Barber Must Be A Priority
January 28th, 2012
- “Go ahead, Ronde. Be your best self for Coach Schiano.”
Joe can’t imagine a reason why Greg Schiano wouldn’t want Ronde Barber on his roster.
Schiano told the world yesterday that he craves and values competition on his team. The man wants to compete in “every drill.” And Bucs fans know Barber doesn’t miss practice and has long been motivated by defending his starting role and fighting back his detractors. Schiano also talked about earning fans trust and winning back fans.
Given those factors, Joe sees Schiano getting Barber to return for the 2012 season as a big early step in his regime. Barber can still play, and his return surely would serve as a great endorsement of the Schiano regime to fans.
Of course, Barber might not want to play football anymore — something totally out of Schiano’s control — but Joe highly doubts that’s the case.
Joe assumes Barber will wait for his broken arm to heal fully before he makes a call on his future, but Joe hopes Schiano gets Barber one-on-one at One Buc Palace in a matter of hours.
January 28th, 2012 at 11:54 am
Better for Ronde to retire than come back and be released for missing 2-3 tackles every game.
January 28th, 2012 at 12:04 pm
Joe,
This is a slippery slope of an article. You almost set Schiano up to be disliked if Ronde decides to retire. Ronde has earned the right to retire if he so chooses, so I hope you have sources that are indicating he will return. I would hate to see fans dislike Schiano for a right that has been earned by Ronde for his stellar career. Please be more careful in the future.
January 28th, 2012 at 12:05 pm
I would also like to add there is nothing more I would like to see than #20 next year. I love Ronde.
January 28th, 2012 at 12:14 pm
Joe here,
@Jared – “Slippery slope of an article.” Joe thinks that’s ludicrous. If Ronde ends up on another NFL team, that’s not going to look good for Schiano or the Bucs. THat’s just reality. If he comes back to play for Schiano, then that looks great for the new coach. …As Joe wrote, Ronde not wanting to play anymore is completely out Schiano’s control.
January 28th, 2012 at 12:16 pm
Jared, you loving Ronde isnt a reason to bring him back. He’s lost a step..or two. The Bucs have a youth movement going on EXCEPT Ronde for some reason. Brooks lost a step and they dumped him.
January 28th, 2012 at 12:17 pm
You think another team is going to pick up an old, under sized cornerback? You know what will make this coach look good in Tampa…WINNING
January 28th, 2012 at 12:22 pm
Some FA’s that could help turn this thing around:
1. Carl Nicks
2. Dwayne Bowe
3. Stephen Tulloch
4. Tyvon Branch
@#5 overal in the draft: T. Richardson.
January 28th, 2012 at 12:23 pm
All players miss a couple tackles. What you don’t understand is that Ronde was out BEST tackler during the season. He stopped guys that other players could not.
Also…Ronde is willing to be placed in a backup role. We NEED him.
That said…Schiano is a pretty wise guy…if he feels the need to no resign Ronde, he likely has a reason for it.
Personally? I hope Ronde plays here one more year and considers being a coach of the secondary in the future. Schiano is the perfect guy to train him as a asst secondaries coach down the road.
January 28th, 2012 at 12:24 pm
Slope = Rise/Run
Great piece, Joe.
Coach Schiano has no bearring on whatever Ronde decides. I fully respect any decision Ronde makes: come back, retire, new time.
He has earned it.
January 28th, 2012 at 12:25 pm
Carl Nicks will never hit the market.
#5 pick better not be Richardson…not when we can’t run block. Better not be WR either. I would be happy with CB or OL.
Side Note:
Zuttah played for Schiano…so I can see him being made out starting center. I think maybe Faine see’s this too, which is likely why he showed up at the presser.
January 28th, 2012 at 12:26 pm
Steve, you know 95% of Bucs fans, maybe sane normal people all over, will disagree with your draft selection.
Running Back with #5 pick? Dude better be the next Barry Sanders
January 28th, 2012 at 12:30 pm
Isnt it fun to analyze free agent possibilities when we all know these owners wont spend on any of them. Man I love being a bucs fan
January 28th, 2012 at 12:30 pm
It would look horrrrible for this organization if Ronde is wearing enemy colors. He’ll find a few million out there for himself next year if he wants it.
