The Countdown: 20 Worst Buccaneers Personnel Moves Of The Past 10 Years — No. 7
July 22nd, 2015
It’s the countdown feature you’ve all been waiting for. Not really, but on the heels of last year’s award-winning “20 Worst Buccaneers Of The Past 10 years” feature, Joe had to deliver.
A list like this is highly subjective and toxic. Fits of rage were common during production meetings at JoeBucsFan.com world headquarters. Scared interns soiled their pants. Full beer bottles were smashed, and a treasured Rachel Watson poster was accidently destroyed. But order was restored.
Current and former general managers and head coaches might not like what’s coming, but it had to be done. This is what happens when your team is 30-70 in its last 100 games.
No. 7 — Mark Barron
Joe’s adamant that thoroughly busting on a second-round draft pick is grounds for a whipping, like with Sabby The Goat, Dexter Jackson and Da’Quan Bowers below. So, of course, totally whiffing on a premier first-round pick is a worse crime.
Enter Mark Barron, the No. 7-overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. Aside from a few strong games, he looked more like a solid backup than a starter.
Former Bucs rockstar GM Mark Dominik and Greg Schiano were thinking Barron was the new prototype safety when they made him their first draft pick together. Barron was going to get physical and blanket Jimmy Graham and Tony Gonzalez, and he would be a ferocious hitter in the run game.
Never happened.
Barron got a fresh start with Lovie Smith, and he promptly was benched at the start of Game 3 of last preseason for an undisclosed bad act.
Weeks later, Bucs general manager Jason Licht fleeced the Rams and scored a fourth- and sixth-round pick at the trading deadline. After Barron was dealt, the defense improved with undrafted safety Bradley McDougald.
The only reason Barron was slotted here and not higher is because the 2012 NFL Draft was littered with busts in the first round. That’s no excuse, but it kept Barron from further shame in The Countdown.
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No. 8 — Da’Quan Bowers (2011 and 2013)
No. 9 — Re-Signing Blocking Icon Michael Clayton
No. 11 — Michael “Ghost” Johnson
No. 13 — Free Agent Inactivity After 10-6, 2010 Season
No. 14 — Scaredy Cat Dexter Jackson
No. 16 — Choosing — And Drafting For — The Jim Bates Defense
No. 17 — Drafting Cadillac Williams Over DeMarcus Ware
July 22nd, 2015 at 1:14 pm
Rockstar!
July 22nd, 2015 at 1:20 pm
Oh my! Oh my! Mark “they shook the dreads off me” Barron!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=A42Wj2tyR20
July 22nd, 2015 at 1:28 pm
any of the next picks, luke, tannyhill, poe, bruce irvin, gilmore ect would have been much better. The thing about the Dom is… in todays NFL what postions have been devalued? thats easy : running back and safety! Meaning you don’t take them in the 1st round unless you have ronnie lott and adrian peterson and of course in 2012 we go ss and rb in the 1st round. Hearing the Dom talk on espn you say to yourself, this guy doesn’t quite get it.
July 22nd, 2015 at 1:33 pm
I doubt you rate the Adrian Slowborn pick as more of a whiff, but if the Barron and Bowers whiff could make the top 10, then the one-armed man could certainly make the top 20. Especially with a much better player staring them in the face in Jordan.
Let’s look at horrible drafting 101 by Dominik
Barron over Keuchly
Benn over Golden Tate
Slowborn over Jordan
Bowers(and ^) over Rodney Hudson, Torrey Smith, Randall Cobb, Justin Houston and DeMarco Murray
16 million dolar man Darelle Revis over Sheldon Richardson and Star Lotulelie
Josh Freeman, franchise killer over Jeremy Maclin, Percy Harvin, Alex Mack, Vontae Davis and Clay Matthews
Thus, the makings of a draft dud.
July 22nd, 2015 at 1:45 pm
@Joe
No matter how many times you post this, or how many time this is reiterated, people will still blame Dominick for this transaction.
