Barrett Ruud Is No Erv Randle
July 21st, 2011
Flying solo on the popular Ron and Ian Show on WDAE-AM 620 yesterday, former Bucs guard Ian Beckles did his best to tell every listener from Tallahassee to Orlando and down to Charlotte County that Barrett Ruud is softer than soft.
The three-hour show felt at times like a Ruud special.
In a classic interchange with a caller who started saying Ruud is no Ray Lewis or Brian Urlacher in his physicality, Beckles immediately cut off the caller to implore him to “start from the bottom,” not from the top with the superstar linebackers when making comparisons to Ruud.
Beckles called Ruud “the least physical linebacker in the league.” He went on to say Ruud is actually a step below the least physical linebackers at his position, and Beckles longed not for legendary linebackers of Bucs past, but simply for a guy like his former teammate Ervin Randle, who had an nondescript career with the Bucs from 1985-1990.
“I just want an aggressive middle linebacker. It’s not rocket science,” Beckles barked. “You can’t jump around a block. … Stick your head in the hole. …Stop running backwards.”
Beckles continued to beg anyone to sit down and watch film with him to show him why Ruud is a good middle linebacker. And Beckles repeated that none of the people connected to the Bucs he has spoken to privately has ever disagreed with him about Ruud.
As Joe has written before, we’re all going to find out real soon what Mark Dominik and his colleagues around the NFL think about No. 51.
July 21st, 2011 at 8:48 am
When are the Bucs going to dump WDAE? No fans in the stands? No wonders…
July 21st, 2011 at 8:48 am
Ian either knows very little about the Tampa 2 defense or is just trying to make a name for himself. He says in this article that all he wants is an aggressive MLB. The MLB in our defensive system’s first step is a step towards coverage. Beckles should be arguing for a new system.
Steve White is a much better analyst and he doesn’t even get paid.
July 21st, 2011 at 8:57 am
i think its possible that we dont find out exactly what they think of him. with the inexperience of other mlb within our own system and outside, they might have to settle on him for another year.
on the other side of the token, if they rid themselves of him and go with anyone else, that will be a true testament that they really dont want him. we’ll see!
July 21st, 2011 at 9:03 am
and im not really sure which way i would want them to go. do we want a player who isnt as tough and physical but knows exactly how to run this defense? or do we want a tougher and more physical replacement who has zero experience in running this particular defense?
tough call but whatever dom and raheem decide im confident it will be the right decision. whichever way it goes, LETS FIND OUT ALREADY!! take the votes today players and owners
July 21st, 2011 at 9:15 am
Ruud is soft as tissue paper, I dare you to watch the film and disagree
July 21st, 2011 at 9:24 am
You guys act like Steve White said Ruud is a Pro Bowler or something. All he said was he’s doing what he’s supposed to do. Also Charlie; in obvious running situations the MLB is NOT backing up in coverage. Beckles is only stating the facts: Is Ruud soft against the run? Yes! Is he good in coverage? Used to be, but took a step back last year. Can he call the defensive plays and make adjustments? Yes, but #1 the coaches call the plays not Ruud and #2 if he was good at calling audibles we wouldn’t be last in Run defense for the last 2 1/2 years. O.K so is it Ruud’s adjustments that make us bad against the Run; is it his soft play; or is it a combination of both? THE ONLY SHINING STARS on defense last year were in the secondary. RUUD has NOTHING to do with the secondary! So it’s probably safe to say that if we brought in someone new for MLB; we would have a pretty good chance of not going backwards since we’ve been last the better part of 3 years.
July 21st, 2011 at 9:30 am
Well, I stopped listening to Ian a while…… actually, I never started listening to that hack. His words have less legitimacy than Nick2.(I am comparing him to Nick2 as to start at the bottom, and not the top)
July 21st, 2011 at 9:32 am
Ian, Ruud isn’t soft. He is really sitting back coaching the defense while the ball is in play. He does this to make sure everybody knows where the ball carrier is going. In the Tampa 2 defense, the MLB has to wait until the ball carrier get’s past the safeties to make plays. If not for Ruud, Grimm couldn’t have made those aggressive tackles he had last year. You expect Ruud to put his body on the line while coaching at the same time? C’mon.
