Talib Departure Nearly Closes Book on 2008 Draft
November 3rd, 2012
“Jimminy Christmas Dexter, I can get you a job! I can hook you up frying wings at Hooters. Why would you go anywhere else?”
One reason Chucky was jettisoned by Team Glazer was his terrible Matt Millen-like drafts. Chucky swung and missed so often, Karlos Pena was left blanch.
Troubled, granny-hassling, coach-cussing, helmet-wielding, cabbie-punching, Adderall-popping Aqib Talib’s departure Thursday all but closed the book on the ugly 2008 draft.
The lone remaining player from that draft — just four years later — may be the best pick by Chucky in that draft, Jeremy Zuttah.
Here’s the 2008 Bucs draft:
Aqib Talib, CB (traded to Pats)
(The bad) Dexter Jackson, WR (out of football)
Jeremy Zuttah, OL (starts for Bucs)
Dre Moore, DT (out of football)
Josh Johnson, QB (played for Sacramento Mountain Lions of UFL when league shut down operations this fall)
Geno Hayes, LB (plays for Bears)
Cory Boyd, RB (out of football)
This is just brutal. Four years later, only one player remains on the team. Any wonder why the Bucs struggled the past couple of years and had no depth?
It all started with Chucky, who Joe will forever be grateful for when he took the Bucs to a Super Bowl victory.
November 3rd, 2012 at 3:19 pm
Geno Hayes, LB (Rides bench for bears)
November 3rd, 2012 at 3:29 pm
hideous draft !
November 3rd, 2012 at 3:30 pm
If the media didn’t RunTony Dungy outta Town….we’d have at least 3 Superbowls right now. We sold our Souls to the Devil
November 3rd, 2012 at 3:38 pm
HEY! Cory Boyds playing in the CFL ( Canadian football League) He got cut by 2 teams this year but hes been leading the cfl the past 2 years in rushing but its the CFL and the CFL=horrible football
November 3rd, 2012 at 3:47 pm
I was always under the impression that Bruce Allen made the picks. I remember Gruden once saying, “they’re killing me in there,” after a defensive player was drafted. Gruden never wanted Gaines Adams. In his opening press conference, Gruden said he wanted his new draft pick to, “lead the league in effort.” Not the most glowing endorsement. Gruden wanted to do whatever it took to get up to the 2 spot and take Calvin Johnson. Kiffin and ownership preferred to take Adams, thinking he could be another Simeon Rice.
November 3rd, 2012 at 4:07 pm
@Ian’s Gay Lisp
The big bad media, huh… After Dungy’s offense scored 6, 3 and 9 points in his final three playoff games… It was just a matter of time until Dungy was going to hold his offense to the same standards set for the defense… What’s that line about doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result? 😉
How quickly we forget Clyde Christensen !!!
November 3rd, 2012 at 4:27 pm
Bruce Allen is to blame for these drafts. Sure Gruden had his say but the draft is mostly the GM’s job.
November 3rd, 2012 at 5:02 pm
Nice caption Joe, but I think Dexter probably woulda been afraid of the grease.
November 3rd, 2012 at 5:23 pm
It may have started with chucky but the rockstar continued the horrible drafts.
November 3rd, 2012 at 6:16 pm
If Gruden had a half decent GM, he would still be the head coach probably.
Really, there’s no reason to hate on Chucky anymore. Just like how we need to stop blaming George Bush four years later for the economy.
November 3rd, 2012 at 6:38 pm
@Patrick,
I don’t think it’s hate at all, just the truth. Gruden is still my favorite Buc coach, but he had horrible draft after horrible draft. There’s really no denying that. When your best pick (by a mile) is a guard, that’s not usually a good sign. Perhaps you are right about a good GM, it’s impossible for us to know that though. All Joe did was point it out, I don’t see that as hating on Chucky.
November 3rd, 2012 at 6:41 pm
@Orlandobucfan,
So you think drafting Freeman, GMC, Mike Williams, Mark Barron, Doug Martin, Lavonte David, and Mason Foster were all horrible draft picks? Really? Go ahead and find me 5 players that Gruden’s regime drafted that are better than those 7 guys. Keep in mind, Gruden was here for 7 years, and Dominik has only been the GM for 4. I still don’t think you can do it.
November 3rd, 2012 at 6:42 pm
Please please please say Aqib Talib. I need a good laugh.
November 3rd, 2012 at 7:07 pm
Bucs4821, I heard Jon on MNF reference leaving someone on the board so that he could take (the perennial All Pro), Dexter Jackson.Sort of a mea culpa.
November 3rd, 2012 at 7:22 pm
I remember swearing, promising, guaranteeing and assuring all that would listen that the Bucs would not be drafting a CB where the Bucs drafted Talib. I hemmed and hawed that NO TEAM running the Tampa 2 would ever dare drafing a CB in the top 20… And even if they did, that CB wouldn’t be Talib… well, I was wrong… but in the long run, can we now admit that I was still right?
