Goodbye, Mason Foster
March 25th, 2015
Lost in all the Jameis Winston/Team Glazer news last night was the finality of what Joe knew weeks ago, and most Bucs fans finally came to grips with. One of the best guys to ever enter the Bucs locker room is officially gone.
Middle linebacker Mason Foster signed with the Bears yesterday evening. Foster played college ball for Washington and born in San Francisco (his dad once worked for the Giants), but Foster considered Tampa home. He moved here, has family here, including his children.
Foster grew to love Tampa and hoped the Bucs would keep him. However, from Joe sources within the walls of One Buc Palace, Joe knew the Bucs were disappointed Foster wasn’t quicker in his pass defense. In Lovie Smith’s defense, the most important trait for a middle linebacker is just that. Rush defense was secondary. Hence, the Bucs decided to move on.
You will find few bigger Ric Flair fans than Foster, who whenever he had a sack, would do his rendition of Flair’s “Woo!” exclamation point.
Joe wishes Foster all the best in Chicago. Better stock up on winter gear, Mason. As the old saying goes, there are two seasons in Chicago: winter and the Fourth of July.
Joe was sentenced worked in Chicago for seven years. It’s not Joe’s kind of town.
March 25th, 2015 at 8:11 am
Bruce carter is injured too but no where near as physical. Another mistake I think. You can take Foster out in 3rd down if you want. Wait that’s what the Rams figured out with Mark Barron. Nevermind…why have we signed so many just one year deals???
March 25th, 2015 at 8:16 am
A good guy and all around pleasure to have on this team. Hope things go well for you and we can see you when the Bears visit Raymond James this season. Good luck and all the best to you.
March 25th, 2015 at 8:17 am
Seems strange that we could not find a place for Foster on this LB unit. He is the kind of guy that would be happy to compete for his job but after last year it is clear incompetent Livie Smith has zero interest in his FAs competing for their jobs. Same sht, different offseason.
March 25th, 2015 at 8:25 am
Huge fan of Mason. like this kid a lot. still think he was better than anything we have to replace him at this point.
March 25th, 2015 at 8:25 am
Good luck Mason….I hate it when things don’t work out for players like this….great effort, attitude, character…..a real “Buccaneer Man”….remember that?
March 25th, 2015 at 8:28 am
if theres one thing lovie can do beyond being a good defensive coach it would be the ability to find and develop good linebackers as he did in Chicago, lance briggs and brian urlacher. he was also linebackers coach for hardy nickerson and derrick brooks before becoming defensive coordinator for st. Louis where he had London fletcher so that is the least of my worries after looking of that news bit. good luck mason foster, I was rooting for him to find a job back on the west coast where he grew up……it’s too early In the morning for the doom squad to get started with the hate
March 25th, 2015 at 8:35 am
I thought he was a LB we should’ve kept.
March 25th, 2015 at 8:37 am
^^^”…the doom squad to get started with the hate”?
Nonsense. Negative opinions of Lovie and his incompetence are not hate. This man has a record as HC of the Bucs. Fans have a right to judge him on his record.
March 25th, 2015 at 8:41 am
@bucs4lyfe
More revisionist history when it comes to Lovie, he had nothing to do with bringing either player to Chicago….
Urlacher preceded Lovie in Chicago by 4 years….Briggs by a year, both drafted by Jerry Angelo, they guy who really built that 2006 Super Bowl team..
March 25th, 2015 at 8:42 am
Good point about Lovie’s previous success with LBs @bucs4lyfe. Mason is a good player. He just didn’t fit the defensive system. I like the offseason moves so far. Find guys that fit the system and can perform competently and continue to infuse talent to the defense through the draft (Just not this one. This one needs to pick O-lineman in the 2nd and 3rd rounds)
March 25th, 2015 at 8:45 am
@bucs4lyfe
more like bucs4lies
hard for Lovie to find and develop Urlacher when the Bears drafted him 4 years before Lovie got the job in Chicago. LOL
all the LB you listed were on teh teams before Lovie got the Job!!! pls at least you wiki or some sort of facts!!!
March 25th, 2015 at 8:49 am
Dallasbucc how did you feel about Jimmy Johnson going 1 and 15 in his first year campaign with the cowboys?