It was reported time and time and time again that safety was the KEY in the Schiano defense because he was supposed to do exactly as you noted…but it seems like people constantly graze over this.
July 22nd, 2015 at 2:09 pm
I could never see drafting a safety that high regardless of the scheme. You can always find decent safeties in the 3rd or lower. Dominik got played in that draft he wanted Claiborne from LSU but Dallas jumped ahead on him after he traded back.
July 22nd, 2015 at 2:09 pm
Barron over Keuchly
As I stated above, Barron was supposed to be the KEY to the Schiano defense.
Benn over Golden Tate
Won’t argue with that one. My guess is that they went with potential over tape.
Slowborn over Jordan
Clayborn looked good his first year, then injuries got to him. You can’t forsee injuries.
Bowers(and ^) over Rodney Hudson, Torrey Smith, Randall Cobb, Justin Houston and DeMarco Murray
Lets not forget that Bowers was, at one point, considered the #1 player/talent in the draft. Getting him in the 2nd round was considered a steal.
16 million dolar man Darelle Revis over Sheldon Richardson and Star Lotulelie
Again, a Schiano move that you would rather place blame on Dominick on. Also, when the trade was made, no one complained. Dominick should get credit for structuring the contract in a way that we would receive no cap hit when he was released.
Josh Freeman, franchise killer over Jeremy Maclin, Percy Harvin, Alex Mack, Vontae Davis and Clay Matthews
It’s also been reported that the Glazers mandated that we get a franchise QB. Freeman is the last QB to lead the team to a winning record (all on a budget, lets not forget). That season, would’ve had the record for TD:INT ration, if not for Tom Brady. Freeman also holds QB franchise records for yards and TDs, so please have some respect. Schiano is the franchise killer. The year that your QB has a franchise season and breaks records, you go ahead a draft a guy, in the 3rd round, that you’ve been trying to recruit since high school and THEN give said player 50% of the reps in training camp. Should Freeman have handled things better? Absolutely. But that doesn’t change the fact that Schiano was hoping his guy would make the cut over Free.
Thus, the makings of a draft dud.
The GMs job is to find the talent. The coach’s job is to ge that talent to play up to potential. The talent has been there, as evidenced by most players leaving Tampa and having success on other teams.
July 22nd, 2015 at 2:10 pm
My bad.
I didn’t know you were in the war room when all this was going on.
July 22nd, 2015 at 2:17 pm
The Countdown: 20 Worst Buccaneers Personnel Moves Of The Past 10 Years — No. 1
The hiring of Mark Dominick……
July 22nd, 2015 at 2:20 pm
Celly says:
16 million dolar man Darelle Revis over Sheldon Richardson and Star Lotulelie-
Again, a Schiano move that you would rather place blame on Dominick on. Also, when the trade was made, no one complained. Dominick should get credit for structuring the contract in a way that we would receive no cap hit when he was released.
——
Last time I checked, Mark Dominik fired Raheem and hired Schiano. Which means that Dominik is the shot caller.
How could Schoano trump Dominik with draft selections?
#BlameWhoseAtFault
July 22nd, 2015 at 2:22 pm
Celly:
Safety may be the key in Schiano’s defense but Barron stunk, there’s no way of spinning that. He may be even worse with Jeff Fisher, who is a much better defensive coach than Schiano.
Joe will argue, however, until he loses his voice, Dominik bagging Darrelle Revis for a first round pick was a Steve Carlton-for-Rick Wise type of steal. One of the best whoever played that position, a future Hall of Famer for a first round pick and a throwaway fourth rounder? Robbery!
For those who think that was a bad trade, ask yourself this: Would you trade a first and fourth round pick for Luke Kuechly or Odell Beckham or Aaron Rodgers or J.J. Watt? The hell you wouldn’t. So why exactly was the Revis trade bad? It wasn’t!
No, letting Revis go was the height of stupidity in a colossal series of screw-ups last year.
