TAMPA D.K. Metcalf Jersey , Fla. (AP) — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers hope they’re finally getting it right on defense.After selecting linebacker Devin White in Thursday’s first round, the Bucs reiterated their commitment to improving on defense by selecting Central Michigan cornerback Sean Bunting in the second round and Auburn cornerback Jamel Dean and Kentucky safety Mike Edwards in the third round on Friday night.The Bucs were one of the NFL’s most productive teams on offense last year but missed the playoffs for the 11th consecutive season because of an inconsistent pass rush and an inability to keep opponents out of the end zone.New coach Bruce Arians and general manager Jason Licht are determined to change that, bringing in three potential starters in free agency and using the club’s first four picks in this week’s draft to bolster a unit that ranked 24th in total defense while allowing 29 points per game — second-most in the league in 2018.“When Bruce came in … we knew we had to address that side of the ball,” said Licht, who’s leading his sixth draft as Bucs GM.The pass rush and a leaky secondary have been liabilities throughout the GM’s tenure.Including the three players added Friday, the Bucs have drafted six defensive backs since 2016, though Licht said that’s not necessarily “an indictment on the players who are here.”“You’re always trying to get better,” he said, adding that a lack of depth in the secondary was a problem last season, when the Bucs finished 5-11 for the second straight year.“Competition is a beautiful thing in this league,” said the GM, who lured Arians out of retirement and back to the sideline in January.Bunting was the seventh player taken in the second round http://www.seahawksfootballauthentics.com/cody-barton-jersey-authentic , 39th overall. Dean and Edwards were selected 94th and 99th, respectively, with picks obtained when Tampa Bay traded No. 70 overall to the Los Angeles Rams.Bunting is the first cornerback drafted out of the Mid-American Conference school in 34 years and the highest drafted player from Central Michigan since offensive lineman Eric Fisher was the No. 1 overall pick in 2013.“It was just a blessing, honestly. I couldn’t process the moment when it happened,” Bunting said of getting the call from the Bucs. “I could only kind of smile and stare at the TV screen.”In Tampa Bay, he’ll join White, Dean and Edwards as part of a potential fix for one of the NFL’s worst defenses.White, an inside linebacker out of LSU, was the fifth pick of the opening round. The Bucs selected him even though Josh Allen, the top-rated edge pass rusher in the draft, was still available.Arians and Licht said the 6-foot, 237-pound White fits everything they were looking for in a leader and versatile defender.“The tape speaks for itself Gary Jennings Jr. Jersey ,” Arians said. “People say: ‘You need a pass-rusher.’ He’s pretty good at that and we do like to blitz up the middle — quarterbacks don’t like pressure up the middle. He fits everything that we want as a human being and as a football player. I really couldn’t be any more ecstatic.”White and Bunting, who had nine career interceptions in college, will get an opportunity to compete for starting jobs as rookies in the new 3-4 scheme being installed by Bucs defensive coordinator Todd Bowles.“I would say my best attribute is being able to take the ball out of the air,” Bunting said. “I’m a ball hawk. I consider myself a receiving defensive back. That something I take pride in, taking the ball away and giving it back to the offense.” The rain was heavy and relentless. As the puddles grew deeper on the tarp at Nationals Park, the Baltimore Orioles were left to wonder if their bid for a rare road victory would be thwarted by, of all things, the weather.

During a season in which very little has worked in their favor, the Orioles withstood a long rain delay to beat the Washington Nationals 3-0 Wednesday night.

Baltimore led 2-0 after four innings when play was stopped. After a wait of 2 hours, 43 minutes, the game resumed with a few hundred fans from the announced crowd of 32,153 sprinkled around the lower seating bowl.

Mark Trumbo homered for Baltimore http://www.seahawksfootballauthentics.com/phil-haynes-jersey-authentic , and Andrew Cashner and four relievers combined on a five-hitter in a game that ended long after midnight.

”It was nice,” Trumbo said. ”I’m glad that we actually kept the game going. Had we not been able to, it might have been a wash. But it ended up being pretty big for us.”

Baltimore ended a six-game losing streak to Washington that began last May, won for only the fourth time in 20 games and improved the majors’ worst road record to 10-28.

This one was worth the wait.

”It’s never easy, especially when you get over the hour mark, two-hour mark,” Trumbo said. ”Then you have to restart. It’s almost two games in one, so, great job by our guys tonight.”

The Nationals managed only two hits following the delay, both in the ninth inning.

”It happens. You can’t do anything about the rain,” manager Dave Martinez said. ”You’ve got to come out and get yourself ready to play. I’m not going to make any excuses.”

The rain delay cut short a solid pitching performance by Cashner, who allowed three hits and no walks over four innings in his return from an 11-day stay on the disabled list with back spasms.

Miguel Castro (2-2) followed with two hitless innings Ugo Amadi Jersey , Darren O’Day pitched a perfect seventh and Zach Britton got four outs.

Brad Brach allowed the Nationals to load the bases with two outs in the ninth before striking out Mark Reynolds .

Trumbo hit a two-run homer in the second inning off Gio Gonzalez (6-4), and for a while it appeared the drive would be washed out by the rain.

”One pitch. That was the whole game,” Gonzalez lamented. ”That was it.”

Indeed, it all ended well for the Orioles, who added a run in the sixth when Adam Jones doubled off Shawn Kelley and scored on a sacrifice fly by Danny Valencia .

BRYCE STRUGGLES

Nationals OF Bryce Harper went 0 for 4, dropping his batting average to .209.

Martinez said Harper has been working hard with batting coach Kevin Long, and the manager expects the five-time All-Star to end his prolonged slump with a flourish.

”He’s going to hit. I know he’s going to carry us for a month or two or for whatever,” Martinez said.

WAITING FOR DAVIS

Now in the third year of a seven-year, $161 million contract, Baltimore’s Chris Davis is batting .150 with four homers and 15 RBIs in 57 games. He last played on June 11, when he went 0 for 5 with three strikeouts against Boston.

Since then, Davis has been working on his swing and improving his mental outlook. His return appears imminent.

”A couple of days http://www.clevelandbrownsteamonline.com/sione-takitaki-jersey ,” manager Buck Showalter said. ”We’re pretty close to it.”

OH, BROTHER

With Cashner coming off the DL, the Orioles optioned infielder Corban Joseph to Double-A Bowie. That ended the 24-hour, feel-good story of Corban and catcher Caleb Joseph as brothers on the same team.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Orioles: 3B Tim Beckham (core surgery) went 1 for 4 with 3 strikeouts in a rehab game with Triple-A Norfolk. … RHP Chris Tillman (back) began his rehab assignment by giving up three runs in two innings for Class A Aberdeen.

Nationals: Martinez said patience is the key in awaiting the return of RHP Stephen Strasburg (shoulder). ”We’re really going to take our time and make sure he’s 100 percent,” the manager said. … 1B Ryan Zimmerman (oblique) is taking grounders and some swings. … C Matt Wieters (oblique) caught in the bullpen but is not yet running at full speed.

UP NEXT

Orioles: Kevin Gausman (3-6, 4.48 ERA) pitches the finale of the three-game series Wednesday night.

Nationals: Max Scherzer (10-3, 2.06) tries to avoid his first three-game losing streak since August 2015.

—