Help Is Coming
January 26th, 2016
Could Bills DE Mario Williams be a pointed target?
The Bucs seem to have the offense needed to generate points. They finally have their Pro Bowl quarterback, America’s Quarterback, Jameis Winston. They have the running backs and receivers (when healthy).
But, oh, that defense (shudders).
Joe is of the mind the defense will improve as is under defensive coordinator Mike Smith. How could it not? Still, it has a long ways to go to be a playoff defense.
That was one subject the Custodian of Canton, eye-RAH! Kaufman of the Tampa Tribune, discussed in a recent podcast with TBO.com’s Olivia Stacey. In short, Kaufman believes the cavalry is coming.
“I think Mike Smith is flexible enough,” Kaufman said. “He is not wedded to the Cover-2, which drives Bucs fans crazy. And, I think the biggest thing of all, the Bucs realize, Olivia, that defense has been overlooked, basically, from the draft outside of Kwon Alexander who is a heck of a pick.
“They have to do better in free agency, Jason Licht knows that. They get a D right now in the free agency report card the past two years. Jason Licht knows that, too, and ownership is watching.
“So, Smith is going to get the pieces he wants and I don’t think Bucs fans have to look too hard to realize more pressure and better defensive backs are on the agenda and on their way.”
Of course, the way Von Miller got an offensive line coach fired Sunday has Bucs fans on their feet for the Broncos’ stud outside linebacker. Problem is, he’s a 34 outside linebacker. Might be a bad fit.
However, a guy who has demonstrated he is a stud of a pass rusher while playing in a 43 defense is Mario Williams. As an outside linebacker in Capt. Lou Albano’s Buffalo 34 scheme, Williams is a waste of money with an insane contract.
Joe would be shocked if Williams, who struggled terribly as a linebacker, is not cut. If Williams isn’t on the Bucs’ radar, someone needs to fix the radar.
January 26th, 2016 at 7:08 am
Joe, didn’t you state in an article about defensive ends, a day or two ago, not to talk to you about 3-4 defensive ends being bad because we just need pass rushing help? Of was that the other Joe?
January 26th, 2016 at 7:12 am
I am not sold on Super Mario. I understand he is not a 3-4 LB, but why would he come to Tampa? Also, he did check out on his team this year. I think Wilkerson could be a better fit if he checks out to be healthy.
January 26th, 2016 at 7:29 am
Ogbah and Williams, please.
January 26th, 2016 at 7:30 am
The pro personnel department for this team has stunk out loud……they are responsible for scouting the rest of the league….
January 26th, 2016 at 7:33 am
I don’t think our defense is as bad as it looks…as I have said many times we had at least 2 corner backs that had been to pro bowls and I don’t think those play became bad all over sudden I think it may have been coaching and maybe a little bit sheme… yes maybe pick up 1 good pass rusher and with the new defensive staff should get this team over the hump this D staff seem to be a staff that will push and get the best out of its players….however, until I see the product on the field I’ll take a wait and see approach
January 26th, 2016 at 7:46 am
@Joe
Could you plz pose the question: Now with Mike Smith on board, will the blue-print for the kind of defensive players we go after, namely blazing fast, change at all?
January 26th, 2016 at 7:51 am
As Joe pointed out in this post (second-last paragraph), Williams, as a 43 defense end, was a terror on quarterbacks. Capt. Lou Albano forced Williams into a 34 linebacker and he stunk, which is why he likely will be cut.
January 26th, 2016 at 7:57 am
Von Miller played well in John Fox’s 4-3. I think he’s a baller who will get to the QB no matter what scheme you put him in.
January 26th, 2016 at 8:08 am
The other article said something like don’t tell me Demarcus Ware won’t fit on Bucs because he was a 3-4 backer, players can play, now Von Miller won’t fit because he is a 3-4 backer even though he has played in a 4-3 every year till now
January 26th, 2016 at 8:12 am
Mario Williams will probably follow Jim Schwartz to Philadelphia. He has proven success in that system.
