Darrelle Revis Will Be A “Key”
January 16th, 2014
Leslie Frazier put his foot down
Joe knows some paranoid types freaked out when Lovie Smith was named the 10th head coach in Bucs history because, they claimed, Lovie is a devout Tampa-2 zone guy and all-world cornerback Darrelle Revis is a press-man cover corner who would be misplaced in a zone defense.
(Remember how fans screamed when, trying to get Revis on the field despite Revis being far from 100 percent, Greg Schiano had Revis playing zone and fans were ready to billy club Schiano?)
Though Lovie tried to calm down these folks when he was introduced as Schiano’s successor, Lovie’s new defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier, in no uncertain terms, said Wednesday he must mold a defense to take advantage of Revis’ skills and accomplishing that goal will be critical.
“Darrelle Revis is a great player, a great corner and has been for a number of years,” Frazier said. “I’ve had a chance to watch some common opponents and see some Tampa tape. He is a terrific player, without question. There is always room in any system for great players. We will do all we can to maximize his talents and utilize his gifts. He’s going to be one of the key guys to our success, there’s no question. We will do whatever we have to do to maximize his talents. He’s a great player.”
Joe isn’t sure how one could be more forthcoming; Revis not only is going to stay with the Bucs, but Lovie and Frazier are going to burn the midnight oil to craft a defense that not only plays to their expertise, but also gets the most out of Revis and not have him flounder in a defense for which he is ill-fitted.
Joe just loved Frazier’s answer. Good coaches devise an offense or a defense to get the most out of their players’ talents, not forcefeed them into the proverbial square peg/round hole. Frazier’s comments made Joe’s day.
Joe’s just going to take a wild hunch and suggest with Frazier’s philosophy, we have seen the last of the prancing Sheridan Stunts where Adrian Clayborn was shadowing Darren Sproles in pass coverage. (Sean Payton must have dropped his playsheets in shock when he saw that mismatch.)
January 16th, 2014 at 8:21 am
Adrian Clayborn shadowing Sproles….Revis on Kenny Stills in a final 2 min 4th qtr situation….DE’s breaking contain in Seattle against RW, in a crucial obvious situation, versus Cam, versus CK7..(which we never saw in the glory days nor even the Stylez White, Jovan Haye days)….How does any DC let that happen?! They can’t be that boneheaded, can they??!
January 16th, 2014 at 9:01 am
The more I think about it the better I like the idea of drafting a LB. If we do take Kilal Mack he could become our Joker on defense. He could blitz, play ILB, and put his hand in the dirt and pass rush. He would become a Von Miller type because he also played OLB in a 3-4 defense in college but was drafted by a 4-3 team.
January 16th, 2014 at 9:02 am
One “key” in my opinion would pertain to getting rid of the stinking-smelling-sweat stained, pewter pants! Please change the color of the pants!
January 16th, 2014 at 9:04 am
Joe Just think about all the others like David, GMC, Foster, and the safeties being part of a crafted D.
I wonder how the offense will do without running up the middle on first down on just about each series?
How about corrections at halftime or when something isn’t working?
Sounds like a plan
January 16th, 2014 at 9:08 am
Frazier and Tedford have walked in to a gem of a situation here in Tampa because even if they are just ordinary coaches they will, by comparison, look like geniuses as we are so used to ineptitude. If they simply put a squad on the field that is unquestionably ran at an NFL level then Tampa won’t know how to act.
See Bill Parcells 1996. But seriously, the coaching here wasn’t as ugly as you think. You don’t end up third in the NFL in turnovers-forced accidentally, or good on special teams, as the Bucs were last season. –Joe
January 16th, 2014 at 9:12 am
@Paul – I think there’s a blog on the Bravo network’s website where you can voice your fashion complaints. Maybe you can talk about how you’d like the players to do their hair also.
January 16th, 2014 at 9:17 am
Right on Joe! Good coaches maximize the players they have.
January 16th, 2014 at 9:29 am
@Patrick in VA
Lol. This isn’t the first time I heard him talk about the pants. I didn’t think it was that serious. They can be wearing lime green pants for all I care, as long as we are winning.
January 16th, 2014 at 9:30 am
I almost flipped my bowl of dip when I saw Clayborn shadowing Sproles, we saw uncalled for stupidity like this all year. That’s the foolery that doomed Schiano, this isn’t high school and these skill players will tear your defense apart if given the opportunity.
That’s what make bad teams bad.
January 16th, 2014 at 9:39 am
To me, it doesn’t seem to be too complicated to design a defense for Revis….Just put him on their #1Wr and the rest of the defense can do whatever scheme they want.
What I am most interested in is our offense….like the use of a FB, 2 TEs, 4 WR sets and especially 2 RB sets….and the use of players like Demps….or Shepard in the Wildcat.
