“They Have The Tools To Be Great”
July 7th, 2014
There’s a common theme among most preseason breakdowns of the NFC South: every team is ready for greatness.
Former juicehead and superstar Shawne Merriman likes what he sees from Tampa Bay.
In this NFL Network video, Merriman is high on Lovie Smith’s impact, stating Lovie will command instant respect and know how to win with his roster. “They have the tools to be great,” Merriman said of the Bucs’ talent.
Noteworthy in the video is footage of Lovie talking it up on the sidelines in practice with Dashon “Hawk” Goldson, who is recovering from offseason ankle surgery. Unlike injured comrade Carl Nicks, Goldson was very active and visible through the Bucs spring practices, though Goldson has not participated on the field.
Merriman also made an interesting point about the Falcons, saying their 2014 inclusion in the HBO series Hard Knocks will greatly benefit Atlanta and get players giving their all in every second of training camp. Considering Merriman never played for a team on “Hard Knocks,” Joe can’t buy that to the level Merriman takes it.
So Hard Knocks is going to motivate professionals to the point of a significantly impacting the teams’ toughness and readiness? If that were true, the NFL wouldn’t begging teams to participate.
July 7th, 2014 at 1:06 pm
Have to agree. When has a team ever done better than expected after Hard Knocks invaded their training camp?
July 7th, 2014 at 1:08 pm
Not sure how much Merriman really knows about the Bucs or any other team. He mentioned the team was looking for a QB. Never mentioned McCown so what does he really know? He’s usually positive on all teams, coaches, and players.
July 7th, 2014 at 1:09 pm
Hard Knocks is my favorite TV show, but if I were a GM/owner I’d never let HBO in my camp. It will NOT help Atlanta…
July 7th, 2014 at 1:46 pm
Joe,
Any chance your starting to come around on the Bucs not drafting your man crush Johnny Manziel?
All the dude has done is create a circus. Glad to have Evans!
July 7th, 2014 at 4:35 pm
We absolutely have the tools to be great. Minus a proven quarterback and depth at certain position. So if we can stay relatively healthy and get one of these QBs to really take the next step, I believe we could be serious contenders.
July 7th, 2014 at 9:41 pm
The guys are already trying to make the team or trying to make the team better. There is no bigger motivator than a lack of job security. HBO… that might only affect the stars that know they are on the team and they may let the extra spotlight go to their heads.