January 26th, 2016 at 8:13 am
Regardless, won’t be too many elite players on market due to cap going up, Mario Williams may be one of few, but don’t be surprised if Bucs grab some players not considered scheme fits, just like when Jason Licht talked about Kalil Mack, He said you find a place for players like that
January 26th, 2016 at 8:39 am
Super Mario is super lazy and is getting old.
January 26th, 2016 at 8:41 am
Everyone talks about what a bad fit Williams is as a 3-4 OLB in Rex’s scheme. But if I remember correctly, he played pretty well as a 3-4 OLB when Wade Phillips became Houston’s DC (until he got hurt….pretty sure that was the year he tore his pec.) There was all kinds of speculation as to how he would perform, and Phillips said no matter where he lined up, he wouldn’t have many coverage responsibilities.
Makes me wonder if it’s subtle differences in how he was used in each scheme, or if there was something else going on in Buffalo. Maybe something that should make us pump the brakes on our desire to get him to Tampa (myself included). Just something to consider.
January 26th, 2016 at 8:48 am
Mario Williams turns 31 this month.
Mario Williams only had 5 sacks this year. Obviously he is in his declining years. He MIGHT have one good year left.
Mario Williams are even down this year.
Mario Williams got his contract and got lazy. That’s not the kind of player we need.
Hype like this is exactly why free agency has gone badly. The Bucs buy into the hype and spend the money, and the player blows it.
DRAFT DE. DRAFT Secondary. Use the draft to focus on defense..
Use free agency to address WR and depth on offense for a change.
January 26th, 2016 at 8:52 am
Also…we may not need cornerbacks at all. Mike Smith might be able to get good performances out of Banks and Verner. If he thinks he can, the Bucs may not even go after CB.
If that happens, expect two DEs and a mixture of def/offense in the rest of the draft.
January 26th, 2016 at 8:53 am
On the 2nd contract $$$$ talks….
Licht fix your free agency reputation with Mario. Lets go to the playoffs. Mario will bring to our defense what Martin brings to our offense.
BTW Licht get Martin’s contract finalized!!
January 26th, 2016 at 9:11 am
his team mates say he checked out mentally. who wants a guy like that plus he would definitley not get as much here as he was getting
January 26th, 2016 at 9:17 am
No one is saying do not draft a young DE in Rd 1-2 but to say they should not go after Mario is nuts!
Why?
Too old? Like Ware and Allen were?
Mario is better than any DE on the roster and has a chip on his shoulder now. He has a few more good years left, GET HIM!
As for Von, Broncos aren’t letting him go. No way.
January 26th, 2016 at 9:18 am
On what crazy basis does eye-RAH! give the Bucs a grade as high as a “D”?! Who did they sign to give them a grade higher than an F? lol. And if you take into account the players who were let go, one way or another, and are doing well on other teams… oh, yea, maybe that is why Lovie is no longer around…
We can’t do worse in FA. The Glazers could put Joe in charge of FA and do better than what we have seen the past few years.
January 26th, 2016 at 9:24 am
I was referring to Miller, Joe.
“Of course, the way Von Miller got an offensive line coach fired Sunday has Bucs fans on their feet for the Broncos’ stud outside linebacker. Problem is, he’s a 34 outside linebacker. Might be a bad fit.”
January 26th, 2016 at 9:26 am
On what crazy basis does eye-RAH! give the Bucs a grade as high as a “D”?! Who did they sign to give them a grade higher than an F?
Joe Hawley and Godser Cherilus.
January 26th, 2016 at 9:26 am
Joe Hawley and Godser Cherilus.
