In the third round of the NFL Draft, the Tampa Bay Bucs have selected linebacker Mason Foster, a former Washington player. Foster is no superstar player at the position, but he’s a great overall athlete and should be a boon to the Bucs’ defense.
Bucs fans seem quite happy with the selection, and Bucs Nation has a writeup on Foster:
The only downside: he’s not the best run stopper, and the Bucs are weakest against the run. He doesn’t do a good job shedding blocks, but does do a great job getting around blocks to get to the ball carrier. He has forced 8 fumbles throughout his career, and he’s a physical tackler. His instincts should make up for some physical deficiencies, and NFL coaching should improve him as well. The one thing that always stands about him is that he’s constantly around the football, and it showed in the statistics as he was the leading tackler in the nation.
This is yet another move by the Bucs to shore up their defense, which was their biggest weakness last season. Combining Foster with Adrian Clayborn and Da’Quan Bowers (not to mention Gerald McCoy from last season) should vastly improve the Bucs’ defensive line going forward.
Keep checking back with SB Nation Tampa Bay for the latest news and analysis surrounding the Bucs’ moves in the NFL Draft.