January 28th, 2012 at 12:34 pm
@Pete Dutcher “Ronde was our best tackler….”
On the contrary, Ronde Barber led all CBs in missed tackles with 22 and was second only to Tanard Jackson(24) for most in the league. Barber has missed more tackles than any CB from 2008-2011. He is definitely taking a step back in that part of his game, although he has never been one of the best in that department anyways. Certainly not the best on this Bucs team.
January 28th, 2012 at 12:37 pm
Even if Ronde comes back, we should not settle for him as a starter. We need more talent at CB. Claiborne and a FA would suffice.
January 28th, 2012 at 12:40 pm
Those phony ass football stats by outsiders and others are such BS.
January 28th, 2012 at 12:45 pm
TheProsUseAdvoCare Says:
“On the contrary, Ronde Barber led all CBs in missed tackles with 22 and was second only to Tanard Jackson(24) for most in the league. Barber has missed more tackles than any CB from 2008-2011. He is definitely taking a step back in that part of his game, although he has never been one of the best in that department anyways. Certainly not the best on this Bucs team.”
Dude, he said Ronde was OUR best tackler, not the best tackling DB in the league. And while there is no stat to prove or disprove this theory, I believe he was more reliable in that department than anyone else on the roster this past season. When a back broke free I KNEW our backers would whiff or not finish the tackle, but if Ronde was in the area I felt better about our chances of actually bringing the ball carrier down.
January 28th, 2012 at 12:46 pm
RB w/ the 5? C’mon Steve! That’s crazy talk! If they can pick up a LB in FA or trade I say go after Blackmon if they’re going to use the 5. I think the best thing they could do is trade down and pick an extra 2nd rd and possibly an extra 3rd. Although I doubt it…there aren’t that many “WOW” players in the draft this year to constitute some one giving up their 2nd & 3rd. But we very well could get an extra 2nd for falling back say 5-10 spots in the 1st.
January 28th, 2012 at 12:57 pm
@Vince I was showing he is not a good tackler and was not the best on our team. Aqib and EJ both had better tackling percentages and that is just at the CB position. Not saying either of the other guys were great tacklers by any means. They weren’t but neither tackled worse than Barber. I do understand that Barber practically played LB at times in that scheme. Either way, he wasn’t very good at it. I’m sure he’d play better at a typical nickel position in a better scheme. I do not think it will be much better though and our best bet is to find new talent.
I’m not saying let him go. I actually would like to keep him if he helps the other guys learn. I just don’t think he should be a starter anymore.
January 28th, 2012 at 12:59 pm
If there is such a thing in pro football as a player/coach, Ronde would fit the bill. I think he is a future HOFer, but he should not be our starting CB. He has more knowledge about the game than we are likely to acquire and still possesses uncanny instincts, but he can no longer match the speed of the game today. I wouldn’t cut him if he wanted to play, but I wouldn’t start him either!
January 28th, 2012 at 1:03 pm
total no brainer. of course he would love to bring ronde back.
ronde doesnt want to go out at 4 dash 12.
he is one of the few guys on this team that exhibits the unselfish attitude our new coach craves.
January 28th, 2012 at 1:05 pm
^^^^ Exactly what Macabee said.
January 28th, 2012 at 1:05 pm
Good points Joe. Signing Ronde isn’t only about his skills on the field but also a sign that one of the franchise’s most influential figures is on board with it.
January 28th, 2012 at 1:05 pm
I shouldn’t say signing Ronde. I mean Ronde staying and not retiring.
January 28th, 2012 at 1:10 pm
He may have the most missed but that is also a product of the D-Line and Linbacking corps not slowing anyone down over the last few years. Of course you will have more misses if nobody even puts a hand on a speedy and big running back or a large possession WR. Ronde has been an excellent player for the Bucs over his career but a large portion of his success came due to the system he was in. The system we have been running since he was drafted allowed him and others to play more wrecklessly where craziness ensues and the secondary can run stunts and catch a QB making small mistakes. I hope Ronde returns because he is a leader amongst the kids and is willing to have a diminished role on the field based on his CURRENT strengths. Schiano could do worse at corner than Ronde even if he has lost a step or two.
