“A Word Of Caution” For D-Linemen
July 19th, 2012
There will be no long leashes for the Bucs held over from the Raheem The Dream regime, so says Pat Kirwan.
The former Jets front office executive, Jets linebackers coach, Bucs scout and current analyst for CBS and NFL Radio wagged a written-word finger of warning to the big-name youngsters on the Bucs defensive line in a recent take for CBSSports.com. Kirwan believes the New Schiano Order will not tolerate anything but heady and hustling play.
The Bucs’ defense will be a 4-3 scheme and it is time for the front four with all those high draft picks to come through. A word of caution to the players, Schiano didn’t draft you and if you don’t play hard and smart every play you will not be in Tampa long. The Bucs have 10 games against top-10 offenses from last year and there is no margin for error.
There could be as many as three rookies starting on defense and that usually means problems with formation recognition, mental errors and just the challenges division quarterbacks Drew Brees, Matt Ryan and Cam Newton present. One very interesting defensive draft pick this past spring was linebacker Lavonte David. He has safety skills as well as linebacker skills and he should give the Bucs a hybrid player who can stay on the field when teams go to three-wide sets or use a flex tight end.
Clearly, Kirwan is not confident in the Bucs’ defense. And it’s hard to blame anyone for that. They’ve got question marks everywhere.
As for Kirwan’s edict to the Bucs’ “big four” linemen, well, that heads-up was fired directly at Gerald McCoy.
July 19th, 2012 at 11:34 pm
If McCoy gets hurt again this season, will it be his last as a buc? He is not the only player to underachieve but he was a very high draft pick and a lot of money has been paid to him.
July 20th, 2012 at 12:19 am
I don’t care who plays I just wanna go to some bucs games asap. Tampa Bay BUCS#1!!!
July 20th, 2012 at 12:20 am
I wonder how Thomas feels about this?
July 20th, 2012 at 1:06 am
I have had GMC’s back since we drafted him. But just like Freeman GMC needs to produce this year, no excuses. If he gets hurt again i can honestly see the Bucs moving on from him.
July 20th, 2012 at 1:19 am
Yes, if McCoy is lost for the season again, there is no way he’ll come back at the price he is set for next year. He’d have to renegotiate to come back.
I’m excited to see Bennett this year. He might benefit most from other guys being healthy, and has gotten consistently better over the last 3 years.
July 20th, 2012 at 4:05 am
Can anyone place a legitimate counter argument to Kirwan’s piece?
Wonderfully written and to the point. Why can’t ESPN or TBT do anything close to this?
I generally dislike NFL.com as it has become more TMZ than NFL but this…. this…. this is just fantastic.
And to think: I might have never seen it had it not been for JBF.
July 20th, 2012 at 6:02 am
At what point do we start looking at the guy that has selected this defensive personal? With 2 first Rounders, 2 second rounders , a third rounder, and now free agents and we still don’t have a defensive line.
If the Bucks have a losing streak I hope that Butch Davis won’t let Dominick disappear to hide I mean to watch tape, and if he wears the headsets that Butch Davis smacks them off his head.
July 20th, 2012 at 6:56 am
@realist.. Agree 100%. I predict Dominik is gone by season ends regardless. His vast mistakes cannot be overlooked and we are not sure how many more he’s made. We maybe feeling the disasters of Dominik for years to come. I just hope Davis stays long enough to at least get the ship headed in the right direction. I’m fearing many more of this great GM’s picks won’t be here in the near future. Of course if that proves to be true it means that Raheem was only partial to blame and equal blame should have gone to our pop star. Which I’ve always believed. Joe for some unknown reason doesn’t see it that way.
July 20th, 2012 at 7:16 am
Ok guys. No picking on our “rock star gm” joe won’t like that very much. And im sure just like in 2010 if the bucs do well he will be all over the news again. Soing interviews and such. But if we go deep into another slide. I wonder if anyone will be able to find the “rock star”. He’s had what was said to be the two deepest drafts for talent in the last 3 years. And honestly i love the brain price, clayborn, bowers and barron picks. But honestly those were no brainers my girlfriend knew to pick. Playing foster in the middle is a mistake. I honestly hope they move him to strong side and let david have the weak side. And out a thumper in the middle.
July 20th, 2012 at 7:37 am
It sure sounds like most Bucs fan are of the same mind set on the defense line draft picks. If they do not pan out this year or its another year of the M.A.S.H. unit. I don’t see the pop star in Tampa’s front office.
July 20th, 2012 at 7:38 am
When I clicked on the article. It took me to Pete Prisco’s projected 3-13 record for the Bucs this season. How the f could we take a step back from the trainwreck of last season. That guy is a tool.
Joe will be addressing soon. –Joe
July 20th, 2012 at 7:40 am
I agree, Schiano has no loyalty to these guys he didn’t draft. I have a feeling he is chomping at the bit to replace ALL of them with Rutgers people anyway:)
Pat Kirwan is right, watch how fast Schiano sits them, if they can’t play.
The last 3 posters above me are right, this will be Dominiks Last Year, if these picks do not pan out.
As far as Butch Davis smacking the headsets off of Dominik, Butch is 60 years old!
But I can see Schiano doing it:)
July 20th, 2012 at 7:59 am
The defensive line is full of talent kids. Do yo expect a GM to be able to predict injuries?? Let’s try to use your heads here. We all know GMC has tremendous talent. So does Brian Price. Clayborn is doing fine and had the most sacks of any rookie DE last year if I remember correctly. Bowers was looking very promising. The problem was never in picking talent. Mike Williams, Benn, Freeman, Blount, etc. are all talented. We just need everyone to stay healthy. Dom has shown that he is very good at draft time. All you yahoos were raving about him after this year’s draft. If Barron gets injured half way through the season will that be Dom’s fault? You guys will probably think so. Poor logic but carry on with your little rants. I notice Kirwan didn’t fire any shots at Dom.
July 20th, 2012 at 8:50 am
Pete Prisco’s predictions are terrible. He has the Colts and Browns both going 1-15, the Ravens and Texans 9-7, Panthers 5-11, Pats 16-0. What were his predictions last year?
July 20th, 2012 at 9:09 am
@ Paul,
I saw that too. I was like 3-13? They only way the will see anything less that 6 wins is if Freeman regress even worst than last year and the whole Dline ends up on IR again.
July 20th, 2012 at 9:31 am
Bobby
Don’t go throwing good sense around like that here!
July 20th, 2012 at 9:31 am
You might make a few heads explode!
July 20th, 2012 at 9:41 am
@Oar…sometimes when I read the comments on here MY head wants to explode…
July 20th, 2012 at 10:19 am
I love how it went from Dom’s draft this, Dom’s draft that, and now it’s Schaino’s draft… How do you know who made the calls?
July 20th, 2012 at 11:53 am
“There could be as many as three rookies starting on defense …..”
I can think of Barron and David, but who’s the third?
July 20th, 2012 at 12:48 pm
I really like Dom. I think we haven’t had this much talent and been this since the superbowl run, like Bobby said Dom can’t predict injuries. Also I think the Black signing was strictly out of lack of talent and at the time Black was the best LB we had so we paid to keep him. When’s the last time we’ve had this kind of Oline, a franchise QB, 2 RBs both exciting in their own way, deep WR core, and a young defense with load of talent. Thank you Dom this is going to be fun