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According to ESPN, Josh Freeman was blitzed (5 or more rushers) 37.8% of the time, which was 8th in the league. While Mike Sando ties that to ‘respect’, I wouldn’t say that’s entirely accurate given the fact that Jake Delhomme, Matt Hasselbeck, Vince Young and Alex Smith are some of the least quarterbacks in the NFL. Instead, this isn’t about respect, but about what works best against each player or team. 

This number helps explain in part why Freeman was under pressure so often, even when his offensive line didn’t seem to be that bad, at least in pass protection. But the high frequency of blitzes was also caused by Freeman: blitzing him worked. According to Football Outsiders game charting data, he gained 6.8 yards per play when he wasn’t blitzed, while he gained 6.3 yards per play when blitzed. Note that I didn’t include a couple of plays where the number of rushers could not be identified. 

Those 0.5 yards add up to a decent amount, though it’s not an earth-shattering difference. And in part this discrepancy is caused by the fact that Pittsburgh and Baltimore were the most frequent blitzers, and those teams are very very good at blitzing. 

What intrigues me most about the numbers is the difference in division rivals’ play from the first game to the second game. When the Bucs were in Atlanta, the Falcons blitzed Freeman on 11 of 27 plays, or 41% of the time. When later in the year the Bucs played them at home, the Falcons blitzed Freeman on 13 plays, but he dropped back a whopping 43 times then. That means the Falcons went from blitzing him 41% of the time, to blitzing him 30% of the time.

That’s a small sample, of course, but we can see the same change with the Panthers, who went from blitzing 41% to 36%. The Saints went from 53% to 35%, even. Overall, the three teams went from blitzing Freeman 46 out of 99 times, or 46% of the time to blitzing 34 out of 99 times, or 34% of the time. It’s still a small sample size and Legarrette Blount’s emergence probably had something to do with it, but it’s also a sign that these teams didn’t think they would be all that successful blitzing Freeman later in the year. 

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Tampania has a great post about the building at 401 E. Washington in downtown Tampa.

“401 E. Washington was built in 1946 as built by a growing Ferman Motor Co. as the Ferman Olds sales and Chevrolet service center.”

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City Bike Tampa does monthly bike rides. They have a limited number of spots, so check their site for times and availability. Also, there’s a monthly PBR bike ride. The next one is Sunday, July 24 at 5pm and leaves from Cafe Hey.

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If you want to support local art on the weekend check out Art Taco. AT points to seven different shows you can visit this weekend.

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SONO Cafe in the Tampa Museum of Art will be offering free cake and gelato all weekend in celebration of Alexander Calder’s birthday.

“SONO CAFE in the Tampa Museum of Art is offering free birthday cake & gelato all weekend to celebrate Alexander Calders 113th birthday! Google is displaying their name today in likeness of his mobile, one of which is hanging in the Tampa Museum of Art! Celebrate with us and see!”

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For you documentary buffs Page One: Inside the New York Times will be opening in Tampa this weekend at the Tampa Theatre. Check out Eric Deggans review here. I also hear that Tampa Theatre may soon be hosting a Science on Screen event in the future.

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Here are 5 big implications for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the CBA proposal that is now on the table for the players. While the players have not ratified this agreement yet, these four points are unlikely to change in the final CBA, whenever it is accepted. 

1. The salary cap will be set at $120.375 million, and teams will be forced to spend 99% of that cap in cash in 2011 and 2012. 
After 2012, the cash minimum for the teams will be set at 89%, with the league-wide minimum set at 95%. For the Bucs in 2011, this means they will have to spend. Now, I wrote an article recently on how they could do so without bringing in outside free agents, but that was assuming the cash minimum would be set at 90% of the salary cap. They still could get there by re-signing Davin Joseph, Barrett Ruud, Cadillac Williams and Quincy Black and frontloading a number of those deals. But it’s starting to look more and more likely that the Bucs will have to go out and at least sign a second-tier free agent. 

2. The NFL will continue to enforce the Personal Conduct Policy for incidents occurring during the lockouts
This will mostly affect Aqib Talib, though it could also affect Alex Magee who was cited for marijuana possession. Aqib Talib’s legal issues have been well-documented, and they won’t be resolved until after the season. This could hold off Roger Goodell, who likes to wait for the process to play out before making a decision. However, this does give him the ability to suspend Talib immediately.

3. Four years are needed for unrestricted free agency
As it used to be in the past, players will become unrestricted free agents after four years of accrued service. This means that Davin Joseph, Quincy Black, Barrett Ruud, Cadillac Williams, Jeremy Trueblood and many other Buccaneers will be free agents. 

4. 4-year deals for rookies, with a fifth-year option for first-rounders, as well as a strict rookie cap.
This will not have a big impact now, though it will force Adrian Clayborn‘s money down a little. It will be interesting to see whether there will be a rookie re-signing push each year, as rookies will now have their contract expire all at the same time. 

