Rising and Falling

I'd like to take a quick look at some players who's stock is rising and some players who's stock is falling. I'll take five from Offense, and five from defense. There is no particular order.


Rising:

David Boston - After a great start to his career in Arizona, Boston's career took a turn for the worse. While I won't go into detail about his history, it is important because Boston was viewed as a long shot to resurrect his career and make the Buccs roster this season. Almost two weeks into camp and it seems Boston has recovered nicely from his knee surgeries. He has his speed back, has been running sharp routes and has been displaying soft hands. He has been on the receiving end of a few deep balls that have resulted in touchdowns. If camp were to end today, it would seem David is slotted at number three on the depth chart.

Luke McCown - Don't look now, but it sure appears that Luke McCown has already won the back-up quarterback spot behind Jeff Garcia. A couple months ago, any Buccs fans would have been sure McCown wouldn't have made it past the second round of cuts unless the position was seriously depleted by the injury bug. Luke has displayed accuracy and some serious zip on the ball. By looking at his stature, one wouldn't guess he could throw with such velocity. He has also shown a good grasp of the in's and out's of the play book, and has impressed onlookers at training camp. One reporter stated, "Luke has the prettiest spiral I have ever seen."

Barrett Ruud - This may seem like an odd choice for a player who was the starter when camp began. What the fans were saying prior to camp, and their expectations are what makes Ruud a candidate for a player on the rise. Most fans knew the end was going to come at some point for Shelton Q, and that Ruud was the expected replacement. Most knew of Ruud's skills and speed, but question his knowledge of the play book. After a short time in camp, Ruud has shown an impressive grasp of the Tampa 2 scheme. His teammates have expressed their trust in Barrett's play calling, and his ability to lead as the quarterback of the defense. He's been flying around the practice field with reckless abandon making plays and looks to be the solid replacement for Quarels we all hoped he would be.

Maurice Stovall - Stovall entered camp with a mixed opinion of his place on the depth chart. Muarice or as some fans are calling him "MoSto" has been exceptional this off season. Every aspect of this young man shows an abundance brilliance. His play, his work ethic, his attitude, and his leadership have been second to none. Stovall's work ethic has served as a leadership tool alone. Showing up early for practice, and staying thirty five to forty five minutes late everyday has prompted veteran receiver Michael Clayton to follow his lead this past week, as he feels Maurice stealing his job away as I type this. MoSto has displayed exceptionally soft hands, coupled with sharp, crisp route running. Whenever he's on the field you can expect the play to be made. He's looking like the favorite for the number two WR spot on the depth chart behind veteran Joey Galloway.

Alan Zemaitis - Hmmmm...what to say about Alan. Well, first off Zemaitis was a huge disappointment last season in the fans eyes. Most fans after 2006's draft were penciling in Z-Man as the starting nickelback. Well that couldn't have been further from the truth. This offseason, early reports from OTA's and mini-camps weren't glowing when referring to Alan. He was displaying a knack for being out of position, bad footwork, and a lack of knowledge of the system. The biggest surprise was the latter, we had been told by Alan himself that he was a huge Buccs fan who had not only studied their defense at great length, but actually played a version of the cover 2 in college. Zemaitis hasn't been making a lot of noise, but very quietly has emerged as the number two corner behind Ronde Barber, and has been taking the majority of snaps with the second team defense. This certainly places Alan on the "rising" list, as many people were expecting his Buccaneer career to end before it even got started.
...JJC/ABuccsFan