January 16th, 2014 at 9:52 am
Trade’em, we need the draft picks & cap space. You don’t DOMINATE this game unless you have a BEASTLY Offensive Line & Defensive line.
January 16th, 2014 at 9:58 am
???????????????
Bucs have loads of cap space.
January 16th, 2014 at 10:01 am
What scares me is if Tedford comes in and revamps the offense and becomes the coordinator du jour.. We may lose him to a college or NFL team offering him a HC position.
January 16th, 2014 at 10:07 am
@Joe
With all the replacements we need on the LT/LG/C/RG -TE-RDE/LDE/DT/NT/SLB-
CB/SLT CB+ Signing Rookie and Extension for GMC & FOSTER. That cap space dissipate quickly.
We don’t need to fill all those positions, and surely if we do, they don’t have to represent salary increases. –Joe
January 16th, 2014 at 10:07 am
Tampamac
I will take a situation where our last-ranked offense is so good ouir OC is tapped for a HC job….
That”s like worrying that your fiance is so hot, you might lose her to someone else…..marry her & take your chances or live with an ugly one with security…..
January 16th, 2014 at 10:11 am
@Joe
IMHO
Not only the QB’s in our Division. But most of the QB’s that make to the playoffs spread the ball around. No need to have one guy at CORNER take up that much cap space. When you can have 3 solid corners( better overall coverage unit) & more cap flexibility.
January 16th, 2014 at 10:14 am
He didn’t show much love for MLB Foster.
January 16th, 2014 at 10:15 am
@Tampamac – If you listen to Tedford’s interview you’ll hear him talking about how happy he was to get away from all of the extracurricular things that go along with being a head coach. He said it was a breath of fresh air to be able to focus solely on coaching and developing an offense. I think that mentality would keep him in his position for at least a few years before he gets the itch to move on.
January 16th, 2014 at 10:17 am
@Joe
Not trying to get all Theo Epstein on you. But where’s the value?
We’re going to find out that answer. If the value isn’t there, then they’ll address it in 2015. –Joe
January 16th, 2014 at 10:26 am
@Luvmybucs Where is the value? In many circles you will hear that Revis was the best corner this year. Dip in stats bc no offensive coordinator was throwing at his man. A year off ACL Revis is only gonna get better.
Lets hope Banks is hitting some weights and supplements. Dude needs to beef up and add some quickness to his game
January 16th, 2014 at 10:28 am
@Otto – After listening to Lovie and Frazier I feel like they might want to bring in a stronger MLB and move foster to the outside
January 16th, 2014 at 10:32 am
@BucsfaninChina – Let’s also keep in mind that this was his rookie year so before this season started he had all the stuff leading up to the draft as well as classes to attend (yes, I’m still holding on to the idea that these guys go to classes). Now that he’s playing football full time he should be able to bulk up and work on his quickness and that should pay dividends.
January 16th, 2014 at 10:32 am
Weak FA linebacker market this yr. Lovies defense relies on a mike who can play the pass and run. Foster is good, not great. Trade back and get CJ Mosley if Barr is not there
January 16th, 2014 at 10:36 am
@BucsfaninChina
Speaking of articles, I’m assuming the ones that come from the Media Types right? Ok. So why he didn’t make the 1st or 2nd team All Pro list? Its suppose to be the best of the best. No Revis? Nah, Because Richard Sherman ranked as the best overall conner in football.
ITS ALL ABOUT IMPACT PLAYS AND REVIS DIDN’T HAVE ENOUGH.
He was targeted-549
Revis-556
January 16th, 2014 at 10:39 am
Three defensive pieces we should be able to fill through draft or FA
LB,DE,CB
January 16th, 2014 at 10:40 am
how re we supposed to take his comments on Revis being great when he also praise free??????
January 16th, 2014 at 10:41 am
It will be very tempting for Lovie to take a player like Barr or Mack with 7…..one of them will probably still be there.
Part of me wants to see us fill out our defense then start working on the Offense…the other part wants to do both (may not be possible) because I’m talking about top notch talent.
January 16th, 2014 at 11:00 am
Luvmybucs And Lavonte David didn’t make the Pro Bowl, yet was an All Pro. Who cares what accolades he has/doesn’t have from biased writers who look at what teams the players are on, rather than the players themselves. Sorry Revis didnt have impact plays, he was too busy doing his job and making sure the ball wasnt going his way in the first place.
$16 mil is a lot of cash to pay out to a CB on a team where there are so many needs, and i do think they needto restructure his contract. But the Bucs have lots of cash to throw around as it is, so why trade away your best player on a team where there is so much mediocrity?
January 16th, 2014 at 11:19 am
@BucsfaninChina
You act like no one was throwing the balls in Revis Direction.
