Seeking NFL-Ready Defensive Back
March 30th, 2016
Bucs eyes turn to West Virginia?
Remember the consensus scouting report on America’s Quarterback, Jameis Winston, last year? It claimed he was NFL-Ready exiting Jimbo Fisher’s system at Florida State.
That worked out pretty darn well for Tampa Bay.
Joe feels comfortable saying the Bucs are in win-in-a-hurry mode. Just look at what they added on defense — three starters, one at each level of the defense, whose combined ages in September will be 98 years old.
So perhaps the Bucs will look for their share of “NFL-ready” players in the draft.
Former NFL safety Louis Riddick is an interesting cat. After his playing days, he jumped right into scouting for the Redskins and advanced to director of pro personnel for the Eagles in 2010, before jumping to ESPN in 2013. The dude has credibility.
Yesterday, Riddick was on the air selling West Virginia safety Karl Joseph as the most NFL-ready defensive back in the draft, and Riddick also made a big effort to throw cold water on all those trying to sell FSU cornerback Jalen Rose as the next Deion Sanders.
Joseph is an interesting possibility for Tampa Bay, as he’s often projected as a second-round pick. In his latest mock draft, scouting and draft guru Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network placed Joseph with the Panthers and No. 31 overall saying, “Joseph plays with an edge and he would wreak havoc behind this defensive front.”
As Joe wrote yesterday, after Jason Licht hinted he is leaning safety, the Bucs might just snag a safety in the second round, if they picked a defensive end in the first.
March 30th, 2016 at 9:35 am
Yes bring in more talent.
March 30th, 2016 at 9:38 am
Jalen Rose?
March 30th, 2016 at 9:39 am
Not to nit pic but the Panthers have #30….
March 30th, 2016 at 9:41 am
If you haven’t seen tape of this kid..do so. He is an absolute bruiser. Coverage skills are pretty good, and need some work. I’d say do whatever possible to grab him.
March 30th, 2016 at 9:50 am
Joseph would be a great addition to the defense. Love the fire and motor.
March 30th, 2016 at 9:51 am
Joseph is amazing. WVU coaches rave about his leadership, can play either safety position, and can be eased in especially coming off an ACL injury with Conte and McDougle currently stopgapping the safety positions. Pick 40 would be a little too high, would be a steal in the third.
March 30th, 2016 at 10:31 am
I agree with mr. Riddick…I really like joseph at both safety spots…if people think ramsey is the next deion they are sadly mistaken…he’s not even ed reed at safety…you have to question his ball skills at both positions…3years 4 ints…none this year, and it wasn’t because teams avoided him…great tackler with great speed but not overly impressed…GO BUCS!!!
March 30th, 2016 at 10:35 am
Um… is that guy’s leg ok?
March 30th, 2016 at 10:40 am
LUV the kid – But a 2nd round pick – for a defensive back coming off a serious knee injury. I’m cool
March 30th, 2016 at 10:42 am
Jalen Rose is too old and too slow to play football. Maybe he can still play basketball.
March 30th, 2016 at 10:44 am
813bucboi
your knocks on Ramsey who some consider the best player available in entire draft and blind love for Hargraves who has some pretty bad tape out there which you choose to ignore is getting comical. You attack anyone who points out legit criticism of Hargraves and always take shots at Ramesy even when off topic. Being a gator fan is one thing but being in denial is yet another. Ramsey is head and shoulders the best safety in draft. In addition, he has a winning pedigree that the current crop gators DO NOT have. I respect your loyalty to your college however you have lost all credibility in my opinion. Hargraves is far from a sure thing nor is he guaranteed to be the next shut down corner. He very well maybe a decent NFL CB but he will never be a Deion either.
March 30th, 2016 at 11:11 am
Trade up for ramsey!!! Him and Jameis will bring that competition to both sides for decades
March 30th, 2016 at 11:29 am
The tackle in this photo looks very painful, it makes my knees hurt. Ouch!
