The Impact Of Gerald McCoy
April 5th, 2012
Because he has had two season-ending arm injuries in as many years in the NFL, some Bucs fans are down on first round draft pick Gerald McCoy.
Joe has gone on record that the guy is disruptive, which sometimes is as important as a sack, except to the calculator guys.
Joe has been rounding mocked for this but, even though Joe scoffs at the numbers crowd, sometimes numbers don’t lie.
This is the message Evan Silva of Rotoworld.com put forth on Twitter.
@evansilva: Perhaps telling stat: Bucs are 11-8 with Gerald McCoy in the lineup over last 2 seasons. 3-10 when he’s been out.
The Bucs defense was 3-10 without him. Wow.
Joe has been harsh on the Bucs linebackers, and Joe thinks it is deserved. Name a worse set of linebackers in the NFL, please.
But Joe gives Mason Foster a mulligan for a number of reasons, one of which is the guy had zero help on either side of him.
Looking at GMC’s numbers per Silva, it was clear that with GMC off the field, Foster had no help in front of him either.
April 5th, 2012 at 2:16 pm
The Rays have better linebackers than the Bucs.
April 5th, 2012 at 2:24 pm
So do the Tampa Bay Storm.
April 5th, 2012 at 2:25 pm
SteveK
That’s not fair since the Storm have Brooks.
April 5th, 2012 at 2:29 pm
Very interesting stat. I’m not as worried about our lack of acquiring free agent lbs at this point. If you look at the free agent list there are still plenty of lbs out there that are better than what we have. I think the Bucs are waiting to see what happens in the draft and will then fill needs with free agents. Pretty smart move if you ask me.
April 5th, 2012 at 2:30 pm
Joe, I’ve been with you concerning GMC. We are a more confident team with him on the field. Being the 3-tech, his main gap is the strong-side B with the MLB covering the strong-side A gap in the Bucs base “one-gap” defense. It is my belief that with GMC gone, Mason was peeking at the strong-side B gap because he no longer had the confidence that that area was covered. Not to mention, GMC typically took up multiple blockers, so Foster was more free to roam – ever see anyone in Ray Lewis’ face? Ray Lewis probably thanks Ngata every day for extending his career.
On a side note, I read somewhere (maybe here?) that GMC’s bicep injuries were genetic-related and that once repaired, they will be stronger than ever. Any truth to that?
April 5th, 2012 at 2:37 pm
Our defense will at least be respectable if McCoy can stay healthy along with the development of the other young guys(Clayborn, Bowers, Bennett, Price, Foster, whoever we end up drafting on the defensive side of the ball). I don’t remember the exact stats but at one point last year, with McCoy we allowed something like 100 rushing yards a game but without him we were allowing 150-160 rushing ypg. Obviously a small sample size(he only played in what, 5 games?), but regardless him staying healthy is as important to our success this year as anything.
April 5th, 2012 at 2:40 pm
I read the same thing, once the biceps are torn and surgically repaired it shouldn’t happen again. And they are a different defense with him on the field instead of off it. That is not limited to Mason Foster, the other linemen benefit from him being consistently disruptive as well. That stat doesn’t surprise me having watched games with him on the roster and off it in the last 2 seasons. The guy takes no plays off, keeps himself in amazing shape, has a high football IQ as well as being a leader and a good person. Sometimes the bigger picture is how the team plays with key contributions and intangibles not measured in ones and zeros.
April 5th, 2012 at 2:50 pm
Bucs said to be chasing Amobi Okoye to give McCoy some help!
April 5th, 2012 at 2:51 pm
GMC just needs to stay healthy. He’ll be fine if he can get a full season under his belt. Foster will be better next season as well, he looked lost as a rookie at points during the season (especially the second half of last year).
Getting back to GMC; the man makes a difference on the field, bottom line. 11-8 is superior to 3-10. Every day of the week. However, if GMC can’t stay healthy and can only last six to eight games per season, he will be classifed as a bust. He’s making too much money to only be a factor for half a football season. Here’s hoping his health improves under a new coaching regime.
April 5th, 2012 at 2:54 pm
Anyone who watched the Bucs over the past two seasons, and isn’t legally blind, could see that McCoy made the entire defense better. He has special talent and his upside is tremendous. As long as those re-attached biceps tendons are stronger than the original setup I think we’ll be just fine. I also think adding Okoye would be a very wise move.
April 5th, 2012 at 3:08 pm
There are plenty of players in NFL history that should have been big difference makers, but were basically busts due to injury or physical condition of some sort.
Gerald McCoy is close to that mark. Inevitably, a player that can’t stay on the field is a waste of a roster spot. Hopefully the problems he’s had are all resolved, and he’s going to become a monster DT in the future. I’d be excited as all get out if that were the case.
