Koetter Names Seven Bucs Defensive Players
February 25th, 2016
Safety Chris Conte got a thumbs up from the new head coach
One of Joe’s goals at the NFL Scouting Combine this week was to ask Dirk Koetter what he likes about the Buccaneers’ defensive personnel after studying it for weeks.
Koetter cooperated, though it a took a couple of tries to get him to name names.
First, Koetter said on the Combine main podium that Kwon Alexander, Gerald McCoy and Lavonte David are the key cogs. Later, Koetter picked out Clinton McDonald, Jacquies Smith, Will Gholston and Chris Conte.
“Our team took a little bit of a hit when Clinton McDonald got hurt. Getting Clinton back. Will Gholston, I think, had to battle through a lot of minor injuries this year,” Koetter said. “I don’t know that Jacquies Smith was ever 100 percent healthy. You know, the situation in the secondary. We were moving guys around. I mean, I think there’s still some guys there that have a chance to be contributors. Chris Conte, when he was healthy, was a contributor.”
For those looking to read between the lines, there you go. Koetter named seven current Bucs on the defense.
Among the group, Conte is the only looming free agent.
February 25th, 2016 at 12:09 pm
I like conte, hope we keep him.
February 25th, 2016 at 12:14 pm
Argh! Conte I don’t know what people see in him. If he’s your last line of defense then you’re in huge trouble. I think my 5y old daughter can run him over. 🍦🍭
February 25th, 2016 at 12:18 pm
@DB55
Sounds like we need to sign your 5yr old daughter to be our fullback! 🙂
February 25th, 2016 at 12:20 pm
Supersam …. I agree. People rag on Conte around the league. When healthy, I see a guy who plays with his hair on fire.
February 25th, 2016 at 12:34 pm
I also like Keanu Neal outta Florida in the 2nd round and corner William Jackson would be a steal in the 4th.. He will fall after missing the Senior Bowl.
February 25th, 2016 at 12:34 pm
Conte is decent but he’s in position to make 1-2 “game-changing” plays a game and never seems to come away with them.
February 25th, 2016 at 12:54 pm
Somebody here said, I like Conte. Well so do I. He’s a good guy. But good guys got nothing to do with winning games in this league. Conte missed a lot of big plays from what I witnessed on my viewing screen. Seems like he was right there..after the play. I am not impressed. Dump him like a bad habit!
February 25th, 2016 at 12:58 pm
Baz
She got some speed and hands. She can catch. And her fav player is jamis weeson. 💃🏼💃🏼
February 25th, 2016 at 1:00 pm
Conte is OK…..but doesn’t need to be a starter…..
February 25th, 2016 at 1:05 pm
from alot of the coaching chatter of former\current bears & bucs coaches, it seems like chris conte is a guy you want on your football team…just not in your starting lineup.
February 25th, 2016 at 1:13 pm
Like Conte as well. Definitely worth bringing back at the right price, especially with real coaching this season
February 25th, 2016 at 1:42 pm
I think the reason why Mike Smith locked himself away with the whole defensive staff for, like, a month, was because they knew that was what it was going to take to try to decipher from the game tape just what they have on the roster. Just going by play results wasn’t going to work because the defensive scheme was so ill-suited to the players – you had poor playcalling, you had players being asked to cover slant routes with a 15-yard cushion, defensive linemen trying to cover tight ends, and you had offenses that rarely even had to guess what the defense was about to do.
All of that adds up to a nightmare scenario for trying to evaluate the skills and talents of the guys already on the roster. But that process has been done, and now Smitty knows what he’s got and what he’s lacking.
February 25th, 2016 at 2:37 pm
Conte was the only Buc DB who made big plays and had some timely ints.
No he’s not the next Ed Reed but he has value and as someone pointed out he plays with his hair on fire. He can hit but given his history of concussions I certainly wouldn’t wish to count on him as our starter.
February 25th, 2016 at 2:56 pm
Chris Conte will make a few good plays a game, and Then turn around and pick up a few holding calls in the same game.
He’s good for dept, but he worries me as a full time starter.
February 25th, 2016 at 4:11 pm
Wait so the Bucs are keeping 7 out the 11 starters on D I thought this D sucked
February 25th, 2016 at 9:48 pm
Conte was by far our best safety last year, even with his 1 or 2 bone-headed plays and that 1 really lousy penalty on the FG attempt.
Interesting he didn’t name any of the CBs….
February 26th, 2016 at 12:52 am
Conte is a solid safety. He isnt bad, he doesnt miss a lot of tackles or take bad angles. But he doesnt make those big plays where he is breaking up passes or getting a lot of Picks. He is a safe player and makes solid plays. By all accounts he was a pretty average player. Not bad not great. Just somewhere in the middle and that is not a bad thing either. Not everyone on the roster is going to be an all pro. Until we replace him with someone better, i hope we keep him.
February 26th, 2016 at 9:56 am
I agree with bo, Safety Keanu Neal outta FLORIDA is a hard hitting pro ready starter. I watched his whole career @ FLA. He’s a solid safety while idk if he’s worth a 2nd Rd pick I think he falls to the 3rd or 4th Rd were I would Def grab him if im the bucs. Everyone thinks corner is our second biggest need but I think safety is more of a concern. We have McDougald and Conte as starters right now. We DEF need to upgrade that position.