Mark Dominik Dismisses Youth Excuse
June 7th, 2011
"Don't worry Mr. Glazer. We won't have any defensive rookies smelling like a goat this year."
It is an established fact that rookie defensive linemen often struggle in their first year in the NFL because they are no longer facing 19-year old children across the trench known as the line of scrimmage.
In the NFL, rookies are facing men, grizzled veterans. It’s a different game.
But this is virtual balderdash to Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik. Cornered by eye-RAH! Kaufman of the Tampa Tribune about the youthful ages of his defensive linemen, Dominik dismissed the notion that it can be a drawback.
The Bucs have used a flurry of premium picks on defensive linemen in the past few drafts, but Dominik isn’t concerned Tampa Bay has become too young up front.
“Defensive linemen can jump in and play early in their career,” Dominik said. “I steal from every club in this league and you look at a team like the New York Giants – their pattern of drafting defensive linemen every year makes a lot of sense to me.
“We’ll continue to bolster our D-line because we now play against Drew Brees in New Orleans, Matt Ryan in Atlanta and a young quarterback (rookie Cam Newton) we’re going to have to deal with every year in Carolina. We want to have the best defense in the NFC South next season.”
Well, sure, the Giants may get decent play from rookies up front, but is this the norm or a fluke? NFL history suggests the Giants getting solid play up front from their rookies is more fluke than norm.
Let’s just say Joe is not expecting Adrian Clayborn and Da’Quan Bowers to be playing in Honolulu next winter.
June 7th, 2011 at 8:37 am
Love the love for the dline. You can never have too many dline men to rotate and attack with. Extremely excited about our potential up front, “too big to fail” is gonna be fun to watch for the next few years! Go bucs!
June 7th, 2011 at 9:05 am
The youth movement is fine, but at some point will become a concern. It’s not just the D-line, but the whole team. In Economics, there is something called the Marginal Concept of Utility or stated differently, the Law of Diminishing Returns. There is not as much utility (benefit/taste) in the 25th lick on a cone of ice cream as the 1st lick. The bucs are the youngest team in the league now. What happens when we start replacing 25 year olds with 21 year olds. Shelton Quarles says that the the first five picks will play on sunday. We are already discussing the 2012 draft. How much younger can this team get and still have the experience to win the big games? Stylez White, Gilmore and Stovall this year, perhaps Ruud. Barber, Cadillac and Graham next year. I know this is football and not economics, but the principle applies. For now, I think it’s a good problem to have. Dominik may be right and defy NFL history by winning with an all rookie team. As long as we’re winning everybody will be fine with it, but if we start to lose some of the big games, this question will be asked again.
June 7th, 2011 at 9:47 am
Again with the ice cream economics? Ok, it makes sense. Its going to even out at some point. The point is having our guys grow up together. Next year, only half our draft picks will make our team. Its not to say that Dominik isn’t as good a drafter as he is now, its just that competition within our team will be too qualified. Other teams will raid our practice squads just like we’ve been doing to theirs.
Now I want to go to Yogurt Mountain. Thanks a lot.
June 7th, 2011 at 9:53 am
The only thing that matters is giving the right person the right chance at the right time. Look at Blount, Williams, Cody, and even Josh. Youth for youth sake is not the answer, they have to have talent and heart.
June 7th, 2011 at 10:23 am
LOL @ Macabee your attempt at the example using the law of diminishing returns is awful. that 25 lick of ice cream would be the same ice cream as the 1st lick so you would eventually get tired of it. But in football if we were to replace a 25yr old with a 21 yr old it would only be because he is a better football player not because we just want to be younger
June 7th, 2011 at 11:46 am
Not in Tampa. We replace higher paid upper twenty year olds with lower priced early twenty year olds for paying down the Manu debt. As some pointed out, this org is either going to have to pony up and pay for: ruud, joseph, maybe Talib, Zuttah, Winslow and a few others or let them walk and prove how cheap you really are.
June 7th, 2011 at 12:11 pm
A team with excellent talent. One of the best Coaches in the league. The absolute best young GM. Ownership driven to succeed.
And best of All, a well managed budget, that leaves us tons of room under the salary cap. It’s hard to believe, isn’t it, Thomas 2.2″ inches.
See! I told you dumping that Gruden hockeypuck was the way ta go! Now THIS is how ya build a real team!
Gotta be like walking around in a nightmare for, ain’t it Tommy? And it just keeps getting worse for you . .
I don’t know how ta break this to you. But I’m afraid that no matter what happens . . They aren’t gonna rehire Chucky or Brucie. Sorry, just not gonna happen
I feel terrible. I just crushed the Lil guy’s dreams. But someone had to tell him . . . Sorry Thomas 2.2″
June 7th, 2011 at 3:45 pm
All that optimism yet 0 playoff appearances and still the third best team in the division. Dom appears to be good and Freeman very good, the defense sorry Tim – no real improvement. This is the D that was torched by the Lions and Drew Stanton with the playoffs on the line and the D that gave up a NFL record rushing yards in a half against the lowly redskins. The LB’s minus Ruud suck, the secondary minus Grimm is either old, imprisoned or not very talented.
If Free can hang37 plus a game they may make the playoffs.
Otherwise, Rah will have a distinctionthat both Gru and Dungy dont: no playoffs 3 straight years. Boy i miss participating in the playoffs.
How many coaches get a 4th season after 3 straight playoff misses and an overall losing record?
June 7th, 2011 at 5:53 pm
These guys will get their payday as they develop here. That is what all our cap room is for. We will sign some timely veterans to fill the voids needed for a championship.
Thomas, Raheem should get more time than that. Continuity will prove to improve us.
June 7th, 2011 at 7:43 pm
“We want to have the best defense in the NFC South”.
Translation: We will show Nnamdi the “Money” and make a blockbuster trade for Patrick Willis.
Done Deal.