“Very Tough On Lovie”
April 3rd, 2015
Team Glazer talks to Joe about Lovie Smith
Remember when Alterraun Verner hopped on NFL Network five weeks ago and explained how stunned he was by Lovie Smith being an uplifting force on a very bad football team?
Well, it’s not just Verner saying that. Joe has talked to all kinds of Bucs players and coaches and officials, and they point to Lovie being the supreme rock of the team.
Joe didn’t want to assume how Team Glazer felt about Lovie. So Joe asked Buccaneers co-chairman Joel Glazer about the head coach during Joe’s 1-on-1 time with Team Glazer at the posh Arizona Biltmore last week.
JoeBucsFan.com: This was a rough season. You knew Lovie Smith very well coming in, but what have you learned about Lovie after a trying season?
Joel Glazer: From a very positive note, Lovie is a very consistent personality. Whether it’s winning or it’s losing, he’s consistent and I think the players know he’s consistent. But equally as important, Lovie looks at a situation. If something’s not working, he reflects on it, tries to figure out why, and if there’s something different to be done, he’ll do it. You know, it was a tough year. I know it was very tough on Lovie. I know it was very tough on Jason [Licht]. But behind the scenes, they kept the team together. They fought hard every week till the very end. It didn’t go the way we wanted, or the way they wanted, or the way any of our fans wanted, but the key is making it better going forward.
Outside of drafting a legitimate franchise quarterback in 27 days, Lovie remains a major source of optimism among many Bucs fans. The man won a load of games in Chicago and built a strong program in an impatient town.
It’s hard to believe Lovie forgot how to win, or that the game has passed him by. But after last year, Lovie definitely has much to prove — quickly.
You can read more of Joe with Joel Glazer here.
April 3rd, 2015 at 9:11 am
Joe, “legitimate franchise quarterback” is one who has actually played in the NFL for a franchise. It is not a quarterback who is yet to be drafted, the would be a potential franchise quarterback. You guys are killing me with all this.
April 3rd, 2015 at 9:15 am
Joe…the key word you used was in an impatient town. We live in a day and age that we get most anything we want with the push of a button or the swipe of a card. People have no patience these days for anything. It take patience to keep your sanity though with a rebuilding team. Lovie should not have said that the fans do not need to expect to wait a little to see the results. That only fed the impatience fire. I believe they are putting together something special. We will see improvement this season. How much? I do not know. I would guess 6 to 8 wins and possibly 9 if we get some lucky breaks. The season after that I honestly believ we will be a playoff team again.
April 3rd, 2015 at 9:24 am
Man……..Breshard Perriman’s stock is shooting up with that 4.19 40 he ran!!
I know WR isn’t a huge need but I sure would love to see him teamed up with ME and VJ
April 3rd, 2015 at 9:28 am
Yeah you and the Raiders… There was a reason he was a day 2-3 prospect before. You don’t vault him in to day 1 because he runs fast in shorts.
April 3rd, 2015 at 9:55 am
U can’t win without talent
April 3rd, 2015 at 9:55 am
Just got an alert from NFL.com that Goldson was traded to Redskins.
April 3rd, 2015 at 9:56 am
looks like Goldson and a 7th for a redskins 6th.
April 3rd, 2015 at 9:58 am
“Potential Franchise QB” then lol, its still better than anything we’ve had in a while.
But on to point. With the defense in its 2nd year in the Tampa 2 there should be drastic improvement, even if its no better than it was at the end of last year it had still made leaps and bounds. With a potential top 10 D, a true offensive coordinator, and a potential Franchise QB, for the first time in a long time I have real hope, yes there are holes everywhere, I am not saying we are going to go 15-1 next year, but a few years to patch holes through the draft, and I can see a top 10 offense and defense.
April 3rd, 2015 at 10:00 am
Dashon Goldson traded to redskins!!
April 3rd, 2015 at 10:04 am
addition by subtraction….this team is shaping out to be better without all the big name free agents……we need quarterbacks and lineman whats going on
April 3rd, 2015 at 10:04 am
I must say L&L are realizing mistakes and cutting dead weight! Unlike the Duminik era!
April 3rd, 2015 at 10:14 am
What does trading Goldson do to the cap? Anyone know?
April 3rd, 2015 at 10:19 am
@LaWD…
To my recollection, when trading a player, you trade their whole salary. There should not be any cap hit or dead money. So, all that does is free up whatever he would’ve counted towards the cap this year.
