“90 Percent” Bucs Snag Trent Richardson
January 29th, 2012
A Greg Schiano offense loves to run the ball and take calculated shots down the field, so the Bucs’ new head coach told the masses Friday.
The Bucs only have one quality, healthy running back. And the Bucs need a dynamic third down back and a complement to LeGarrette Blount. (Sorry, Lumpkin lovers, if there are any.)
The very likely solution is Alabama stud running back Trent Richardson, says Tampa Tribune scribe Woody Cummings. In fact, Cummings is so set in his belief the Bucs will draft Richardson that yesterday he told WDAE-AM 620 host Darek Sharp that he’s “90 percent” certain the Bucs draft him with the No. 5 overall pick.
Cummings expounded and said the Bucs will make splash plays in free agency on the defensive side of the ball and look for Baylor WR Kendall Wright, if he’s available in the second round.
These are bold words from Cummings — in January. Joe appreciates Cummings having the testicular fortitude to get on the record early with a draft call.
As for Richardson, if the Bucs are going to draft a running back that early, they better be damn sure the guy is a superstar by his second year. You’ve wasted the No. 5 pick if he’s not; good running backs are too easy to find in later rounds. That written, Blount and Richardson in the Bucs backfield will bring the competition at the position that Schiano covets. But the Bucs better have an offensive coordinator a heck of a lot better than Greg Olson to figure out how to use those two.
On defense, Joe is in complete agreement that the Bucs will dive into free agency.
Rock star general manager Mark Dominik’s grand master plan always called for free agents to fill holes left by failures in the draft. On that front, the Bucs need serious help at linebacker, and with all the question marks in the secondary (Ronde Barber, Aqib Talib, Tanard Jackson, Cody Grimm, Myron Lewis, Sean Jones), Joe expects the Bucs will make a move to solidify the unit.
January 29th, 2012 at 10:11 am
I’d love to have Richardson with the 5th pick !
January 29th, 2012 at 10:26 am
If we can land Grimes or Finnegan, I wouldn’t mind passing on Claiborne in favor of Richardson.
On that note, if we land Nicks, Chris Myers, or even Evan Mathis as well, I’ll start to get jittery.
Now, if we can land one of those named CBs, Gs, and land SS Craig Stelz, and draft Richardson, I’d probably poop myself.
I know this is a pipe dream.
January 29th, 2012 at 10:27 am
Whatever it takes to win, do it!
January 29th, 2012 at 10:28 am
I meant to write “….named CBs, Gs, Myers, and land…..”
January 29th, 2012 at 10:30 am
I’m sure Woody is Cummings at the idea of this, but it won’t happen.
Not when RB is so deep in Free Agency.
January 29th, 2012 at 10:31 am
Trent Richardson is going to do well in the NFL. That said picking him at 5 is probably a wasted pick. The Bucs need to find a late 2nd round RB with a chip on his shoulder like M.J.D. or A.P. that can be used as a kick returner as well. They need at least 1 blazing fast WR that can stretch the field as well. Then just insert the other 50 needs after that.
January 29th, 2012 at 10:34 am
I just had visions of Fred Taylor and MJG plus the days of John Henderson + Marcus Stroud on defensive side of ball
January 29th, 2012 at 10:35 am
@TheProsUseAdvoCare
If we land Nicks I will be heartbroken if we don’t get Richardson. But that’s about the only scenario I see us taking him in.
Sure…he’s got a really good chance of being great…but then whenever I hear “He’s the next…” I get nervous.
BUT…do we really need him so bad as to spend the #5 on him? Nope.
There are some great names in Free Agency.
btw, we have as much chance of landing Ray Rice as we have of getting Nicks. Zero.
January 29th, 2012 at 10:37 am
btw…sort of unrelated…Caddy becomes available this year…do we get him back?
January 29th, 2012 at 10:40 am
Round 1: Mo
Round 2: Dre (who drops because of dope)
Can you imagine that? Talib would be serving his time, we would be covered, and if Dre ever has issues with dope again, we start Talib when he comes back.
On WRs; Burners
Any good burners in FA this year? Someone under 28 or 29?
January 29th, 2012 at 10:41 am
With so many holes on the team I hope they draft the best player available. If Richardson is that guy so be it. In the long run if they do draft Trent the longetivity of both he and Blount should be extended considerably. I just hope they don’t forget what a talent Blount is and don’t use him as Olson did. I do agree a complimentary back will be available in later rounds or thru FA. But if Richardson is a sure thing and will bring that much too the table let it happen. One thought though, aren’t he and Blount the same style back meaning would it not be better to have a change of pace back like a Sproles in New Orleans.
If Cummings is right and we do actually go after FA this year I will give Dominik another year to prove his worth. I know I have been critical of him and will stay that way until he proves me wrong but I will restrain from any negativity until I see the (new) plan and what moves Dominik makes to improve this team. Until then I will give my full support.
I believe in the Glazers ( they have to prove it thru FA), I like the new coach (hope he hires good coordinators) and I will let Dominik prove me wrong that he learned something from last year and adjusts accordingly.
January 29th, 2012 at 10:44 am
@ Pete
“Sure…he’s got a really good chance of being great…but then whenever I hear “He’s the next…” I get nervous.”
You and I both, brother. Nicks is a really great run blocker. Having someone like that sandwiched between Penn and Zuttah….. we would be successfully running left a lot. I honestly would rather Myers at Center and Zuttah stay at LG. It is far more realistic and Zuttah keeps getting better at LG.
I personally think Dom will go after Green-Ellis. Dude has never fumbled in his 536 rushing/receiving attempts, has had a 1,000 yard season, and has scored 29 TDs in four years. Not a feature, but a solid compliment to Blount.
I don’t think Richardson is a need at all either. The only way I would take him is if we countered with a top tier free agent CB.
January 29th, 2012 at 10:49 am
On an unrelated note: anyone interested in the recap of the Bucs Superbowl, it will be on at 11:30am on the NFL network today.
