Barren Roster
March 2nd, 2015
The data crowd checks in
Hopefully, one thing the braintrust of the Bucs can solve is depth. The roster has no depth. Hell, there’s barely enough for a starting-22.
Oh, you have superstars and guys who could be superstars: Gerald McCoy, Vincent Jackson, Lavonte David and Mike Evans. Then you have a couple of guys that very well could be rising stars like Alterraun Verner and Johnthan Banks.
After that? Egads.
Look, there is a reason the Bucs finished winless in the embarrassing NFC South, and finished the season winning the Chase for Jameis, a race that required the worst record in the NFL.
How shallow is the roster of the Bucs? Well, Michael Renner of Pro Football Focus put the matter in perspective.
The franchise tag conversation for the Bucs ended in October when Gerald McCoy signed his seven-year, $95 million extension. Tampa Bay doesn’t have a single impending free agent with more than 50 snaps who graded positively last season. Mason Foster and Major Wright are the only free agents that saw over 500 snaps for the Bucs last season, but neither is remotely close to franchise money. Tampa Bay will have a serious decision to make this time next year though. Lavonte David is entering the final year of his rookie deal and should command top dollar at the outside linebacker position.
That, friends, is a facepalm.
This is why Joe, despite recent history, would be very surprised if the Bucs stumbled into a playoff berth this fall. Everything would have to play out so perfectly.
And this is why Joe nearly fell on the floor last week when a reader slammed Joe on Twitter for not writing enough “positive” stories about the Bucs.
Really? After the disaster that this team was last year, 30-70 in their last 100 games, Joe would have to sell his soul to try to ignore all the warts on this squad. Look, there is a reason why the Bucs won the Chase for Jameis. And one, thankfully, ran off to Cleveland.
March 2nd, 2015 at 6:22 am
True we obviously have little depth….however…let’s work on getting decent 1st stringers 1st….and excellent trainers to help keep them healthy and on the field.
March 2nd, 2015 at 7:02 am
Right on the money Joe. Ever since our Super Bowl win, the Bucs starting roster and depth has been in freefall. Offensively, our OLine is in shambles, our QBs have proven to be ‘4th best in the NFC South’ , our WRs/TEs/RBs are adequate and not much more. Defensively, our DLine is strong inside but weak outside, our LBs as a unit are adequate, but our secondary needs a lot of work.
Seems to me that we’ve focused too much on finesse players over the years, and too little on ‘bruisers’. Guys like Sapp and Brooks and Lynch and Nickerson obviously had great technique, but they were also ‘bruisers’. They knew how to attack and tackle. And as much as anything, they had great chemistry together.
I don’t see enough of that in our present-day Bucs. Adequate finesse players (probably), but not enough of the attitude that ‘We’re going to rip your face off and you can’t do anything about it.’
March 2nd, 2015 at 7:13 am
We won’t get any depth this year. We gotta find starters first. Maybe next year we can build some depth. After Mariota wins us the division we could look pretty come draft time.
March 2nd, 2015 at 7:16 am
The lack of depth at the QB position and the OL must be fixed if we wanna sniff .500 this season…
IF I were GM…To start I’d cut Micheal Johnson and make a serious run at Greg Hardy…Cut Anthony Collins and take advantage of this deep OL draft…Address the LB position in free-agency..
Draft…
Rd1. QB – J. Winston-FSU
Rd2. OT
Rd3. OG
Rd4. DB
Rd5. WR…
March 2nd, 2015 at 7:28 am
Years of missing on first round picks by the Rockstar and prior to that bad drafts by Allen have caused the bad roster depth. Hope Joe sees that next time he claims Domink was a good GM. Hope Licht can turn the history of bad drafting around
March 2nd, 2015 at 7:35 am
“Hopefully, one of the things that the braintrust of the Bucs “…..until they prove otherwise please refrain from using “braintrust”….
March 2nd, 2015 at 7:39 am
No depth……which is why I have been saying TRADE down TWICE in the first round……yes it pains me not taking a QB @ 1.
However the wise strategy for the long term is accumulating draft picks and stocking the roster …QB with the first pick next year and take one of the QB’s not ranked 1 or 2 this year…he’ll have a years expirence next year when we draft a QB with the Bucs 1st pick and Glennon will be gone
March 2nd, 2015 at 8:04 am
Hopefully only one more year of Lovie.
March 2nd, 2015 at 8:12 am
Instead of spending on top notch talent, we need to lot ourselves in that area and spend on Depth. Not guys who are like Dane Fletcher who everyone hyped up because he can from the Pats, more like guys like James carpenter, jaba sheard, David Harris, guys who have been in the league for several years, produced, but are either leaving their teams because of cap issues or system changes. There is a reason why high prices free agents get let go from a team with no coaching change and enty of cap space, generally those free agents don’t pan out, we have seen enough of that as Bucs fans.