April 3rd, 2015 at 10:21 am
The cap stays the same 🙂
April 3rd, 2015 at 10:26 am
WARHOP was the problem. Where are we with that? Problem not fixed.
April 3rd, 2015 at 10:28 am
How can anybody say this team is better now. really…
Jenkins = Useless
Conte = Useless – gets burned consistently and is a walking concussions
Melton = Part time player with a injury history
Carter = asking him to switch positions and gifted the starting spot. how’d that work out last year at several positions.
Moore = he has the best chance to actually win a starting job but just like last years free agent class Moore has a very short history of producing.
Not one of those players is a clear upgrade over the player they are competing with or replacing.
And anybody wanting connelley and garza at the wrong side of 30 plus and severe drop off in play the last couple of years need their heads checked. how is that better. crap replacing crap is still crap… raise your standards people.
Last year was an over priced pay for potential versus paying for production this is year is nothing more than a garbage collection run that people are trying to put a positive spin on. no thanks.
April 3rd, 2015 at 10:29 am
@LWD,
“The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have traded Dashon Goldson to Washington for a sixth-round pick in 2016, giving up a 2016 seventh-rounder in the process, per Albert Breer. The Bucs will still pay part of his salary, reports Jenna Laine. We’ll have more on this in minutes.”
Looks like we are still paying part of the salary, but don’t know how much. Also, we got crap for him.
April 3rd, 2015 at 10:29 am
“Goldson was set to make $7.5 million, $4 million of which was fully guaranteed. “
April 3rd, 2015 at 10:31 am
“Tampa Bay has now traded both of their 2014 opening day starting safeties over the past six months. Mark Barron was traded to the St. Louis Rams mid-season, and now Goldson’s gone too. In fact, most of the defense has been completely overhauled from Greg Schiano’s days — the main holdovers are Gerald McCoy and Lavonte David, with Johnthan Banks in a supporting role. That kind of turnover is common when a team changes scheme, but this seemed to happen in record time.
Goldson is just the latest in a series of high-profile free agency the Bucs have had since 2012, when they went on a massive spending spree. Eric Wright was cut after one year, having voided the guarantees in his contract by getting suspended. Carl Nicks suffered a chronic injury on his foot, and then saw that exacerbated by a recurring MRSA infection before being let go. Darrelle Revis lasted just one year, even though the Bucs paid him $16 million and traded a first-rounder and more for him, and now Goldson’s saying goodbye too. Even 2011’s Michael Koenen appears to be on his way out after another disappointing season. The Bucs even got rid of Michael Johnson and Anthony Collins, who they signed to big contracts just last year.
Of all the big spending the Bucs have done in free agency over the past three seasons, only one player has really stuck around and earned his contract: Vincent Jackson. That’s a pretty bad return on investment, Bucs.”-BucsNation
April 3rd, 2015 at 10:38 am
Please tell me that you’re not complaining that we at least got something for someone we were probably going to cut anyway…
April 3rd, 2015 at 10:40 am
“It’s hard to believe Lovie forgot how to win, or that the game has passed him by”
The man led a 4-12 team to 2-14, barely, after major roster turnover to get his guys in. Bold statement of faith in the leadership. Those elbows must be chaffed from all the brass rubbing in Arizona.
April 3rd, 2015 at 10:49 am
So we should expect a Free Safety in the draft around rounds 3-4? We don’t have any good ones and need someone.
April 3rd, 2015 at 10:51 am
Celly,
Instead of a 6th and a 7th in the future, I would have rather gotten a 5th or off loaded is salary all together. What are you going to do with a 6th or a 7th? Camp meat? It was terrible to bring him in and pay him that much to begin. I’m happy he is gone, don’t get me wrong, but everyone that we have brought in and paid millions to we have pretty much given them away to other teams.
April 3rd, 2015 at 11:03 am
“Lovie remains a major source of optimism among many Bucs fans”
You wouldn’t know it from reading the comments on this website on any given day. Grow up Lovie haters. He’s a hell of a lot better coach than the last 2 jokers that ran this team.
April 3rd, 2015 at 11:12 am
He’s a hell of a lot better coach than the last 2 jokers that ran this team.
———————
once again, replacing crap with crap you still have crap!
i respect your opinion on lovie but the facts say he is nothing more than a mediocre coach and horrible talent evaluator.
