Lovie Says Mark Barron Is A Huge Threat
December 15th, 2015
Somewhere, former Bucs rockstar general manager Mark Dominik is smiling.
Ex-GMs love to cheer for their former players. And why not? Those players are sort of living, breathing resumés. Their past picks and signings can make them look awfully good — or bad.
Rams hybrid linebacker Mark Barron is one of those guys for Dominik. He and Greg Schiano made Barron, then a safety out of Alabama, the seventh overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.
Barron was ok under Schiano, underwhelming but developing. Lovie Smith came in and had no use for Barron after getting a long look at him. Jason Licht dealt Barron to the Rams last year at the trade deadline for a fourth-round and sixth-round picks.
Outspoken Bucs icon John Lynch called the trade a “colossal failure” by the Bucs. Lynch had plenty of faith in Barron and didn’t get the decision.
Barron struggled in St. Louis during the second half of last year, but he awakened big time in 2015.
Barron is now the Rams’ leading tackler (even ahead of stud LB James Laurinitis) in his new hybrid linebacker/safety role, and some folks out there think he should be a Pro Bowler. Barron has one less solo tackle than Lavonte David, and one more forced fumble.
Hey, good for Barron. Joe had no problems with the trade, though it’s interesting to watch the Rams figure out how to maximize Barron’s talent.
Ironically, Lovie Smith cited three dangerous Rams on his Buccaneers Radio Network show last night: rookie running back sensation Todd Gurley, sackmaster defensive tackle Aaron Donald (11 sacks), and Barron. Hell, Lovie wasn’t even asked about Barron!
Big-hitting Barron has been covering his share of tight ends this year. Joe sure hopes Austin Seferian-Jenkins’ shoulder is stable.
Man, what a stunner it would be if the Bucs’ first three picks in the 2012 NFL Draft, Barron, Doug Martin and Lavonte David, were made the Pro Bowl this year. What a menace that Dominik was!
December 15th, 2015 at 10:13 am
A player can’t improve/shine if he isn’t in a trusting environment.
it was apparently not the case and he would’nt have perform like that probably in Tampa.
Good for him, good for the Rams, too bad for us.
December 15th, 2015 at 10:16 am
Joe says
“Somewhere, former Bucs rockstar general manager Mark Dominik is smiling.”
the question is , Does he know even why he smiling??? Ignorance is bliss I guess!!!
December 15th, 2015 at 10:22 am
He was only a good drafter once he had Schiano helping him evaluate talent in the draft..let’s not forget the plethora of failed picks from the three seasons with Raheem and Dominick left to their own devices. Good for Barron though, as pointed out he probably wouldn’t have flourished in Lovie’s “too passive”…Barron’s words….system.
December 15th, 2015 at 10:26 am
I hate when they say…”figure out how to maximize Barron’s talent”
1. He wasn’t 7th overall pick good under Schiano
2. He wasn’t a above average safety under Schiano
3. He wasnt’t a good fit for a Tampa 2 safety
4. Was he going to play weakside LB over LVD…… NO
5. Would you have him play strongside LB and come of the field on 3rd downs…. NO
6. Could he play middle LB…. NO
So Licht did the right thing by trading Barron & Goldson and getting something for them!
PS. Lets see if the Rams resign him this offseason!!!!!!
December 15th, 2015 at 10:42 am
Lovie’s Bend and Don’t Brake Defense.
December 15th, 2015 at 10:45 am
Round pegs aren’t meant to go into square holes. Baron with the Rams just proves that the system is just as responsible as the player to being a right-fit or a bust.
Winning teams have two things that make them successful year in and year out: 1) a scouting department that can recognize which college players best fit their team’s scheme, and 2) coaches that can know how to adjust the scheme to the current players on their team’s roster. And those two are the core issues of the Bucs shortcomings.
With the first, Licht and his staff have not had enough time or draft picks to fill the roster with quality players that fit the Bucs’ intended scheme. I do believe he is the right man in charge, it should take him about 2 more drafts to get the team properly rostered.
And the second? That’s the irritating part of being a Bucs fan. I do believe most of us fans would be willing to show patience and support for our favorite team as it matures into a contender if the Bucs had a head coach that showed the ability to adjust his scheme to exploit the assets on hand and compensate for the shortcomings until reinforcements can be brought in. Lovie Smith showed none of the traits of someone who can do that, the defensive debacle of this past Sunday proves it too. There was no mystery to what the Brees-led Payton-coached Saints team would do. The Bucs play him/them twice a year and know what to expect, yet the defense still got schooled as if hadn’t a clue. And the second most saddest part of all? He’s supposedly a defense-minded coach.
Yet, the saddest part of all is if the first is capable and the second isn’t, then the only question that matters is should the Bucs make the HC walk the plank, bring in a new HC who will most likely will believe in a different scheme, and then start the whole re-building process all over again?
I’ve just had way too many decades following these Bucs and asking that same sickening question every holiday season, over and over again……
December 15th, 2015 at 10:47 am
Barron was a good player here, Buc Realist now you are a sheep. His numbers were good, just not dominating but now they are, seriously this league is all about stopping teams like the Packers or Patriots and being able to play the pass, Barron would have been the perfect fit here with David on every down as a LB/DS. Shame on the organization for giving him away. Shame on Buc Realist who continues to bash Dominik due to ignorance and being lazy/taking the easy way out. whatever
December 15th, 2015 at 10:49 am
The sad thing is that Lovie has now adjusted his system and that Baron would be a great fit in Lovie’s new system that he was running more until the Breesaw last week, Baron decapitates people and runs around like a mad man and is something the bucs could have definitely used this year on defense, which to me appears to always have the theme, “we will get em next time”
December 15th, 2015 at 11:14 am
I might not always agree with the Realist, but, I do about Dominik.
