Bucs need their defensive line to stay healthy
The Bucs defense set a club record for futility, allowing a franchise worst 494 points last season and ranking 30th overall in the league.
Considering that head coach Raheem Morris doubled as defensive coordinator, it's one of the reasons Tampa Bay made a change and hired former Rutgers coach Greg Schiano.
The first thing Schiano did was hire former North Carolina, Browns, and Miami Hurricanes coach Butch Davis as a special assistant to the head coach. Schiano, who specializes on the defensive side of the ball, was Davis' defensive coordinator at Miami from 1999-2000.
The Bucs have yet to hire a defensive coordinator and Davis will likely have input in that. But Davis will not be a member of the coaching staff. He still is owed about $1.6 million over the next three years as part of a settlement with the Tar Heels and is not permitted to coach.
But Davis will be a great sounding board for Schiano as he navigates the transition from college to NFL head coach.
The Bucs need to upgrade their talent at every level on defense. They have invested heavily the past two years in the draft on the defensive line. But injuries have played a huge role in limiting production.
Defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, the third overall pick of the draft in 2010, has been unable to complete a season. Both years ended after he tore his left, and then right biceps muscle, landing McCoy on injured reserve.
As a result, McCoy has left the Bucs defense vulnerable. Tampa Bay has not invested in free agency to acquire veteran backups. Instead, the Bucs have been forced to play second-rung talents or players acquired off waivers such as defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth, who was released Feb. 15.
The same injury bug has hit defensive tackle Brian Price, a second-round pick in 2009 from UCLA who has played in 20 games in the past two years and has a career three sacks.
Price has been limited by surgery to repair a pelvic injury. The Bucs used their first two picks in 2011 on defensive ends Adrian Clayborn and Da'Quan Bowers. Clayborn led the Bucs in sacks with 7.5 while Bowers was limited as a rookie coming off knee surgery. But at least he showed flashes of being a dominant pass rusher.
That said, the Bucs had only 23 sacks last season, a pathetic total considering the immense investment.
Tampa Bay opted to go with rookie Mason Foster at middle linebacker last season. Foster had some good moments, but he looked lost in pass coverage and was limited in his ability to get the Bucs in the right position. To make matters worse, Foster was surrounded by players who underachieved, particularly linebackers Quincy Black and Geno Hayes.
The secondary needs rebuilding. Ronde Barber is 36 and does not have a contract for next season. He could retire. Cornerback Aqib Talib has a trial in Texas on charges of assault with a deadly weapon. If found guilty, Talib will likely be suspended at least a few games in 2012.
But Talib hasn't been a difference-maker when healthy. He had only two interceptions last season and struggled with a hamstring injury that forced him to miss the final month of the season.
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