March 2nd, 2015 at 8:21 am
“And one, thankfully, ran off to Cleveland.”
Not exactly……how about… was cut and ran off to Cleveland…..
Fuel for the “trade down crew”…..maybe the “trade down twice crew”…..I’m not one of them..
March 2nd, 2015 at 8:24 am
The reason they don’t have any talent is because they cut, let go or traded starters last year. Think about it. Tim wright, davin, Larsen, Revis, Barron, penn, Williams, zuttah, Casillas, Orlovsky, carimi, etc, every one of those players were good enough to START in the league but not good enough for iur 2-14 Bucs. (Orlovsky exception, but he would have been better than mccown)
March 2nd, 2015 at 8:30 am
JoeJoe trading down is not smart at all. This year we have the first overall pick and two potential franchise QBs are there for the taking. There is nobody projected to be a top flight QB prospect coming out next year. If someone does rise to the top it will have to be a one year wonder. On top of that, as horrible as we would be with “the cannon” behind center again, the Bucs would probably have the 3rd – 7th pick. That means we probably would have to take the 2nd or 3rd best QB anyway. You don’t pass on this pick so you can….ever!
Cody I’m with you that JW is the QB to take, but if they do the right thing and take him I don’t think you can take Hardy as well. I think the Glazers would be very aware of the PR nightmare that could create.
March 2nd, 2015 at 8:44 am
I have a collection of articles and quotes from writers and “analysts” who called for Schiano’s head in 2013 because “this team was loaded with playoff caliber talent” and he was not using it effectively. What happened between then and now? Did Lovie get rid of all our talent? Was everyone wrong about the talent level in 2013? Because I will be damned if it does not seem like everyone simply creates story lines and then molds the facts to fit them. In 2013 we had so much talent that we had to fire the coach and get one in here that knew how to use that talent. In 2014 all of a sudden we do not have any talent. We had 200+ transactions last year, which looks like the actions of people that have no idea what they are doing or are schizophrenic. I honestly think everyone involved with the Buccaneers is delusional. That includes the fans and the media.
March 2nd, 2015 at 8:58 am
There is nothing wrong with being positive, Joe. Power in the spoken word.
March 2nd, 2015 at 9:01 am
BTW, all this means is that none of our good players are becoming free agents. That’s all. We have plenty of talent. We just need more.
March 2nd, 2015 at 9:04 am
Cody Says
Rd1. QB – J. Winston-FSU
Rd2. OT
Rd3. OG
Rd4. DB
Rd5. WR…
I’m going to go a bit different.
Rd1 QB
Rd2 LB
Rd3 C
Rd4 OT
Rd5 OG
March 2nd, 2015 at 9:23 am
“I Know Why” claims the Bucs cut or let go a handful of players last year who were great players so let’s look at them individually.
Tim Wright: More of a big WR who is truly a pass catching TE. Played well for the Pats but benefitted greatly from having the Gronk on the field who receives double and sometimes triple coverage.
Davin Joseph: two knee surgeries have severely reduced his effectiveness. Mostly a second team player on the Rams. Contract with Bucs to high to support that role.
Larsen: Believe he is talking about 2013 FB. Often injured and stayed that way with the Saints or the guard for the Cards who was no world beater.
Mike Williams: Bucs made a brilliant move in getting rid of a huge contract that wasn’t justified by his play. Immature behavior. Waived by the Bills.
Mark Barron: LOL. Please. Terrible in coverage and really not that ferocious as a tackler. Was run over by Saints RB in overtime win TD run. How much more did we have to endure. Even the Rams GM told Joe he is hard fit for the Rams defense. Joe had a clip posted of Barron getting beat horribly on a TD pass.
Penn: Enough already. Terrible 2013 season, along with the rest of the OL, and was credited with giving up 14 sacks. Often overweight and out of shape. Ate his way out of a job. Got a huge wake up call and played better for the Raiders making far less money.
Casillas: Another big monied FA of Dummynick’s. Beaten out by FA who made plays who had 3 INT’s for the Bucs last year. In two years for the Bucs he never had one. Plays mainly special teams for the Pats and NE only wanted him because the team was running out of LB’s due to injury.
Zuttah: Your right. We shouldn’t have gotten rid of him.
Revis: 16 million a year for a cornerback was a luxury this team could not afford. Verner, once he acclimated himself to the defense, has played well in his place.
Revis also took a 4 million pay cut to play for the Pats. Scheduled to make 20 million this year and the Pats are talking about renegotiating the deal.
Please, no more whining about a large number of marginal players going elsewhere.
