Team Glazer “Patient” With Mark Dominik
March 25th, 2013
“Thank you, Mr. Glazer, for understanding that I did not draft Aqib Talib.”
One thing that still sticks out in Joe’s memory is the sight of Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik in the press box at Sun Chips Stadium in Miami. It was just before halftime and Dominik was sweating as if he was running laps around the stadium. That’s how seriously he takes games.
And this was a nondescript preseason game no less!
Like in any profession, success brings job security. Sans one season, the Bucs haven’t won much under Dominik but last year showed promise if not progress.
Dominik can somewhat breathe easy knowing he has the backing of Team Glazer. In a wide-ranging interview with eye-RAH! Kaufman of The Tampa Tribune, Bucs co-chairman Joel Glazer discussed Dominik’s job standing.
Q: Mark Dominik is 24-40 in four years. How patient will you be with your general manager?
A: We’re patient. Every team has to win, that’s not just Mark Dominik or Coach Schiano. Ultimately, you’ve got to win. The NFL has become a league where every year, teams pop up or go down. It’s a bottom-line business and the bottom line is winning. The last few years we haven’t been doing that and I can assure you there’s a lot of attention and awareness that it’s time. There’s nothing worse than losing. We’re as competitive as the next person. Mark and Coach Schiano have an excellent working relationship. They’ve earned each other’s trust and respect and that will pay dividends over the long term.
Dominik should be given, in some measure, a benefit of the doubt. Look what he was saddled with as his first coach. That was not Dominik’s choice. It was made for him.
Joe just found it amazing that the Bucs went from the worst rush defense in the NFL in 2011 to the best in 2012 and added just one piece to the puzzle, rookie Lavonte David. That shows what decent coaching can do for players.
Even Quincy Black has his best year in the NFL under the tutelage of Bryan Cox.
Most NFL general managers are granted two coaching hires. Dominik is currently on his first coaching hire; in the second year of that tenure in fact.
March 25th, 2013 at 8:06 am
True Joe, but I hope the moves in the scouting department pay off. NO more Brian Price/My(ohmy) Lewis, Or Regis Benn picks. Seems with the new head of scouting, maybe that will help even more after last years draft class. Seems like the family is now willing to spend some money, which ALWAYS helps. We will have to see how this year plays out.
March 25th, 2013 at 8:21 am
True Joe, great coaching took the worst run defense and made them the best, and took the pass defense to an all time worst…
I’m tired of the excuses to put on a mediocre team together with mediocre curving, if the tram doesn’t improve dramatically this year, I don’t see how can ownership keep MD in charge… This it’s his make or break year
March 25th, 2013 at 8:28 am
@Robbie_G
How in the HELL does Dominik or any other GM for that matter predict injuries? Price was a great selection at that time, in the slot he was drafted in, and so was Benn. Now Lewis, the book is still out on. Please put your thinking cap on instead of making knee jerk comments just to be in vogue with all the Dominik haters.
March 25th, 2013 at 8:29 am
1993 NFL NFC Central 5th 5 11 0
1994 NFL NFC Central 5th 6 10 0
1995 NFL NFC Central 5th 7 9 0
1996 NFL NFC Central 4th 6 10 0
This is Rich McKay’s first 4 seasons as GM of the Buc’s record…please tell me the difference between his 24-40 record and MD’s 24-40 record in the same 4 season time frame.
March 25th, 2013 at 8:32 am
@ Robbie G,
I disagree with you. You can’t put Myron Lewis in the same breath as Regis Benn or Brian Price. Those two had serious injuries which kept both of them from developing at the rate you want see. Myron Lewis was a Bust, even though he had injuries, they were minor as compared to Price and Benn.
