Raheem Morris promised a return to "Buc Ball" when he was hired. But he refused to mention scheme or strategy. Morris was all about hitting and hustle.
It appears Monte Kiffin may be taking the Tampa Cover 2 defense with him to Tennessee.
Chances are, the Bucs will use some version of their staple defense. But the hiring of Jim Bates as defensive coordinator signals the Bucs are moving forward.
Oh, the Bucs will keep their basic 4-3 alignment. But Bates believes defense begins with making life miserable for opposing quarterbacks. To that end, he will blitz from anywhere and everywhere. Other than an occasional Ronde Barber blitz, the Buccaneers only picked their spots when it came to an all-out assault on the quarterback.
Bates' specialty is building defensive lines. Like Morris, Bates is all energy, even at 62. Word is, players always know where they stand.
Let there be no doubt the Morris-edition of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be more aggressive than we've ever seen.
