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Reynolds’ Selections 1-5

  1. OLB Derrick Brooks
  2. DE Lee Roy Selmon
  3. CB Ronde Barber
  4. MLB Hardy Nickerson
  5. RB James Wilder Jr.

Reynolds’ Reaction – Rounds 1-5
I was a bit surprised to see Mark Cook select Jameis Winston first overall, but the NFL is a quarterback league and I had Winston fifth on my board after Derrick Brooks, Warren Sapp, Ronde Barber and Lee Roy Selmon. Then I considered the fact that Cook is a Seminoles homer and the Winston pick made total sense! Yet the former Seminole that Cook should have drafted first overall was Brooks, who is the best Buccaneer of all-time and the most accomplished player in franchise history with 11 Pro Bowls. I was thrilled that Brooks, the team’s all-time leading tackler and fifth all-time leading interceptor, was still on the board with the third overall pick, and quickly snatched him up, followed by Selmon, the Bucs’ first Pro Football Hall of Famer and first member of the Bucs Ring of Honor.

Brooks Derrick1A 1

Bucs Hall of Fame LB Derrick Brooks – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

To get Brooks and Selmon, who is the second greatest Buccaneer of all time, is my version of Tampa Bay’s 1995 draft where the team got Sapp and Brooks in the first round. Brooks helped the Bucs win the Super Bowl in 2002 when he was the NFL Defensive Player of the Year that season and was only the second Buccaneer to earn that distinction in team history behind Selmon, who accomplished that feat in 1979. Selmon is the franchise’s all-time leading sacker and is the cornerstone of my pass-rushing defensive line.

While I was sad to see Trevor Sikkema take defensive tackle Gerald McCoy in the third round, which was earlier than I expected, I was ecstatic that Barber was still on the board at No. 9. Barber, who is the team’s all-time leading interceptor, second all-time tackler and its eighth all-time leading sacker, is one of the top 5 Buccaneers in franchise history and the cornerstone of my secondary. Barber will be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame one day, along with the Bucs Ring of Honor, as will Nickerson, my middle linebacker. Nickerson won’t make the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but as a five-time Pro Bowler and the team’s third all-time leading tackler, he and Brooks formed one of the top linebacker units in the NFL together from 1995-2000 and I’ve reunited them. Nickerson brings fire and brimstone to my defense and is the unit’s emotional leader. Flex, El Dragon, flex!

Bucs De Lee Roy Selmon – Photo Courtesy Of The Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Bucs DE Lee Roy Selmon – Photo courtesy of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

With two quarterbacks – Winston and Williams – off the board, I know that I can wait until the end of the draft to select Super Bowl winner Brad Johnson as my QB. What a coup with Sikkema passing up Johnson for Doug Williams. I’m thrilled.

After four defensive selections in a row, I use my fifth-round pick to draft Tampa Bay’s ultimate weapon – running back James Wilder, who is the best running back in franchise history. Not only is Wilder the franchise’s all-time leading rusher, he’s also the Bucs’ all-time leading receiver with 430 career catches for nearly 3,500 yards. That’s 109 receptions ahead of wide receiver Mark Carrier, who is in second place with 321 catches for 5,018 yards, which is the most in team history.

How did the Pewter Reporters fare in the first five rounds? Sound off below with your comments – and be sure to visit PewterReport.com on Tuesday for the guys’ selections in Rounds 6-10 of PR’s Bucs Franchise Fantasy Draft.

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