Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Gerald McCoy is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' best defensive lineman. That's no surprise: he was drafted third overall for a reason, and after two injury-shortened seasons in 2010 and 2011 he put up a very good Pro Bowl season in 2012. He's a surprisingly stout run defender given that that was seen as a weakness coming out of college to the extent that Mark Dominik even noted in his post-draft press conference at the time that McCoy had to improve his side anchor. McCoy has to make his mark against the pass, though. That's where he earns his money, and he's been a disruptive presence throughout his career. One complaint so far has been McCoy's relative lack of sacks, which is attributable to a number of different issues. One complaint has been that McCoy has been double teamed too often. There's some truth to that -- so how do the Bucs fix that? How do you get McCoy more one-on-ones? The same way Tampa Bay managed to give Warren Sapp one-on-ones. The 4-3 Under The Stunt 4-3 and the tilted nose tackle The tilted nose tackle and the Stunt 4-3 are inextricably linked, and a big part of the Buccaneers' defensive scheme. To understand how the Tampa Bay defense gave Warren Sapp consistent one-on-one opportunities, we first have to understand how the Bucs' defense worked. Duddee had an outstanding article on the 4-3 front the Buccaneers used and still use, and reading that will get you caught up with the basics of techniques and some terminology I'll be using throughout this article. When Tony Dungy first took over the Tampa Bay Buccaners in 1996, he brought his own defense with him -- what would become known as the Tampa 2, but was based on Bud Carson's old Cover 2 Steelers defense with the Stunt 4-3 as the basis for the front seven. The Bucs lined up in a 4-3 Under defense. What does that mean? Well, it looks like this. You should be noticing one thing here: the three-technique defensive tackle (on the outside shoulder of the right guard) is aligned away from the tight end. That's not a coincidence, as the 4-3 Under differs from the 4-3 Over in aligning away from the tight end, rather than towards the tight end. As you can see, and as I've discussed before, the nose tackle here won't do much for the three-technique in terms of tying up blockers. Instead, the design of the defense gives the three-technique a lot of one-on-one opportunities. Don't believe me? I'll let Pete Carroll say the same thing. The other defensive tackle the 3 technique player should be your premier interior pass rusher. He is going to get a lot of one on one blocks as it is hard to double team him because of where he lines up. This should be fairly easy to see in the above picture. The nose tackle will get blocked by the center and usually (but not always) the left guard. But neither of those players is ever going to be able to get to the three-technique to block him. If a double team is coming towards the three-technique, it will always involve the right guard and the right tackle or possibly either of those players and one of the backs in the backfield. With the defensive end aligned outside of the offensive tackle, though, he is almost forced to block that defensive end and can't usually help block the defensive tackle. Effectively by aligning in the 4-3 Under, the Bucs have created a two-on-two situation solely through the design of their defense. This is exactly what the Buccaneers used to do with Warren Sapp, and this is what it looked like in a 2000 game against the Dallas Cowboys. Warren Sapp was no unknown at this point. He had been the cornerstone of the league's best defense the year before and was a three-time All-Pro already. He was no slouch, and yet he's getting a one-on-one opportunity. Why? One reason: the Buccaneers align him in a position where the offense essentially has to give him a one-on-one. Here's another example from the same game, this time on a passing down. I've circled the two tight ends to the le

JoeBucsFan.com | "This Guy’s Been Working Like A Madman" - Tampa Bay Bucs FootballMason Foster. Eight in the Box: RB status check - NFC South Blog - ESPNRunning backs: who wins? Eagles work on transitioning to 3-4 defensive scheme - SBNation.comYes. Anthony McCoy tears achilles, will likely miss 2013 season - Field GullsAchilles tears are all the rage, it seems. Bears will retire Mike Ditka's No. 89 on Dec. 9 - SBNation.comWait, they hadn't yet? Richard Seymour rumors: 'Nothing serious' with Falcons right now, according to report - SBNation.comGood. Though I don't see how they could afford him anyway. Ron Jaworski believes Chip Kelly's offense won't work in the NFL - SBNation.comI am inclined to disagree. Rob Gronkowski injury: Patriots unsure how bad TE's back is - SBNation.comThat's why he fell in the draft. Former NFL GM says Urlacher is not a Hall of Famer - Windy City GridironFormer NFL GM is wrong. Roman Harper contract: Saints S reportedly signs extension - SBNation.comI would guess that extra year is mostly there as cap relief because that dude is not a good football player. New Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer feels reborn in the desert - Yahoo! SportsGood article on how Carson Palmer's once again stuck with a bad team. Wait, that's not what it's about. What Should Be Expected From Geno Smith’s Career?Statistical view. The offset battle with early first round picks | National Football PostPlayers appear to be losing.

Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports Welcome to the second round of #BucsBracket, the unofficial competition held here at the Pewter Plank to determine the most popular and most beloved Buccaneers of all time. The first round is in the books, and our second round matchups will be a bit closer, and that means every vote is important. Be sure to cast your vote in each matchup, because every vote counts! Sound off in the comments and let us know why you made the picks you made, because we will use comments on the blog as tiebreakers, in case of a tie. There are four matchups today, so we’ll keep the descriptions short and to the point so you can make your choices and get all the information you need. The bracket can be found below. You can click on the image to load a bigger version of the bracket. 1 seed: Derrick Brooks, Linebacker, 1995-2008 Brooks easily advanced to the second round, leaving Ryan Nece behind. The 9-time All-Pro and former Walter PaytonMan of the Year, NFL Defensive Player of the Year, and Pro Bowl MVP was one of the key figures in the Buccaneers’ dominant defense in the early 2000?s and late 1990?s. Brooks was dominant at his position and was also very active in the community in his charitable efforts. 9 seed: Mike Washington, Cornerback, 1976-1984 Mike Washington bested Scot Brantley in a slight upset to earn his place in the second round. In seven seasons (from 1977-1983) Washington intercepted 28 passes, returning 3 for touchdowns. His career would be ended early due to a spinal injury, but he was certainly one of the better players in the Buccaneers’ earliest days. So will it be an original Buccaneer, or a career Buccaneer with a Super Bowl ring? Make your pick below. Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll. 5 seed: Doug Williams, Quarterback, 1978-1982 Doug Williams advanced to the second round by defeating Jeff Garcia. Williams is well-known for his performances in Washington with the Redskins, but Williams also donned the orange and white in Tampa Bay for a few seasons, and led the team to an improbable appearance in the NFC Title Game in 1979 against the St. Louis Rams. His numbers were poor, but he led the team to wins before departing after the 1982 season. 4 seed: Jimmie Giles, Tight End, 1978-1986 Jimmie Giles advanced to the second round by moving past Keyshawn Johnson. GIles is a member of the Buccaneers’ Ring of Honor and a four-time Pro Bowl selection. He was a very prolific receiving tight end who once caught four touchdowns in one game, and finished his Buccaneers’ career with 34 touchdowns. So which of these early Bucs that helped bring the team from worst to first is your pick to move on? Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll. 6 seed: Donald Penn, Tackle, 2006-Present Donald Penn moves on to the second round after getting the best of Chris Hovan. The one-time Pro Bowl selection is a sturdy but never spectacular left tackle who the Bucs developed after signing him as an undrafted rookie out of Utah State. Penn is a big, strong tackle who lacks elite skill, but performs consistently and helped pave the way for Doug Martin‘s fantastic 2012 season. 3 seed: Warrick Dunn, Running Back, 1997-2001, 2008 Warrick Dunn made the second round by defeating Kevin House. Dunn was a hard-working, unique running back who rose to fame with the Buccaneers in the Tony Dungy era. The small but surprisingly tough runner made two Pro Bowl appearances as a Buccaneer, and was frequently recognized for his off-the-field efforts to help those less fortunate. Dunn finished with 28 touchdowns as a Buccaneer. So which of these two popular figures in recent Bucs’ history moves on to the Sweet 16? Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll. 10 seed: Karl Williams, Wide Receiver/Returner, 1996-2003 Ka

Ronde Barber’s record-breaking 200th consecutive start to open the 2012 NFL season was one of the moments recognized during the Tampa Bay Sports Commission’s annual Sneaker Soiree event

I am am SO ready for our main man to wreck the field this year. Heres some Action shots of VJax Post your pics below of Vjax or any player for that matter! I Just need something to do to pass the offseason and it seems like it has been an especially long one this year so please guys help me out and do your blogger/commenter duty and post your pics of your true buccaneer men Buccaneers_Raiders_Foot(18)_t607.jpg"> I am am SO ready for our main man to wreck the field this year. Heres some Action shots of VJax Post your pics below of Vjax or any player for that matter! I Just need something to do to pass the offseason and it seems like it has been an especially long one this year so please guys help me out and do your blogger/commenter duty and post your pics of your true buccaneer men Buccaneers_Raiders_Foot(18)_t607.jpg">

