“I Never Saw What He Did To Lose His Job”
November 5th, 2010
Bucs center and cerebral captain Jeff Faine weighed in today on the somewhat mysterious topics of why Jeremy Zuttah lost his starting left guard job and why Keydrick Vincent didn’t pan out as his replacement.
Speaking on The Jeff Faine Show, on 1010 AM, Faine said he strongly disagreed with Zuttah becoming a reserve and Faine revealed Vincent wasn’t up to the job mentally.
“Zutttah has obviously earned, I believe, the left guard position again. I’ve been in his corner the entire time. It’s hard for me to answer [why he lost his position] honestly without putting people in bad positions. To be honest I never saw what he did to lose his job,” Faine said. “He played well last year. It was his second year. …I believe you don’t realize the potential of an offensive lineman until the fourth or fifth year, espeically at center or guard where it’s very cerebral. …He’s been maturing and developing and had an upside that hasn’t been reached yet. I know he’d be offended if I said that in front of him.”
“I think it wasn’t the style of offense that suited Keydrick. I don’t feel he ever got comfortable. Up in Carolina, they run the ball 80 percent of the time. …That”s the just the offense that he was in, just a straight maul’em offense. Where as we’re a hybrid. The mental thing was tough for him to pickup.”
Joe can’t fault the Bucs for trying to get better on the O-line. However, as Joe wrote numerous times, Vincent never showed in preseason that he was better than Zuttah, and starting 10-year-veteran Vincent was not a fit for the Bucs’ stated 2010 plan. Vincent was far more suited to a backup role.
As for Faine not “putting people in bad positions” and revealing the truth behind the Zuttah demotion, Joe can only imagine where he could go with that.
Joe’s glad it all worked out for the best.
November 5th, 2010 at 6:25 pm
From what I’ve seen lately, Faine should be more concerned about his own job. Zuttah appears to be a better center, hands down. I think Freeman may be the one to decide whom he wants in front.
November 5th, 2010 at 6:28 pm
I smell JimBuc
November 5th, 2010 at 6:33 pm
lol…Jimbuc is probably banned…at least from this thread.
@BigMac- the problem the Bucs have at center is what you call “a good problem to have.” Its hard to say one has been better than the other cuz I really haven’t heard either one of them getting called out for their play at center….except for those bad QB\center exchanges that were happening with faine in there. Don’t know if anyone else has noticed but there hasn’t been one of those drive killing bumbled snaps since Zuttah has taken over.
November 5th, 2010 at 6:56 pm
No…. good QB/Center exchange…. except when in shotgun… and then we get the flop/lob snap from Zuttah. Either way, it’s not a bad problem, gotta be happy to have Zuttah for Center depth. It really showed how valuable Center is last year when Faine went down and we had Mahan. Zuttah is immensely better.
November 5th, 2010 at 7:01 pm
Faine wants Zuttah to move back to LG because that way Faine gets back into the lineup. Center is more cerebral? REALLY
I thought Freeman was calling the blitz pickups Jeff….
November 5th, 2010 at 7:31 pm
This caption might be what Faine utters when he is not the starter.
I Never Saw What He (I) Did To Lose His (My) Job
November 5th, 2010 at 8:10 pm
@RustyRhino- LOL. But seriously, THERE IS NO WAY ZUTTAH STARTS AT CENTER OVER FAINE. Thats a fact. You don’t lose your job due to injury in the NFL unless the backup significantly outperforms you. Zuttah certainly hasnt been A LOT better than Faine. If anyone thinks Raheem “Caddy is my starter” Morris is going to do a veteran former pro-bowler like Faine that way , then you are not remembering how the NFL works. Faine will be the starter again once he’s healthy….But then he will quickly get injured again and the argument will be moot. LOL
November 5th, 2010 at 8:14 pm
Yes, really Mr. Lucky. The QB calls the blitz pick ups/protections, but the center also calls protections from what he sees the defense doing. O-line is cerebral as is all positions in football (some more than others).
I think it’s good to have Zuttah at center and may very well be the future there. Faine is good, but gets hurt a lot. Zuttah is a smart guy (Faine is no dummy either). Zuttah was an All Academic (Big East & Conference), has an economics degree and carried a 3.5 GPA at Rutgers.
