Warhop: Should Have Played Pamphile
May 16th, 2015
Combine what happened on the field in December with what we now know was Bucs general manager Jason Licht fixation on “America’s Quarterback,” Jameis Winston, and it makes you go, “Hhhhmmm?”
The Bucs couldn’t wave goodbye quick enough to turnover-prone Josh McCown, but never benched him for Mike Glennon? Another was running off left tackle Anthony Collins (not that it was unwarranted).
Then there were “The Milk Cartons,” the rookie offensive linemen who may as well have had their photos on a carton of Publix milk. Yes, Kadeem Edwards was hurt early, but do you remember him making any contribution when the offensive line was a complete and total jailbreak in preseason?
Same with the second milk carton, Kevin Pamphile. The only play Joe remembers him making was giving up a key sack in the final game against New Orleans to help seal the Chase for Jameis.
It now seems, in retrospect, the Bucs are wishing they would have played Pamphile at left tackle more. That’s the word from Woody Cummings of The Tampa Tribune who notes offensive line coach George Warhop is doing “what-ifs” this offseason.
“When he was in there, there were some ups and downs, but he played enough that you look and you say, ‘OK, you might have something there,’ ” Warhop said. “So if I could do it all over again, I would have doubled his snaps. That way we would have a much better picture of what he is.
“I think he has grown a lot in terms of being a pro, understanding what it takes, the time you need to put in, the work ethic you need to be successful. That was all a work in progress a year ago, but I think he is plugged in to that now.”
Some five months later, Joe is glad none of this happened. Can you imagine if the Bucs gagged like a choking dog and blew the chance to draft Jameis? Joe would be in a straight jacket about now.
Whether Pamphile, who is currently penciled in as the starting left tackle, amounts to anything is still to be determined. Thank goodness we didn’t find out last season.
May 16th, 2015 at 8:28 am
This talk of him being the #1 LT on the Depth Chart is all coach speak. It gives Pamphile a little motivation, and it gives some to Donovan Smith too. Pamphile was a late round draft choice. In time he could translate to guard, or a reserve in an emergency at tackle. He played about half of the offensive snaps in final game, mostly in a Tackle Eligible position on run downs. Good for him to get the reps in, but the results were far from impressive. I like Pamphile and Edwards. KP in particular. But they project as interior linemen, and serviceable ones at best,
May 16th, 2015 at 8:44 am
By Nov / Dec how many of the players on the team knew it was “Tank Time” ?
I would say quite a few, but by that last game we had some backup quality players playing pretty decently and we almost blew it.
I am trying to curb my enthusiasm, I am really. But you factor In that by week 5, coaching and front office knew which players they had were worth a damn or not. If anything this should give the Glennon Mob the warm fuzzies, they value him as a good backup and kept him on the bench and let McClown bear the brunt.
1. Legitimate OC
2. Franchise capable QB drafted
3. OL drafted
4. OL veterans like Mankins showing up with 6 packs and doing extra gassers and getting the other linemen doing the same.
I feel the Bucs could make that Cinderlla themed one season turn around. It has happened before in the NFL. But i have been snake bit way too many times by this team so I will say 6 wins, anything beyond that will be icing on the cake.
May 16th, 2015 at 8:49 am
Suggested O-line nickname-Warthogs.
May 16th, 2015 at 8:59 am
I like that “Warthogs”.. I’ll start spreading that around.
May 16th, 2015 at 9:14 am
Lol @ the shaz and many other posters who actually believe the Bucs were tanking for a large part of last season. The Bucs spent a fortune on free agents and came in claiming that the fans deserved better and they wouldn’t have to wait to see a winning team. All that turned out to be false but you can bet your a$$ a first year head coach and GM were not tanking games in November. Someone ordered the tank in game 16 (thank God) but that was it. Some of you are just down right foolish!
May 16th, 2015 at 9:20 am
I’d like to know exactly who ordered the code red at halftime. It has to be either Lovie or a Glazer. Licht doesn’t have the power.
May 16th, 2015 at 9:29 am
I believe that was probably the Glazers. Although knowing now how much Licht loved JW he may have been able to talk Lobie into it.
May 16th, 2015 at 9:34 am
I think it’s hilarious to be glad we didn’t play Pamphile….a mid-round rookie more often because we might have won a game because of him…..rediculous…
He needed to be played more often to gain experience as did any other rookie or udfa…..now….benching Glennon might have been another story.
There is absolutely no question we tanked the last game….I’m not so sure about any others…..we were simply bad enough to lose without trying to lose.
May 16th, 2015 at 9:38 am
The Bucs obviously threw the last game of the year. Bless the gods!
May 16th, 2015 at 9:46 am
People can call me a bad fan, but it was rooting for us to lose that game the whole time. One of my sons was rooting for the Bucs to win still, and I tried to explain to him that if we lose we get the first pick, and that’s more important than a 2 win season or a 3. He didn’t care. At halftime I thought the Saints were tanking just to $crew us! Lol it’s funny cause I live in PA and watch the games at a resurant. The commentators never made mention of us pulling out the starters. I didn’t even know. We were 3 and out so much in the second half I couldn’t tell who was out there! Lol
May 16th, 2015 at 9:54 am
@TBBF
I agree with your posts. I also do not believe we tanked for Jameis. I think we were just that bad, plain and simple. We lost leads late in games plenty last season because our offense could not stay on the field, our very mediocre defense wore down as games moved into the 4th QTR and we just got beat. I do not think it involved any strategy at all. The only time a team allows another team to score is if it is a must in order to get the ball back and try to answer quickly and try for an on side kick opportunity. Kind of like pulling a goalie late in a hockey game. It is comical to read the very imaginative takes that some folks put on here.