On the roster: Jeremy Zuttah, Davin Joseph, Carl Nicks, Ted Larsen, Adam Smith, Desmond Wynn, Jamon Meredith The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have one of the league's best interior offensive lines, on paper at least. Carl Nicks is one of the very best offensive guards in the NFL, and someone who would be named an All-Pro every year if he was healthy. Davin Joseph has been to two Pro Bowls and is a nasty mauler of a guard who can more than hold his own in pass protection. Jeremy Zuttah is not an All-Pro at center, but he's a solid professional who produces solid games week after week and has the versatility to play both guard spots adequately. And for once, the Bucs actually have decent depth at this position. Ted Larsen isn't a great player, but he played well at center last season and can play guard, though he's not great at that position. Jamon Meredith was previously a mediocre tackle at best, but held his own when asked to step in until late in the season, when the offensive line as a whole seemed to collapse. The Bucs won't feel secure if one of their starters suffers an injury, but they have better depth at these positions than most NFL teams. A history of injury problems The Buccaneers are likely to need that depth, sadly, because they have suffered injury issues along the interior offensive line for every season since Jon Gruden was fired. The Bucs have seen a whopping nine different starters over those four years, most of those changes being forced by injuries. What looks like a strength now could easily turn into a weakness once the season rolls around. Davin Joseph missed the entire 2012 season with a knee injury, while Carl Nicks made it to four games before he had to give because of a nasty foot injury. Even if those two return to form, and that's no certainty, can they make it a full season? And if they can't, how big of a dropoff will we see on offense? The offense was productive last season despite the loss of both guards, but really struggled down the stretch, and weak offensive line play was certainly a factor in those performances. Versatile backups Those injury problems have made two players very important: Ted Larsen and Jeremy Zuttah. Both of them have the ability to play either guard spot as well as center, which makes them indispensable in case of injury. Their ability to play multiple spots allows the Buccaneers to carry fewer offensive linemen on the roster, freeing up roster spots elsewhere. Jamon Meredith has that same ability, more or less. While he's never shown that he can play either left guard or center, he can play offensive tackle -- though he hasn't been good at that in his career so far. Still, the fact that he can play tackle makes it likely that he makes the roster. The other two backups are basically unknowns at this point. Desmond Wynn played college football at Rutgers under Greg Schiano and entered the league as an undrafted free agent last year. He spent the year on injured reserve. Meanwhile, Adam Smith is an undrafted free agent out of Western Kentucky about whom I essentially know nothing. So, hey, who knows. Maybe they surprise in training camp. Projected roster: Carl Nicks, Jeremy Zuttah, Davin Joseph, Ted Larsen, Jamon Meredith (G/T) Check out the rest of our position previews right here. Read more: Ronde Barber would have been on the Top 100 Buccaneers Trivia: The 1,000 yard rushers Vincent Jackson and Doug Martin make the list Tony Dungy is number 20

Here's a bit of fun I'm stealing from Hogs Haven: trivia! How much do you really know about the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and their history? We'll see how popular this is and if we can make it a recurring theme, but here's the first go, which shouldn't be too difficult. With Doug Martin putting up a 1,000-yard season this past year, how many other 1,000-yard rushers for the Buccaneers can you name? Season Yards Rusher 2012 1,454 Doug Martin 2010 1,007 2005 1,178 2000 1,133 1998 1,026 1995 1,207 1994 1,011 1992 1,171 1985 1,300 1984 1,544 1979 1,263 You can check your answers here. Let us know in the comments how many you got right, and try to use spoiler tags to not tip off any of the answers. Read more: Ronde Barber would have made it on to the top 100 Vincent Jackson and Doug Martin make the list Tony Dungy is number 20 Recency bias, narratives and clutch performers

More than 80 local Girl Scouts visited One Buccaneer Place last week to get an up-close look at the careers available in sports, with Buccaneer women professionals gladly sharing their own experiences and advice

Continuing a Buccaneer tradition, the team’s rookies visited St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tampa on Wednesday to raise the spirits of pediatric patients and kick off a series of charitable events