7. TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (5-11)
LAST SEASON: There's no way to sugarcoat disappointment of not ending decade-long playoff drought on heels of going 9-7 two years ago. Shoulder injury
that affected QB Jameis Winston much of season was just part of problem. Running
game sputtered
Aaron Rodgers Jersey , Winston had difficulty throwing deep to DeSean Jackson after speedy receiver signed three-year, $33.5 million contract in free
agency, and what coach Dirk Koetter believed was capable of being high-scoring
offense struggled getting into end zone. Defensively, team took big step
backward, too, finishing last with 23 sacks.
THEY NEED: CB, RB, S, DE, DT, RG, RT.
THEY DON'T NEED: QB, WR
Authentic Sylvester Williams Jersey , TE.
POSSIBLE FIRST PICK: DB Minkah Fitzpatrick, Alabama; S Derwin James, Florida State; G Quenton Nelson, Notre Dame; CB Denzel Ward, Ohio State, DE Marcus
Davenport, UTSA; DT Vita Vea, Washington.
OUTLOOK: With Winston entering fourth season, heat is on Koetter and general manager Jason Licht to not only escape NFC South cellar but make playoffs for
first time since 2007. Top priority has been improving defensive and offensive
lines. Licht addressed sagging pass rush by trading for former Giants sackmaster
Jason Pierre-Paul and bolstered run defense by signing ex-Eagles Vinny Curry and
Beau Allen in free agency. Addition of ex-Ravens center Ryan Jensen, whose
arrival frees Ali Marpet to move to left guard, is big, too. Still, there are
plenty more holes to fill
Leighton Vander Esch Cowboys Jersey , especially in secondary where CB Brent Grimes turns 35 in July and CB Vernon Hargreaves III, first-round draft pick two
years ago, lost starting job last season.
— Quarterback Sam Bradford was well aware of David Johnson even before signing with the Cardinals in the offseason.
Bradford was on the opposite sideline when Johnson rushed for 187 yards and three touchdowns while trouncing Bradford’s Eagles in 2015.
A training camp with Johnson has only amplified Bradford’s appreciation.
“When I first got here, I think everyone tried to explain just how special he was and what he was able to do in the run game and the pass game, all the ways
that he could be used,” Bradford said. “I’ve heard that before about some
players, but then you actually see it and you see how smooth he is running
routes. He looks like a receiver when he is split out wide. You just don’t see
that from a guy that is as talented at running the ball as he is. I’m excited to
play with David. I think he is extremely versatile, and hopefully we find a way
to use him a lot.”
New coach Steve Wilks and new offensive coordinator Mike McCoy are expected to do exactly that, although it might not be evident in the Cardinals’ preseason
opener against San Diego on Saturday.
Neither Bradford nor Johnson is likely to see much time, more to give the coaches time to evaluate the rest of the squad than to protect Bradford (knee)
and Johnson (wrist) from contact.
Rookie Chase Edmonds, a fourth-round pick out of Fordham, is listed as No. 2 on the depth chart, and veteran D.J. Foster provides a run/pass threat in a
running back corps that also includes T.J. Logan and Sherman Badie.
Johnson
Byron Jones Jersey , who was second in the NFL with 2,118 yards in total offense in 2016, was injured in the 2017 season opener against Detroit and
hasn’t played since. He understands the preseason plan.
“Even though I was hurt last year, I know how the NFL works,” Johnson said. “I’ve played long enough to know the speed of NFL games and I know what I am
supposed to do.”
Johnson’s focus in training camp, which he opted to attend after sitting out the mandatory offseason workouts in June because of a contract dispute, is to
get in synch with McCoy’s playbook.
The new offense is more oriented to the short pass, while former coach Bruce Arians believed in the home run ball.
“It’s been great,” Johnson said. “Mike McCoy really knows how to bring out everyone’s strengths. He knows how to structure the offense to where it brings
out what everyone is good at. I feel like it is going to be a great
offense.”
Johnson’s emphasis now is on learning the nuances of the new running game, although it is safe to assume his pass-catching ability will be utilized as it
was in 2016, when he had 1,239 rushing yards on 293 carries and 879 receiving
yards on 80 receptions.
While Johnson will be the feature back, the Cardinals will use other packages that could involve Edmonds
Jets Nathan Shepherd Jersey , Foster and others depending on the opponent’s defensive schemes, Wilks said.
“All those guys are being very competitive,” Wilks said. “There are going to be some tough decisions. That’s what you want as a coach. We want those guys to
make us make those tough decisions with the things they are doing.”
NOTES: The Cardinals placed center A.Q. Shipley on injured reserve Tuesday, three days after he suffered a season-ending knee injury in a team scrimmage.
Mason Cole, a third-round draft choice from Michigan, is listed as the starting
center, but coach Wilks said, “I’m not going to try to put all the pressure on
him. It’s going to be by committee. Those guys have to do a great job
communicating, starting with the guards and out to the tackles and making sure
they put us in the right position from a (pass) protection
standpoint.”
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