FAB 5. SR’s Buc Shots

• Here’s some dirt for you about former Bucs wide receiver DeSean Jackson. General manager Jason Licht and head coach Bruce Arians were trying to maintain Jackson’s trade value when speaking at the NFL Scouting Combine and did not have any intention on keeping Jackson, who was a real malcontent at One Buccaneer Place. It was all a set up to trade him. It’s obvious that Jackson’s petulance would have created conflict with Arians and it was a wise move for Licht to jettison the speedy receiver for a draft pick.

While ex-Bucs wide receivers coach Skyler Fulton went on the record defending Jackson, his former player, in a previous edition of SR’s Fab 5, I’ve spoken to several former and current members of the organization this offseason that were sick and tired of Jackson’s pouting and passive-aggressive tendencies. With a locker room of over 60 players, not everyone disliked Jackson and some were just indifferent. But there were some Buccaneers that couldn’t wait until he left Tampa Bay and are glad he’s gone.

Bucs DC Todd Bowles – Photo by: Getty Images

• PewterReport.com’s Mark Cook told me that new Bucs defensive coordinator Todd Bowles received a lot of favorable buzz at the NFL Annual Meeting in Phoenix, Arizona this past week. Bowles was the New York Jets head coach from 2015-18 and most sources Cook spoke with said Bowles never really had a quarterback in New York and drafting a rookie last year in Sam Darnold so late in his tenure was likely the death knell.

Bowles received plenty of credit for being a stand-up guy with the Jets and although he wasn’t loud, he definitely related to the players even though he’s not the most charismatic guy in terms of personality. Most league insiders feel he’ll get a chance at another head coaching opportunity in the league within the next five to 10 years, possibly in Tampa Bay as Bruce Arians’ eventual replacement.

• COOK HAS RETURNED FROM THE DESERT! PewterReport.com’s Mark Cook returned from the NFL Annual Meeting in Phoenix, Arizona with fresh insight and inside scoop on the Buccaneers, and shared that Matt Matera, Taylor Jenkins and I on the latest Pewter Nation Podcast, which was recorded on Thursday. Cook interviewed Tampa Bay general manager Jason Licht, co-chairman Joel Glazer and head coach Bruce Arians and offered up his thoughts on those sessions and a lot more in Pewter Nation Podcast Episode 114: Bucs Scoop From The Desert.

If you missed our last Pewter Nation Podcast you can right that wrong this weekend by listening to it. The PR team dove into free agency to discuss the latest Tampa Bay moves and projected what lies ahead. Check out this riveting episode by clicking here to listen to Pewter Nation Podcast Episode 113: March Madness.

There is no better time to listen to a new Pewter Nation Podcast than on your drive home from work on Friday or running around doing errands or at the gym on Saturday. The next Pewter Nation Podcast will be taped during the middle of next week as Bucs free agency continues.

The popularity of the Pewter Nation Podcast continues to grow. In addition to listening to the Pewter Nation Podcasts on PewterReport.com you can also subscribe to the free podcasts at PodBean by clicking here and on SoundCloud by clicking here. Make sure you subscribe so you don’t miss a single episode.

• While in Arizona, new Tampa Bay head coach Bruce Arians drafted five different positions in the first round in his time with the Cardinals from 2013-17. Of course drafting players is a collaborative effort that involved general manager Steve Keim, but it’s interesting to note the areas that Arians wasn’t afraid to target with Arizona’s first-round picks. Here’s the list:

2013 G Jonathan Cooper
With Cooper, Arians drafted a guard seventh overall, which turned out to be a big mistake. Licht traded up in the second round to use a pick on a guard with Ali Marpet in 2015.

Cardinals SS Deone Bucannon – Photo by: Getty Images

2014 SS Deone Bucannon
Bucannon is now with the Bucs playing a quasi-linebacker/safety role. Licht also sees the value of drafting safeties high, as he used a second-round pick on Justin Evans in 2017.

2015 OT D.J. Humphries
Humphries was a right tackle that didn’t live up to his first-round billing in Arizona. Licht spent a high second-round pick on left tackle Donovan Smith in 2015 and sees the value of drafting tackles high.