January 29th, 2012 at 10:49 am
LMFAO!! @pete about Roy Cummings. I needed a laugh.
January 29th, 2012 at 10:53 am
Advo, I love where your head is at with “law firm”, never fumbled, very good in short yardage, can catch, and is a great blocker. Not a 5 star athlete but an excellent role player to pair with blount.
January 29th, 2012 at 10:53 am
Trade down,to between 8 & 15 get an extra pick or two take Kilpatrick if Claibourn is gone, never take RB in rds.1-3, to many good ones available later on.
January 29th, 2012 at 10:53 am
No way!!!! An effective RB will be available in the later rounds, they are a dime a dozen….Our secondary and LBs were horrible, Claiborne 1st, Burfict 2nd
January 29th, 2012 at 10:55 am
I would like Finnegan, grimes, and Landry as a rebuild to the secondary while I am dreaming as well.
January 29th, 2012 at 10:55 am
I would like Finnegan, grimes, and Landry as a rebuild to the secondary while I am dreaming as well.
January 29th, 2012 at 10:55 am
Makes little difference who is picked if you don’t have the experienced coach who can coordinate an offense well enough to utilize that player. His first choice was McWho and now who’s left ? A head case and a self promoting narcissist >Haley & Hue..If he goes after his Rutgers OC ?? sigh! There’s a powerhouse !
I’m not hating this new coach, I’m hating the fact that the Glazer girls didn’t have what it takes to go out and get quality NFL level coaching in a expedient manner. Now all the issues of being last are rearing their ugly heads amplified by a 2nd choice who even vs the first choice is from the cellar of college coaching. So I’M the negative bad guy for having these views..really ? You can take all the rah rah rah make the best out of a bad situation but it’s STILL a bad situation no matter if you’re wearing blinders or not. If given the choice, I’d choose being the fan from the team that just hired a head coach who filled his OC & DC with a Nolan or a Pagano level coach. And these are just examples of what would be going better with my coffee this morning.
But hey, I’m praying for the best for this coach as he seems to be a nice guy and especially in this case I hope he doesn’t finish last.
January 29th, 2012 at 10:57 am
It irks me when I see/hear people say that solid runnings backs are easy to find late in the draft because that goes for ANY position. Just because recently there have been a couple undrafted guys (Foster & Blount, I guess) that are playing at a high level at RB, doesn’t mean you set yourself up that way.
If we stay at #5 and Cleveland goes RGIII, then chances are Claiborne and Richardson will both be available. If we address CB in FA, then our answer is easy: Richardson. If we don’t address CB with a vet, then the answer gets a bit muddier. I will say this: Morris Claiborne probably has a better chance of NOT panning out than Richardson. Plus, CBs typically struggle in their first year – RBs typically don’t. I want to win now – not “next year” as the saying went when we wore orange.
We need a vet WR in FA to help Freeman (plenty of big names available) along with at least one CB (wish list: Carlos Rogers) and one LB (wish list: D’Qwell Jackson). And please don’t say that the Glazers won’t spend the money – that’s such a tired argument.
January 29th, 2012 at 11:08 am
As much as I LOVE draft talk, it’s just ridiculous to speculate before free agency.
Let’s say for whatever reason the Ravens decide to let Ray Rice go and we grab him (I know it’s not going to happen, but just saying). In that case there’s no need for Richardson.
Likewise, signing Finnegan (my #1 priority for this team) would mean we would not be going DB in the first round.
I love the draft talk, but it’s way too early to guess what this team is going to do
January 29th, 2012 at 11:16 am
Just heard Schiano is telling members of the press they will be going after FA’s. If true, they have the $$$ to get some top tier talent.
January 29th, 2012 at 11:18 am
@bulldog,
UR 1st problem is your praying
January 29th, 2012 at 11:19 am
Welcome Trent Richardson !!!!! CB , OLB & WR are very deep in this draft.
Too bad we gave up a 4th rd. pick for LUKE “I’m always injured” Stocker !!!!!
Trent is a FRANCHISE BACK that we’ve NEVER been able to FIND ANYWHERE in 35years !!!
January 29th, 2012 at 11:21 am
OLB deep in this draft. Really???
January 29th, 2012 at 11:23 am
Richardson looks like he could be good enough to be a featured back,just worried how long he can last in the nfl.rbs don’t have long careers. Id rather take claiborne or blackmon
January 29th, 2012 at 11:33 am
for those who watched the senior bowl.we should trade down grab some extra picks and pick up lb zach brown(4.460 and great in coverage) and janoris jenkins. both flat out studs.then get wright in 2 round
January 29th, 2012 at 11:33 am
Trade DOWN and out of number 5, get more picks, we need help everywhere.
Tampa replaces coaches almost at will, yet one never hears much about improving our talent acquisition department.
Great players make all the difference. Jim Caldwell of Indy was a “genius” when Peyton Manning was playing, and got fired w/o him.
January 29th, 2012 at 11:35 am
OLB: 3 rounds deep (or about 10 players). Better yet, move Mason Foster to OLB and get a veteran MLB
January 29th, 2012 at 11:39 am
I hope the Bucs trade their 5th overall pick with another team that wants to move up and nab whatever player they view as the missing piece like a QB or whatever. If we flip flop number one’s with someone, get at least an extra number two or two and a three, we could get much more talent for our Bucs. I think the Bucs should start the draft smokescreen by talking about taking someone everyone else wants and bartering their pick for additional picks. BTW, I think Schiano was an outstanding selection to coach our Bucs. Very experienced, respected, methodical, driven to succeed and a man of faith. This all will have a stabilizing influence on the Bucs and the character of the player will start to matter again. Congrats Glazers, you surprised me and picked the right guy this time. Go Bucs!
January 29th, 2012 at 11:39 am
The ONLY way i trade down….is if we can get 2 first rd. picks and still have picks in rounds 2 and 3.
I looked at the Draft Trade Chart point system and it’s possible to do it with the Browns, Bengals or Patriots
January 29th, 2012 at 11:41 am
@CC.. Where did you hear the FA talk?
