According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Buccaneers didn’t take long to use some of their cap space on the top Free Agent wide receiver, Vincent Jackson. Jackson and the Buccaneers quickly agreed to a deal after Free Agency opened worth $55 million over five years, the deal includes $26 million in guaranteed money. The Buccaneers made no attempts to hide the fact that they were going to pursue one of the many Free Agent receivers and attempt to add more weapons for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers promising quarterback, Josh Freeman.
Following a season where Freeman threw for 25 touchdowns and only 6 interceptions, last season he had only 16 touchdown passes and 22 interceptions. Adding a weapon on the outside like Vincent Jackson who has the ability to out jump his defenders using his 6’5″ frame gives Freeman not only a safety blanket when he is feeling the pass rush, but also a big play threat. The Buccaneers should now look into solidifying their offensive line.
Over the past several days there has been a lot of news regarding the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Buccaneers placed a first round tender on Michael Bennett, to prevent their defensive end from entering Free Agency as an Unrestricted Free Agent. Michael Bennett had 39 tackles and 4 sacks in 10 starts last season. It was the first season that Bennett saw significant time as a starter. In addition to that, Schiano added the last significant member to his coaching staff to complete his coaching staff for the first time in the NFL. The last significant staff member that was hired was Bob Ligashesky, he will serve as the Buccaneers special teams coordinator. Ligashesky will be entering his 9th year as an NFL coach, and will be coming over from the Jaguars where he served as their special teams coach in 2011.
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The Bucs just aren’t cut out for foggy London town. In the cross Atlantic matchup the Bears were clearly the better more physical team, which doesn’t always spell a loss for the Bucs. This time though, Josh Freeman couldn’t pull it out of the fire. After throwing 2 late TD’s to pull the game into a one score contest, he was picked off by DJ Moore. Overall, Freeman was out of his element, throwing 4 picks. The Bucs lost 24-18.
On the other side of things, the defense was put to shame by Matt Forte. The RB from Chicago continued his assualt on the leagues defenses, rushing for 145 yards and a score. Tampa looked overmatched at times by the physicality of the Bears. Ronde Barber provided a defensive bright spot, recording a safety by tackling Forte in the endzone. Barber is the all time sack leader for CB’s as well, with 27 after this week.
RB Earnest Graham, who was filling in for the injured LeGarrett Blount, was lost early in the game with a serious ankle injury. This spells trouble as the Bucs need a solid rushing attack to balance their offense. Look to see if that balance can be acheived after next weeks bye.
Week 6 poses a huge opportunity for Tampa Bay. A win will earn them a 1st place tie with the Saints, and will send a message to the league that the team is here to stay. The Bucs will need a big performance out of backup RB Earnest Graham, as he will get the bulk of the carries. If he can hold the ball, eat up clock, and score enough to keep the Bucs close, Freeman will win the game in the end. I am beginning to become a big time believer in Freeman’s “it ” factor. He has what it takes to win tight, hard fought games by pulling them out late.
On the other side of things Tampa merely has to slow the Saints juggernaut offense to give their own a chance. Easier said then done. If Tampa’s D can hold Brees to normal, un-video game like numbers, they will have a great shot. Watch for a possible big play on special teams, and a big win for the Bucs 24-21 over the Saints.
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This week the Bucs travel West to San Francisco to match up against the improving 3-1 49ers. This is a good yardstick game for the Bucs, as they are 3-1 as well as being tied for the division lead. In order to beat San Fran, the defense will have to shut down RB Frank Gore. QB Alex Smith doesn’t give you much to worry about, so the box should be loaded with Tampa defenders all day. If they shut down Gore watch for Smith to make mistakes, and throw easy picks. Tampa’s D should be able to pressure Smith regularly, and that will cause the 49ers big problems. Don’t rule out a sluggish effort though, as this is one of the longest trips in the NFL, and going West is always tough for East coast teams.
Offensively, Josh Freeman just has to be himself. Team ahead, play it safe. Team behind, let is loose. He is very capable, and seems to be on his way to a solid NFL career. Winning is his game, and he is very good at finding ways to pull out victories. The 49ers run D isn’t bad, so look for RB LeGarrett Blount to get short, but steady gains. Sticking to the run will help wear down the 49ers, and can open it up for big plays down the field. I think the long plane ride and San Frans D will be too much for the Bucs, who will lose 24-17. Check back for my game recap when the week’s action is over.
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Another late comeback by Josh Freeman, and the Bucs are 3-1, after a Monday night win against the Colts 24-17. The 2nd year QB now has 7 4th quarter game winning drives in his career, and the 2 minute drill is becoming his calling card. After being down 17-10 with 7 minutes left in the 3rd, Freeman threw a TD pass to Preston Parker, and RB LeGarrett Blount rushed for a score to take the final lead of the game. Freeman finished with 287 yards and a TD for a 94.7 rating. Blount rushed for 127 yards and a score, and was a bulldog all game. He ripped off a 35 yard TD run late in the 4th to cap the comeback, his 25th rush of the game. You could see the effect Blount had on the defense, as they looked very tired late, and were hesitant to tackle the big back. Josh Freeman is quickly becoming one of the NFL’s top winners.
The Bucs defense was ok, but it took them a while to get on track. Indy managed to score 17 points in only 21 minutes with the ball, which means the offense really saved their bacon. The defense was at it’s best when on the blitz, sacking Indy QB Curtis Painter 4 times and forcing a fumble. Tampa had no turnovers in the game, and when you win the TO battle, you usually win the game. The secondary wasn’t great, allowing 2 big plays to WR Pierre Garcon, each for TD’s over 50 yards. All in all, a good effort, but there is always room for improvement. Next week Tampa faces off against San Fran on the road. Come back for a game preview on Saturday.
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Buccaneers News, Roster Changes | Buccaneers360 | 
March 14, 2012 3:30 am | 
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