Jeff Demps Situation Bleak
August 20th, 2013
Joe knows there are many Gators fans who were of the belief that track star Jeff Demps, like Superman, would swoop in just as the regular season starts, not in football shape, and become the second coming of Devin Hester and lead the Bucs to double-digit wins by returning kickoffs. Well, said blue-and-orange sunglass wearers may go to bed hugging their pillows tonight.
Bucs commander Greg Schiano, when asked about Demps today during his daily post-practice press conference, seemed to let out a bit of frustration on the subject of this mysterious Demps arrival. It appeared to have touched a raw nerve.
In no uncertain terms, Schiano appeared irritated that Demps is not in training camp and all but suggested the experiment of a track star helping the Bucs (this season) is a long shot at best.
“(Sigh). I’m not, ah (pauses) — supposedly he’s coming. I don’t know. We’ll see. I don’t worry about guys that are not here, you know? So he’s not helping us get better right now. He’s out there running track somewhere. So, if he’s going to do that — if he gets here and helps us win he will be part of it. If he gets here and can’t help us win, he can go back and run track. We are here to win games.”
Joe thought it was a borderline joke that a guy, clearly not in football shape, could waltz in on the cusp of the regular season and be handed a critical position on a football team all because he can run in a straight line really fast.
Such a stunt may have been embraced on the loose ship USS Raheem Morris, but under the disciplined ways of the New Schiano Order, it’s borderline preposterous.
If Bill Belicheat thought Demps was an asset, Belicheat wouldn’t have thrown Demps in as an afterthought at the last second in the LeGarrette Blount trade.
August 20th, 2013 at 12:36 pm
Schiano is right, and he wouldn’t likely be of help. But wasn’t it known at the time of the trade that the guy was going to run track?
August 20th, 2013 at 12:47 pm
” be handed a critical position on a football team ”
While all positions are important, I don’t think kick returner is all that critical anymore seeing as how most kickoffs are touchbacks soince they moved them forward 5 yards.
August 20th, 2013 at 12:53 pm
Actually, considering all the others, this was one of the pop-star’s better trades.
August 20th, 2013 at 12:55 pm
I said it 2 weeks ago….scratch him….his heart is in track and other places….other places kind of like Josh.
August 20th, 2013 at 12:56 pm
To bad. Demps has a ton of talent. Such a shame he’s more interested in Track. I dont blame coach at all… if you dont love this game you dont need to be here.
August 20th, 2013 at 1:02 pm
The kid shouldn’t of even attempted to be in the draft. He was a waste of a spot in the combine and for a trade. It was a long shot.
Also realist shut up, Carimi has more development. Or you to stupid to even think of reading any articles before commenting.
August 20th, 2013 at 1:16 pm
I may be wrong, but personally it seemed as Schiano was in a pissed off mood today. I agree he shouldn’t care about Demps since hes not there but I have a feeling they still have plans for him. He tried getting him last year and I’m sure hes still looking to get him this year.
August 20th, 2013 at 1:24 pm
Add him to the list of the almighty “great potential” Buccaneer players.
Loved the: loose ship USS Raheem Morris comment lol.
August 20th, 2013 at 1:42 pm
Jeff Demps isn’t fast enough to make a living in track. He was an alternate in 4×100 in Russia. The US won silver.
Justin Gatlin did run and he couldn’t make the Bucs in 2007 when he was world class. Forget about Demps. Probably couldn’t make the team anyway!
August 20th, 2013 at 2:03 pm
@Dennis,
When I read this article I went and watched the video to hear his tone. You are right. It sure seemed to me that he came into that press conference in a pissy mood. It did seem to improve as the conference went on though
August 20th, 2013 at 2:04 pm
Not sure where this hatred for Demps is coming from, Joe. First of all he is injury free and in great shape. (“Football shape” is mostly BS and doesn’t really apply to returners anyway.) He excelled in kickoffs at Florida so he knows how to run in more than “a straight line.” Finally how long does it take to learn a couple kickoff formations? Demps could very well be a special teams star for us!
August 20th, 2013 at 2:59 pm
If track is what Demps wants to do, then good luck to him…..Splengo is right though, he is nowhere near the top 10 or 20 in the world for the 100m.
August 20th, 2013 at 3:21 pm
‘Billcheat’?
What are you, like 4? Keep rooting for your rotten Bucs. Talk about the Pats when you win more than 10 games.
August 20th, 2013 at 3:47 pm
I’d say his chances are bleak, especially when the RB”s we have on our roster are flourishing.
His only chance to make the roster is as a return man IMO and I don’t this Coach is going to keep a spot open for him just for that from the sounds of it..
August 20th, 2013 at 3:49 pm
think*
August 20th, 2013 at 6:11 pm
You Go Joe,
Your facts are wrong. He turned down his Combine invitation and didn’t work out for teams pre-draft. He was signed well into August last season.
It is too bad, however, that the guy doesn’t love football.
August 20th, 2013 at 7:39 pm
Another overrated football player from Florida, how surprising?
August 20th, 2013 at 8:42 pm
Casey:
Joe doesn’t hate Demps. Joe hates the foolish idea that a guy who treats football as a hobby could walk into a team’s facility two weeks prior to the regular season, not having played a snap of football for over a year, and thinking he can make the team.
Even more foolish a team keeping a chair warm for the guy.
BTW, when the hell in America did critique become “hate?” Only people with a limited vocabulary would think the two words are synonyms.
August 20th, 2013 at 11:24 pm
I’m LOLing at the ‘Billicheat’… Did anyone else catch that!?
August 21st, 2013 at 12:37 am
PR/KR are PAID to return the damn ball. Bucs didn’t have any luck last year, they were ranked 28th out of 32 teams. Last time I checked, that’s why the Patriots drafted him (Demps). And to be quite frank, Schiano and Dominik are puppets for listening for trade offers from the front office of the Patriots anyway. Yeah, I would be pretty annoyed to. Demps was an amazing KR/PR at Florida. This isn’t college football, however. I think the Bucs are keeping all RB’s on the depth chart because of Demps M.I.A status and we will see Mike James fill that roll. But I would like Demps to challenge him for the position. Better yet, if Chargers cut Spurlock…Eh, wishful thinking.
August 21st, 2013 at 12:37 am
Blount trade to NE, easily one of the worst trades in recent team history. A guy tht clearly had some talent and would definitely improve NE’s running attack, and was just a year removed from 1000 yards (in a truncated season for him, is crazy to have been given away for so little. Another one that the team just didnt see as being part of the future I guess….
August 21st, 2013 at 2:38 am
I read a article demps would join the bucs after his last race agust 18th? Joe is he holding out on us?
August 28th, 2013 at 4:40 pm
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