Bucs Know They Need An Upgrade At CB
March 19th, 2013
Funny thing about NFL front office types. They often don’t need to hear the wailing of fans and ranting comments on the Internet to know where their team stinks.
There’s this thing called “tape.” It is an outdated term better known as “video.” The front office types and coaches study the game video over and over again, unlike most of us.
Imagine how ill the Bucs’ suits and coaches got this past season? The vast majority of Bucs fans wouldn’t dare watch film over and over again to revisit how dismal the Bucs cornerbacks played.
Joe can only assume Team Glazer has stock in Beecham, the maker of TUMS.
In case you thought rock star general manager Mark Dominik wasn’t aware of the craters he has in his roster for starting cornerbacks, think again, Twitters eye-RAH! Kaufman of the Tampa Tribune.
eye-RAH! is out in Arizona for the NFL owners meetings and he has spoken to Dominik personally about this issue.
@IKaufmanTBO: Bucs GM Mark Dominik admits the club’s current roster of cornerbacks doesn’t provide a comfort level of competition at the position
Joe just cannot fathom the Bucs going into training camp with the likes of Eric Wright and Danny Gorrer listed atop the cornerback depth chart.
Joe is pretty confident somewhere along the way Dominik will sign a corner if he is unable to rework a contract with Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis (remember folks, the Jets have to grant Dominik permission to speak to Revis’ agents; it takes two to work out a deal), and he very likely will draft two corners next month.
March 19th, 2013 at 10:25 am
I think by letting Hasstlebeck and Fits go to other teams as back up we must be thinking qb draft. Although I wouldnt put it past Mark to depend on a unreliable back up qb hes done it every year so far
March 19th, 2013 at 10:29 am
That’s because Freeman is a tank and doesn’t get hurt. Besides, Fitz wants to start and won’t get that opportunity here.
March 19th, 2013 at 10:36 am
I’m REALLY glad they realize this lol smh
March 19th, 2013 at 10:41 am
@ Dan – neither of those 2 guys fit Buc’s Offense. They need a guy with a strong arm that can drive the ball down the field and those guys are not strong armed.
As far as Revis, as good as he is, you just cant spend those draft picks and all of that money on one player when you have other holes to fill.Just one bad hit or twist on a knee and its all on the shelf for a year. Plus I dont think a Diva, me-me corner is a great fit for this new culture. Please Bucs, keep your picks and your money and move on.
March 19th, 2013 at 10:45 am
If we’re going to draft 2 corners, I hope its Rhodes and Trufant or Ryan. Mason Foster was a teammate of Trufant and knows how strong competitive he is. And of course coach knows Ryan.
But we still need a DT BADLY!!!
March 19th, 2013 at 10:54 am
can we give up on Revis already? the Jets clearly want the farm for him. better off signing Grimes and drafting a CB in the 2nd round, DT in the 1st. the Revis BS is going to leave us high and dry.
March 19th, 2013 at 10:59 am
Good, solid comments. I think the draft is pretty deep in OK CBs. At least good potential. Admittedly, the FO doesn’t have a stellar draft track record – execept for last year. Maybe there is a learning curve going on? Keep the picks. I think the Bucs may take a stud all round DT with the first pick. There are three possibles – all can rush the passer as well as hold down the runs. Need to address the pass rush first in the draft, imo.
March 19th, 2013 at 11:02 am
I don’t share the same confident feeling with you. I suspect he’ll sign a couple of low-tier CBs and then tell us these were the guys he wanted all along.
March 19th, 2013 at 11:02 am
Tampa now has more holes then Swiss Cheese to fill.
March 19th, 2013 at 11:05 am
Doesn’t provide a comfort level of competition?!? lol! How about “sucks out loud” instead.
March 19th, 2013 at 11:06 am
MadMax,
Mocks are unreliable, but they all seem to be settling on round 1 picks. With the loss of Sean Smith, every mock I’m seeing now seem to think that they will take Xavier Rhodes at 12. Schiano likes Trufant and is probably going to be there. However, most mocks are now saying Star Lotuleilei.
March 19th, 2013 at 11:07 am
JOE! Why you keep telling us that Gorrer is a starting cornerback? You forgot Leonard Johnson all of a sudden. Come on man, do some research.
March 19th, 2013 at 11:07 am
*Miami
March 19th, 2013 at 11:24 am
Are you people forgetting that grimes tore his Achilles last year? I say bring in revis, don’t cut wright till next year, draft DT in the first. That gives us the best chance to make a playoff run.
March 19th, 2013 at 11:39 am
There’s no doubt Dominik and the coaching staff know what they have in the secondary. It seems that Dominik allocated cap money for the potential trade/signing of Revis. This would explain why they didn’t attempt to sign their own free agents or go after one or two of the free agent corners. Dominik can’t say that at least one or two of the free agent corners wouldn’t be an upgrade to the roster. Without a Revis trade, the organization seems to be content with rookie corners and the possibility of signing one of the remaining free agents. The signs point to Dominik relying too much on a deal for Revis, which paints the organization into a corner. That’s my theory anyway.
March 19th, 2013 at 11:48 am
The Bucs appear to be Johnny-come-lately to the Grimes party. Here’s my take on Grimes.
The Falcons are a step away from the SB and through player cuts and restructures, they have the money to re-sign Grimes. Dimitroff is a savy GM and goes for players ie, Julio Jones, he thinks he can win with. Dimitroff is not making a play for Grimes.
Grimes has made a number of CB needy teams and have walked away with no contract. Most recently Cleveland.
Grimes is not the trend in the NFL – to employ lengthy CBs ala Seattle with the advent of hybrid WR/TEe and their impact on the game. Small potatoes, but Grimes is officially 5092 at NFLDraftScout. the 2 represents an eighth. Grimes is 5-9 and 1/4.
I don’t know if he’s completely over the Achilles injury, a physical and a workout should determine that.
I won’t tell the Bucs to pass on Grimes. I will simply say there is enough there for me to utter two latin words – CAVEAT EMPTOR!
March 19th, 2013 at 12:51 pm
Macabee, I would take Star as long as the valve issue isnt too big of a deal. And yep, the fins could rain on our Rhodes pick….uhhhggg….thats why I hope we land Revis and can pick up Mathieu in the 3rd. Package that 2nd somehow to get Short.
March 19th, 2013 at 12:55 pm
Too many holes to give away this yrs #1 for a guy who will be available next year with all of this yrs questions answered.
March 19th, 2013 at 2:03 pm
@Mr patrick. And so if Freeman goes down either of those guys arent better than what we have. Sorry sytem only matters when you have one and we dont. We dont have an identity and hasslebeck knows more about football than most of our college coaches. Not suprised Mark has no plan. Just like always. Hey maybe we could get another punter…lol
March 19th, 2013 at 2:25 pm
Dominik need look no further than a mirror to see where the team’s biggest shortcoming is!
March 19th, 2013 at 3:49 pm
@lightning. GOOD CALL