[BlackBeardsGhost]

From PewterReport.com

After saying for weeks that Tampa Bay would wait until after the season to name Monte Kiffin's successor at defensive coordinator, the Bucs named defensive backs coach Raheem Morris as the defensive coordinator for the 2009 season. Morris signed a two-year deal with the Buccaneers. Although terms of the deal were not disclosed, Morris' new deal will pay him enough so that he is in the upper echelon of first-year defensive coordinators in terms of salary.

Morris will take over duties as coordinator following the season, and Kiffin will continue to call the defensive plays for Tampa Bay in the Bucs remaining regular season game and possible playoff games. Bucs head coach Jon Gruden explained the decision to go with Morris as his defensive coordinator.

"Well he's been with me a long time, and he has had a lot of success here," said Gruden. "He's had his hand in a lot of real good things. I like this defense. I believe in it, and certainly believe in Raheem Morris. I believe he'll be outstanding. We wanted to make sure our players knew, and I wanted to end the speculation.

"Raheem has been with me along time. I have a lot of respect for him. He's taken steps every year. He's had a hand in a lot of the success that we've had here. Obviously he has some big shoes to fill, but I think he is capable, and I just think it is fair to the players that they know that we are committed to this defense. This style of defense, nothing is going to stay the same no matter who is the coordinator on a yearly basis. I just feel like it is the right thing to do. I'm excited about it and I think he'll get it done."

Morris, 32, served as an assistant under Kiffin and former defensive backs coach Mike Tomlin from 2002-05 when he left to become the defensive coordinator at Kansas State University for the 2006 season. When Kiffin's defense fell from the top 10 in '06, general manager Bruce Allen aggressively pursued Morris and enticed him to return to Tampa Bay to replace Tomlin's replacement, Greg Burns, who had been fired as defensive backs coach after just one season.

After one year in which Morris' Wildcat defense led the Big 12 in sacks, he returned to the Bucs in 2007 and helped Tampa Bay's pass defense improve from ranking 19th in the NFL to becoming the league's top-ranked unit. Several veterans improved their fundamentals upon, perhaps no one more than strong safety Jermaine Phillips, who had a career year and led the team with four interceptions.

Morris also played an instrumental role in developing rookie free safety Tanard Jackson last year. In fact, Tampa Bay's strongest unit last year might have been the safety position.

"Right now this will be Monte's last home game unless we make it to the Super Bowl. Wouldn't that be great? But there has been a lot of speculation. Monte is leaving, who is going to be the replacement. I just think it is more than fair to let our players know that we are going to continue to march onward, and Raheem Morris will take over and do a heck of a job.

"I'll be honest with you. It was Christmas last night and I wanted to give him a Christmas present. I thought that was great gift to him honestly. I've had my coordinators with me seven years: Bill Muir, Rich Bisaccia, and Monte Kiffin. We are going to lose a very key component to our unit. I just thought for Raheem, being that it was Christmas Eve, I wanted to give him something to be excited about and reward him for his hard work and efforts. I wanted our team to know that there is no more speculation okay. We are going to keep our playbook somewhat the same."

The Buccaneers defense is ranked ninth in the NFL entering the final contest of the season. Morris has coached the Bucs secondary to being apart of the fifth ranked passing defense in the NFL in 2008. During Morris tenure with the Bucs, the pass defense ended the season as the top-ranked pass defense in 2002, 2004, and 2007. The pass defense never ranked lower than sixth under with Morris on the coaching staff. Morris' contract was up with Tampa Bay after the season, and he was viewed as a targeted defensive coordinator prospect around the NFL.

"Well I'm sure he would have [been]," said Gruden. "And you'd be surprised at the number of people that wanted to come here. I've been probably been taking too many calls for the past three weeks, and that's distracting. I could tell you who those people are. It is exciting. You know everybody is asking too many questions about what is happening next year, and here is what's happening we play Oakland on Sunday, and it is going to be a great day for us because it gives us an opportunity to play again. Raheem will be the coordinator (next season). Hopefully all the people that were interested in coming here can forgive me. You know I want to keep my friend with me. A guy I've seen develop here in front of my eyes. I'm excited about it."

[BlackBeardsGhost]

BODY,.aolmailheader {font-size:10pt; color:black; font-family:Arial;} a.aolmailheader:link {color:blue; text-decoration:underline; font-weight:normal;} a.aolmailheader:visited {color:magenta; text-decoration:underline; font-weight:normal;} a.aolmailheader:active {color:blue; text-decoration:underline; font-weight:normal;} a.aolmailheader:hover {color:blue; text-decoration:underline; font-weight:normal;} As Pewter Report reported back in November, that someone could very well
be Jimmy Lake, Detroit's defensive backs coach who served as the Bucs'
assistant DBs coach from 2006-07. Lake spent his final season in Tampa
Bay working as Morris' assistant after Greg Burns was fired after one
year and the duo helped catapult the Bucs pass defense from 19th to
first in the NFL during the 2007 season.