Only the blind, raging Dominik haters would suggest that was a bad trade.
July 22nd, 2015 at 2:22 pm
celly Says:
July 22nd, 2015 at 2:10 pm
Waterboy Says:
July 22nd, 2015 at 2:09 pm
I could never see drafting a safety that high regardless of the scheme. You can always find decent safeties in the 3rd or lower. Dominik got played in that draft he wanted Claiborne from LSU but Dallas jumped ahead on him after he traded back.
My bad.
I didn’t know you were in the war room when all this was going on.
——–
Mark Dominik would’ve been better off with one of us commenters in the war room. It for sure could not have been worse.
Why does Dominik get a flipping pass from you, Celly?
July 22nd, 2015 at 2:26 pm
Admin,
The Revis trade only looks bad because we let him walk for NOTHING at the end of the year.
I would like to contend that Dominik’s player evaluation skills were bad. Dominik stated that Luke Stocker was a 2nd round grade, yet he’s not that good.
Also, what GM in the NFL prides themself on NOT drafting offensive linemen. Ludicrous!
July 22nd, 2015 at 2:31 pm
Thank you!
July 22nd, 2015 at 2:36 pm
Cmon training camp!
Can’t wait to see if the 2015 edition is a group of winners.
Can we get a player with 10+sacks for the first time in 10 years?
July 22nd, 2015 at 2:36 pm
Wondering out loud if this list is intended to “Induce Vomiting”??
The Glazers should print it out and wallpaper their luxury suite at Ray-Jay with it……just as a reminder.
July 22nd, 2015 at 2:37 pm
No need. Only need to look at all transactions from the calendar year 2014.
July 22nd, 2015 at 2:37 pm
Think of it like this:
If you are the owner of a company, and your area manager comes to you and says, “Look, boss. Here is the type of employees that I need to get the job done. This employee here is going to be what all future employees at his position will look like. If we get him, my vision of where we take this company will be able to come to fruition”, you would be a bad owner to not listen to your area manager.
Its not a matter of Schiano “trumping” Dominik, but more along the lines of Schiano saying, “Dominik, I need that safety for my defense to work the way it is supposed to.” The whole lead up to the draft, Dominick had the world thinking that he wanted a DB. The world thought that said DB was Morris Claibourne (sp). Dominick was even able to trade out of the spot and get the player that he had been coveting the whole time, while picking up an additional pick.
Did you apply for the GM position? Or maybe scout? If so, how did the interview go?
It’s not that Dominik gets a “pass” from me, but I just feel that he was a better talent evaluator than most give him credit for. As I stated earlier, its the GMs job to acquire the talent and the coaches job to get that talent to perform.
I’m not arguing that at all. Barron did stink. As far as I’m concerned, he was just a glorified LB playing in the safety position.
The point I was trying to make is that people want to place the blame on Dominik for getting Barron and not Schiano, who was the one that WANTED/NEEDED Barron.
The fact that Dominick was able to get anything for Barron is to be applauded.
Well, I hate to break it to you, but your board is full of blind, raging Dominik haters….but I’m sure you already knew that.
July 22nd, 2015 at 2:48 pm
Why oh why dod the rams change those uniforms! I loved those uniforms!!!!!!!
July 22nd, 2015 at 3:03 pm
The 1st and the 3rd/4th would have been a steal for a pro-bowl player/ one of the games greats. But that is not what they traded for. Dominik was trading for damaged goods but paid full price. I know some around here love the “name recognition and star power” and do not realize what a player actually is!!!
And Lovie did not want Revis in his defense, because Revis would have roasted him every week!!! He would have destroyed lovie and his passive scheme’s last year.
July 22nd, 2015 at 3:28 pm
celly Says:
July 22nd, 2015 at 2:37 pm
“Well, I hate to break it to you, but your board is full of blind, raging Dominik haters….but I’m sure you already knew that.”
