Michael Johnson Channels Simeon Rice
April 15th, 2014
New Bucs DE Michael Johnson spent much of Tuesday morning studying Simeon Rice.
Doctors throughout the Tampa Bay area were flooded with calls on Mondays last fall from patients who needed to re-up their blood pressure meds because the Bucs were so impotent at getting to opposing quarterbacks.
It was appalling for Joe as well, as he had to numb himself on Sunday nights with copious amounts of adult beverages to wash away the memories.
Well, Bucs coach Lovie Smith is here to build new memories, and those memories will dampen pharmaceutical sales. Lovie is bound and determined to soil opposing quarterbacks’ jerseys. One way was to ink defensive end Michael Johnson.
The Bucs really have not had a consistent pass rush from the edge since the halcyon days of Simeon Rice, who last suited up in Tampa nearly eight years ago, hollering about how Chucky was a “scumbag” on his way out the door.
Johnson, who spent a few minutes this afternoon with the Tampa Bay pen and mic club, knows all about Rice. In fact, Johnson spent much of this morning studying Rice’s Bucs tape.
“Just got finished watching a lot of [Rice],” Johnson said. “Long guy, very athletic and constantly gets to the quarterback. He didn’t do a whole bunch of different things but what he did he was good at. You will definitely see some of that in me this year.
“We are definitely a lot more free in this defense. Playing more vertical, more aggressive attacking. That’s going to be one of the fun things, getting finally to do that and I am looking forward to do that and see what we can do with it.”
How pathetic is it that the Bucs have gone damned near a decade trying to replace Rice? How many draft picks and wasted cash on free agents have the Bucs run through looking for the next Rice? Why was Michael Bennett allowed to leave?
Maybe the closest the Bucs came to filling Rice’s void was with Kevin Carter in the final years of the Chucky regime, and even then, Carter was a shell of his former self in the twilight of his NFL career.
Perhaps, with a return to the defense that made Tampa famous, Johnson will be bring back fond memories of quarterbacks being buried into the turf at the Stadium on Dale Mabry Highway.
April 15th, 2014 at 1:38 pm
Loved Simeon. What a character off the field. He had a great radio show in Chicago a few years back. Not positive if it was his show or he just appeared regularly on it. He had some very blunt comments of past and current players. I love a guy who speaks his mind without worrying about the PC Police.
April 15th, 2014 at 1:45 pm
The funny thing is, The front 7 had its best year in the last 5 years. All those stunts that everyone cries about was trying to get a rush out of nothing. What a terrible roster Dominick assembled in the last 5 years
April 15th, 2014 at 1:51 pm
So why was it that once the stunts stopped being run, sacks where IMMEDIATELY generated? back-to-back sacks including one to seal the game.
April 15th, 2014 at 1:54 pm
Dominik was a bum, plain and simple.
Michael Johnson will be hard pressed to pull of anything Simeon-like but it’d be real great to see that kind of pressure again.
April 15th, 2014 at 2:01 pm
Clowney and Mc Coy would be better than Sapp and Rice. Need to go get Clowney at all cost and I mean ALL cost. He’s the only true franchise player in this draft and worthy of whatever it takes to get him. Think about when it’s 3rd and 8 in the 4th Qtr. and the Bucs are ahead by 2 that’s when you need to sack the QB, Clowney does that kind of stuff, Sapp did that kind of stuff, setting up the OL for just that kind of play.
April 15th, 2014 at 2:14 pm
@Celly
are you talking about the Miami game? the game where at the end, the bucs ran a stunt and David got a sack, then the bucs rushed the front 4 with a cover 2 and McCoy got the sack.
You do know that the Miami Tackle had left from being bullied and they just suspend there pro-bowl guard for bullying? the game where they were up against a backup and some guard they brought up off the practice squad? that is what you are basing that the d-line can rush. That is worst then the people who say Clayborn is a “beast” because he got a sack 3 years ago.
April 15th, 2014 at 2:15 pm
I agree with Celly, Our D-line was/is better than it was on paper last year. Lovie will take the exact group of guys and get quadruple the results and better effort. With the two new signing and proper coaching we now have a nasty rotation. Gholdston, Claiborne, Bowers, Spence. If there is ANYONE who can get the most out of those guys it’s Lovie and it’s start’s by taking them off the DAMN LEASH!!!!!
April 15th, 2014 at 3:35 pm
“Simeon Rice, who last suited up in Tampa nearly eight years ago…”
– Joe
Wow. Only 8 years? With the football we’ve been seeing it feels like double that time has passed.
April 15th, 2014 at 3:48 pm
Michael Johnson needs to cool it with the Rice talk. No one will ever mistake him for Simeon Rice. Just try to make some plays and stop talking. People talk too much
April 15th, 2014 at 3:55 pm
It’s all about how much we trust Lovie’s eye for talent. This time of year everybody sounds like the messiah. Johnson’s not exactly a sure thing.
April 15th, 2014 at 4:01 pm
Every once in a while I read these forums, seldom do I write because the posts are just nasty trolling by faceless and nameless scared people who would NEVER say it in person.
Today it is just to say, I am damn glad I don’t know any of you people. You dont sound like fans, you sound like chicken S&$T, ass clowns.
No one in here has played a down of pro ball or run a front office. When you have, then you can judge the others before you or after you.
Don’t bother commenting on this comment as I wont be back to read it.
Shape up people. Treat others as you yourself would want to be treated.
April 15th, 2014 at 4:26 pm
Don’t take the comments so seriously. This is just entertainment.
April 15th, 2014 at 4:43 pm
SausageKing- this guy is not gonna come back to read what you say to him, remember?!!!
People can’t help but take the crap on here and themselves too seriously.
April 15th, 2014 at 6:03 pm
Gholston + Johnson = Rice
Connor Shaw is coming to Tampa.
April 15th, 2014 at 6:31 pm
Buc Realist
#ftw
Suffers from boss like symptoms.
April 15th, 2014 at 6:31 pm
I would rather have Gholston playing opposite Johnson than Clowney. Even if both were on the draft board, I’d pick Gholston over Clowney (knowing now how well Gholston’s skills translate to the nfl)
April 15th, 2014 at 6:34 pm
Dallas buc, ur basically an idiot. Johnson looks like carbon copy of Rice, physically. And I think he can duplicate Rice’s production/role in the Tampa 2.
April 16th, 2014 at 9:49 am
You. Think this guy is the equivalent of Rice and I’m the idiot? This is why people should stop talking so much
April 16th, 2014 at 8:47 pm
For me, I want to see Johnson match the double digit sacks of Rices time with the Bucs before there can be any comparison. I do have my fingers crossed Johnson will succeed in having 10 sacks. Any defensive player with 10 sacks sounds good for me.
Go Bucs!