“It Doesn’t Feel Right”
June 11th, 2014
It was all doom and gloom for Carl Nicks from Tampa Bay Times Bucs beat writer Rick Stroud this morning on WDAE-AM 620.
The former All-Pro guard spoke yesterday and said he’s ready to start running soon and believes he’s on track to play football when Buccaneers training camp kicks off in 44 days. Um, isn’t that a shred of good news?
Stroud, however, said “it doesn’t feel right” and he wasn’t really buying the context of what Nicks was selling.
“If you’re still talking about beginning to run, and it’s the middle of June? Stroud asked of Nicks rhetorically. “It doesn’t seem as if there has been any progress in this guy’s condition.”
Stroud and co-host Ronnie Lane gave their visual impressions of Nicks, and Stroud reiterated that he’s not comprehending the medical progress of Nicks after his MRSA-related foot surgery last year. “I don’t know what he can do in six weeks that he hasn’t done the past three or four months,” Stroud said. (You can listen to the full audio below, which includes cuts from Nicks’ chat with media.
Joe surely wouldn’t count on Nicks, but there’s no reason to think he’s full of baloney, either.
Lovie Smith said Nicks passed his physical on Monday and he expects Nicks to be ready to roll for training camp, barring a setback. Nicks said he’ll be rehabbing at One Buc Palace over the next six weeks while his teammates are vacationing. That feels about as “right” as anything Joe’s heard about Nicks in many months.
June 11th, 2014 at 9:13 am
You would think after over a year, the best doctors in the world could have him ready.
June 11th, 2014 at 9:14 am
I felt the same way as Stroud when I saw the Nicks interview on team website. Seemed like he was saying something he didn’t believe regarding his progress, health and readiness. Also felt the response to questions about him missing voluntary OTAs was a little defiant and contentious. I think he knows he is not playing for the Bucs again and is saying what is necessary to ensure he gets all of the dollars coming to him. If my career was ruined by MRSA that I contracted from a team facility and another guys (Tynes) has had to fight for his money after the same thing happened I would do the same thing. Nicks is done. Hope I’m wrong. Go bucs
June 11th, 2014 at 9:25 am
I’m not going to say what happens to Nicks going forward, I’ll let the Bucs decide that. But I had a chance to view Bucs photos of mini-camp-day 1 and photo #33 of 44 is telling. Nicks appears to be swollen. He did pass a physical, but visually he looks like he weighs at least 370lbs.
Photos can be misleading, but he looks like he’s got a long way to go to be able to function in an offensive line that’s going to emphasize speed and agility.
June 11th, 2014 at 9:40 am
I hate this whole thing because we need him. It’s what it is at this point. No one really know what’s going on but we do know what we see and I see a lot of questions yet to be answered.
I’m not going to be positive or negative but I will say nothing about this situation would surprise me anymore.
June 11th, 2014 at 9:44 am
This is GREAT news. Having Nicks back at 100% is going to make ALL the difference in the world. And to think the Bucs almost ruined this guy. I gotta hand it to him for fighting hard and doing all he can to get back on the field. A true Buccaneer man if I ever same one. I can’t wait to see him dominate the O line like he did the first few years he came here!
June 11th, 2014 at 10:02 am
^LOL!!!
June 11th, 2014 at 10:24 am
Its just wait and see……..
June 11th, 2014 at 10:25 am
Robert- that’s hilarious. Think you are missing the point entirely which is that the big guy not on the field! He hasn’t played meaningful football in almost 2 years and has yet to run since his last game in what, week 4 last year? Yet you think this guy is going to saunter into training camp and dominate? That would be a neat trick!
June 11th, 2014 at 10:28 am
So considering he hasn’t been able to run for quite some time and is overweight and out of shape, how much can he do in 6 weeks? And even if he can come back and play it doesn’t mean he can still play at a high level. I’m with Stroud, whole thing kind of smells like money
June 11th, 2014 at 10:38 am
Fishing as usual because it’s so easy to go back and say oops but if your right you get to tell the world. Bowers is out of shape every off-season, no one has mentioned the guy walking with a limp Joe so what’s the deal because he’s not the only player rehabbing getting ready for traiNing camp, I think vets can do that.
June 11th, 2014 at 10:46 am
All the talk from the Bucs organization and Nicks boils down to optimism. It was believed he would be on the field last year but the toe and the MRSA said otherwise. There’s no way to tell at this point if the toe will hold up under the stress of live game action.
June 11th, 2014 at 10:47 am
he’ll be fine. that’s what TC is for…to get in shape. Him and Bowers will come in and do fine. The team is counting on them.
June 11th, 2014 at 11:22 am
buc4lyfe/snook:
Not sure where you’ve been or what you’ve been reading, but Joe has made it perfectly clear Bowers is coming off a knee surgery (may be a minor scope, no one has released the information on what it exactly was). Problem for Bowers is, he is running out of excuses and time. He’s on his third coaching staff and still no one knows what they have in Bowers. You think the Bucs will actually pick up the fifth-year option on his contract? Based on what, exactly, hope?
June 11th, 2014 at 11:30 am
Robert- that’s just it…no one believes the team is counting on Nicks or Bowers except for you. All evidence at this time points to them moving on with or without those two. But your abject optimism is adorable!
June 11th, 2014 at 11:56 am
@Joe – I thought the 5th year option was limited to 1st round picks!?! And if there was an option, wouldn’t the Bucs need to have already declared on way or the other like they did Clayborn?
June 11th, 2014 at 12:06 pm
1% chance he plays.
June 11th, 2014 at 12:23 pm
flocker1,
Of course you’re right about the 5th year option. But pack your bags and leave town cause Joe don’t take no sass!
June 11th, 2014 at 12:49 pm
Possible… the only reason I can think of for the delay is that they know it will never go away completely and wanted to squeeze every extra day of rest out of this before getting him on a last minute program that will theoretically have him on pace for the start of camp.
June 11th, 2014 at 1:03 pm
how fat is this guy going to be once he gets back on his feet? he was bigger than D.Penn when he got here and has been laid up for nearly 2 years straight right? Im thinking he has to be around 380 by now and way out of football shape. we got ripped on this deal.
June 11th, 2014 at 1:10 pm
I just watched Carl Nicks talk on NFL AM(direst tv, not radio) and I get the impression he’s just riding it out. Hope I’m wrong.
June 11th, 2014 at 2:01 pm
Don’t know the man, but the vibe i sense through the media is that he may not have a huge passion to play football again. Very passive in his comments; but that may be more a commentary on his personality than his desire. We’ll see…
June 11th, 2014 at 3:32 pm
This man quit football 2 years ago as soon as he had a huge deal and weak ass excuse!
0% chance he ever plays a down again.
I notice that his wife conceived right before the season started last year… I’m not against ‘sexy time’, but he clearly was on vacation even then.
He’s just saying what he has to… to keep the money coming. He is so fat and bloated, how could he survive TC? He knows he won’t be there! And I’m sure he doesn’t care.
Even Vinny Testeverde bounce back from Turf Toe!!
Man, I hate malingerers!
June 11th, 2014 at 8:52 pm
All these podiatrists on these Nicks threads, hilarious as hell I tell you lol.
Not to mention, the detail you know about his recovery, treatment, or lack thereof to this point is outstanding as well.
BRAVO
June 11th, 2014 at 8:56 pm
Oh and how deeply you know the man’s character and motivation towards the game is impressive as well lol.
Keep it up 😉
June 12th, 2014 at 2:24 am
Nicks has been done