Does Okoye Deal Signal Concern About Price?
April 9th, 2012
While Joe loves the Amobi Okoye signing by the Bucs the other day, Joe has to wonder why Okoye wanted to come to Tampa Bay with reportedly widespread demand for his services across the NFL.
Okoye, 24, is coming off a four-sack season in Chicago that saw him play in every game and be on the field for more than half the Bears’ snaps. One would think he might shy away from coming to the Bucs, where young, premier draft picks Brian Price and Gerald McCoy surely are the guys the organization wants to snatch starting jobs at defensive tackle and be successful in them.
So given all the reports that McCoy will be 100 percent healthy before training camp, Joe has to wonder whether the Okoye signing is a signal that all may not be rosy with Price’s health. Keep in mind the signing came after players returned to One Buc Palace last week.
Yeah, the Bucs desperately needed quality defensive tackle depth, but Joe still can’t wrap his head around Okoye wanting to be a Buccaneer without strong odds that he’ll get a lot of playing time, which would mean playing ahead of Price. Especially considering that Okoye, who graduated college at 19, is known to be a super-genius.
It’s possible the Bucs put the most money on the table, or Okoye fell in love in love with the organization, but Joe suspects there’s more to it than that.
April 9th, 2012 at 10:12 am
Actually, the signing would show more of a concern for Mccoy, as Okoye is a 295lb. 3 technique and not a nose tackle. After Mccoy went down last year, there was nobody else on the roster that could get penetration, and that’s what Okoye is known for.
April 9th, 2012 at 10:12 am
If Price is not 100% they need to let him heal. When he played last year at 60% he was a very disruptive player. However,if his legs are not filly healed they need to give him a chance to heal all the way. I wish they would have put him on IR last year and he could have been at full health this season.
April 9th, 2012 at 10:14 am
I think you’re on to somethin Joe, about Price being in jeopardy. Any idea how much cap room we might save, if Price is cut loose after Training Camp??
April 9th, 2012 at 10:18 am
@ lj
Agreed 100%
April 9th, 2012 at 10:23 am
Me thinks this is just a good quality depth signing. Remember the Giants has a healthy rotation of d-linemen, that is who this team is modeling. When you have depth that is capable of starting, your team is starting to turn the corner and I believe thats what the Bucs are doing, it all starts up front, offensive and defensive lines, hence, they have not put $$ in safety, lb or RB, knowing those are needs too.
April 9th, 2012 at 10:32 am
lol or they just signed okeye because he is extremely young and talented and gives the buc’s D line depth? dont think they signed him because of price, DTs are bigger men, they get tired, bucs need pass rush… good way to get that by have a deep D line rotation and thats exactly what the bucs just got. DE – Adrian, Daquan and Bennet, DT- McCoy, Price, Okeye and Miller… just sounds like a beast deep D line ready to be distruptive.
April 9th, 2012 at 10:35 am
Brian Price plays NT not 3 – technique. Busted his tail and basically only came off the field for short periods.
The only Backup to McCoy was Frank Okam (schiano said he wants speed) and Mike Bennett ?? (Bucs want him at DE full time)
I dont think its fair to point at Brian Price as the concern. Gerald McCoy is the player the Bucs are concerned about.
Brian Price has played NT for 14 or 15 out of last 16 games.
GMC has played 4 out of the last 20 and Okoye plays the same position as GMC. To me this is GMC insurance, Not Brian Price Insurance.
April 9th, 2012 at 10:35 am
I’m thinking we are going to be seeing lots of diversity in the sets the Bucs take out to the field. By constantly switching from a 3-4, where we will most likely be seeing Okoye, back to the 4-3 with Price and mccoy, you are keeping the DTs with injury history on the field for half the time. Price is still a disruptive player, but the Bucs will prolly be getting slim to none for him in a trade because he is so injury prone. Cutting him? Get out of here, we aren’t cutting players at a position where we just made a signing to add more depth!
April 9th, 2012 at 10:36 am
I think that they are concerned with both Price and GMC
and if not,
I like the 3-man rotation that it give and also opens up the possibility of a pretty interesting option of a 3 man line with McCoy, Price and Okeye
April 9th, 2012 at 10:38 am
oh yeah
I forgot about Bowers
concerns about him too?
