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Q: Who do you think will start Day One at running back? I think it should be LeGarrette Blount, he has shown flashes of being great and fits Schiano's physical mentality. Don't get me wrong, Doug Martin will get a lot of touches as well. At this point in time LeGarrette is just the better back.
Andrew Athans, Arnold, Md.
A: I don’t disagree with what you say about Blount, but I think Martin will be the starter. He's more versatile than Blount and doesn't have the problems holding on to the ball that Blount does. Martin can break tackles, too, and he has the speed to break free for a home run. He'll likely get the chance to be the starter out of the chute but it's nice to have a starting-caliber player like Blount in reserve, who can finish games and punish tired defenses.
-- Roy Cummings
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Q: I understand that Kellen Winslow may not have been so easy to control, but given his productivity and ability, and also the fact that he had not missed a game with the Bucs, why is it a smart move to trade him and bring in Dallas clark, who is older not as much of a playmaker and has had his own injury problems?
I'm not saying Winslow was the best ever, but I fail to see how this makes the Bucs a better team. Do they have some other plan at tight end?
Joe Baisden, Sharana, Afghanistan
A: I think the plan is to de-emphasize the tight end a little bit in the passing game. The Bucs threw to Winslow 114 times last year, the fourth most in the league for any tight end. I think they want to get the ball to their wideouts and running backs a little more, so the possible de-emphasis may have had something to do with the dismissal.
There was also the issue of Winslow's desire to work out in San Diego during the offseason. He said that didn't sit well with Schiano and Schiano never denied it. We have to believe then that the issue was a factor and that Schiano used Winslow to send yet another message to his players that they will do things as he wishes, not as they wish, or they will be out of here.
-- Roy Cummings
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Q: I can smell the excitement all the way from Washington about the Bucs' new regime. I'm curious though what your opinion(s) are about the discipline and demeanor of new Bucs head coach Greg Schiano. I'm a school teacher with traditional values and make my students "toe the line." After watching every game last year and following up with studying game film I saw immaturity prevail. Last year's Bucs looked lifeless and careless.
My question is this: How is the progress so far at One Buc Place for Schiano's "Buccaneer Way" transformation? Working with late adolescent millionaires might require little less than a miracle compared to my 8th grade P.E. class.
P.S. Thanks for all the in-depth coverage. I'm 3,000 miles away from being a season ticket holder. It means a lot.
Curtis Weber, Spokane, Wash.
A: First off, thanks for being a loyal reader and I know the Bucs appreciate your loyalty to them, as well.
As for the transformation, all seems to be going well. Coach Schiano is clearly getting rid of those who choose not to buy into his program and that will send a clear message to the current and potentially future Bucs that his way is the only way. That's a good thing. Like your students football players, even veteran ones, need guidance and leadership.
No team has 53 Hardy Nickersons or Ronde Barbers or Warren Sapps, guys who "get it'' from the very start and know how to be pros, work their game and improve steadily as time goes on. Most teams have two or three of those guys and so the coaches have to be the real leaders and they have to lead with smart discipline. By that I mean there has to be a payoff for all that they're doing.
It's kind of like the Karate Kid. He didn't understand why he was washing and waxing all those cars until his mentor showed him the skills he'd developed through consistent work habits. It's the same with football. If you get used to running from one drill to another all day in practice, you'll run all day on Sunday, too.
The bottom line answer will come in the shape of wins and losses. If he produces more wins than losses, Schiano's transformation of the organization will be deemed a success.
-- Roy Cummings
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Q: Coach Schiano impresses me by trying to instill work ethics back in the Bucs. His selection of experienced ex-pro assistants and his style are impressive. My concern is his ability to develop a pro-caliber offense. The Rutgers offense was mediocre by college standards and the jump to the NFL is a concern. Can Schiano make the leap scheme-wise?
Al, Belleview
A: Well, the Bucs aren't going to run Schiano's offense. They're going to run his defense and Mike Sullivan's offense. We're still not sure what Sullivan's offense will look like but the word we have from the players we've talked to, including QB Josh Freeman, is that it will look a lot like what the New York Giants have been running lately. That makes sense since Sullivan came from the Giants, where he was receivers coach and then quarterbacks coach. That offense has won two Super Bowls so it must be rather effective. It's primarily a rush-oriented attack that takes shots down the field, which is definitely what Schiano wants.
-- Roy Cummings
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Q: I am assuming that Gerald McCoy is attending OTAs. What is his health status?
Keith Henderson, Lecanto
A: McCoy isn't just attending, he's participating. Regularly. And he's really working hard. There is nothing at this point to indicate he's been slowed at all by his season-ending surgery. He's doing all the drills and mixing it up in the 11-on-11 work, as well. Now, they're only in shorts, but that's probably a good thing. So far though, so good. He looks well down the road to recovery.
-- Roy Cummings
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Q: Who's getting more touches at running back? LeGarrette Blount or Doug Martin?
Phillip Groenstein, Florida
A: Right now it's Blount, but that's only because Martin continues to be limited by a sore hamstring. The Bucs are being cautious there, but look for Martin to start getting more of the work once training camp rolls around.
-- Roy Cummings
