Is Eric Berry Off The Bucs’ Radar?
March 16th, 2010
With today’s reported free agent signing of safety Sean Jones, Joe has to wonder whether stud safety prospect Eric Berry is no longer under real consideration for the Bucs in the 2010 draft.
Now surely Jones isn’t the future of the franchise at strong safety. However, this is the 2010 Bucs. And when you’re a free agent signing for a couple of million bucks on this team, you’re here to play football, and a heck of a lot is expected.
Joe just doesn’t see the frugal Bucs investing in Jones and then Berry at the No. 3 pick.
Although that sure would give them a prime time group of safeties with Tanard Jackson, Berry, Jones and Piscitelli as the athletic fourth-stringer/special teamer.
Raheem the Dream would sleep better with that crew in tow, especially knowing that Jackson is a screwup away from a lost season.
March 16th, 2010 at 5:15 pm
Thank God!
No Berry… unless we trade back… great news.
I pretty much am expecting that Berry doesn’t get drafted now.
March 16th, 2010 at 5:19 pm
Probably. Any smoke to the rumor that the bucs are interested in trading number 1’s for Brandon Marshall ? That would certainly shake things up a bit. They still need defense. Maybe get someone nasty like spikes or weatherspoon.
March 16th, 2010 at 5:42 pm
Brandon Marshall would be total cancer… although, I do think he just wants to get away from the gang violence in Denver from the shooting of his buddy. You know he feels that he can’t go out in Denver without feeling like he may get punked.
So I think he really wants out for that reason alone.
March 16th, 2010 at 5:59 pm
The Bucs will draft the position that they have to pay the least for. They will draft Berry if safeties are the least paid per position. I would look for them to trade down because the farther they are from the top of the draft the less money it will cost them. In my book they are counterfit MFers. Money first. Winning second. They are going to milk this franchise for all they can get and then sell it.
March 16th, 2010 at 6:02 pm
“Now surely Jones isn’t the future of the franchise at strong safety….”
Why not? He isn’t a top 5 safety, but he has been a very solid and dependable player. He is only 28. If he has a good year I don’t see why he couldn’t end up being our SS for the next 4-5 years. Not that likely, but very possible.
March 16th, 2010 at 6:49 pm
If both DTs are gone, it is almost carved in stone, IMO, that the Bucs move down.
Look at the players posited to be available in the better mock drafts–numbers 32 to 55 or so will make you drool!!
March 16th, 2010 at 6:55 pm
Signing Leftwich totally knocked “drafting a QB” off our to-do list last year.
March 16th, 2010 at 8:20 pm
I never even try to guess whats gna happen with this team. Im a huge fan of the bucs but we all have to admit they are pretty tough to predict what will happen come draft time. With all the money saving going on this year who knows if the Glazers will wna pay a guy 3rd pick money whether suh is on the board or not. Not saying they wont pick him but we can never be too sure with this team theres always suprises i saw the rumour about swapping picks with the broncos and picking up b marsh and other picks.. that sounds pretty good to me even if suh was on the board id rather have b marsh, the 11th pick which we could draft a whole variety of players (spiller, price, mcclain, etc), we could always select a d lineman like aluala, geno atkins, carlos dunlap, jerry hughes whoever in the 2nd. With how quiet its been at one buc this year hopefully the bucs will give us fans something to get excited about for next season
March 16th, 2010 at 8:26 pm
Why wouldn’t Jones be the Safety of the future? Look at our D-line of the Future! Corner backs of the future! What I’d like to see is a new owner of the future, such as Eddie DeBartolo! Because if the Bucs are ever going to have a future again, we will have to have new owners!
March 16th, 2010 at 8:46 pm
no d line = trouble thats why we draft Mc Coy
March 16th, 2010 at 8:53 pm
Dexter Jackson wasn’t elite. Dwight Smith wasn’t elite. Phillips wasn’t elite. Tanard Jackson isn’t elite. Other than John Lynch, we haven’t had any elite safeties and we have done pretty well. As long as we have solid guys with good fundamentals at safety, we are fine. I think Sean Jones is solid safety that should work well with TJax. We can’t have an elite playmaker at every position.
Where we do need elite players is DT, RE, and LB. Shelton Quarles was another guy that wasn’t elite, but he was solid and dependable, just like Ruud. The difference is he has a great three tech and pass rushing DE in front of him, and a HoF LB next to him. If we can find playmakers in this draft at DE, DT, and LB…I think we have the peices for our defense to rebound quickly.
I have my fingers crossed that we somehow get DE Brandon Graham, LB Sean Weatherspoon, and DT Tyson Aluahu. It’s a long shot, but I think those three guys would do wonders for us.
March 16th, 2010 at 8:54 pm
Untill we get those playmakers at DT, DE, and LB…..our secondary will struggle no matter who is back there.
March 16th, 2010 at 9:06 pm
“JDouble Says:
March 16th, 2010 at 6:02 pm
“Now surely Jones isn’t the future of the franchise at strong safety….”
Why not? He isn’t a top 5 safety, but he has been a very solid and dependable player. He is only 28. If he has a good year I don’t see why he couldn’t end up being our SS for the next 4-5 years. Not that likely, but very possible.
”
Because apparently Joe thinks anyone over the age of 25 is ready to collect Social Security…
March 17th, 2010 at 9:32 am
I don’t think Berry ever had a chance of being a Buc. I believe the bucs are trying to distance themselves from all things Kiffin. When he came out and said that Berry was just what the Bucs needed i think that sealed his fate right there on ever being a Buc.
March 17th, 2010 at 11:27 am
What you first said Jdub was wrong (our defense isn’t allright at safety now… none of the guys we have are standouts.. i don’t care, we suck on defense until otherwise)… but what you said here is 100% right:
“Untill we get those playmakers at DT, DE, and LB…..our secondary will struggle no matter who is back there.”
We need to be thinking D-Line and LB in the draft… we need to stop settling for our LBs now. Being dead last in rush defense HAS GOT TO BE A WAKE UP CALL!!!