April 9th, 2012 at 10:38 am
oh yeah
I forgot about Bowers
concerns about him too?
April 9th, 2012 at 10:43 am
More like Dominic is concerned about his own skin.
Can’t keep missing playoffs and stick around as GM, even with all the fancy drafts and bragging.
Running out of scapegoats if things dont change in year four. So, suddenly free agency is a tool to be utilized for starters and depth.
Bout time.
April 9th, 2012 at 10:43 am
What concerns would they have about Bowers? He wasn’t hurt at all last year. That knee surgery was over a year ago now and was minor.
I think the concern was with the quality of the 3techs behind GMC. Okam and Miller are sevicable DTs but neither is a classic 3 tech like McCoy and Okoye.
April 9th, 2012 at 10:45 am
Bowers was brought along very slowly last season, but in the last 5 or so games he looked quite impressive. I think he and Clayborne will make a bigger impact this year with experience and propoer coaching
April 9th, 2012 at 11:06 am
I agree with whoever said this is a depth and rotation signing, and just like the team we are being modeled after on the field (Giants) we are going to have a very deep DT rotation, as well as being able to rotate at L-DE with Bennett & Bowers. Which of course will help our LBs by not get them steamrolled.
April 9th, 2012 at 11:08 am
Of course health is a concern, a serious concern when it comes to
Price and McCoy. Which is why the Okoye signing makes so much sense.
Now if everyone IS healthy? Wow!
I agree with letting Price get well. Playing at 60- 80% is ridiculous.
Nice job Dominik!
April 9th, 2012 at 11:08 am
This evidences concern about McCoy more than Proce – come on Joe you know better. Okoye is an identical “get-off” athletic 3 technique like McCoy. He is not being brought in primarily as a Nose. Although, some would argue that Price is also more naturally a nose.
Price had one serious injury and some related complications. McCoy has had 4 serious game missing injuries (bicep, shoulder, high ankle, bicep) while playing just 50% of the time – that is truly an amazing record of fragility.
I wouldn’t rely on McCoy running out of the tunnel safely, much less making it through 16 games. With those fragile biceps – he better not ever try to gatorade shower Schiano after his first win.
I heard that Vegas has established McCoy’s over/under for games played in 2012 at 4.5 – which sounds low except when you compare it to his over/under for sacks 1.5.
I know, I know – we have lowered the standard now not expecting him to get a single sack – just be disruptive – which truthfully means = since you don’t make tackles or sack the quarterback we must create a new way to make some creative argument that you are not a bust! Ah Ha! Lets just call it “disruption.” Disruption can be anything; it can’t be proven or disproven, its like Global Warming, we think it is happening but nobody can actually identify it.
They already tried stealing 1/2 a sack from Clayborn to give McCoy because McCoy got a finger on a shoelace while Clay was making the sack! Hilarious.
Just like GMC: we desperately want him to be relevant, we just can’t find a legitimate way of proving it.
April 9th, 2012 at 11:12 am
Agree with most here. I think it was a smart move to have consist talent on the line. With the surgery Price had- I would always be concerned. It is unpresidented, and we are on uncharted waters.
Hopefully, all three rotate in all year, and Miller steps up.
That, along with Clayborn, Bowers, Bennett, and Wilson! That could become a very scary D-Line
April 9th, 2012 at 11:33 am
Bottom line, it’s depth no matter at whom you point the finger.
Price’s injury is more serious and unknown, McCoy gets hurt every year. They both have something to prove. I think Mark is just making sure we have someone in place now than scramble later.
April 9th, 2012 at 11:46 am
Interesting tidbit in Okoye’s contract terms on Rotoworld, it’s actually 1 year at 1.3 million, with extra 700,000 in incentives. Doesn’t go into the incentives or how attainable they are, but 1.3million for this guy?? Man, one would think his agent could have done better. Great deal for Bucs!
April 9th, 2012 at 11:49 am
They probably don’t expect Price and McCoy to play every snap.
April 9th, 2012 at 12:05 pm
Might mean Miller’s time is up.
April 9th, 2012 at 12:08 pm
It keeps Haynesworth out of red and pewter. Good move. That was like a kick to the head last year, just when it seemed things couldn’t get any more ridiculous.
April 9th, 2012 at 12:24 pm
The signing does not show a concern about anything. It shows they learned from last ear when they had nothing in reserve at DT so they had to go sign Haynesworth.