May 16th, 2015 at 10:31 am
It’s the NFL…we lost more than a few games last year because of a single play,
When it was time to hang on to that interception, not fumble the ball, count how many players were on the field…neither or players nor our coaches could do the proverbial “make a play”.
That will be the difference or the similarity this year. i believe Fameis will be fine but he can’t be the only one to make plays. ASJ can’t fumble a first down completion. DB’s have to wrap up game sealing ints. The NFL is just to competitive and it generally does come down to that proverbial PLAY
@DayOnePaul
Like and agree with your term….”But they project as interior linemen, and serviceable ones at best,”
And that’s what we need…I’ve used “competent” but “servicable” is great.
They just need to do their jobs. They don’t need to dominate…that’s where the D and Fameis and the offensive weapons are supposed to shine!
@
We either make them this season or my 10 win prediction will be ludicrous.
Before you naysayers come on to remind me of 2-14…I respond KC Chiefs..2-14 to 11-5. And one of the biggest changes for the Chiefs…QB play.
@RW’s Thong
I think your nickname is GREAT! Warthogs is close to the Skins old “hogs” but with Warhop and the entire name it works very well. My only reservation is that while I agree it’s a terrific nickname the boys will have to actually EARN it out on the field before we can use it.
May 16th, 2015 at 10:34 am
I agree with TBBF about ‘tanking’. There is no way that the coaches asked (or even ‘encouraged’) players to play down. Players are competitive, and are not going to risk their job (and reputation) just so the team has a better shot at replacing them.
To make Joe feel a little better, playing Pamphile more might have made the Buccaneers 0-16, without tanking at all.
May 16th, 2015 at 10:36 am
Within 2-3 games after McCown came back, the Bucs were tanking and McCown was in on it. Josh was likely the only player who was aware of the goal and he helped make it happen. Doesn’t take that much when the guy handling the ball on every offensive play knows what’s up and looks for opportunities. An “errant” throw that get’s picked here or a fumble there gets the job done.
I went back and watched the last few games of the season with that in mind and looking for evidence. Saw enough to be convinced that’s what happened.
Everyone has their own opinion – but You have to admit that it explains a lot and solves a # of the “mysteries” of the Bucs 2014 season.
May 16th, 2015 at 10:45 am
If he’s shows talent, we can put him in at RT next yr
May 16th, 2015 at 10:46 am
No one snatched defeat from the jaws of victory like Josh McCown.
It was epic to watch him step up in that final game and secure the loss.
Depending on how well Winston does McCown should be ROH inductee someday.
May 16th, 2015 at 11:05 am
OK, I can buy into the possibility that Lovie (NOT Licht or Glazer) decided to ‘tank’ the last game of the season. There is enough empirical evidence to support that argument. But to suggest that players were also involved is just ludicrous. These are PROFESSIONAL athletes. They know that, at ANY time, they can be replaced by someone ‘better’. They also know that when they are given their walking papers, the other 31 teams are going to look at their game tape to judge whether or not they are good enough to give a roster spot. As far as McCown being ‘in on it’… really? Go back and watch the first three games of the season. Frankly, McCown had nothing in his tank, to begin with.
I understand how you feel, but the Bucs/McCown were just bad. They did not need to tank. The sad part is that I believe the players gave it their best in all sixteen games, although Lovie ‘may’ have pulled the rug from under them in the finale.
May 16th, 2015 at 11:09 am
That last game to secure the #1 overall pick had tank job written all over it.
May 16th, 2015 at 11:21 am
This “America’s Quarterback” thing is tiring. Just because he get’s publicity it doesn’t make him that.
“America’s Quarterback” is one who is liked by many, not talked about by many.
Probably Peyton Manning or Aaron Rogers falls into that category, not Winston.
May 16th, 2015 at 11:23 am
If there was any sort of plan to “tank” the season, don’t you think our former OC fill in would have said so by now? After all, they DID put him in a hard spot and then fired him.
May 16th, 2015 at 11:34 am
@BucBonzai
Just join me and TBBF and others and go with the flow.
You are now “America’s BuccaneerBonzai”. Congratulations!
May 16th, 2015 at 12:50 pm
So Edwards wasn’t tearing it up in preseason (like 5th rd picks always do) and now you say that your glad pamphile didn’t play more last year so he didn’t screw up the chase for Jameis. Heaven forbid he have a decent year, right?
Look, I don’t agree with the ‘milk cartons ‘ monicker because we all know what goes there- pictures of missing children. And 99 out of a hundred times it doesn’t end well for those missing children- it’s why they are or were on them to begin with. Very bad taste on your part to continuously call two guys that. Or is that what missing children mean to you? About as important as linemen who were injured or not on the field much?
May 16th, 2015 at 5:37 pm
Pretty sure just about every fan on here was SCREAMING to see what the young second and third string lineman were capable of last season when we already knew all was lost. But NOPE….they left in McCown, they left a never before OC in charge of play calling. They tanked. I’m ok with it, our QB situation will be good moving forward. We need our D and O-0lines to get better. Truth be told my greatest fear from where the team is right now, how long will Koetter be in Tampa. As Chucky said he IS the x-factor.
May 16th, 2015 at 11:20 pm
I don’t think the Bucs wanted to “tank” the last game until halftime. They just thought they would straight up lose. If they really were tanking before the game started, they would have sat the starters the whole game. If not that, then they would at least have been pulled when we took the lead, not after we took a commanding lead. They wanted to lose but didn’t want to make it obvious. At halftime they had to go the obvious route!
May 17th, 2015 at 9:24 am
Pamphile is a former basketball player with plenty of athleticism to block the NFL speed rushers and as he gets more experience he has enough bulk to be a blocker too. He is not a Guard.