Suh Talks About Value Of Veterans, Freeman
February 2nd, 2011
The instant-impact, manbeast defensive tackle of the 2010 draft, Ndamukong Suh, was welcomed by the loving embrace of defensive line veterans Kyle Vanden Bosch and Corey Williams at Detroit Lions camp.
That made all the difference in the world for his development, so said Suh. Speaking today on ESPN Radio, Suh credited the mentoring of Vanden Bosch and Williams for his meteoric success in the NFL.
Listening to Suh gush over his teacher teammates made Joe wonder how Gerald McCoy and Brian Price, and the other young Bucs d-lineman, missed out on hands-on veteran leadership.
Stylez White had experience, but he was quoted saying he didn’t see himself in a true leadership role. Released Ryan Sims? Joe’s not going there.
Some think the Bucs could draft two defensive ends quite high in April. Joe’s not in that camp, but Joe really thinks the Bucs could score — on multiple levels — with the right DE in free agency.
There’s no substitute for learning from a great mentor.
When asked to break down the play of horny, sleazy Ben Roethlisberger, Suh instantly compared him to Josh Freeman. …The Freeman love train continues.
February 2nd, 2011 at 7:56 pm
No doubt that Suh’s supporting cast aided in his remarkable season, but Suh himself is on another level. He plays mean and I love that. McCoy will be fine because his work ethic seems to be second to none.
February 2nd, 2011 at 8:23 pm
@MOBucs
No doubt it did. But McCoy sure didn’t have that. He had the great supporting cast of Kyle “0 sacks” Moore, Stylez and Bennett to help him out. The awful talent around him was obviously a reason for his rather ineffective season.
That’s why I would rather get a pair of proven star DE’s out of FA that are still young. If we want to make a playoff push next year and get immediate impact on the line, then that’s the way to go. It’ll make McCoy and our other DT’s much better. I think DE should be on our draft needs list, but I just don’t want one in the first round. Taking Adrian Clayborn like many people are talking about just doesn’t get me pumped. Surrounding young, ineffective DT’s with more rookies being relied on totally isn’t going to improve things.
February 2nd, 2011 at 8:35 pm
I’ll start by saying I really like McCoy both as a person and a player and I hope he turns out to be a great one someday but…
Can we all just agree that Suh had a better rookie year because Suh is a better football player? Enough with the “better supporting cast” and mentor BS. I remember being sick to my stomach when McCoy was touted as a better prospect by some pundits because Suh had the better “supporting cast” to make him look good at freaking Nebraska while poor McCoy was toughing it out working with the scrubs at Oklahoma and making them look so good. You would have thought McCoy was playing at Toledo or something.
Just to relate the mentor thing to two other recent rookies. I don’t recall Josh Freeman or Mike Williams being held back a ton because of their lack of veteran presence. Seems they made themselves into players because they were players.
February 2nd, 2011 at 8:41 pm
I can’t help but like that guy. Dont kid yourself, Detroit ran defenses that padded Suh’s numbers. That need to.not may bright spots there. Buuut, Suh is a talented man, and seems like a genuine good guy. He’s gotta watch those unnessisary roughness calls he’s accumulating.he’s playing a bit to physical. The Lions have a lot that could turn out well. It kills me seeing how Matthew Stafford gets creamed. He is great young QB, and really tough. But he’s getting killed up there. They need to find their Donald Penn, if they want to start winning!
February 2nd, 2011 at 8:51 pm
Suh played one spot all year. McCoy played many, frequently DE in a 3 man front. If McCoy sacrificies stats for his team to be 10-6, is he less of a player with great stats on a 6-10 team? Again, detroit had a great line, and Funnelled plays to Suh. McCoy did not. Detroit added high profile Free agents, drafted Suh, and won 3 more games. We did NOT sign any high profile Free agents , drafted McCoy, and won 7 more games. That’s why Raheem says stats are losers. You can pad them. Based on team improvement, McCoy damn should made more impact here than Suh did in Detoit. Winnner- McCoy!
