Mark Dominik: Bucs Can Win NFC South
July 16th, 2014
Former Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik believes in the Bucs this season.
Yes, last week former Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik broke from his recent past and talked about the Bucs, while co-hosting “The Blitz” with Howard David, heard exclusively on SiriusXM NFL Radio.
Joe is delivering Dominik’s Bucs thoughts in nuggets. Below is the third element.
Dominik was asked if the Bucs could win the topsy-turvy NFC South, a division that has never had consecutive champs. The former 19-year Bucs employee went all in.
“To have a chance to win the NFC South? I absolutely think they can. Because, defensively, when you have players — look, the two most important players you can have on defense, in Lovie Smith’s defense, is a three-technique and a Will linebacker. And Gerald McCoy and Lavonte David — a lot of people know Gerald; not enough people in this league know who Lavonte David is, but they will after this year, I guarantee it,” Dominik said.
“I think [David] led all players for tackles for losses and I think he set an NFL record for sacks and interceptions for a linebacker in a single season [Joe’s note: David’s six sacks and five picks in same season by a linebacker is an NFL record]. Lavonte is remembered for one tough play [the Jets debacle] and it is a tough one to get out of your head. But I am telling you: This is one of the best linebackers in the National Football League that people haven’t heard of.”
You should have heard the glee in Howard David’s voice while the former Jets announcer recounted Lavonte David’s bonehead penalty at the end of the Jets game last year, the one which allowed the Jets to kick a game-winning field goal. If Joe didn’t enjoy SiriusXM NFL Radio so much, he would have thrown his phone through the window.
Joe has written it before but it bears repeating, and sort of reinforces what Dominik said: Joe has no issues with the Bucs defense. Lovie Smith will do just fine with what the Bucs have, and it has a fair amount of strong talent.
Defense is the least of Joe’s worries as we are now nine days from training camp.
July 16th, 2014 at 7:14 am
Devestating call against David to open last season. A rinky dink BS call, a homer call. It still makes me angry.
July 16th, 2014 at 7:23 am
BS call for sure!!!
July 16th, 2014 at 7:38 am
The only BS here is a radio host asking Mark Dominick about Winning!!!
July 16th, 2014 at 7:39 am
It was a caller to be honest.
July 16th, 2014 at 7:49 am
@Buc Realist
I love contrarians and “Doubting Thomases”. I think a healthy skepticism is good. And so I enjoy reading your “sobering” posts. Apparently so does Joe since he frequently responds to you and seems to enjoy the debate.
And that is all good.
However in my life every philosopher or Deity from Jesus to Buddha to Rome’s greatest Emperor to this very day has one belief in common. Whatever we think about all day, whatever we hold in our heads is what shows up in our life.
Henry Ford famously said, “If you think you can, or you think you can’t, you’re right”.
You points are well taken. Forgive me though if I fill my head with positive thoughts about the Bucs this year. We may go down but I’m not about to give up before we’ve even started. There truly is no reason this team can’t be a Super Bowl contender this year. Injuries are of course the wild card and not just ours but those of the Aints, Panthers and Dixie Chicks as well.
The late GREAT Chris Thomas nailed it when he called the NFL the No Freaking Logic league. The difference between teams is not all that pronounced.
So I say prepare to be shocked realist. The Bucs are going to rock this year!!!!
And Joe…you too my friend…this offense is going to open up a lot of eyes.
July 16th, 2014 at 7:56 am
That damn BS call is going to haunt him until his HOF enshrinement. Ya it sucked at the time, but I think this one play is being played way out of proportion in the NFL media. It wasnt really that bone headed, but the dang NFL wont let it go. It was just a push out of bounds. It’s not like he put a Wrestlemanian choke hold on the QB while he was falling 5 yards out of bounds like Clay Matthews, or fumbled a FG snap in the playoffs, then flopped around like a fish on dry land trying to get in the end zone like Romo.
July 16th, 2014 at 7:58 am
That was a BS CALL to begin with….on a REAL bright side note tho…..9 MORE DAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
July 16th, 2014 at 8:03 am
oh and btw, I keep hearing all this fearful talk about the saints this year….the SAME saints that Schiano’s back end don’t know what the front end is doing defense ALMOST completely stifled last year in game one of the series….I’m of the mind that if Schiano’s D could do that, then Lovie’s D will actually finish the job. Combine that with a 35 year old at QB that knows it’s his last chance to shine….I just might actually smile by the time this season is over with.
July 16th, 2014 at 8:11 am
I said it on the radio after the game, #54 was my favorite player before the game started, and he’s still my favorite player.
July 16th, 2014 at 8:13 am
I think what Dominik meant to say is”
Now that I’m no longer the GM, hell yeah the Bucs have a chance to win.
July 16th, 2014 at 8:21 am
I’m sincerely amazed how Dominik is reporting so positively of the Bucs after being fired….
