253 draft picks transformed the NFL in a matter of days. Around the League will examine the aftershocks by asking one post-draft burning question for all 32 teams.
What does the Barron pick tell us about Greg Schiano?
There's a fair amount of intrigue whenever a new head coach confronts his first NFL draft.
With every one of Greg Schiano's picks, we learned a little bit more about the Buccaneers team he's building down in Tampa Bay.
One of the reasons Schiano has the job is because the previous Bucs coach, Raheem Morris, lost the reins on a defense that relinquished 30.9 points per game, worst in the NFL.
Schiano wants strength up the middle, and general manager Mark Dominik found it right away in safety Mark Barron out of Alabama, snatched up with the seventh pick in the draft. It marked the first time in Tampa's history they used a first-round pick on a safety.
The Bucs have talked about redrawing the roster with players who genuinely love the game. If that sounds cliche, take a look at the team from last season -- late in the year -- and you'll see examples of the opposite. Schiano, not just because of his college background, wants to coach men who live for this opportunity. He believes Barron embodies that quality.
"I'm really excited about this player," Schiano told the Tampa Bay Times. "I think he fits into what we do defensively perfectly. You couldn't draw it up better."
"... It's funny, I was talking to him on the phone and he's fired up. He says, 'Coach, can you send me a playbook?' I said, 'Well, you're going to be down here tomorrow, Mark, and we'll get you a playbook, I promise you.' ... That's the kind of guy he is. He lives this great game, he loves it, he studies it and I can't wait to coach him."
Barron will play strong safety, teaming with free safety Cody Grimm. It's a significant piece of the puzzle added to a defense that can't employ enough quality defensive backs. Why? Three names for you: Drew Brees, Cam Newton and Matt Ryan.
