Suspicious Of Carl Nicks Return
May 6th, 2014
Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times isn’t exactly buying what the Bucs are selling on G Carl Nicks.
There are all sorts of ways for the Bucs to go with their No. 7 pick, or for that matter, their first two picks in the draft. Many Bucs fans, who love shiny objects, are stomping their feet for a wide receiver, even if it is a Vincent Jackson clone (Texas A&M WR Mike Evans).
Joe is of the belief if the Bucs don’t draft Johnny Football at No. 7, while it may not be sexy, drafting a tackle would sure be a smart move.
All fans should be aware by now that there is a hole on the right side of the line at guard, and with the uncertain status of Carl Nicks, perhaps a hole at left guard. And no, Joe is not all that comfortable knowing left tackle Anthony Collins has never started half a season in the NFL much less 16 games in a year.
Add Rick Stroud to the list of those suggesting offensive line may be the Bucs’ biggest need. The longtime Bucs beat writer for the Tampa Bay Times has an eyebrow raised when folks at One Buc Palace invoke the name of Nicks as a key element to the offensive line.
It’s a deep draft for receivers, and the Bucs have a lot of other needs. Start with the offensive line. They are set with left tackle Anthony Collins, right tackle Demar Dotson and center Evan Dietrich-Smith. But neither guard spot is secure, especially with the uncertain status of Carl Nicks.
The Bucs are saying all the right things about Nicks possibly being ready by training camp. But foot injuries with nerve damage don’t mix well with 360-pound players who get paid to move piles. So it’s a given the Bucs have to come out of this draft with a guard or, at the very least, a tackle who can play guard for a year or two before moving outside.
Joe has been preaching this for weeks. A tackle who can move inside would be nice. Joe loves Demar Dotson, but geez, since when has he morphed into Dan Dierdorf at right tackle?
Drafting an offensive lineman, a tackle, at No. 7 may leave fans wanting more. But it is a damn smart pick.
May 6th, 2014 at 10:12 am
Not excited with it but it’s a good move.
May 6th, 2014 at 10:14 am
Collins has played inside. If they can get Jake M @ 7 he could start day 1 @ LT & move Collins inside or vise versa.
May 6th, 2014 at 10:14 am
All starts up front. Too many question marks right now on the offensive line. I predict we will draft 2 O-Lineman.
May 6th, 2014 at 10:14 am
I hope they lean on Tedfords opinion for a pick like this and not Lovie’s. He has a terrible history of OL busts. Sexy it would not be, but you’re right, Joe…. Very smart and valuable pick it would be.
May 6th, 2014 at 10:15 am
I have believed this to be the case all along. the bucs want to trade out worse than anyone and grab either Matthews, Lewan, or Robinson while picking up additional picks. The O-Line is a huge need that has not been addressed and there are some great picks at the top of the draft and then it thins down. Rec’s are peppered throughout the draft and all have similar grades. See the draft where toomer and Harrision came out. very comparable because teams could get very productive rec’s late in that draft see Jermaine Lewis or Joe horn. May not be sexy but I think this is the way the bucs go. smart move
May 6th, 2014 at 10:15 am
I like T/G in 1st rnd if Johnny is not there. Receiver in 2nd & 3rd rounds. Hopefully we trade Glennon for a 4th rnd pick. DL or G in 4th(if available) or 5th.
Connor Shaw is coming to Tampa.
May 6th, 2014 at 10:16 am
Building begins in the trenches, so they say. I would not be upset if we hit a homerun on a OT with the first pick. However, it will be difficult to do this if for some reason Watkins was still on the board. Heck, even if Johnny Manziel was still on the board, which I think he will, it will be hard to pass on them for an OT. Whatever we do, I hope we stick to our research and draft board. If we trade down, I think all Bucs fans will be sort of lost during the draft in regards to the draft plan.
May 6th, 2014 at 10:18 am
ill be excited as long as they get a good 2nd round receiver and QB (murray)
May 6th, 2014 at 10:18 am
Save a draft pick- they can sign Incognito for the league Minimum.
We don’t have any ,um, delicate lil sensitive flowers in our lockeroom, Do we?
Incognito, and the rest of the Dolphin Linemen, behaved like groups of Men do. Same stuff I’ve heard with soldiers, construction workers, Etc.
Biggest problem was- one of them wasn’t a man.
Incognito all day
May 6th, 2014 at 10:21 am
Joe:
Any word of Davin Joseph coming back on the cheap?
He had a couple of visits but still is a free agent I believe.
Or do you think he’s contemplating retirement at 30?
May 6th, 2014 at 10:22 am
Joe seems to have made it a habit in this years’ draft discussion to take subtle jabs at his fanbase. Likening Tampa fans who want Mike Evans to stupid children blinded by the allure of shiny things is not professional or attractive.