February 2nd, 2011 at 8:54 pm
Suh DID benefit from a better scheme and supporting cast. In Detroit, they tell their ends to rush wide so that the QB has to step up, instead of run out of the pocket, if he wants to avoid the rush. If Suh beats his man, he’s right in the QB’s face.
I do remember McCoy beating his man very often, but then the QB would simply roll out to his right and avoid the pressure. According to ProFootballFocus, McCoy actually had more pressures-per-down than Suh. But while Suh was lacking in the pressures, he was simply able to make the sacks whenever he managed to get pressure. He deserves credit for that, but his supporting cast and scheme also deserve some of it.
February 2nd, 2011 at 8:56 pm
Well Ira’s sorry ass got his wish and belacheat won coy. Raheem got second I guess that’s something to build on. Belacheat got credit due to a young team. Really the Bucs had the youngest and had major injuries to overcome.
February 2nd, 2011 at 9:08 pm
That’s just gay as hell !!!!!! Raheem earned that award more clearly Han any recent winner. Ira should get rode outta town on a rail. Tired of his drivel!
February 2nd, 2011 at 9:09 pm
I’d rather see us get some young kids at DE in the draft. It’s a great class for DE’s this year and we could get some great talent on the team that could stick for a long time. I also like the fire the young guys show. They seem to have a “I’m gonna prove I’m worth it” mentality. The guys that have been in the league a few years and get the big FA contract have the “I’ve proven it, gotten the contract, now I gotta make it last as long as possible” attitude. Also, I think more young guys coming in breeds a “family” mentality with the guys. They’ll go out and fight like brothers for each other, and share the responsibility of the successes and failures together.
Freeman is the obvious leader on the offense, but you see guys like Williams/Benn/Parker/Briscoe wanting to help each other succeed. Sharing the success and blame. It’s becoming a team. Same can be said to an extent for the O-line. We need the same on D. A young D-line across the board gives them all a brotherhood, a will to fight for each other, not for individual success but team.
Some FAs are able to come in and bond with the existing group and play well and play for the team. Most are more individual oriented and only looking out for themselves. They’re more likely to lay blame on their fellow teammates when they fail, than fall on the sword and take the blame themselves.
Of course, the team will need to bring in some free agents and probably even extend some contracts, just to reach the new cap floor when the new CBA is in place. Hopefully they find good character guys that are team oriented and willing to work together with the existing guys to make this team a contender.
February 2nd, 2011 at 9:11 pm
Sorry I’m not correcting the rediculous spell check changes tonight. In hospital (again) tied to damn IV and posting in bad light and awkward positions! Still, way better that staring at the walls!
February 2nd, 2011 at 9:34 pm
On DE , my thoughts are they sign a good young FA( Ray Edwards/ Tamba Hali), draft a Great young DE( Jj Watts/Ryan Kerrigan/ Adrian Clayborn), then spend a 4th on risk /reward guy( Greg Romeus/ Allan Bailey). Want LBs Bruce Carter and Colin Montgomery in 2/3 rounds. Like Ss Shiloh Keio in 5th round. A FA TE and Guard, a RB and OT in 6&7 round- I’m happy! Or have I thought about thus too much?? Lol
February 2nd, 2011 at 9:35 pm
14-2 season trumps any kind of 10-6 season. if we were 11-5 (detroit game) then i would say he got cheated but nah. ANd as for SUH. SUh is just a beast, mccoy would not be able to copy that stat line. Suh is just so much stronger. But anywho looking forward to see who gets hired as d-line coach.
February 2nd, 2011 at 9:36 pm
Irdc what dominik decides to do this offseason, i trust him enough not to doubt his decisions anymore.
February 2nd, 2011 at 9:51 pm
(1) Veterans are considered blasphemy around here, what does suh know that the great sheep dont.