_______________
Truth! This is why I stopped commenting on this site as much. It seems that all there is on JBF anymore are Dominik haters, Lovie bashers, Schiano apologists, and of course the “Mob” (who are secretly hoping for a week 1 loss so they can flood this site again calling for the Neck)
July 22nd, 2015 at 3:32 pm
Drafting a safety with 4th round talent with the #7 overall pick is bad enough. But drafting said player with one of the most talented MLBers to come out in years still on the board is just inexcusable…
July 22nd, 2015 at 3:41 pm
@dinnerpalte Nips
and we thought you ran off with all the other “rockstar sheep” with the rest, when Dominik’s roster was exposed and the “real NFL coach” lovie did worse than what the “college coach” (as some of you called him) did!!!
July 22nd, 2015 at 3:56 pm
Kills me to think who we could have had with this pick… I remember how dissatisfied I was with this selection…
July 22nd, 2015 at 3:56 pm
Let me know when Teflon Dom gets another job with an NFL team.
July 22nd, 2015 at 4:02 pm
I said it from the day after the draft – If Mark Barron doesn’t become Ronnie Lott, the pick was a waste. I knew it from Day 1…. literally. Safeties just aren’t game changers. There’s like 4 superstars and a lot of people who are basically interchangeable.
July 22nd, 2015 at 4:41 pm
Another Dom move hits the list! Proving this guy was a joke as a GM. But was nice to the media and a good source so they let him escape blame for years of bad moves.
July 22nd, 2015 at 4:51 pm
“celly Says:
July 22nd, 2015 at 2:09 pm
Lets not forget that Bowers was, at one point, considered the #1 player/talent in the draft. Getting him in the 2nd round was considered a steal.”
Or he was considered a massive risk because he was already viewed as damaged goods before he even stepped foot into the league. Dom tried too hard to find steals while ignoring obvious injury concerns. Far too great a risk when you desperately need your 2nd rounder to pan out. If it was an extra 2nd rounder from a trade, then maybe.
July 22nd, 2015 at 4:59 pm
“celly Says:
July 22nd, 2015 at 2:09 pm
Lets not forget that Bowers was, at one point, considered the #1 player/talent in the draft. Getting him in the 2nd round was considered a steal.”
And then real GM found out the truth and was passed by 50 times. Then the “rockstar” rolled the dice.
The rockstar sheep that are left are both funny and very sad!!!!
July 22nd, 2015 at 4:59 pm
Barron was going to get physical and blanket Jimmy Graham and Tony Gonzalez, and he would be a ferocious hitter in the run game.
Never happened.
*****************
PSst! SMH. Blasphemy I say blasphemy I tell you.
I’m just gonna leave this here (YouTube: Mark Barron highlights 5:58) and I’ll be back later the read n react. Mark 2:15 and Mark 4:55. And this don’t even include when he crushed Tolbert either.
http://youtu.be/iOdL7JnDLCo
July 22nd, 2015 at 5:25 pm
The Revis trade only looks bad because we let him walk for NOTHING at the end of the year. I agree. Revis’ salary-cap figure was at $16 million in every year of the deal through 2018. What other team would give up those draft picks for a player who would be released after just one year? L&L or owners?
I would also like to comment that Dominik’s player evaluation skills were bad. Dominik drafted 36 players of which there are only 10 still playing today. He was also responsible for releasing Michael Bennett, Aquib Talib and and LeGarrette Blount. He was also responsible for signing Carl Nicks and Gabe Carimi for a 6th rounder.
July 22nd, 2015 at 6:33 pm
I remember being disappointed when Keuchly’s name wasn’t called. I also remember in 2010 my 8 year old nephew picking mccoy to be the bucs pick as did every draft analyst. Mccoy was the obvious choice and credit for the pick should not be given to anyone but the 2009 team.
July 22nd, 2015 at 6:44 pm
I get the Dominik hate although I believe some of it is a bit over the top.
Hard to really know how much of Dom’s mistakes were his own youthful experience, the Glazers sending the entire budget to Man U, working with an untested coach in Rah and a dictator in Schiano. Hard to know how much power Dom had versus Schiano.
