Koetter Wanted Mariota?
August 7th, 2015
theMMQB.com reports offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter’s inner circle suggests he wanted to draft Marcus Mariota
Nothing like potentially coming across a bombshell just after midnight when surfing for Bucs news. And Joe is pretty certain it’s inaccurate.
Good guy Andy Benoit, a yeoman of NFL research for theMMQB.com, offered a piece of information that is likely to rile up a lot of folks.
Benoit rolled out a hand grenade claiming Bucs offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter wanted current Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota, and not “America’s Quarterback,” Bucs signal-caller Jameis Winston.
Benoit also infers that Koetter was overruled not only by Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht, but by no less than Team Glazer.
Most likely, Koetter would not have accepted the Bucs job if he wasn’t certain that Lovie Smith, another defensive-minded coach, would allow him the freedom he’s grown accustom to.
This isn’t to say Koetter wields one of the biggest sticks in Tampa. Smith and GM Jason Licht have control over the roster —including offensive personnel— and a few of the Glazer children who took over the family’s franchise in the wake of Malcolm Glazer’s passing in 2014 purportedly make their voices heard as well. Some who know Koetter well speculate that the 56-year-old wanted to draft Marcus Mariota first overall.
This is the first time Joe has heard this claim. And from what Joe knows, Benoit is on the scent but ran into the water.
The Bucs made a second trip to Oregon last spring to work out Mariota. This trip was well publicized and Buccaneers.com even shared photos. The trip was made, in part, because Koetter was intrigued with Mariota, a mix of due diligence and Koetter’s close relationship with Oregon coach Mark Helfrich.
But Mariota never won over Koetter. And Joe can say as a witness, when he went to Tallahassee for the Florida State pro day, there was only one person there smiling more than Licht at Jameis’ exploits, and it was Koetter.
Remember, Koetter returned from that pro day, raving about Jameis’ football IQ.
Joe also will remember that day for Licht literally being unable to wipe the smile off his face, despite nearly breaking his face trying. Sort of the way Joe was smiling on his last night in Vegas a week and a half ago.
August 7th, 2015 at 7:09 am
Can’t wait for the Winston-Mariota matchup in week one. Bo Gucs!
August 7th, 2015 at 7:15 am
Get prepared for the postbombing to come from the lynchJameis mob!lol
August 7th, 2015 at 7:16 am
Its possible, Koetter does not have a lot of “say” around 1 Buc. Did he even get to pick or bring even 1 assistant on his offensive staff??? And its not to say they he did not want someone else as well, or grow to love the pick that they did make.
But at this point it does not matter, the roster will be on the field and Koetter will have to work with them and with the leash that Lovie has always had on the offense!!!
August 7th, 2015 at 7:31 am
Sources close to Coach Koetter tells me that the “Gun Slinging Ginger” will be starting by week 4. I will never reveal my sources!
August 7th, 2015 at 7:48 am
That’s Funny! Although it could be a reality if he starts out with 2 TD/10 Int ratio with an 0-3 start. Here is hoping it is just a joke!!!
August 7th, 2015 at 7:52 am
It’s click bait for MMQB if nothing else.
August 7th, 2015 at 8:23 am
Joe I’m puzzled since you usually set me straight on things that are Total BS. Why justify this with an article and risk fanning the flames? There are rabid MM advocates out there already whining we took the wrong guy based on his lack of ints in camp. As if camp ints count.
August 7th, 2015 at 8:27 am
Not surprising at all.
Now he’ll dance with the one the Bucs brung him.
August 7th, 2015 at 8:35 am
“Some who know Koetter well speculate that the 56-year-old wanted to draft Marcus Mariota first overall” isn’t really bombshell material. Water under the bridge anyway. Even if Koetter said yeah, I wanted Marcus– which I doubt– well, at this point, put on your big-boy panties, be a professional, and move on.
August 7th, 2015 at 8:38 am
Key word: SPECULATE
Could have used guess, theorize, surmise, wonder, muse…..
Means the people close to him don’t actually know.
August 7th, 2015 at 8:42 am
I was always on the Winston bandwagon, but all doubt was removed when mariota was on Gruden’s TV show and was asked if he cared about being the #1 pick and he said he didn’t care. I want my quarterback to care. I got the impressions he was soft.
August 7th, 2015 at 9:00 am
LWD what’s good wit you bro. But man I fear sometimes you go straight over they’re heads.
