Buccaneers Fire DC Mike Smith
The Buccaneers have fired defensive coordinator Mike Smith, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link). Linebackers coach Mark Duffner will serve as Tampa Bay’s interim DC, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
Smith’s firing shouldn’t come as a total surprise, as the Buccaneers have fielded one of the NFL’s worst defenses this season. Tampa Bay ranks dead last in points allowed per game (34.6) and 31st in yards per game, and has allowed a whopping 82 points over its past two contests, both of which were losses. The Buccaneers are now on pace to give up the most points in NFL history, per Greg Auman of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Advanced metrics aren’t a fan of Smith’s Buccaneers defense, either, as the club ranks last in Football Outsiders’ defensive DVOA, which measures overall efficiency. Tampa Bay also ranks poorly in pace stats, as the team is 31st in both yards allowed per drive and points allowed per drive. All of Football Outsiders’ metrics were calculated before the Buccaneers gave up 34 points to the Falcons on Sunday.
The Buccaneers attempted to revamp their defense over the offseason, especially along the defensive line, where they acquired Jason Pierre-Paul via trade, signed Vinny Curry and Beau Allen, and drafted Vita Vea in the first round. However, Tampa Bay ranks just 27th in adjusted sack rate. That’s an untenable lack of pressure, especially given the Buccaneers’ problems in the secondary, where starters Chris Conte and Vernon Hargreaves are on injured reserve.
Smith, 59, was hired as Tampa Bay’s defensive coordinator prior to the 2016 campaign, and the Buccaneers made him the NFL’s highest-paid DC, per Rapoport (Twitter link). While the Bucs’ defense finished a respectable 13th in defensive DVOA in 2016, the unit fell to 32nd in 2017 before its struggles continued into this season. Smith, of course, was the Falcons’ head coach from 2008-14, compiling a 66-46 record during that time.
Duffner, meanwhile, offers a wealth of coaching experience, both at the collegiate and pro level. He’s been with the Buccaneers since 2016, and has previously held linebacker coach positions with the Bengals, Packers, Jaguars, and Dolphins. Duffner served as Cincinnati’s defensive coordinator (in addition to his positional duties) in 2001-02.
Buccaneers To Closely Evaluate Jameis Winston, Still Unsure Of Long-Term Future
- Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network (video link) reports that Jameis Winston‘s job with the Buccaneers is pretty secure for the time being, but the rest of the season will be critical in determining Winston’s long-term future with the club. He is under club control through 2019 under the fifth-year option, but that option would cost the Bucs $20.9MM and is guaranteed for injury only, so if Winston performs poorly but remains healthy, Tampa Bay could conceivably cut ties after the 2018 season.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/13/18
Here are Saturday’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Promoted from practice squad: RB Gus Edwards
- Placed on IR: RB De’Lance Turner
Cleveland Browns
- Released via injury settlement: FB Dan Vitale
Seattle Seahawks
- Promoted from practice squad: TE Tyrone Swoopes
- Waived: WR Keenan Reynolds
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: WR Freddie Martino
- Placed on IR: CB Marcus Williams
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/12/18
Today’s minor moves will be posted here:
Carolina Panthers
- Placed on injured reserve: LB Jared Norris
Cleveland Browns
- Waived off injured reserve: FB Dan Vitale
Los Angeles Chargers
- Waived: WR J.J. Jones
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Waived off injured reserve: OT Cole Gardner
Ali Marpet Cash Flow Details
The 1-4 Falcons could face the Buccaneers without running back Devonta Freeman, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Freeman, who missed three games with an MCL sprain, is actually dealing with a new injury, as Rapoport indicates it’s a bone bruise that’s threatening to keep Freeman out of Sunday’s action. While Freeman didn’t practice today, he did work on the side, although his status for Week 6 is “in doubt, per Rapoport. Without Freeman, Atlanta would deploy a Tevin Coleman/Ito Smith combination that was used in Weeks 2-5.
- Under the terms of his five-year extension with the Buccaneers, guard Ali Marpet will earn $12.365MM through one year, $23.25MM through two years, and $33.5MM through three years, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Among left guards, Marpet’s $11MM annual average now ranks third, behind only Andrew Norwell and Kelechi Osemele, while his $27.125MM in guarantees ranks second. Marpet, who has started 44 games during his time in the NFL, has displayed exceptional versatility, as he’s played both guard spots and center in his career.
Bucs GM On Ali Marpet Deal
The Buccaneers and offensive lineman Ali Marpet agreed to a five-year extension earlier today, with the deal expected to be worth $55MM ($27.125MM guaranteed). General manager Jason Licht last said that one of the top items on the front office’s to-do list was signing the 25-year-old to a long-term deal.