July 21st, 2011 at 9:39 am
It’s like that little guy playing kill the carrier! He was the one pointing to everyone else to make the hit. There he goes Cody; get his A$$!
July 21st, 2011 at 9:40 am
The world is round, the sky is blue, the grass is green, and Ruud is not the most aggressive MLB in the league. WE GOT IT!! Is Beckles so devoid of thought from too many blows to the head as a player that he can’t find something new to talk about? I think if Beckles looks at the same tape he will also see that the d-line has been a sieve for a while now and when they start playing better (hopefully this year with the help of a couple new line coaches), then Ruud’s style of play will be a lot more effective and more of his team leading tackle count will be from in front of him instead of chasing them down from behind. Now, if you want to talk about the softest sports talk host in regards to content . . .
July 21st, 2011 at 9:48 am
Kind of hard to make a real assessment of Ruud considering the dline and OLB’s last year. If you give any legitimate NFL RB a 5-10 yard head start out of the backfield, and your dline barely gets a hand on him, sure he gets run over. Sign him for 3 years if you can, and let’s see how he does with a better supporting cast. Also would be nice to let him tutor Foster, Mckenzie, and next years pick (Te’o.) Soft or not he is a very smart player.
July 21st, 2011 at 9:52 am
Ah, no thanks! I’ll listen to Steve White,Derrick Brooks, and Pat Kirwan for my Info. Ian is only self promoting. It’s nauseating. . . It’s why I don’t listen to the sad excuses we have for sport radio in this town. Im still(still!!!! ) in Norfolk, and the sport reporting and Sport radio here is such a step up in professionalism. If these guys had a REAL team to talk about, it would be an exciting area! Sadly, despite their actual hard work and knowledge- all they have are the ‘skins.
July 21st, 2011 at 9:54 am
You guys crack me up blaming the defensive line! They couldn’t get the sack totals, but by mid season they were getting pressure and forcing plays. If you compare tackles made by our defensive lineman compared to the other three teams in our division they are almost identical. Two of those teams finished 7th & 15th in defense.
July 21st, 2011 at 10:04 am
Stagger,
How is it then that an undersized 7th round rookie safety can come from 15 yards back to crack someone in the mouth? Yet a veteran MLB who is almost 50 lbs. heavier AND in a contract year can’t even make a tackle for a loss.
July 21st, 2011 at 10:07 am
Ervin Randall is one of my all time favorite Bucs! Just a crushing tackler, and he loved this team!!
But he played a traditional MLB role. He didn’t play in thee Tampa 2- Beckles knows that. Again, he’s harping on a polarizing issue to Get listeners. he knows that, if you don’t understand the Tampa 2, and judge Ruud by a traditional MLB , he’s gonna look bad. He can fool some fans into believing his B.S. However, if you listen to the intelligent former Bucs, and Coaches, and Scouts, and Analyst- you understand what Ruud’s job is, and how good he is at it! Again, Ruud will leave, because he can get more money elsewhere! And we will lose games because we lost him. And Beckles will be crying about the New MLB. Because as long as some fans refuse to understand our defensive scheme, then they won’t understand our MLBs responsibility.
Ian wants to be the Pied Piper to confused fans. Way to go Ian, trashing you fellow Bucs is the way to endear yourself to fan Base. First Ruud, then Paul Gruber. Mike Alstott next??
July 21st, 2011 at 10:09 am
The front line in war has to be the line that disrupts, destroys, dispatches and delivers the blow to the enemy. They don’t have to win every battle but are the keystone for victory.
Ruud is not a front line guy (doesn’t play Dline and fades back to coverage. His job is recon, spying, surveying, movement and since he fades he calls in to disrupt airstrikes too.)
His front line let him down last season. He has no ‘pinch’ and deals with a ‘bulge’ (not the one in his jock) on the line. He deals with fast charging enemy tanks in his territory that run unfettered through gaping holes.
Tanks are powerful, quick and once an M1 Abrams gets rolling they’re hard to slow down 1-on-1.
Our MLB, Brigadier General Ruud, needs to stay. We need better Dline penetration. Without that the enemy tank will be in our territory all season.