January 29th, 2012 at 11:41 am
“A Greg Schiano offense loves to run the ball and take calculated shots down the field”
Sigh. Another coach that puts no onus on the offense to win games. This is why the 49ers and Ravens are hope despite having superior defenses. Their offenses couldn’t score enough points and that leaves them vulnerable to late game gaffes. Defenses can’t play perfect in the playoffs.
I’m fine with a defensive minded coach and team. But I hate the “take shots” offensive mentality. Offense shouldn’t be a “calculated” risk. You tell them that have to complete passes, you tell them they have to score TDs, and you tell them they have to win games. Just like you do with the defense.
Offenses that are never asked to win games in the regular season never win games for you in the post-season. Just ask Dungy’s Bucs.
January 29th, 2012 at 11:47 am
CC…Dom came out and said we would be building in FA this year. Here is the quote…
“We’re going to do it in free agency,” Mark Dominik said. “I don’t want people to be worried we’re not going to spend in free agency.”
January 29th, 2012 at 11:51 am
“Offenses that are never asked to win games in the regular season never win games for you in the post-season. Just ask Dungy’s Bucs.”
I did not get the impression he does not expect the offense to play up to snuff. Also, Gruden won a Super Bowl with an average regular season offense that somehow hit another level during the play-offs. However, the defense got them there and made it all possible. 17 points is all we need is what Sapp used to say. I want to see an offense that scores at will, but the defense is just as important.
January 29th, 2012 at 11:53 am
Speaking of the seniorbowl anyone else really like that LB out of Utah state Wagner? Great instincts and athleticism, very good gap discipline, and outstanding in coverage, 3rd or fourth round gem…have to build that depth.
January 29th, 2012 at 11:53 am
Where did you hear that? Even if you heard Schiano say that it doesn’t mean anything as he’s not the GM.
January 29th, 2012 at 11:57 am
Snag Claiborne with the 5th then go after James from OR, he’s a shifty speed guy that would compliement Blount nicely and two big needs have been met. They can’t pass up a stud corner
January 29th, 2012 at 11:59 am
Anyone else see where Adam Schefter said that the Bucs wanted Gilbride, but decided they couldn’t wait any longer.
January 29th, 2012 at 12:02 pm
Richardson sounds like a nice addition , but on that note how about Bucs take best available at #5 . Got alot of holes to fill so I think it’s gonna be interesting in the next couple of months .
January 29th, 2012 at 12:09 pm
Joe- Richardson better be a superstar by his second year? Consensus opinion at this point is that he will be an impact player from the first moment he steps on an NFL field. He doesnt need to “develop” as a pass reciever or blocker, he already does those things better than most NFL running backs and of course rushing ability seems to be the one aspect of college football that instantly translates to the NFL with almost no learning curve. T
January 29th, 2012 at 12:09 pm
I was thinking the same as everyone else when I heard about this like Trent Richardson? No why u can find rbs in every round easily. We already have blunt. Dumb move. But then I thought about it and if this would happen we would easily have the best 1 2 punch in the league. Who the hell is gonna be able to stop trich and blount? Whose gonna wanna tackle them 2 in the 4th quarter? Easy answer no one. Were gonna literally beat teams 2 a pulp with these 2 and once defenses start to cheat up boom free with a 70 yard bomb. All the NFC south is great offenses thats are mainly pass first. What’s the easiest way to stop that? Play good d and control time of possession. None of the defenses in our division are that good. But I think drafting trick would really counter balance those offenses. Esp if we make fa moves on d.this move would make significant impact on our team this season. Think about it.
January 29th, 2012 at 12:15 pm
Northend- Really Janoris Jenkins? How about we just give our picks away to the rest of our friends in the NFC south? Jenkins is a turd. A pothead with TWO colllege arrests for possession. HE will be suspended from the league faster than you can say Tanard Jackson.
January 29th, 2012 at 12:17 pm
Eric- James is kind of the exact opposite of BLount all speed and no power. The Bucs need an all around back. Not another guy with a limited skillset.
January 29th, 2012 at 12:17 pm
@Flmike,
He said “they wanted to INTERVIEW Gilbride.” Didn’t say they would hire, they INTERVIEWED others too.
January 29th, 2012 at 12:25 pm
Opposite? soooo Dunn had power? Blount and James would be this years version of Allstot and Dunn, granted a poorer version but still speedy, shifty guy then Blount force trama, you have to. Keep. The Defense on their toes, you don’t want two of the same kind of RB.
January 29th, 2012 at 12:29 pm
Thanks, had just caught the very end
January 29th, 2012 at 12:29 pm
Eric- Alstott\Dunn wasn’t the elite pairing we always wanted them to be. They gained alot of yards(together not really indivually) but they were always lacking because it was always either\or. Hand it to the fast guy or hand it to the strong guy. Just for once it would be nice to be able to hand it to the guy who is FAST AND STRONG.
January 29th, 2012 at 12:33 pm
We really do need to draft Richardson. He is everthing we wish Blount would be. He can truck linebackers just as violently as Blount but also has the speed to run away from them. He never dances behind the line, always immediately sees and hits the hole with speed and power and will never have to come out on third down because his blocking and recieving abilities are NFL ready.
January 29th, 2012 at 12:35 pm
Anyone who keeps perpetuating this myth that you can find late round running stud running backs “easily” just doesn’t know the history of the Bucs.
Name one stud running back we have drafted in 35 years that came later than the 3rd round. I’ve looked. None.
Yes, the league has many examples of late or I drafted running backs doing well. But that does not mean they are easy to identify and find. Often times it takes simple trial and error luck (someone gets hurt) for a late round back to emerge and start. They are rarely plugged right in as starters.
You have a much better chance and odds to find one at the top of the draft. Of course some don’t pan out – like many high draft picks. But many highly drafted running backs do end up being as good as advertised.
I agree with those who say free agency will determine where we go with that first round pick. We won’t know for sure until we see how we address corner and running back.
