Wrong Take On Bucs’ Head Coaching Job
December 25th, 2011
Joe scoffs at the suggestion that the Bucs’ head coaching gig in 2012 and beyond is one that would not be attractive to any coaching candidate.
Actually, Joe thinks just the opposite.
First, the magic of the new labor agreement kicks in for the start of the 2013 season, meaning the Bucs will be forced to spend a large amount of cash annually on player salaries (not fugdy salary cap figures) beginning that year. The Bucs will have to spend money and a potential new coach would reap the benefits.
Second, if it all starts in the trenches, like any football man will tell you, then the Bucs look promising with a pile of legitimate young talent on the offensive and defensive line.
Third, Josh Freeman has all the tools, has won plenty of games under pressure, and any potential new coach could do a lot worse than Freeman as his quarterback. Joe’s quite certain it would be almost impossible to find a savvy football coach that would thumb his nose at Freeman.
Joe has more reasons why the Bucs job is a damn good one, but you get the idea.
Columnist Gary Shelton of the St. Pete Times, however, seems to be in the other camp. He penned a long column after the Bucs’ latest debacle that asserts Tampa Bay’s on-field play and talent level will hurt its ability to recruit a name coach.
Maybe it was at Jeff Fisher’s house, or maybe at Brian Billick’s. Maybe it was at Bill Cowher’s. Wherever, it is probable that the new coach of the Bucs slipped away for a few hours and — risking double vision, retina scarring and corneal ulcers — tried to measure the awfulness.
Most likely, this was his conclusion:
Um, exactly how many years was that contract offer?
It would be hard to blame a job candidate for looking away from Saturday’s game. After all, the size of the mushroom cloud is new to him. The rest of us are used to the sight. We have watched, week by week, as the Bucs have sunk deeper into the quicksand.
Feel free to click through above and read Shelton’s entire piece. But Joe’s not buying the premise Shelton’s selling.
However, one thing that’s sure to scare any potential Raheem Morris replacement is the balance of power in the NFC South. The Bucs’ rivals aren’t likely to weaken anytime soon.
December 25th, 2011 at 11:13 am
Joe I totally agree with you. I am tired of the local media saying we can’t lure a big name guy. I remember preseason when Cowher was watching our mini camp in person and very impressed with the Bucs young talent. I think he and other coaches know this team has talent at some key positions and with the high draft pick and the madate the Glazers as you say will have to spend money who wouldn’t want to live in sunny Tampa and pay less taxes. The key I believe is will the Glazers return to the day when they lured a head coach with no concern of cost (i.e. Parcells, Gruden etc) or will they try to get by with one more year of frugality. I really think the Glazers back is against the wall to win back the fans. I just hope they realize it before its too late.
December 25th, 2011 at 11:17 am
Joe, because of what Rah has done – taken this franchise into total disarray and caused complete and total disorganization and utter lack of discipline.
It will be a project to coach this funk out of this roster.
You also have record cheap owners and an inexperienced and flawed GM with an ego and 4 year contract.
Further an ownership group that wants home games in London annually – this is not an attractive job – unfortunately. $ can overcome that but remember – we are the NFLs cheapest franchise.
December 25th, 2011 at 11:29 am
I think it will indeed be a project but as the article indentified, teams will be forced to spend money next year. The team cannot expect to remain profitable with empty seats on Sundays. They will have to bring in a coach and players through FA to stimulate fan interest.
December 25th, 2011 at 11:33 am
unfortunaty the team is very profitable even with low attendance
December 25th, 2011 at 11:37 am
No one with any credibility would come to the Bucs organization and set back their career progression. TV deal or not this team has left a sour taste in people mouth and they will almost have to overpay to get anyone in Tampa. As fans this should not make us feel bad because it’s the owners.
Also I disagree with Joe. Freeman should NOT be a lock to be a long term fix. That is what is wrong with this team now. I can name three young QBs that look way better than him. I mean that kind of regression is alarming when you only can get 3 first downs in a game. I am not saying he’s done but he deserves some of this hot seat as well.
December 25th, 2011 at 11:43 am
Joe
First of all, Merry Christmas to you and yours and all of the posters and readers, positive, negative, good and “bad.”
As for the article in question. Your comment on CAP spending going way up in a year is what I wanted to hear more about. It gives some of us hope, hope this team can be fixed in a reasonable amount of time by making the right personnel choices without the Royal Glazerbaum’s saying NO to some required cash to do so.
Keeping the right players, cutting the right players to cut combined with a solid draft and some good FA pick-ups could have this team turned around in a very short amount of time IMO. It’s happened before. And we still have a QB to build around lest we forget.
Enjoy today and the week and year ahead. Going to be a very interesting off-season!
December 25th, 2011 at 11:47 am
Freeman will be fine; Raheem will not! Under different circumstaces; Gruden could have worked miricles with Freeman.
December 25th, 2011 at 11:51 am
@Joe
I’ve been saying that all along, core talent is here, it just needs the right coaching
December 25th, 2011 at 12:02 pm
It is going to take a LOT of money to overcome the damage Mark Dominik has caused us with his poor drafts.
This is not only a coaching problem, it is an overall Talent problem as well.
Our OLD Offensive line coach did a far better job, but Olson and him did not get along I have heard.
