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| Thursday, August 31 By Ernest Hooper Pro Football Weekly | ||||||||||||||||||||
Seventeen points.
Quarterbacks: Dungy, who never played quarterback in the NFL because he was told he was too short, is the champion of undersized quarterbacks. Starter Shaun King is generously listed at 6 feet tall, and veteran backup Eric Zeier is about the same size. Rookie Joe Hamilton, who is likely to beat out Scott Milanovich for the third spot, is even shorter at 5-10. But Dungy believes all three can be effective, especially King. Both coach and quarterback share common traits, including a calmness under pressure and devout faith. King draws supreme confidence from that faith and has been undaunted by all the questions about his ability. So have his teammates. "What's the big Shaun thing?" Johnson asked. "I read and hear, ?Can he do it?' I mean, what is it that he has to do? All he's got to do is throw the ball from one side of the field to the other. He's been doing that his entire life." To make the most of his ability, King will roll out more and occasionally operate out of the shotgun, which he did on almost every play while throwing for a school-record 8,419 yards at Tulane. King is in better shape and has a good grasp of Steckel's complex offense, which features 60 formations and 42 motions. The Bucs are not going to start throwing the ball 40 times a game just because former offensive coordinator Mike Shula was fired. Dungy wants a ball-control attack that gives his defense a chance in every game. That's why Steckel is a good fit. His one-RB attack will rely a lot on the tight ends and H-backs, and all of the Bucs' ballcarriers are adept receivers. Tampa Bay will dink and dunk to give its vaunted defense plenty of rest. If too many defenders get in the box, King will look to Johnson and speedy third-year pro Jacquez Green. Grade: C+ Running backs: As a rookie in '96, Mike Alstott led the Bucs in receptions with 65. Last season Alstott led the team in rushing with 949 yards. What Steckel wants to do this year is combine the best of both Alstotts into a versatile package that never leaves the field. "In Tennessee Titans terms, he will be Eddie George one play and Frank Wycheck the next," Steckel said of Alstott. Warrick Dunn provides the perfect complement as a darting pinball. In an injury-plagued '99 season, Dunn still led the team with 64 receptions. Now that Dunn is healthy, the Bucs are expecting his rushing prowess to return. Third-year pro Rabih Abdullah should get more carries in the one-RB sets and may play fullback behind Alstott. Grade: B
Grade: B- Offensive linemen: McDaniel and Christy give Tampa Bay the athleticism needed to revitalize the running game and allow for more traps and perimeter running. The Bucs' struggles in short-yardage situations should also be eased. However, offensive tackle has supplanted King's inexperience as the biggest question mark on the team. Jason Odom, coming off season-ending back surgery, has seen very little practice time, and Paul Gruber was still unsigned at presstime as he continued to rehab from a broken leg suffered in the '99 regular-season finale. Fifth-year pro Pete Pierson, who started both playoff games last season, and veteran George Hegamin have been filling in, but there were no real prospects behind inconsistent ORT Jerry Wunsch. Grade: C Defense Defensive linemen: Asked how he could top his Defensive Player of the Year season, Sapp said, "MVP is up for grabs. I got a space on my mantle for that." Having never finished the year atop the statistical standings, the Bucs' defense has the same attitude. Of the narrow 11-6 loss in the NFC championship game, coordinator Monte Kiffin said, "There's no reason we couldn't have won that game 6-5." Sapp anchors a unit that is clearly in its prime. Just consider this: The line has two first-round picks on the bench. DT Brad Culpepper continues to hold off '99 first-round selection Anthony McFarland, but McFarland will play in relief of both Culpepper and Sapp. The other former first-rounder, DE Marcus Jones, was pushing for a starting spot in the preseason. Jones subbed for both DLE Chidi Ahanotu and DRE Steve White last season, finishing with seven sacks, second behind Sapp's 121¼2. No matter who starts, all three will play a lot. Special-teams standout John McLaughlin has bulked up from 245 pounds to 265 and will add even more depth. Grade: A Linebackers: How do the Bucs fill the void left by free-agent defector Hardy Nickerson? Use three people. Third-year pro Jamie Duncan inherits run-stuffing duties in the middle, strong-side LB Shelton Quarles will work in pass coverage in nickel situations and weak-side LB Derrick Brooks will fill the leadership void with help from Sapp and John Lynch. Clearly, the unit is solid, with Brooks' all-around play leading the way. He's had at least 180 tackles in each of the last three years, and he may be the league's best open-field tackler. When Duncan and Quarles handled the same roles in '98 with Nickerson unavailable for the last six games, the defense improved from sixth to second in the league. Depth is plentiful with veterans Jeff Gooch, Alshermond Singleton and Don Davis, as well as rookie Nate Webster, who will have an immediate impact on special teams. Grade: B Defensive backs: Defensive backs coach Herman Edwards wants his unit to produce more turnovers in 2000, even though the Bucs play a lot of zone coverage. CB Donnie Abraham should lead the way. He's a good bet to become the next Pro Bowl player on this defense after tying for the NFC interceptions lead with seven. Third-year pro Brian Kelly is pushing Ronde Barber for the starting spot at right corner, but both will play a lot, no matter who gets the nod. Veteran Floyd Young will be the fourth corner if he holds off the challenge of some promising rookies. SS Lynch is a Pro Bowl stalwart who continues to use a heady approach to play tough against the run. Damien Robinson returns at free safety, but he'll be challenged by second-year pro Dexter Jackson, who has a penchant for big plays. Grade: B Special teams Martin Gramatica was well worth a third-round pick after converting 27 of 32 field-goal opportunities. He has developed a good relationship with punter/holder Mark Royals, whose gross (43.1) and net (37.4) averages were among the league's best. After using a committee of returners in '99, Dungy was looking to settle on one player for punt returns and one for kick returns. Green and fellow WRs Karl Williams and Yo Murphy may return punts, while NFL Europe Offensive MVP Aaron Stecker and Murphy are in the running for kick returns. Grade: B+ 
Material from Pro Football Weekly.Visit their website at http://www.profootballweekly.com |
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