January 29th, 2012 at 12:35 pm
Anyone who keeps perpetuating this myth that you can find late round running stud running backs “easily” just doesn’t know the history of the Bucs.
Name one stud running back we have drafted in 35 years that came later than the 3rd round. I’ve looked. None.
Yes, the league has many examples of late or I drafted running backs doing well. But that does not mean they are easy to identify and find. Often times it takes simple trial and error luck (someone gets hurt) for a late round back to emerge and start. They are rarely plugged right in as starters.
You have a much better chance and odds to find one at the top of the draft. Of course some don’t pan out – like many high draft picks. But many highly drafted running backs do end up being as good as advertised.
I agree with those who say free agency will determine where we go with that first round pick. We won’t know for sure until we see how we address corner and running back.
January 29th, 2012 at 12:42 pm
Pete- Desean JAckson is the biggest “burner” in the league and is an UFA. But he’s also a prima donna d-bag.
However Dwayne Bowe is also available. He doesnt have quite the speed of a DeSean JAckson but is a much more polished all around #1 wide reciever. He’s looked super elite with mediocre Matt Cassell slinging him the ball. Bowe is in my opinion the top WR prize in free agency.
January 29th, 2012 at 1:08 pm
BecklesHeartsRuud:
I’d say the chances that KC lets Bowe leave are at about 5%. I’d be pretty surprised if the didn’t franchise him
January 29th, 2012 at 1:11 pm
Traew, your argument isn’t completely wrong, but it is flawed. In Buc recent history, they have selected Caddy, Dunn and Rhett in the 1st rounds, and Alstott was a late 2nd rounder. While all had a couple flashy years, none of them really panned out to be a “stud” RBs in the NFL.
So really, the Bucs have NEVER drafted a stud RB regardless of round.
T-Rich could be that guy, or he could be a bust, anyone faces the same odds. I think the drop-off between T-Rich to the rest of the RB’s is not as great as the drop-off between Claiborne and any 2nd round or later graded CB. So that’s while I feel he should be the pick. Besides, I’m not convinced signing just 1 FA CB is gunna cure our cornerbacks group.
If Talib is in jail, and Ronde retires, then our starters become Lewis and Biggers. Sign just 1 FA, and one of those clowns has to start. YIKES!!!!
We at least have a functioning offense with some talent, that if an OC with half a clue over Olson comes in, can find success. We need elite talent in our back 7 REALLY BADLY. I just really hope Woody is wrong.
January 29th, 2012 at 1:12 pm
@BecklesHeartsRuud,
You said, “He never dances behind the line, always immediately sees and hits the hole with speed and power……”
I agree totally. Not only was the Offensive Problems this year, Free throwing late and not anticipating his throws this was the OTHER MAJOR problem with the Bucs this season. Blount Tippy toes especially behind the line, all the time!!!
To say our OC was the main problem is SIMPLY overlooking WHAT REALLY HAPPENED! Blount one game was behind the line of scrimmage and instead of hitting someone and getting a couple yards lost he just stepped out of bounds for -5 yards. Yes when Blount has a great run he looks FREAKIN AWESOME but what about the other 8-15 runs where he TOTTALLY HALF ASSED THE PLAY???
TOO MANY FANS only watch highlights.
To the hatters of the New Coach…REALLY!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!??!!?!?!??! U WANT A RE-TRED/OLD-FART SERMAN TYPE?????? REALLY!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!??!!?!?!??!
Greg started a program from “(BELOW!!!!!!!) Ground up” to a 5-1 bowl record that PROVES he’s a builder and a (Big Time) PLAYOFF TYPE GAME PROVEN WINNING COACH!!!!
BILL Belicheck approved him and PLEASE ARM CHAIR QB’s DON”T BELIEVE FOR 1 SECOND YOU KNOW MORE THAN HIM!!!
One last thing about the coach and the other request for players above…..
MLB VILMA (Foster back to college spot @ OLB) LOVES GREG, RB RAY RICE LOVES GREG….There ARE the FA moves that I am DREAMING OF…..Then We can GET CLAIBORNE!!!!
I Tweeted On Dec 10………..
@JoeBucsFan @Dareksharp > If the draft started tomorrow, I want the other LSU corner #17 Morris Claiborne 1st. 2nd rd. best o-lineman left.
This is still what I want!
January 29th, 2012 at 1:12 pm
Reggie Wayne will definitely be available…..he wouldn’t solve our speed issues at WR but he would certainly bring some professionalism and leadership to the position
January 29th, 2012 at 1:22 pm
D’Qwell Jackson – move foster to OLB
Dwayne Bowe (great choice pointed out above, although DJ would work out too)
Claiborne @ 5 // change of pace RB in 2nd round
January 29th, 2012 at 1:24 pm
Keep in mind that the Bucs don’t do free agency. So if we dont draft a RB high, we will have to search for one in the late rounds.
Forget about Ray Rice. He says he wants to return to Baltimore and even if he did want to leave the Ravens will tag him.
January 29th, 2012 at 1:35 pm
@Bulldog
I defend your right to be 100% wrong.
Sambizle Says:
January 29th, 2012 at 11:18 am
@bulldog,
UR 1st problem is your praying
Better get use to it. Our new coach does it nearly as much as Dungy did….and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
January 29th, 2012 at 1:39 pm
On the topic of RBs in the draft…I disagree that they should not be picked in rounds 1-3. I just do not think that’s the smart move for the Bucs this year…unless certain things fall into line with trades and free agency before the draft.
Also…the free agency pool is strongest with running backs this year. Even if we end up with a 28 year old…we can always upgrade later. If we have a top Oline, it won’t matter who our RB is.
January 29th, 2012 at 1:41 pm
Alstott was top-notch…and you forget Dunn.
January 29th, 2012 at 1:46 pm
@Sambizle
Agree with everything you said except one thing…it’s the OCs responsibility to fix issues with hte offense. If Blount was dancing around or making unwise decisions as you say, then Olsen should have sat him down and had a talk with him. Or the RB Coach should have. Blount hasn’t even played 2 full years yet, and last year was his first full season…without off season workouts.