2010
1- McCoy (Pro Bowl)-Injuries slowed him down
2-Price
2-Benn
3-M. lewis ***Bust***
4-Mike Williams (pro Bowl ability)
6-Brent Bowden-*** Bust***
7-Cody Grimm-Been a Starter, Injury*
7-Dekoda Watson- has been a very good 7th round pick
7-Erik Lorig- Starter
2011
1-Adrian Clayborne- Stud, injuries have slowed him
2-DaQuan Bowers-Solid DE
3-Mason Foster- A pretty good LB
4- Luke Stocker- Servicable Tight End
5-Ahmed Black- has played and been effective
6-Allen Bradford-Bust as RB, playing LB for Seattle tho
7-Anthony Gaitor-has started and had potential
7-Daniel Hardy- Has Talent…
I’m not saying these are the best drafts ever. But to complain about drafting 3-4 starters a year with talent everywhere is ridiculous. Give Schiano a full Off-season to develop these guys and mix in some good luck on the injury front and Dominik will look like a beast. Definitely when you consider last years draft.
March 25th, 2013 at 8:32 am
4ever, relax. Not kneejerk. I understand you can not predict injuries, but Price had those concerns at UCLA. All I am saying is with all the changes in scouting, It seems it helped last year, and I hope it improves even more. I was not hating on the GM, he was just using the information he was given. You need to relax and read a little more my good man.
March 25th, 2013 at 8:35 am
Seth, like I said, I am not putting that on the GM. Does anyone read? With all the changes in the scouting dept, I think he will do even better. He can only go on the information he was given by the scouts, people who’s insight he is going to trust. Everyone relax, I know it’s Monday but damn.
March 25th, 2013 at 8:52 am
If we dont adress our pass rush NOW we are going to finish last in the south again. It sickens me to watch these successful franchises signing defensive ends while we roll the dice on the injury twins. With no depth up front one injury could make it anaother 4 win year. Sapp said it best. It starts up front. Thanks Mark thanks a lot.
March 25th, 2013 at 8:59 am
You don’t build a sustainable winning franchise on aging veteran free agents, ask the Skins how that’s worked out for them over the last 20 years. You have to ask yourself, why did Atl let Abraham walk, why did the Giants let Osi walk, why did the Colts let Freeney walk? Picking up someones aging trash is not a wining formula. Seattle is in a different position than we are, they are making a SB push, we are building a sustainable winning team and system and hoping to make the post season, their number 1 pass rusher may not be back for the start of the season, they needed DE’s and they didn’t care what they paid, to them it was/is the last piece in their minds that they needed to make that SB run.
March 25th, 2013 at 9:10 am
How Mark Dominik is viewed depends on the perspective of ownership. I’m going to coin a term called “activist ownership”. I won’t try to define it, but I will use the Dallas Cowboys as an example instead. I think the Cowboys have activist ownership. I think the Bucs use more of a business model approach to ownership.
If you buy that and I do, you would judge Dominik’s performance differently. With his record to date, he would be in serious trouble in on a team with activist ownership. The Glazers probably look at his performance more in terms of portfolio management. They want to win, but they also want to maximize investment. And on that note, given the return and the investment not made until last year, Dominik gets a gold star.
With the Bucs about to receive a king’s ransom in TV revenue in 2014, I would think a good business manager would be in demand. Dominik would have fail miserably and leave us in cap hell (see Jets) to be in jeopardy.
BTW, would you rather have Jerrah Jones or the Glazers as owners? I think I know the answer to that!
March 25th, 2013 at 9:13 am
“Look what he was saddled with as his first coach.”
Who was that?
March 25th, 2013 at 9:21 am
^^^^ Raheem
March 25th, 2013 at 9:23 am
Joe please stop kicking Quincy Black around. All he did was almost become a vegetable forthis team, dont kick a man when hes down youre classier than that.
March 25th, 2013 at 9:33 am
some say that raheem was saddled with Mediocre Mark
March 25th, 2013 at 9:34 am
We did replace Sean Jones with Mark Barron which sure didn’t hurt against the run.
March 25th, 2013 at 9:35 am
Most of my friends and I think this year will be Dominik’s last, unless we have a winning record.
No more excuses, period.
