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Bucs Feeling a Draft

Posted Jan 26, 2010 by Ira Kaufman

Updated Jan 27, 2010 at 08:38 AM

Whatever it takes.

The NFL draft is still almost three months away, but the Buccaneers are obsessed with getting it right during those three days that will shape the future of a franchise on the rocks. Coming off a 3-13 season under rookie head coach Raheem Morris and first-year GM Mark Dominik, Tampa Bay must add some dynamic players to a roster that still didn’t boast a Pro Bowl representative as of Tuesday morning.

Buc coaches and executives are in Mobile, Ala., this week to evaluate Senior Bowl prospects, but the real evaluation is occurring at the ownership level. The Glazers are in the process of deciding whether the current regime can be trusted to turn premium picks into future Pro Bowl players and accelerate a massive rebuilding plan.

Ownership is looking hard at the scouting department in an effort to determine whether help is needed in the form of a personnel consultant—a hired hand who can provide valuable perspective with a fresh pair of eyes to evaluate talent.

Now that QB Josh Freeman is in place, the Bucs are determined to move on with the rest of their many needs. With the possibility of five picks among the first 99 selections, Tampa Bay has an opportunity to add rookies that can make an immediate impact this fall.

Conversely, a poor draft would set the franchise back for years, further eroding a fan base which has seen the Bucs go seven years without a postseason win.

Don’t be surprised if there are some significant changes made in the personnel department before the Bucs call in their initial pick on the evening of April 22.

There’s simply too much at stake to risk a bad weekend at the office.