January 28th, 2012 at 1:18 pm
nobody can cover when the opposing team qb can read the new york times in the pocket
January 28th, 2012 at 1:30 pm
Time to move on from Ronde, not only does he miss a lot of tackles he can not cover like he use to. Love the guy but time to move on, if he does come back he does not deserve to be a starter, do not care how long he has been here he is not starter material. Plus playing in a back up role could keep him fresher throughout the season. As for free agent corners, there will be plenty to choose from this year. Maybe not all super stars but a guy I have my eye on is RICHARD MARSHALL from Cards. He is a pretty good corner and we all know that from his days with Carolina. And Nicks will never get here already have high contracts for our left tackle and right guard, Nicks will get the biggest contract ever for a guard
January 28th, 2012 at 1:32 pm
Actually if you watch the tape, the linebackers andefensive backs were so horrible the qb released in two seconds. I thought our d line did a decent job with pressure last year. We just need a whloe new linebacker and defensive back corps.
January 28th, 2012 at 1:37 pm
@Clayburn Correct for the most part. We did get pressure when we had coverage for the most part. We did not have good coverage. Teams were throwing at will against Jones, Hayes, Black and Biggers.
January 28th, 2012 at 1:40 pm
I meant “Correct.” Not “Correct for the most part”. I screwed up my cut paste.
January 28th, 2012 at 1:45 pm
Yup i hope we draft a couple of cornerback amd at least bring in a linebacker or two in FA. From what i understand, there will be alot of blitzing from our defense next year so i think Dekoda watson could start and have some success under Schiano. Bring in another OLB in FA or the draft that can physically dominate an Offensive lineman and look for an experienced MLB to mentor foster and we should be ok as far limebackers. Please get rid of snoop dog aka talib and get MO CLAIBORNE!!
January 28th, 2012 at 1:46 pm
Sorry for all the mispellings lol. I get too excited on my iphone.
January 28th, 2012 at 1:47 pm
I love Ronde, but consistently he was being matched up against the oposing team’s TE, because he lacks the speed to keep up with todays WR’s. The only problem with that, is that Ronde usually does great in shutting down TE’s, but not in the red zone. That’s when they go high, and guys like Jimmy Grahm and Tony Gonzalez can just go over him.
Ronde has been working off of 1-year deals for a while now. There’s no harm in him signing another one. It would be nice to keep him to tutor Claiborne if drafted. If Talib gets off, then you start those 2 with Ronde as a nickel CB and bump Biggers et all down the list where they belong.
CB issue solved!!
January 28th, 2012 at 1:48 pm
Yeah that is just what we need, to bring in a Player(lost a step or two..)/Coach (who is not a vocal leader on the field…..)
Agree with the Hall Of Fame for Barber, few CB’s have ever had the INT’s, Sacks, Tackles, games played that Ronde has.
He is a a point where he might come in and be the nickle or even 2nd or 3rd string CB. Because like it or not after the years of great CB play by Barber he is not the same player he once was.
I hope he can come back one more season, but at what point do we replace him? Talib is a FA I think, not even thinking about his legal issues in TX. Biggers is okay, Myron is hurt (again), mack is… mack.
Lets let the new coach decide how to play the players we will have on the field next season.
With Ronde Barber or not..
January 28th, 2012 at 1:54 pm
Joe can’t imagine a reason why Greg Schiano wouldn’t want Ronde Barber on his roster.
Because he lead the league in missed tackles?
January 28th, 2012 at 1:59 pm
23 sacks for year
dead last by wide margin.
cant blame ronde for that.
January 28th, 2012 at 1:59 pm
This team HAS to go after Cortland Finnegan this offseason. Fits what Schiano wants to do and will definitely be on the open market
January 28th, 2012 at 2:02 pm
Finnegan and Talib? That would be one of the best CB line ups in the league. It also would be the most annoying $hit talking pair of CBs in the NFL.
January 28th, 2012 at 2:11 pm
IMO Ronde is either a Buccaneer this fall or retired.
There’s just not of demand for 37 year old FA CB’s.
But I could see him here if he wants to play.
Either way, Ronde’s a Ring of Honor guy one day and will retire a Buccaneer IMO.