This is why i give Licht a pass. I suspect that last year’s deals were primarly Lovie calls.
July 22nd, 2015 at 6:45 pm
BTW Saying Dom is the worst GM we’ve had is not true. We had Bruce Allen at one point.
July 22nd, 2015 at 7:01 pm
Joe the bucs have had enough negative sh*** over the last decade. What’s the point of continuing to talk about all the mistakes they’ve made. Completely pointless.
July 22nd, 2015 at 7:15 pm
I am not all that upset about this pick because it let us pick LVD!!!! The B!!!
July 22nd, 2015 at 7:28 pm
And I don’t care what anyone says. LVD is more versatile than Luke. I am glad we got him over Luke. I don’t like the whiff on Barron but Im happy with LVD
July 22nd, 2015 at 7:28 pm
*east
July 22nd, 2015 at 7:31 pm
Bruce Allen went 38-42 and two playoff appearances, and won an AFC Championship with Oakland. And has been a GM three times.
Dom went 28-52, no playoffs. He’s a tv analyst now. I won’t be holding my breath waiting for him to be hired again.
I am by no means saying Bruce Allen is a great GM. But, I would take him over Dom.
July 22nd, 2015 at 7:40 pm
I was at the JoeBucsFan draft day party, standing next to Steve White when They called Mark Barron’s name. Steve and I looked at each other in shock and disbelief. After all, Luke Kuechly was still there, and because of this stupid ass move, he went to our division rival.
July 22nd, 2015 at 8:13 pm
Joe..it’s my opinion that the majority of fans that comment on your site are going to go ape shyte if Dom’s not on this list…
July 22nd, 2015 at 8:14 pm
#Hunter…to me it’s called killing time..
July 22nd, 2015 at 8:22 pm
P.S, Joe I think you should leave the Domster of the list. We haven’t had any chaos in herr for over a month now.
lol The ball’s in your court!
July 22nd, 2015 at 8:43 pm
Not many people have sat through 14 losing seasons without missing a home game. I have. I don’t really care about the order of Joe’s list because it is all subjective and everyone is entitled to their own opinion. And why not rank some things out of place to create controversy thus generating comments. I just look at the 20 decisions as a whole when Joe is done with the series and say……..” Yep!! My team has Sucked mostly but it was management more than the team often.
July 22nd, 2015 at 8:44 pm
Buc1987,
Joe won’t put Dominik on the list, and it makes me sad as a fan. The Rock Star has earned his place on the list.
Dominik proclaimed the 2010 draft as the “deepest ever”. We have GMC from that class, and two busted second round picks.
Dominik hurt this team. He prided himself on not drafting offensive linemen, a bold faced act of treason if you ask me.
Where in the hell is our edge rush? Despite spending two top picks on DE in 2011, and double dipping on DT in 2010, we have exactly GMC to show for it.
Dominik cut Derrick Freaking Brooks, and replaced him with and resigned Quincy Black.
I understand celly’s argument that Dominik gets a little extra hate from some, myself included, but that mofo was a terrible GM.
In conclusion, Dominik offered Hatnesworth more money than her took with the Skins, and still signed him after he washed up in Washington because he was hamstrung with no DT depth. Effing bad GM, yes says I.
July 22nd, 2015 at 9:01 pm
C’mon Steve K…………If Dominick is left off the list then Joe will lose at least half of his Journalistic integrity I believe. Missing on Favre, Firing Chucky rather than usurping some of his FA and Draft selections. Mark Barron when Dominik selected him at 7. It has to be IMO
July 22nd, 2015 at 9:03 pm
I’m not sure about this one. I think Rod “Toast” Jones deserves a defensive backfield mention before Mark Barron.
July 22nd, 2015 at 9:28 pm
Ding!!!
July 22nd, 2015 at 9:40 pm
Lol DB, I don’t think I can watch the whole thing. I must admit that those were two of the worst Dominick/Schiano decisions ever.
