Dave Moore Unclear On Dallas Clark’s Role
September 25th, 2012
Just seven catches by Bucs tight ends this season makes one wonder how the Bucs plan to use the position as a weapon.
Interestingly, former Bucs tight end Dave Moore, the Buccaneers Radio Network game analyst, is quite fuzzy on this subject.
Dallas Clark has been used sparingly and didn’t look too sharp in getting free against man coverage at Dallas on Sunday.
Moore was asked about Clark during a WDAE-AM 620 interview Monday, and Moore said he was unsure how the Bucs would use Clark and wondered whether the Bucs expect him to be much more than a locker room leader, a Luke Stocker mentor, and an occasional contributor.
“It’s hard to say with the scheme of offense. You brought in a completely new offense,” Moore said of the Bucs’ use of tight ends. “The West Coast offense under Greg Olson and Jon Gruden really involves the tight end. We haven’t really sen how much this offense stems from New York. [The Giants] have gone through a number of tight ends the last three years.
“I watched the [Giants] play last week. They have that Martellus Bennett they’ve targeted a few times, but it’s not the Jimmy Graham or the [Rob] Gronkowski type guy that you need in this offense.
“Dallas Clark was brought in here to be a leader, a guy to be able to contribute. I don’t think he did extremely well against the man coverage [Sunday]. Maybe not quite his strength is beating the safeties in man. Luke Stocker did catch his first touchdown on a play-action [Sunday]. So he’s really the young guy and the guy-to-be. And I think Dallas has really bought in to be the mentor to teach this guy how to play at this level. You know, I’m not really sure what the expectations are out of him. So I don’t know if I disagree or agree with your statement other than the fact that when they signed him, I’m not sure exactly what their expectations were. Did they expect him to be like Kellen Winslow? Or, did they want to bring him in to be that run/play-action tight end. You’re talking two different styles of tight ends all together.”
Joe finds it interesting that Moore didn’t have a clear picture of Clark’s role given how well versed Moore is in all things Buccaneers Xs and Os and knowledgeable of the tight end position.
Joe suspects that if Moore is still working on figuring out the roles of the Bucs’ tight ends, then Mike Sullivan and company are going through the same process, as well.
September 25th, 2012 at 4:10 pm
I’m down on Sullivan at the moment for his lackluster game vs the Cowgirls. I’ll conceed it’s just one game, but damn, it was SO bad it will linger heavily until Sunday. If the Redskins game is of the same play calling nature – I’ll be calling for his head.
September 25th, 2012 at 4:17 pm
Joe what is this the 10th story about people being unclear on what this offense is trying to accomplish? A little telling in itself when absolutely no one understands the offensive philosophy of this team and that in lures not only ex players and other experts but also the Bucs player themselves.
Has Clark lost a step du to age? Sure but I suspect that he and the other talented players we have are struggling due to a deeper more basic issue. Poor game planning and an offensive philosophy that entails running between the tackles and figure the rest out as we go.
Clark still has a little left I think and he has never been the guy who made his bones by being an amazing athlete. He has good hands, can run crisp routes, and get separation. But no matte what Clark or V Jax or Williams do, they can’t beat poor game planning.
Also the hardest down to throw the ball on is 3rd yet it’s the only down we have been throwing on. We need to get more creative on offense and less predictable. I imagine I could pop in a game from the 60’s and see eerie similarities between our offense and back then. The draw on 1st and 2nd leads to us predictably stuck in third and long and having to throw for the first every time. I understand this coaching staff wants to run but you know what helps the run game more than anything? A respected passing game. Star throwing once in awhil on 1st and 2nd and watch Dallas Cark and other receivers numbers improve and as a result Schiano will be able to get his rocks off with more successful run plays.
September 25th, 2012 at 4:46 pm
what do you mean you don’t know what your role is? your role is to get open and catch the ball. how hard was that. most of these questions just seem like posturing.
September 25th, 2012 at 5:08 pm
What’s Mike Sullivan’s role? Overmatched-in-chief?
September 25th, 2012 at 5:12 pm
Everyone having anything to do with the offensive side of the ball is without a clue. It’s an absolute disgrace.