January 28th, 2012 at 2:17 pm
Normally I would say RB at #5 is a bad move but would you have taken Adrian Peterson at #5? Trent Richardson is probably the best RB prospect since Adrian Peterson and I would call him a game changer for any team that gets him. He will definitely be BPA if he is there for us at #5 and the only player I can see us taking above him that might still be there would be Claiborne. Do you think Claiborne or Richardson would have more of an immediate impact on our team? Personally, I think it would be Richardson. He’s an every down back who can catch the ball out of the backfield and the combo of he and Blount would be outstanding. Listen, you can’t blame the Offensive for poor run blocking when Blount ran hard about half of the time. That and the fact that our play calling was so predictable that the defense knew when we were going to run and when we were going to pass. Things will be much different with a new OC and a new O-line coach. My prediction is that Richardson will get the nod if he’s there at #5.
January 28th, 2012 at 2:32 pm
I agree Bobby, we will take a running back in this years draft.
Maybe not at number 5, but I think Coach Schiano will want to hedge his bets, in case Blount is not what he wants.
January 28th, 2012 at 2:38 pm
Gotta say, I watched Coach Schiano’s press conference yesterday, and I was very impressed by him. No laughing and giggling like Raheem did in his first one.
LOL. I’m getting more excited about the hire now.
January 28th, 2012 at 2:45 pm
Whats the chances of getting A-train on board to work with the RBs.That would be a great bridge between old and new but capture the spirit of blue collar Buc ball
January 28th, 2012 at 2:48 pm
do u try and cure the bad apples with a disciplined approach or bring in guys that fit the schiano mold even if ith means longer rebuild.
i heard him say one of the keys to recruiting is to have the discipline to pass on the flashy but selfish players in favor of ones who buy in.
should be interesting
January 28th, 2012 at 3:11 pm
@ eric
Schiano had Kenny Britt. Kenny Britt is a lunatic. I think he’ll be ok handling some bad apples.
January 28th, 2012 at 3:19 pm
Think about it,
we may have the chance to bring in a Ray Rice/Maurice Jones Drew type back:
Trent Richardson.
Yes please, this is exactly what we need.
Everyone can say, “#5 overall, are you crazy?”. Yes I am, crazy about winning.
Trent Richardson is a Game Breaker, and a 2 time National Champion. He is an absolute stud.
We need to pick this guy up, and let him run wild on the NFC South.
T-Rich will carry us to a Superbowl sooner than any other draft pick @#5.
How did our last Top 5 Pick work out? We need to draft a durable, hard nosed, winning machine.
January 28th, 2012 at 3:22 pm
Ronde’s tackle percentage was poor bc unlike most other cb’s ronde was by himself taking on running backs who were completely untouched by the time they made it to him.
Ronde also plays many snaps inside and has linebacker like run responsibilities – so comparing his tackle stats to Talib and Biggers who arent inside and dont attempt to take on RB’s with a full head of steam is dumb – apples to oranges.
This is why the fools at PFF, who know nothing about football, make unteliable conclusions. Like their D Line rankings – they dont understand trap plays, draws which require that the OLineman release the DLineman
– and many other analytical flaws.
I remember when they first ranked quarterbacks and Brady was ranked very low by their flawed analysis when every football person will tell you he was top 2 or 3.
You cant properly grade football players without understanding the intricacies of the game.
Barber is still a valuable asset at nickel.
You Talib supporters are clueless, he doesnt tackle, takes chances, is often hurt and will be jailed.
January 28th, 2012 at 3:22 pm
@Bobby
I subscribe to the theory building your football team from the inside out and from front to back. Running backs get more touches thus, seem to have more impact on the game than cornerbacks or wide receivers. One could argue that the best way to defend against the passing attacks we’ll face in the NFC South is to have a punishing run game that eats up the clock. If that’s Dom’s theory as well then I can’t imagine them not taking Richardson even if Claiborne is technically the higher graded player.
Side note: If we draft Richardson, we would definitely have a New York Giants feel. Thunder and Lightning backfield. Veteran O-line. Soon-to-be-elite QB. Huge emphasis on the D-line & our pass rush. It could happen people!
