Bucs Better At CB Than “No-Name”
April 2nd, 2014
Yesterday the Bucs were heavy present on Pro Football Talk, which Joe is sure all of you enjoy daily on NBC Sports Network, co-hosted by Erik Kuselias and the creator, curator and overall guru of ProFootballTalk.com, the great Mike Florio.
Joe will bring you excerpts of the roundtable discussion, which also included former NFL offensive lineman Ross Tucker, and former Bucs quarterback Shaun King, one of but three QBs in franchise history to lead the Bucs to an NFC title game.
When the subject of the secondary came around, Kuselias asked King if the Bucs’ offseason moves were a win, a loss or a wash, King explained how the moves for the secondary lateral.
“A wash. And here is why: Darrelle Revis is a better cornerback than Alterraun Verner,” King said. “But with the $10 million they saved in the difference in contracts, they improved in so many other areas. And Verner is a perfect fit for this zone defense. He has excelled in zone coverage. He has great instincts, great ball skills. They will be fine. Lovie made it to a championship in Chicago with Peanut Tillman and a no-name at corner so he has proven he can do it.”
LOL. Joe is going to guess that King was referring to Nathan Vasher, who played probably the best of his career in the Bears’ postseason run to the Super Bowl in January 2007. The other corner on that team, Denny’s-fighting, laptop-hating Ricky Manning, had a damned good year in 2006, as well.
Joe is going to go out on a limb and suggest that Johnthan Banks will be every bit the player Vasher and/or Manning was.
While Joe understands where King is coming from, it’s difficult for Joe to believe the secondary got better by losing a Hall of Fame corner in his prime. Not even a wash.
April 2nd, 2014 at 7:21 am
Shawn King – The only Bucs QB to lead his team in post career attention seeking commentary….and weight gained….
April 2nd, 2014 at 7:36 am
Licht told Florio that BPA would be the pick at 7.
Love it.
No more REACHING.
April 2nd, 2014 at 7:36 am
Joe why are you so partial to king? I get that he was at helm when our defense took us to the NFC championship but he was not by any means a good QB. I was pretty young but I remember him playing and getting excited because he was fast then getting angry because he always made bad plays. Is he bullying you or something?
Partial to King. Joe wholeheartedly supports 90+% of former Bucs. –Joe
April 2nd, 2014 at 7:38 am
I’d rather have Verner than the Revis who quit in New Orleans last year.
April 2nd, 2014 at 7:40 am
WOW! really. It’s sad when one is called a no name, yet said no name had a much better career than King. His bitterness shows like a scorned woman
April 2nd, 2014 at 8:09 am
I really respect Shaun King’s opinion on CBs…..(sarcasm)
“Shaun King, one of two Buc Quarterbacks that lost a NFC Championship Game when his defense gave up 11 or fewer points.”
April 2nd, 2014 at 8:14 am
(I always throw the directions away when I buy a new power-tool and I can still type!! –My apologies Joe if I’m breaking any rules by mentioning…) Bleacher Report did a great 2ndary breakdown for Our type of coverages. They touched on ALL things I’ve enjoyed here recently. The versatility and advantages of Alterraun Verner. A dedicated nickle, like our specific Position Coach and recent UCF reclamation project. A 3 Safty set to combat the twin TE Tiger formation. (Maybe Goldson stays?) It also touches on the sub 6′ DB, and their power in the NFL. Worth a defensive minded fans’ attention.
April 2nd, 2014 at 8:16 am
Joe definitely has his favorites and that’s why he defends them so staunchly. See Penn, Pinapple Foster, King, and the best defensive coach of the Bucs have had…. Bryan Cox lol.
Take a looks at all of the cornerbacks that have every played in the Tampa 2. You don’t need a shutdown corner to play the Tampa 2. During the Bucs best years we NEVER had a shutdown corner that went to another team and had success. See Brian Kelly, Donnie Abraham, etc.