More Practice Squad Updates: 10/9/18
Here are the rest of today’s practice squad moves (earlier version can be found here):
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: WR Tim White
- Released: OL Randin Crecelius
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: RB Darius Jackson
Houston Texans
- Signed: CB Robert Jackson
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: TE Tyrone Swoopes
- Released: TE Marcus Lucas
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: WR Damoun Patterson
Washington Redskins
- Signed: OT Justin Evans
- Released: OT Chris Durant
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/9/18
Here are today’s minor moves:
Cleveland Browns
- Waived: CB Jeremiah McKinnon
- Promoted from practice squad: RB Dontrell Hilliard
Dallas Cowboys
- Waived: S Ibraheim Campbell
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: RB David Williams
- Promoted from practice squad: TE David Grinnage
Los Angeles Rams
- Claimed from Ravens: CB Darious Williams
Minnesota Vikings
- Released: WR Tavarres King
- Waived from IR: DB Horace Richardson
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Released: DE Will Clarke
- Promoted from practice squad: DE Demone Harris
NFL Workout Updates: 10/9/18
Here’s the latest from the workout circuit, courtesy of veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer:
Arizona Cardinals
- WR Rishard Matthews (story), K Daniel Carlson, K Kai Forbath, QB Malik Zaire
Baltimore Ravens
- LB Alvin Jones
Buffalo Bills
- WR Aaron Burbridge, WR Bennie Fowler, QB Landry Jones, P Drew Kaser, P Brad Nortman
Carolina Panthers
- LB Thurston Armbrister, LB Brandon Chubb, LB Josh Keyes
Cincinnati Bengals
- TE Blake Bell, TE Khari Lee, TE Clive Walford
Cleveland Browns
- OT Brant Weiss
Detroit Lions
- LB Garret Dooley, LB John Timu, LB Aaron Wallace, DT Jamie Meder, DT David Parry
Green Bay Packers
- RB Tra Carson (signed to practice squad), WR Keon Hatcher (signed to PS), WR Devin Lucien, WR Teo Redding
Houston Texans
Indianapolis Colts
- S Mike Mitchell (signed, story)
Jacksonville Jaguars
- RB Jamaal Charles (signed, story), RB Charcandrick West, LS Jon Condo, LS Matt Overton, LS Zach Triner, TE Pharoah McKever (signed to PS), WR Breshad Perriman, QB Josh Woodrum
Kansas City Chiefs
- LB Nate Orchard, LB Gimel President, LB Frank Zombo (signed, story)
New Orleans Saints
- WR Quan Bray, WR Rashad Greene, WR Jordan Leslie, WR Brandon Reilly, WR Lucky Whitehead, WR Shane Wynn, CB Chris Campbell, LB Kennan Gilchrist, LB Manase Hungalu, LB Greer Martini, DB Lardarius Webb
Oakland Raiders
- LB Josh Carraway, DE Anthony Lanier, CB Quinten Rollins
San Francisco 49ers
- RB Matthew Dayes (signed to PS), RB Andre Ellington, RB Jeremy McNichols, RB Shane Vereen, RB Charcandrick West (story), QB Jack Heneghan
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- OG Kofi Amichia, WR Jace Billingsley, Fred Brown, Corey Coleman, Damoun Patterson, Austin Proehl, QB Joe Callahan, OT De’Ondre Wesley
Tennessee Titans
- LB B.J. Bello, LB Nigel Harris (signed to PS), LB Tegray Scales
Buccaneers Sign Ali Marpet To Extension
The Buccaneers and offensive lineman Ali Marpet have agreed to an extension, according to his representatives at Select Sports Group (on Twitter). It’s a five-year add-on that will keep him under contract through the 2023 season. Marpet’s extension is worth $55MM over the five-year period with $27.125MM in guarantees, a source tells Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). 
Marpet has been a full-time starter along the Buccaneers’ offensive line ever since being selected in the second round of the 2015 draft. A right guard during his first two years in the league, the 25-year-old Marpet transitioned in 2017, but shifted to right guard this year. Last year, Pro Football Focus graded Marpet as the NFL’s No. 6 pivot before he was placed on IR in late November. This year, PFF has him as the seventh-best guard in the NFL through five weeks.
Marpet missed three games due to injury as a rookie and five games last year, but he has been on the field for every offensive snap in 42 of the other 44 contests since his arrival in Tampa. He’s also started in all 44 of those games.
Before the new deal, the former second-round pick was scheduled to reach free agency in March. He’ll carry a tidy $1.2MM cap charge this year before getting a sizable pay bump in 2019.
Marpet’s skillset, versatility, and age would have positioned him as one of the most valuable offensive lineman in free agency next year. The Bucs were willing to pay the price in order to keep Marpet off of the open market or avoid using the pricey franchise tag to delay his free agency until 2020.
With Marpet’s deal completed, the team is expected to turn its attention to left tackle Donovan Smith, a fellow second-round pick in the 2015 draft.