Mike Mayock Talks Mike Smith
January 19th, 2016
NFL Network’s Mike Mayock dishes on Bucs DC Mike Smith.
When Joe wants to talk football, who better to pick the brain of than NFL Network’s Mike Mayock.
As he always is, the former NFL defensive back turned draft guru was out at the East-West Shrine practices yesterday in St. Petersburg. Joe chatted with him about new Bucs defensive coordinator Mike Smith.
Joe was underwhelmed a bit by the hire because a home run hire was available in Jim Schwartz. But Joe’s mind is open.
In short, Mayock cited the petri dish that was the 1990s Baltimore Ravens for developing defensive coaches. Smith was in that mix for four seasons and couldn’t help but become a strong defensive coach.
Former Ravens defensive assistants that made names for themselves elsewhere: Marvin Lewis, Rex Ryan, Chuck Pagano, Smith and Schwartz, just to name a handful.
“The defensive staff the Ravens had years ago when they were good, and Mike was a linebackers coach, Mike was around all of those great coaches,” Mayock said. “He took a little bit from each of them when he moved on. That was a helluva room. I think out of that hibernation tank came some pretty good coaches. I think he will be outstanding as a defensive coordinator.”
Mayock noted the Bucs may very well have a steal in Smith. All head coaching openings this winter (seven in total) were filled by offensive guys. That means, Mayock pointed out, really good defensive coaches got shut out. Mayock believes Smith, who interviewed with the Giants, is atop that list.
“There were some pretty good defensive guys out there,” Mayock said. “And Mike was one of them, so I thought it was a great hire.”
January 19th, 2016 at 7:38 am
I cannot stress how excited i am for this year!!! On “Paper” the Bucs just greatly improved their coaching ranks!! I just hope the group stays together and Licht keeps the pipeline for talent to come in!!!
Were not out of the cellar, but we found the light switch and know where the stairs are finally!!!!!!
Go Bucs!!!!!!!!
January 19th, 2016 at 8:03 am
We need a new receivers coach….-please.
January 19th, 2016 at 8:23 am
I suspect we’ll have a new receiver’s coach….we may be interested in a coach from one of the playoff teams…..since we haven’t announced Stoker’s return…I think we are looking.
Certainly Smith was a good hire…..Schwartz would have also been good…but the relationship between Koetter & Smith trumps that.
January 19th, 2016 at 8:31 am
I can’t claim to know much about Mike Smith, but the only reasons I’ve heard from anyone detracting from either him coming in or Koetter getting the job relate directly them being upset about Lovie getting canned, so anyone we brought in short of Tom Landry would be the wrong move in their eyes.
I’m open minded and hopeful that he will be able to bring about some real changes. I’m not even sure if he’s a 4-3 or a 3-4 guy, so I don’t know if it’ll be a whole sale shuffling of the defense to accommodate. To be honest, I’m not sure that I care either way. There’s nothing in the defensive players we have now, save for the rookie and when David isn’t being mentally weak, that says to me that we shouldn’t shuffle and retool.
January 19th, 2016 at 8:33 am
Mayock was anti Winston and pro Lovie Smith. Pass the salt grains, please?
January 19th, 2016 at 8:38 am
Well one out of two isn’t bad!
@Realist Glad to have you back on the positive wagon
@Dallas We’re saving a seat for you! LOL Hey I get it…every group needs it’s
doubting Thomas and I’m generally skeptical myself except when it
comes to fun…to me being a sports fan is supposed to be fun…too
much crap already in the world and so I try to just give in…let go..
and be hopeful and happy.
January 19th, 2016 at 8:41 am
Schwartz a HR…SMH
January 19th, 2016 at 9:02 am
@spbf- I’m with you
Flip the page so you won’t miss the present moment. Don’t attach a ball and chain to your past. That only makes you drag your a$$$ and it makes you look like one too! lol
January 19th, 2016 at 9:10 am
Eh. I remain cautiously optimistic.
I worry that he’ll turn our defense around but this will only be an audition to land another HC job. I also worry he can’t fix our D, or only make it mediocre at best like we saw in ATL.
January 19th, 2016 at 9:24 am
@Espo – Every coordinator job these days seems to be a steppingstone to a HC position, so you can’t worry about it. Maybe Mike Smith was a great coordinator that had “risen to his level of incompetence.” (The Peter Principle) His numbers in Jacksonville were pretty good but in ATL, they spent all of their money and draft picks on offense. I guess we’ll see.
January 19th, 2016 at 9:37 am
My sentiment exactly Joe. Jim Schwartz was a no brainer. Stevie wonder could see that. But Koetter had to bring his ole ATl Falcon buddy here. And Smith had years when oppositions had their way with his defenses. Even we did without Jameis. Koetter better pray to the high heavens this works. He could have done much better in selecting a DC. The honeymoon is so nice now. When the music stops though, we’ll see what we got. And given the Koetter hype? It had better be good..real good.
