“Ten Wins, For Me, Is Baseline”
April 29th, 2013
Second-round pick Johnthan Banks ability and experience against big receivers is part of what has Anthony Becht setting very high expecations for the 2013 Bucs.
That didn’t take long.
The Bucs finished their draft about 36 hours ago and expectations are rising fast.
Buccaneers Radio Network analyst and former Bucs tight end Anthony Becht talked about the Bucs’ draft on WDAE-AM 620 today, and Becht was clear that the Bucs now have to be a 10-win team — at least.
“Ten wins, for me, is baseline,” Becht said. “Whether that gets you in the playoffs or not, we’ll see. But you how, you gotta come away from this thing with 10 wins.”
Regarding the draft specifically, the length of 6-2 cornerback Johnthan Banks, and how he uses it, was part of what had Becht giddy about Banks’ selection with the No. 43 overall pick. He said Banks is “great against the big receivers,” who are a big growing part of the current NFL.
You can hear the whole audio below. Becht also reveals interesting research on fourth-round pick Akeem Spence and his feats of strength.
April 29th, 2013 at 11:15 am
It is definitely put up or shut up time for this team.
April 29th, 2013 at 11:17 am
He is correct, we have invested plenty of money in players, and we need to win, and win now.
April 29th, 2013 at 11:46 am
The Pop-star has Bought and traded for some pretty good players, Due to the Age of Vincent Jackson, we need to win now, This is not the Dungy team that had a 6-7 year windows for playoff runs. The window will be half that size. The Pop-star needs to make the playoffs this year…..
April 29th, 2013 at 11:50 am
Agreed. This is a make or break year for just about everybody on this team. Front office on down to the kicker.
When you look at his team though, how can you NOT get excited? If we can minimize injuries and establish a bit of consistency on both sides of the ball then this team can be downright DOMINANT with the talent we have. We really need just Bowers OR Clayborn to step up and have a great year with 10+ sacks. (Both would be nice though!)
I don’t expect our number one rush defense to hold though. With it not being so easy to pass I can see teams working a little harder to establish the run. I expect more of a top ten rush defense and hopefully a top fifteen pass defense.
Roughly four months away guys … its coming.
April 29th, 2013 at 11:59 am
Maybe if Mike Glennon is good enough to be the starter and play like some of the rooky QBs from last year, it could happen…. The 1 consistent thing JF has shown is that the later in the season it gets the worse he gets which is a bad trait to have… Games really start to matter more in Nov. and Dec. so it is highly likely that it is up to Glennon (if he can start) to get the Bucs into the playoffs!
April 29th, 2013 at 12:14 pm
@tye
If Glennon is starting at any point during next season then the entire season is tanked.
If only slightly, Freeman will improve his consistency with a second year in the same system. Also, not being under as much pressure to win games when you have a terrible pass defense on the other side of the ball should help as well. Yes, if Freeman was Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers he would have put the team on his back and won games by himself. But he is not Tom Brady, if anything he is closer to Flacco. With a strong supporting cast Flacco helped the Ravens win a Super Bowl. (And before this gets out of hand, NO, I do not think Freeman is even as good as Flacco at this point.)
If Freeman can do as well as last year with something other than the second worst pass defense in NFL history, we can make the playoffs.
April 29th, 2013 at 12:23 pm
@westcoastBucsFan
Freeman did not do any favors for the poor secondary and pass defense by going 3 and out more than any other starting QB in the league. that is what freeman needs to improve or he will not be the Bucs QB
April 29th, 2013 at 12:27 pm
@tye… What the h3ll are you smoking? Glennon doesn’t even have a remote chance of challenging Freeman. Say what you want about JF, but he’s an experienced quality NFL QB, while Glennon is a 3rd round pick.
April 29th, 2013 at 12:33 pm
Make or break year for a lot of guys this yr. Really interested to see what happens with Stocker/Crabtree/Clark?
April 29th, 2013 at 12:36 pm
I have already made a bet for 11-5. I feel confident I will win.
April 29th, 2013 at 12:50 pm
@the_buc_realist
Lies
Nice try though! Next time try to make up something not so easily checked.
http://www.sportingcharts.com/nfl/stats/three-and-out-percentage/2012/
Try 18th most 3-and-outs in the league.
April 29th, 2013 at 12:55 pm
West Coast Bucs Fan,
Good point, but Freeman needs to make the playoffs this year, if he shows an inconsistentcy, then we need to move on.
