Learning Curve Huge For Marpet
August 3rd, 2015
Bucs second round pick, guard Ali Marpet, talks to Joe about his NFL learning curve.
Maybe it was a good thing there was a flooding emergency of sorts in Tampa and the Bucs closed what was an open practice this afternoon, in part, to keep people safe and off the local rivers streets.
For if Bucs fans were at One Buc Palace today, they may have tried to drown themselves watching “America’s Quarterback,” Jameis Winston, virtually run for his life so much due to the sieve of an offensive line during the first day of practice in pads.
Had the Bucs allowed Jameis to be hit, he very well may have needed a bodycast. It was ugly, alarming, frustrating, sad. Joe isn’t going to out the culprits, but it was the usual and expected suspects not named Logan Mankins, Demar Dotson, Donovan Smith and Ali Marpet.
However, that did not mean Marpet was without struggles. He did, but he made good plays, as well, once invoking high and loud praise from an assistant coach.
Joe spoke to Marpet after practice. The pride of Division-III Hobart College confessed he’s getting used to NFL spreed and tempo, a combination of speed and size he never saw before.
“Obviously, there is a huge difference in overall strength and speed,” Marpet said. “Obviously, the game is totally different. This playbook is another level from college. Yeah, it is a big transition. Ideally, I would like to be starting the first game. But if I am not ready for that, if the coaches don’t think I am ready for that, then it’s their call.”
The Bucs have made no secret Marpet will endure a learning curve. In a perfect world, Marpet would be starting against the Titans to open the season. But the Bucs know that may be unrealistic. If it takes Marpet towards the end of the season to prove he can start, then that’s fine, so say the Bucs.
Marpet admitted it isn’t so much the brute strength of the NFL, but the athleticism, which is unseen on the Division-III level.
“The quickness,” Marpet said. “A guy like Gerald McCoy coming off the ball like that? He’s a quick dude and for how big he is, that’s impressive. You just have to go against [the best]. That’s how you get better.”
Marpet is used to practicing against a scout team in college, he said, and now he must tangle with the likes of GMC. Think about it: There may be no bigger jump in the game of football.
Mostly, in the top conferences in America, walk-ons are basically guys who are good football players, but not quite good enough to secure a scholarship at a Power-five conference. A scout team player for Division-III? That’s likely a guy who couldn’t start in high school, some guy 5-10, 220 pounds and prone to pounding more beers than weights. Now Marpet is going up against a guy like GMC every day, an elite NFL player. That’s a serious upgrade. Clearly, it would take a learning curve for anyone with a similar background.
“There is a lot of room to get better,” Marpet said.
Lovie Smith seems to think Marpet is coming along fine, so he said in his post-practice press conference today.
“I know I saw [Marpet’s] first rep going against a pretty good football palyer in Henry Melton,” Lovie said. “He more than held his own. I think that is what Ali will see, ‘I can do this and I am quick enough to handle what is on the other side.'”
The sooner Marpet can pull himself up to become an NFL starter, the quicker Jameis can save on his health insurance deductible. And the fewer shots of Jim Beam Bucs fans will have to choke down in the interim.
August 3rd, 2015 at 6:49 pm
It’s not just the first couple of weeks, it’s the first day in pads. I suspect Marpet will be Mankins shadow during camp trying to suck up every trick of the trade he can.
And so we know that Hobart is not a football power. How are they academically?
Do they have a smart student body like Eckerd College. I audited a writing course at Eckerd once and I gotta say they have a bright student body. Maybe Marpet is a truly smart dude who will learn from Mankins and pick this up sooner rather than later.
August 3rd, 2015 at 7:03 pm
He is, and yes, Marpet is a really smart dude.
August 3rd, 2015 at 7:06 pm
Joe, you need a better picture of Marpet! Lol
August 3rd, 2015 at 7:21 pm
I’ve made this comparison a few times, but going from Hobart to the NFL is like taking a city bus driver and putting them in an F1 racer…it’s going to take time
Still loving that moose-knuckling picture though
August 3rd, 2015 at 7:40 pm
I agree, is that the only pic you have of Marpet? He admitted he probably won’t be ready come season’s start. I never saw the question answered about has Winston lost any weight. Limit the picks and potential intentional grounding calls. Will Lovie continue to defer winning coin tosses to give the other team the ball first?
August 3rd, 2015 at 8:24 pm
37, I agree. Let’s give our offense the ball before were down 7-0 for a change! lol
August 3rd, 2015 at 8:32 pm
BuccaneEric75…Nope I always believe in kicking off to the other team first for 2 reasons.
Reason 1 is you get to access the damage that was done at halftime and correct it by having the ball to start the second half. If you have the lead at the half well then that makes it even better to have the ball first in the second half.
Reason 2…I read a stat somewhere that said teams that receive the ball first in the NFL don’t score on their opening drive like 62% of the time. Somewhere along those lines. So the odds are not in your favor to receive the ball and score.
August 3rd, 2015 at 9:18 pm
Cant think of a better way to season o-lineman than putting them up against GMC and the rest of our Defensive front. (well most of our defensive front). Love the play-by-plays from Joe!
August 3rd, 2015 at 9:33 pm
Joe, did you see anything from Jamaal Young or Ryan Delaire? Wondering if those guys are showing any promise?