January 28th, 2012 at 3:29 pm
Agree with you Thomas,
Talib is a LOSER and needs to go.
January 28th, 2012 at 3:31 pm
I think both schools of thinking are correct:
It is usually a bad idea to draft a rb top 5 bc solid rb’s are a dime a dozen (somehow we dont have one – although a healthy E Graham is solid).
T Rich is a special player that garners real consideration at number 5. If Claiborne is there – tough call – probably cant go wrong either way.
It will all depend on how Schiano values the roster and which positions need to be filled to get you further away from the RahDom last place roster that we currently have.
January 28th, 2012 at 3:35 pm
@Thomas The guys at PFF don’t look at circumstance. That is not what they do. The look at the outcome. They don’t decide whether a player would work in a different scheme or a different position. They only grade the play on the field. Not the why or the technique. Just the outcome. And Rondes outcome was not a very good outcome.
Ronde has had this tackling problem for years. Of course their are other variables, but he still does not tackle well when given the chance regardless of how that chance comes.
It is amazing that you say “when will the sheep stop making excuses for McCoy’s play”, yet, when there is clear evidence that Barber is slipping you make excuses for him. You are beyond hypocritical and the definition of inconsistent in your reasoning.
January 28th, 2012 at 3:36 pm
Ground n Pound, here we come!
Richardson is exactly what we need.
Our offense needs a “Game Changer”, and what a better way then to get somebody that can handle 20+ carries a game, catches out of the backfield, and has won 2 Minor League Football Championships (against the best D prospects).
January 28th, 2012 at 3:40 pm
@ ProsUseAdvoCare:
Why you hating on Thomas’s Statement?
Ronde was a 2nd round pick, won us a championship, and held a steady spot on the BUC D for 10+ years.
Also, he hasn’t missed a game in damn near 200.
McSoftie can’t tackle, and has torn his arms up 2 years in a row.
Thomas is not making excueses for Ronde, he is stating facts: Our LB’s SUCK, and Talib is a dirt bag.
January 28th, 2012 at 3:46 pm
richardson also wont be on the five year development plan like gerald and benn
January 28th, 2012 at 3:50 pm
@SteveK I am not “hating” on Thomas’ statement. I am pointing out that he is wrong.
Barber has been wonderful for the Bucs. I agree. Totally worth it.
McCoy didn’t miss a tackle this year. Yes he has been injured a lot. If he can’t stay healthy he needs to be replaced.
Thomas’s entire post was an excuse. Nothing wrong with excusing certain things but call it what it is.
I agree that the play of the LBs affected him(as I already stated) as he has had to line up as an LB quite a few times because he, a CB, is a better LB than the other garbage we put on the field. I mean, the guy was on the field for darn near every defensive snap. That is amazing. Then if you add in being on the field at multiple positions never shying from contact, it is even more amazing. But I don’t want to settle for Barber just because the other guys are worse. Lets get more talent on the field in general.
January 28th, 2012 at 3:54 pm
Agree with you totally!
CUT TALIB and sign a FA CB.
Cut Sean Jones and sign a Safety
Sign Stephen Tulloch
Draft T-Rich, hello playoff spot.
January 28th, 2012 at 3:55 pm
As far as the PFF “fools” not understanding traps….. You can just search for “traps” on their site and get a list of articles in which they talk about traps. Some go into detail about what traps are and how they grade them.
January 28th, 2012 at 4:11 pm
If the Bucs draft Richardson and they use him to pound the rock and eat up time on the clock, the opposing offense will look at our db’s and while we are kicking field goals with long drives, they will score quickly over our db’s, if Claiborne is there, u have to draft him, the way you saw The honey badger make plays, you will see ronde( if he comes back) make those kind of plays. You can do that with half of the field shut down. Btw, you really don’t want Talib to go any where, let’s see how he can play under different coaching and accountability.
January 28th, 2012 at 4:22 pm
Our new head coach is not interested in eating up the clock on offense so don’t look forward to that. In his own words when talking about what to expect from the Bucs under his coaching: “….. be a physical offensive football team that takes shots down the field. Takes shot down the field. Its very hard to go 12, 13, 14 play drives. If we miss a shot we’ll line up, play defense again, get the ball back, and go after them again. Physical. Run the football physically and take shots down the field. That formula works.”