If Dominik were even an average GM, then why can he only get work talking in front of a camera? 31 other teams and no one has hired him. Even Schiano now has a job.
Saying Dominik is a good GM, is like saying Freeman should have been signed to a team friendly contract. (ZING!)
December 15th, 2015 at 11:23 am
Realist, no matter what you say, Dominick is a football mastermind compared to someone like me or you. And he was a part of the Buccaneers family for many many years.
I think you should show some respect to a man who is your intellectual superior and was a quality member of our organization for so long. Otherwise, you just look like a whiney baby.
December 15th, 2015 at 11:24 am
Great run stuffer but terrible in coverage just keep throwing at him anytime they put him in pass coverage.
December 15th, 2015 at 11:31 am
We can talk positives. What is Dominik good at? Contracts. Capology.
I think he could fit in a front office specializing in what he excels at doing. But, until he gets hired again as a GM, it’s a waste to talk about. His record as GM speaks louder than I ever can.
December 15th, 2015 at 11:34 am
I think the main reason baron was traded was because he and Lovie/coaching staff, didn’t see eye to eye. Perhaps differences in philosophies. The parting Jab he took at the bucs kinda enforces my theory. Talent wise he was a solid strong safety, with no reason to give up on him.
December 15th, 2015 at 11:54 am
We didn’t draft him for some hybrid role he was drafted to play Safety and he wasn’t that good in that role. Was a bad pick
If you are drafting square peg players for a round hole system the problem lies with the pick moreso than the coach. You might as well say there is no schematic plan at all and just draft ppl and ask them where they want to play lol and just hope it all randomly comes together
December 15th, 2015 at 12:01 pm
Dominik gets more love from the Joes than he deserves. Dude was down right horrible at drafting
December 15th, 2015 at 12:11 pm
Did we get Kwon Alexander for that 4th round pick from St. Louis?
December 15th, 2015 at 12:18 pm
Thursday night prediction. I called last week’s loss to the Saints. I like the Rams at home in a big way. 27-10 will be the final. The bucs match up very poorly with this team. Their defense will completly outclass this o-line and rookie QB.
December 15th, 2015 at 2:17 pm
Barron was a complete failure for the Bucs. I don’t care that he’s the leading tackler on the Rams, the man was drafted to fill a huge void at the safety position and he couldn’t even cover a traffic cone.
Yes, Dominik made up for his blunder by trading up for both Doug Martin and Lavonte David, but the Barron pick always seemed like a bit of a reach. I remember wanting Stephon Gilmore instead, and he’s turned out to be a much better player.
December 15th, 2015 at 3:28 pm
I think the whole “he’s not a good fit” excuse is Lovie’s way of making sure he has the fastest, most agile guys on his team as possible. Who cares that they can’t play football and are drastically undersized, Lovie thinks he can coach them right up! Then comes the “it takes a while to learn the system” excuse he uses to defend his awful personnel moves. Then he puts in a new guy who ran a 4.35 and repeats the cycle, never actually having good players playing well on the field.
December 15th, 2015 at 3:32 pm
@ Jeff
I will gladly tell you that your statement is dumb. The Rams do not outclass anyone, ever. If 27-10 is the final score, it means Jameis and Doug had a good day. The Bucs have a great QB and a good O-line. Where have u been for the past 10 weeks or so?
December 15th, 2015 at 3:39 pm
No Dominik wasn’t smiling, Joe was. Because Joe has an irrational belief that Dominik and his abysmal record and embarrassing reign of 5 years was anything other than a failure. Old habits die hard Joe. I bet you would wet yourself if 2nd Rd failure Da’Quan Bowers actually did something this time. Or Adrian Clayborn proved he was half as good as Cameron Jordan. Or Arrelious Benn was 1/10th as productive as Golden Tate. Or Josh Freeman could get over his “issues” and make an NFL roster. I’m sure you would be in ecstasy.
Unfortunately you are down to a few players in a 5 year reign of terror to root for. Good luck.
December 15th, 2015 at 9:16 pm
If the Bucs can keep Donald off of Winston that’ll help. I think it will be a close game, TD or less for the winner.
December 15th, 2015 at 10:00 pm
So what that Mark Dominik drafted Mark Barron and he is doing well in St Louis. Mark Barron is not in the same breath as LB Luke Kuechly, DT Fletcher Cox or DE Chandler Jones, all of whom were drafted after Barron. In every draft Dominik was GM, there is a list of elite players the Buccaneers should have, would have, could have drafted. This reason in combination with all the talented players released by the Bucs who now start for other teams is the reason there is such a deficiency in talent on the current team. Heck, you could take 22 active ex-Buccaneers right now and bring them all back and that team has far more talent than the current team. Its a Bucs life, it ain’t easy.
December 15th, 2015 at 10:01 pm
I’m not one of the usual Evans bashers, but I really wish we had drafted Aaron Donald instead. He was still available, if I remember correctly. I think having him alongside GMC would fix most of our defensive woes.