The Beat: Greg Auman On The Buccaneers
With the season fast approaching, we’re chatting with beat writers from around the league to gain insight on each team’s offseason and how those moves will impact the season ahead.
Today, we begin the series by discussing the Buccaneers with Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times. You can follow Greg on Twitter @gregauman and check out his stories here.
Zach Links: This offseason, the Bucs retained Doug Martin with a five-year, $35MM+ deal, giving him one of the highest average salaries in the NFL among running backs. Do you expect him to repeat his brilliant 2015 performance? Will the deal prove to be a wise one for the Buccaneers?
Greg Auman: I think the Bucs were smart to keep Martin, and did so without overspending — Martin had made it clear he loved living in Tampa, liked the team around him, but still got a solid contract. I don’t know if Martin will finish second in the NFL in rushing again — having healthier passing options in that offense might cut back on his touches some — but think he can still improve in other areas, like scoring and red zone/goal line efficiency. They’ll continue to use Martin and Charles Sims as a 1-2 combination and I think that really helps take some of the burden off Jameis Winston as well.
Zach Links: Do you think the Bucs should have given Lovie Smith another year at the helm? Are you expecting to see the team improve with Dirk Koetter as head coach?
Greg Auman: I think going into last season, most Bucs fans would have expected to have Lovie Smith back if the team went from 2-14 to 6-10 with a rookie quarterback. I think last year’s team took many steps forward, but for them to be 6-6 and then drop the last four games, for them to have such persistent problems on defense, which was supposed to be what Lovie Smith teams do best, that worked against him in a big way. Having Koetter as an option to name a new coach but still have the continuity around Winston gave them the chance to make a change without everyone starting from scratch. I think the players have responded well to Koetter so far, but you really can’t tell how well he’ll fare until you’ve seen him in a game situation, handling those decisions and making adjustments during games.
Zach Links: The Buccaneers made some big money additions like signing guard J.R. Sweezy and defensive lineman Robert Ayers, but they didn’t shake up the roster as much as other teams did this offseason. What other moves would you have liked to see them make?
Greg Auman: I thought they addressed their biggest needs, especially at defensive end and cornerback, both in free agency and the draft. Adding Sweezy helped offset the retirement of Logan Mankins — they really didn’t have a lot of major personnel losses aside from that. I thought they might add depth at defensive tackle, and they still could do that. Other than that, I think they’ve worked to address what looked to be the most glaring needs on the roster.
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Auman On WRs, TEs
- Greg Auman of The Tampa Bay Times tweets that the Buccaneers have 12 receivers currently on the roster, 10 of whom are 25 or younger. Of that group, Auman expects five to make the 53-man roster (or six if the group includes the return specialist). In a separate tweet, Auman indicates that the Bucs will also carry four tight ends.
Buccaneers Claim Jonathan Krause
The Buccaneers have claimed wide receiver Jonathan Krause off waivers from the Eagles, the club announced. To clear a roster spot, Tampa Bay waived guard Dominique Robertson.
[RELATED: Updated Tampa Bay Buccaneers depth chart]
Robertson was waived with a non-football injury designation, a specification that results from Robertson’s involvement in a shooting earlier this month. The 22-year-old was shot twice in the leg during an incident in which he was a “bystander,” according to Robertson’s agent, and although the police did question the undrafted rookie free agent, he was never charged with any crime and there’s been no indication that an investigation is ongoing.
Krause, meanwhile, has a little more NFL experience than does Robertson, as the pass-catcher appeared in two games with the Eagles last season, catching two passes for 11 yards. Krause, 24, went undrafted out of Vanderbilt in 2014, and has also spent time with the Browns and Patriots organizations. He was waived yesterday when Philadelphia signed rookie linebacker Don Cherry.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Potential Buccaneers Cap Casualties
- If Buccaneers offensive lineman Gosder Cherilus proves to be nothing more than a backup to Demar Dotson, Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times could see the team letting go of him and his $4.5MM salary. Other veterans who could find themselves on the hot seat include offensive lineman Evan Dietrich-Smith, defensive end George Johnson, tight end Brandon Myers, and safety Major Wright.