January 28th, 2012 at 4:40 pm
Maybe they should see if they can coax Lynch and Brooks out of retirement while they’re at it. I believe Ronde will retire on his own. All he has to do is go back and look at his tape from last season and he will see the writing on the wall.
I seriously think some of you are forgetting just how old Ronde will be next football season. This guy isnt Darrell GReen. He was never the fastest man in the NFL and whatever speed he had coming into the league is rapidly disappearing.
The ONLY way I would welcome Ronde back is if he accepted a reduced role coming off the bench as a nickel or dime back or if he made the switch to safety but he clearly is no longer an effective starter. Its time to move on and find the future starter to replace Ronde.
January 28th, 2012 at 4:46 pm
Richardson and Claiborne are studs but RB’s are a dime a dozen and shut down CB’s arent, one of these guys will be there at 5 either one would be great if both then i gotta go with Claiborne
January 28th, 2012 at 4:47 pm
@ TheProsUseAdvoCare
“Physical” + “Shots Down the field” = emphasis on the run game. Relying on the run, to me, is going to equate to longer drives.
Rutgers averaged 32:55 of possession/game. The Steelers lead the league this year in TOP at 32:28.
I’m all for long, sustained drives. Our offense is the strength of this team and our best unit is the offensive line. We need to use that to our advantage.
January 28th, 2012 at 4:53 pm
The people of Tampa Bay take heed!!!… The best defense is your best weapon on offense. Give your #5 pick in the draft Trent Richardson the ball on average of 30-34 times a game and that’s including receiving. The oppositions defense will have nightmares combined with improved WR corps and QB…It’s all about taking time off that clock!! and as teams get transfixed into trying to stop this, it is then you go deep…So you chop,chop, chop and there goes the big one! and no you can not do this with any kind of major concern from defenses with just Blount, however he and T. Richardson would make this even more interesting. I believe this new coach will have the foresight to see this and discard what 95% of the fan’s think of getting a good DB to merely fill a void will make a significant difference to the team as pure folly. I believe the 90’s Cowboy’s with Emmitt would be inclined to think this way.
January 28th, 2012 at 4:55 pm
The argument about Ronde and his tackling are ridiculous. Although he missed many tackles, he also made a bunch. To say that Talib or Biggers tackled better is crazy. Sure, their percentage was higher, but they weren’t in on nearly as many tackle attempts either. Barber had 67 solo, 6 asst for 73 total. Biggers had 43/5 for 48, and Talib had 41/1 for 42. Even if you subtract a tackle for Barber’s total for every “missed tackle” (which is a subjective stat), he’d still have more tackles than either Talib OR Biggers. Simple math, 73 – 22 = 51. 51 is still greater than either 48 or 42. Barber is around the ball. He has more opportunities to make tackles because he’s always around the ball. That also equates to more opportunities to miss tackles. I’d rather have a guy in position to make tackles than never in the picture.
Not only is he around to assist or make tackles (or miss them), but he’s equally around to defend passes. Talib had 11, Biggers 10, and Barber 9 passes defensed. Barber also had more INTs than anyone on the team last year. Add on a FF, FR, and a Safety.
Of course, tackles are also a “subjective” stat. Who made the tackle? Who got the assist? Would the tackle have been made or missed without the assistance of another player? The Bucs official website has Barber with 79 total tackles instead of 73, and listed as 2nd on the team last year behind only Sean Jones. Helping the “missed tackle stat” is the fact that 3 of the top 5 tacklers on the team were DBs. That means someone got a full head of steam before those little guys got a hand on him. Michael Bennet led all DL in tackles and ranked 7th on the team. Biggers had more tackles than our two OLBs and he just dives at players feet. Tanard (who missed a lot) and Talib both had more than Clayborn.
Get the idea yet? Barber actually played pretty well all over the field last year. Did he miss some tackles (according to PFF)? Sure, but he made as many plays as just about anyone on the team on defense.
January 28th, 2012 at 4:56 pm
@SensibleBuc I am not against or for them. I am parroting what the coach said. From that it is clear he is not interested in 12-15 play drives. If they happen, they happen, but from his own words it appears his strategy is to rack up points as fast as possible.