This defense is predicated on the front 4 getting pressure. That’s why we spend the money on Johnson.
It is what Lovie has stated numerous times, it is why we got rid of Revis, and it is why Verner will be just as (if not more) successful than Revis. Verner, if he becomes successful, will be a clone of Ronde Barber.
April 2nd, 2014 at 8:35 am
Revis isn’t a team player. He talent is great but his attitude stinks. I saw how he walked around the sideline. He didn’t care it was all about the paycheck for him. He didn’t give two shits about Tampa. Glad he’s gone.
April 2nd, 2014 at 8:36 am
Major Wright is proof that MY DEFENSE is coming!
On dime and nickle situations.
Lavonte David will be our Mike backer,
And Mark Barron will be our Will backer.
Mark Barron is as big as LaVonte. And hes great in the box.
And LAVonte can drop back into the secondary for our Cover 2 defense.
Then, slide Major Wright into our SS role,
And then slide Dason Goldson into our FS spot.
Boom! Thats a sick secondary!
Imagine our dime package.
Verner, Banks and Jenkins at corner.
Goldson, Barron, and Wright at safety??
Man, we can spice it up soooooo much on defense!
Whos with me? Barron should becomea. Hybrid SS/Will on passing downs.
LabVonte is basically a SS already playing LB.
I love it!
Go Bucs!
April 2nd, 2014 at 9:00 am
Teachermann, any chance you’d just run up the middle on that behind 2 TE and a FB? Or some other beef package? It’s what I’d do if I saw how small your secondary was.
April 2nd, 2014 at 9:17 am
Kalind,
Usually the defense sets their package arount the offensive personnel. So if the offense has a Big package in, unlikely the defense would be in dime just for the reason you mentioned.
April 2nd, 2014 at 9:46 am
Verner in Lovie’s scheme will be better than Revis would have. Sure Revis would have adapted, but it’s not optimal for him. Verner is a perfect fit.
Verner was a 2nd team All-Pro, so at worst you are trading #1 for #4, who’s 5 years younger.
April 2nd, 2014 at 10:25 am
Although I like Joe, I trust the football decisions of Licht & Lovie far more. Sue me.
April 2nd, 2014 at 10:55 am
Shaun King didn’t “lead” us to the NFC championship. I think it was our #1 ranked defense did!
April 2nd, 2014 at 10:58 am
Joe don’t be a mark dominik. The secondary got better bc the front imrpoved. Come on.
April 2nd, 2014 at 11:07 am
I mean how good of a QB was King when he played at Tulane? Undefeated there. Tulane is a loser school when it comes to football. In the past, the U. of Tampa beat them and so did USF. Now Tulane is coming into the AAC, formerly the Big East. They will doormat that league for years. King seems about Tulane speed.
April 2nd, 2014 at 11:07 am
While Joe understands where King is coming from, it’s difficult for Joe to believe the secondary got better by losing a Hall of Fame corner in his prime. Not even a wash.
=================
He didn’t say the secondary got better, he said the team got better. And there is absolutely no rationale way in disputing that.
You sure about that? The Bucs still have plenty of cap room.–Joe
April 2nd, 2014 at 11:07 am
We all know the defense lead the Bucs to the NFC Championship game…Whatever helps you sleep at night though
April 2nd, 2014 at 11:18 am
I guess Brian Kelly was the no-name CB for the Bucs, according to King’s train of thought.
April 2nd, 2014 at 12:25 pm
Ricky Manning was such a POS. Glad he’s been out of the league for years, what a douchebag
April 2nd, 2014 at 1:51 pm
The other TB QB to lead us to a loss in an NFC Championship game when his defense gave up 11 or fewer points was Doug Williams and we all know how horrible he was.
Oh, wait… that’s not right, is it?
April 3rd, 2014 at 9:11 am
@kalind
We wouldnt be in a dime defense against a jumbo package.
@ tampamac
Thx