Was Safety That Weak For The Bucs?
May 11th, 2012
It’s becoming clear to Joe that new Bucs coach Greg Schiano had little use for the Bucs’ play at safety last year, or the safeties on the 2011 roster.
First, Sean Jones was waved good-bye as a free agent and (allegedly) left-handed cigarette smoking Tanard Jackson was turned loose after he failed to show up at One Buc Palace for the first team gathering under the New Schiano Order.
Then there is Cody Grimm, a good guy and a good player who has been bitten by the injury bug each season.
First Schiano drops strong hints, later reinforced by Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik (in Joe’s eyes), that future Hall of Famer Ronde Barber will be playing safety this season, and of course the Bucs drafted Alabama safety Mark Barron seventh overall in last month’s draft.
And there is word from none other than Schiano himself that sixth round pick Keith Tandy, a cornerback at West Virginia, could be moved to safety, per good guy Scott Purks of CBSSports.com.
Coach Greg Schiano on CB Keith Tandy (sixth-round pick out of West Virginia) possibly switching to S: “(Tandy) has zone skills, man skills, press skills, so we just need to see where he fits best right now. He does have the kind of versatility that’s going to (allow us) to mix and match where he’s needed.”
Now there are all sorts of ways to read into this, but Joe won’t ascribe a motive. It could just be that Schiano wants to build as much competition as he can at safety, where play was woeful after Grimm sadly went down with (another) season-ending injury.
Or, this could mean that Tandy is so talented, Schiano wants to get him on the field as often as possible.
May 11th, 2012 at 2:45 pm
I prefer door #3: New system, new players, unknown variables until training camp arrives, so anything and everything is on the table. In so many ways, this team is TBD.
Besides, pigeonholing is taboo around OBP these days!!
May 11th, 2012 at 2:56 pm
I think it is type of Safety coveted … Obviously tackling and mancoverage are important
May 11th, 2012 at 3:27 pm
Ronde is not a safety. I hope the coaching staff realizes that early. He’s a nickel / slot corner. He’s too small, slow and doesn’t have the range to be a safety.
May 11th, 2012 at 5:43 pm
So the Bucs sign Jordan Jefferson and then waive him 3 days later. Odd signing, even odder immediate release.
May 11th, 2012 at 6:29 pm
No, they re-signed a defensive end after Bowers went down and had to release Jefferson to make room.
May 11th, 2012 at 7:28 pm
They signed a DT not an an end , i wonder if they trying working erik lorig back at end
May 11th, 2012 at 10:01 pm
Actually, they signed a wide reciever and were rumored to be releasing a DT to make room, but then decided to release Jefferson instead.
May 11th, 2012 at 10:37 pm
Actually, they were going to sign an ex NBA player and thought about releasing a WR, but not before signing a taco, releasing the taco, signing a DT, then releasing Jefferson.
May 12th, 2012 at 12:26 am
Who’s the NBA player, Charlie Ward? He’d be a better qb than Jefferson.
May 12th, 2012 at 12:59 am
lol, good comment Have A Nice Day,,
May 12th, 2012 at 8:39 am
Bricen FTW!!
May 12th, 2012 at 8:39 am
If we can trade for Trent Richardson somehow, Trent could probably also play FS in addition to RB & FB