August 3rd, 2015 at 9:56 pm
Winning the coin toss to open the game and then giving it to the other side seems illogical to me. I believe the Bucs won the majority of coin tosses last year and let the opponent have the ball to start the game on most if not all of those opportunities. Common sense, you take the ball first if you won it. Buc1987, those reasons you give to defer receiving the opening kick don’t make sense to me. Taking the chance to score the first score seems too good to pass up. This would be a morale boost and there is always the chance the defense will stop the opponent’s drive to start the second half, a good chance with rest and halftime adjustments. An improved offense with Jameis and receivers being touted should add to not giving the first shot away. Last year’s pattern goes right along with the tank job accusation.
August 3rd, 2015 at 10:09 pm
Love Marpet’s honesty. He showed good strength today, but he will have to work on stopping the quick athleticism. That will take some adjustment but he is an excellent athlete too and smart and he will get there this year. I just wish he was using his learning time at Center. In the one on ones EDS showed his skills as a Guard and he needs to be learning the RG position and he could be a starter there. Dotson proved he is in excellent shape just as Mankins is. It is foolish to not leave Dotson at LT next to Mankins to really protect Winston’s blind side to keep him from getting hurt. If they think Smith will be a good Tackle let him prove it first at RT. If he can’t let him compete for RG with EDS, as long as Pamphile can do a decent job at RT. Licht needs to bring in experienced OL that are cut and let them compete with Edwards and Gilkey for the backup positions.
August 3rd, 2015 at 10:13 pm
Buccfan37…
by Erik Matuszewski
January 23, 2014 — 10:48 AM EST
’Tis Better to Kick Than Receive in NFL Coin-Toss Shift
“A more defensive-minded coach typically will defer,” Billick said in a telephone interview from his home in Baltimore. “There’s also something to be said for having the ball to start the second half where you can react to how the game has unfolded. But weather is an element as well because it might affect the direction I’m going in the fourth quarter. You get to choose to go with or against the wind at the end of the game.”
“I do think we’ll get there in some point in time because more and more young coaches are getting in the league and see the opportunity to end up with the ball two times in a row,” Pereira said. “It doesn’t guarantee you, certainly, but the chance to have the ball in your hands and score at the end of the first half and then get the ball at the start of the second half is very attractive.”
Then you got that stat that I can’t find anywhere, but I’m hunting for it. Teams that receive the ball first score only 38% of the time on their opening drive. Not good odds if you ask me…
August 3rd, 2015 at 10:18 pm
Owlykat Says:
“Licht needs to bring in experienced OL that are cut and let them compete with Edwards and Gilkey for the backup positions.”
Yes sir, you hit the nail on the head right there.
August 3rd, 2015 at 11:04 pm
Is there really a difference between gilkey whiffing on a block and marpet? Just put marpet in there and let him learn. Marpet can only get better, gilkey aint raising his ceiling anytime soon.
August 3rd, 2015 at 11:07 pm
Most illingest be-boy, I got that feeling
‘Cause I am most ill and I’m rhymin’ and stealin’
Ali Baba and the forty thieves
Ali Baba and the forty thieves
Ali Baba and the forty thieves
–The Beastie Boys
August 3rd, 2015 at 11:29 pm
I would be more alarmed if our Oline was man handling our dline.
August 3rd, 2015 at 11:59 pm
i rather kick the ball off first and have our D give them a 3 and out. Then turn around and scoring 1st. Then getting ball 1st in 2nd half. I dont know if Im a big Gilkey fan. He also was a 7th round pick. K. Edwards was a 5th lastyear and A. Marpet a 2nd this year. Seems like that would be a better battle. Either way thats where Im hoping it will be headed. Then one day Marpet and Edwards could be both starting guards. Pamphile and D. Smith starting Tackles, and we could end up drafting a Center in next 2 years.
August 4th, 2015 at 12:18 am
Danati74 Says:
August 3rd, 2015 at 11:59 pm
“I rather kick the ball off first and have our D give them a 3 and out. Then turn around and scoring 1st. Then getting ball 1st in 2nd half. ”
Now ya see Danati gets it!
August 4th, 2015 at 12:23 am
Just watched EDS interview on bucs site and it finally happened! At the very end of the interview he said Jameis! Respect!
August 4th, 2015 at 8:23 am
Win the toss and kick the ball away Lovie stubborn style. Sure an arguement can be made either way if you want to twist common sense. Nearly every team takes the ball first if won. Not taking it first makes no sense to me, I don’t care how anyone spins it.
August 4th, 2015 at 11:57 am
You increase your probability for scoring by having more opportunities (i.e., taking the ball first). The longer you leave the defense on the field, the more tired the players become, so taking the ball first puts them on the field one less time. Look at it like it was overtime: would you give anway the opportunity to score first then?
August 4th, 2015 at 3:10 pm
Ed Says – Just put Marpet in there and let him learn. Marpet can only get better, Gilkey aint raising his ceiling anytime soon. Can not agree more. Lovie even said about Marpet blocking Henry Melton. “He more than held his own”. The best way to get better is playing and starting with the first team, going against McCoy and Melton. Get NFL expereance by playing in games and not sitting on the bench. Edwards and Gilkey are not the answer.