Captain Of The Inactive List Discharged
May 14th, 2014
The result was no surprise but the timing was. The Bucs’ famous “Captain of the Inactive List,” running back Michael Smith, was honorably discharged from Bucs forces Tuesday.
Smith, heralded for his speed and return abilities in 2012, always seemed on the cusp of big things, so his coaches at the time (led by former Bucs commander Greg Schiano) often said. Yet each week when the inactive list was released 90 minutes prior to kickoff, despite hours earlier coaches offering high hopes for him to have an impact, Smith found himself inactive.
Week after week, month after month.
It got to a point where it seemed a rumor that he was even on the 53-man roster.
A product of Utah State, Smith, in his first game as a pro, the 2012 season opener — his lone regular season game on the active roster — returned three kicks against the Stinking Panthers for an average of 18 yards a return (not terrible). For reasons not quite clear, Smith never again touched a football in a game situation.
Returning a kick for 63 yards against the Patriots in the 2013 preseason, Smith tore a ligament in his left foot and was placed on injured reserve and fans never saw him again. Joe saw him in the locker room two weeks ago and wanted to talk to Smith for a story, but Smith politely declined.
And now he is gone.
May 14th, 2014 at 8:12 am
You’re next, Stoker
May 14th, 2014 at 8:13 am
I guess the Simms pick was the nail in the coffin. I had high hopes when this guy was drafted, especially after hearing a team offered Dom a 6th round pick for him (how often have the Bucs actually gotten a higher than player was selected trade offer?)
May 14th, 2014 at 8:14 am
^^^
High hopes on special teams and RB2 or RB3
May 14th, 2014 at 8:15 am
Good luck, Michael. We won’t miss you…hardly knew you were there….at least we only gave up a 7 for you….and if folks will remember, I think it was NE that offered us a 6 the next year for him & Dom declined….
It doesn’t matter how fast a car can go if the tire is flat!!!
May 14th, 2014 at 8:15 am
Stocker can block fairly well… when he’s not in the trainer’s room that is. He could help us if healthy.
May 14th, 2014 at 8:19 am
Toes, Sims is a different type of player and was drafted for completely different reasons. Smith was fast yes, but never shined carrying the rock.
May 14th, 2014 at 8:23 am
I knew he was gone when I heard Charles Sims is wearing jersey #34
May 14th, 2014 at 8:27 am
I don’t think he would have made it even if we didn’t draft Sims.
The Rainey signing bumped him…..
May 14th, 2014 at 8:29 am
Correct on Rainey. He’s simply a better RB. James too. I just wonder who will win that camp battle.
May 14th, 2014 at 8:30 am
Thought Schiano ran the draft according to all the Dom haters…
Hmm let me guess since Schiano knows talent this one pick of the 2012 draft must have been by Dominik right?
SMH at the Dom haters…
May 14th, 2014 at 8:40 am
Phillip
Theres no such thing as Dom haters. Just look as his resume, it hates itself. Dom was a great wheeler and dealer but had no eye for talent unless they went undrafted, which is strange. Dom sucked. Period. You or I could’ve ran that 2009 draft and gotten the same results and he does this for a living. Hard to make excuses for a man that whiffs on entire draft classes with a losing win percentage to boot. Thank God that nightmare is over.
May 14th, 2014 at 8:51 am
@Phillip
No I believe M Smith was probably mostly a Schiano pick like both years he was the Bucs HC. A don’t think seeing a 7th round pick get cut by a new HC & GM is too bad considering just abou every other draft pick is still on the team or still on an NFL roster. Greg ‘Draft Guru’ Schiano knows talent
May 14th, 2014 at 8:58 am
@ biff barker
I think both Rainey & James will make the squad….or one may be traded late….we will probably keep at least 4 rbs….and may not keep a FB…..the question would be with Demps….he may also be kept if he can do KR/PR duties….and may depend on how many we keep at other positions like TE/WR.