January 28th, 2012 at 4:58 pm
@ Deminion
While I agree that shut-down corners are harder to find that stud running backs, I would argue that their importance is being downsized and phased out out the league due to the tightening of the rules on bumping them 5 yards down the field and spread offenses. Ok you can take my #1 receiver away but can you stop Victor Cruz in the slot? Can you stop Rob Gronkowski ?
At this point I’d rather push all my chips (high round draft picks & high dollar free agent acquisitions) to the offensive skill positions and the defensive line. Outscore people and get after the passer.
January 28th, 2012 at 5:05 pm
If you miss Claiborne in the first round there will not be another stud db in the next rounds, however at RB, u could have Martin from Boise, miller from Miami or David Wilson from va. Tech, all would be complementary to Blount. One of those guys will slip to 2nd round and don’t forget the new coach has seen a lot of college prospects up close.
January 28th, 2012 at 5:11 pm
“That also equates to more opportunities to miss tackles. I’d rather have a guy in position to make tackles than never in the picture.” Why not get guys who can do both consistently instead of settling for a guy who can do one or the other?
On your pass defensed topic, that would also depend on how many times a player was targeted. (Biggers 79, Barber 71, Talib 51). This is also predicated on how many times that player was on the field for defensive snaps.(Barber 996, Talib 704, Biggers 637).
Barber should have been around the ball more because he played slot and linebacker almost exclusively.
Of course everything is slightly subjective outside of snap count. But having 22 missed tackles is not good. Allowing 64.8% of the passes that come your way be caught is not very good. Being third in the league for most YAC allowed is not very good.
Even so, he was way better than Biggers. This is why we need two new CBs. Preferably acquired this off season.
January 28th, 2012 at 5:24 pm
@Rrsrq
I agree Claiborne and Talib ppl cn say “he is this or he is that” from my understanding is imagine if he had a coach who guided him and discplined him, not to mention he is a good DB he could tackle alot better with coaching but this guy could be great. baciscally he is not a bum!
January 28th, 2012 at 5:37 pm
@SensibleBuc
I cnt argue your point very true, but F/A is whole different animal especially with the glazers but for sum reason i think we make a splash signing(wishful thinking)
January 28th, 2012 at 5:44 pm
Nobody respects Ronde Barber more than I do, and I would live to see him on the team next year
But if signing a 37 year old corner, who has lost a step, is one of our biggest priorities, then we are in alot more trouble than we can get out of! Ronde needs to be a nickel back this year. Our priorities better be signing two starters- as Talib sucks. We also need two safeties, and a MLB and WIB. Foster needs a chance at his true position- SLB. He proved he doesn’t have the foot speed for MLB.
We need to replace our ENTIRE Linebacker Corp and Secondary. Unless we want to be 4-12 again!
We also need to get some Experienced Coaches in here, as our New head Coach is gonna be overwhelmed by the jump from a tiny lil college to the NFL. No way he can go from playing in the” St. Petersburg Bowl” to “NFL Sunday” without going Glassy eyed.
After we tend to those priorities-THEN we can worry about signing our nickel back. Doesn’t that seem more logical?
January 28th, 2012 at 6:27 pm
Capt. Tim- Actually I would rather see Ronde playing dime next year. Lets face it, he has been the “nickel back” in passing situations for MUCH of his career while our 3rd cornerback has replaced him on the outside in those sub packages. Ronde EXCELLED in those situations earlier in his career and was one of the best slot corners of all time in his prime but last year he had trouble keeping up with TE’s let alone slot recievers. The more I think about it a move to safety or simply just retiring is probably Ronde’s best move.
January 28th, 2012 at 6:44 pm
I think people really have a hard time with the thought of Ronde retiring or not resigning not because he is still an elite player but because he is the last tie to our glory days. How many teams today have a player still with them from when their team was great in the 90’s????!! I mean losing Ronde will truly be the final cutting of the cord from that late 90’s early 2000’s team that we will always remember as the greatest defense of all time. Steel Curtain be damned. Ravens Super Bowl defense be damned. True Bucs fans know the best defense ever was the 1999 Buccaneers defense that came so close to a Super Bowl berth despite being saddled with the absolute most anemic offense to ever, bewilderingly, find itself in that position. The Steel curtain had Bradshaw, Swann etc. Even the Ravens had Jamal Lewis who was the most dominant power back in the league prior to his incarceration.