March 30th, 2016 at 11:29 am
@tmaxcom…my knocks are just as legit as your knocks on vhg…I never said he was a bad player…I think he will be an outstanding safety….my knocks on him are the same knocks that nfl scouts have which is why he is switching from cb to safety…ballskills and technique…I have said numerous of times that ramsey is an outstanding freak athlete, very competitive and a great tackler but he has some pretty bad tape as well that you and so many other choose to ignore…every cb and s get beat every now and then and he is far from perfect…Clemson gave him the business every year…lets be clear…some scouts think he’s the best player because of his versatility…not because he’s a shutdown cb or a ball hawking safety…you and others knock on vhg are his lack of height speed…but he’s still rated the best pure cover cb prospect for a reason and its because he has the ballskills, footwork and technique to succeed at cb from day 1….plus he played in the toughest conference in CFB and shadowed the leagues best wr week in and week out…if you think I have lost creditability than you must feel the same way about 99% of the scouts that have vhg rated the best cb prospect…I never said he would be the next deion but I do believe he will be the next joe haden/chris harris…ramsey I believe will be the next troy palamalo/earl thomas…no doubt both will have great careers…as far as winning pedigree…lol….please elaborate….GO BUCS!!!
March 30th, 2016 at 11:30 am
tmaxcon
As always – thank you for the balance/fair observation. #Respect
March 30th, 2016 at 11:50 am
No worries guys I reached out to Ramsey today and told him to tell teams not to draft him bc he wants to play with his bff The Messiah. So we’re good!
March 30th, 2016 at 12:16 pm
DB55
Good Looking Out
March 30th, 2016 at 12:24 pm
“Riddick was on the air selling West Virginia safety Karl Joseph as the most NFL-ready defensive back in the draft”
Dude is going to start having some serious credibility issues if he keeps that kind of thing up. Ramsey is far and away the best DB prospect in this draft. Anyone who says otherwise is either blind, stupid or both.
Hargreaves will be a very good player in this league as well IMO. If Ramsey, Bosa, Buckner, Myles Jack and OT Stanley are off the board, the Bucs are likely to have the chance of drafting VH3 at #9. If they pass – opting instead for the likes of a Spence or similarly non-top10-talented DE – they will likely regret it.
March 30th, 2016 at 12:28 pm
813bucboi
I have not solely based my opinions on hargraves size. I watched him play. I appreciate your passion for your favorite players and bucs. I do not give the so called experts any credibility either they are wrong just as much as us fans are. Draft is a crap shot from the 1st pick until the last pick. Rarely do the sure bets work out. I strongly feel the bucs should grab Leonard Floyd or Ogbah with 9 or if the OT from Notre Dame falls it’s a no brainier take him. WR is the next biggest need in my opinion. If Murphy or Dye end up making the roster the bucs are in trouble. I’d be fine withe addressing cb / or saftey in 3rd or 4th. The current bucs secondary got leaps and bounds better just by Lovie and his kids cleaning out their desks.
March 30th, 2016 at 12:39 pm
Really like this kid!! Get him or TJ Greene
March 30th, 2016 at 1:06 pm
Jalen Rose must be juicing if at 43 he can start playing football!
I like that kid from FSU though, Jalen Ramsey.
March 30th, 2016 at 1:34 pm
@tmaxcon…I find it a little hard to believe that you don’t give any credibility to people who scout players for a living…the thing I take from scouts are things athletically about a player…their strengths and weaknesses….I don’t believe a scout/expert(kiper/mcshay) when they predict what round a kid is going…im with you, if Ronnie Stanley is there we should take him…if bosa is there we should take him…but if those 2 players are gone the BPA would be vhg imo…Floyd is a reach at #9 and is best fit for a 34lb imo…go back and watch his film vs quality opponents…hell view his film vs uf the last 2 season…we made him invisible 2 years in a row…we ran right at him and he was MIA….not sure about the secondary getting better just because lovie got canned…no games have been played…there’s still BIG question marks over the heads of verner and banks …not worried about grimes as much but he is up in age and older vets tend to be a little fragile(c.tillman,s.smith,ike taylor,d.hall)hell all 3 may not be with the team after the year…im still pissed we didn’t resign s.moore…he was our best cb last year…GO BUCS!!!