(2) McCoy was terrible in 2010 except for 2 games. Being that he missed 4 or 5, he was not part of all 10 wins. Many would say that the team played better up front after he got hurt.
(3) Suh was dominant. There was no funnelling plays to him or padding his stats – that is false and an excuse. Suh was a pro-bowler, first team all-pro and the awards wont stop there. McCoy was an embarrassment.
(4) Apparently the coach of the year voters werent as impressed with the third place finish in the division and another missed playoffs all with a very easy schedule filled with second and third string qb’s.
(5) This team will not be a legit title contender without quality (and exxpensive) vets.
Look at Pittsburgh: Hines (13 years), Flozell Adams (13 years), Ben 7, Farrior 14, Hampton 10, Harrison 7, Kiesel 9, Clark 9, Aaron Smith 12, Ike Taylor 8, Troy P 8 – and on and on and on.
GB has some younger players but are still heavy with vet leadership: Clifton 11, Driver 12, Jennings 5, Kuhn 5, Rodgers 6, Tauscher 11, Woodson 13, Picket 10, Chillar 7, Collin 6, Jenkins 7, Hawk 5 etc.
Vets and experience win Championships. Kids finish 3rd or 4th in the division and miss the playoffs repeatedly.
February 2nd, 2011 at 9:56 pm
The reason I would give to Raheem over Belacheat is expectations, youth of the team, ( which is why Belacheat won) were younger, and over coming a ton of injuries. The fact it should have been an 11 win season is another reason. Everyone knows we got screwed out if that win. Plus a yard here a bounce there and we were an eye lash from winning 13 games.
February 2nd, 2011 at 10:02 pm
I must point out that some of you blasted me when I said that your anti-gruden HC (which is why you defend him so much) would not win C.O.Y. after missing the playoffs and finishing 3rd in the division.
You sheep like to point out that I was wrong with my prediction of 5 wins for 2010, well this is one was got right.
February 2nd, 2011 at 10:09 pm
Thomas your an idiot. Green Bay and Pittsburghs old and young stars were built through the draft. I agree we need to be players in FA and I think when the time is right Dominik will be a player in the FA market.
The fact Raheem was a solid second in COY shows the voters do believe in this coach. Belacheat only won cause of exposer to the national media. Your easy schedule blabbing has grown old. We were middle of the pack and several playoff teams had easier schedules than us.
Do you ever get tired of looking like a jackass? I swore I would ignore your ridiculous blogs but I’m in just the right mood to tell you that your a dumbass.
February 2nd, 2011 at 11:10 pm
I guess if Suh continues to outplay McCoy some people keep up with the excuse making and bringing in a team’s records to gauge how successful a DT is. I still remember a certain Bucs fan site discussing that Michael Clayton had a good season because the Bucs won games when he started. Nevermind the fact that Clayton was an awful WR after his rookie year.
Which is my point; coming into the draft people tried to rationalize why McCoy would be better so they put down Suh’s stats despite both playing in the same conference against the same teams. Then they go to the NFL and some people are making some of the same excuses that I heard a year ago while Suh vastly outplays McCoy again (“padded stats” or not). Now it’s ‘oh but if he had a veteran mentor who wasn’t like the one’s we had last year…’
The cream rises to the top in the NFL as it does in every other sport. McCoy will have a position coach, film and a weight room just like every other player in the NFL. It’s what he does with it that will make the difference.
February 2nd, 2011 at 11:16 pm
As soon as I see the name Thomass, I just skip right past that comment. It’s working quite well, and I feel myself being more intelligent as a result. Reading his BS can really drag you into a deep level of stupidity.
February 2nd, 2011 at 11:41 pm
Sure the D-line didn’t perform how we would of liked. It’s a young team and they performed better then we expected. 2009 they went 3-13, 2010 was a solid, solid 10-6 and almost saw the play offs. We questioned it before and were given an exciting season. The improvements were amazing. If they team keeps improving like they did this season we can rest assured that we will see a post season next season and the Lombardi in possibly 3 seasons if not sooner. I have faith in Raheem, the Buccaneers and as Joe likes to call him the “rockstar.” Whether they decided to go with FA’s or draft picks I’m sure they will figure it out. My main concern is the D-line coach. He will be the largest impact on the players then 2 vets. Just my 2 cents.
