Barrett Ruud Out; Davin Joseph In?
March 7th, 2011
Joe has heard and read all sorts of analogies as to what Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik plans to do this offseason outside of the draft, but this is a new one to Joe.
It seems the numbers-crunching, calculator-playing, spreadsheet-loving crowd at FootballOutsiders.com believes Dominik will let linebacker Barrett Ruud walk in order to have enough cash to keep offensive guard Davin Joseph.
That seems to be the information floated by Robert Weintraub.
Guard Davin Joseph is the priority for the Bucs. He’s the best run blocker on the line, and the team wants some continuity in front of Josh Freeman. He isn’t expected to be franchised, and the Bucs are expected to let middle linebacker Barrett Ruud walk in order to keep Joseph.
Again, this is the first Joe has heard of this and Joe regularly communicates with Bucs beat reporters so this is very much a revelation.
Now past history suggests there is some merit to Weintraub’s information. Dominik gave Donald Penn a handsome raise last year after making Penn sweat by not signing him for a few months. Dominik has countless times said the team’s priority is protecting Freeman so signing Joseph is consistent with Dominik’s past moves and recent proclamations.
Whether this means Ruud is history, well, we should all find out when the 2011 begins.
If it begins.
March 7th, 2011 at 9:13 am
Absolutely keep Joseph. Hey Joe, how about a mobile app for joebusfan.com??
March 7th, 2011 at 9:31 am
Posey99:
Joe has seriously thought about a mobile app and has looked into it. But, as you can imagine, those things cost money. Hundreds of dollars in fact.
A Joe mobile app is thus on the back burner.
March 7th, 2011 at 9:35 am
if rah really want ruud, he will make his puch, no matter hoh much cost, now, i think ruud will leave and will land in detroit, just got that hunch
March 7th, 2011 at 10:01 am
If we can only have one of those two, it has to be Davin. But we have to figure out why he keeps getting these foot injuries.
March 7th, 2011 at 10:13 am
I hear them talk about how smart this Mckenzie kid is and I looked at his profile coming out of college and guess who his NFL comparison was,BARRET RUUD!
March 7th, 2011 at 10:19 am
They have to sign Joseph. I have ben saying he is the best run blocker. Many on here claim they did just as well when he went out… no… they started using Blount more. Joseph can get better in the passing game, but he is a great run blocker.
Plus, it helps with the tremendous depth they stumbled into last year on the O-Line so they can focus on the front 7 of the defense in the draft.
Ruud… I think he needs to go somewhere and switch to the outside. BUT if he comes back for another year, fine. I do not think he will though. Some team will offer him more than the Bucs are willing to pay.
I really think they believe Tyrone McKenzie is going to be the guy in the middle, at the very least he will be fighting for the spot with a rookie or possibly a Black since his spot will be taken by Watson
March 7th, 2011 at 10:21 am
That should not say “a Black” it should say Black, as in Quincy Black.
Granted, he is “a Black”… nevermind, won’t go there even in jest
March 7th, 2011 at 11:43 am
@ JOE…..”Joe has seriously thought about a mobile app and has looked into it. But, as you can imagine, those things cost money. Hundreds of dollars in fact”
Tell mugs and jugs to pony up some more cash to support joe and his pals..lol
March 7th, 2011 at 11:46 am
Joe: You don’t need a mobile app, but a mobile version of the site would be nice.
You’re already running WordPress, they have mobile-device detection built-in by default, I thought.
Only issue would be ad space, I’d imagine…
March 7th, 2011 at 11:59 am
Matt, mobile versions of website blow, every time i enter a mobile version of websites, i find myself scrolling to the bottom to “enable full version of website”
PLEASE NO MOBILE VERSION!!!
March 7th, 2011 at 12:28 pm
Sign Joseph, maybe even Ruud. Replace Black, he’s the weakest link. The signing that no one is talking about… RESIGN BARTH!!!
March 7th, 2011 at 12:36 pm
Joe tried a mobile plug-in for readers who check Joe on their smartphones and it messed with the ads on our site and the mobile site so that plug was, pulled.
March 7th, 2011 at 12:49 pm
Good point BamBam, no way Barth leaves. They better pay him whatever he wants. Like Steve White says, you only know the value of a good kicker when you dont have one — and we have a great one!
March 7th, 2011 at 1:05 pm
Joe – I would visit m.joebucsfan.com on my phone all the time.
Travis – Not everybody has a cool phone like you 🙂
March 7th, 2011 at 1:14 pm
Theodore:
Joe is confident of that. Sadly, those cost cash.
Joe reads his own site from his blackberry often and doesn’t find it that cumbersome.