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It was chaos yesterday, as the owners voted on a deal they had agreed to. We recapped the details of that proposal here. The players then said they needed time to go over the details and make sure there was nothing suspicious in there. They have until Tuesday to vote on this, and until Wednesday to reform as a union, according to the NFL’s timeline. 

NFLLabor.com | NFL clubs approve comprehensive agreement
This is the agreement as the NFL made public. 

We have a (proposed) deal | National Football Post
And here is Andrew Brandt’s excellent analysis of the key points of the labor deal. If you don’t want to read the document itself, make sure you read this instead.

NFL: Lockout conduct could bring discipline – NFC South Blog – ESPN
The NFL will continue to enforce the Personal Conduct Policy for conduct during the lockout. I still think it’s likely the NFL waits until after the 

NFL labor agreement remains in limbo – Peter King – SI.com
Peter King gives a very pessimistic view of the status of the labor situation. It’s extremely unlikely talks will actually blow up, and I still think you will see the players vote in favor of this deal over the weekend after they have had time to go over everything.

Report: Players could vote on deal today | National Football Post
And here’s the reason I think that. Despite the players’ griping about the way owners went about this, they will vote on this, and it would be a shock if they didn’t approve the deal.

Getting back to business | TBO.com
Ira Kaufman goes over a number of points the Bucs will have to deal with once the lockout ends. 

Black’s Goal Is To Start | Pewter Report
Ahmad Black wants to start. I don’t think he’ll get to, but he’ll find a way to contribute on the field. 

Missed Tackles – Three Year Bests and Worsts | ProFootballFocus.com
A number of Buccaneers make it into these ‘worst’ lists: Geno Hayes, Tanard Jackson and Ronde Barber. 

Free Agency 2011 – Two Views on the NFC South | ProFootballFocus.com
Pro Football Focus uses this opportunity to rail against Joseph again. 

Why position coaches will be key in camp | National Football Post
Matt Bowen explains the importance of position coaches, especially this year. 

ESPN Analyst Matt Williamson Part III | The Rookie Scouting Portfolio
The third part of Matt Waldman interviewing Matt Williamson. If you’re in any way interested in scouting and player evaluation, this is a must-read. 

Will chaos rule the day? | National Football Post
Agent Jack Bechta explains what will happen once the lockout ends. 

NFL.com news: Can’t count out Bucs creeping up on Falcons, Saints in South
Elliot Harrison is really high on the Bucs. 

Former NFL player Nate Webster accused of having sex with a minor – NFL – Sporting News
Former backup linebacker Nate Webster is accused of having sex with a minor. Webster was a Buccaneer from 2000 to 2003.

Commish for a day: Put a team in London – NFC South Blog – ESPN
Pat Yasinskas thinks it’s feasible to put a team in London. It’s not. Too many things the NFL does in the USA would be illegal or at least highly dubious in the UK. 

Mankins’ agent: Never made money demand – New England Patriots Blog – ESPN Boston
Logan Mankins claims he never made a money demand. It seems immaterial now, anyway, as the NFL is not giving him anything. 

[Videos] NFL Videos: Quick hits: NFC South
Steve Wyche discusses the running back situation in the NFC South, and notes that the Bucs could add two running backs in free agency. That seems a bit much. 

The NFL’s Oklahoma land rush is coming | National Football Post
Agent Leigh Steinberg compares the free agency rush that will follow the lockout to the Oklahoma Land Rush. 

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When Sander posted his last piece, all was right in the world.  The NFL owners have voted 31-0 to pass the new agreement and it was being sent on to the NFLPA for voting and eventually re-certification. 

And then this e-mail dropped.

As you know the Owners have ratified their proposal to settle our differences,” the e-mail states.  “It is my understanding they are forwarding it to us.  As you may have heard, they apparently approved a supplemental revenue sharing proposal.  Obviously, we have not been a part of those discussions.  As you know from yesterday, issues that need to be collectively bargained remain open other issues such as workers compensation, economic issues and end of deal terms remain unresolved.  There is no agreement between the NFL and the Players at this time.  I look forward to our call tonight.”

I could try and spin this, but let me give you PFT’s take on it.

Folks, there’s no way the NFLPA* will be approving the deal tonight or passing it along to the players for a vote.  And once the league has to start canceling preseason weeks and not just one preseason game, real money is going to disappear — and the chances of getting a deal done will diminish.

I’m hoping this is just an overreaction (could be likely), but lets keep one thing in mind.  Until both sides have agreed to and voted on a deal (and it passing), we are left with no football.  I agree with the take that once the first game is missed will be do or die time.  Either everyone will come to their senses, or it will all crumble.