Still, a good draft next year, LOT’S of free agent pickups, better coaching, and we can’t help but to get better.
Honestly, I simply can’t wait for it to be announced Raheem was let go.
W/O Raheem to be the scapegoat anymore, Tampa can have a field day with the so called ‘Rockstar’ who is most responsible for doing this to us.
The Sports Bars I go to are full of bad talk about Mark Dominik, and Shaun King seems to be one of the few Tampa Sports Personalities in touch with the sports fans I hang out with.
Of course, no sports personality is correct all the time. But here is a shout out to Shaun King for having the balls to call a spade a spade when it comes to the “Rockstar”.
I swear, some Tampa Sports Personalities almost sound like public relations shills on the payroll lately, when it comes to the Bucs.
December 25th, 2011 at 12:11 pm
Hire Jim Levett.
December 25th, 2011 at 12:14 pm
People, people, please. All is not lost on this team, at least on the core of the team. Most high profile coaching prospects would drool at this opportunity. The team doesn’t need to be grenaded. Alot of fat needs to br trimmed, some talented free agents and a good draft pick or two and you are one season away from searious play-off contention.
Keep in mind how existing bad teams respond to a coaching fire. Everyone realizes the easy ride is over and fights again for their jobs. Their agents all get ont eh phone and tell them that if they dont perform under the new coach (mid-season coaching change), their free agency stock plummets.
Bucs decided to run the season out with the current coaching staff. Players have nothing to play for and most of the burden falls on “bad coaching”.
I personally enjoyed yesterday’s game. It showed all coaching candidates what they have to work with. The talent is there. The coach gets tocome in and make a massive improvement in the first year.
Coaches don’t want to enter a situation like the Colts had 3 years ago. Dungy retired with the team doing great. It’s tough to take over and improve much when you are already near the top.
Bucs are a great opportunity, unlike the Redskins, Dolphins, Rams, etc. etc. I’d rank our team situation similar to the Chargers, except their players havent quit like ours.
December 25th, 2011 at 12:31 pm
Joe, I see where you’re coming from, but I must respectfully disagree. Thomas makes some good points, but as usual the wheels come off when he makes Morris the sole perpetrator of this fraud.
This current iteration of the Bucs is in the 3rd year of a rebuild and what have we built? We started out with the intent to build a horse and we have a camel. I agree that we good young talent along the defensive line assuming that McCoy returns as does EJ Wilson, a promising young talent that we lost in preseason. But where is this young talent along the offensive line that you refer to? Penn is starting to slip and Faine and Trueblood are done. We have no true starter at left guard and maybe Zuttah and Larsen could be a center.
We have no secondary. Barber is too old and Talib may be going to jail. You couldn’t get EJ Biggers to make a tackle if you gave him a road map and hung a GPS around his neck. We have one (Foster), maybe two (Watson) LBs with potential. We have a QB that is still learning, a kicker and a punter. Wide receivers that lack the speed to stretch the field and rarely gets separation. A TE, if not maniacal, surely is not wrapped too tight! No every down back or a 3rd down back that is reliable. Kregg Lumpkin – god bless his little soul yesterday!
Your argument sounds like more of the same for 2012. And in 2013, a total rebuild with a new direction, a new strategy, with new people qualified ( a big name coach will still be there) to execute the new plan and the $s committed to make it a success!
December 25th, 2011 at 12:39 pm
Merry Christmas all. I don’t believe this years total lack of discipline will have a negative impact at all next year as long as the correct type of head coach is hired. A Tom Coughlin/Bill Parcells “type” will not put up with this bullcrap. It will change immediately or the players will change. I still believe in my heart that we have a talented team, just zero leadership. It would be nice to see everyone play to their potential. In all the years I played football, the only losing season I had was the first year of a coaching change. We all loved the coach because he was not just a coach but our friend. We sucked that year. He lasted one year and was replaced. The next year we were winners again but I hated my coach. In professional sports, winning is all that matters.
December 25th, 2011 at 1:07 pm
no credible arguments can be made to keep dom or rah imo.
only remaining issue is do the glazers care
keeping dom may prevent the hiring of a good coach . i doubt cowher would appreciate the headset.
December 25th, 2011 at 2:57 pm
I knew Shelton’s article was crap when he suggested Brian Billick as a big-name coach. Billick wasn’t even a big name when he won the Superbowl.
December 25th, 2011 at 5:16 pm
The Glazer’s can give Dominick other duties (the restrooms on the 3rd level alway need cleaning, parking lot 14 needs trash patrol). He probably can handle those tasks without creating too much difficulty. He should keep the headset on so he can be directed to the most urgent clean up site.
Seriously, pay him off and let the pros rebuild our foundation. Don’t hog tie a new coaching staff with more of his judgment gaffes.
December 25th, 2011 at 7:57 pm
As a season ticket holder I would like Dom to stand up to the podium and address this garbage of a product he has put on the field.
December 25th, 2011 at 8:39 pm
paul…from the top down it’s all about “ballz”….sticking your chin out there and coming off your front foot…no passion, character and LEADERSHIP on EVERY level…that whole glazer bunker “genius” mentality only works for REAL genius…see: Andrew Friedman(sp?
…if anything at this point they come off as sniveling worms trying to micro-manage a “save face….
I’m sorry but Tampa is past getting taken for granted…