January 19th, 2016 at 9:43 am
it’ll be important to figure out who is\could be smith’s successor in the event that he is successful here. i’m hoping that white hair works against him in the job search but i’m willing to be a season or 2 of top 10 defense will get him back in head coaching conversations.
if he isn’t successful here, i don’t want to think about what happens next. we’ve already wasted half the careers of mccoy and lavonte on poorly called\coached defensive units and yet another change due to poor results will stick a fork in their legacy
January 19th, 2016 at 9:46 am
when you look at the falcons’ defensive roster, it explains alot about that team’s results. from comments made by koetter and others, it sounds like smith was a defensive guy who was done in by a front office that wanted to go all in on supporting matt ryan (hello julio jones trade) and whiffed on defensive talent quite a bit. in addition, he ran a 3-4 with mike nolan calling plays up there. he never had a player like lavonte or GMC in ATL. in fact, i’m struggling to remember who their best defensive player was up there….
January 19th, 2016 at 9:52 am
Enough already about Jim Schwartz!! His resume/record is average at best. His reputation is that of an “edgy prick”. That should be a match made in heaven in Philadelphia. I’m sure all their fans will love him……for a while. Licht and Koetter working with him? NO WAY!!
Mike Smith has more experience, a better record, and is much more respected as a man and a leader than Jim Schwartz will ever be. It takes more than an edgy personality and sharp tongue to make a successful coach.
January 19th, 2016 at 9:52 am
Mattock is the same fool that had Blain Gabbert rated ahead of Cam Newton
January 19th, 2016 at 10:00 am
Gym Shorts is no home run hire. Sorry but I’d take Mike Smith 2008 coach of the year over him any day.
January 19th, 2016 at 10:33 am
I hope he’s good at making chicken salad out of chicken droppings, because the talent level on defense is quite alarming. I don’t see that getting fixed within a year or two.
January 19th, 2016 at 11:03 am
pick6 Says:
January 19th, 2016 at 9:46 am
when you look at the falcons’ defensive roster, it explains alot about that team’s results. from comments made by koetter and others, it sounds like smith was a defensive guy who was done in by a front office that wanted to go all in on supporting matt ryan (hello julio jones trade) and whiffed on defensive talent quite a bit. in addition, he ran a 3-4 with mike nolan calling plays up there. he never had a player like lavonte or GMC in ATL. in fact, i’m struggling to remember who their best defensive player was up there….
—————–
You’ve heard of John Abraham and Brent Grimes, right? I don’t like the hire, and maybe he was done in by only having John Abraham and Brent Grimes, but before Nolan his team went with the 4-3 and was never very impressive on D.
January 19th, 2016 at 11:08 am
Smith had years when oppositions had their way with his defenses.
Really? As head coach his DC’s and GM certainly didn’t help him. But as DC…the spot WE’VE HIRED HIM FOR…he did pretty dang well in Jax.
January 19th, 2016 at 11:43 am
Holy sh!t did Realist just say something positive?
January 19th, 2016 at 3:31 pm
Smith built the Jaguars’ defense into one of the NFL’s best units. They allowed the fourth-fewest yards (300.1) and points (18.2) per game during his five-year span as defensive coordinator (2003-07). The Jaguars held opponents to 99.5 yards per game and 3.75 yards per carry and intercepted 90 passes.
January 19th, 2016 at 5:56 pm
Pick6 Says:
we’ve already wasted half the careers of mccoy and lavonte on poorly called\coached defensive units and yet another change due to poor results will stick a fork in their legacy
______________________________________________________________
I think about that a lot. I think they’d both rather be in the playoffs/SB than the Pro Bowl.i
January 19th, 2016 at 6:45 pm
I feel way better about our staff now than I did the last couple of years. We have a lot of talent on D that was wasted the last 2 seasons because of Lovie’s insistence on playing the Tampa 2. Banks and Verner are better press man coverage guys n we had them playing zone all day long. And if we can draft one of the top CB’s we should be set up very nicely for years to come. A great secondary makes even an average D Line better. And we have a better than average line already. The future is bright I’m. I can’t wait til the draft n off season gets into full swing.
January 19th, 2016 at 7:47 pm
My thoughts on Mike Smith are he turned a historically poor Atlanta Franchise around and went to the playoffs multiple times. That, along with his history of Jax’s DC makes me feel VERY optimistic. I suspect the DL will get after it since there’s a new sheriff in town. Lovie, a player’s coach, was too easy on them.
January 19th, 2016 at 9:35 pm
just like we say in lovie’s case, if schwartz is such a homerun why hasn’t he been hired?
January 19th, 2016 at 11:24 pm
Going from Lovie Smith’s defense to one led by Mike Smith and all new assistant coaches is like comparing a corvette to a volvo. The players didn’t get it, the players didn’t like it and the players didn’t want it. Mike Smith has a reputation of being able to teach his players, does not accept penalties and only accepts a tough, in your face, hard hitting defense. I know the Dixie Chicks didn’t look that way, but the Jaguars and the Ravens sure did. In Atlanta he let his DC’s mostly run the show. Here in Tampa we have a former HC who will dedicate all of his time to the defensive players and guess what? He will ask the players for there thoughts on what kind of defense they believe they can perform the best in.
January 20th, 2016 at 12:02 am
@ Grafikdetaik
Schwartz does have a job dumbass, he’s the Eagles DC! Smh. Try reading something other than Joe’s site and you might learn a thing or two.
January 20th, 2016 at 12:07 am
@Godzilla13
You’re retarded if you think Mike Smith is gonna ask his players what scheme they feel comfortable with😅😅😅 dumbest thing I ever heard. 2 Leslie Frazier was a former HC and was our DC so that tidbit has no baring whatsoever.