August 7th, 2015 at 9:05 am
Knowing we had the first overall pick, I highly doubt that Dirk came here to this 2-14 team without being on the same page, at least philosophically, with Light and Lovie on who they wanted with the first overall pick, knowing it would be a QB. If not for the friendship with the Oregon coach, I doubt the second trip out there even happens. Either way, Jameis is perfect for what Koetter has run historically, with the Jags and Falcons. Had we hired an OC with more of a read option history in the pros, then Marcus would have likely been the choice. I felt the day we hired Koetter that it was apparent we were gonna draft the one we did. Another non-story by Benoit during the dog days of summer. Go Bucs!!
August 7th, 2015 at 9:06 am
Hoagy:
Joe didnt justify the rumor, he debunked it.
August 7th, 2015 at 9:18 am
What up NoleBucc?!
This is a great time of year. Joe’s camp observations are probably my favorite feature on the site!
Dr. Feelgood makes great points. Go and look at every QB that Koetter has had. Go back to BC. Go look at ASU. Even his QBs at Oregon. He works with drop back passers. Bart Hendricks might be the one that least fits the mold…..
August 7th, 2015 at 9:44 am
There you go once again so called realist always turning something about someone else into something about Lovie. If you read you will see that the two who hold the purse strings how have something to do with personnel decisions as well. You despise Lovie Smith the man, the coach so much you refuse to read everything the article said. Besides Lovie has shown he will leave offense alone. Just look at last season with Arroyo. Any head coach would have taken over calling the offense after the 4th game but Lovie didn’t because it was a race for Jameis. That’s why he put McTurnover back in when Glennon showed he might be able to win a few games. Koetter proved with Atlanta last year he is a good OC who probably could have gone to a better team with things already in place. So how can you think he would choose a team if Lovie was such a bad, inept and incompetent coach as you and your ‘AnimosityAmigos’ try to paint him as??? If he wasn’t on board with Jameis why would he even come here ??? Your hate affair with Lovie Smith is beyond comprehension especially with the fact he has brought some good personnel here. Loke I will always say about you and your kind it doesn’t matter if we have the best offense, a good defense AND win the super bowl, you will never EVER EVER EVER give Lovie Smith his due respect because your problem with him goes beyond football it is just too too evident in all of your posts. No matter how positive a story is about the BUCS you always spew your haterism to demonize Lovie Smith. There are 20+ teams out there with coaches who don’t look like Lovie so why don’t you go be a fan of theirs?
August 7th, 2015 at 10:07 am
I missed it, that is The Buc Realist being anti Lovie.
August 7th, 2015 at 10:25 am
I call BS.
Its well known that the Bucs knew they wanted Winston since the season ended. I’m willing to bet that any OC they interviewed, they started off by saying, “Hey, we’re going to be drafting Jameis. Do you have a problem with that?”
August 7th, 2015 at 10:28 am
Yeah.. Because that week 1 matchup will mean so much and will be the deciding factor on whether one or the other is a bust. Only thing that week 1 game will determine is which team is 1-0 and 0-1 possibly even 0-0-1. That’s it…..
August 7th, 2015 at 10:44 am
I posted this yesterday in the comments section and got laughed at. SuperSam isn’t so crazy after all.
August 7th, 2015 at 11:17 am
If this is true then Koeter is even more Incompetent than Lovie. But I doubt its the case. Anyone with a brain and a clue could see that Jameis is far and away the better QB.
August 7th, 2015 at 11:18 am
This nugget is weeks old and besides that if you read the article fully, he attributes it to no source except the reporters own speculation.
Davidbigbucfan, couldn’t agree with you more about BucRealist. There are about a dozen like him and DallasBuc lurking out here. Some are just trolls from other teams but peple like BucRealist seem to brim with a more re pungent type of hate for all things Lovie.
He claims we are Lovie lovers but I just believe in giving a man a fair chance to do his job. E specially considering how little talent he had when he arrived here.
When and if Lovie needs to be fired, I will be the first person to open the door for him on his way out.
August 7th, 2015 at 11:18 am
OK I don’t frequent here as much as I used to, but what’s with this “anonymity amigos” reference by two (possibly one using different names?) posters anytime someone mentions Lovie Smith in a less than perfect light? I already know the definitions of both words, but I’m trying to see how the two words together somehow relate to posters who post under their same screen names and just call it like me they see it? Personally I can say with all certainty that if I met Lovie in person I would have no issue with shaking Lovie the person’s hand for seeming like a good dude, but at the same time telling Lovie the coach he did a horrible job last season and really needs to step up his game and produce a winning record this year or his seat should be hot. I doubt he’d disagree with me. Don’t read too much into why people are critiquing Lovie…2-14 will tend to put doubt in people’s minds (unless you want to spin it as a season long tank job to get Winston…which outside the last game I’m still not buying)
August 7th, 2015 at 12:06 pm
Im so excited I just tinkled on myself!!!
