The Tampa Bay Buccaneers used the 2015 NFL Draft to put pieces in place to ignite the offense (six offensive players, only one defensive). That makes sense, as the offense was certainly worse than the defense last year. However, the defense needed improving too, and the team even lost its starting middle linebacker, Mason Foster, in free agency. The Bucs probably had no intentions of re-signing Foster, but his departure left a hole anyway.

With the signing of Bruce Carter, most assumed he would slide into the middle, even though he has played most of his career on the outside. It’s clear that Carter is a faster, more athletic player than Foster, so he should be an upgrade right away if he can understand the system fast enough. If he doesn’t learn as scheduled, that’s where Danny Lansanah could factor in.

Lansanah played on the strong side most of last season but got slotted in the middle late in the season when Foster went down with an injury. Even though the Bucs were losing games, Lansanah was still able to impress the team with his coverage skills. I think that’s what the coaching staff is looking for the most: Who can defend the pass the best? The MLB is so important defending the aerial attack in Lovie Smith’s defense, so the perfect fit is needed.

I think the Bucs want Carter to excel in the middle, and if he does, Lansanah will most likely start on the strong side. That should be a pretty good linebacker trio. However, if Lansanah struggles at all, he may have to worry about rookie Kwon Alexander challenging him for his spot. Alexander was selected in the fourth round and is said to have a ton of potential. Unless he blows the team away in training camp, he will probably be a reserve come opening day. Don’t be surprised if he sees playing time this season, though.

Every team suffers injuries, so it is definitely a good thing that the Bucs have versatility at linebacker. If either Carter or Lansanah go down, the other could easily slide into the middle and hope Alexander is ready on the outside. Even if Lavonte David had to miss time, the Bucs have the flexibility to move their best linebackers to whatever position needs to be filled.

According to Football Outsiders, the Bucs ranked eighth against the run in defensive efficiency in 2014 but 23rd against the pass. Obviously, the defensive backs will play a big part in whether or not the pass defense gets better, but the linebackers hold huge responsibilities in the middle of the field. If the Bucs can continue to hold opposing teams to low rushing totals and improve against the pass, the defense could turn into a top 10 unit by year’s end.

David Rumsey is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Beat Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter (@David_Bucs) for more Bucs news and analysis.