July 21st, 2011 at 10:25 am
Ian, I’ll will watch tape with you. It will show that our LDE and LOLB got used in the run all season.
July 21st, 2011 at 11:45 am
i love the tape it shows ruud could hit at the line, and behind the line, and yet after week 2 stopped doing it. because we lost Tanard and he was back helping a rook at safety. or blitzing (assigned) into a whole that our d-line never made and yet still catching the guy to make a tackle on the opposite side of the play
July 21st, 2011 at 11:54 am
I’ll bet my Rachel Watson autographed calendar he stays because we have no time to find a replacement. I’m up for watching film in the Skanctuary any time. Love him or hate him: Ian Beckles is a playa.
July 21st, 2011 at 12:03 pm
I guess all the fans yelling RUUUUD at the stadium, should just shut the f up?
July 21st, 2011 at 12:16 pm
What potentially sucks is Dominik may be forced to keep Ruud one more year because they essentially have zero offseason preparation this year and he may not want to hamstring Raheem’s options on defense by sticking him with a bunch of guys who don’t even know the defense and cannot possibly learn it in a few weeks.
July 21st, 2011 at 12:48 pm
What potentially sucks about the young defense playing better?
July 21st, 2011 at 1:32 pm
But C apt Tim, the Skins spend a bunch of money, so they must have a great owner who cares about the fans and a great team to show for it…
July 21st, 2011 at 1:51 pm
Chris, well stated. I like the analogy.
July 21st, 2011 at 2:10 pm
It’s so tempting to engage on this topic but we have been debating this for two years and you call a torn fan base the byproduct of good play. Do the math. Mediocrity. Meiocre player. Not good, not bad. Perfect example of our old regime. #Continue-to-cleanhouse-Dom
July 21st, 2011 at 2:46 pm
McBuc- lol! But we aren’t talking about spending like Snyder! I was against 90% of the other free agent ideas( Marshall, Haynesworth, Owens, etc/ the problem children!)
Nnamdi is the exact opposite. He is the undisputed best Cornerback in the league. He is a 6’2″, 210# , 4.31 running monster!! He also has been a team leader, never any trouble, and probably one of the most intelligent men in the league. He is a consummate professional- the exact kinda guy we want here!
Again, Talib isn’t gonna change. Sadly, age will change the great Ronde Barber
Who’s starting at your 3 Cb spots?
July 21st, 2011 at 3:03 pm
LOL, Capt, you missed my pointed sarcasm…it was at the posters that feel if you are not signing big named free agents than the opwnership is bad and does not care. I understand your points on Nnamdi, I do not totally agree with you but I get it. It is alll the Glazer bashers I was kidding about.
July 21st, 2011 at 3:35 pm
the problem with pursuing namdi from what ive heard is hes… too good for what our system needs… isnt raheem the mad scientist? dont you think he could do more WITH More dont you think the system we ran last year was run to cover up weaknesses? with such a strength im sure raheem could use every bit of his skill to our advantage
July 21st, 2011 at 3:39 pm
Ian’s just doing his job firing up the sheep. Personally, I enjoy Ian’s show. He has his opinions, shaped by his incentive to stir up debate, and I respect that.
Just like a respect Duemig’s virtually paid-for pro buc opinions. For the right price (listening bucs) I could drum up support for the Glazers and Rah as well.
July 21st, 2011 at 4:23 pm
I’m with Ian on this one all the way, 110%.
I don’t need to watch the film. I’ve seen every play of every game Ruud has played as a Buc. He’s progressively gotten worse over the last few years. Spaghetti arms, won’t lift weights, thinks he’s God’s gift to the NFL, inflated ego, and not only gets dragged repeatedly, he avoids contact most of the time. I’m an old fart, yet I can still run a 40 faster than our Tortoise of a an MLB. I’d love to see Ruud on skates. He wouldn’t last 15 seconds in the NHL. If Dom wanted him he would have had a contract long ago. In Dom we Trust.
Get em Ian!!! and Go Bucs!!!
