Barron, Martin Were Studs On Other Side Of Ball
April 27th, 2012
New Bucs safety Mark Barron, left, and running back Doug Martin meet the press at One Buc Palace this afternoon.
So Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik came out with what many NFL experts call a coup, landing Alabama safety Mark Barron and Boise State running back Doug Martin as first round draft picks.
It’s a bit ironic that both Barron and Martin both made their bones in high school football on the opposite side of the ball.
Barron was an offensive star, though he was told he would be a natural fit someday as a defensive player.
“My coaches all told me I was a natural free safety,” Barron said at One Buc Palace Friday. “I played almost [exclusively] on offense.
“When I came out of high school I was listed as an ‘athlete.'”
Barron wasn’t certain which side of the ball he would play when colleges began recruiting him out of St. Paul’s Episcopal High School in Mobile, Ala. Once he decided he would play defense, Alabama, he said, seemed like a natural fit.
Martin too excelled on the other side of the ball. He was a linebacker while playing for St. Mary’s High School in Stockton, Calif.
“I wasn’t heavily recruited coming out of high school,” Martin said. “Boise was the first [Division-I] college to offer me. I didn’t know anything about Boise.”
And that included the blue turf.
Originally, Martin was a linebacker at Boise “until a running back got hurt,” Martin said.
Once he began as a Broncos running back, he never played linebacker again. Despite being a dangerous runner, Martin also logged quite a bit of time on special teams.
Joe thinks it’s kind of cool that the Bucs were able to purloin a couple of versatile athletes like Barron and Martin.
April 27th, 2012 at 4:07 pm
love the Red Barron and Muscle Hamster!! gr8 1st round!!!! BUC IT IM OUT!!!!!!!!!
April 27th, 2012 at 4:41 pm
barron #24 martin # 22
April 27th, 2012 at 4:45 pm
“So Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik came out with what many NFL experts call a coup…”
A Coup? Seriously? Hey Joe, don’t you mean “Boy band general manager Mark Dominik ENDED UP HAVING TO TAKE BARRON because his stupid strategy to pick up a 4th round pick backfired and so to save face and not lose out on ANOTHER coveted player, he traded up into the first round to land Doug Martin?”
Now THAT’S more accurate.
April 27th, 2012 at 4:48 pm
@ adam you really are totally clueless …..lol
April 27th, 2012 at 4:52 pm
see this is the problem with mock drafts because when a team does something unexpected there criticized
April 27th, 2012 at 4:55 pm
It doesn’t matter how it happened, we ultimately got what we needed, a stud safety and another bruising running back, now opposing defenses will really have to decide, die by the run or die by the pass.
April 27th, 2012 at 4:57 pm
@tylund I said it the other day, the only two picks anyone can call with any certainty was, who was going to be #1 and who was going #2, after them it was anybody’s guess.
April 27th, 2012 at 5:01 pm
i agree and as soon as the bucs moved back i knew it was going to be kuechly or barron. Because i thought the rams would take claiborne
April 27th, 2012 at 5:03 pm
Who’s calling this a coup? Besides you?
April 27th, 2012 at 5:07 pm
If you believe that mark dominik wanted barron all along which i do then this is a coup.
April 27th, 2012 at 5:12 pm
No longer having to start Sean Jones and Tanard Jackson, like the Bucs did at the end of the season is the coup.
They combined to make like 5 plays total last season.
April 27th, 2012 at 5:14 pm
Because they added a middling 4th round pick (I bet you 107% of Jags site are talking about how little they gave up to move up) this is a coup?
If I traded in a $25000 car for a 22000 one, and made them throw in an Xmas tree air freshener, I’d hardly consider that a coup. But you guys have fun drinking the kool aid.
April 27th, 2012 at 5:15 pm
Camby,
Have fun being a cynical loser.
April 27th, 2012 at 5:16 pm
Camby:
Oh, just Mike Mayock, Charley Casserly, Kurt Warner, Brian Billick, Charles Davis, Trent Dilfer… need Joe continue?
