Fast Success Expected
July 23rd, 2015
Rookie LT Donovan Smith
Joe must admit to being intrigued by the inner workings of Lovie Smith’s brain when it comes to developing rookies.
His behavior and comments have been untraditional.
In March, back at the NFL Owners Meeting in Phoenix, where Joe chilled with Team Glazer and ate overpriced resort food with many NFL types, Lovie spoke passionately about how the NFL has changed. Rookies aren’t rookies like they used to be, Lovie told Joe and other media.
The Bucs’ head coach explained that rookies are ready to succeed quickly these days because they enter the NFL so well prepared physically and mentally. Mike Evans, drafted by the Bucs last year at 20 years old, was one example.
Lovie said positions like quarterback take more time, but Lovie noted that left tackles typically aren’t guys that need much developmental time. The majority of solid starters at left tackle, Lovie said, usually perform acceptably as starters in their rookie seasons and then evolve from there.
Bucs beat writer Rick Stroud echoed this line of O-line development during a segment on WDAE-AM 620 this morning.
Joe can’t fully buy into that theory. But hearing it again got Joe thinking.
If Lovie believes quality rookie left tackle prospects are ready — or not — to succeed as Day 1 starters, then why did Lovie have LT Donovan Smith, this year’s No. 34 overall pick, running with the second team through all of spring practices?
It sure seems like something is off with the logic.
Kevin Pamphile, a 2014 fifth-round pick, was the spring first-teamer at left tackle.
Bucs rookies report to training camp in four short days. Joe wonders what Donovan Smith will be told about his status.
July 23rd, 2015 at 11:43 am
All the rookies are being listed as #2’s before training camp starts. Let them earn their starting spot, rather than gifting it outright. This isn’t hard to figure out.
July 23rd, 2015 at 11:53 am
Agree Leighroy that is usually the case.
There is another possibility. Perhaps Donavan Smith is the real deal but so is Pamphile. And so what if BOTH of them are destined to be solid NFL tackles?
A wonderful problem to have eh?
July 23rd, 2015 at 11:53 am
Because spring practice is spring practice
Show me the depth chart a week into training camp and then we can have this discussion again
July 23rd, 2015 at 12:00 pm
@stpetebucsfan
what a dream come true that would be, and that would give us the opportunity to replace Dotson as well who, while decent, is aging.
Imagine if both Kadeem and Marpet turn out.
Okay I know I am seriously reaming to hope that all 4 of our last oline picks turn out good but still imagine that
July 23rd, 2015 at 12:00 pm
**dreaming**
July 23rd, 2015 at 12:18 pm
I just hope that the starting 5 OLinemen (whoever they may be) can be identified relatively early and will be given the opportunity to play together enough in camp and pre-season games to be gelled enough by week one to keep Winston upright.
July 23rd, 2015 at 12:25 pm
He’s probably with the second team for the same reason that Jameis Winston is with second team. I don’t think they would have drafted him that high, kept Dotson on the right side, and not brought in any sort of competition if they didn’t think he at least had a decent chance of being able to step in right away.
July 23rd, 2015 at 12:30 pm
Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…..maybe hes making him earn the spot????
Thats just a guess waaaaaay out of left field but that just might have a tiny bit to do with it…
July 23rd, 2015 at 12:40 pm
If the kid is as good as Lovie thinks, he should have no problem beating out Pamphile. Competiton equals being ready to go week one.
July 23rd, 2015 at 12:42 pm
@pickgrin….
Yeah…..none of this we eill name our starters week 1. They need to gel and have continuity
July 23rd, 2015 at 1:01 pm
Agree with Pickgrin and Kevin.
I hope they can find the “five” pretty early in camp so the “unit” can begin to come together as a mini team within the larger team. OL really requires all guys being on the same page and having each other’s back.
Of course last year we don’t even know what book they were reading from much less which page.
July 23rd, 2015 at 1:01 pm
Can’t wait for the season to start so all you people can stop “dreaming” about stuff……
July 23rd, 2015 at 1:04 pm
“If Lovie believes quality rookie left tackle prospects are ready — or not — to succeed as Day 1 starters, then why did Lovie have LT Donovan Smith, this year’s No. 34 overall pick, running with the second team through all of spring practices?”
Really?? You can ask this question, with a straight face, and have no possible supposition as to the reasoning??
I mean, you asked the question, but gave NO hint as to your thoughts on the reasoning. I doubt, seriously, if you have none. Come on, give. I promise it won’t hurt… much.
July 23rd, 2015 at 1:22 pm
How can he be a number one running around in underwear.They havent even started blocking yet.so of yall thoughts are stupid.
July 23rd, 2015 at 1:46 pm
The obvious has already been mentioned, you don’t put rookies at the top of the depth chart until they “earn” it in TC.
As far as Donovan Smith, he is an incredibly talented, massive LT who will most likely come in motivated and probably succeed this year. Then, exactly as he did at Penn State, he will get complacent in year 2 and underachieve thereafter with fans disappointed that he didn’t do more. Again, exactly like he did at Penn State.
History has a way of repeating itself, as does behavior. The good news is that I predict a good rookie year from Donovan Smith who will start at LT 🙂
July 23rd, 2015 at 2:06 pm
…and pray for no injuries…and pray for decent waiver wire body or two to add depth…and…and…and…
July 23rd, 2015 at 5:53 pm
JOE: “It sure seems like something is off with the logic.”
No it doesn’t. It seems like something is (always) off with JOE’s logic,
July 23rd, 2015 at 6:29 pm
Incompetent Lovie Smith is typically clueless. More of the same. I wouldn’t read too much into it.