Lake was so well liked by the Buccaneers players that cornerback Ronde
Barber told Pewter Report that the front office screwed up and should
have hired Lake as the defensive backs coach and made Burns his
assistant. With league-wide speculation that Detroit's coaching staff
will be fired at season's end after potentially going 0-16 with a loss
at Green Bay this Sunday, Lake would be an ideal candidate to join
forces with Morris again in Tampa Bay as the defensive backs coach. That
would excite several members of the Bucs secondary.

"That would be nice," starting Bucs free safety Tanard Jackson said.
"Having played for Jimmy Lake when he was the assistant DBs coach, I've
seen how he and Rah have complemented each other well. Jimmy Lake knows
this system well, especially after being in the same system in Detroit
this year. It would be nice to have him back. The camaraderie between he
and Rah would work out well. Those guys know each other. I know what
Jimmy is capable of and I think that would be a good option for us as a
team. It would be nice, but we'll have to see what happens."

Barber echoed Jackson's sentiments about potentially playing for Lake
again.

"Jimmy was still learning when he was here and I remember he told me
that he learned more in four weeks with Raheem than he learned in four
months with the other guy," Barber said. "He's still evolving as it's
only his third year in the NFL, and I don't know if he will be the guy
or not. I don't know what the front office plans to do. Jimmy has yet to
get fired, but with their record up there … well, he's got to be a
candidate to come back down here. We still have fondness for him. We
love Jimmy and hated to see him leave. If he's available I'm sure they
will look into him."

Barber said that someone having familiarity with not only the Tampa 2
scheme but also the personnel and the coaching staff would be a huge
plus, and made no secret that Lake would be the ideal candidate for the
job.

"Jimmy is somebody that can definitely run our room. The person that
comes into our room has a lot of personalities to deal with, starting
with me, but then you've got Aqib, E-Mack, T-Jack and even Sabby's hyper
ass. Those are some guys that you have to have a strong personality to
handle us."

The possibility of playing for Morris as the new defensive coordinator
and Lake as Morris' replacement could help sway the decision to return
to Tampa Bay for free-agents-to-be like strong safety Jermaine Phillips
and cornerback Phillip Buchanon.

"Jimmy is a good quality coach," Buchanon said. "I guess it's just a bad
situation up there in Detroit. Everything up there is bad and there's
nothing real positive coming from Detroit. As a person and a coach, I
really like him. Jimmy is definitely well thought of. He understands the
game real well in terms of running the Tampa system. I wouldn't be
shocked or surprised if he comes back. The NFL is definitely crazy and
it's a business, but that will be up to the front office people to make
that decision. It's an important decision to make."

Out of respect for the fact that the 2008 season is not over and that
Lake is still employed by Detroit, Morris would not comment on the
possibility of Lake returning to Tampa Bay in 2009. But back in 2007,
Morris told PewterReport.com about how much he thought of Lake as his
assistant coach.

"Jimmy Lake reminds me of me and my relationship with Mike Tomlin,"
Morris said. "He trusted me and I trusted him. I hung on every word Mike
said and Jimmy Lake hangs on every word I say. He also brings a lot of
stuff to the table. Jimmy Lake can take over a meeting and run it and
handle it very well. He's the next bright shining star, I believe. He
teaches me stuff all the time. It's just fun to work with him and I'm
fortunate. In this business, everybody is worried about trying to
protect himself. I was lucky to work with a guy like Mike Tomlin, who
wasn't so caught up in him. He was trying to help me out. Now I'm lucky
to work with a guy who isn't caught up in trying to stab me in the back
at all. It's great."

Before heading off to coach with Detroit last January, Lake told
PewterReport.com how much he enjoyed working with Raheem and how they
really fit together well personality-wise as coaches.

"Some coaches coach that way and are more of the silent type," Lake
said. "Raheem and I are more on the loud side. For whatever reason, Greg
Burns' leadership was more on the quiet side and so we kind of all
followed that way, including me. Now, it's a different style and it's a
style that I like and the players like."

Don't hold the fact that the Lions field the league's 26th-ranked pass
defense against Lake. Detroit's secondary is far from being talent-rich
in 2008 where the starting cornerbacks heading into Sunday are Leigh
Bodden, who was traded from Cleveland, and second-year player Travis
Fisher, and the starting safeties are second-year vet Daniel Bullocks
and former Bucs castoff Kalvin Pearson.

Plus, safeties Dwight Smith and Gerald Alexander and cornerbacks Stanley
Wilson and Keith Smith have spent part of 2008 on injured reserve, which
hasn't helped Lake's cause. Throw in the fact that former Bucs starting
cornerback Brian Kelly did not perform well with the Lions in '08 and
asked for his release earlier this month and a first-year position coach
like Lake did not have a lot to work with. After the dismal season the
Lions have had, it's safe to say that Lake would like to return to a
successful organization like Tampa Bay and pick up where he left off
with Morris.

"Raheem and I have a great chemistry on and off the field," Lake said.
"In the building, if you see Raheem, you are going to see me. We'll
always stick together."

A reunion could be in the works after the 2008 season.