One more season on IR, and that possibility becomes highly doubtful.
April 5th, 2012 at 3:09 pm
The Bucs were 9-5 with Cody Grimm and 5-13 without him. Does that mean Grimm was the missing link? No. Same with McCoy. I remember seeing the Bucs run defense based on yards per carry were very similar regardless whether McCoy was playing or not. How long are people going to defend a guy that has produced zilch up to this point? Injuries play a role, but he needs to get on the field, and produce the way the #3 pick should.
April 5th, 2012 at 3:27 pm
@td32….both Grimm and McCoy are very important to the Bucs run defense. The YPC nearly doubled when McCoy went out. I think you are stating the obvious when you say he needs to stay healthy, thanks for that brilliant insight. To say he has produced zilch is being less than honest. He produced very well when he was on the field. Now that the biceps are repaired I look for a breakout year for McCoy.
April 5th, 2012 at 3:55 pm
actually Grimm may be more of a missing link than McCoy even. Grimm was a huge assett to the back 7. Even against the pass he was solid.
April 5th, 2012 at 4:19 pm
Foster may have been the part of problem himself, but since he is a rookie he gets a pass. This season we will get to see if Foster is a viable option at MLB. Based on what I already saw though, I don’t see a stud MLB in the making.
April 5th, 2012 at 4:20 pm
@td32…
Say what you want, Film doesn’t lie. GMC and Grimm both had a dramatic impact while playing.
To answer your question. Both Grimm and GMC went on IR around the same time both years, oddly enough. Even more interesting both injured the opposite limb they injured the year before….
Anyways back to the question.Yes both are key pieces to this defense and stopping the run. It was very evident when they both weren’t on the field.
April 5th, 2012 at 4:31 pm
Where is Thomas? Joe, you may need to file a missing person’s report. This is no fun.
April 5th, 2012 at 4:52 pm
facts tend to frighten some people ^^^^^^^^^^
April 5th, 2012 at 5:04 pm
Since when have facts or logic frightened Thomas???
April 5th, 2012 at 5:23 pm
He’s obviously going to point to the 2 wins against the Saints (the ones GMC didn’t play), and refer to them as the best our defense has played. He will thus ignore the Falcons game, which we were much better defensively, and the shutout at Candlestick. He doesn’t count Candlestick because of the QB. There you go Thomas, I’m filling in for you with your typical BS.
April 5th, 2012 at 5:46 pm
As I have said all along.
Of equal interest- see where the Bucs defense is rated In games he played.
Then where the defense rates in games he doesn’t.
He has unbelievable impact already.
You’d have to be an idiot, or Thomas( perhaps one in the same), to not see the deference in the team when McCoy is out.
Hopefully, they don’t misuse him stupidly this year, as has happened the last two years
He was stuck playing end in a 3-4, stuck at Nose tackle in a 3-3( frequently)
Let the guy do what he may be best in the league at- exploding into the backfield, and disrupting offenses!
In a 4 man line- ESPECIALLY if Clayborn and Bowers improve- McCoy will require constant attention from the offense. He will be the standout our defense needs!
But for that to happen- we gotta get CBs that can hold coverage for 3.5 seconds
And we don’t have even one that can do that now!!
April 5th, 2012 at 9:30 pm
I see GMC as a DT version of Tebow. No i don’t mean they shouldn’t be playing the position they are or anything like that. I’m more looking at the positive side.
The Team over all is different when GMC plays versus when he doesn’t. Sometimes a person just has that fire about them that makes others want to follow.
Whether the individual players play may not be off the charts stellar. What they bring to the game is such much more than simple production.
April 5th, 2012 at 9:31 pm
whether* was suppose to be While.
April 5th, 2012 at 10:16 pm
I like McCoy a lot…but this has to be his year. If he doesn’t stay healthy, the Bucs need to make him a backup and go after a new starter next year. I think he has the talent to become great…but 3 unhealthy years would be very bad.
Grimm is our best safety…better than Tanard…so far as his ceiling. In his case, his injuries were freak accidents. If he can return from them at top form he can develop into a Lynch type guy MAYBE…if he stays health as well.
On Foster I think he’ll be much better if he gets another year at mlb. But I’m also fine with him moving outside…if thats what coach wants. Either way is fine with me.
I would like to see him actually coached at mlb to see how he does though.
April 5th, 2012 at 11:38 pm
@pete.. agreed, good post
April 6th, 2012 at 9:25 am
lol, remember last year when we were saying the same thing?
“this will be his breakout year”, ” our defense is going to be awesome with him this year”,etc…..
never happened.
April 6th, 2012 at 10:59 am
@Patrick
I remember me trying to caution people that it was unrealistic to expect the defense to be great so quickly without an off season to coach 2 second year DTs, 2 first year DEs and a first year MLB.
But no one listens to me 😉