ESPN scribe Pat Yasinskas named his All-NFC South Team on Tuesday afternoon, honoring three Tampa Bay Buccaneers with selections on defense and special teams. Defensive tackle Brian Price, defensive end Adrian Clayborn, and holder Michael Koenen earned berths on Yasinskas' team.
Price tallied 24 tackles (20 solo) and three sacks for the Buccaneers in 2011, which prompted Yasinskas to choose him over Jonathan Babineaux and Sedrick Ellis. The ESPN writer praises Price for being "one of the few Bucs who played the run well."
Clayborn, a rookie, finished with 42 tackles (29 solo) and led the team with 7.5 sacks and three forced fumbles. "Not much went right for the Bucs in the 2011 season," says Yasinskas. "But they hit on their first-round draft pick."
Koenen also earned All-NFC South Team honors, but Yasinskas, who made his special-teams selections before doing offense or defense, says the Buccaneers punter made the team as a holder almost out of pity. "I’m still debating a couple spots on the offense and defense and it’s looking like Tampa Bay may have one or two other representatives or Koenen might be the only player from the Buccaneers," he says.
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