March 25th, 2015 at 8:51 am
lol ok ok well my bad didn’t realize Jerry Angelo coached the Chicago bears too.
March 25th, 2015 at 8:54 am
@bucs4lyfe
Angelo was the GM who drafted both Urlacher and Briggs, he had total control over personnel until 2007 when Lovie through the Chicago media made it known he would walk if he wasn’t given an extentsion and control over personnel
March 25th, 2015 at 9:00 am
it was sarcasm moron…….damn you lovie haters are extremely sensitive still crying about lovie’s history well sorry to break it too you the buccaneers is apart of his resume AGAIN. get a grip because he does have another year or go find another team damn so annoying at this point.
I know who the hell jerry angelo is and he clearly didn’t coach 53 players to the damn superbowl. rex grossman wasn’t some damn pro bowl quarterback, im sure lovie chose his coaches as well. you haters are pathetic, you hate lovie but you cant stay away and your still concerned about the team..
a good piece of advice to live by- if you ain’t gonna make any changes then why are you complaining? if your going to root for the bucs win or lose every week shut up the crying one month into the new league year
March 25th, 2015 at 9:04 am
@ bucs4lies
I bet Lovie still wishes he was playing the same Vikings and Detriot lions who were terrible then and going 0-16, that helped him look like a nfl coach
March 25th, 2015 at 9:08 am
@The Buc Realist
the black and blue division? lol you guys are really pathetic. I guess pete carroll was a bad coach in 2010 when he made the playoffs with a 7-9 record. you fools don’t know football as well as you know hate, you should look into that
March 25th, 2015 at 9:14 am
detroit and vikings won 115 games and lost 173 games during lovie’s tenure with the bears. Seems like he was the benefit of a down division. But his tenure with the bucs would prove me wrong if you are correct Buc4lies.
March 25th, 2015 at 9:14 am
I love the Bucs, I just don’t like the HC, I think for what he’s actually accomplished as a HC, he’s totally overrated. I believe he’s given credit for things he either didn’t do or didn’t do on his own…
March 25th, 2015 at 9:28 am
The Buc Realist Says:
March 25th, 2015 at 9:14 am
detroit and vikings won 115 games and lost 173 games during lovie’s tenure with the bears. Seems like he was the benefit of a down division. But his tenure with the bucs would prove me wrong if you are correct Buc4lies.
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that’s the most ridiculous argument I ever heard for why someone has had success, actually it’s extremely moronic!!!! that’s like saying the patriots keep winning because the bills, jets and Miami are an abomination. aaaah the Vikings suck so I should lose an extra few games so it wont look like im losing because the division is weaker
March 25th, 2015 at 9:30 am
It always felt like he was a SAM linebacker playing out of position at MIKE linebacker. He was one of those guys who played just good enough to get you beat by one score. It’s sad that he never got a shot to play in the SAM position.
March 25th, 2015 at 9:43 am
Joe…Chicago is a GREAT town to visit….one of the best…..I wouldn’t want to live there. Saw temps drop about 30 degrees in one hour there on one such visit….but wish Foster well. Redbirds one game short each of having a GREAT Football and Basketball season….oh well.
March 25th, 2015 at 9:45 am
You people, yes you people, make me sick. All year, you spoke of how Foster was a bust and couldn’t cover a fly.
Now you’re complaining that he’s gone.
Wow, just wow.
March 25th, 2015 at 9:47 am
bucs4lyfe
you have officially joined the ranks of Barry with you delusional love for a pathetic coach.
Lovie Cant beat teams over 500
Lovie has NEVER developed a roster
Lovie has NEVER fielded a oline
Lovie is NOT consistent he went to the playoffs 2 in his first 3 years than 1 in his last 4 years.
Lovie made a bad team worse
Lovie’s philosophies are better suited for a museum than a football field.
You can’t justify mediocrity and poor personnel decisions year in and year out when the facts are so easily researched. Lovie is a joke.
March 25th, 2015 at 9:52 am
It’s just how they are on this site celly,it’s just how they are.
March 25th, 2015 at 9:55 am
Hmm,”his philosophies belong in a museum”. Really,well pete carrol runs the same cover2 scheme in Seattle. We’ve seen how that’s worked out.