Sometimes we look too much into things. They have always been, and most teams do the same thing, 3 DT rotation team. Roy Miller SHOULD be the # 4, not the # 3.
This is a great signing to add depth where it is needed: just like many of us thought they would do as time went on in free agency.
April 9th, 2012 at 12:25 pm
What was the kick in the head was that Haynesworth was one the best on the line at times. How he even got playing time on any NFL team is amazing and yet he becomes a prominent player on the Bucs D-Line right off the street. Does not say much for the talent after the first five.
April 9th, 2012 at 1:09 pm
I think this is just a solid signing across the board and why would Okoye not want to come here. Even if the Bucs told him he was number 3 on the depth chart, he would get plenty of playing time. Plus, with McCoy and Price’s injury history, any DT who wants a chance at starting would want to come here because there is a pretty good chance one or both of them get injured at some point in time. The giants do nothing but stock pile d line talent every single year, and that seems to be paying off pretty good for them. We now have 3 starting caliber DT (when healthy) and 3 starting caliber DE. Lets hope everyone can stay healthy and this D line can make some noise next season.
April 9th, 2012 at 1:23 pm
This is all about depth. Think GIANTS. The deepest D-Line in the league.
This move is exactly what we need. Every team in the NFL needs 3 solid DT’s. And hopefully, now we have the depth we need.
With Bowers, Clayborne, and Bennet- we have 3 solid DE’s
And now we we bave two former top 10 draft pick DT’s along wth Brian Price.
If Price comes back healthy,
We could have a really great YOUNG D-Line.
This is my favorite move of the offseason.
By the way, I think Okoye chose the Bucs because of the weather. He is a native Nigerian, so I know he loves tropical weather.
Go Bucs!!!
April 9th, 2012 at 2:12 pm
very scary.
April 9th, 2012 at 2:20 pm
the less time miller gets, the better we’ll be….
April 9th, 2012 at 2:55 pm
Amobi Okoye (10th overall) considered a disappointment in Houston. Here are Okoye’s first 2 years in the league as a 19-20 year old:
Tackles: 26 starts, 38 tackles, 6.5 sacks, 2 pass defenses, 2 forced fumbles. Unfortunately for Okoye, nobody made up the “disruption” argument for him.
He was not resigned by Houston after 4 years due to lack of production.
Mr. Hype, aka Gerald’s first 2 years in the league:
19 starts (3 partial games), 39 tackles, 4 sacks, 4 pass defenses. New false and subjective measurable created by apologists called “disruption” created.
Gerald, a 2 year pro, and Okoye a 5 year pro are basically the same age (Okoye is 7 months older) yet Okoye has 3 more years experience. And get this, Okoye isn’t fragile.
Bottom Line: Okoye’s resume, despite its flaws, is superior to Baby Gerald’s. Okoye also ran a 4.85 40 at the combine. Gerald was 4.96. Okoye did 29 reps of 225, we all know about Gerald’s embarrassing performance.
Just think of how “disruptive” Okoye could be, if you fanatics will give the same subjective liberties to other non-hyped players.
April 9th, 2012 at 4:20 pm
Facts are facts I guess.
This is a make or break season for gmc imo, for him to live up to his draft status, and some of us as belivers.
I still belive he has what it takes but another failed season will clearly CLEARLY and officially be a bust!
April 9th, 2012 at 7:20 pm
I just don’t get why so many SEEM to want McCoy to be a bust. I know some don’t intend it that way, but that is how it comes across. Like you are rooting for him to fail just because you said so.
Same goes for Blount.
The REAL facts cannot be denied: when McCoy is in there, the line was ALOT better. When Blount was getting carries and getting to the second level, the offense was ALOT better.
Here’s to hoping both of them much continued success and both positions getting the added depth they need.
April 9th, 2012 at 7:45 pm
joe you all ways starting rumors ,like why blount was not there on first day of workout,an he was doing something for the team.
April 9th, 2012 at 8:26 pm
David is exactly right
April 9th, 2012 at 8:29 pm
I mentioned before, most likely Okoye will start by mid season. i want to stay positive but its hard when McCoy and Price are always hurt. i am skeptic about them making it through the whole season.
April 10th, 2012 at 2:55 pm
Good depth signing…nothing more.