Earnest Graham’s Boasts Don’t Hold Water
June 2nd, 2010
Fresh off a season in which he and his backfield mates finished 25th in the NFL in average yards per carry, Bucs fullback Earnest Graham preached from his pulpit Monday that the Bucs are one of the best running teams in the league.
Caught by Joe’s friend Tom Balog of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune at the start of the latest Bucs OTAs, Graham claims few NFL teams can match the Bucs in talent.
”I’ll put this group up against any group in the league,” Graham said Tuesday after the team’s organized team activity voluntary workout. “We’re definitely looking to make our stamp this year, as opposed to what we were supposed to do last year.”
If this were 2005, maybe Joe would agree. Now Joe doesn’t expect Graham to say the Bucs stink worse than a BP oil spill, but it would have been cool to read that Graham called out everyone in the backfield — including himself — to live up to their previous reputations.
Graham, however, is too nice of a guy to do something like that.
Hey, the numbers don’t lie. The Bucs were woeful in the running game last year and it’s not unlike the Bucs have total stiffs up front. Maybe part of the reason is the top three running backs (Derrick Ward, Cadillac Williams and Graham) are basically the same kind of running backs. Perhaps the Bucs could have used a speedy scatback as a change-of-pace kind of runner?
Balog also quotes Graham as fingering the change in offensive coordinators as a culprit to the (lack of) rushing production. Joe doesn’t buy that either. Both Buffalo and Kansas City canned their offensive coordinators the same week as the Bucs jettisoned offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski, yet the Bills and Chiefs had significantly better rushing attacks than the Bucs.
Currently, the Bucs don’t even have the best running attack in the NFC South — far from it in fact — much less the NFL.
June 2nd, 2010 at 8:43 am
I look for Tampa to have a better running attack IF we prove we can pass the ball effectively this year.
June 2nd, 2010 at 9:14 am
I guess he should have said they are mediocre and will likely suck this year….cause that is what a good supportive teammate would say.
June 2nd, 2010 at 9:40 am
Seriously Joe. What do you expect him to say? If he can’t feel confident right now in the offseason before things get rolling, its over b/f it started. Nothing there to criticize.
June 2nd, 2010 at 9:42 am
Uh, it seems people haven’t read the fourth paragraph.
June 2nd, 2010 at 9:44 am
No Excuses, No Explanations.
Get er done, THEN talk about having the best group in the league.
June 2nd, 2010 at 10:04 am
I love his confidence, it’s a must, and it’s good for the young team to hear him say these things. He’s trying to get them pumped up. Truth is right now that no one has a clue what the Bucs offense will do until the Games start. They may be great and they may suck. Preparation and injuries play a big part between now and then, and luck has it’s hand in the NFL too. You really don’t know at this point. You can make educated guesses, you speculate, but it’s all wind in early June. Greg Olson? Can he pull it off?
Way to go Graham. It looks like Earnest is taking on the Role of Team Leader and what better person to do it. Have you seen the guns hanging from his shoulders? Cadi too. Those two spend a lot of time pumping iron and will both bust you in the chops on Sunday.
June 2nd, 2010 at 10:07 am
Joe,
You really want him to call himself out after his 14 carries last season?? That sort of analysis is doing the same thing that Duemig’s rant on Maddon is. Driving me away. Get real. Truth is, he has every reason to be optimistic with the line going back to a power vs. zone blocking scheme. (while I would prefer the zbs, our current personell doesn’t fit that mold). So you might want to “buy” into the validity of EG’s claim of that. Comparing the Bills and the Chiefs situation to ours is like saying, the Bucs should have a good running game because they are from Florida and Miami and Jax are good running teams. Prob my last post…done
June 2nd, 2010 at 10:09 am
Earnest Graham is a Power Back with Scatability!
June 2nd, 2010 at 10:11 am
This is how you respond to a question like that…..
https://www.joebucsfan.com/?p=29899#comments
June 2nd, 2010 at 5:15 pm
So for the “talk is cheap” crowd — you know who you are — the Bucs are no longer going to give interviews. ext time Graham should just decline to speak saying the team bans all interviews until the Bucs win the SB.
So tell us, how many wins they must the Bucs have before they can start giving interviews again?
Criticizing Graham for his comments is just silly and further proof that this this is the offseason.
June 2nd, 2010 at 10:13 pm
Aint no buc ever talking again under that rule!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
June 3rd, 2010 at 7:13 am
JimBuc:
Joe would rather players not speak at all than to insult fans who can think for themselves with blatant untruths and inaccuracies.
Joe thinks the world of Earnest Graham but his statement was simply inaccurate. Players can and should talk as much as they want so long as they don’t talk down to fans as if they are three-year olds.