No more wasting time, sitting, waiting, wishing on a star to emerge. Life is too short, Freeman has had ample time and will hopefully seize his moment in Buc lure.
Andy Dalton had about the same #’s as Josh, only a little better in completion percentage, but he has taken the Bengals to the playoffs for 2 years in a row. That is the kind of consistency we need our QB to have.
April 29th, 2013 at 12:55 pm
I agree 100% Other than Denver, Seattle, SF, ATL, who has more talent on than Tampa. There isn’t a lot. This whole thing rests on number 5…
April 29th, 2013 at 12:55 pm
Told you all for months now…J banks would be the pick. Dude is a beast and should eventually replace wright (hopefully sooner than later). We have a top 5 secondary – at least on paper
April 29th, 2013 at 1:04 pm
@westcoastbucfan
I said Starting Qb, you looked up teams percentage, Freeman is tied for last. nice try though.
April 29th, 2013 at 1:07 pm
@stevek
Some valid points. My only problem with the Dalton comparison is that the Bengals have a pretty good overall defense. (Number seven overall!) I might argue that Freeman could have made the playoffs with that defense. (Speculating though.)
I have come to this resolution with Freeman: If he can simply not lose us games then he can stay. With the potential of this offense and defense he doesn’t really need to be “Brady-like”. (Not that it would hurt though.) We should keep looking for the next Tom Brady but we shouldn’t boot Freeman to the curb if he isn’t amazing. (Trent Dilfer and Brad Johnson won a Super Bowl.) (Oh yeah and the almighty Shaun King LED US to one of three NFC Championship games! Haha.<<<<I still think this line is garbage Joe.)
@the_buc_realist
Source?
April 29th, 2013 at 1:33 pm
@the_buc_realist
Are you insinuating that back up quarterbacks somehow skewed the team percentage? I am not seeing how a team’s 3-and-out percentage could be so much different than the starting QB’s? Is the QB not in for every third down? Every drive?
This is all I could find:
https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2013/01/15/third-down-conversions-quarterbacks/
It’s not three and outs but I can’t find any statistics for QB’s on that. Freeman is not even on the bottom of third down conversions. What is kind of funny is that Andy Dalton is the second worst on this list.
April 29th, 2013 at 1:41 pm
I might also argue that Sullivan called way more long throws on third down than Freeman has ever been asked to do before. Naturally long throws are a much lower completion percentage for every quarterback. This also somewhat explains his drop in completion percentage this year and increase in yards-per-completion.
To be clear, I agree that he needs to improve. But, if he really was “tied for last” it was at least, in part, due to play calling.
April 29th, 2013 at 1:56 pm
No doubt Freeman needs to get his completion percentage up nearly 10 percent. Time of possession is another important stat that I don’t hear many discuss with quarterbacks. If you are moving the ball, even if you don’t always score you keep the other offense off the field. I would probably guess that with Freeman’s low completion pct. the Bucs probably punt more than most teams. I will have to check out those stats, that falls on QB.
April 29th, 2013 at 1:56 pm
@WestCoastBucsFan
Good points. That’s what I like to see actual points with actual sources, and not made up stats just to make themselves look good. I like Freeman and hopes he succeed, because finding a franchise QB is not easy. Some teams has luck (Peyton Manning missing a full season after not missing a game in 12 years). I just don’t understand the reason why some people wish for your team QB to flop.
April 29th, 2013 at 1:57 pm
team have*
April 29th, 2013 at 2:07 pm
I just looked up time of possession stats for Freeman’s 3 years in ’10, ’11, and ’12 Bucs ranked 15th, 25th and 16th in TOP so Freeman’s offenses have been slightly below average in how they chew up clock. If his completion pct. went up to 65% we would be in the top 5 in the league. Most teams punted about 60-80 times in the season, the Bucs are about average in that stat also.
April 29th, 2013 at 2:42 pm
It is make or break for Freeman NOT Schiano or Dom. If Freeman cant muster a play off appearance, then he is gone. Plane and simple.
When looking at the past few years since Jon Gruden… the biggest mistakes the Glazers made was making Raheem Morris the head coach and THEN allowing knuckle head Raheem to draft Gosh Freeman.
They fixed Rah. Now its time to fix Free once and for all.
April 29th, 2013 at 6:18 pm
Given that Dom averages ten losses per season that would be a refreshing change.
Not seeing it though.