Now we have to face the last vestige of that greatness disappearing from sight. After Ronde is gone we will have only memories. We will never see another member of that storied defense make another play on the field and it will truly be the end of an era. Its sad but it but true. We can only hope the seeds of a great new defense are already in place with the picks we have invested in this defensive line.
January 28th, 2012 at 7:34 pm
I agree with the move to Safety! It prolonged the careers of Ronnie Lott and Kenny Easley- and both made a great impact after moving to safety. Ronde has mentioned the possibility himself, and he stil has great Ballhawk instincts.
But either way, this is a low priority issue, considering we are desperate for 7 new starters on Defense, and a head coach who’s greatest achievements in football includes winning the Pappa John and the Pinstripe bowls at a tiny college.
MUCH bigger worries than Ronde, assuming this team has any intentions of winning any football games.
I know everyone is pronouncing this guy a “teacher”. In Kindergarden
January 28th, 2012 at 7:41 pm
Damn it!
In kindergarden, my daughter had a teacher. Don’t think she would make a good NFL coach. These players have had Football”teachers” for 12-15 years. What they need is an advanced “teacher”, to show them how to progress to the NFL level.
I hope I’m wrong, but I don’t see how playing 500 ball at lil Rutgers could possibly have prepared this coach to do that!
Mike Freeman at CBS sports called this the worst coaching hire in the last 10 years or more. I hope he’s wrong. But he’s being asked to make a HUGE leap.
Good luck to him, he’s gonna need it
January 28th, 2012 at 7:51 pm
Mike Freeman is an idiot.
We hired an absolute baphoon who just dismantled a once proud franchise. Rahrah morris was the worst hire in the history, of well hiring.
January 28th, 2012 at 9:06 pm
I agree with you sensibuc, Run the ball with the best, throw the ball better than the rest and get to the quarterback with a killer pass rush, this is offensive defensive football…again concentrate on offense in the draft and maybe sprinkle a little defense in FA. This DB infatuation is a mistake, if we were one or two players away I’d say ok but such a high pick in the draft you have to get the firepower in Trent to make a difference.
January 28th, 2012 at 9:25 pm
Yeah, Ronde is a legacy around here. I would have no problem if he chose to retire, it would have been a heckuva run. However, if he wants to play and we don’t resign him, that would be ridiculous. Saying he was on the field for more plays than other players as a 37 year old is a bad thing? He may have lost a step, but he was still valuable enough to keep him on the field over the likes of Quincy Black and Geno Hayes, and more than the younger Biggers and Talib. In the process, he missed a few tackles. He also made the 2nd most on the team. He was still valuable in coverage (PD, INT, etc.). He was still valuable as that nickel CB, as was evidenced on the Safety he scored and a sack. Should signing him be the teams #1 priority this offseason? No, getting our coordinators is #1 right now, and scouting rookies and FAs. But if he says he wants to play, yeah it should be pretty simple to say “He has value to this team still”.
Were there struggles against TEs? Ha, yeah, but that’s because Black, Foster, Hayes, Jones and Jackson couldn’t cover TEs, so we had to use our small, 37 year old CB to cover them. And he had more success than ANY of them against those TEs.
As for teams with players from the late 90’s, early 00’s… I think the Ravens are still happy to keep Ray Lewis on the field and still make the playoffs. Tom Brady came around in 2000 and Matt Light in 2001 for the Pats, I’m sure they’re still good with those guys as well. Hines Ward and James Farrior in Pitt. Donald Driver and Charles Woodson in GB. Urlacher in Chicago. I know players don’t play forever, but I don’t hear any of those teams saying they need to “get rid of” any of these guys because of age or “slowing down”, and Ronde is no different. He still puts in the effort and time to play at a pro level every week. Is he the best in the NFL? Not anymore, but he’s still better than a lot of CBs out there.
January 29th, 2012 at 8:46 am
For those saying we should take Richardson with the #5…have you even looked at the free agent RB list? We do not need Richardson.