My concern is the future at LG is Zuttah ends up at center. Larson? I don’t know, but I see them drafting D-line again early in the draft for a pass rushing DE if one of such talents is available.
November 5th, 2010 at 9:56 pm
I remember when Drew Bledsoe got hurt and a young kid named Tom Brady stepped in.
They won’t take you out if you don’t give them a reason to, and so far that may be the case. There is a good chance Faine could have played if Rah had to have him. We all know how the Bucs like to shed large payroll(Faine). You never know, Truebonehead may not be that injured either. Just a little conspiracy theory I’m trying to play out.
November 5th, 2010 at 10:01 pm
Faine gets hurt a lot. The Saints let him leave for a reason. As the Bucs say “I’ll tolerate you until I can replace you”. That may be happening to the holes in their O line. In my eyes, the Bucs O line has played better in the last 2 games than in the last 2 years. Blount helps them, but they help him. Atlanta will be a good test.
November 5th, 2010 at 10:01 pm
Zuttah has looked better than Faine there hasn’t been the fumbled snaps.It’s clear that Zuttah is not as good playing on the left side of the line, he is good center or right side.So maybe Faine can play left guard(the Colts are talking about moving Saturday to left guard after this season)
November 5th, 2010 at 10:33 pm
Faine at guard? hmmm……either way, they won’t let hm go until they have reliable depth. I like Jeff Faine. Good player, leader and mentor.
November 5th, 2010 at 10:59 pm
Mr. Lucky Says:
November 5th, 2010 at 7:01 pm
Faine wants Zuttah to move back to LG because that way Faine gets back into the lineup. Center is more cerebral? REALLY
I thought Freeman was calling the blitz pickups Jeff….
================================================
Wow, Mr. Lucky haven’t you embarrassed yourself enough in these comments? You don’t think that the Center position is the most cerebral on the O-Line? LOL Words can’t explain how far off-base you are…
And Big MacAttack,
The reason that Faine won’t lose his job is because he is (was at the time he signed his contract) the highest paid Center in the league. You can’t spend that kinda money on a player and then cast him away for the new upstart young guy. He has to be TOTALLY outplayed for that to happen (ie Brady and Bledsoe, despite the fact that Bledsoe did come back in and start a playoff game I believe)
November 5th, 2010 at 11:04 pm
If anyone thought Zuttah is not cut out to be a guard, I should’nt have to tell you what would happen to Jeff Faine at that position. 290 lbs does not a successful guard make. Not sure why people think that they can claim that they know Zuttah is playing better ball than Faine. Ultimately the Bucs are better off with having Faine at center and Zuttah at guard. If it turns out Ted Larsen is a better guard than Zuttah then it the best option is for Zuttah to just be that super valuable backup utility o-lineman. Its not like he wont get his fair share of playing time backing up both the guard and center spots.
November 5th, 2010 at 11:09 pm
I agree completely gitarlvr.
The thing about these discussions, that I love, is that I have the feeling that the coaching staff is actually putting the best 11 guys on the team, out there on Sunday. Too many doghouses with Gruden and too many SH**TY draft picks with Allen.
We drafted Myron Lewis 3rd round and Biggers, a 7th rounder, wins the job. Forget the name, forget the reputation. Best man plays. Finally.
November 5th, 2010 at 11:51 pm
Fire Greg Olson!:
To be fair, much like Brian Price, Myron Lewis hasn’t been healthy all year. Not trying to take away from Biggers.
November 6th, 2010 at 12:03 am
As far as Lewis goes he is “ascending”. He’s healthy now and has beaten out Elbert Mack for the dime corner position.
November 6th, 2010 at 8:28 am
You can’t spend that kinda money on a player and then cast him away for the new upstart young guy.
Case in point, Antonio Bryant, Derrick Ward, Byron Sluggo. Hmmmm????
November 6th, 2010 at 11:24 am
BigMacAttack,
There’s a point of diminishing returns that the front office reaches with these guys. Antonio Bryant left as a free agent. Byron Leftwich was there to make the transition to Freeman, Ward was a malcontent that was poisoning the locker room.
Faine is considered one of the best Centers in the league. He’s not going anywhere.