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DE Gaines Adams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

HT: 6-5, WT: 260, Born: 6-11-1983, College: Clemson, Drafted: Round 4

2008 Projections

Best Case

Gaines Adams may be on the verge of becoming the most productive edge rusher in the league. After a somewhat slow start in 2007, Adams finished the year strong with 4.5 sacks over the second half of the season and a solid playoff game. With another year to refine his technique, he could approach or exceed double digit sacks this year. With improvement in his run defense, Adams would have a chance at cracking the top five overall linemen in 2008.

Worst Case

Adams may be a one-note performer. Scouts were concerned about his run defense last offseason and, though he wasn't horrible last year, Adams didn't do much to allay those concerns. Since he'll be dependent on his pass rush stats, any minor injury or a string of tough matchups may result in his disappearing from the box scores for games at a time. If he stays in the 30-6 range, he'll be a disappointing DL2.

Outlook

Adams, like many before him, looked to have started to put things together by the end of his rookie season. The Buccaneer defensive line is solid and deep with players who can collapse the pocket from inside and outside, which should leave Adams with enough opportunity to challenge the stud DL benchmarks of 40+ solos and 10+ sacks. Expect him to be an above-average DL2 this season, with the upside to turn in a DL1 caliber season.

Writeups last modified: 2008-05-03 12:48:43