May 14th, 2014 at 9:05 am
@Bee
Was Dom always the problem? HE works off the info he gets from the people below him. Maybe Dennis Hickey was as much at fault. Be interesting to see how he does as GM in Miami. As an aside, at least we don’t have our QB (can you say RGIII) TEXTING DURING THE DRAFT TO DRAFT A PLAYER AND THEN THEY TAKE HIM) What does that tell you about their scouting organization?!
May 14th, 2014 at 9:09 am
TBF, my question is how does the Herron addition affect Demps? He’s a slot guy who can return kicks and gives us speed in space too.
May 14th, 2014 at 9:12 am
@Toes
Okay so instead of using common sense like Idk some guy named Eric Stokes coming over from Seattle(arguably the best drafting team out there right now along with SF and GB) before the 2012 draft helping Dom choose better players couldn’t be the reason right? But lets use your logic then
Okay so we got Martin and David… But Drake Dunsmore Najee Goode Michael Smith and Keith Tandy are great all of the sudden? Mark Barron is a premier safety all of the sudden? That was all the 2012 draft.. 3 starters 2 pro bowl type players
Steven Means Will Gholston Akeem Spence Darrelle Revis Jonathan Banks Mike Glennon Mike James are all budding superstars for the Bucs right? One starter(Banks) and 3 role players(Spence James Gholston) and our number one pick no longer on the team(Revis)
Schiano the draft guru alright..
May 14th, 2014 at 9:16 am
Does anybody even think that the Bucs will even have a “Traditional Fullback” on their Roster?
It would be nice to keep all five RB’s
Martin
Simms
Rainey
James and
Demps
I am thinking that Demps will be the odd man out BUT
Maybe They will be using a TE as the Blocking Back allowing them to keep an extra RB (Demps)
It is sounding a lot like Tedford’s Offense is going to be Up Tempo and One Back anyways.
May 14th, 2014 at 9:21 am
Tampabaybucfan Says:
May 14th, 2014 at 8:15 am
Good luck, Michael. We won’t miss you…hardly knew you were there….at least we only gave up a 7 for you….and if folks will remember, I think it was NE that offered us a 6 the next year for him & Dom declined….
It doesn’t matter how fast a car can go if the tire is flat!!!
——-
Actually, it was Mike Shanahan and the Redskins
May 14th, 2014 at 9:23 am
And he sure had an eye for NFL talent right?? Search Joe’s archives for who Schiano cut that went on to have pretty productive seasons last year… I know one was George Selvie and Chris Jones… Also playing Te’O was great last year too right? Saying basically we didn’t need Bennett because we had 10 sack Bowers waiting in the wings… Ya definitely got an eye for talent lol
May 14th, 2014 at 9:24 am
brandonbucfan Says:
May 14th, 2014 at 9:05 am
@Bee
Was Dom always the problem? HE works off the info he gets from the people below him. Maybe Dennis Hickey was as much at fault. Be interesting to see how he does as GM in Miami. As an aside, at least we don’t have our QB (can you say RGIII) TEXTING DURING THE DRAFT TO DRAFT A PLAYER AND THEN THEY TAKE HIM) What does that tell you about their scouting organization?!
———-
Haven’t heard that, interesting. You have a link by any chance? I’d love to read the whole story.
May 14th, 2014 at 9:30 am
Phillip Says:
May 14th, 2014 at 9:23 am
And he sure had an eye for NFL talent right?? Search Joe’s archives for who Schiano cut that went on to have pretty productive seasons last year… I know one was George Selvie and Chris Jones… Also playing Te’O was great last year too right? Saying basically we didn’t need Bennett because we had 10 sack Bowers waiting in the wings… Ya definitely got an eye for talent lol
—————–
The 4th guy was Wallace Gilberry. Dominik brought them in, Schiano decided they weren’t Buccaneer men… They both sucked, in their own ways. It was Dominik that drafted a DE with little burst and a weak right arm (RDE only), he was also the one that gave Derrick Ward and Michael Clayton big contracts… traded a 2nd for K2 and handed him a big contract. Signed Joseph, Nicks, and Adderall Twin Wright to big deals.