Everything you point out can be taught…IF we have a good OC/RB Coach. Which…we did not.
January 29th, 2012 at 1:49 pm
@Traew
Very well said. It’s good seeing a fellow former member of the TBBB around as well.
January 29th, 2012 at 1:53 pm
Pete, I did not forget Dunn, as I mentioned him quite clearly. Alstott I remember vividly, as he is even on the cup I am presently drinking water from right now, being one of the souveneir cups of the early 00’s. I loved both of those guys as Bucs players, and they were both good but they were hardly elite. How many 1,000 yard seasons did Dunn or Alstott have for the bucs?
I’ll save you the effort; Alstott had 0 and Dunn had 2 in 5 years before he left and gave the prime of his career to the Falcons. Sure they split time but that never stopped other teams from at least getting something like combined 2,000 yards out of 2 RB’s, which the bucs only got 1 year from both in 1998.
Also, Alstott only made the pro-bowl for so many years bc he was mis-labeled to the rest of the country as a FB, even though we all know he was never anything but a one dimensional power tail-back. They were great bucs, but they were never elite RB’s compared to the entire NFL.
January 29th, 2012 at 2:15 pm
If high quality running backs are a dime a dozen in the later rounds (as so many here claim) how come we can never find one?
January 29th, 2012 at 2:42 pm
If we do that then we better get asante samuel here…
January 29th, 2012 at 3:09 pm
Trent Richardson & a fast or big-bodied WR and this offense is immediately respectable and sometimes SCARY….and FUN TO WATCH
January 29th, 2012 at 3:13 pm
It doesnt matter what our coach likes.. Its up to mark who we draft… and we need defense and offensive line help imo…… Why dont we go after ray rice in free agency and build a real o-line!
January 29th, 2012 at 3:23 pm
Don’t draft Richardson, there’s always an abundance of running backs. We have much bigger needs (CB, LB, WR….). There’s gonna be good backs in free agency (Matt Forte, Ray Rice, etc.)
We need to get ourselves a shutdown corner or a true number #1 receiver in the first round (Claiborne or Blackmon).
But if we got Richardson, I wouldn’t be disappointed in him as a player it just doesn’t seem like a good value considering where we’re drafting him.
Actually, is there a way we could trade down and pick up an extra high round pick?
January 29th, 2012 at 3:27 pm
If its all about #5 then draft offensive weapons. Period. Even the great Payton Manning kept productive and explosive backs to help his attack. Freeman needs that. Everything else can come in the draft and FA. Also remember the Bucs will have to more than likely overspend to get a player like Nicks or Finnergan here because of the degraded perception of the Bucs culture. But that’s the commitment it will to take to win. Also don’t forget about Dline depth as coach Millard eluded to.
January 29th, 2012 at 3:31 pm
Got Blount for nothing.
January 29th, 2012 at 3:36 pm
We need 7 new starters on Defense. We gave up 40 + points to every team we played. We have the worst LBers and Secondary in the NFL.
Yeah, let’s draft a RB
2-14, here we come
January 29th, 2012 at 3:45 pm
@Pete Dutcher
A couple years back and a little this year when Ernie Graham not the quickest and fastest but he hits holes hard and he would get yards. The VERY VERY few carries the 3rd guy we had this year I think his name was Madu or something-DU he hit the hole hard (a little guy on top of that) and made a little yards. This killed our running game. We have a I believe 2time pro bowl guard and all the sudded we can’t run.
D giving up points causing the OC to Call more throws
Free playing bad, he DIDN”T PULL THE TRIGGER. OC called the plays the year before too, Free just was thinking too much this season and the D was hurt, very young (some just suck=Biggers) and gave up before the fourth quarter ended in SEVERAL Games.
You can’t blame the coach for the QB throwin pics, some of Free’s pics were to a WR/TE/RB with 5 Defenders in the area, He threw it to the WRONG PERSON.
The coach only calls the plays the players have to EXCUTE 2 years ago they did last year they didn;t.
I LOVE THE BUCS!!!! and I like Free but he played very very bad even with all the other factors involved.
January 29th, 2012 at 3:52 pm
How does he compare to mark ingram?
January 29th, 2012 at 4:01 pm
Don’t forget,, Sciano just came from the college ranks and also a college recruiter, he probably knows about rb’s that can be found in later rounds that compliment Blount, but there are no hidden gems at cb, get claiborne at 5, if he is gone, trade down for more picks
January 29th, 2012 at 4:05 pm
I’ve done a lot of thinking on this and I keep flipping back and forth between Richardson and Claiborne and the advantages of both. I keep coming back to Richardson as the immediate game changer but then I think about picking up Claiborne and then going after a good RB in the third round and that starts to make more sense. Yes, Richardson is very good but do we need him when a guy like Doug Martin would be a very good compliment to Blount and we could get a shutdown corner at #5? If Richardson does turn out to be Adrian Peterson #2 then we may be kicking ourselves but good defenses shut down guys like Peterson and that is probably where we should be focusing since ours just absolutely sucked last year. Someone to light a fire under Blount is a necessity but it doesn’t have to be Richardson. I’m just trying to look at the big picture and as much as I would love for us to have Richardson it may be wiser to settle for a Doug Martin or a Lamichael James as our compliment to Blount. Personally, I think Doug Martin is a stud and would make Blount work his ass off to get snaps. He reminds me of Ray Rice.
January 29th, 2012 at 4:12 pm
Looking forward to getting back to the days of the “17 points is all we need” style of play and mentality on defense. Need a couple of vet leaders that are impact players to get it started though. D’Qwell Jackson would be a nice start. As far as running back, we need at least two more. I see us grabbing one in FA and another in the draft. Martin out of Boise State would be a great compliment to Blount at the top of the 2nd. Could even possibly trade down a few spots and still get him. Do like how the draft is arranged now, with the 1st rd being on Thurs., 2-3 rds on Fri and 4-7 rds on Sat. Really adds intrigue and as we saw last year, creates a lot of trades and makes it a bit more of a chess match trying to figure what other teams are going to do.