April 3rd, 2015 at 11:23 am
Exactly tmax. Lovie being better than Schiano and Raheem is totally relative. Yes, he probably is (though I seriously doubt Lovie wins 10 games with that 2010 roster like Raheem did….Lovie had a better team last year and won 2….), but that doesn’t mean he’s a great coach. A guy who’s sitting on 1 playoff appearance since 2007 and a horrific record against .500 or better teams is not a great coach. At the peak of his powers, Lovie makes us consistently a 6-10 to 10-6 team. Sorry but some people wanna do better than mediocrity and sporadic playoff appearances.
April 3rd, 2015 at 11:44 am
@R.O. dude never said take Perriman in the 1st to begin with LOL… also breshad perriman was never a day 3 prospect & his stock was rising before his pro day plus he has a 1st/2nd round grade with size, speed, & NFL pedigree…he should be on the Bucs draft board but they need OL help so i’d be surprised they would take him in the 2nd if he was available plus i like justin hardy or tyler lockett in the 4th round as better value
April 3rd, 2015 at 12:42 pm
tmax
You better take cover. The sky is falling the sky is falling.
April 3rd, 2015 at 12:46 pm
tmax
i respect your opinion on lovie but the facts say he is nothing more than a mediocre coach and horrible talent evaluator.
The facts say he has a better record than Bill Belicheat at similar points in their career. The facts say Lovie reached a Super Bowl with Rex freaking Grossman.
The facts say Belicheat had a losing record until he LUCKED out and got Brady.
To soon to state what the facts will say after Lovie gets Famies. But you guys have me so worked up about Fameis being a “franchise QB” I’m pretty excited to see what Lovie can do.
I guess I should ask…do you believe Fameis is a better QB than Grossman?
A single pick at QB made Belicheat a “genius”. The only difference is that Lovie’s single pick is well known and Belicheat simply got LUCKY!
April 3rd, 2015 at 12:58 pm
After 2-14 and being one of the worst franchises since Gruden left Lovie has a lot to prove.
April 3rd, 2015 at 12:59 pm
StPeteBucsFan
we have talked about this before sir. you don’t get to pick time frames or snapshots of ones career to compare stats. Hell my girlfriend said I was superman once…. snapshots nope… . Look at the totals and lovie is mediocore. look at belicheat and don’t let the rings blind you. lovie lost that game you don’t get credit for getting to or losing a game. you win or you lose. it was almost a decade ago he has not had back to back playoff experiences since supersam was still in diapers ok maybe that’s a bad example. but you get the point.
April 3rd, 2015 at 2:03 pm
tmaxcon – if Lovie gets this team turned around and starts winning more than losing – (which I believe there is a pretty good chance of that happening and would be pretty impressive considering the shietshow that Dom left him with talent wise) – will you be man enough to admit you were wrong and start supporting him?
April 3rd, 2015 at 2:47 pm
“They fought hard every week till the very end. It didn’t go the way we wanted, or the way they wanted, or the way any of our fans wanted…”
the very end being the 4th quarter of the last game, then they tanked and it went the way everyone wanted!
April 3rd, 2015 at 4:57 pm
Lovie is a liar and a moron
April 3rd, 2015 at 5:03 pm
Pickgrin
Yes sir. I’ll gladly eat a crap sandwich publicly. I just have zero faith in him.
April 3rd, 2015 at 9:51 pm
Fair enough tmaxcon. Last year was definitely a disaster – so I can understand why someone who doubts Lovie would feel that way. SB in ’06 was quite some time ago. Lovie has to earn his trust back after a 2-14 season.
I believe we will see a greatly improved team this year – probably not a winning record – but a much better product on the field. In 2016 I would want to see a playoff appearance or think that’s its time to start reassessing if this regime should stay or not. Time will tell.
At least we are getting Winston -either way. It is quite possible that Winston will save Lovie’s job and cement his legacy as a “good coach” if he can be good sooner than later. Funny how a great QB can do that for a coach. I’ve always wondered what Bilicheat’s career would look like if he had never lucked into Tom Brady.
April 4th, 2015 at 2:38 pm
lovie the liar doesn’t, and never has beaten many Good teams! 🙁
April 5th, 2015 at 7:31 am
…dude comes off like a passive aggressive insecure bore…nope. not the leader I want to work for.
April 6th, 2015 at 5:54 pm
I’m on the internet and that makes me angry. GGGRRRRRRR…