Head coach Dirk Koetter meets with members of the media at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis - presented by Lazydays RV.
On Tuesday, running backs, offensive linemen and special teams players arrived in Indianapolis for the NFL Scouting Combine and on Wednesday, the event kicked off. As has become customary, each team's head coach and general manager met with members of the media for a pre-Combine press conference. For Dirk Koetter, it was his first as a head coach in the NFL.
Koetter, who had been promoted from offensive coordinator to head coach this offseason, spoke to reporters for about fifteen minutes, addressing several topics, including the Bucs' plans for their week in Indy.
The defensive linemen invited to the 2016 NFL Scouting Combine - presented by Lazydays RV.
DE-Mehdi Abdesmad, Boston College
DE-Sterling Bailey(58), Georgia
DE-Jimmy Bean, Oklahoma State
DE-Andrew Billings, Baylor
DE-Joey Bosa, Ohio State
DE-DeForest Buckner, Oregon
DT-Jonathan Bullard, Florida
DT-Vernon Butler(45), Louisiana Tech
DE-Shilique Calhoun, Michigan State
DT-Kenny Clark, UCLA
DT-Maliek Collins(7), Nebraska
DE-Kamalei Correa, Boise State
DE- James Cowser, Southern Utah
DT-Sheldon Day, Notre Dame
DE-Kevin Dodd, Clemson
DE-Jason Fanaika, Utah
DT-Adam Gotsis, Georgia Tech
DT-Javon Hargrave, South Carolina State
DT-Joel Heath,Michigan State
DT-Willie Henry, Michigan
DE-Brandon Jackson, Texas Tech
DT-Quinton Jefferson, Maryland
DT-Austin Johnson, Penn State
DT-Chris Jones, Mississippi State
DE-Ufomba Kamalu, Miami(FL)
DE-Bronson Kaufusi, BYU
DT-Darius Latham, Indiana
DT-Niles Lawrence-Stample, Florida State
DE-Shaq Lawson, Clemson
DT-Luther Maddy, Virginia Tech
DT-Chris Mayes, Georgia
DE-Alex McCalister, Florida
DE-Carl Nassib, Penn State
DE-Dadi Nicolas, Virginia Tech
DT-Robert Nkemdiche, Ole Miss
DE-Shawn Oakman,Baylor
DE-Emmanuel Ogbah, Oklahoma State
DE-Romeo Okwara, Notre Dame
DE-Drew Ott, Iowa
DE-DJ Pettway, Alabama
DT-Sheldon Rankins, Louisville
DT-DJ Reader, Clemson
DT-Jarran Reed,Alabama
DT- Hassan Ridgeway, Texas
DT-A'Shawn Robinson(86), Alabama
DT-DeVaunte Sigler, Jacksonville State
DE-Charles Tapper, Oklahoma
DT-Lawrence Thomas, Michigan State
DE-Ron Thompson, Syracuse
DT-Jihad Ward, Illinios
DT-Vincent Valentine, Nebraska
DT-Antwaun Woods, USC
DT-Connor Wujciak, Boston College
DT-Anthony Zettel, Penn State
DT-Adolphus Washington, Ohio State
DT-Matt Ioannidis, Temple
"We've got 60 interviews lineup over the next few days," Koetter said. "I've been fortunate to have watched some film on those guys and look forward to meeting them."
Those interviews, Koetter said, might be more important than the actual workouts.
"It's real important," he said. "It may be the number one thing that, from a coaching standpoint, we get out of the Combine. We get a chance to talk to the players one-on-one. I think that's real important."
Unlike last season, Koetter will be sitting in on all workouts, not just the offensive ones. And, based on countless mock drafts, he could be spending a lot of time watching defensive workouts. Nearly all mock drafts available have the Buccaneers using the No. 9 pick on a defensive player.
If the Bucs do draft a defensive player in the first round, they'll be playing in a different system, with Mike Smith arriving as defensive coordinator this spring. Smith's system, Koetter said, could see the Bucs employ a 3-4, as opposed to the 4-3 that they used almost exclusively the past two seasons.
"We'll be different some," Koetter said. "As you know, we hired Mike Smith as our defensive coordinator. Smitty and I have a long history together, both in Jacksonville and Atlanta. We've put together a terrific defensive staff. I think we will be a multiple team on defense. I think that's one of the toughest things for an offense to go against so that's what we'll try to do on defense."
On-field workouts officially begin on Friday. Koetter and the Bucs' staff will remain in Indianapolis until Monday, when the Combine comes to a close.