January 26th, 2016 at 9:37 am
Olivier Vernon, 25 years old, can grow with the team
January 26th, 2016 at 9:48 am
if a vernon or wilkerson is out there, we should prioritize that younger player, but i just don’t buy that they will hit the market. unlike some other Free Agent d-linemen that have busted in recent year, Mario Williams has played under mega-contracts basically his whole life and been a fairly reliable producer. hasn’t given teams cause to wonder if the money will hurt his motivation
January 26th, 2016 at 9:50 am
i would throw McCoy\Suh money at Von Miller and not look back if the Broncos somehow let him escape to free agency. that’s exactly why the broncos will franchise him before they let him sniff the open market
January 26th, 2016 at 10:01 am
John Elway would be crucified in public if he ever let Von Miller make it to free agency, so everyone should get that thought out of their heads right now.
there seems to be some pass rushing depth in this draft. maybe not guys with tons of production, but i think guys like Shilique Calhoun, Shawn Oakman, etc have tons of potential and could be found in rounds 2-3 or even later.
i don’t think our CBs are as awul as everyone thinks. obviously you can never have enough good CBs, as everyone says, but i think they can be productive with a coach who will actually adapt the scheme to their strengths.
i think safety is a position that REALLY needs to be prioritized. Conte and Tandy can be nice depth players, but shouldn’t be starting. i would absolutely love to see the Bucs make a very hard run at either Eric Berry or Eric Weddle. i prefer Berry because he’s younger, but i’d be thrilled with either. both guys would bring versatility, leadership, and playmaking ability to the defense. the back end desperately needs to be shored up.
if Jalen Ramsey is somehow available at #9, they need to jump on that. a safety tandem of Ramsey and either Berry or Weddle would do wonders for bringing some juice to the defense. not to mention flexibility, as all 3 of them are very good in run support, and can match up on TEs or in the slot in man coverage.
January 26th, 2016 at 10:03 am
“Vernon?”
You mean that mental patient of a tight end? Bucs already have a tight end they can’t rely on.
January 26th, 2016 at 10:26 am
Jalen Ramsey is going to be the next great Safety in the NFL because of his coverage skills. The NFL wants to play flag-football now, so teams need to adapt on defense. Players like Lynch and Dashon are on the endangered species list. Teams should be looking for guys with ball skills like Ed Reed had, and Jalen Ramsey is that kind of player.
January 26th, 2016 at 11:53 am
I live in Buffalo and have watched the Bills quite often. Mario Williams did not get lazy when he signed his big money deal with the Bills a few years back. He was a terror and was racking up double digit sacks until last season, when he wasn’t rushing the passer as much and was instructed to drop into coverage, which he isn’t particularly adept at doing.
He did check out during the last couple weeks of the season, though, that much is true. Still, if he is cut, and he’s likely to be, as the Bills need to resign Cordy Glenn and Richie Incognito and have no cap room, I do think the Bucs should make an effort to bring him in if the money is right.
January 26th, 2016 at 12:09 pm
I’m all in for change. The main problem with the scheme the Bucs have been known for and trying to run the past two years, wasn’t the scheme but the coaching of it. Carolina has played the scheme the moment Ron Rivera got to town. He actually ran the defense in Chicago, not Lovie, during the Bears great run in the early to mid 2000’s. Luke Keichly’s pick six on Sunday was pure Tampa 2 and what set it up was the re-routing of the WR’s off the line scrimmage which helps the D-line generate pressure. Lovie changed the play of the CB’s after he fired Rivera in Chicago, and coached that insanely stupid “trail” technique. He’s so turnover driven, he put his already slow CB’s in a no win situation by having them look for under thrown passes due to a pass rush that wasn’t existent. Did it ever occur to anyone that the Panther LB’s have 9 of the teams 24 interceptions, and the safeties have also have 9? The corners do their job re-routing, making the D-line’s job easier and the rest of the back seven benefits. The scheme has made them a top ten defense 4 years running. The scheme will never be the problem, unless it’s poorly coached. What’s the point of having decent size corners, if you’re not going to use them the pressure the WR’s? By the way, the NFL record for fewest TD passes allowed in a season is 6, by the 2008 Indianapolis Colts. The scheme? Tampa 2. The coach? Tony Dungy. Outside of Freeney and Mathis, can anyone name another player on that defense? My point, exactly.
January 26th, 2016 at 12:19 pm
Spend the money on this guy if he is available. Or trade for him yo make sure we get him. As long ad and until this yeam is nearing the salary cap, pay a guy to come in here and raise some hell while jason licht fixes the roster over the next few seasons. Koetter is the man with the plan keep this guy and licht around and good things will come.