January 29th, 2012 at 4:16 pm
Bobby, well said. Besides, we have too many needs to “pigeon hole” our draft selections. The FA is where you fill needs, and you get the best talent at the best value possible in the Draft.
That should be the Bucs philosophy in rounds 1 and 2. Ignore position really, just make sure we get 2 impact players with 2 of the top 40 picks. In rounds 3 and 5 (we have no 4th remember) then draft for need, and get some backups after that.
January 29th, 2012 at 4:18 pm
Isaiah Pead, senior bowl MVP in late rounds, avg. 110 all purpose yards for Cincinnati, think Sciano knows about this guy. Also did a great job on special teams yesterday
January 29th, 2012 at 4:20 pm
samwhatever,, 5-1 bowl games..what exactly makes a bowl game different from any other when they are just money making games ? Pinnacle Bowl, Harelip Bowl…How many here watched Rutgers in a bowl game ? Like that elevates him? Winning those bowl games still didn’t get them a conference championship. That honor went to other teams for the entire 11 years he was coaching..A 4 game winning season was an improvement for Rutgers from where it was at so he had no where else to go but up even with moderate success. Which is all he EVER achieved.. And your opinion on me Praying or not simply doesn’t matter least of all to me.
January 29th, 2012 at 4:21 pm
We need defense first. It’s not gonna do any good to have a great offense that scores a bunch if our defense is just giving up 40-45 points every game. We’ll be 4-12 again.
January 29th, 2012 at 4:27 pm
@ Capt.Tim
“We need 7 new starters on Defense. We gave up 40 + points to every team we played. We have the worst LBers and Secondary in the NFL.
Yeah, let’s draft a RB
2-14, here we come”
5 years ago I would’ve agreed with you. The League has changed brother. Explosive multifaceted offense and a pass rush wins over a stifling defense and ball control offense.
Look at the Pats D: Vince Wilfork and…..the 32nd ranked defense in the League.
Look at the Giants D: They have elite pass rushers and pass rushing depth and a serviceable to below average back seven.
Unless Mo Claiborne is going to return kicks, Trent Richardson has a better shot at making a game changing play because he’ll get more opportunities to do so.
January 29th, 2012 at 4:44 pm
Found it funny the Sam Wyche over on NFL.com had Richardson sliding all the way down to 17th to the Bengals in his first mock draft. Can’t see any way that happens. RB’s can be a crap shoot though. Jerry Jones even mentioned that while they liked DeMarco Murray coming out, they had no idea he would be such a great between-the-tackles runner. All Murray did was rush for the 4th highest yards for a rookie in Cowboys history and set the single game mark. Would’ve liked to see where he would’ve ended up if he could’ve finished the season.
January 29th, 2012 at 4:59 pm
SensibleBuc- good points all. I agree that this is a QB driven offensive oriented league.
But our defense is so horrendous, that it would force our offense to score every time to stay even. And it’s gonna get worse! Barber will either retire, or return yet another year Older. Talib is likely jail bound. But even if he isn’t, he played horrible the first two thirds. That leaves Biggers, Mack, Lewis, and Gaitor
Against Brees, Ryan, and Cameron
Good luck with that
We gotta have some semblance of a defense. Our back seven are the worst I’ve ever seen( minus Barber).
And , without new possess, they will be worse this year. And that’s scary. We’ll give up 60 a game
January 29th, 2012 at 5:00 pm
SensibleBuc- good points all. I agree that this is a QB driven offensive oriented league.
But our defense is so horrendous, that it would force our offense to score every time to stay even. And it’s gonna get worse! Barber will either retire, or return yet another year Older. Talib is likely jail bound. But even if he isn’t, he played horrible the first two thirds. That leaves Biggers, Mack, Lewis, and Gaitor. They suck. All of them
Against Brees, Ryan, and Cameron
Good luck with that
We gotta have some semblance of a defense. Our back seven are the worst I’ve ever seen( minus Barber).
And , without new possess, they will be worse this year. And that’s scary. We’ll give up 60 a game
January 29th, 2012 at 6:08 pm
@Capt TIM,
I can understand your views regarding drafting defense but as you said the Bucs defense is horrendous. Can one draft and free agency period fix a voided defense? However, if we believe Freeman is a budding star then we have to get him tools because the offense is almost equally bad in certain positions. There is no way one off-season will fix the roster but its easier to get better on one side first. Since this is a qb first league why not take care of Freeman?
January 29th, 2012 at 6:34 pm
So in January this clown is 90% certain that the Bucs will draft a player, before the current staff has even been assembled, before the combine and other workouts have begun, and before the other 4 teams ahead of the Bucs have had the chance to draft. I’m 99% certain this is a load of BS designed to stir up reactions.
It’s funny how the media talk about the lack fo accountability of the players under the previous regime. HOW ABOUT THE LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY IN THE MEDIA? Ludicrous statements like Cummings’ should draw repercussions.
January 29th, 2012 at 6:45 pm
Rb’s are not valued the same anymore in the NFL. If you happen to find a bell cow RB somewhere along the line, then good for you, but it certainly isn’t the norm anymore. I like Trent Richardson. I think he’s going to be a fine player in the NFL, but you can not justify using a top five pick on a one contract player. Smart teams do not break the bank anymore for RB’s. It’s not a smart salary cap move. I’m usually not in favor of using high picks on DB’s either but this year that may be what we have to work with. Either that or we reach a little bit for Kuechly.
January 29th, 2012 at 6:53 pm
Architek and SensibleBuc- you guys may be right. We gotta get some weapons for Freeman, to see if this team has anything at all to build on. Bad Coaching or not, josh played badly last year. You can’t blame coaching for a QB throwing 7 Ints in the the endzone. That’s just poor QB play.
You’re right, I don’t think this lousy D can be fixed in one off season. I also don’t think that our talent on offense is as good as we hoped.