February 2nd, 2011 at 11:43 pm
No $h!t Hawaiian Buc. It would be so nice to see him drop off the planet. Too bad the Earth is round. If it was only 1491.
Suh is everything we all thought he would be, a beast. I still don’t think it was the best pick the Lions could make because they lost their $100 Mil “franchise” QB for a second season. They should have taken Okung or one of the other big tackles to help protect the Glasserback. Suh had a great year but didn’t make that much of a difference for the team. They still sucked and if not for the bad PI call the Bucs would have most likely won and Greenbay would be watching the game on Sunday. I would also like to point out that Suh was rendered ineffective against the Bucs, barring a couple plays. Mario Williams didn’t have a great first season but improved in his second. I think McCoy could do the same. I think a supporting cast will help, as it helped Suh. Suh is awesome but no man is an island, except, well, you know, who else, Thomas.
February 2nd, 2011 at 11:44 pm
As always Hawaiian Buc is a voice of reason….. Capt Tim..football and JBF are all just fun and games…Your health and family is real…best of luck to you
February 2nd, 2011 at 11:47 pm
Tom- rises to the top of a 6-0 loser? You sound like the other Thomas. if you like him so much, then go buy his Jersey and become a lions fan. He didn’t have any impact on the teams success. You don’t draft players to have great stats, you draft them to help you win. McCoy did, Suh didnt
February 3rd, 2011 at 12:05 am
I have to agree with Captain’s main statement. Well said buddy. McCoy did his job.
February 3rd, 2011 at 1:44 am
Honestly McCoy did not impress me this season. Suh was way better from the start. McCoy did not have that explosiveness suh had every play. The only reason we won games this year was very convenient turnovers whether by our d creating them or falling right into our lap( Julius jones fumble at the 1.) and a rejuvenated running game. Our whole d-line looked like crap and mccoy just as crappy. if anyone looked good it was brian price. We can all hate on thomas but his opinion while biased is not completely wrong…. It was a very overachieving season but none of us will know what this team is until next season.
February 3rd, 2011 at 4:09 am
Suh is a once in a generation player, I think that’s pretty obvious now. If there was a question about that before there shouldn’t be now.
McCoy progressed this year just like 99% of rookie DT’s do. Careers aren’t defined by rookie seasons so as far as I’m concerned he still has plenty of time to prove himself in the NFL. This is a ridiculously young team that should continue to grow. i am not one bit concerned about Gerald McCoy. I have quite a bit of faith in Dominik to go get the players to surround our two young DT’s with.
February 3rd, 2011 at 4:14 am
I’d be lying if I said I thought McCoy was a better player than Suh. I also admit I was also hoping we would draft Suh. However, it’s ridiculous to compare the two after only one season (or 3/4 of a season for McCoy). This is a DT, not a RB. There is a huge learning curve. There is also no way to know what’s going to happen as far as injury, player development, and work ethic. Some players are great immediately, others take longer to become great.
To be honest, I could care less about Suh at this point. He is not on our team, and I only worry about our guys. I don’t cry over “what ifs”, unlike some others on this site (cough cough Thomass) I think McCoy is going to be an outstanding player for us, and he has the personality and attitude to be a fan favorite as well. Those who judge him after one year as a bust (cough cough Thomass) are really ignorant, and I look forward to the day when they eat their words.
February 3rd, 2011 at 4:36 am
Squadoosh 1- thank you , it means a lot
February 3rd, 2011 at 7:38 am
As for Suh, there is no comparison between Suh & McCoy. Suh is a Man-beast and McCoy is an over-rated, underachieving, lineman. Those of you that call Dominik a superstar should question why Dominik didn’t make that trade that the Rams offered so that Dominik would have taken the “once in a generation” player. Instead, Dominik picked McCoy and said that he was the Best D-lineman in the draft. Those like tug-boat Timmie buy into that kool-aid, even in the face of reality!