March 2nd, 2015 at 9:42 am
lol when is the last time cowboys were franchising someone? teams don’t have a player to franchise every year this is a stupid take on the talent of the team…..honestly how many teams franchise a player, why do you think cincy let Michael Johnson walk lol they were smart enough to lock up GMC so that makes smarter than Detroit who are on the verge of losing SUH. GMC got locked up before a franchise tag was even a thought and so will lavonte david. the defense is Mike linebacker, Safety and D end away from being a consistent top 10 defense. oh wait they were the last 10 games of the season, offense lol damn don’t know what to say because EVERYONE even mike evans is a question mark, im not ready to say he’s one of the best receivers in the league until he does what he did 2 years in a row
March 2nd, 2015 at 10:05 am
I feel like the woman from the 80’s movie Major League put this roster together. Like someone who wants us to finish last every year. I can see them now over at One Buc looking over the roster: “this guy here is dead!? Well, cross him off then.”
March 2nd, 2015 at 10:32 am
@Joseph mamma
Haha yea. Can we please not have a big cardboard cutout of Mark Dominick naked in the locker room though?
March 2nd, 2015 at 10:58 am
Whatever fans thought of Schiano’s coaching they should at least be thankful he was here to help with the draft. Without the two Schiano + Dom drafts the team would have had even less depth (most every player from 2012 and 2013 draft is either still on the team or at least still in the NFL…can’t say the same for the Rah + Dom drafts)
March 2nd, 2015 at 11:24 am
3 HC’s in 5 years, all of which who cleaned house at day 1… that’s what you get.
March 2nd, 2015 at 11:26 am
@Toes
Yea but they’re depth on a team that just went 2-14 and 30-70 last 100. I can provide depth for a crappy team if they wanna give me a roster spot and millions of dollars
March 2nd, 2015 at 12:49 pm
Thanks DOM!!!!
March 2nd, 2015 at 12:56 pm
@ SOE
True, but Schiano can only take “credit” for adding talent/depth through the draft for a 7-9 and 4-12 team(s). The 2-14 team probably has less to do with lacking “talent” and more to do with the bad coaching and free agent blunders?
March 2nd, 2015 at 2:03 pm
Mark Dominick has harmed this Franchise far more than most realize! Bruce Allan leaned heavy on Dominick and Hickey and then Dominick took over and look at the Roster, Its just pure Garbage. I said last year that he should fax out the Bucs Roster and just cross of McCoy and LVD and anyone else can be had for a sandwich!!!
March 2nd, 2015 at 2:26 pm
Sadly There is no shortcut when it comes to depth. It takes time to fill a roster with quality football players. Giving a superstar big money and having no type of contingency or a “plan b” is what poorly run teams do over and over again. Wether it be poor drafting or ignoring the position, top heavy teams dont last come January.
The worst quality of Dominick ,worse than missing badly on Freeman, was that during his 5 seasons as GM he never could fill the roster with good players. He drafted okay once Schiano got here but he always went out to bring in a superstar to make a quick fix. He signed Carl Nicks to a big contract but didnt bother to draft a guard in the middle rounds to sit and learn and get ready to play incase their big investment got injured. Thus when Nicks did go down we had no backup plan. No next man up. Same with Golddon. And when high draft pick defensive ends Clayborn and Bowers weren’t the savior superstars they were supposed to be their backups were beyond terrible. Keeping hidden gem while Bowers developed would’ve been wise and would’ve provided depth. But no Dominick had an ego and was ready to prove his second round “steal” Bowers was ready to play every down despite him being injured, out of shape and not mentally prepared to be a starter.
Can Licht give this team depth? Only time will tell. If you look at the most consistent teams in the NFL they always have good football players up and down the chart. They only bring in an elite star once they have an established core. The Bucs have the makings of a good core on both sides of the ball but are a long way from being complete. They need lots of players in both trenches and a QB to lead this team.
March 2nd, 2015 at 3:17 pm
2 people got franchised last year lol ill see his face palm and raise him a backhand
March 2nd, 2015 at 3:20 pm
or as greg auman tweeted:
“Greg Auman @gregauman · Feb 27
From last four drafts, Bucs have only five defensive players still under contract: David, Banks, Gholston, Spence, Tandy. Nine on offense.”
March 2nd, 2015 at 3:22 pm
also, more analytics…since when?
this seems that the stats would be skewed when a team does well or poorly. especially for a sport that is more team-oriented than baseball.
March 2nd, 2015 at 11:01 pm
Joe Bucs Fan, on this he is right. Many wars are won before the battle even begins. Masters McCoy, David and Jackson, by themselves a battle they can win. But the war? Not without a strong team can they. A core of strong Knights and padawans they have, but to few in numbers they are. A terrible attrition, the war takes. Many reinforcements are needed. Masters, Knights and padawans all. Over the course of the war, step up to Masters, many Knights must, and padawans to Knights. Brave and valiant warriors are they, but tested they will be. Who’s name will be called? Step up to the challenge, do they? On this, victory depends.