Schiano surely helped us with the draft, but he was clueless in how to utilize it. Dominik was good at finding free agent rookie gems…other than that, they were both worthless.
May 14th, 2014 at 9:30 am
Martin > Simms/James > Rainey > Demps
But is Herron > Demps ?
If Yes it = Good Bye to the Track Star Demps Experiment
May 14th, 2014 at 9:34 am
Tampabaybucfan Says:
May 14th, 2014 at 8:58 am
@ biff barker
I think both Rainey & James will make the squad….or one may be traded late….we will probably keep at least 4 rbs….and may not keep a FB…..the question would be with Demps….he may also be kept if he can do KR/PR duties….and may depend on how many we keep at other positions like TE/WR.
———-
I think Rainey’s a longshot to make it. I could be wrong but I’m not sure if he has any special teams value. If he’s going to be our 3rd, or even 4th (if we keep that man) RB, he will HAVE to be a major contributor on special teams.
Right now we have:
Doug Martin
Charles Sims
Mike James
Bobby Rainey
Jeff Demps
And if only 3 make it, it is the top 3, if 4 make it, I believe it will be Demps because he has special teams (and speed in space) value.
May 14th, 2014 at 9:37 am
@ Phillip
Stokes scouts talent, HC & GM make the final call. Schiano was a very good college recruiter, so logic is pretty easy there…2013 & 2012 good drafts are Greg ‘Draft Guru’ Schiano’s doing whether you can get past your loathing of GS or not
May 14th, 2014 at 10:11 am
Joe, Michael Smith is a perfect example of your obsessive tendencies toward select players.
For some weird reason you just become obsessed with people.
May 14th, 2014 at 10:11 am
Brandon
Its Dom’s fault. If he knows his scouting department is trash its his job to find people that can do better. Of course i think Hickney was horrible too but when the people under you aren’t doing good, thats a reflection on you as a “leader”.
May 14th, 2014 at 10:33 am
Here’s how it works for the Dom haters. Schiano Martin, Dom smith. Schiano david, Dom Najee Goode, Schiano Barron, Dom Tandy. It’s simple, and in games Schiano coached the dolphins win and dom told david to push geno smith out of bounds because he controls wins and losses.
Look you can dislike both but in the end he did draft a QB, 3 tech, will backer, RB, which for lovie are four most important parts. Also, many other players. Let’s see how many make and play this year.
I like what they have done except Michael Johnson, he’s soft.
May 14th, 2014 at 10:35 am
I’m going with Demps as the odd man out. James is a good back and Rainy played his tail off. Demps has done nothing and I don’t trust him to rise to the occasion and impress the coaches. Obviously Doug and Sims are set in stone.
May 14th, 2014 at 10:39 am
I look at the RB’s this way, grouped by skill set. Roles and playing time vary depending on game situations:
1a Martin backed up by James
1b Sims backed up by Demps
Odd man out Rainey. He can do everything adequately, but not excellent or scary to defenses. Could keep 5 but may keep 4 Te’s? We’ll see.
May 14th, 2014 at 4:22 pm
Does it matter where the fault lies? What’s done is done. The Bucs have moved on and maybe some of you dreamers should so the same. It’s a new day, new regime and time to lose sentimental attachments. The last experiment failed in a big way and any player that doesn’t prove their worth on the field will likely be gone. At least L and L have attempted to replace bad picks with free agents rather than bask in the same cesspool of mediocrity.
May 14th, 2014 at 6:40 pm
Good luck Michael, hopefully you’ll get a chance elsewhere and do well.
May 15th, 2014 at 2:23 pm
I think Demps is wound too tight. He’ll just tear something again. IMO.