March 7th, 2011 at 2:30 pm
This turned into a chat about phones… the important fact is does Ruud stay or go.
I am inclined to think he goes because some team will offer him much more than the Bucs will. I like Ruud and want to seem him do well, so hopefully that other team will convert him to OLB, maybe in a 3-4, where his skills are better suited.
Personally, I see the Bucs LBs like this at some point over the next year: Hayes, McKenzie, Watson
with Black fighting for the middle spot and a rookie fighting for an outside spot. I also see Hayward staying as a backup as well. Of course there might be a second rookie in the mix, probably at the middle
March 7th, 2011 at 2:39 pm
Posey99:
Joe has seriously thought about a mobile app and has looked into it. But, as you can imagine, those things cost money. Hundreds of dollars in fact.
A Joe mobile app is thus on the back burner.
Its not too bad readin it on the iphone but when you have the m.joebucsfan.com it makes it easier to read and easier to type, but if its too expensive then that makes sense. im sure we will see it eventually in the future.
March 7th, 2011 at 2:41 pm
I mean how cool would that be to get a notifaction when a new story comes out and have the videos iphone watchable.
March 7th, 2011 at 2:43 pm
Dave,
What a waste that would be. Ruud plays so much better than Black that if the team is gonna re-sign one of them it should be Ruud, not Black. Also, outside LBs in a 3-4 defense are usually the “rush linebackers” Big, athletic guys that can pressure the QB from the edge. Ruud does not suit that style at all. He’d be better off as an ILB in a 3-4, or OLB or MLB in a 4-3. I don’t think he’s really athletic enough to even play OLB in a 4-3, but he’s got more of a shot there than in a 3-4.
Watson and Hayward were equally as good as Black in the time they started, so we could let Black go with basically no drop off in skill and the potential to improve any of the LB spots in the draft without getting tied in to MLB or OLB because of who we let go. With Black gone and Ruud here, we still have capable starters at all spots and the draft would be for the “future” replacement unless the draft choice really stands out now. I would much rather be drafting for depth and “potential” replacements than for guys that have to start now.
March 7th, 2011 at 2:43 pm
if you made the app for iphone i would pay .99 cents for it.
March 7th, 2011 at 3:08 pm
I’m shocked as to how Davin Joesph has built up a reputation as a good player… Is it his 90 Madden rating, or his completely undeserved Pro Bowl alternate selection? He’s easily the weakest link on the line, he’s the classic “looks like Tarzan plays like Jane” guy. The team actually rushes better when he’s out. And has poor a run blocker he is, he worse in pass protection.
I wouldn’t want either of these guys back, especially if they would be overpaid. But at least Barrett Ruud is useful pre-snap, and isn’t a liability during the play.
March 7th, 2011 at 5:19 pm
Joseph is more likely in than Ruud. Contract, Free Agency, Rahs scheme and Ruud’s lack of physicality and speed aren’t making convincing cases 2 keep him in Tampa Bay.
March 7th, 2011 at 5:24 pm
Posey99:
That’s exactly what Joe is hoping if he takes that step. 🙂
March 7th, 2011 at 6:25 pm
And why would Watson replace “a Black” despite that Black being good enough at SLB?
March 7th, 2011 at 6:50 pm
On today’s Sports illustrated article, they list the top Free agents.Ruud is the top listed LB- notes ” sure fire Bang for the buck”. Joseph is listed as the 5 ranked guard”good at run blocking, if foot injuries are behind him.” Black was not in top twenty- listed as a “2 down linebacker”
March 7th, 2011 at 8:38 pm
Sounds like SI is about right on with that one.
March 8th, 2011 at 10:47 am
How can we possibly be caught with a choice between Ruud and Joseph? We are last in payroll.
March 8th, 2011 at 11:04 am
True enough, eric. We have the cap room to keep both, and still probably have to spend more just to reach the cap floor. It’s not a matter of do they have the money available to sign both, but do they really want both back. I’d say yes, keep Ruud and Joseph, let Black walk, but that’s from an outsiders perspective. I would figure people inside the organization know more about who they want to keep and why.
March 8th, 2011 at 6:05 pm
Well Profootballfocus has Black among top 10 (6th) among all inside and outside LB FAs and Ruud is not in the top 15. Davin Joseph was rated as one of the worst guards in 09 by them. Steve White himself said Joseph was atrocious in 09.
See, I have articles on media and opinions of people like you all do.
So we should let Ruud and Joseph walk and retain Black.
March 8th, 2011 at 6:06 pm
And Capt. Troll Killer, Black is our best LB in pass coverage. Did you even watch our games last two seasons? Geno is the worst and Ruud is overrated in that department.