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Buccaneers Waive John Lowdermilk
- The Buccaneers have waived safety John Lowdermilk off the reserved/retired list, reports Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link). The Bucs placed Lowdermilk on the reserved/retired list May 24, just under two weeks after claiming him off waivers from the Vikings. Lowdermilk, 24, spent time with the Vikes and Chargers organizations after entering the NFL as an undrafted free agent from Iowa last year. He didn’t appear in a game with either, however.
Mike Smith A 2017 Head Coaching Candidate?
- Bears defensive coordinator Vic Fangio and Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin are among the NFL assistants who could be candidates for head coaching jobs next offseason, Mike Sando of ESPN.com writes (Insider subscription required). Both play-callers have been interviewed for a number of gigs in the past, but despite both having success at various stops, neither has ever been hired for a head job. Other options who could expect phone calls next year are the Colts‘ Rob Chudzinski, the Buccaneers‘ Mike Smith, and the Vikings‘ George Edwards, per Sando.
Bucs Owners Unhappy With Miko Grimes
This week, the wife of Buccaneers cornerback Brent Grimes made waves when she slammed the Dolphins in a controversial rant and characterized executive Mike Tannenbaum and owner Stephen Ross as “jew buddies.” Will Miko Grimes’ words affect the two-time Pro Bowler? Officially, the Bucs have no comment on the matter, but, privately, the Glazer family views her comments as anti-semitic, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). With that in mind, it’s fair to wonder if those comments could impact the veteran’s status with the team.
Rookie HC Key Question Facing Bucs
- Whether Dirk Koetter can successfully transition from offensive coordinator to head coach as he takes over for the fired Lovie Smith is one of a handful of pertinent questions facing this year’s Buccaneers, writes Roy Cummings of Today’s Pigskin. While Koetter has been a successful coordinator in the pros – including his time atop Tampa Bay’s fifth-ranked offense last season – he hasn’t held a head coaching position since his tenure with Arizona State ended in 2006, notes Cummings. And while Koetter’s teams at ASU went a respectable 66-44, none finished higher than third in the conference formerly known as the Pac-10.
Buccaneers’ Dominique Robertson Shot In Leg
TUESDAY, 11:41am: Ali categorized Robertson as having a clean record when speaking on behalf of his client after the shooting. But Auman reports Robertson pleaded guilty to misdemeanor simple assault and misdemeanor obstruction while at West Georgia in 2015. The offensive lineman initially received a felony charge for that Jan. 2015 incident, because of which he remains on probation.
According to a police report obtained by the Carrollton Times-Georgian, Robertson shoved a police officer against the wall with his back as he was trying to arrest the 315-pound lineman, inducing the officer to be hospitalized for a torn tendon after a “brief struggle.”
SATURDAY, 12:33pm: Buccaneers offensive lineman Dominique Robertson was “hospitalized with gunshot wounds” on Thursday morning in Loma Linda, California, reports Greg Auman of TampaBay.com. The undrafted rookie has been released from the hospital and has been questioned by police.
The player’s attorney, Zulu Ali, said the 22-year-old was shot twice in the leg, and he was adamant that Robertson was a “victim” and “bystander.” Ali also noted that the lineman was “doing OK” after the incident. Robertson was reportedly questioned by police for four hours after being released from the hospital.
“We just basically know that he was obviously a victim of a shooting and they came and they took him directly out of the hospital,” Ali said (via Eric Edholm of Yahoo Sports).
Robertson told authorities that he was shot outside of an apartment complex, although residents reportedly heard no gunfire.
“We are aware of the reports concerning Dominique Robertson,” the Buccaneers said in a statement (via Auman). “We can confirm that he has been released from the hospital and is at home resting. We are in the process of gathering more information, but our primary concern is for Dominique’s health and well-being.”
Robertson, the nephew of Buccaneers offensive line coach George Warhop, is a rookie out of Division II West Georgia. Auman notes that he was working as the “second-team guard” during practices and minicamp, although J.R. Sweezy‘s absence likely contributed to the increased role.
Mike Smith's Bucs Defense More Flexibile?
- The Buccaneers reuniting Mike Smith with Dirk Koetter is one of the reasons Tampa Bay fans should be excited about the season, Roy Cummings of Today’s Pigskin writes. Smith will be tailoring a more versatile scheme around the players’ strengths, Cummings writes, as the Bucs move away from Lovie Smith‘s preferred Tampa-2 scheme. Koetter worked as the Falcons’ OC under Smith from 2012-14. Smith spent last season out of football.