And we are depending on a coach with a .500 record, who coached at a tiny school, and never won his conference. Counts the Pinstripe and St. Pete bowl as some of his greatest achievements in coaching.
Another New jersey guy, whose only Brief NFL experience was as a DB coach.
Not seeing much hope here
January 29th, 2012 at 7:03 pm
@Capt. Tim
I agree with you, although I’m slowly liking Schiano more and more.
Still, I think this hire is a question mark. I would’ve been more confident in Marty or Zimmer…..lot of NFL experience and success with them, especially Marty.
Schiano does have some good qualities and I was impressed with him in his press conference, so I’ll support him.
If we get some top flight coordinators and assistants, that’ll really be the key.
January 29th, 2012 at 7:20 pm
Patrick- I’ll support him, too. I’m a Bucs fan.
But it’s like they went out looking for another Raheem Morris.
Only Pro experience is as a DB coach for a couple years. No significant college experience( lil school).
Didn’t we learn anything??
January 29th, 2012 at 7:26 pm
@Capt. Tim
“Didn’t we learn anything??”
Don’t know yet…..just hope it works out cause it seems like it’s been ages since we’ve been in the playoffs now.
January 29th, 2012 at 8:11 pm
BullCrap or Whatever (I can play that game too)
God is going to put down all his “help” he is providing for the massive starvation, tragedies and wars we have on our lovely Earth and he’s gonna answer your insincere prayer for the new coach?
It’s a month long training session where BOTH teams get a chance to scheme against each other and he comes out on top almost every single time. Their BIG GAME playoff-type atmospheres if you don’t see the link between the two then I understand why, you’re just not bright enough.
He’s not the 1st ever College Coach that may (or MAY NOT same goes for Re-treds) do great in the pro’s i.e., see last…EXCUSE ME, THIS YEAR’s NFL.
BULLCRAP FOR BRAINS!!!!!!
HAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAH
January 29th, 2012 at 8:14 pm
Hahahahaahahahahahhaa
January 29th, 2012 at 9:14 pm
Look, there are arguments to be made for offense and defense. I think Claiborne is a helluva player and if he’s there at #5 and we take him I know he’ll pay dividends. However, if we have our eye on James or martin as our 2nd RB then I hope we trade down if anyone wants to trade and get some more picks. If we trade down we could go after Kuechly or any number of good LB’s that can be had in the middle to late part of the first. I personally think we need a monster LB far worse than we need a monster corner but that’s just my opinion. Let’s say we could get another second round pick and get Doug Martin and Alshon Jeffery…we come away with Kuechly, Martin and Jeffery in the first two rounds. I would like that scenario.
January 29th, 2012 at 9:55 pm
Sign FA’s:
SS – Tyvon Branch (Oak)
OLB – Erin Henderson (Min)
MLB – Dan Connor (Car)
WR – Stevie Johnson (Buf)
LG – Carl Nicks (NO)
Draft:
1 – CB Morris Claiborne (LSU)
2 – TE Orson Charles (Georgia)
3 – RB Lamichael James (Oregon)
January 29th, 2012 at 10:03 pm
So I just did the stats…insofar as current starters in the NFL: there are four former first rounders that changed teams after being picked (Marshawn Lynch, Reggie Bush, Cedric Benson, and Willis Mcgahee; three of those were top half of first round)…three more high first round picks are starters (Peterson, McFadden, and Ryan Matthews). There were nine…count em, NINE current starting running backs that were picked in the late 1st round. Seven more starters in the NFL were picked in the 2nd and 3rd rounds. Lastly, another NINE were picked in the 6th round or later.
To my mind, picking a running back in the top ten is a BADDD idea. If you look at the top half of the draft since 2000, 14 RB have been picked; 6 of them have bombed (Ron Dayne, the IMMORTAL William Green, Ronnie Brown, Cadillac, Knowshon Moreno, and CJ Spiller). After what happened with that “can’t miss” pick of Cadillac, I would think Bucs fans would have learned their lesson…
January 29th, 2012 at 10:07 pm
Joe,
Honest Q?
You say, “As for Richardson, if the Bucs are going to draft a running back that early, they better be damn sure the guy is a superstar by his second year. You’ve wasted the No. 5 pick if he’s not”.
What about this statement:
“As for (McCoy), if the Bucs are going to draft a (DT) that early, they better be damn sure the guy is a superstar by his second year. You’ve wasted the No. (3) pick if he’s not”. ???
Is this a fair assessment?
January 29th, 2012 at 10:09 pm
We suck bc of our FA acquisitions/ Re-sinees/players let go,
We need to roll the dice on a guy like Richardson, and IF Schiano has the balls to take Richardson @ #5 overall, then good. It shows he has faith in his system.
Love to see this happen, please Schiano make it happen.
January 29th, 2012 at 10:26 pm
RBs average 5 year careers. Not worth wasting a high round pick on a short term player. Get a 12 year fixture at CB. Draft James in the 3 rd round.
January 29th, 2012 at 10:27 pm
Joe,
Q? for ya.
You say:
“As for Richardson, if the Bucs are going to draft a running back that early, they better be damn sure the guy is a superstar by his second year. You’ve wasted the No. 5 pick if he’s not”.
Could the same be said:
“As for (McCoy, if the Bucs are going to draft a (defensive tackle) that early, they better be damn sure the guy is a superstar by his second year. You’ve wasted the No. (3) pick if he’s not”.
I like the Richardson pick, it shows GUTS.
January 29th, 2012 at 10:28 pm
(sorry my post didn’t update for me right away)
Freeman has the gun, why not draft him a horse? Yeeehaw!
January 29th, 2012 at 10:30 pm
I think it’d be better if we pick Claiborne in the 1st, and then pick up Ray Rice in free agency. He’s proven himself, only 25 years old, and knows Schiano. There’s already chemistry right there.
January 29th, 2012 at 10:44 pm
@ Patrick,
love to see that go down.