March 25th, 2013 at 9:50 am
Lest people forget too, Dominik wasn’t given an open check book in ’09, ’10 ’11. The Glazers were preoccupied with Manchester and asked Mark to operate on the cheap. In Mark’s first year he practically stripped the team of all veteran players at the request of ownership as a cost cutting measure. That’s why Mark made his first statements at the beginning of his tenure, that a team can exclusively be built through the draft.
He was not active in free agency during that time. It wasn’t until last year that the Ownership actually opened their purse strings to allow Mark to play an active role in free agency. How can the Glazers have ill will toward Mark, when he was brought in to reign in spending from the Gruden, Allen era and like Joe said, saddled with R. Morris as coach.
March 25th, 2013 at 9:56 am
According to PFT…Kellen Winslow says Browns, Panthers, Raiders are interested in him. Please sign with the Panthers….PLEASE!!!!!
March 25th, 2013 at 9:59 am
“Dominik should be given, in some measure, a benefit of the doubt. Look what he was saddled with as his first coach. ”
His coach blew, yes. But that doesn’t explain picking Benn and Price. Trading up for Luke Stocker. EXTENDING Michael Clayton. Drafting a safety over a CB and not having the foresight to see that CB was a need.
There’s no benefit of the doubt here. He’s drafted some LOUSY players. They’re all either 1) hurt, 2) busts, or 3)”jury is still out.” His best TWO draft picks were honestly Dekoda Watson and Erik Lorig – anyone can draft in the first 2 rounds (except Dominik, of course, who has had every second round pick in his history bust on him). Watson and Lorig were finds in the bottom of the draft and THAT’S where a GM makes his money.
How long do we keep making EXCUSES for this guy?
March 25th, 2013 at 10:17 am
Are people to lazy to even look up stats…
Brian Price: Pac 10 Defensive Player of The Year 2009
Arrelious Benn: 4 year starter at Ill, Big Ten Freshman Player of the Year (2007),Walter Payton Trophy winner (2007)
Thats why these two were drafted. You can’t predict injuries, if you, could would you have drafted Gale Sayers or not?
March 25th, 2013 at 10:29 am
Of course Adam thinks, that he and his crystal ball would have done so much better. Hindsight is always easier than the moment of decision.
March 25th, 2013 at 10:40 am
@Adam
Wow, your glass is way more than half empty. Why do you put so much focus on the bad picks and give no credit at all for the good picks and the great free agent signings (starting last year)? Did Dominic run over your dog or something? Relax, this is going to be a good team this year!
March 25th, 2013 at 11:53 am
If the Glazers want to be patient with Mediocre Mark, fine. We’ll all be patient with the money we would spend on tickets and wait and see how it plays out.
March 25th, 2013 at 12:33 pm
I think its simple…Is the Rock star making money for the Glazer’s? If yes, he stays, if no, he’s gone. Same as every other business on the planet. We as fans have a hard time seeing thru the emotion of what this business is actually all about…making money. Wins are nice for the Glazer’s I’m sure, but the Benjamins are most important.
I am glad to see that the CBA has established a team’s spending minmum to prevent the “going on the cheap” again.
March 25th, 2013 at 12:56 pm
@lightningbuc
The Bucs do not make their money off tickets sales, they make it off the TC deals.
March 25th, 2013 at 1:55 pm
“This is Rich McKay’s first 4 seasons as GM of the Buc’s record…please tell me the difference between his 24-40 record and MD’s 24-40 record in the same 4 season time frame.” flmike
Warren Sapp and Derrick Brooks. Two of the three greatest players in the franchise and both were drafted in the same round in one draft of Rich McKay’s tenure. Ronde Barber gives McKay a chance for having three guys he drafted going into the hall of fame. Which of Dominik’s many picks are you projecting to the hall of fame flmike?
March 25th, 2013 at 1:59 pm
DREAMBIG: Why do you put so much focus on the bad picks and give no credit at all for the good picks and the great free agent signings (starting last year)? Did Dominic run over your dog or something? Relax, this is going to be a good team this year!