He was targeted 556/ with a quarterbacks completion percentage at (81.4%)!!!! in his direction. Terrible numbers when you consider 90% of the guys on the list below
were target 550+ times or more.
Richard Sherman (1st Team All-Pro)-47.3%
Logan Ryan (Rookie) -53.3%
Alterraun Verner (1st Team All-Pro-) 55.8%
Trumaine McBride 57.4-%
Brandon Boykin- 64.6%
Chris Harris Jr.- 64.9%
Nolan Carroll -65.0%
Brent Grimes -66.3% (Came off ACL+Cheap)
Leodis McKelvin -66.3%
Keenan Lewis -67.4%
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie- 67.8%
January 16th, 2014 at 11:35 am
Don’t get me wrong Revis had one of the Best seasons, I’ve ever seen (stats wise) from a corner. In this new error of multiple statisticians & camera angles recording a players every movement.
But unlike the super human, All world CB most praise him to be. He becomes an above average corner (not worth 1million a game though), just like most when he doesn’t have the pass rush up front. Of course when the Jets pass rush number dropped, so did Revis numbers.
January 16th, 2014 at 11:38 am
*corner
January 16th, 2014 at 11:51 am
@Joe
Since your at the Shrine. Whats your thoughts on the kid out of Lindenwood CB Pierre Desir?
January 16th, 2014 at 11:52 am
I gotcha. But the amount he gets paid can be chalked up to Dom. The Bucs are not in emergency mode where they need to dump contrants to stay out of salary cap hell (though VJax is getting paid $12.5 mil this year. WTF). Especially with having a shoddy front 7 they need QUALITY players like Revis right now even if he is not playing up to a mil a game. Once the Bucs have some young cheap talent that can hold up without the Bucs having a million dollar a game player, then I’d imagine the Bucs would be open to making moves.
January 16th, 2014 at 12:01 pm
@BucsfaninChina
I know I here you about Vjax..smh. IMHO I believe you can still make wholesale changes to a roster and still get the desired result. With quality Starters & rotation depth, along with flexability at positing that matter most (Oline & Dline).
January 16th, 2014 at 12:14 pm
I think the new GM will want to restructure Revis contract. Maybe offer him a lower three year deal with incentives. Our depth chart isn’t very good right now.
Frazier and Lovie were use to playing Megatron twice a year. Who would they have put on Megatron, if they had him? Revis all game. Look who Seattle put on Jimmy Graham all game, Sherman. NE put Talib on Graham all game. Both teams beat NO.
We are so much better off with these new coordinators and coaching staff already!!
January 16th, 2014 at 12:15 pm
BucsfaninChina Says
“Lets hope Banks is hitting some weights and supplements. Dude needs to beef up and add some quickness to his game.”
It took Ronde 4 years to get up and running. He wasn’t even sure why he wasn’t cut at first.
Banks has done better than any of Ronde’s first 4 years. I’m not saying he is better than Ronde. Just that there are plenty of reasons to stick with him right now, and to hope.
I do think we need more quality depth though. Our depth is really bad.
January 16th, 2014 at 12:20 pm
Keep the Revis deal as is. Find a replacement and cut Revis next year. Because he will not settle for less money. Ask his former team.
LUVMYBUCS Says
“I believe you can still make wholesale changes to a roster and still get the desired result.”
Chaos theory, huh? Order spring from Chaos?
It doesn’t actually work.
January 16th, 2014 at 12:21 pm
Offensive line. We need to fix the offensive line, anyway we can.
January 16th, 2014 at 12:33 pm
@BuccaneerBonzai
hahaha, nice. Nah but its more like GAME THEORY with my version of “MONEY BALL HD”..lol
January 16th, 2014 at 12:40 pm
Right Robert….Frazier did praise Freeman. So who knows what to think anymore? Take everything with a pinch of salt I guess.
January 16th, 2014 at 12:57 pm
lev Says:
January 16th, 2014 at 9:01 am
“..Kilal Mack..” He would become a Von Miller type because he also played OLB in a 3-4 defense in college but was drafted by a 4-3 team.
———————–
Unless there was some secret draft that was held before Miller was taken, your statement is invalid. Denver definitely does and has run a 3-4.
January 16th, 2014 at 1:01 pm
Tampamac Says:
January 16th, 2014 at 10:01 am
What scares me is if Tedford comes in and revamps the offense and becomes the coordinator du jour.. We may lose him to a college or NFL team offering him a HC position.
—————–
THIS!!!
What does give me some hope is the fact that:
A) Tedford is a former college HC. If he wanted to be a college HC again, he would’ve just stayed HC where he was already being successful. (ASSumption)
B) Instead of signing a long, multi-year contract (live Lovie), his is only for 2 years. This leads me to WANT to believe that he and Lovie has some gentlemans agreement to where he’ll serve out AT LEAST the full term of the contract.
