2 defense, Tampa Bay struggled against the pass in 2014, giving up an average of 255 yards per game through the air and ranking 28th in the league.Another offseason in the system should help the returning players feel more comfortable and confident in their assignments, while key additions to the starting lineup and added depth across the board should make for a more successful pass defense in 2015.Johnthan Banks and Alterraun Verner will return to their starting roles on the corners, where Banks became the team's top cover man last year, while Verner improved toward the end of the year after failing to meet high expectations during the earlier weeks.The nickelback spot still looks shaky, with Leonard Johnson and Isaiah Frey returning to fight over the job; neither of them played terribly well last year. Free-agent addition Sterling Moore was expected by most to take that role, but as Zach Shapiro of PewterReport.com points out, Moore has been lining up mostly on the outside during offseason workouts.The Bucs got deeper at both linebacker and safety this offseason, adding much needed athleticism by signing Bruce Carter and drafting Kwon Alexander. Carter should start in the middle and give Tampa Bay the coverage ability it has lacked at the position, while Alexander can play inside or outside. Chris Conte and D.J. Swearinger are new faces who could challenge for starting roles at safety, though Major Wright and Bradley McDougald are likely to be the front-runners based on last year's performance.The biggest issue will be the pass rush, which went largely unaddressed this offseason, aside from a trade that brought former Buc George Johnson (six sacks) back from the Detroit Lions. He is likely to start across from Jacquies Smith (6.5 sacks); both men had career highs in sacks last year, but neither has ever been a full-time starter in the NFL.The Bucs have the athletes to successfully execute the Tampa 2, and the comfort level should be much improved in the scheme this year. That said, there are still enough question marks along the front four and at safety to give fans some concern about the team's ability to defend the pass effectively in 2015.Rushing DefenseChris O'Meara/Associated Press The Bucs were far more effective at stopping the run than the pass last season, allowing an average of just over 113 yards per game on the ground—good enough for 14th in the league. They should be even better this year, thanks to some fresh faces and another offseason spent getting more comfortable in the Tampa 2 scheme.Depth and experience are concerns at defensive end, but the Bucs have their strongest unit up the middle at defensive tackle, which runs four-deep with starting-caliber players. Gerald McCoy is one of the best in the league at the position, and he'll enjoy a rotation with Clinton McDonald, Akeem Spence and the newly acquired Henry Melton, which should keep them all fresh for four quarters.The addition of free agent Bruce Carter and fourth-round pick Kwon Alexander gives the Bucs more athleticism at linebacker, with Lavonte David and Danny Lansanah returning after strong seasons as well. Nobody in this group is afraid to get downhill and make the big hit, and their instincts will serve them well against the run.Waiver-wire pickup D.J. Swearinger is another name to keep an eye on. Though he struggles in coverage, he's a fantastic run defender in the box and should make plays in that area of the game.The Bucs defended the run better than they did just about anything else last season, and it looks like they should be even more effective at it in 2015.RookiesWilfredo Lee/Associated Press Most of the attention on Tampa Bay's rookie class this year has been due to top overall pick Jameis Winston, but plenty of rookies could end up having a big impact for the Bucs this season.Winston moves the needle the most, as the former Heisman Trophy winner and national champion is likely to start Week 1 and usher in a new era as the Bucs' franchise quarterback. He comes with plenty of media scrutiny due to his off-field incidents while at Florida State, but he has said and done all the right things since being drafted.The Bucs spent their next two draft picks trying to rebuild the offensive line yet again, selecting Penn State's Donovan Smith with the 34th overall pick and then trading back into the latter part of the same round to take small-school stud Ali Marpet. Smith could end up starting at left tackle as a rookie, while Marpet may need time to adjust to the speed of the NFL game before he can join the starting right guard.Needing to get deeper and more athletic at linebacker, the Bucs traded up yet again in the fourth round, grabbing LSU's Kwon Alexander, who could challenge Danny Lansanah for the starting job on the strong side, as well as slide inside to the middle to spell Bruce Carter.Tampa Bay's next two picks added depth and explosiveness at receiver, with Nebraska's Kenny Bell and Utah's Kaelin Clay. Bell could see plenty of snaps on the outside in three-receiver sets, allowing either Mike Evans or Vincent Jackson to slide into the slot and create matchup problems for opposing defenses. Clay will be most valuable in the return game but could also contribute as a slot receiver.Seventh-round pick Joey Iosefa could challenge veteran Jorvorskie Lane for the starting fullback job, while undrafted free agent Dominique Brown from Louisville could end up pushing Mike James out of the short-yardage role at running back. Other undrafted free agents who could make the roster include defensive end Ryan Delaire and a trio of receivers—UCF's Rannell Hall, Clemson's Adam Humphries and Heidelberg's Donteea Dye.CoachingKim Klement-USA TODAY Sports Lovie Smith returns for his second season as Tampa Bay's head coach, while his fellow Tampa 2 disciple Leslie Frazier is back as the defensive coordinator. A second offseason should give the defense more chemistry in 2015, allowing players to feel more confident in their assignments and leading to more success for the unit as a whole this season.The biggest change on the staff—and arguably one of the most important additions of the year—is at offensive coordinator, where Dirk Koetter has taken over for Jeff Tedford, who left the team just before the 2014 regular season due to medical issues, never to return to the staff before mutually parting ways with the team.Koetter had a decent amount of success as a play-caller for both the Jacksonville Jaguars and most recently the NFC South rival Atlanta Falcons. Fans should be excited about what his vertical passing style will do with Jameis Winston throwing to the likes of Mike Evans and Vincent Jackson.Consistency is huge in the NFL, and not having to deal with the abrupt departure of an offensive coordinator will be one of the Bucs' biggest advantages in 2015.link