The Gruden drafts were terrible! Marquise Walker… Travis Stephens, Sean Mahan… Lance Nimmo… Gruden might have been the only drafter that thought these guys had anything to offer. I used to be able to guess 3 out of 4 draft picks right before the Dungy picks were made… with Gruden drafts I often had to look the guys up in my draft guide because they were so obscure,,, Nimmo wasn’t listed in any, Larry Brackins wasn’t considered anything better than a 7th.
For those of you defending Gruden, it was widely reported by Gruden and Allen themselves that Allen was more of a cap manager than talent evaluator… which made the player selection job to Gruden… WHO SUCKED! He did have a decent GM, btw, his name was Rich McKay… and Gruden ran him out of town.
November 3rd, 2012 at 8:06 pm
@Mike J said: “I heard Jon on MNF reference leaving someone on the board so that he could take (the perennial All Pro), Dexter Jackson.Sort of a mea culpa.”
Yikes! I never heard that! Pretty frightening!
My guess is that goes back to his days with “Weird Al” Davis and his obsession with speed.
Thanks for the info.
November 3rd, 2012 at 9:41 pm
@ Hawaiian
My statement was it started with chucky implying that he didn’t have good draft picks, an other than this last schiano draft the bucs have not had a full good season from any of rockstar draft picks other than one a full good year of freeman and Williams. Gmc has played well this year but its been only half the season.
November 3rd, 2012 at 10:07 pm
@Orlando,
Yeah, but it’s also not fair to judge a GM after only 3 drafts, especially with all the bad luck we’ve had with injuries. You have to give the guys some time to develop, and we are starting to see that development now. You also have to remember who was coaching us the last 3 years. Now with good coaching, you are starting to see the real talent that Dominik drafted.
Also, you say that we haven’t had a full good season from any of his draft picks, but then you listed 2 key guys. To have a franchise QB (hopefully) and probably the best #2 WR in the NFL is pretty damn good in 3 drafts in my opinion. I’m pretty sure any and every NFL team would take that, don’t you? It’s also not fair to just disregard this years draft either. I don’t understand why that somehow doesn’t count? A little confused on that one.
I questioned our talent last year, but I now see that coaching was much more to blame. There really hasn’t been too many busts compared to the average. Brian Price had a freak injury, and Rejus Benn hasn’t been the same since tearing up his knee. I don’t know what he was thinking with Myron Lewis though. No defending that one (now please Myron, make me look stupid and get 2 picks on Sunday).
November 3rd, 2012 at 10:12 pm
Bruce Allen is a cap genius but lousy player-picker.
November 3rd, 2012 at 11:13 pm
LMAO!!!!!
November 4th, 2012 at 12:22 am
you r an idiot if u think talib was gruddens pick he was so pissed we we got him. almost as pissed as when we got adams . gruden wanted o weapons and didnt have much pull. joe and shawn king live in the same dream world
November 4th, 2012 at 12:44 am
Probably why he talked Zuttah up in the last Monday Night game he called for us.
November 4th, 2012 at 1:33 am
@hawaiian
First I agree coaching was definitely a major issue in the development of players. Secondly if freeman turns it around as he has been the last couple games and turns out to be a franchise player then that alone I think would have made that draft worth it. What makes me even more skeptical about Dominic is this recent draft as you stated we acquired what look like excellent players in Barron, Martin, David. If all three turn out truly to be all stars that’s a huge difference between Dominic first three drafts of getting about three to four in total. I have a feeling schiano is very much more involved than Raheem ever was.
Also I appreciate the discussion it’s good to know someone can discuss with facts and not get politics or rudeness involved.
And as always Go Bucs!!!!!
November 4th, 2012 at 1:40 am
@Orlando,
Yep, I enjoy the discussion too! If we all agreed, it wouldn’t be very fun. I actually pretty much agree on most of what you said, I just think it’s too early to fairly judge him one way or the other. I do, however, think this regime is miles better in acquiring and developing talent versus the prior. I personally don’t care if Schiano drafted them or the janitor, as long as they turn out. I think we can all agree on that.
November 4th, 2012 at 9:04 am
Adam L. , that is absolutely correct.
November 4th, 2012 at 2:53 pm
The other thing that made me mad about Gruden is his love for qbs. Didn’t we have about 10+ different starter within his time span as coach? It provide no stable developement for Sims or Gradkowski. As a whole he really sisn’t get younger guys a shot. Like Larry Brackin who won a championship as the leading receiver for the Philadelphia Soul in the AFL. That happened the same year he was cut. He had talent.
Personally I like that Dominic as the GM. My main gripe is how he didn’t added FA last year and drafted a punter that got cut before the season started. It’s should be illegal to draft a kicker or punter… Period!! My favorite moves is drafting Freeman and signing The big 4 Nick Jackson, Wright, and Eric LeGrand.
If Wright can’t get his act right, then he got to go also. I had mixed feeling about theTalib trade. I just wish we got a guard from the Pats with the 4th round pick. We should focus on giving newer and younger guys a shot like Johnson and Gaitor. Those two are pretty good for the time they are in the league. McDaniel seem like another Myron Lewis or worst IMO.