March 25th, 2015 at 10:00 am
@tmaxcon
ok ill let you pretend you know details about another coach of some other team outside of tampa without having to read stats. bottom line is lovie is a better option than the last two coaches we’ve had and if you don’t realize that then your a crack smoking twit. im not saying he’s the best coach in the nfl, im saying he’s better than anything we’ve had and has a reputation around the league as a good coach, a coach that’s going to get a shot at turning this team around. you think im delusional and I say im just optimistic. im not at risk of having a damn heart attack because the bucs are losing. you lovie haters are so stupid, the worst thing in the world for you lovie haters is if the bucs start winning, you’ll still sit there and say he’s not a good coach even if we made the playoffs next year your reply will be I bet he cant do it the next year. your pathetic wastes of life. you think im defending lovie but im defending the bucs because real fans don’t root for a team because it’s their team. im an Orlando magic fan I still want that team to be good but they are unwatchable so guess what I read the news clippings but I don’t watch. if you don’t like this coach then don’t watch…do something else
March 25th, 2015 at 10:06 am
Good riddance..Another crapping player from the Dominick regime I had to endure. One of the worst coverage linebackers I’ve ever seen..Can’t believe he played middle linebacker in a Tampa 2 scheme. This team needs to get their sht together and it starts with the Glazers.
March 25th, 2015 at 10:08 am
“Nole on Sat.-Bucc on Sun. Says:
March 25th, 2015 at 8:49 am
Dallasbucc how did you feel about Jimmy Johnson going 1 and 15 in his first year campaign with the cowboys?”
I didn’t feel any way about it because I’m a Buccaneers fan and was more concerned about Vinny’s 20+ interceptions en route to another season at the bottom of the NFC Central.
Are you daring to suggest Lovie Smith is anywhere near the coach that Jimmy Johnson is? Show me our Aikman, Emmitt, Irvin, etc?
March 25th, 2015 at 10:16 am
Wonder what the details of his contract are… if they signed him for peanuts, we could of easily kept him since we arent actually, you know, signing anyone else. I always liked Mason to.
March 25th, 2015 at 10:18 am
@Nole….
Carroll runs more of a Cover 3. I get the point you’re trying to make, but i just wanted to correct you before everyone jumps down your throat for being incorrect.
I’m sure the point you were trying to make was that the Seahawks main gameplan is to have a stifling defense, a strong run game and a QB that doesn’t make too many mistakes while also not taking some unnecessary risks. Nothing wrong with some risk here and there, but its the unnecessary ones that need to be avoided.
I would safely say that that the Chiefs employ this type of gameplan as well, evidenced by the fact that none of their WRs had any TDs this season (which, to me, is rediculous. you would think someone would’ve scored by accident at one point).
March 25th, 2015 at 10:24 am
I can’t argue with that Celly. As for you Dallasbucc,I feel the sky is the limit when it comes to the potential of WINSton,Evans and the pass catching ability out the back field of Charles Sims. Couple that with Jamie’s ability to effectively scramble when necessary I don’t know about you but I see an offense that’s going to be hard to gameplan against and defend.
March 25th, 2015 at 10:25 am
@Couch
Rotoworld, so far, is reporting that it’s only a one year contract….
…you know, just like the prove it deals that are being signed by FA here in Tampa that everyone is complaining about.
March 25th, 2015 at 10:30 am
bucs4lyfe
raise your standards. obviously you have accepted mediocrity as the normal I will not lower my standards just because lovie is better than the last two head coaches the bucs had. It’s also your opinion that Lovie is better. Raheem may very well turn out to be a better coach down the road. What is really funny your Lovie has to win 11 games this year just to pull even with Raheems record. I am glad your an optimist but you really should look into raising your standards and leaving mediocre and average behind.
March 25th, 2015 at 10:35 am
Nole
Running similar systems does not equal similar philosophies.
Pete Carrol plays a much more aggressive cover scheme. Carrol plays to aggressively WIN games each week.
Lovie is passive and Plays not to Lose. Big difference.
Schemes are similar philosophies are not.