April 27th, 2012 at 5:16 pm
joe dont forget adam schefter
April 27th, 2012 at 5:17 pm
Sorry, but really kool aid.
It is more like trading in a $25,000 sports car for $22,000 minivan when you find out your wife is pregnant and getting the dealer to throw in a new flat screen.
Everyone is happy and everyone wins.
April 27th, 2012 at 5:36 pm
Joe, they probably have no clue who those guys are.
April 27th, 2012 at 5:59 pm
The Kool aid is great, thanks Camby-pamby! Have fun reading the astute analysis on the Jags sites.
April 27th, 2012 at 6:01 pm
I am very happy with the 1st round. I will now say Rock Star from now on after this offseason. The Barron pick wasn’t a screw up Adam, I have said all along that the Bucs will not pick Claiborne. The Bucs want high character guys and I think it is obvious that Schiano saw a flaw in Claiborne’s character, maybe the fact it became apparent he cheated his way through school, I don’t know what exactly it could be.
Years from now, maybe Claiborne will be a good CB in this leage, but I have my doubts. Barron, to me, appeared to be their target, behind Richardson, the whole time. I also feel that Martin is an excellent silver medal to Richardson. If you really look into it Martin has Ray Rice potential, which is why I think Schiano wanted him. Keep in mind Ray Rice is undersized and not incredibly fast. Sound familiar?
Joe, I missed the draft party due to walk-off fever yesterday, but I’m sure it was a great time. I have enjoyed your draft coverage and insight. It will be interesting, though, to see how it goes in the time period between the draft and the beginning of preseason. I’m sure there will be some minor signings and rookie camp and all, but definately heading into a down period. JoeRaysFan.com guys.
April 27th, 2012 at 6:07 pm
Another round of Koolaide for everyone, great first round, go Bucs
Adam you’re not a very smart man.
April 27th, 2012 at 6:27 pm
@J 2.0
“maybe the fact it became apparent”
You should re-word that one, genius.
April 27th, 2012 at 6:31 pm
Dominik got schooled by Jerry Jones and the fact that we only got one 4th rounder in return sucked but I’ve got to say I’m excited about these 2 guys. Barron should damn near be ready to be a star coming from Alabama and same goes for Martin. Boise St. has become a solid program over the last decade. Can’t wait to see that 1 2 punch delivered by Blount and Martin. Thought it was going to be exciting just with Blount playing for his big payday now he’s looking for his payday and playing time. Awesome! Good job so far Bucs. Bring on the season.
April 27th, 2012 at 6:47 pm
Schooled by Jerry Jones, that is stupid man. If they really wanted Claiborne they would have took him at 5. To say they traded back so they can pick him @ seven is retarded when you consider the Rams could have easily took him or another team could have traded up o the 6th and taking him (exactly what happened). It’s that simple if they really wanted him they would have him right now, the Bucs know way more about the draft than you buddy.
The Mark Barron pick makes perfect sense. Why draft Claiborne when he only gives you one dimension on defense and which is pass coverage. When you can trade back a couple picks and grab Barron who is multidimensional, he can come up and smash RB’s, drop back into coverage, and blitz the QB + he was a captain on Nick Saban’s defense which says a lot about the guy. The more one player can do on defense the better. Also if we never traded back we wouldn’t be sitting with the beast we call Doug Martin.
April 27th, 2012 at 6:57 pm
Also, the Bucs had really good inside information on Claiborne considering Ron Cooper was his DB coach in college, so it’s clear they saw something they didn’t like in him. Ron Cooper also knows a lot about Mark Barron considering The Tide had to play LSU twice last year, including the national championship game.
April 27th, 2012 at 8:01 pm
@BKNY
Maybe the fact that it has become apparent you are an idiot with no sense of humor.
April 27th, 2012 at 8:52 pm
@Adams. Go be a Dolphin fan.