Ronde Barber Paints Rosy Picture
January 26th, 2015
Bucs great Ronde Barber believes the near future is bright.
Joe admires former Bucs cornerback Ronde Barber. How could you not? The future (hopefully) Hall of Famer did everything the right way and, as a broadcaster, doesn’t often pull punches.
However, in a piece broadcast last night on Sunday Sports Extra with Barber talking to local raconteur Dan Lucas, Barber not only pulled punches, but seemed to wrap himself in a straight jacket when discussing the Bucs.
To hear Barber talk, the Bucs just missed a playoff berth, rather than tossing chunks and missing the toilet, finishing with the worst record in the NFL (you are what your record says you are). Thankfully, they won the Chase for Jameis.
Barber seems to have swallowed whole the bait that Bucs coach Lovie Smith has set out — that the Bucs are “on the verge” of being a powerhouse team.
“To say they were wholly disappointing last year would be overstating it, just a little bit,” Barber said. “They did some good things – they didn’t do enough good things by far.
“They will decide on a plan and then I think you will see it over the next couple of weeks. There are some guys there that can make this a really good football team. I do believe in their coach though. I do love Lovie. I believe in him. He is consistent. Always have been. He’s never going to change. This team is not that far away.”
Well, if a coach finishes with the worst record in the NFL and you praise him for being consistent and allergic to change, said coach is basically setting himself up to get fired. Simple as that.
Joe thinks the world of Barber but it is borderline irresponsible to brag about a team that won just two games and was winless at the Den of Depression.
(Funny how Barber just wrote off the Bucs before a national radio audience.)
The Bucs likely are looking for new starters at four different positions on the offensive line, a new quarterback and possibly four new starters on defense, Joe just cannot wrap his mind around how a team in search of nine new starters could be “on the verge” of anything but implosion.
Teams that are “on the verge” are not looking to possibly replace damn near half their starting roster. Sorry.
January 26th, 2015 at 1:33 pm
Hey….Ronde is not objective….the franchise butters his bread…..
January 26th, 2015 at 1:40 pm
Key sentence is ” He’s never going to change. ” Same affliction as Tony Dungy.
January 26th, 2015 at 1:44 pm
“I do love Lovie…..”
Well, we all know the old saying about love being blind…..
January 26th, 2015 at 1:45 pm
I have a great deal of respect for RB but damn, the only verge we’re on is going off the damn cliff. He must have been watching another game and got us mixed up with another team.
January 26th, 2015 at 1:48 pm
Well yeah, they are on the verge….of a bunch of 6-10 to 10-6 seasons. Consistent greatness? Maybe with the next coach.
January 26th, 2015 at 1:50 pm
If I remember correctly, he had much harsher words about this team during the season. I guess now that’s it’s over, maybe this sting has worn off a bit and now he’s hopefully optimistic about his former team.
January 26th, 2015 at 1:55 pm
I believe in him. He is consistent. Always have been. He’s never going to change.
At like mentioned above the scary is sentence is he is never going to change. Next regime Please!
January 26th, 2015 at 2:07 pm
If one doesn’t change along with the game….one will be left behind playing the game as it was once played…. Lovie is a dunce !
January 26th, 2015 at 2:14 pm
I am counting only 5….maybe 6 new starters…..not 9.
Along with QB, I think we will ad a T & G on the Oline……MLB, DE & S (perhaps) to the defense.
I think we will add depth at WR & CB….
January 26th, 2015 at 2:17 pm
Barber also said 12 games into Reheem Morris’ final season that Morris was turning things around and that if Morris was fired that he would retire. Are we sensing a pattern here?
January 26th, 2015 at 2:19 pm
Bucs are gonna stick with Dotson, Mankins and EDS – and Jacquies Smith showed enough that we can get by with 1 new DE to replace Johnson.
So we need a QB, RG, LT (or RT if you keep Dotson at LT), a DE, a MLB and a Safety (to replace Goldson who should be released unless he resigns for a lot less $).
That’s 6 “starters” that need replacing – not 9.
If you want to include a new Punter, Return Specialist and Nickle CB to bring the total needed to 9 – then that math works.
I say as long as the Bucs draft Winston and then put a ton of focus on improving the Oline – the Bucs will be ‘relevant’ much sooner than many expect.
January 26th, 2015 at 2:23 pm
Joe, I think you’re misinterpreting Barber’s comments:
He’s talking about Lovie’s demeanor and approach to dealing with players and with adversity or success. Most reasonable people see this as a good leadership trait. Being unwavering and never panicking… It’s what made Dungy a good leader and coach.
Never pass up an opportunity to bash the head coach even if it means distorting the meaning of a quote.
Also, why bash Barber’s optimism? He knows football better than any of us. One could argue, quite reasonably, that a few changes will make a big difference:
1) Continued improvement of the defense. Reasonable to project this, even without major personnel changes.
2) Improved offense. How could it get worse? They’ve already improved the staff at OC and QB coach. They have an opportunity to draft a franchise QB, and some bolstering of the O line is very doable and we can expect it to happen.
I know 8-8 won’t make people happy, but it would be a huge improvement, and it’s within the realm of possibility. Why not be optimistic? It would certainly constitute a major turnaround and that’s what Ronde is talking about.
