Depth And Payroll Don’t Jibe
August 29th, 2012
It’s a bit troubling knowing the Bucs will have roughly the fifth-highest payroll in the NFL this season, yet the team has serious depth issues on the offensive and defensive lines, as well as other areas.
That’s just an unhealthy combination.
Sure, the Bucs have been belted with injuries to Amobi Okoye, Da’Quan Bowers, Gary Gibson, Davin Joseph and much more, but many current second-teamers looked awful tonight.
The Jamon Meredith experiment at right guard couldn’t have gone worse tonight. Joe had high hopes after rockstar general manager Mark Dominik praised Meredith on the Buccaneers Radio Network pregame show, but Meredith wasn’t up to the task.
Will Bucs fans have to watch Myron Lewis ever again?
There’s no Insurance Graham in the backfield, either, giving veteran depth at fullback and running back. And Joe wasn’t impressed with the linebacker play tonight, though Adam Hayward definitely was up to the task last week.
Joe’s damn curious to see what Dominik and Greg Schiano pluck off the waiver wire this week. As Joe’s written previously, Ronde Barber has praised Schiano’s sense of urgency when it comes to winning in 2012. Joe expects that urgency to be evident in the next few days.
August 29th, 2012 at 10:25 pm
Jamon Meredith got destroyed on most of the snaps .if he is starting at rg this season Freeman will be running for his life
August 29th, 2012 at 10:28 pm
Joe, that’s a great point!
I hate to read too much into an away (and final) preseason game but that was complete garbage on the field tonight.
I haven’t been impressed with the offense at all so far (and I know it’s early and vanilla). The O-Line can ill-afford another injury. I don’t see the physical play in the trenches and the running game is invisible.
This could spell big trouble for Freeman.
August 29th, 2012 at 10:30 pm
I KNOW the game tonight was played with back-ups, I KNOW many players will not be here after Friday but that was just pitiful.
I had no idea our depth was THAT bad but apparently it is.
VERY disappointing and yes, I KNOW it was the fourth pre-season game……….
The waiver wire once again has high priority IMO because the depth on this team, especially on BOTH lines is absolutely TERRIBLE……..or looked like it tonight.
August 29th, 2012 at 10:33 pm
Can we run the ball?
…I mean at all?
August 29th, 2012 at 10:37 pm
I wouldn’t read t o much into the game. Definitely was plain vanilla and another opportunity for the coaching staff to evaluate players that will and won’t make the roster. I’d be surprised if the Buc’s didn’t pick up a few players after the final cut.
August 29th, 2012 at 10:43 pm
The payroll is high because we accrued a lot of salary in one season. The depth doesn’t match the salary because we haven’t brought good players along in a sucessful re-building program since 2009.
The Eagles proved last year that you can’t go out and buy a successful football team through FA, it has to be developed and it takes time. What we saw tonight was the result of abandoning those principles over the years, then over-spending in one year and expecting to be winners.
The organization is built top-down, but the team must be built bottom up!
August 29th, 2012 at 11:03 pm
The lack of depth lays on the shoulders of the GM. This team is not built to sustain any injuries, the lack of depth just shows how “un rockstar” like Dominik really is.
August 29th, 2012 at 11:37 pm
I saw more depth in the Gulf of Mexico during Isaac, than this team has. Dismal performance. I bet Raheem is smiling ear to ear.
August 30th, 2012 at 12:29 am
Even Joe doesn’t seem to get it. Most of the first AND SECOND stringers did not play tonight. It was ALL 3rd, 4th and camp fodder!
Come on people…wake up.
The “Jamon Meredith experiment” was not so he could replace Joseph, it was so that he could provide depth at the spot. Larsen or Hardman will replace Joseph.
This game meant nothiing before it was even played. NOT AT ALL. Have you ever noticed how players that look awesome in the 4th preseason game make the roster sometimes but don’t work out? (Sabby) That’s because they look great against 3rd and 4th stringers!!!! ARGGGGH!!!!!
/end rant
August 30th, 2012 at 12:32 am
And btw…how was Dominick supposed to develop depth when he was still trying to find quality starters?
August 30th, 2012 at 6:34 am
Good post Pete, I couldn’t agree more!
August 30th, 2012 at 7:14 am
Pete, Dom can’t walk and chew gum? For example, how many DT were passed over to keep a guy like Okam on the team for the last few years. Just one example
August 30th, 2012 at 7:19 am
Carolina will be the true test of Schiano’s coaching. Not the 4th preseason game.
August 30th, 2012 at 7:29 am
The reason for the high cap is simple. slick GM Mark D. paid huge seasons 1,2 guarantees to Nicks,Jackson,Wright to eat up cap space and give the impression we spent so much this off-season, truth be told if we signed those 3 like other teams we would still have a ton of cap space. This has been my issue with Bucs, they spent NO money on depth and it really shows. The Bucs had so much cap space to spend on depth but instead did a smoke screen and spent their cap on 3 players.
August 30th, 2012 at 7:33 am
Meridith looked serviceable at RG. Larsen looked ok at C. Sowell was hideous at LT and his guy was always making the play, #50 particularly (this got so bad that Smith was told to double team #50 w/Sowell but instead Wynn was promptly beaten 1 on 1 for a quick sack. Wynn looked out of his league as did harddrick. But Meridith looked serviceable.
The first play of the game Schiano tested him by running Smith right at him. The play got chopped down because Sowell’s guy rode him all the way to the running lane on the opposite side of the field! But Meridith had his guy blocked out of the lane.
Also, whoever was the starting FB was one of the worst blockers I’ve ever seen.
August 30th, 2012 at 8:01 am
We still got $15 million in cap room.
#Sign Depth.
We could use some better depth in the trenches.
August 30th, 2012 at 8:03 am
@Jsmalls,
Agree, find and sign talent. Our depth is laughable.
August 30th, 2012 at 8:36 am
DRAFT-DRAFT-DRAFT. You can’t build a Team if you suck in the Draft. Name ONE player on this team that is in the top 5 at his position and drafted by the Bucs in the last 10 yrs. If Dominick and his crew are around next year I will be stunned. Why are we looking forward to picking up scraps from 31 other teams? The starters are decent on this Team but there is no depth at all. BTW why didn’t we try and get better at the QB position? Is Freemans’ confidence that fragile that he can’t handle some compition.
August 30th, 2012 at 9:08 am
That awkward moment: when you look inside your pocket, and it’s not full of sunshine.
August 30th, 2012 at 9:11 am
A lot of the reason for the high payroll is Dom’s overpaying average or below players like Joseph, Black,and Trueblood.
August 30th, 2012 at 10:04 am
There was no abandoning of the principle of building from the bottom up we just simply implemented FA into our process for once. Nothing wrong with that. Young foundation with keys Vets to provide leadership and guidance.
August 30th, 2012 at 11:40 am
Wouldn’t be surprised at all if we see 2-4 decent waiver wire pickups this weekend, and perhaps even a trade. If our starters stay healthy this team has the potential to be pretty good, but even a couple significant injuries could drop this team to the bottom of the NFC South quicker than you can say “New Schiano Order”.
August 30th, 2012 at 11:18 pm
Our cap situation is really good, I believe more space will open up in the cap year over year and most teams cannot say that. Dallas for instance keeps pushing salary cap issues out into the future ever year, eventually its going to catch up to them.