Sir Purr
Well-known member
- Mar 16, 2019
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THE SKINNY: The Buccaneers allowed opponents to average 8.2 yards per pass attempt and a 110.9 passer rating, both of which ranked last in the NFL. New head coach Bruce Arians and defensive coordinator Todd Bowles inherited a young group, especially at cornerback, and the depth chart will see some movement between now and Week 1.
WHAT WORKED IN 2018: The Buccaneers only allowed six touchdown passes of more than 20 yards, tied for third-best in the NFL. They were in the middle of the pack in terms of total long passing plays allowed which bodes well for their development.
WHAT DIDN'T WORK IN 2018: The Bucs' secondary only recorded eight interceptions on the season, and four of those came in one game against Carolina. Only six teams had fewer picks in the back end.
WHO'S BACK FOR 2019: Ryan Smith and Carlton Davis return at cornerback, along with Vernon Hargreaves who finished last season on injured reserve. Jordan Whitehead and Isaiah Johnson both played 15 games at safety last season while M.J. Stewart played 11 games.
Veterans Brent Grimes and Chris Conte weren't re-signed and are currently free agents, while Javien Elliott was picked up by the Panthers.
WHO'S NEW FOR 2019: Tampa Bay drafted cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting (second round) out of Central Michigan, cornerback Jamel Dean (third round) out of Auburn and safety Mike Edwards (third round) out of Kentucky.
BIGGEST QUESTION MARKS: Can Smith, Davis and Hargreaves grow into solid cornerbacks against the league's top passing attacks in the division? How early will the three draft picks see playing time?