August 7th, 2015 at 12:06 pm
@Toes
2-14 sucks! I don’t think anybody is referring to any criticism of last year’s season. And there was plenty of blame to go around, starting at the top with Lovie. So ripping Lovie for his performance last year is warranted.
However taking Lovie’s record before that, his visit to the Super Bowl, and trying to act as if it doesn’t exist, or that the Bears won all those games IN SPITE of Lovie as has been suggested, that Lovie was simply lucky, is simply not fair.
It’s called SCOREBOARD. Nobody can take away SCOREBOARD!!! He won 11 games two different seasons, he won 13 games one year. Those are FACTS!
IMHO the verdict is still out on three coaches for me. I’m going to be watching these three men because I believe all three to be very good coaches, I’m waiting to see how they do the next 2-3 years before I completely judge their record. That would be Lovie…Jeff Fisher and Andy Reid. Marvin Lewis is on the cut for me. He hasn’t done enough yet, but he still has some time like the first three.
August 7th, 2015 at 1:56 pm
“speculated”…lol…this is poor reporting on the “yeoman’s” part
August 7th, 2015 at 3:07 pm
This is interesting because I remember when the Bucs went with Koetter one of the reasons given at that time was that he wanted Winston and Trestman preferred Mariota…..
August 7th, 2015 at 3:31 pm
@buctrooper
You say mariota is soft, bet he could kick your head in
August 7th, 2015 at 3:52 pm
Koetter is by far the only smart offensive mind in the building & Mariota is by far the superior QB, so do the math.
I can’t wait for this year’s INT fest tbh cause at least Jameis will get everyone fired.
August 7th, 2015 at 7:34 pm
Dirk Koetter wasn’t Jason Licht 1st choice for OC, he wanted Mike Mularkley. Mike Mularkley was fired as 1 season with the Jaquars after the 2012 season. Lovie Smith also was fired after the 2012 season, anbd they both was out of football in 2013. Lovie hire Jeff Tedford as his OC in 2014, Ken Whisenhunt hire Mike Mularkley as his TE coach in 2014. Lovie greatest mistake in his career, was hiring Jeff Tedford. He should have hired Mike Mularkley as soon as he got the Bucs job.Lovie was hire Jan-2-2014 and he hired Tedford a few days later on Jan-4-2014. But Whisenhunt didn’t hire Mularkley until Jan-22-2014, I really don’t understand why Lovie didn’t go after Mularkley. I know he had his mind set on Tedford, but Tedford had never been an NFL coach. On the other hand, Mularkley has been in the NFL for 30 years, 9 seasons as a TE for the Vikings and Steelers. The Bucs gave him his 1st coaching job as their TE coach in 1994, he has been an TE Coach, OC, Head Coach for 21 years in the NFL,and he have been successful. Lovie could have been intimidated by Mularkley knowledge of the game, or he could have (just been sold on Tedford) the Glazers should have made Mularkley the highest paid OC in NFL history.
August 9th, 2015 at 9:45 pm
I was one of the biggest Mariota fans this off-season – and even though I made the connection between Koetter and Oregon football – I knew Kid Fameis was a better fit in a Koetter offense (alá; Matty Ice). The only time I questioned it was when we were told Koetter’s hiring didn’t necessarily mean he would run the same offense in Tampa Bay…I think IF he can, he will.
Landing Koetter was a big deal, no one could have told him “No, you’re not getting Super Mariota…”! No way. Now, it may have been that Koetter was initially leaning Mariota – but that trip on the Glazer jet to work out Winston & then Mariota clearly showed that Koetter was pleased with what he saw. The Mariota trip looked anti-climactic. I don’t believe anyone overruled Koetter – I think they asked him to keep an open mind, and he saw what they wanted him to see. This guy better fits his offense. Too bad they screwed around on the O-Line last season…because I just don’t understand how they’re going to protect him in the regular season with this patchwork, thin, o-line,
Regardless, Winston is a better fit – Mariota could have no doubt excelled – but Winston will eventually be a Matty Ice type player, in an offense that got Matty a really phat contract.
Just wish I was excited about it.