Lovie is a nice guy. I am glad fans like but to suggest he will turn this around or suddenly will figure out how to field a oline is just wishful thinking. he is going to leave the bucs with a roster full of system specific, broken down players and the rebuilding process will once again begin. it’s a vicious cycle.
March 25th, 2015 at 10:42 am
Shortsighted!
March 25th, 2015 at 10:43 am
@tmax
When the standard has been what it is for the last 5 years, you have to take baby steps.
so far, we have been the bottom of the barrel. I, personally, would love to just be middle of the barrel. Once we get to middle of the barrel, it’ll be easier to see the top.
but when you’re at the bottom and only want to get to the top immediately, you’re only going to depress yourself when you realize how far you actually have to go.
put it this way: Lets say you want to get in a little workout and you go to a 32 story building and decide to take the stairs. You can’t just go from the first floor to the top floor without at least stopping somewhere and catching your breath, especially if you’re out of shape. right now, the Bucs are very out of shape and have been for quite some time. To expect a sprint to the top floor is unrealistic.
One step at a time, one floor at a time.
March 25th, 2015 at 10:54 am
Rotoworld, so far, is reporting that it’s only a one year contract….
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Good stuff. if its 1 year then it’s probably very cheap. Would of gave us more depth at the position. Instead of creating another hole. Ah well, good luck Foster.
March 25th, 2015 at 11:07 am
Celly
i understand and actually agree with you however, I have seen enough of Lovie. My company has an office in Chicago. I work very closely with about 9 die hard bear fans… it’s like watching reruns. I have been listening to complaints about lovie for 9 years and after witnessing the disaster that was last season I just can’t buy into it. No hate just not a believer in lovie.
March 25th, 2015 at 11:13 am
I see the JBF expert of all things is at it this morning. SMH. I do not need to name names, You know who you are, as you know everything on an expert level.
March 25th, 2015 at 11:43 am
tmaxcon
Good point. I’m in Atlanta so I’d be lying if I said I’ve watched a bunch of Bears games when Lovie was coach (those that weren’t available to the country). All I can do is hope and believe that Lovie has learned some sort of lesson by sitting out a year.
As I’ve stated before, I believe HCs should get a minimum of 3 years to “fix” the team they inherit. After that, if there isn’t some basic improvement each year, then they deserve to be let go.
When Raheem was here, he went 3-13 then 10-6. If he would’ve reverted back to 8-8, hell even 7-9, I would’ve been ok with giving him a 4th year. But as much as I liked him, i knew that at 4-12 in year 3, he just had to go (and trust me, nothing was worse than watching that final ass whooping live, in the GA dome, in my Freeman jersey, after taking the train to the game).
Schiano, as much as i didn’t care for him, i still think deserved a 3rd year, even after regressing from year 1. Was I happy he was fired? Absolutely. But still think he got the raw end of the deal, based on my metrics.
With all that being said, I was hoping for an offensive minded head coaching hire. My biggest fear will be that when we select [insert whichever QB you want to be drafted in 2015] and he has a great season, Koetter will be heralded as a OC genius and will bolt for one of the Head Coaching vacancies next year. Then the continuity will be broken. Continuity is the key here and its something we have yet to have, probably since Freeman was drafted. The only hope is that if that does happen, Lovie, Licht and the Glazers find a way to entice Koetter to stay; which i think the only way will be with a “promotion” to assistant head coach and a pay increase to that near what a HC would make.
March 25th, 2015 at 11:46 am
How can anyone be positive with one thing Lovie and Licht have accomplished….whats the saying “show me a good loser, I’ll show you a loser.” that is anyone who thinks what the bucs are doing is going in the right direction…..one move has been successful: Mike Evans….this Foster move is going to haunt us just like the zuttah getting traded….Dirk Koetter will be the interim HC after this 0-8 start in 2015
March 25th, 2015 at 12:01 pm
Agree with the majority, another mistake by this team letting him walk.
This regime is feeling like the Obama presidency – it will take a long time to undo the mistakes made, if in fact they can be undone.
March 25th, 2015 at 12:02 pm
Another high draft pick to NOT see a second contract in Tampa Bay.
This is why the Bucs are the Sucs. Complete joke…
Probably the worst drafting franchise in the NFL over the last 10-15 years.
Good luck Mason.
Go Sucs!!!!!