Phillips Might Move To Linebacker
March 18th, 2009
So desperate are the Bucs for linebackers (thanks to kicking Derrick Brooks and Cato June to the curb) the Bucs are considering moving safety Jermaine Phillips to linebacker.
While Joe isn’t about to throw Bucs general manager Mark Dominik under the bus only a few weeks into his new gig as general manager, it’s becoming more and more obvious that Dominik made a terrible mistake in letting go linebackers Derrick Brooks and Cato June.
Granted, linebacker wasn’t a strength for the Bucs last season. But it wasn’t a gaping weakness either. It sure is now.
Since getting rid of Brooks and June, the Bucs have done nothing in free agency to plug those holes and haven’t made any trades to add depth to the position (as Dominik did at tight end and nearly pulled off at quarterback). So thin are the Bucs at linebacker that the Bucs are talking about moving oft-injured safety Jermaine Phillips to weakside linebacker.
Oddly enough, this information comes from Buccaneers.com.
The Buccaneers are not putting all of their eggs in one basket, of course. The team is still interested in seeing what it has in such in-house linebacker candidates as Quincy Black, Geno Hayes and Adam Hayward, and there remains the possibility of an addition at the position through free agency and the draft. Still, the team-oriented Phillips, who is called “Flip” by most of his fellow Buccaneers, didn’t hesitate to take on this new challenge.
As can be expected since this article is on the Bucs’ website, the story is so full of wildly crazy spin it would make Sean Hannity blush. The article compares Phillips’ moving to linebacker with Shelton Quarles moving from strongside linebacker to middle linebacker.
puh-LEEZE!
Moving from safety to linebacker is another world compared to switching positions at linebacker. Besides, one of the critical elements of playing linebacker is to tackle. Phillips likes to tackle with his arms more than his body which is why he’s always breaking an arm.
Hey Dominik, just do yourself and the team a major favor, swallow your pride, and get Derrick Brooks back to One Buc Palace.
March 18th, 2009 at 11:38 am
this is the off-season from hell…i hope all the snivelers who hated Gruden and Allen are enjoying this mockery of a manangement of a football team. The coach is clueless,the GM is an idiot and the owners are cheap bastards.
March 18th, 2009 at 12:49 pm
Rolle got cut from the ravens…. Do we want him? Maybe he could play D-line, Safety and Linebacker….
This front office has a long way to go in order to avoid being the butt of many jokes in the coming season. Let’s hope we see some progress.
March 18th, 2009 at 1:02 pm
Gruden and Allen needed to go. That said.
Moving Phillips to linebacker does not fit the system. That I thought Bates was hired for. It was myunderstanding the defense was going with bigger linebackers and not speed/tampa2
This move shows that the Bucs did not have anything lined up for the replacing Brooks/June. This could get ugly if some new defensive players are not signed/drafted.
March 18th, 2009 at 2:07 pm
Whats wrong Kris not having fun?
March 18th, 2009 at 9:42 pm
Mr Lucky, I think I can speak for Kris on this one. Hell NO It’s no fun. What I don’t understand is how anyone right now considering what so far has been done in the off season can say anything from last season needed to change as far as Gruden and Allen are concerned. I think all that needed to happen was Kiffin to get on with his life and try to teach his spoiled child how to coach. It was well known that Gruden kept his hands off of the defense. It was Kiffins defense. Not Grudens that gave up leads in the fourth quarter of the last four games of the season. Kifs people, not Grudens. Thank God I haven’t paid my Sunday ticket dues. I’m giving it a rest this year. The Glazers are not trying to build a winner. They seem like it is all about money and nothing else. I hope Gruden sits out until they pay everything they owe him. Everyone else that thinks saving all that cap money is helping anyone but the Glazers can have it. Maybe we can win the CAP championship, to be awarded to the team that saves the most money. WORLD CHAMPIONS!!!!!!
March 19th, 2009 at 12:15 am
Id take Gruden and Allen over these 2 douchbags any day..and theyve only been on the job what 2 months,and have gutted a team that was 1 win from the playoffs.So no,im not having to much fun,,part of me hopes we go 0-16 next year just to prove how inept these people are.but im sure that the media and some fans here will make excuese for them,saying its all grudens fault somehow,because christ forbid if Morris or dumnik do anything wrong
March 19th, 2009 at 8:14 am
Kris, my prediction is all blame wll be placed on who is quarterback. The local media and fans will never admit the Glazers made a mistake firing Gruden, so history tells me it all will fall on the quarterbacks shoulders. Poor McCown!