Update:  The NFLPA still voices the opinion that they can reach a deal soon.

Here’s another e-mail sent by the NFLPA to its player reps.

[The settlement] gives the players only three days–Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday of next week–to try to bargain any changes to the old CBA.  Any such changes would have to be agreed to by the owners in order to be incorporated into the Agreement, which would then become final on Saturday, July 30.  If the NFL does not agree to the players’ proposed changes, the old CBA terms on benefits, discipline, safety, etc. will remain unchanged for another ten years,”  In addition to depriving the players of the time needed to consider forming a union and making needed changes to the old Agreement, this proposed procedure would in my view also violate federal labor laws.   Those laws prohibit employers from coercing their employees into forming a union, and could result in any Agreement reached through the procedure being declared null and void

Lets just hope this is grandstanding for a few slight changes that can be agreed upon quickly. 

My opinion is that we’re still a few days away and the owners are acting out of order and the NFLPA is dragging their feet.  Those two things dont go together well.

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Smith began their latest negotiating session for a new collective bargaining agreement Thursday, Feb. 25. 25, 2010, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/File)” height=”300″ src=”http://cdn2.sbnation.com/entry_photo_images/1620056/62249_NFL_Labor_Football.jpg” width=”450″ />

The NFL and NFLPA have conditionally ended the labor struggle that has held the NFL hostage for the past months. The owners voted 31-0 on a new CBA, with the Oakland Raiders (who else abstaining). 

Reports suggest that the lockout will end when the players agree to the deal. They have not done so yet, but are expected to do so quickly. At the same time, Jason La Canfora suggested that the players and NFL have not fully reached ‘closure’ yet on some details relating to the settlement of the lawsuits. 

While the lockout may end, free agency will not begin until the NFLPA has recertified, which could take several days more as the NFLPA is unable to immediately re-form because it needs votes, on paper, from a majority of players. 

Stay tuned for more information. 

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Back in March the SPT and the TBBJ reported on possible ferry service to Mexico and Cuba. I wonder if we still might see that next year. Even better if they cut the price for people who don’t take their car!

“Tampa port officials said Tuesday they are in serious discussions with two groups seeking to launch scheduled cruise ferry service to Cuba and Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. The first trips could start early next year, said port director Richard Wainio.

“They are moving forward very quickly,” he said.

One of the companies is United Caribbean Lines, an Orlando area startup run by cruise industry veteran Bruce Nierenberg. Port officials wouldn’t name the other group.

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Middle Linebacker must be the most-discussed position group. Barrett Ruud has been the starter for four years now and has led the team in tackles each of those four years. He has been a leader of the defense and brings a lot of value in coverage while also setting up the defense. Despite that, he has drawn criticism for his lack of physicality.

The Bucs have had opportunities to extend the linebacker these past years, but have not done so, and now he is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent. No one knows whether he will be back with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but my feeling is that he will not be brought back. The Bucs declined to franchise tag him when they could, they have not offered him a long-term contract and have brought in two people who could play middle linebacker immediately: Tyrone McKenzie and Mason Foster. 

Tyrone McKenzie may be the most likely to start if Barrett Ruud leaves. He was a third-round pick in 2009 for the New England Patriots, but missed his rookie season with a knee injury and was picked up by the Bucs in 2010. He’s spent the offseason working out, he’s turned into one of the leaders on the team despite barely appearing on the field last season. McKenzie’s known as a hard worker, and he’s done everything he could this offseason to be ready to take on a starting role this offseason. But with the extremely short offseason, no one knows whether the Bucs dare hand him that role. 

Mason Foster is even less experienced. The third-round draft pick also has a reputation as a hard worker, and appeared at the Bucs’ mini-camp last month. Unfortunately, he’s a rookie, and largely an unknown for the Bucs’ coaching staff. He’s very versatile, but has never even seen the field in the NFL. Because of that it’s much more likely that McKenzie will be the starter, unless Foster has an amazing training camp. At the same time the Bucs had no problems trusting inexperienced players to start last season, and that didn’t really hurt them

If Ruud doesn’t return and the Bucs can’t trust McKenzie and Foster, they will need to go out and get themselves a free agent. Stephen Tulloch is the big name at middle linebacker. The Tennessee Titan has been good and productive for several years, and should have little trouble fitting right in. The same can be said for Buffalo Bill Paul Posluszny, whose only knock is that he has missed games because of injuries the past two seasons. Behind those two, Philadelphia Eagle Stewart Bradley, San Diego Charger Kevin Burnett and Jacksonville Jaguar Kirk Morrison are all solid players who would fit in this defense. 

Ultimately, I think the Buccaneers roll with youth. If they are going to bring in a free agent at middle linebacker, it will likely be Barrett Ruud himself. With two solid young players at the position, the only reason to bring in a free agent is if they don’t think they can get McKenzie and Foster ready in time. But the same would be true for any other linebacker brought in, except Barrett Ruud. 

