An idea for new Buccaneers uniforms

In April, the NFL will make a switch in jersey manufacturer from Reebok to Nike, who will finally bring their Pro Combat system to the pros (as opposed to college football). NFL officials have said that the change will not bring any dramatic uniform design changes, as logos and uniforms are controlled by the individual teams, who need to apply to the league to approve any uniform changes. Nike will supposedly only be bringing their advanced clothing material, and not their...creative side (see: Oregon Ducks).

However, some teams may decide that a modification could good for the team. Generally, unless a logo and jersey is historically significant (Packers, Steelers, etc.), it can be a good idea to keep things fresh every 10 or 15 years. If anything, it can serve as motivation to get fans to buy new merchandise. I feel that the Bucs could use a change.

They last changed their image in 1997, going from the creamsicles and Bucco Bruce to red, black, pewter, and orange with the Skulls and Swords. The Bucs won a Super Bowl in these uniforms, but they have also have had many rough seasons, including a 3-13 and 4-12 season the last three years. With a new coaching staff and hopefully a new direction, new Nikes, and an increasingly outdated jersey, a fresh look seems appropriate.

With that, here is my proposal for a new logo and uniform.

LOGO:

The logo is an adaptation of the current secondary logo, the pirate ship. I feel this logo has a much sharper feel to it, providing the feeling of sleekness and speed. The logo is also more linear, providing for that feeling of moving forward. This represents progress and a new direction, much like the angle in the new Lightning logo. The logo in the center sail is also the secondary logo, a "TB" standing for Tampa Bay and based off of the current Buccaneers font, which will be retained.

HELMET:

The new helmet will have a black base with a white facemask. The side logo will be the secondary TB logo. The center stripe is based on a stripe system that will be consistant throughout the uniform, which is seen on the current uniforms' numbers and pants. The stripe order is white-black-orange-red-orange-black-white.

HOME JERSEY:

The primary home jersey will have a red base, white shoulders with the primary logo, and black and white paneling down the side. The sleeves, part of the new Pro Combat system, add an extension to the uniform and use the same stripe system seen on the helmet. The numbers also tap into this format. The design of the numbers comes from the Buccaneers font, and these numbers were used on the Buccaneers practice uniforms from a few seasons ago. I have always liked these numbers and thought they fit the theme well, so they are used here.

AWAY JERSEY:

The away uniform uses basically the same design as the homes, but with some colors inverted. I debated making the shoulders red, but that would not flow as well with the sleeves or with the logo.

PANTS:

The pants are the exact same as the current secondary pants. These pants are my favorite part of the current uniform set, and they utilize the striping system, so no change is needed.

Perhaps the most controversial aspect of my designs is the lack of pewter. Honestly, I never have cared for pewter; it's such an irregular color that is hard to match and not very cohesive with other colors. Red and black have a sharp contrast, but pewter really muddies the water in my opinion. I think that limiting the color scheme to red, black and white with some orange highlights really sharpens the uniform.

I apologize for not having properly photoshopped pictures, but these designs were made by scanning sketches I made freehand and touching the up using Paint (I know, so advanced!). These took quite a bit of time, so I would appreciate any feedback.

Projecting the Rays' opening day roster

With the signing of Carlos Pena yesterday, the roster seems to be just about set. There have been some talks of the Rays being interested in another back-up middle infielder, and a trade is likely to clear the log jam for the #5 starter, but at this point we can begin to see how the opening day line-up will look like.

Here are our projections based on what the Rays have now:

LINE-UP

Vs. RHP
Starters
1. Desmond Jennnings, LF
2. Ben Zobrist, 2B
3. Evan Longoria, 3B
4. Carlos Pena, 1B
5. Luke Scott, DH
6. B.J. Upton, CF
7. Matt Joyce, RF
8. Jose Molina, C
9. Reid Brignac, SS
Bench
Jose Lobaton, C
Elliot Johnson, IF
Sam Fuld, OF
Sean Rodriguez, IF

