Ding Dong Jim Bates is Gone (RaRa 2, Coordinators 0)

Well he was supposedto be the Defensive Coordinator, right? After watching the defense sputter trying to adjust to Jim Bates scheme for 10 weeks (plus a much needed week off), Raheem Morris has axed another coordinator. Outlasting Jeff Jagodzinski by better than half a year, Jim Bates was relieved of his DC duties late Monday (allegedly as a direct result of the angst on the show Monday night. OK, so maybe I alleged that).

In a much more detailed article about the demotion, it is claimed that Coach Morris will return the Bucs to their Base Tampa 2 scheme that was ushered in by Coaches Dungy and Kiffin. A scheme which fits his personnel better than Coach Bates scheme. There will be impact for few on the defense, but the skill with which the Tampa 2 was run was predicated on drilling which they have not done this year.

Will this signal a resurgence of Barrett Ruud? Will it give our defensive line a chance to establish a new line that is not 2 yards down the field? Will it stop the bleeding at the end of this painful season and give us some clarity going into the draft and next year? Only game performance will tell but I smell a Joe Barry promotion soon which should potentially scare all of us.