Bucs Insider Talks Carl Nicks & UFOs
July 7th, 2014
Fact: Last month, Lovie Smith said Carl Nicks passed his physical and is expected to be healthy and ready for training camp, (first practice in 18 days!)
Fact: Carl Nicks said he expects to be ready, too.
Given Tampa Bay’s questionable stable of guards, Jamon Meredith, Oneil Cousins, Patrick Omameh and rookies Kadeem Edwards and Kevin Pamphile, one could assume the Bucs are actually banking on Nicks’ return to the lineup after MRSA-related foot carving surgery cut short his 2013 season after just two starts. Heck, the Bucs still have a pile of 2014 salary cap room they could have used on a guard yet didn’t.
But any sane observer also would conclude the Bucs would be nuts to, in fact, expect Nicks to play football again.
Joe’s not sure what to think. Nicks remains on the roster and he just turned 29 years old.
However, Buccaneers in-house reporter and analyst Scott Smith, a team employee with all kinds of access, predicts Nicks returning to form could be the No. 1 surprise of the 2014 preseason.
That said, I’m not going to let skepticism stop me from enjoying this upcoming training camp. It’s clear from Twitter reactions that expressing any optimism in Carl Nicks’ future is akin to claiming you’ve seen an unidentified flying object. Well, when it comes to Nicks, I choose to believe. In fact, in the hopes that Nicks has many strong NFL years ahead of him and, in the sci-fi spirit of UFOs, I’ve thought of a nickname for him: The Death Star.
At last check-in with Nicks during the June mandatory minicamp, he said he was going to try running this summer and would be busy rehabilitating in Tampa. Nicks lives locally full-time.
Perhaps Smith has heard birdies singing happy Nicks songs at One Buc Palace?
Like Smith, Joe can only hope, which is the keyword for most fans this time of year.
July 7th, 2014 at 2:06 pm
Fact: Nicks gets paid whether he plays or not. Fact: relying on Nicks to start this season is foolish. Fact: new regime moved deck chairs on oline without any definitive area of improvement. Fact: the Death Star is a great nickname!
July 7th, 2014 at 2:08 pm
Like all UFO stories, I’ll believe it when I see it
July 7th, 2014 at 2:12 pm
“The death star” lol, the deathstar showed briefly for 2 movies and blew up each time!!!
Just like Nicks career! greatest nickname ever!!!
July 7th, 2014 at 2:58 pm
fact:
no man his size can sit on a couch for 3 years and expect to come out and play football. he’s a bum IMO.
should he prove me wrong and attempt to play he will be an injured bum, one of his own doing from sitting on the couch eating frito’s. mrsa my a$$…….
dude was a slug from day one. he should send brees 1/2 his checks
July 7th, 2014 at 3:04 pm
Carl Nicks reminds me of a friend who once commented on drinking wine coolers. “They are just sugar and a wish”. That is Carl Nicks, sugar and a wish.
July 7th, 2014 at 3:10 pm
Harsh!
July 7th, 2014 at 3:21 pm
“The death star” lol, the deathstar showed briefly for 2 movies and blew up each time!!!
Just like Nicks career! greatest nickname ever!!!
lol probably the funniest comment I have read on this site, EVER!
July 7th, 2014 at 3:31 pm
I hope to see the man make these “fans” eat their words. McCoy came back with some of these same “fans” saying he was a waste. Different injuries, but hopefully the same results. Nicks can’t be proud of what he has done here. I’m sure he’d like to improve his image.
July 7th, 2014 at 3:33 pm
Fact: We have yet to hear of Nick’s even being able to run yet.
Isn’t running a prerequisite to be able to play?
Instead of The Death Star, I choose to call him The Black Hole in reference to the contract being dumped into him with no hope of ever getting anything out.
July 7th, 2014 at 3:34 pm
Joe, Scott Smith is basically the Bucs’ media b—h. He’s a good guy but it’s comical if you deem his words or “analysis” worth publishing. He’s nothing more than the organization’s delivery boy.
July 7th, 2014 at 3:48 pm
I dont understand the skepticism on why Nicks couldnt come back! He is fairly young. Plus yes MRSA is a deadly infection if left untreated but with treatment many people return to the normal lives. I’m a healthcare professional and IMO he needs to worry more about being out of football shape and suffering another injury because of it.
July 7th, 2014 at 3:56 pm
^^ Uhhh, well he hasn’t been able to run… Even before the MRSA, people were saying the foot injury he had could be career threatening. So I think that the skepticism is based on the fact that we have ZERO positive signs except for some sunshine being blown up our collective asses by Nicks himself and the front office.
July 7th, 2014 at 4:09 pm
Pat:
Scott Smith works at One Buc Palace. He has more access than anyone else covering the team. Sure, he’s going to always be glass-half-full. He gets to talk to coaches and players far more than anyone else.
And he also got a degree from Northwestern. Major props. Yes, Joe is jealous he went to the second-best journalism school in the State of Illinois rather than Northwestern.
Oh, and Joe likes his taste in baseball teams. 🙂
July 7th, 2014 at 4:47 pm
DallasBuc Says:
“Fact: relying on Nicks to start this season is foolish.”