January 26th, 2015 at 2:25 pm
I am a bit concerned about the proclamation that Dotson ,age 29, is now all of a sudden….a left tackle…
January 26th, 2015 at 2:33 pm
@ JoeJoes
Agreed 100% He’ll be 30 during the season so he’s not a long term answer to anything
January 26th, 2015 at 2:41 pm
Damn….I wish I didn’t have to so negative,I really want the team to do well….but I am not buying any bull sh*t !
January 26th, 2015 at 2:53 pm
Thank God they brought in a OC….
January 26th, 2015 at 3:01 pm
@JoeJoes Fungi Nails
…yeah, last bit of left tackle play in the final game was not pretty…
January 26th, 2015 at 3:07 pm
Exactly correct Mr. Barber.
Well said.
January 26th, 2015 at 3:09 pm
Nice of Ronde to carry the water for both Lovie and Raheem.
So much for objectivity.
January 26th, 2015 at 3:20 pm
@Eric
Man, I love your consistency. You are consistantly wrong, but your consistant. You go Brother!
January 26th, 2015 at 3:29 pm
What Ronde won’t tell you is just how the Bucs lost the last game of the season. It wasn’t an overt tank job as most suspect.
They turned Lovie’s headset on after halftime.
January 26th, 2015 at 3:31 pm
Dare I say Super Bowl?
January 26th, 2015 at 3:36 pm
biff barker Says:
January 26th, 2015 at 3:29 pm
What Ronde won’t tell you is just how the Bucs lost the last game of the season. It wasn’t an overt tank job as most suspect.
They turned Lovie’s headset on after halftime.
LOL !!
January 26th, 2015 at 3:53 pm
That’s really funny!
January 26th, 2015 at 4:32 pm
Either this is a new poster named “Eric” or the old “Eric” is on some serious anti-depressants these days. Consider me confused.
I believe that Lovie is possibly capable of getting this team to the verge, but not beyond. The only way that we get beyond average with Lovie is if they strike gold and one of these QB’s in this draft are of the true “franchise” variety.
Ronde and Lovie are friends, he’s not going to sh!t on him publicly.
January 26th, 2015 at 5:18 pm
The talent level in the NFL is not much different from top to bottom. QB’s are a premium position, but beyond that, schemes, culture, and leadership play a much larger role than many people seem to acknowledge.
Want to see how much a QB matters? Look at the Colts the year Manning got hurt and notice how quickly they rebounded after drafting Luck.
Schemes? How did the Saints do without Sean Peyton?
Leadership? Look at Bruce Arians in Arizona.
Culture? This team did not quit on Lovie like we’ve seen happen to other coaches in recent years.
I’m not confident a quick turn around will happen, but if we can add a QB and a healthy OC who has a decent scheme, then it does seem “possible”.
January 26th, 2015 at 5:37 pm
Got Dammit Tiki!!!
January 26th, 2015 at 5:57 pm
@Ronde
I believe… but it’s not easy
January 26th, 2015 at 6:09 pm
Win with grace, lose with dignity! – Susan Polgar
January 26th, 2015 at 8:51 pm
I respect Barber’s love and respect for Lovie. I, too, think Lovie is a darn good coach and is deserving a second season before being judged. With that said, I’ll have to side with Joe on this one. We have obvious holes on both sides of the ball. At best we need 2 O Linemen, QB, safety, and DE. At worst we need 4 O Linemen, QB, safety, CB, LB, and 2 DE’s. I never count punter in my conversations because, well, it’s a freaking ounter but throw him in there too. Koenen sucks for 500k let alone the ridiculous cash he is getting to kick a football 20 yards.
January 27th, 2015 at 12:38 am
Bottom line = Lovie needs 9 wins minimum to match schiano or rahs first two years. We’re at least five years away or three years away, with a stroke of luck. This draft will obviously play a big role in this.
Marriota seems like the safe pick, with some luck he’ll turn out to be something. Winston may or may not be the winner he was in college. Winning is a habit, unfortunately so is losing. Let’s remember defense is what made this franchise successful in the first place. Leroy, sapp, Brooks, etc etc etc. if defense is BPA then just make the smart move and get better.
The losing is due to Penalties and mistakes which falls more on the coaches than the players. Constant delay of games calls is proof of that. Lovie needs to get his chit together real fast and I’m not convinced he can do it with his current team ie frazier Cullen m.smith. Why would you go from one college qb coach to another? Lawd forbidden the same thing happens and Koetter goes on medical, now you’re in the exact same spot as you were last year.
Lovies decisions are questionable. All this draft talk and come April 30 we’ll all be left is a daze like how we felt when we heard Charles Simms name being read. Like WTF?!?!
January 27th, 2015 at 4:11 am
Lovey will blow it again this year.
Lovey is a looser. Never plays to win, just tries not to loose. Winners are always on the offensive. Ronde just doesn’t want to throw a good friend under the bus.
January 27th, 2015 at 8:15 am
If he loves Lovie he is the only one. Everybody else thinks Lovie is a moron.
January 27th, 2015 at 10:05 am
DB55,
So winning is a habit, but we shouldn’t draft a winner because we are losers? I’ll leave it at that.
January 27th, 2015 at 5:08 pm
The same players who love Lovie are the same ones who attacked Schiano. Dare I say it?
January 27th, 2015 at 6:04 pm
Possible Rhonde saw what I did last year and also spoke out about it as soon as he saw it.
An offense that was horrible because of an OC who didn’t have a clue about what he was trying to do or accomplish.
Because of that the offense was mired in poor play all year because the OC didn’t know what he was doing and the players knew it and didn’t believe in him.