2016 DT Robert Nkemdiche
Nkemdiche hasn’t panned out for the Cardinals yet, but drafting starting-caliber interior pass rusher in the first round can’t be argued against given the value of the position. The Bucs may draft a defensive tackle in the first round this year due to the talent in this year’s draft class.

2017 LB Haason Reddick
Reddick was drafted because he could blitz and rush the passer off the edge as well as support the run, even though he hasn’t become a star yet in Arizona. The Bucs are considering drafting a linebacker in the first-round this year as LSU’s Devin White and Michigan’s Devin Bush are on the team’s radar.

• Speaking of LSU’s Devin White and Michigan’s Devin Bush, it was interesting that The Athletic’s Greg Auman noted the order in which Bruce Arians mentioned those two in an interview at the NFL Annual Meeting.

Asked specifically about LSU’s Devin White and whether a linebacker can go as high as No. 5, Bruce Arians actually mentioned another LB prospect first: “Devin Bush, Devin White, I mean, these guys are special. Then you look at those outside guys, it’s an unbelievable group.”

— Greg Auman (@gregauman) March 26, 2019

I wrote about the Bucs’ fondness for Bush as the lead section in last week’s SR’s Fab 5.

• Our @PewterReport Twitter account continues to climb towards 32,000 followers. Thank you to those Bucs fans that recently followed us!

If you aren’t following PewterReport.com on Twitter please do so right now so you don’t miss out on Bucs press conference and interview footage as well as breaking news and injury updates. Bucs OTAs begin next month and there will be a pre-draft Bucs mini-camp. Don’t miss out on the action – follow us today!

To follow @PewterReport on Twitter please click here. To follow us on Facebook please click here. And to follow @PewterReport on Instagram and you can do so by clicking here.

• There are a lot of Bucs fans that really like Houston defensive tackle Ed Oliver’s game and would love to see him get drafted by Tampa Bay in the first round. I discussed Oliver’s strengths and weaknesses in Fab 2, but found this revealing nugget from NFL.com’s draft expert Lance Zierlein on Twitter.

I heard the positional workout was kind of average and that he was pretty winded for parts of it. I’ll get a full report later. I’ve been told that bod-pod says he can carry 284 but anything over that would likely be bad weight. Just have to find the right fit.

— Lance Zierlein (@LanceZierlein) March 28, 2019

• It’s interesting to note that most mock drafts back in January had the Bucs taking either LSU cornerback Greedy Williams, Alabama offensive tackle Jonah Williams or Alabama running back Josh Jacobs, which was the most foolish prediction of them all. Both the Tigers defensive back and the Crimson Tide offensive lineman are now projected to go outside of the Top 10 – and perhaps outside of the Top 15 – while Jacobs is a fringe first-rounder.

LSU ILB Devin White – Photo by: LSU athletics

Yet the player that is being mocked most to Tampa Bay now by national media outlets is a player that PewterReport.com first forecast to the Bucs – LSU inside linebacker Devin White – back in January. We thought so strongly about White wearing red and pewter that he earned a return trip to the Bucs in the first round during our second mock draft. Bucs fans like you know where to turn to for the best, credible draft information about your favorite NFL team – PewterReport.com.

While we pivoted to Kentucky’s Josh Allen for our third installment to present a different scenario, it’s a safe bet to suggest that White may be returning to Tampa Bay in PewterReport.com’s fifth and final Bucs mock draft a week before the draft, which begins on April 25. PewterReport.com will be coming out with its fourth edition of its Bucs mock draft within the next week. Stay tuned.

And speaking of the draft, be sure to log on to PewterReport.com for the return of our Draft Videocast live from One Buc Place during all three days of the 2019 NFL Draft with our commentary and insight. PewterReport.com’s 2019 Draft Coverage is sponsored by Edmonson Electric. I will be hosting the Draft Videocast, presented by Edmonson Electric, with PewterReport.com’s Mark Cook, Taylor Jenkins and Matt Matera along with some special guests. Don’t miss it!