January 16th, 2014 at 1:36 pm
Luv,
Revis was not targetted 556 times this past season.. That would have meant almost every ball thrown by opponents was thrown his way. Besides that, I don’t recall him being challenged more than two or three times in most games.
January 16th, 2014 at 1:38 pm
I would not be at all surprised to see the Bucs trade back or stand pat and take CJ Mosely. Lovie needs a Mike that he can trust and that can get down the field in coverage. Foster is not that coverage guy.
Leslie Frazier pretty much came out and said it… basically this defense already has two studs at NEED positions. The others were speedy RDE and MLB that could so some things… I’m assuming that because Foster wasn’t mentioned by name there is a great question at One Buc as to whether Foster could do those “things”.
January 16th, 2014 at 2:10 pm
@Brandon
Thank you for the correction
-Snaps in Coverage
(The amount of snaps he spent in coverage)-*(556)
-Thrown At-*(63) (Tied for 11th best)
-Reception made in coverage-*(34)
-TD-(*4)
-QB rating for passing thrown into his coverage-*(81.4)
January 16th, 2014 at 3:28 pm
I get that you think I’m crazy for harping on the pants, I understand that it’s not the biggest priority. That being said, I have never liked them.
January 16th, 2014 at 4:20 pm
I think Revis is a bit overrated. His play was only so so. On the Bucs uniforms, the red jersey and pewter pants look the best and the toughest.
January 16th, 2014 at 4:49 pm
I disagree with you BB
He will make changes eventually, he is not dumb enough to think he can continue to do the same thing over and over without every team finally shutting him out.
He’s been in the league for a while and IMO he’s ready to finally settle.
We’ll see but I don’t agree in the slightest, I expect Revis to remain a Buc.
January 16th, 2014 at 6:20 pm
LUVMYBUC. I don’t believe those numbers that you posted.556 targets on Revis. That would be 34 targets a game on him. Impossible
January 16th, 2014 at 6:22 pm
I see ur correction my bad
January 16th, 2014 at 8:22 pm
So, Frazier is gonna design his defense to utilize the best defender in the game?
Yeah. Of course he. I said that in a post, the day they hired him.
Who knows? He may even try to design a defense that allows McCoy to excell!
Or Meybe allow David to be in posistion to Make Plays!
Just like a Real DC would do!!
To those if you who keep crying about Revis’s Salary. Way to focus on the only thing that is NOT a problem with the Team- money
Perhaps you think the Cheerleaders salary, is costing the team games
Thank you for focusing on a non- issue. Way to waste space.
And to those of you, who have used your great Years of NFL scouting experience( lol), to determine that Revis is not an elite player!, I’d like to thank you the most. It’s hard to find people who display that level of ignorance willingly! Thank you for the gales of laughter you’ve provided.
I posted early in the season- that it was unbelievable that our DEs were frequently being dropped into coverage, on passing downs!
I was rebuked heavily( apparently by the blind, or those who don’t watch the games) and told I was crazy- that wasn’t happening.
Glad to see you have all caught up on that insanity. Congrats!
We don’t know if Clayborn or Bowers can rush the QB. We did find out that they are only so-so as Cornerbacks.
One coming off an Achilles, the other off an ACL. Both used as CBs.
I won’t judge them. I’ll wait and see what Frazier thinks of them, and trust him.
Don’t give up on Banks. A rookie, targeted on 90% of the pass plays( due to Revis) is going to struggle. He flashed some great talent! And is 6’2″
I like building a Seattle type secondary.
Banks will be much better this year.
Joe, I agree about some of the coaching being good. Hated to see Wannstat go.
Buuut, no TE or Slot WR?? That’s insanity. I posted that we would have a losing season if we didn’t address this. Schiano said they weren’t important to his offense. Yeah, right! Pure stupid coaching.
Starting a Rookie- across from Revis? Stupid.
Starting two Strong Safties? Stupid- need a Free safety. Barron is useless, unless he’s in the box. Goldson is superior in the box- but was used as a Free safety. Otherwise, they had to sit Barron. -Stupid!
DEs playing CB in passing downs??
Couldn’t be more stupid than that!!
4-12 was as good as they could have hoped for!
January 16th, 2014 at 9:31 pm
Revis wasn’t even challenged much in games. Most teams avoided him as much as possible and picked on Banks or especially Leonard.
If you are the opposing QB and you got Revis on one side and Leonard on the other….which are you throwing the ball to?
January 16th, 2014 at 9:32 pm
Leonard Johnson is who Im talking about, btw…
January 19th, 2014 at 12:56 am
Paul says
I get that you think I’m crazy for harping on the pants, I understand that it’s not the biggest priority. That being said, I have never liked them.
Then don’t wear them.