July 21st, 2011 at 4:33 pm
BigMac, I am usually with you, and when I am not at least you make a good argument for your case. I am just not sure why people say Ruud has an inflated ego, not calling you out just can never figure out why. He always seems like a nice guy.
July 21st, 2011 at 5:01 pm
Exactly Ian, Randall was no hall of famer but he definitely would step up and pop someone. Something I may have seen Ruud do once or twice in his career. If an opposing team tailback has a confident feeling that an opposing defense is soft in the middle he will run with aggression up the middle all day. Thats what Ryan Torain did and many others the last two years. We must toughen up against the run and middle linebacker is key to stopping the run. Ian was right on I could not say it any better.
July 21st, 2011 at 5:33 pm
McBuc, I hear what you’re saying and that, like most of the crap I write, is an assumption on my part, based on a few years worth of frustration with the MLB situation. I said inflated ego because of the FACT that he held out of all OTA’s repeatedly and as the leader of the defense, that points to a certain amount of arrogance or high self worth. I also have never seen anyone that lifts weights regularly have such puny arms, chest, traps, delts, etc This tells me that he feels he is strong and fast enough, and I strongly disagree with his assumption. Ray Lewis is getting a little older yes, but over the years he has gotten bigger and stronger because he works at it and he also knows how and when to rest his body. When I look at Ruud, I see a player content with his abilities that doesn’t give a damn. When you stop working harder to get better it’s time to do something else. Ruud improved in his first 3 years as he finally cracked the starting line up, and when he played next to Brooks he was a different player. Since Derrick left it has been downhill and that tells me he has an ego problem, even if it isn’t intentional. I’m really ready for a change, and I don’t see how losing Ruud will hurt this team at all.
July 21st, 2011 at 6:04 pm
Ian Beckles may be a hack, he may be sports radio’s version of a shock jock, but every blind squirrell finds a nut every-once-in-a-while. He’s spot on. I’ve seen Ruud find ways to get blocked on plays instead of aggressively knifing through or submarining the blocker instead of taking the block standing straight up and getting pushed back to the secondary. Often he would be better off falling to the ground rather than act as a moving roadblock for other defenders that could fill and make the play.
July 22nd, 2011 at 12:46 am
@ Ian
Ruud isn’t the toughest linebacker and that’s for sure, but he isn’t as soft as you say he is. I have watched the games on game rewind and my sound card went out on my computer, so i’ve been hooking it up to my hdtv to at least get a bigger picture and its just like watching film. First off, he is so technically sound every time he does any kind of football move and that;s why he is always in position to make all those tackles and being the MLB doesn’t hurt either. A couple plays that come to mind are as follows: the hit on Kyle Orton in the 08 season, the hit against Choice in the 09 season against Dallas/He shook up Tony Scheffler on a perfect form tackle last year As well as the hit/fumble on the goalline against Jones from New Orleans, and last year, I can’t think of the game or the player off the top of my head (could have been lynch from seattle, it was later in the season), but he lit him up good. I will admit though, he was pretty much out of bounds.
Did I mention he’s always healthy too?
July 22nd, 2011 at 7:54 am
ALL you have to do is check out Ruud’s video clip called RUUD EXPOSURE on my site, here is the youtube link…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMY4cGWbLiY
Judge for yourself.
July 22nd, 2011 at 7:58 am
As for Ian Beckles, its really simple. The Guy played football for years. Not just pro football, College, High School, etc. So if he tells you his opinion about a player, it should hold some weight. Doesn’t mean he’s always right, because Ian’s facts are usually incorrect because he doesn’t check them, but his opinions are usually right on. It should be noted the Ron and Ian show is NOT a Sports Show, they self admit this, its a radio show on a sports station.
July 22nd, 2011 at 8:54 am
BigMac, he does look like he needs to hit the gym a little harder…or allot harder…I hear what you are saying. I think we need him for one more year. You are right about Ray, and that is why he is still playing I am sure. Blount did cruise right thru him last year though. You make a good argument, better than most of the Ruud haters on this site. You almost have me convinced.
July 23rd, 2011 at 9:21 am
If given the choice between an ax murderer or a choir boy for a middle line backer, I’m taking the ax murderer……… and twice on Sunday. I guess that’s why I have always liked Ray Ray.