Zbikowski's fit in the T2

[bulminator]

How do you guys think the safety out of ND Zbikowski (sp?) would fit in the Tampa 2? And when would he go in the draft?

[Clayton80future]

His toughness would be a very welcome addition in TB. Not only that, but his speed is extraordianry and his skills in coverage are great already. His PR skills are a very nice luxury to have as well.

[Jaimie U.K]

He could be the new John "The Hit" Lynch IMO.
I think he could go in the first rd easily, though while I'd love him hear, yadda, yadda, yadda, team needs/draft, etc, etc.

[BisonBacker]

His toughness would be a very welcome addition in TB. Not only that, but his speed is extraordianry and his skills in coverage are great already. His PR skills are a very nice luxury to have as well.

Is he worth looking at with an early to mid second round pick? I know he's tough, but I've seen very little of his play, and don't know whether his relative fame is due to the fact that he plays at ND...

[bucsfan12687]

What scouting reports are you looking at? Z is a HUGE liability in coverages like everyone else in the ND secondary. He freelances way too much to play safety in tampa's defenseive scheme. Think of him as a Lavarr Arrington type, just without the freakish build. As far as his punt returns, I wouldn't trust him in the NFL. He almost never calls for a fair catch even with multiple defenders draped all over him with multiple muffs already.

Just another guy hyped up by the love affair with ND.

[Chebington]

Saftey? No. Linebacker? Now there's a thought.

[-melchor-]

What scouting reports are you looking at? Z is a HUGE liability in coverages like everyone else in the ND secondary. He freelances way too much to play safety in tampa's defenseive scheme. Think of him as a Lavarr Arrington type, just without the freakish build. As far as his punt returns, I wouldn't trust him in the NFL. He almost never calls for a fair catch even with multiple defenders draped all over him with multiple muffs already.

Just another guy hyped up by the love affair with ND.


No kidding. ND has the WORST secondary of any top 25 team by a long shot.

[Jaimie U.K]

No kidding. ND has the WORST secondary of any top 25 team by a long shot.
Granted, but does a unit make one singular player bad!?!

The guy is a baller, and he's a character athelete, as for the punt returns etc, well, he does make the heart pump a'little faster, though thats because he could either muff-it, or take it to the house.

Like any player he has good and bad points.


bucsfan12687 wrote: "What scouting reports are you looking at? Z is a HUGE liability in coverages like everyone else in the ND secondary. He freelances way too much to play safety in tampa's defenseive scheme."

Z is a huge liability?? Freelances...Do you have a link?, how do you know all this?

[pounddarock14]

I would love to have Zbikowski become a staple of Tampa's hard hitting defense. If you have noticed, the Bucs defense seems to be in a transition. We used to be a finese defense built on speed. Now more and more throught the draft, we are picking up players that punish. Look at Will Allen, Jermaine Phillips, Barrett Ruud. All these players bring the pain.

I think our defense is struggling right now because our identity is in transisiton. That will all change when we have a little more chemistry together in this new defense. (Thats my story and Im sticking to it.)

Anyone else notice this?

[bucsfan12687]

Granted, but does a unit make one singular player bad!?!

The guy is a baller, and he's a character athelete, as for the punt returns etc, well, he does make the heart pump a'little faster, though thats because he could either muff-it, or take it to the house.

Like any player he has good and bad points.


bucsfan12687 wrote: "What scouting reports are you looking at? Z is a HUGE liability in coverages like everyone else in the ND secondary. He freelances way too much to play safety in tampa's defenseive scheme."

Z is a huge liability?? Freelances...Do you have a link?, how do you know all this?

Here is what the nfldraftcountdown.com, a highly reputable site, crowd has to say about him. (http://www.nfldraftcountdown.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=27995) Mostly negative reviews, including the one from the stie's owner.

No, one player doesn't make the group, but have you watched a ND game? They are consistantly giving up HUGE plays over the top in every game whenver they play a team with decent wideouts and quarterback. As a safety, Z should be staying deeper than the deepest, but he is consistantly beat deep which doesn't fold well in a system like ours that relies on the safeties to play disciplined deep zones.

I could see him as a premier gunner on special teams plays. He has a reputation as a head hunter and has the speed to get downfield, but I would not trust him to return kicks at this level. It seems like he refuses to call a fair catch no matter how imminent a 1 or less yard return is. I can't find any stats on him, but I would bet the cost of my college education he has no fewer than two muffed punts this year alone. Even one of the ND fans in those forums attest to the fact that Z is just too big of a risk taker and that is worsened by the fact that when hardly produces turnovers for all his aggresiveness.

it's not too hard to see his aggresive, freelancing nature in every facet of his game. He may be able to play in a system like Pittsburgh's where he could be moved around and given some freelancing oppotrunites like Polamalu, but he would face a nearly impossible transition to a base cover 2 defense.

[Chebington]

As I said, play him as a linebacker, and all these problems go away.

[Confuzed Azn]

If we do opt for safety in the first, I think the better option would be either Michael Griffin out of Texas or LaRon Landry of LSU. Zbikowski reminds me of a LaVar Arrington, in that he tends to free lance and gets burned in coverage. Z is more of a mid-late rounder anywho.

[bucsfan12687]

Make him a LB? He'd get knocked on his back faster than the guy he fought in the summer. I know the scheme Monte runs calls for undersized linebackers, but Z would need to add AT LEAST 25 pounds to even be considered undersized as an NFL linebacker.

[Clayton80future]

Make him a LB? He'd get knocked on his back faster than the guy he fought in the summer. I know the scheme Monte runs calls for undersized linebackers, but Z would need to add AT LEAST 25 pounds to even be considered undersized as an NFL linebacker.

Zbikowki is 6-0, 210 lbs. He needs to add on bulk, but more like 10-15 lbs. for the cover two scheme, especially as an OLB.

Quarles - 225 lbs.
Gold - 223 lbs.
Nece - 224 lbs.
Gooch - 226 lbs.
Singleton - 227 lbs.

Those guys have started at SLB anywhere from 1998-2006. Their productive has been very solid, especially seeing as how they are the first one off the field when the nickel package in called for. BTW, Pro Bowl OLB Cato June weighed 218 lbs. last season. He bulked up to around 227 lbs., but it just goes to show you that a "very small" LB can still play at a very high level in the NFL.



Either way, Zbikowski is not a liability in coverage. Everyone else in the ND secondary seems to be, but I don't believe he is and I hope he doesn't prove me wrong. If he does, then OLB here he comes. . .

[bucsfan12687]

I guess my numbers were slightly off. I was comparing him to Ruud, who many claim looks like a rail out on the field.

Anyway, still doesn't account for his poor coverage abilities. That will be the biggest red flag in his scouting report. Being aggressive is good, but he will not be a successful at safety in a cover 2 scheme.

[Naptyme]

I hate ND with a passion but I have to admit I love watching Zeb play. Zeb and Zem could be the new age Ronde and Lynch. Personally though I think Landry of LSU and Nelson of UF would be a better fit for the T2 D.

[backrow]

Zbikowski would be great pick if he falls to third round... in second round? well there are plenty of needs but i wouldn't mind that, either.

[bucsfan12687]

Taking Z before the 3rd would be a waste