Joe interacts with his readers the way he would any fan — friend or stranger — in the stadium, in a bar, at a tailgate barbecue. Don’t be so sensitive. –Joe
May 6th, 2014 at 10:42 am
Can’t argue the wisdom in drafting O line help if a potentially elite tackle is still available at 7. Someone needs to protect McCown, Glennon, or Kafka this season
May 6th, 2014 at 10:53 am
We need guards not tackles. You don’t pick a guard at #7, so why the hell would we take a tackle at #7 AND convert him to guard?
May 6th, 2014 at 10:55 am
The number of guards the Bucs draft will tell us exactly what’s going on with Nicks. If they draft more than one, they’re not expecting much.
May 6th, 2014 at 11:14 am
Finally someone is making sense in Tampa. It’s obvious to me the Bucs are giving the illusion they will draft a QB so that a team trades with Atlanta ahead of the Bucs for a QB. Then we will end up drafting the best tackle on the board and move Collins inside to guard. This will solidify the OL to help the offense be in manageable down and distance situations. ALWAYS BUILD FROM THE TRENCHES FIRST. Taking a WR in the top 10 is something that looser teams do.
May 6th, 2014 at 11:28 am
I have been reading articles here for quite some time. I usually will not post a comment.
But I have to say some of you who critique Joe are really stupid!!!!
He writes articles from every angle and who cares he love JF!!! He would be a great addition to the Bucs.
I love to read the comment but please stop telling Joe how to do his damn job! What he is doing is making his website successful and I would like it to be around for the long haul.
In other words, if you do not like it then go to another site!!!
GO BUCS AND JOEBUCSFAN!!!
May 6th, 2014 at 11:35 am
It does not make sense if you take your best talented player at tackle and try to make him play guard for a year or 2, while you have a veteran that has played mostly at guard and have him play tackle. For some reason Joe is fascinated by this idea. He even try to float this out when Penn was on the team giving up the second most pressures in the NFL out of ALL tackles. Its a bad idea and will not happen.
May 6th, 2014 at 11:42 am
God only makes so many men of that size, so to get a good one is very important. Not flashy, but wise. Like others have said, “it all starts up front”
May 6th, 2014 at 11:50 am
I’m still puzzled at why they gave Collins such big money, especially when Dotson is the better fit at LT IMO. My theory is we got into a bidding war with ATL (who also put in a bid) and we got taken for a ride, bc Collins does not have the track record to warrant the payday he got – idc how well he pass blocked for less than half a season. For perspective NYG signed G/T Geoff Schwartz for about half the price we got Collins, and he would have filled a much bigger need on the inside and could have still provided depth at tackle while we break in one of the rookie tackles sure to be waiting there for us at 7.
May 6th, 2014 at 12:07 pm
If we go with Oline at 7 then I’m cool with it. Matthews.
May 6th, 2014 at 12:11 pm
Meh Says
“We need guards not tackles. You don’t pick a guard at #7, so why the hell would we take a tackle at #7 AND convert him to guard?”
DING DING DING!
These tackles are tackles because they sucked at guard in most cases. Good guards are found in mid to later rounds usually.
May 6th, 2014 at 12:12 pm
With all the holes in this team I am not too excited about next year. It will take Lovie at least 2-3 years to get this team on track.
May 6th, 2014 at 12:12 pm
if we go with O-line at 7, it will be the first sign that the GM does not want to be a “rockstar” , but just wants to put a good football team on the field.
May 6th, 2014 at 12:25 pm
Jim Walker …I keep telling these fools that. This shyte is going to take time.
May 6th, 2014 at 12:28 pm
Brother Joes, I’m sure I’ve missed it along the way but why no love for Blake Bortles being a fit for the Bucs? I don’t believe he his an immobile QB and could sit on the bench for a little while until he is ready to take over for Josh McCown.
May 6th, 2014 at 12:53 pm
The OL route is solid if not sexy.
May 6th, 2014 at 3:37 pm
It will have to be Lewan if we go tackle. Matthews and Robinson will definitely be gone with Atl picking in front of us.
May 6th, 2014 at 5:25 pm
L&G, your Jerk of the Day winner: Back, from Davie Jones Locker
May 6th, 2014 at 5:33 pm
Can someone explain to me the fascination with taking a T at No. 7, considering that we now have two starting tackles? Collins may be able to play inside, but he played the best in his career as a T and Dotson has really only played T. So why would we draft another T with that pick, rather than getting someone who actually has in depth experience playing G to play that position?
May 6th, 2014 at 5:58 pm
I for one will be happy when this whole Carl nicks debacle is over so we can move forward. No I’m not holding my breath for nicks return.
May 7th, 2014 at 2:19 pm
to say the bucs are “set” at LT and RT is generous and presumptuous. there is clear room for upgrade at 2 or 3 of the 5 OL spots, and that’s presuming carl nicks is healthy. only deitrich-smith has proven his worth as a starter. collins’ pay says he’s a starter but his resume doesn’t back it up yet, and while dotson gets a little better every year, he still has his weaknesses and will soon have to be considered as being on the downside of his career.