Get to Know the Buccaneers: Interview with Pewter Report’s Charles Campbell
When I decided to do interview for each team, the one site I knew I had to contact for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers interview was Pewter Plank. Thankfully, Charles Campbell of the wildly popular Petwer Report was kind enough to answer some questions for us at NFLmocks about the Buccaneers and the N.F.L. draft.
1). What are the Buccaneers biggest needs?
The Buccaneers biggest needs are at the defensive end position. They need starters at right defensive end and left defensive end. After defensive end the Bucs could use depth at linebacker and tight end.
2). Tell us a little bit about how the front office works on draft day?
On draft day the Bucs top three decision-makers are general manager Mark Dominik, head coach Raheem Morris, and director of college scouting Dennis Hickey. The Bucs owners the Glazers are there as well. In another room are the scouts and coaching staff. They get called in to speak with Dominik and the others depending on how the draft is shaking out.
3). Tampa has been a cover two team, how does Raheem Morris defense differ? What kind of offense do the Buccaneers run?
Raheem Morris defense uses a lot of variety. They are a base 4-3 defense that goes to the Tampa 2 at times. Morris mixes in a lot of variety with a 3-4 set and a 3-3-5 defense. The Bucs run a variety of a West Coast offense with more downfield passing than typical West Coast offenses. The Bucs run a power man blocking scheme for their rushing offense.
4).Are character concerns a big deal to the Buccaneers considering Mike Williams and Legarette Blount?
The Bucs do consider character in the draft. They will point to the fact that they have drafted a lot of team captains the past few drafts. They will also say that Williams and Blount have never been in legal trouble.
5.) Is there a certain type of player the Buccaneers target on draft day?
They like to draft players that have a blend of some production, athletic skill set, and leadership. They don’t shy away from taking guys with quality but not overwhelming production in college: Josh Freeman, Gerald McCoy, Arrelious Benn, are examples of that.
6). Is there a player they seem really intersted in right now?
The Bucs are interested in a lot of the defensive end candidates for the first round. Players like Ryan Kerrigan, Cameron Jordan, and Justin Houston.
7). What are the best and worst picks of the Buccaneers the last 10 years.
The best pick of the last 10 years is probably Josh Freeman. You could also say Mike Williams considering they got him in the fourth round.
The worst pick was wide receiver Dexter Jackson in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft.
8). What’s a player fans want at 20th overall?
At the 20th pick the fans want the most at this time is Ryan Kerrigan.
9). Can we bring back the orange retro uniforms full time?
No the Bucs aren’t going back to those uniforms full time but they are scheduled to wear the throwback uniforms in 2011, 2012, and 2013.
10). how are the last two draft classes coming along?
The last two draft classes are coming along extremely well. From the 2009 class the Bucs have their franchise quarterback in Freeman, a quality run defender in nose tackle Roy Miller, and a starting caliber cornerback in E.J. Biggers.
The 2010 class had a good debut. Gerald McCoy was really starting to play well before his bicep injury cut his season short. Brian Price was injured as a rookie so they didn’t get much from him, but he was the talk of training camp with how disruptive he was in the team scrimmages before he got hurt. Arrelious Benn came on strong in the second half of the season. Cornerback Myron Lewis was mostly injured as a rookie. Fourth-rounder Mike Williams was a rookie sensation and looks like a number one receiver for years to come. Punter Brent Bowden was a terrible pick in the sixth round. He didn’t make the regular season roster. Safety Cody Grimm was a steal in the seventh round. He played well after getting thrust into the starting lineup before he went on injured reserve. The team likes linebacker Dekoda Watson and believes he has long-term starting potential. Their last pick was defensive end Erik Lorig. He switched to fullback/tight end and started a few games. He did a good job of lead blocking and has long-term starting potential at fullback.
11). Just how good is Josh Freeman?
Right now it would be surprising if Freeman isn’t the best quarterback in franchise history by the end of his career, perhaps even by the end of his rookie contract. The Bucs closest thing to a top-notch quarterback was Brad Johnson during their Super Bowl run. Freeman should break all the Bucs passing records.
12). Tell us a little bit about the site and why fans should visit.
PewterRepot.com has over 600 articles a year on the Buccaneers, the NFL, and the NFL Draft. That doesn’t include tons of blog entries. We have guest columns from NFL scouts and do a lot of draft profiles. Pewter Report has accurately predicted a lot of the Bucs draft picks including: Gerald McCoy, Mike Williams, Arrelious Benn, Josh Freeman, E.J. Biggers, and many more going back each year. To get an idea as to how the Bucs are going to draft fans should check out Pewter Report daily and our draft preview which is available digitally on the website in early April.
Thank you for Charles from Petwerreport for taking the time to answer these questions. Make sure to check them out.
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