September 25th, 2012 at 5:22 pm
Robert thinks its cause if to cant throw one everyone stacks the line on dfense
September 25th, 2012 at 5:22 pm
if the bucs were accomplishing what they wanted to on first and second down, i think everyone’s roles would be clearer. clark’s role is intended to be as a zone beater on 3rd and short or an intermediate threat to draw a safety from our WRs. when we are playing 3rd and a mile, a sure-handed but not explosive TE with limited blocking and RAC ability doesn’t have much work to do
September 25th, 2012 at 5:29 pm
Lot’s of drama lovers in here.
It’s not that hard. Schiano thinks he knows what works, Sully does know what works. These two are now trying to rationalize the theory versus the practice.
What I see are too many scripted plays. We run what we had planned as opposed to letting Freeman audible out.
Let’s hope Schiano’s eyes are bigger than his ego when they review film.
September 25th, 2012 at 5:30 pm
Freeman doesn’t have the capacity to get the TE’s, and the WRs involved. He is too busy checking down to 3 yard passes on 3rd and 7.
September 25th, 2012 at 5:32 pm
I will give Free this though… when the team runs on 1st and 2nd down, it is unrealistic for an inaccurate QB to be expected to convert on 3rd downs… especially when he throws short of the marker each time.
September 25th, 2012 at 5:54 pm
Short of the marker is not the QB’s fault.
September 25th, 2012 at 6:36 pm
just one game? this is game 3 and it’s starting to be the pattern for an unsuccessful season. great coaches coach great,and must be flexible to the flow of the game and use all there weapons.why not use lgb to soften up the defense and bubble screens to martin in space? why not roll freeman out of the pocket where he’s got the option to run -pass? he did a good job in 2010 when he played[ his ] game! run run pass punt just is not going to work, for a loyal fanbase that has seen this repeat for thirty years now it has become stale and tasteless. and that is why there is blackout after blackout. two time superbowl champ coughlin did not win one untill he lightend up and made a change(if only in his demeanor) i’m sorry but imo rookie doug martin is not ready to carry the team on his back he needs /we need lgb in equal shares and freeman out of the pocket to do what he does best only then will vjax clark williams and the rest of our arsenal will thrive! and i think if we were playing this way we would be 3-0 not 1-2 and chasing atlanta. so for petes sake greg sully get it done.
September 25th, 2012 at 6:42 pm
Funny……..all the things we fired Greg Olsen for…..appear to still be present with Sullivan.
September 25th, 2012 at 8:15 pm
LoL @Patrick short words but so true!
September 25th, 2012 at 8:53 pm
Everyone needs to calm down….. It was just a bad game. We were couple of plays away from having a 10 point swing in our favor
September 25th, 2012 at 9:26 pm
I think everyone’s unclear as to what their role is on this offense except Martin. He’s the only one with a clear picture. Run on 1st, run on second, and run on 3rd about 70% of the time. I really hope this is not all we have to look forward too. We thought the Rays offense was boring.,.
September 26th, 2012 at 9:25 am
“Joe what is this the 10th story about people being unclear on what this offense is trying to accomplish? A little telling in itself when absolutely no one understands the offensive philosophy of this team and that in lures not only ex players and other experts but also the Bucs player themselves.”
Football experts and fans alike try to find logical explanations for what the Bucs are doing.
There really is no method to the madness. Most of these coaches are in over their head, they have never been there, they have never done that.
Except for a few defensive coaches, these guys are out of their league. The head coach can only posture like he is a great field general with disciplined troops but the team is literally falling apart around his ears.
GMC stepped out of line and had the audacity to strategize with his coordinator and he had the game of his life. Nicks is speaking out on the ludicrousness of keeping the most exciting runner in Buc history off the field. The Little General can’t cut or bench Nicks or GMC.
Next players to join the insurrection might be Freeman, Barber, Clark or Jackson. Do you think the young players like Mason Foster, Mark Barron and LaVonte David will follow the respected veterans or the head coach with no success in his past and apparently little in his future.
If you watched the Red Sox-Rays game last night you would have seen first hand what happens when an insane coach wins a locker room insurrection. There was only one recognizable name on the Red Sox roster, Pedroia. How butch is that?