Vs. LHP
Starters
1. Desmond Jennnings, LF
2. Ben Zobrist, 2B
3. Evan Longoria, 3B
4. Carlos Pena, 1B
5. Luke Scott, DH
6. B.J. Upton, CF
7. Matt Joyce, RF
8. Jose Molina, C
9. Sean Rodriguez, SS
Bench
Jose Lobaton, C
Elliot Johnson, IF
Sam Fuld, OF
Reid Brignac, IF

Notes:
Joe Maddon will continue to platoon SS unless Reid or Sean begin to stand out. Joyce will probably be platooned as well, but for now he gets the shot to play everyday. Elliot Johnson remains as a back-up without options, but I wouldn't be surprising if he was replaced by Russ Canzler, Will Rhymes or another free agent/spring training invite. For now, Fuld beats out Brandon Guyer for the 4th OF spot, because he's the #Legend and his speed and defense will be vital late in games. Guyer may very well take the spot as he's a righty, but he still has options, unlike Fuld.

STARTING ROTATION
1. James Shields, RHP
2. David Price, LHP
3. Jeremy Hellickson, RHP
4. Matt Moore, LHP
5. Jeff Niemann, RHP

Notes:
Complete Game James gets rewarded for his fantastic season with another opening-day start. Price may be even better than the last two years though, if he can bring in an above-average change-up. ROY Hellickson looks to have another strong year, and hopefully he can get that K/9 up. A full year of Matt Moore is bound to be exciting, as he may have the most raw talent and polish out of any of the starters. Niemann gets the #5 spot as Wade Davis is the most valuable trade bait and thus most likely to be dealt. Alex Cobb and Alex Torres will serve as insurance in Durham.

BULLPEN
Mid. Brandon Gomes, RHP
Mid. Jake McGee, LHP
Mid. Fernando Rodney, RHP
LOOGY. J.P. Howell, LHP
ROOGY/Groundball. Burke Badenhop, RHP
SU. Joel Peralta, RHP
CL. Kyle Farnsworth, RHP

Notes:
There is no actual "long relief" slot, but it will be more of a platoon as Gomes has gone 3+ innings several times, and McGee is a former starter who can work a few himself. Badenhop, a sidearm pitcher, is good against righties and has good ground ball numbers for when that double play is needed. J.P. "The Dude" Howell will hope to right the ship after a horrible 2011 with a full healthy offseason, but even with his struggles last year he was still pretty good against lefties, so he will be slotted in that role. Rodney had his struggles the last few years himself, but he's a former closer and can be used in higher-leverage situations. Finally, the 1-2 punch of Peralta and Farnsworth looks to have the same success as last year.

Who the Bucs should target in the 2012 NFL Draft

It's no secret that the 2011 Tampa Bay Buccaneers were really, really, really bad. And as a fan, it sucks to watch (or listen to, as was the case for about half of the season) a really bad team. In all honesty about half of the players on this team don't deserve to be in the NFL.

Luckily, going on a ten game losing streak to end the season does have its advantages. An easier schedule next year is one of them, but the most obvious one is plenty of high draft picks. Mark Dominik absolutely needs to get good production out of all of these draft picks. There are so many positions of need on the team that deciding which to target the most in the draft will be difficult.

As I see it, the greatest needs are in this order: Cornerbacks, Linebackers, Safeties, Running Backs, and Wide Receivers. Improvements are needed everywhere; the typical NFL team would fill in those improvements with free agents to compliment the draft picks, but the Bucs may just want to sign a long snapper or something and call it a day.

Anyway, here are a few players that I think could help the Bucs out in the draft. Most are first round possibilities, but a few others are expected to linger in the 2^nd and 3^rd. And I apologize that the majority of these players are from the SEC, but hey, they have won 6 straight national titles and have the two top defenses this year.

Cornerbacks

Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU

Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama

Janoris Jenkins, CB, North Alabama

Brandon Boykin, CB, Georgia

Linebackers

Luke Kuechly, ILB, Boston College

Courtney Upshaw, OLB, Alabama

Safeties

Mark Barron, SS, Alabama 2

Running Backs

Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama

LaMichael James, RB, Oregon 3

Wide Receivers

Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State

Alshon Jeffery, WR, South Carolina

The way I see it, the Bucs should draft Claiborne with the 5^th overall pick, Barron in the 2^nd round, and James in the 3^rd.