January 29th, 2012 at 11:02 pm
@Patrick and everybody else who’s thrown this name out there,
Ray Rice won’t even come close to sniffing free agency. You think the Ravens are going to roll the dice and use an ancient Ricky Williams as their starter next year with a defense that probably has one more strong year together? Some of you guys really need to come back to reality. Also, Bowe won’t be hitting the market either, so forget about that one too.
January 29th, 2012 at 11:04 pm
Rice won’t be available. The player with the highest grade gets picked and the position in need gets the most free agent interest. To me the player that would start the fastest and be able to have the most impact in a game should be the pick. Which keeps me coming back to Richardson.
January 29th, 2012 at 11:40 pm
Matt Forte?
January 29th, 2012 at 11:43 pm
A good running back can be a game changer…..they can score touchdowns and they can eat the clock and keep your defends fresh! This is why we need to draft Richardson.
January 30th, 2012 at 12:02 am
I can see good value for Claiborne at #5 pick and a fixture (with a clean record). It makes me question drafting Aqib too because generally CB’s are in one place for two contracts. Why didn’t we consider his background before drafting him and marrying his past and future issues. I hope we do better with these type of issues moving forward if its a critical position like CB, LT, QB, or MLB.
January 30th, 2012 at 12:11 am
“Matt Forte?”
Nope, won’t sniff it either.
Would you just let Ray Rice or Matt Forte walk away if you ran the team? Franchise tag if nothing else. The big names at RB and WR won’t hit the market.
Somebody like Mike Tolbert would be a good addition to possibly look for. He’d be a nice compliment to Blount. Pierre Garcon could possibly see the market, but I doubt it.
January 30th, 2012 at 12:17 am
Richardson will be our #5 pick, and we will start winning. Love to see he and LGB split carries and eat clock.
Me thinks our rush D will improve by solidifying Rush O.
Make this happen, Dom.
January 30th, 2012 at 1:14 am
“Richardson will be our #5 pick, and we will start winning. Love to see he and LGB split carries and eat clock.”
You just killed your argument. You don’t use a top 5 pick on a player that won’t be on the field on every snap. We’re not in any shape to be using top 5 picks on luxury players IMO.
January 30th, 2012 at 1:16 am
“Me thinks our rush D will improve by solidifying Rush O.”
And that makes zero sense at all, unless Richardson can also play all three LB positions at once.
January 30th, 2012 at 2:10 am
If you draft Richardson, he’ll seldom see the field. Our pourous D will be giving the other team 80% of the possession time. They’ll be getting drug up and down the field- exactly like they did this year- except Meybe worse, because Barber will either retire or grow older
January 30th, 2012 at 11:23 am
gotbbucs Says:
January 30th, 2012 at 1:14 am
“Richardson will be our #5 pick, and we will start winning. Love to see he and LGB split carries and eat clock.”
You just killed your argument. You don’t use a top 5 pick on a player that won’t be on the field on every snap. We’re not in any shape to be using top 5 picks on luxury players IMO.
What the hell is GMC?
Every snap???? Giants have 2 RB’s.
January 30th, 2012 at 11:25 am
gotbucs,
Foolish to think that only 1 RB can stay healthy all year. Why not have the 2 best RB’s in the NFC South.
Add OL FA and cut Faine, Trueblood.
Add CB in FA and in 2nd round.
January 30th, 2012 at 2:20 pm
@stevek…if you’d be happy with Ray Rice coming here then we should pass on Richardson and get Doug Martin from Boise State. He’s a Ray Rice clone.
January 30th, 2012 at 5:30 pm
No way they take Claiborne. Running backs in the 1st round are a wasted pick. Parcells even says the 1st 3 rounds. And SHiano is part of the Pracells coaching tree.
Nice job Cummings….
January 30th, 2012 at 6:40 pm
Richardson would be a great pick if the secondary situation wasn’t the way it is. If Morris Claiborne is there Bucs need to pick him end of discussion. Aqib might be facing jail time or at least suspension. Ronde might retire or at the very least he should. Biggers is an awful starter and Lewis is always injured and hasn’t looked at all promising. Bucs could get Doug Martin, David Wilson, or LaMichael James maybe even Lamar Miller. They all rank as good prospects and a tier below Richardson. Bucs have Blount who I think is a top back in this league with proper training like holding onto the ball and learning protections so he can stay on the field. If Marshawn Lynch is the best playoff run all time where does Blount’s packers run rank. The guy has great potential at most you need a compliment for him to get a better running attack.
January 30th, 2012 at 7:56 pm
I don’t get the thoughts of some fans thinking passing on Richardson to “settle” for another RB or two is a good thing. If you had Walter Payton would you give him up for just another serviceable running back or two so it would afford you the addition of a good cover guy? Same thing with a Barry Sanders, Eric Dickerson or Adrian Peterson etc. It would not surprise me if Trent was as good, in a same league as them perhaps. It is correct that it is more difficult to find a man cover guy than a really good RB, however a Great RB can change a team around to a greater degree than a great corner. Only question with me is will he still be there at #5 when we pick. I hope the Browns want a QB badly.
January 31st, 2012 at 12:03 am
Hey Jeff “No way they take Claiborne. Running backs in the 1st round are a wasted pick” Claiborne is a CB at 180 he might just get killed…how would Richardson be a wasted pick? Only if he was injury prone and I don’t believe he will be.
January 31st, 2012 at 12:33 am
All you people who are against taking this RB will rue the day!! Telling you right now he is the one player in this draft without flaws, he is one of the most complete football players I’ve ever seen. How would he not see the football that often? Give him the ball and with his abundance of first down runs and his occasional going the distance I believe he will eat his share of the clock. Now get some lineman, linebackers or whatever who can get to the QB and there you have the two ingredients to turn this team around. Man, this is like Adrian Peterson part 2 where it seemed like everyone was sickened by the idea of Bucs drafting AP and must go Defense especially for Monty. I just wonder if the Rock star has had occasional nightmares about that draft decision not made by he and now sees a chance to learn from history and this time take the RB who happens to be the best player on the board.