Corners Bring Smile To Frazier’s Face
June 4th, 2014
Leslie Frazier was all smiles Tuesday talking about the Bucs’ cornerbacks.
It wasn’t long ago that the play of Bucs cornerbacks brought about several emotions from Bucs fans — and none were good.
From throwing beer bottles at TVs and punching windshields, to being tossed out of bars, to dogs running away in panic and cats cowering under couches from fear of being drop-kicked, to fans vomiting on the seats in front of them, it was no less than appalling what the Bucs trotted out on the field masquerading as a pass defense.
Joe will never, ever forget the sight of Hakeem Nicks roasting helmet-wielding, cabbie-slugging, pistol-whipping, granny-hassling, gun-totin’ Aqib Talib over an open fire at the New Jersey Swamplands in front of the good people of Gotham and the world’s media elite.
The 2012 Bucs cornerbacks were so horrid, they were a handful of yards away from setting a near century-old record for worst pass defense, coughing up 4,758 yards, 38 yards shy of an all-time NFL mark.
Well, color the contrast from then until now. Yesterday, Bucs defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier broke out into a wide smile in the June sunshine when asked about his cornerbacks.
“It’s been very heated,” Frazier said. “[Mike Jenkins] has come in, he’s fighting for a spot, Johnthan Banks doesn’t want to relinquish the spot and Alterraun Verner coming in fighting for a spot, it’s been healthy competition; it’s been good for our team. Danny Gorrer he’s fighting for a spot, Rashaan [Melvin] he’s fighting for a spot, we’ve got some depth at corner and it’ll all shake itself out once we get to training camp, we get the pads on and get through the preseason, but right now it’s been very heated and very good for our team.”
Joe just couldn’t shake the contrast; what a difference less than two years makes. Back in 2012, Bucs fans did collective facepalms and let out audible groans whenever the opponent put the ball into the air.
Now, the Bucs defensive coordinator is smiling as if remembering a Chris Rock show. Only the show is his cornerbacks.
June 4th, 2014 at 6:58 am
No Leonard Johnson reference again among the top six corners (Moore also being ahead of him). I wonder if they could get a seven for him from a team that needs cornerback depth (someone like Baltimore or Seattle).
June 4th, 2014 at 7:01 am
No mention of Carr either. Telling comments.
June 4th, 2014 at 7:07 am
Love the picture you paint in the beginning of the article.
Hopefully our guys up front can make the corners look even better.
June 4th, 2014 at 7:07 am
I think I know why fans follow offseason football more than any other sport offseason… you can’t lose for 9 months.
For the first 3 quarters of the year, your team can’t lose unless there is an injury… but it is much easier to print next man up when you aren’t actually playing games but just practicing.
Maybe that offseason hope of success is what many fans really look for… because losing in the last 3 months becomes easier to forget since its so short, the year is wrapping up and it is Holiday time.
All I know is every offseason is filled with hope and joy.
Who would have thought that we had more than enough depth a CB?
June 4th, 2014 at 7:16 am
And somehow we got better cutting our best defensive player Darrell Revis that we had given up a first round pick for.
June 4th, 2014 at 7:18 am
That 4,758 yard porous swiss cheese pass defense was horrid. Happy that is in the past, very unBuclike.
June 4th, 2014 at 7:20 am
biff,
Remember Lovie’s comments on “6 CBs I really like”. This is a week to week snapshot of who impressed that day. I’m not saying Carr will make it, but I wouldn’t be too concerned over not being mentioned after 1 practice of many to come!
https://www.joebucsfan.com/?p=113844
June 4th, 2014 at 8:26 am
Leonard Johnson is supposed to be a good guy, but he really made quarterback’s days when he hit the field.
June 4th, 2014 at 8:38 am
If you are hurting your pet, as Joe alludes to, from the result of football games, then you need to have your head examined. Because you aren’t right. And your priorities need to be reset.
June 4th, 2014 at 8:38 am
Believe it when I see it. But at best they swapped Verner for Revis which is a downgrade, and everyone else is essentially the same. Banks needs to take a big leap forward or the secondary will again be a major issue.
June 4th, 2014 at 8:50 am
Banks will be fine.
June 4th, 2014 at 9:51 am
Hopeful yes, but lets see how they defend against Mr Brees. All comes down to pass rush
June 4th, 2014 at 10:41 am
@bucrightoff
Personally, I thought Revis was a distraction. His presence stunted the growth of the younger corners. You say, How? Well being the perennial all-pro corner Revis was touted for, I believe, deterred the younger guys from out doing him. This maybe a reach but hear me out. As much as this game is about competition, there is an unwritten rule of respect among young players and veterans. Consider this, Imagine if Banks, Gorrer, Johnson out-played the 16 million dollar corner every game at their pay. Well, it wouldn’t have taken long for the fans and the media to have noticed. They would be up in arms over the fact that they are paying Revis too much compared to the production of the other corners, and would want to restructure or lessen his contract. So in essence this would hurt up and coming corners looking for a Revis type payday in the future. Hence the reason for not wanting to out perform Revis, as it could hurt their chances for a Revis payday in the future. No front office would ever feel a corner is ever worth that kind of money again, unless they can play like Superman, and Revis was not Superman last year.
June 4th, 2014 at 10:41 am
Banks will be fine. Nobody even knew who Barber was until about his 3rd season.
June 4th, 2014 at 10:53 am
@Phil – I’m just going to chalk it up to being early in the morning. But since when is revis better then GMC and LVD?
June 4th, 2014 at 2:11 pm
Most of us knew who Barber was. He was terrible.
June 4th, 2014 at 2:13 pm
Revis is gone.
And all is well.
June 4th, 2014 at 2:36 pm
Buc Fan #237… I agree, names were too much alike. I changed mine to be less alike.
June 4th, 2014 at 3:20 pm
Please no more Leonard Johnson if your feet are to slow to keep up with slot guys and you average or below in coverage that makes you….Yea that make you special teams captain haha