March 30th, 2016 at 2:06 pm
The need too move up and take Ramesy and work a trade and land Karl Joseph and we will be set at safety for years to come
March 30th, 2016 at 2:29 pm
In all the years reviewing film of players in the NFL Draft, it is rare that a player takes your breath away and you sit there and go “wow”. SS Karl “hitman” Joseph does just that. Joseph even has a nickname that says it all. So I will not bore you with all the analogy of how he makes plays all over the field and can stop the run and cover just as well. Most people ant to hear the negative. His downside is his size and the fact that he hits so hard that at times it will take him out of position or miss a tackle. I say that will take a player who plays the game the his intensity and verocity all day long. So please check out the video below if you haven’t already. We need to draft him in the second round.
https://youtu.be/INOG00WUbkg
March 30th, 2016 at 3:42 pm
813bucboi
I do not give the so called experts credit because when they evaluate players they do in a more general scope based on players skills which is a primary factor I understand that. However, they don’t factor in individual team needs and schemes. I am no expert but when I evaluate the players I look at it more from our teams needs and fit standpoint. with the QB’s and WR in our division I am just not sold Hargraves i the best fit. If I am wrong I am wrong but given the needs on the bucs he is not the best choice in the first round.
I disagree with you completely on Floyd. Floyd is just scratching the surface of his abilities and to pigeon hole him as a better fit for 3-4 is premature at this point. In addition, Smith has stated he will be running a hybrid defense not strictly a 4-3. I could see Floyd making an impact as a outside linebacker on run downs with his speed and a edge rusher on passing downs. In a hybrid defense I see floyd holding up well against the run than more of a traditional 4-3.
March 30th, 2016 at 3:46 pm
Riddick didn’t like Jameis so its ok too hate Ramsey not Rose
March 30th, 2016 at 3:50 pm
Godzilla he looks like Bob Sanders on that video bro. I must say he does appear full of potential man.
March 30th, 2016 at 3:50 pm
Ramsey wants to and will play CB in the NFL… does he even have film at safety?
March 30th, 2016 at 4:33 pm
@tmaxcon…you must have forgotten we have 2 6’5 wr’s that vhg can go up against each and every day in practice that will make him better at defending taller wr’s…plus grimes to help mentor him…
when smith talked about playing hybrid I’m pretty sure he was referring to a lb/s type player…maybe im wrong but if he wants a hybrid de/lb im not sure Floyd is the guy….as I mentioned he’s not too stout in the run game….he can rush the passer extremely well but lacks strength to disengage with tackles if they get their hands on him…the whole sec ran right at him and he couldn’t handle it…just watch his film when he tries to defend the run against quality opponents(bama,tenn.,uf)…a better hybrid de/lb would be n.spence or s.lawson but im scared as hell of Clemson dlinemen…GO BUCS!!!
March 30th, 2016 at 5:02 pm
I like this guy and have been saying so since we started talking about the prospects in this year’s draft. It’s nice to hear an expert saying the same thing. I would take it one step further in the draft and grab his teammate K.J Dillon too in a later round. They will have chemistry already and we will have a young duo in the secondary for years to come.
March 30th, 2016 at 8:23 pm
I’d like that
March 30th, 2016 at 9:14 pm
If they don’t get Karl J in the 2nd they can get KJ Dillion in the 3rd… Dillion and Karl go hand in hand…
March 31st, 2016 at 7:49 am
If not Joseph or Dillion how bout Keanu Meal from the Swamp.
He is a similar player to Joseph. A punishing hitter with decent coverage skills that will improve as he matures. Any one those guys in the second or maybe even early 3rd if we’re lucky would be a huge upgrade to our mediocre secondary.
Everyone not named grimes has a question mark over there head this upcoming season.
April 2nd, 2016 at 5:52 am
His teammate kj dillon looks alot more impressive to me. He looks better as a coverage safety and wrap up tackler