July 22nd, 2015 at 9:46 pm
Yea so I try to find highlights of Chris Conti and major right laugh out loud they don’t exist
July 22nd, 2015 at 9:52 pm
I’m all dazed and confused about this subject. I just don’t get it. NO ONE punks Steve smith like that. Anyway hopefully one day I’ll get it.
July 22nd, 2015 at 9:59 pm
I thought they should have drafted Morris Claiborne. Man, He was a bust as well. To think we could have drafted Dontari Poe.
July 22nd, 2015 at 10:00 pm
Barry Gordon’s “The last dragon”
You were not put on this earth to ‘Get it’ Leroy”
July 22nd, 2015 at 10:29 pm
Sho nuff
July 22nd, 2015 at 10:30 pm
🙂
July 22nd, 2015 at 10:30 pm
You’re Always good with me DB
July 22nd, 2015 at 11:06 pm
You know…Joe and most say that if we had chosen Kuechly we wouldn’t have picked LVD…..how does anyone really know for sure….after all even though both are LBs, they play different positions.
I guess the only logical reason would be that Dominick couldn’t possibly draft two straight winners!!!
July 22nd, 2015 at 11:11 pm
Stop giving me morning wood TBBF. Any team that had both LK and LVD would be INSTANTLY the best LB corps in the League. No way Schiano and Dominick could have whiffed on that right?
July 22nd, 2015 at 11:11 pm
Speaking for Pablo
“Pablo knows these awful decisions won’t make the top twenty….but Pablo simply can’t stand back and not express his disappointment.
Not bringing Anthony Munoz and Jeff Garcia out of retirement.
Not drafting Cody Fajardo (at least as a backup)
Not trading for Louis Vasquez and Manny Ramirez
And the worst of all….not digging a tunnell for Aaron Hernandez
Pablo would have asked Dominck….”What can brown do for you”…..more than what you got!!!”
July 22nd, 2015 at 11:16 pm
I want to abuse Dominik for this draft pick so badly but I would be remiss not to mention that I was clamoring for Morris Claiborne. Dallas stole him from us and trading Barron ended up working out better. So far, and there’s still some time for Claiborne to prove himself, he looks like a bust. Injuries have defined Mo’s legacy to this point.
July 22nd, 2015 at 11:17 pm
Wow things are heated tonight. Hope it’s as fun when the season starts. (for a good reason)
July 22nd, 2015 at 11:24 pm
Common sense. You don’t tie up that much (eventual) cap space into one unit. Only guy who did that was Matt Millen.
July 22nd, 2015 at 11:33 pm
I Hereby vote TBBF as the Number One JBF poster through July 22nd.
July 23rd, 2015 at 12:13 am
Actually I would like to start a Top Ten list so that some guy named g something buc could maybe rank 11th and be happy. 🙂
July 23rd, 2015 at 1:08 am
I may be late, but I for one was totally againts the trading for Revis. You can look at the previous articles around that time. I hated the move. I dont care if he was one of the best. The guy just tore his ACL or whatever. Our 1st and 4th rounders gone for, the best at his position to do exactly nothing that year. Sure he got his 2 INTs. Garbage, and we paid him 16 mill just to rehab, then we ended up cutting him. How can anyone say it was worth it? Jeez. A whole bunch of fans were happy for nothing. Completely nothing. We lost out on a future good player or two. This team always finds a way to waste picks. Even now…we traded up for Marpet and Kwon and probably didnt have to! We traded for G. Johnson and didnt even need to waste a 5th. All these GMs show their rookie ametuer ways. Go Bucs!
July 23rd, 2015 at 11:10 am
I bet Baron would have done okay at defensive end though.
July 23rd, 2015 at 11:56 am
Joe,
Your rockstar double dipped on defensive linemen in back to back drafts with McCoy and Price then Clayborne and Bowers so if you use his same strategy I’d say he could’ve gotten Kuechly and David in the same draft