July 16th, 2014 at 8:21 am
I’m sincerely amazed how Dominik is reporting so positively of the Bucs after being fired….
July 16th, 2014 at 8:57 am
I still never understood why most people hate Dominik. The man was a contract guru and always had the bucs in good finical shape. He was handed two shit coaches and to be honest aside from the bad luck in DL’s, his drafts are pretty solid. If you come away with 1 or 2 solid 5 + year starters every draft, you are doing ok.
Everyone swings and misses on Free Agents, he had to get revis for 16M, why wouldn’t he? bucs had the money and the contract had zero DEAD money.
July 16th, 2014 at 9:01 am
panhandle:
It all comes down to wins and losses. Joe was in Dominik’s corner. His last couple of drafts were not bad at all if not good. It was his first couple of drafts that did him in. He learned, but it was too late.
He very much was handcuffed with Raheem. Dominik had zero say in that hire. He did play a major part in hiring Schiano (the final say is always Team Glazer). At the end of the day, the NFL is a results-oriented business.
July 16th, 2014 at 9:09 am
How did this go to a Dominik prediction post to a total comment-fest on the Lavonte David gaff?
Of course the Bucs could win the NFC South, so could every other team in the division…
July 16th, 2014 at 9:13 am
@ Joe
I hear you man! I just think he was a better GM than most of these yahoo’s give him credit for. He was not the reason the bucs played poorly the last couple of years.
July 16th, 2014 at 9:21 am
Panhandle Buc,
If Dominick is not to blame, then who is?
July 16th, 2014 at 9:26 am
Contract Guru??!! LMAO! Big Deal. It was the players he guru’d the contracts of that was the problem.
July 16th, 2014 at 9:29 am
@Panhandle buc
You are way off base. Out of his first 3 drafts the pop-star solid 5+ starter is McCoy! there still is 4 players from the 2011 draft, but they are all question marks at this point. And Don’t forget the Popstar with all of his last in the division finishes was drafting ahead of everyone, His average draft slot was #9 overall during his tenure. that means he was always drafted ahead of at least 20 plus teams.
Of course the financial was in good shape, there was no one worth resigning!!!
and what part of 28-52 impressed you. going 4th,3rd,4th,4th and 4th in the division does not impress me at all. I can honestly say, that I don’t know what kind of coach Schiano is because Dominick was that Bad!
There is a reason that Lovie demanded that the pop-star gets canned before he would agree to take the job!
July 16th, 2014 at 9:32 am
I don’t know why they continually blame David for that bad call. Don’t these people know it’s always the QB’s fault? But honestly folks aren’t these analyst and pundits getting just a little carried away suggesting the Bucs can win the NFCS? Haven’t they actually looked at our schedule? We just came off a 4-12 campaign, and find ourselves with a brand new regime and a lot of new players. Because of all these high expectations if we end up with a .500 record, certain casual fans who bought into the hype will be very disappointed and want to get their pitch forks out again. Schiano was fired in two years, so could Lovie actually be fired after one year? I think we need to temper expectations, and give Lovie the time needed to turn things around. I like winning too, but I also don’t live in a fantasy world.
July 16th, 2014 at 9:53 am
Be careful, everybody. T_B_R can be Tolstoy-eske with regard to MD. This topic is right in his wheelhouse. Consistent criticisms, some rational, some not, of the “pop star” are what he’s all about. Very soon, our former GM will be forgotten. Then, hopefully, this fellow Bucs fan of ours will be willing and able to put his considerable energies toward the “reality” of the present.
July 16th, 2014 at 9:57 am
@piratic
I hear ya, I have already vowed and I will say it again. As soon as training camp starts and we can talk “real” football. I am going to close the book on Dominick’s “Reign Of Failure”. So that leaves me 9 more days of pot shots on the former regime.
July 16th, 2014 at 11:07 am
That iffy at best call against David really set the tone for the 2013 season. The game was all but over…Geno wasn’t going to get it done otherwise. It did however bring about some much needed change in Tampa…Lovie would have gone elsewhere and Sexy Rexy gets another year as the Jets head coach. Blessing in disguise but oh so painful when it happened.
July 16th, 2014 at 12:17 pm
@Realist- I’m going to hold you to that! In 9 days it’s a new beginning. Schiano/Dominick, no mas!
I enjoy the optimism from some of the pundits. It really isn’t that far out of bounds, realistically however, anything above 8 wins is gravy!
I have to be honest about my expectations.
July 16th, 2014 at 2:20 pm
I like the Realist’s pledge, and I think it’s something I will also pledge to. Because, I’m right behind the guy. Dominik was terrible.
July 16th, 2014 at 3:01 pm
@T_B_R: I didn’t know that you had drawn a line in the sand! In that case, go to work, my man; leave no stone unturned. For the next nine days, you’ll get no grief from me, no matter how outrageous your take!
July 16th, 2014 at 5:28 pm
Now that you are not GM, it’s possible.