July 23rd, 2015 at 7:10 pm
Lovie had Donovan Smith running with the 2nd unit in shorts, learning the basic techniques. But I believe he will be the open day starter at LT, I also believe that Kevin Pamphile could be a better guard than tackle in the NFL.
July 23rd, 2015 at 7:21 pm
Dallas
Dude you’re losing your cred. Virtually every post is an excuse for you to turn it into Lovie bashing.
And so do you believe a rookie OL can become a starter or not. Given your moniker I should hope you do given Dallas success.
July 23rd, 2015 at 7:46 pm
StPete- incompetent Lovie Smith lost credibility league-wide and respect from this fan when he intentionally made McCown the starting QB and lost 14 games in a single season. When he starts winning football games he may earn back respect and credibility. It all depends if we are winning because of him instead of in spite of him, ie Winston.
July 23rd, 2015 at 7:52 pm
If Pamphile actually starts over Smith then it will further support the case of Lovie Smith’s rank incompetence that he strongly developed going 2-14 behind his hero in tears Josh McCown.
July 23rd, 2015 at 9:04 pm
I’m so scared
July 23rd, 2015 at 9:06 pm
I want to grow up and be the fan of a good football team one day
July 23rd, 2015 at 9:32 pm
@Dallas
When he starts winning football games he may earn back respect and credibility.
That’s certainly reasonable and I respect that point of view. Again, even the cockyed optimist in me cannot defend 2-14. Again even though I was not a member of the MGM he got a raw deal from Lovie.
We’ll all just have to wait and see. I was down on Lovie because I thought he felt he could get away with Dungyball or even Gruden’s “pound the rock”. Great defense with conservative running, protect the ball offense. I call that dinosaur ball. The league has changed and obviously the powers that be want offense in the game. The rules have been written to favor offense not defense.
But then he signs Koetter…drafts Fameis…who knows. And I honestly confess I don’t know if this was Lovie finally figuring it all out, or whether it was the Glazers making him give Licht more power and open up the offense. We may never know.
July 23rd, 2015 at 9:59 pm
StPete- I have speculated on these pages several times that Winston was ultimately a Glazer decision, not an incompetent Lovie Smith decision regardless of whether he agreed with Winston or not. This is why I am reluctant to give him credit for Winston. That and the fact that in this draft you pick Winston when you are the worst team in the league with the 1st overall pick and you are the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It does not take even a small sliver of football intelligence to draft Winston in this scenario. Literally a no-brainer, yet if left up to incompetent Lovie Smith alone it was very possible we could have ended up with a long snapper or twelve fifth round picks with that 1st overall.
July 23rd, 2015 at 10:09 pm
@ StPeteBucsFan
Who Lovie drafts and hires is irrelevant. ‘Who’ he is will be seen in the games he oversees. Dungy went through THREE different OCs in his last three years and yet the offense remained ineffective (in fact it regressed). The ‘constant’ was the head coach.
Lovie CAN change… but will he? We will see, and I sincerely hope we see the product of a ‘hands-free’ OC.
July 23rd, 2015 at 11:03 pm
In my book, no player on the team should EVER get props before earning it. No hype.
After so much losing, the team hasn’t even earned the right to “hype”.
July 24th, 2015 at 12:08 am
DallasSuc- you are the only incompetent loser that I see around here. Lovie is a known commodity with a proven track record. You are a whiny loser who gets on peoples nerves. Go away! We are trying to get pumped for this season.
July 24th, 2015 at 7:35 am
Buccos- hate to tell you tough guy but 2-14 is an actual record that incompetent Lovie Smith owns as the HC of my beloved Buccaneers. Somehow your strained myopathy is preventing you from seeing this. I will not call you names though as I consider it a sad disability. I am not going to apologize for pointing out clearly apparent truths like incompetent Lovie Smith’s track record as Buccanner HC and it’s negative affect on your ability to get pumped up for the season!
July 24th, 2015 at 8:17 am
You are indeed, DallasBuc, a much more negative person than most in here. Unfortunately, I cannot argue against any of your reasons for the position you take.
For good or for bad, Lovie is the guiding force of the team I love, and I am going to continue hoping that good things come out of this.
July 24th, 2015 at 9:12 am
Hawk- I am hopeful as well, especially now that we have a real QB behind center instead of that lousy, teary career backup that incompetent Lovie Smith paid over 5mil to last year to pretend to be a pro QB. This fan had no hope a year ago because of that and other horrible decisions that objectively made no sense.
We are 2-14 football team as a direct result of the abilities or lack thereof our HC. So yeah, I’m a bit negative these days. I don’t like it but my football team lost 14 games in a single season. It is shameful and I am pist off about it.
July 24th, 2015 at 10:42 am
I was an employee of the franchise when it went 2-26. You have no idea what ‘shame’ and ‘pissed’ even mean until you are on that end. And my feelings are/were NOTHING compared to the players of those years.
As bad as it is, it is still WAY better than what it was.
As I said before, I cannot argue with any of your points, but I have learned that the ONLY way a BUC fan can deal with this team is ‘hope’. When I lose that, I will learn the rules of soccer so that I can still say “I am a ‘football’ fan”. :^)
July 25th, 2015 at 9:29 pm
There is no way a fifth round draft pick is going to start over the 34 pick in this years draft. That is called common sense and job security. Same goes for our current starting RG Garrett Gilkey. Ali Marpet and the only player I would feel comfortable in that spot is Evan Mathis. Can I ask a stupid question? If the cap money is avalable why would not this team spend some of it on another OL, DE, S or RB?