Smelling An Agent
March 5th, 2016
One of many reasons why Joe’s good friend “The Big Dog,” Steve Duemig of WDAE-AM 620, has been the 500-pound gorilla of local sports radio for decades, the undisputed king, the Dean of Tampa Bay sports radio, is he has some funny catchphrases.
One of Joe’s favorite comes when Duemig senses monkey business going on behind the scenes with a local sports team, he is often heard to proclaim, “I smell agent!”
That’s just what crossed Joe’s mind reading a paragraph from Chris Burke of SI.com in a story on the Bucs’ offseason needs.
Burke seems to lay the blame for the collapse of the Bucs’ defense the past two seasons not where it belongs, on the since-cleaned-out desk of Lovie Smith, but at the feet of Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht.
Smith’s inability to fix the defense (setting aside the possibility that Licht’s inability to find the right pieces is to blame) was the main factor behind Tampa Bay’s coaching change. The depth chart remains in flux, with multiple starters entering free agency and talent holes among the players who remain.
Stop! This is preposterous. Who ran off Darrelle Revis? Who benched the team’s interceptions leader, Johnthan Banks, and then cried each week about not getting enough takeaways? Who stripped defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier of his duties? Who turned an All-Pro cornerback, Alterraun Verner, into a scout team player? Who pined openly for Mike Jenkins — Mike Jenkins!!! Who sat in his suburban Chicago basement studying gametape of potential free agent targets and determined Ghost Johnson was the answer at defensive end?
So we are going to suggest Licht couldn’t pick defensive talent? Who drafted Kwon Alexander, the team’s towel boy?
It is very, very, very interesting to Joe how the national scribes all think Lovie was backstabbed or hung out to dry but you don’t hear that at all from the local scribes covering the team. Very interesting pattern. Why is that?
Well, Joe has talked to quite a few people about this over the past six weeks and is starting to piece the puzzle together. Hint: What was Duemig’s quote about an agent, again?
March 5th, 2016 at 10:10 am
Good news is most Buc fans don’t give a sh#t because we know what really happened. Licht only drafted 4 first round talents in one draft already. Some in the media are so out of touch being lazy and gullible hacks
March 5th, 2016 at 10:15 am
The only backstabbing going on was each and every week when lovie took the podium and knifed the fans in the back with his BS rhetoric… Lovie made his own bed. I actually blame the Glazers for trying to live in the past with a has been that never was and giving said loser FULL control of roster and staff. That was the biggest mistake. Hiring lovie as a coach ok but giving that fool full control was a crime. He proved he could not pick players in Chicago. Those of you who like to say Lovie was not the worst coaching experiment in Tampa history or claim Ray Perkins was let’s set the record straight Ray Perkins did not have 9 years NFL head coaching experience Lovie did… Ray Perkins did not waste 32 million plus on failed free agents yet Ray Perkins and Lovie Smith are very close on the all time Win list… The best part is Lovie gets to spend the rest of his coaching career, if he has one that is, Looking up at Raheem and Schiano on the bucs all time win list. Lovie failed at every aspect of his job personnel, coaching staff and game day management… good ridance
March 5th, 2016 at 10:21 am
“Who ran off Darrelle Revis?”
Really???
I don’t see how ANYONE can lay that at Lovie’s feet. Revis was a $16m per year investment on a losing team.
The GM…JASON LICHT…made that decision!
March 5th, 2016 at 10:21 am
And you can lay that offensive line being cast out on Jason Licht as well.
March 5th, 2016 at 10:24 am
Look at it this way…how much money did Licht free up by getting rid of Revis and the offensive line?
It was because of those moves that the team is doing so well in cap space.
He did it…and THAT at least was the right thing to do.
March 5th, 2016 at 10:25 am
Bonzi,
you need to get over it… NOT one single player was signed or let go that Lovie Smith did not approve or authorize. Lovie had FINAL say on every personnel move and staff hiring that is exactly why he is gone and Licht is running the show now….