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Matchup players like Reggie Bush and Tony Gonzalez present defenses with problems. Do they counter those player with extra defensive backs, or do they stay in their base personnel designed to stop the run? These players can function well in both the running game and the passing game, so whatever defenses do, they’re damned. If a defense counters Reggie Bush with a cornerback, he’ll take the ball and run past that cornerback. If instead the defense counters Reggie Bush with a linebacker, he’ll split out wide and the offense will exploit the lack of a pass defense.

This presents a no-win scenario for the defense, and it’s been a big part of most of the recent explosive offenses. The Patriots built their entire offense around this principle in 2010, while the Saints have created one of the best offenses in the league these past seasons exploiting defenses with Reggie Bush, Pierre Thomas and Jeremy Shockey.

The Bucs themselves try to create these problems for defenses with Kellen Winslow and, presumably, Luke Stocker, but being in a division with the Saints forces the Bucs to figure out a way to beat that offense. They’e succeeded at times, and at other times they’ve been obliterated. But the Bucs may try something relatively new the coming year: the Big Nickel defense. In steps Ahmad Black. 

Most people know what a Nickel defense is. It’s when the defense takes a linebacker or defensive linemen off the field, and replaces them with a cornerback to defend against a pass-heavy personnel group. The Bucs ran this frequently, and they took off a defensive lineman to do so, leaving Quincy Black or Dekoda Watson on the field as a pass rusher and leading to the much-maligned 3-man rushes. But the Big Nickel functions differently: instead of putting an extra cornerback on the field, the defense puts an extra safety on the field. It’s still a nickel defense, but this time it’s a big nickel defense. 

This is where Ahmad Black comes in. Black isn’t fast enough to be a deep safety and he’s not big enough to be an in-the-box strong safety, but he’s a very instinctive player. I’ve said before that Ahmad Black could work as a slot corner because of his instincts and short-area skills, but his best fit may be as a slot safety. The difference is a little semantic, but Black could be the perfect counter to matchup problems like Gonzalez and Bush. 

Black has the experience and skills to cover a player like Bush or Gonzalez man-to-man. While he lacks the speed and range to be a deep-half safety, he should have no trouble working on those hybrid players in man or zone coverage. In addition, while he lacks size, he does have the ability to sift through traffic and make a good tackle, much like Cody Grimm. 

Black isn’t the only player fit for that role, though. Larry Asante could step in and was indeed used that way a little toward the end of last year. In addition if Cody Grimm loses his job as starting free safety to Tanard Jackson, expect him to step in and take up the Big Nickel role. Grimm was used in a very similar role at Virginia Tech as a so-called whip linebacker or ‘Deathbacker’ as Viriginia Tech fans referred to Grimm. He was a linebacker/safety hybrid who didn’t come off the field, and the Big Nickel role would be very similar. 

With all the young and versatile players the Bucs have at safety, expect them to run the Big Nickel defense much more often next season. And don’t be surprised if that’s where you see Ahmad Black on the field. 

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I mentioned in a previous post that I was bringing back Eating Tampa, but instead of it being its own blog, I’m just going to use the titling convention I use in some of the other series I run. I.e. the title will start with Eating Tampa followed by a colon and the title. And to make it even more organized there will actually be TWO series — Eating Tampa Roundup, and Eating Tampa Review. Roundups are when I point to other posts of interest, and reviews are when I visit a restaurant and offer my opinion. Without any further ado, here’s the return of Eating Tampa.

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St. Pete Times food critic Laura Reiley has returned from her year sabbatical overseas. One of her first visits is Mise en Place to help them celebrate their 25th year of providing Tampans with fine dining. Welcome back, Laura! And congratulations to Mise en Place!

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Carlos Eats gets some bad service at the new Yummy House location. That’s too bad. The service on my visit was actually better than I got the last time I visited the old location.

Note that while the new Yummy House location offers dim sum, it’s only during the day. No dim sum at night. Also note that the old location is closed.

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At the recommendation of Tampa Bay Breakfasts I recently visited Mama’s Kitchen Family Restaurant. I think this may now be my favorite Tampa diner.

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Eat at the Sandwich Hut. They don’t have a web presence yet, and this is definitely a shoe-string operation, but when I visited the sandwich was delicious and the owner was super-nice. Help support local businesses. The Sandwich Hut is at 5600 North Armenia (near the corner of Armenia and Hillsborough).

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What was once Smokin’ A’s, then Smokin’ A, is now Ole Man’s Bar-B-Q & Soul Food. It’s at the corner of Hanna and Florida (6203 N. Florida Ave). Delicious food, but the problem with this location is the parking. Park in the strip mall lot across the street and walk over.

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