FAB 5. SR’s BUC SHOTS
• A quick glance at the East-West Shrine rosters reveals some serious size at the cornerback position. Of the 12 cornerbacks that have accepted invitations, only three are below 6-foot. Five corners are exactly 6-foot tall, while four are taller. Michigan’s Channing Stribling is listed at 6-foot-2, 182 pounds, while Oregon State’s Treston Decoud is 6-foot-3, 208 pounds. Colorado’s Ahkello Witherspoon, who is injured and won’t play in the game, measures 6-foot-3, 195 pounds.

Bucs CBs Vernon Hargreaves and Javien Elliott – Photo by: Mark Lomgolio/PR

The Bucs likely won’t draft a cornerback that is taller than 6-foot because Mike Smith’s defense calls for smaller, quicker defensive backs that can backpedal. Smaller cornerbacks typically have more fluid hips and a smoother change of direction transitioning out of their backpedal than taller corners do. Of the seven cornerbacks on Tampa Bay’s current roster, nickel cornerbacks Javien Elliott and Jude Adjei-Barimah are the tallest at 5-foot-11.

Tampa Bay’s starting cornerbacks Brent Grimes and Vernon Hargreaves III are both 5-foot-10, and primary backups Alterraun Verner and Josh Robinson are also 5-foot-10. Cody Riggs, the newest Bucs cornerback who was signed to a futures contract, is 5-foot-9.

• Keep an eye on West Virginia junior wide receiver Shelton Gibson, who just declared for the 2017 NFL Draft. Gibson caught 84 passes for 1,898 yards and 17 touchdowns for the Mountaineers, and his career receiving average of 22.6 yards per catch is among the highest of all draft prospects.

Gibson burst onto the scene in 2015, catching 37 passes for 887 yards (24 avg.) and nine touchdowns. Despite being a marked man, Gibson became more reliable in 2016, catching 43 balls for 951 yards and eight scores despite average quarterback play in Morgantown during his collegiate career.

The Bucs want more explosive plays from their offense and that’s Gibson’s forté as he posted 14 catches of 40 yards or more in his Mountaineers career, including 10 receptions of 50 yards or more. At 6-foot, 198 pounds, Gibson is a well-put together receiver with reported 4.32 speed. He’s definitely on Tampa Bay’s scouting radar and I love him as a second- or third-round receiving prospect.

“I know he’s got elite speed,” said Bucs safety Keith Tandy, a former West Virginia standout. “I watch him every chance I get, but there’s only so much you can get from watching it on TV rather than watching the All-22 or whatever you call it. But his speed, he might be the faster guy who’s come through there, and we’ve had some fast guys come through. He’s probably faster than Tavon [Austin]. [Gibson’s] probably not as quick, but he has better straight-line speed.”

• The Buccaneers defense started playing much better after the 43-28 loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday Night Football. What was the catalyst? Improved communication inside the Bucs defensive meeting rooms was the start of the metamorphic change, but on the field it was the aggressive play by strong safety Chris Conte against Chicago and his pick-six that turned the tide in Tampa Bay.

“The leadership has stepped and everybody else has stepped up to become a family,” Bucs cornerback Ryan Smith said. “We weren’t just talking about it, it became real. We’re a family and that has played a big role in our success.

“Chris’ pick-six really started it off for us, and we’re a family. We love seeing our brothers compete, make plays, be great and help the team. When somebody makes a big play, everybody gets hyped. That added fuel to the fire. We were already lit.”

Bucs MLB Kwon Alexander & DT Gerald McCoy – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

• Two more quick notes. Expect running back Jacquizz Rodgers to be among the first re-signed free agent players by Tampa Bay this offseason. Both sides are motivated to get a deal done, and it could be hammered out next month at the NFL Scouting Combine.

And look for Kwon Alexander to make his first Pro Bowl this year as Luke Kuechly is not expected to play due to a concussion that ended his season in November. Alexander, who led the NFL with 97 solo tackles, was named a Pro Bowl alternate and is expected to join wide receiver Mike Evans and defensive tackle Gerald McCoy in Orlando in two weeks.

• Thank you for helping PewterReport.com surpass 24,000 Twitter followers. If you aren’t following us on Twitter, click here to do so now. And you can also click here to follow us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/PewterReport/), too.

• Make sure you check out new PewterReport.com Bucs beat writer Trevor Sikkema’s weekly Cover 3 column, which debuted on Tuesday. If you are a fan of my SR’s Fab 5 articles, you’ll love Sikkema’s detailed writing and analysis each Tuesday in his Cover 3 column. His first one featured Western Michigan wide receiver Corey Davis, who was Tampa Bay’s first-round pick in PewterReport.com’s 2017 Bucs’ 7-Round Mock Draft.

• And finally, if you are looking for an upscale sports bar with a varied menu of delicious options to watch this week’s NFL playoff action, check out Sports Legends in Clearwater at 2571 Drew Street. The PewterReport.com staff had lunch there last week and we continue to come away impressed with food. This is not your typical sports bar fare. Check out their website, SportsLegends.biz.

With dozens of big screen TVs to watch all the action, Sports Legends is the perfect place to watch the NFL playoff games, NHL hockey or college basketball. Sports Legends has a terrific offer just for PewterReport.com readers. Click on the banner above and receive a coupon for five FREE wings at Sports Legends. They make them traditional style or grilled, and have a variety of sauces to choose from. It’s an unbeatable deal, so print out the coupon and keep it in your wallet so you’ll have it handy when you visit Sports Legends.