ME: Well, I think JOB #1 (as far as grading performance) of a GM is drafting talent. JOB #2 is bringing in free agents. Salary cap management is basically accounting. I look back at the drafts that Dominik has had and, as I said before, all of his draftees can be summed up in three categories: 1) Hurt (or frequently hurt). 2) Complete busts. or 3) Jury is still out. Go to the Bucs web site and look at the draft history. I see 3 people in his last 4 drafts (not counting 2012) that don’t fall into those categories – Dekota Watson (pass rush specialist and S.T. ace), Erik Lorig (drafted as a DE and became a GOOD STARTING FB – nice find), and Mike Williams (drafted to be a #1, but is a solid #2 WR).
And don’t say, “But what about Doug Martin, Lavonte David!” Michael Clayton had one good year, too. Are they promising? Without a doubt.
I don’t think it takes much skill to find a Pro Bowl WR and a Pro Bowl G and sign them to contracts. Basically, some other GM did the hard work vetting the draft and the Bucs/Dominik happened to have the checkbook open at the right time. I also think that in 4 years, at least ONE second round pick should pan out.
So how much do you let Dominik slide? Tell me how many drafts a GM needs to make an impact! Give me an official number, and I’ll sit back quietly and wait so I won’t annoy/bore you with expectations or criticisms of his job.
I’m a season ticket holder since 2005. The way I see it, my STs give me the RIGHT to have expectations.
March 25th, 2013 at 3:39 pm
Adam, you prove my point. You make up your own rules to discount the positives … Free agents we have signed are easy, the recent good picks don’t count … If Dominic finds players that are good at first and then drop off in susequent years, it’s only a bad reflection on him if he resigns them (Clayton or Black), otherwise the blame is coaching, which is on the GM if he does nothing about that. Also last years pick had a pro bowler in Martin, so that is a huge win and absolutely counts. Also there was a very good 2nd round pick in Lavonte David so you can’t say there were no good 2nd round picks because clearly there were. When viewing Dominics overall record, last years picks do count because they are on the team and are currently very relevant. They represent the state of the current Bucs, not the state of the Bucs two or three years ago. As for Clayton, he had a good first year, there by justifying the pick but after that he was horrible so Dominic wasn’t too bright to give him a huge extension. So there you have a point and the jury is still out on Dominic but so far the combination of him and Greg looks promising. I too have season tickets and if when leaving the stadium we have to endure another long stretch of hanging our heads listening to the other teams fans singing their fight song, ill be right there with you because that SUCKS! Here’s to hoping that doesn’t happen!
March 25th, 2013 at 4:08 pm
DREAMBIG:
So judging a GM based on his a) draft history and b) free agent signings is me skewering the deck to make his performance look negative.
Seems legit.
Maybe I should include his wardrobe in my grading of his tenure; that might have propped him up a few points. You’re lucky I left out Wins and Losses! He is within 1 game of Scott Piloli and KC sent like 8 guys to the Pro Bowl and he STILL got fired.
So what criteria do YOU use to judge a GM? I don’t think I’m going out on a LIMB here saying that I judge a GM based on his track record as a DRAFTER.
What positives do you see? I’m curious.
I think it is HILARIOUS that I said don’t mention L. David and D. Martin because they had one good year, and you went ahead and mentioned them anyway. I think that PROVES that there isn’t really much to SUPPORT the fact that MD is a good GM. YES. I’m aware that it APPEARS that Dominik picked 2 stalwarts for years to come, but (and I ALREADY SAID THIS) we thought the same thing about Michael Clayton… and these two picks don’t cancel out 3 years of futility on their own.
March 25th, 2013 at 4:33 pm
Not saying he is a good GM, yet. You are right in that he has to be sucessful from here on out. He did a great job last year, which you seem to want to minimize. When you weigh the good and the bad, the jury is still out. If he does as good this year as last year, then he is doing fine. If your so miserable, why in the world did you spend big dollars on season tickets again?
March 25th, 2013 at 5:49 pm
Playoffs or goodbye-Dom and Freeman.