Quit Ripping Mark Dominik!
February 25th, 2010
Vacation Man of BSPN.com knows the Bucs better than most. Not only was he a Bucs beat writer for the Tampa Tribune in a past life, he covers the NFC South for that Soviet bloc institution based in Bristol and lives in Tampa.
Vacation Man has read and heard all the kvetching and whining and moaning about Bucs general manager Mark Dominik and has just about had enough of it.
Breaking down the draft needs of each of the NFC South teams, Vacation Man fires off at Dominik’s critics.
Let’s be nice and start by giving the Bucs credit for finding a franchise quarterback in Josh Freeman last year. And for getting receiver Sammie Stroughter in the seventh round. Everybody likes to rip general manager Mark Dominik and coach Raheem Morris. But part of the reason the Bucs are in the shape they’re in is because Jon Gruden and Bruce Allen were busy using early picks on guys like Gaines Adams and Dexter Jackson. They somehow thought Jackson could be the second coming of Carolina’s Steve Smith.
Though Vacation Man is leaving out all sorts of facts, he hits a home run with one element: Dominik was not the guy who pulled the trigger on Adams or Justin Pawlowski’s favorite target, the bad Dexter Jackson.
If anything Dominik should be lauded and have free beers whenever he walks into a local watering hole for somehow conning the Bears into coughing up a high second round pick for a guy who couldn’t start for one of the worst defenses in the NFL.
February 25th, 2010 at 10:26 am
Optimism – this could be the year we look back and say, “wow, they really did know what they’re doing.”
February 25th, 2010 at 10:36 am
since they wont be spending money in free agency this draft is bigger then any other draft for us if we pick a couple of more bust like gaines , clayton , dexter jackson it is gonna set us back even more i just dont trust the guys picking our draft picks they should of brought in new scouting guys instead they might replace our scouting team after the draft which makes no sense at all why not do it before the draft ?
February 25th, 2010 at 10:40 am
Joe, where is this week’s Bull Rush article?
February 25th, 2010 at 10:47 am
Well Joe, I not convinced. Looks to me that the Vacation Man didn’t like Gurden/Allen very much. And I guess the “proof” will be seen in wins & losses this year. Didn’t Dominik used to be the head the Scouting Dept.? Yet he doesn’t get any of the blame? Just saying….
February 25th, 2010 at 11:04 am
Joe here,
Jonny – Glad to see we have you on the edge of your chair. The great Steve White’s Bull Rush column will appear this afternoon. Today he breaks down all things Roy Miller.
February 25th, 2010 at 11:26 am
It sure looks like VM is on the Bucs payroll, the way he’s defending them. I’m glad the Glazers found some money to pay someone. Has VM written ANYTHING recently where he’s not defending the Bucs front office? I used to like to read his stuff, but with all his Saint worship this season and his “Bucs can do no wrong”, I can’t read him anymore. Come on VM, the front office isn’t perfect or they wouldn’t be 3-13.
I love how VM mentions the 1st and last picks of last year’s draft. What about everything in between. I hope they turn out to be impact players, but Freeman was the only regular starter and that didn’t happen until the 2nd half of the season. In my opinion, the jury is still out on that draft class. Remember, after year 1, Adams looked like the real deal too.
February 25th, 2010 at 11:33 am
What about that Clayton signing? Leftwich? Coordinators? Screwing Brooks? 3-13?
Ill agree with the accolades for the Adams trade and picking up Winslow. Stroughter’s decent, and surely a good seventh rounder.
I think the jury is still out on the franchise QB. I hope he applies his wisdom to getting someone he can throw to.
February 25th, 2010 at 11:36 am
Yes, time will tell. Nobody gave Sam Wyche credit for drafting a couple of solid performers like Sapp, Lynch, Brooks and even Jim Pyne was an offensive stalwort for a few years. Dennis Erickson drafted Shaun Alexander and some others. These coaches and there front office staffs didn’t get any credit. Didn’t Jim Mora draft Peyton? I hope the Bucs current staff has the foresight to draft for the future and go after solid players that are not flash in the pan type players. Even if this staff can’t last past this next season there players (some) will. Gruden left us with a developing Offensive line and holes almost everywhere else. We can see how his drafts went. The biggest thing I don’t miss about Gruden is his in and out of love relationships with the next best thing from week to week.