I am eager to see the improvments on defense I am a little sceptical on Mike Smith but also open to being proven wrong. Damn september cannot come fast enough
January 26th, 2016 at 12:51 pm
*Upgrades on Defense
Free Agents
• Mario Williams
• Olivier Vernon
• Nigel Bradham
Draft
• Shilique Calhoun (1st)
• Su’a Cravens (2nd)
• Shawn Oakman (3rd)
Projections
LDE *Mario Williams | William Gholston
LDT Gerald McCoy | Clinton McDonald
RDT *Shawn Oakman| Tony McDaniel
RDE *Olivier Vernon | Jacquies Smith | *Shilique Calhoun
WLB Lavonte David | *Su’a Cravens | Josh Keyes
MLB Kwon Alexander | Jeremiah George
SLB *Nigel Bradham | Danny Lansanah
Camp Meat
• George Johnson
• Howard Jones
• Akeem Spence
• Kourtnei Brown
January 26th, 2016 at 1:04 pm
I’ve watched this kid Su’a Cravens literally take over a few games. He can play Will, Sam, Mike, Big Nickle, Free; whatever you like. Surprised the Joe’s are not hyping him up.
USC Safety/Linebacker Su’a Cravens Career Highlights ᴴᴰ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMdAkq2voTU
January 26th, 2016 at 1:18 pm
@LUVMYBUCS
I always like your posts, one of the few who puts thought into them. But I disagree about Oakman as a DT. He has more of a DE build IMO, just taller than the average one. I like him a lot and would love to see him get drafted, I think he has a world of untapped potential. I’d just rather see him on the edge, I don’t think he could hold up in the middle.
January 26th, 2016 at 1:22 pm
Big Marlon B Says:
January 26th, 2016 at 10:01 am
i even mentioned Oakman earlier today. so it seems we are in the same book, just maybe on different pages lol
“…there seems to be some pass rushing depth in this draft. maybe not guys with tons of production, but i think guys like Shilique Calhoun, Shawn Oakman, etc have tons of potential and could be found in rounds 2-3 or even later….”
January 26th, 2016 at 1:39 pm
Big Marlon B
Thanks Bruh!
As for Oakman
His game is a cross between Chris Canty & Marcus Stroud; IMO.
He’s a load to handle from interior. Just not quick enough on the outside to me.
Now in certain packages – when he’s kicked to the 5. Similar to how Arizona uses – Calais Campbell. Where he can use his power to seal the edge, and drop the tackle into the QB’s lap. Then hell yeah.
January 26th, 2016 at 2:18 pm
Interesting comparisons. Yea I was thinking a leaner Campbell. Maybe a bit faster and more while, and not as much power. That’s why I like him more as a LE than RE
January 26th, 2016 at 4:46 pm
Von Miller is 26 not 34
January 26th, 2016 at 6:29 pm
LUVMYBUCS? You are..a cold dude. ..but funny as hell. Camp Meat. Suppose there will be lotsa..camp meat this next training camp. It will be competitive..that’s for sure. But then again…Can’t stop laughing and naming your… Camp Meat as a movie title on the Chiller channel horror story. Thanks for the laugh.
Ohhh,,and its true. Catch the next episode..Lambs For Slaughter..ok I’m outta here.
January 26th, 2016 at 6:55 pm
Outside of Freeney and Mathis, can anyone name another player on that defense? My point, exactly.
Bob Sanders Gary Brackett Antoine Bethea
January 27th, 2016 at 5:36 pm
Joe – Olivier Vernon is a FA Defensive End for the Miami Dolphins. Vernon led all 4-3 ends in QB hits, with 30, 10 sacks and 41 hurries. The Dolphins are already $5 million dollars over the cap for 2016, which gives them the worst cap space this off season in the NFL. DE Derrick Shelby is also a very good DE and is a FA. Cameron Wake, whose contract is set to expire after next season could be released this year to save the team 8.5M. Wake will turn 34 in 2016, and will be coming off an ACL injury. The Dolphins have simply overextended themselves and either Vernon or Shelby should be available to hit the FA market.