For the Guy that said Morris was a solid second for COY, 11 out of 50 votes only solidifies that Morris was the 1st loser! Getting 30 votes out of 50 is solid! And it signifies a clear winner! Media outside of Tampa know that he rode the backs of Olsen & Freeman to get those wins. You can begin bashing now Timmie!
February 3rd, 2011 at 8:09 am
Look! Thomas girlfriend, Tampon2 has returned. I don’t waste time on the really dumb ones. Thread is dead already, thanks to you two “gruden girls”
February 3rd, 2011 at 10:26 am
Hawaiian Buc, I agree with you 100%. Very well said. I’m just going to skip right over the Tampax & Thompons this time. Yes Suh had a great rookie season, but as the skipper pointed out, where are the wins? It is easy to say Dom should have traded up with the Rams and gave up what??? Mike Williams’ pick, Brian Price, Regis Benn, or Myron Lewis??? We don’t know what the full potential of these players is yet, but for the most part they were off to a decent start. You can’t call any of them a bust yet with any amount of credibility. Todd Wash was GMC’s coach and we all know the issues there and how much that hindered the entire D line. We need to see who they hire next. I’m glad they are being thorough and not rushing to hire another so so coach. If they get the right coach this time and when Brian Price gets healthy along with McCoy, they could be dominant in 2011′ or whenever. Crowder & Bennett should improve too. Didn’t it take James Harrison 5 years to reach a high level of play, but look at him now. Light out.
February 3rd, 2011 at 10:36 am
Oh, and for the record, the Eagles should have fired Andy Reid and kept Sean McDermott. He will make Carolina’s defense shine. I’m not a big Rivera fan but I like Sean. They will be on an upward trend…if they find a QB. I think the Falcons peaked and will flounder a little, and are over rated. The Saints are old, beat up and trending downward. The Bucs should win the NFC South next time, if the refs don’t try to stop the again. It is high time for a rule change regarding penalties and reviewing them.
Bucs – 1
Falcons – 2
Panthers – 3
Saints – Last (haha)
February 3rd, 2011 at 3:37 pm
BigMac…I agree with your breakdown 100%
Thomas…I do not think people ripped on you for saying Morris would not win COY, I think it was because you said he had no chance and would not be considered for COY. If II am wrong, here you go…Thomas, you were right in predicting the head coach of the Tampa bay Bucs, Raheem Morris, will not win coach of the year…There you go, you got one prediction right this year. Also, by the way you judge the DT position, you would have sent Sapp packing after his first year.
Tampa 2…You became irrelevant went you asked the question “Why do people keep saying Raheem know the Tampa 2 defense”. If you did not know he came up in the Kiffin system you should not be listened to at all. That was back in 2009, but I still recall. You name yourself after a great Bucs defense, but you never defend the Bucs. You are a disgrace. Also, I believe Dom picked the person that he thought fit our system and our plan the best. Moving up one spot that high would cost too much in the long run. You like Thomas are a clueless fool.
Hawaiian – I agree with everything you posted on this thread, BigMac as well.
February 4th, 2011 at 3:43 pm
Thomas fails to mention that most of the Steelers and Packers Veterans were also drafted by the Steelers or Packers and kept around for a while. Too bad Gruden couldn’t draft us any Career long Bucs that deserved to be extended and kept around. Gruden gave us the great Michael Clayton, Larry Brakins, Alex Smith, Sears, Dexter Jackson, and the greatness that is Alan Zemaitis. Go ahead and laugh because I know I am.
Again Thomas the duck, Its called good drafting. Bad drafting is like a cancer that grows and spreads and eventually ruins the roster and team. Gruden gave the Bucs bad drafting.