Stop The Damn Run!
April 28th, 2011
Call this Joe’s last word before the Round 1 of the draft.
Joe hears all the pundits talking about the Bucs drafting defensive ends. Oh, the Bucs need to drive up that sack total, they say. Hell, Bucs beat writer Rick Stroud today guaranteed the Bucs would draft two DEs during an interview on The Fabulous Sports Babe Show on 1040 AM.
Mark Dominik even talks strongly about getting heat on the quarterback.
Beat scribe Stephen Holder and NFL Draft guru Justin Pawlowski had the Bucs taking Da’Quan Bowers, a pass rusher on injured legs, in their latest mock drafts. Others, like Roy Cummings of The Tampa Tribune, don’t think the Bucs will hesitate to snag a tight end.
Call Joe a nut case, but Joe still has nightmares of the Bucs getting gashed over and over and over again by the likes of Ryan Torain and seemingly every other running back with a pulse. They were Jim Batsed so many times last year Joe went through seven remote control devices.
It got better with violent Cody Grimm laying hats on guys like most other Bucs won’t/can’t do. But the run defense still is brutal. Mad props for Raheem Morris for cobbling together 10 wins on such a poor run defense.
The Bucs probably won’t draft a run stuffer, since they allegedly have them in youngsters Roy Miller, Brian Price, Gerald McCoy and Frank Okam, one of Joe’s personal favorites. So in Joe’s mind, the Bucs, unless they’re looking for DEs that play the run like beasts, seriously need some help at linebacker.
You want a weakness the Bucs must address, it’s the run defense. Call it No. 1 on Joe’s list. Joe’s begging the club to fix that by any means necessary, even if it means the dreaded F word(s): free agency.
April 28th, 2011 at 6:32 pm
Right On Joe…. Can you say.. Now selecting the TBB 2nd round Pick…..Bruce Carter
April 28th, 2011 at 6:35 pm
Joe your being ignorant here dude. Stopping the run starts with the defensive line. And defensive ends need to stop the run just as much as defensive tackles do. There is NO reason why the Bucs cant draft defensive ends who can play the run AND the pass. If your really worried about it then maybe you should root for the Bucs to draft Mr. Red flag Adrian Clayborn at defensive end. He may not have had a lot of sacks last year but there is ZERO doubt that dude is a stud run stuffer from the defensive end spot.
April 28th, 2011 at 6:36 pm
If it is DE, OL or LB in the first round, I wont complain. Last time I did we landed a Franchise stud in Freeman. I am not going to doubt the draft strategies of RahmDom until they actually have a bad draft.
April 28th, 2011 at 6:37 pm
jfgobucs- Carter would be nice but I think that 290 lb. DE Allen Bailey might help stuff the run a little more than 240 lb. Bruce Carter. But you guys keep on thinking that the linebacking core was the big weakness against the run last year and not the d-line.
April 28th, 2011 at 6:41 pm
I do believe we have a nucleus of young defensive ends that have not been taught how to produce. I think the buc,s should concentrate on line backers, offensive line and later, corners and safeties.
I believe we will trade Josh Johnson to San Francisco. Possibly we have them take the 2nd round pick of our choice and then trade when the NFL lifts the bans.
April 28th, 2011 at 6:41 pm
Joe here,
@gitarlvr – Really? Joe’s being ignorant? Nice. Obviously, Joe knows DEs play the run and it would be great if the Bucs found one who was a stud at at that. But your going to say that DEs are as important as DTs in stopping the run. Please. Obviously they have to play out their investment in the young DTs. But unless the current LB crew has divine intervention, they’re not going to get a helluva lot better against the run.
April 28th, 2011 at 6:43 pm
Joe here,
@passthebuc – Agreed on the other DEs. Surely the Bucs have to like what little they saw of Alex Magee, Crowder’s got talent so does Bennett. Maybe coaching is the difference. But that said, they probably didn’t bring in two new D-line coaches NOT to draft at least one DE. …We’ll soon find out.
April 28th, 2011 at 7:08 pm
The draft is not top-heavy for LB.
I’d be satisfied with the team waiting until the mid rounds — 3, 4, 5 — to find a LB that fits the team profile (“system guy” for those who want to use a dirty word).
April 28th, 2011 at 7:17 pm
Joe- Sorry. Ignorant was a harsh word but I just feel like your putting the cart before the horse. Roy Miller really needs to improve against the run(or hopefully Price can recover and be that guy)but the Bucs need some ends that can play the run more than they need a thumper MLB. The front four as a whole is the first line of defense and ends that penetrate well against the run will make plays, even on runs between the tackles. The Bucs play a one gap scheme and they need their front four to at least redirect running backs before they can even think about their linebackers being able to be effective vs. the run.
Remember San Francisco and Frank Gore? The d-line penetrated very well against the run and the backers did their jobs and helped come up and stop gore for minimal gains.
One intriguing possibility is for the Bucs to draft Akeem Ayers. He could bring a bigger more intimidating presence against the run as a linebacker on 1st and 2nd down while doubling as an edge rusher at right defensive end in the Tampa2 on passing downs or outside rush linebacker when the bucs play 3-4\3-3-5 on passing downs. Regardless, if the Bucs are going to draft linebackers early they should be tweeners DE\OLB’s. Straight 4-3 linebackers who are run thumpers these days tend to suck at pass coverage.
April 28th, 2011 at 7:20 pm
Also Joe- Crowder and Bennett sucked against the run last year mightily. Thats why I’m saying that replacing those guys is more of a priority than linebackers. Alex Magee showed promise but he’s only one guy. Ill take Magee while Crowder, Bennett, and Stylez White can all take a walk.
April 28th, 2011 at 7:43 pm
Every defensive player looks better w/ an improved d-line…dare I say we trade up to get the DE that we want? Personally, I think Bowers is a concern since he’ll be a one contract player and Clayborn has issues. Chances are, that’ll be our choice. I say we trade up ahead of teams like the Jaguars to nab a guy like Kerrigan. In any case I fully trust Dom and Raheem so I won’t complain…plus we’ll still have 6 more rounds…and you know how good we’ve been there recently.
GO BUCS! Let the league draft (aka highlight of the last and next few months of my life) begin!
April 28th, 2011 at 7:54 pm
I’m going to go ahead and make a not-so-bold prediction. No matter who we draft, Thomas and WeNeedDefense are going to complain about the pick for the next 4 months, and even longer if he doesn’t immediately become a pro-bowl player.
Personally, I have learned my lesson from the hissy fit I threw when we drafted Josh Freeman. Mark Dominik and the rest of the organization are better at evaluating talent than we are. They’ve earned my trust. So I’m getting ready for the draft with a big pitcher of Kool-Aid! Go Bucs!!!
April 28th, 2011 at 8:19 pm
Amen Hawaiian- Its exciting to feel for the first time as a Bucs fan that no matter what name is called at each pick that I can realistically expect that player to have a decent chance at making some kind of positive contribution to this team. I have never felt this way, even during Reverend Dungy’s reign(Sam Wyche drafted the core of the Bucs classic defense right around the time I first arrived in Tampa and then they showed him the door while Dungy reaped the benefits).