That’s actually an opinion, not a fact. 😉
July 7th, 2014 at 4:49 pm
Even if Nicks is healthy, and I hope he is, the rest of the oline is mostly in trouble. Maybe…MAYBE the center will be okay.
Otherwise, we’re screwed. Which is why Glennon won’t play except due to injury.
July 7th, 2014 at 4:58 pm
I was skeptical when the saints were willing to let him go so easily. The black hole is good but I think the money pit is more appropriate.
July 7th, 2014 at 5:14 pm
Joe
Thanks for the link and it is amazing all of this negative attitudes before training camp even starts. First, NIcks may have aged two years since he played but the wear and tear of a NFL player didn’t happen so in a sense he is 27.
Second in training camp we will see how he can play since, I believe, he will attempt to block the defensive tackles, so over the period we will see if he blows up or not, plus not too many teams, if any, have a better DT then GMC.
Third is that the OL plays together not alone so we will be able to see how they play together plus they rotate to keep them fresh.
Lastly it wasn’t his fault on the injury or MRSA plus he was an all pro before these events and he has not had any events like some of the other players that used to be here did. Character always shines.
July 7th, 2014 at 5:26 pm
Bonzai- it is obviously not a fact but happens to be true and funny. Thanks fact checker!
July 7th, 2014 at 6:19 pm
Pat you are 100 percent right. His job is to report encouraging news to bucs fans by any means. Its off time and this was just something to give fans some hope. I hope I am wrong but I dont think this guy is a team player either. Dont know why but it feels like I should either expect him to be hurt when we play NO or he has his two bad games when we play them. Again hope im wrong about the guy but from his body language and interviews ive seen he just seems like he could care less. I guess I will reserve my final judgement for onx field play
July 7th, 2014 at 6:56 pm
His salary this year is fully guaranteed, no way they just kick him out. You have to roll the dice, plan like he will be there because you cannot dump his hefty price tag- no one knows if he can play except probably, him….not much the Bucs can do – with his guaranteed contract it doesn’t make sense to go sign another big money free agent…
We will know soon enough….CAN NOT WAIT!
July 7th, 2014 at 7:15 pm
I saw Nicks a few weeks ago at a gas station. He walked from the gas pumps into the store favoring his foot ( big toe remained raised approx. 1 inch above his flip flop shoe) . It is very unlikely he will play at the NFL level again. Also , his upper body was not tone at all ( clearly he has not been training hard ). I Wish him the best recovery but Now I question his work ethics or reports of his injury.
July 7th, 2014 at 7:36 pm
Yeah nicks will be there for training camp drinking Gatorade with his floppy hat on. JC if bullfrogs had wings they wouldn’t land on their ass.
July 7th, 2014 at 7:40 pm
If Nicks can get back to playing as he did in N’olins, it’s all over for the NFC South. He is the missing link and when healthy was the best guard in the league. One can only hope.
July 7th, 2014 at 7:53 pm
I don’t get the ragging Nicks is getting from some of you. The man did his job and was injured, then contracted an infection that kills some people. Big contract or not, he has had some extreme issues that were not his fault. Cut him some slack, buttheads.
I don’t think he’s going to come back, and if he does he isn’t going to be the same player we signed. But that’s life.
July 7th, 2014 at 8:11 pm
Louis- agree with you here. He didn’t choose to get an injury and subsequent MRSA so he could sit on the sidelines eating snacks and collecting millions. This guy is probably completely out of shape because he knows his career is finished. It’s probably a stretch but I kinda want to blame Schiano for all this!
July 7th, 2014 at 8:12 pm
Fire the damn cannons already
July 7th, 2014 at 9:31 pm
Just because Nicks could eventually come back and play doesn’t mean that he could play at a high level. I would love to see him return to his old self and form, but with everything that foot has been through plus not being able to train for 2 years I have my doubts
July 7th, 2014 at 9:39 pm
Carl, the Bucs and some of you might be interested in some of the healthful information available at Mercola.com, regarding the origin & natural treatment of MRSA.
July 7th, 2014 at 10:28 pm
DallasBuc – Schiano had nothing good happen in his regime, or at least it feels like it looking back. Right from the start it felt like things were going to go horribly wrong. And they did. Someday we’ll look back on it all and laugh, right? Right?
July 8th, 2014 at 12:13 pm
@Dallas- It’s a stretch dude! But you’re cracking me up anyway!
I hope he returns but I’m not going to hold my breath. We need to move on if he can’t play.
July 8th, 2014 at 3:45 pm
if nicks, collins, or evan deitrich smith becomes a free agent standout at OL for the bucs, i think they would be the first to do so. our track record signing FA OL is about as checkered as our history drafting QBs. i’m glad he helped us win a superbowl, but when the peak of your free agency OL haul over 40 years is the 55 year old jeff christy putting in 2 seasons as a starter, you are fighting history a little bit trying to buy a new OL
July 8th, 2014 at 9:09 pm
He’s a bum yet on one foot he dominated the line of scrimmage whenever he was in for us?
Ignorance is bliss
July 8th, 2014 at 9:12 pm
Nicks at 70-80 percent is better than most guards in the league.
If he gets on the field there’s going to be a hell of a lot of Buc fans changing their tunes.
But that’s normal around these parts.
Fickle as can be.