Eric Berry Already Knows Bucs’ Playbook
February 28th, 2010
Joe apologizes for not bringing this to you sooner.
Whether the Bucs draft Tennessee stud safety Eric Berry or not remains to be seen. If that happens, Berry just might fit like a glove.
Of course his defensive coordinator at Tennessee last year was Monte Kiffin, the father of the Bucs’ Tampa-2 defense. This, Berry feels, gives him an edge with the Bucs as he spoke on WCNN-AM 680 in Atlanta.
“One of the biggest things that I learned from Monte was actually getting into the mind of defensive coordinators. When we are in meetings and things like that he doesn’t tell you the play that he is calling. He actually tells you why he called the play and what situations he is going to call it so you can actually get in the mind of a defensive coordinator and you kind of see yourself anticipating what he going to call on third and short or second and long and things like that. I think that is what he taught me the most probably.
“[I’m r]eally focused on getting [to Indianapolis] and talking to the coaches and seeing what they really have to say. A lot of the mock draft stuff could be true or couldn’t be true so I really stay out of that and really try to get it from the direct source. Obviously if I do go to Tampa, I know their whole playbook so that would be a plus. If I just take care of what I need to take care of and get ready to play someone is going to have to get me.”
Joe has a feeling if the Bucs draft Berry, he will fit in perfectly and understand the defense as a rookie much better than Sabby the Goat will entering his third season.
(Hat tip to Anwar Richardson of the Tampa Tribune.)
February 28th, 2010 at 2:52 pm
Its good that he knows the playbook but we need at D-Tackle and or a WR more than a safety and then we need at D-End and then a RB and then a CB and a Safety!
February 28th, 2010 at 3:11 pm
Unfortunately going from Monte Kiffin to the Dream is like transferring from Harvard to Hillsborough Community College.
Otherwise, the theory is sound.
February 28th, 2010 at 3:15 pm
Yeah he knows the “Bucs” play-book, but from what games? the last 4 of the 08 season??? I hope not. I have never played College ball much less Pro ball but there are differences right? Even in college they have similar O’s & D’s but is there not a MAJOR leap from college to the pro’s?
I think we need better a pass rush. This will help our DB’s where as last season and several seasons before that (Monty’s tenure and play-book?) we have had little to not much pass rush on a CONSTANT basis. Now if is it true that a average pass play takes 3 seconds to happen? That is with a average Pass Rush, so as ours has not quite been up to snuff over the past several years. Can we agree that this might be a problem to the DB’s? When the average is 3 sec and we allow 4-5.5 sec this makes some difficult situations for our DB’s or have i missed something here.
Say we get Berry at # 3 will him taking the field speed up our pass rush? hmmmm… unless he grows 5 inches and adds 100 lbs then i am not thinking that will happen.
Don’t get me wrong i like Berry just not when we have little to no consistent pass rush, in front of him. If we already had that then Hell yeah take him but as i see it and i am half blind we don’t have the pass rush needed to allow him to do his thing.
Just my view out here in Arizona, where it’s raining by the way!!! YES!!!!!
February 28th, 2010 at 3:16 pm
Unfortunately this is the wrong year to draft him
February 28th, 2010 at 3:54 pm
LOLOLOLOL!!!
February 28th, 2010 at 4:24 pm
so does every team the Bucs play…….
February 28th, 2010 at 5:16 pm
The problem I see with Berry is he’s about the same size as Tanard , and both are better suited for Free Safety. Who is going to play Strong Safety?? We’d bascally have two under-sized free safeties out there.
February 28th, 2010 at 5:31 pm
all he has to do is make the play……
February 28th, 2010 at 10:38 pm
Ya know, I don’t think the criticism of Rah’s football acumen are quite fair….before last year there was absolutely no doubt that the guy was a coaching prodigy. Am I the only one who remembers what happened to our secondary and our defense the year he went to K State? Joe, you’re one of the first to point out the improvement of last years D once Rah took the reins…….
Anyway, that being said….as outlandish as it sounds, I could certainly envision a scenario where we’re choosing between Suh & McCoy. Would it be that far out of left field to see the Rams grab Bradford and the Lions front office demanding upgrading that terrible O line in order to protect their young franchise QB?
I mean I know it’s unlikely….but I think the odds of one of those DT’s getting to us is looking better and better…..and I don’t think Suh’s the lock anymore that he was immediately after that Big 12 Championship game…..seen a lot of guys I respect saying McCoy’s the better prospect than Suh.
March 1st, 2010 at 10:15 am
Off topic: CreamsiclePasties I like the screen name but you are a chick and not a guy right?
March 1st, 2010 at 1:18 pm
Creamsicle, It doesn’t take a genius to understand that when you have a defense that is built for a certain defense, and has played a certain defense for 10 years, that they just might play that defense a little better than one they do not know or are built for. The “stupid” move was made when the HC decided that he wanted a different defense when he did not have the knowledge or the players for it. How everyone calls him great for allowing the defense to play what they know after 10 whole games simply amazes me. How “genius” was it to change defenses to begin with?