March 5th, 2016 at 10:26 am
Oh…man, so much to address…
Leslie Frazier is a crappy coach. AND a crappy DC.
Lovie had no choice but to strip him of duties (well, I suppose firing him would have worked too, but then would we have Mike Smith?)
March 5th, 2016 at 10:27 am
tmaxcon Says
“Lovie had FINAL say on every personnel move and staff hiring that is exactly why he is gone and Licht is running the show now…”
If what you say is true…why do you give Jason Licht credit for the two drafts? After all…Lovie Smith made those decisions!
You guys contradict constantly.
March 5th, 2016 at 10:41 am
Anybody sticking up for Lovie must not have watched what happened on Sundays.
March 5th, 2016 at 10:45 am
All this crap about who is responsible for what is all wasted breath. Doesn’t matter. Ultimately, Lovie was responsible for the product on the field and we don’t know what was said behind closed doors to ownership. So what’s done is done and we get to look forward to a new coaching staff working with a promising young QB with lots of young talent.
I, for one, am looking forward to this season.
March 5th, 2016 at 11:14 am
Anyone who sticks use for Lovie is ok with losing and incompetent decisions. Dude was a complete joke he had full roster control from day 1.
He made a 4 win team worse, that’s a tough job to do
March 5th, 2016 at 11:23 am
I heard someone was writing a book on Lovie’s career, all of two pages long by a ghost writer.
March 5th, 2016 at 11:38 am
Haters hate because they can’t do better.
And no one knows the true story, except those directly involved.
All I know is you can’t claim Lovie ran everything…and then not give him credit for the good things too.
March 5th, 2016 at 11:41 am
Here’s how it works.
Either Lovie had full control…which means he should get credit for the bad AND the GOOD (drafts included).
Or.
He did not have full control, and Jason Licht did…which means Jason Licht gets credit for the good AND the BAD.
Or.
They had joint control, and both get credit for the GOOD and the BAD.
Which means, anything good you think Licht has done, Lovie gets credit too (in the third situation).
Those are the scenarios that are possible. Under ANY of them, you haters are screwed.
March 5th, 2016 at 11:52 am
Um…. What is Joe talking about? Where does he throw Licht under the bus? He clearly said LOVIE then just stayed the facts – there are holes and positions up for grabs. Licht knows that and is addressing it.
March 5th, 2016 at 11:53 am
Oops. My bad. Totally blew by the part about Licht in the parentheses
March 5th, 2016 at 11:57 am
WHO CARES!!! Lovie is gone he’s not coming back its time to move on, doesn’t matter who drafted who and who signed who, lovie is home collecting $5 million a year he’ll be fine so everyone stop with anything lovie related good or bad and let’s focus on our bright future
March 5th, 2016 at 12:32 pm
If Lovie did an honest assessment of the current defensive coaching staff…he might even agree that the team is better off with the changes.
March 5th, 2016 at 1:15 pm
BuccaneerBonzai Says:
Here’s how it works.
Either Lovie had full control…which means he should get credit for the bad AND the GOOD (drafts included).
Or.
He did not have full control, and Jason Licht did…which means Jason Licht gets credit for the good AND the BAD.
Or.
They had joint control, and both get credit for the GOOD and the BAD.
Which means, anything good you think Licht has done, Lovie gets credit too (in the third situation).
Those are the scenarios that are possible. Under ANY of them, you haters are screwed.
____________________
“Those are the scenarios that are possible. Under ANY of them, you haters are screwed.”
Bonsai, why are you so consistently condescending? Do you think you’re more enlightened than most here?
Who is hating whom now?
The vast majority here didn’t hate Lovie, we’re just glad that ownership had the good sense to realize he was a $hitty coach. Now you are insistent on vilifying Licht because Lovie’s defense was a disaster?
You are entitled to an opinion of course, but probably much later than sooner, you will realize, it’s mostly inflammatory banter.
March 5th, 2016 at 1:52 pm
It is common knowledge that Lovie had final say over the roster and Licht had final say over the draft. That was the arrangement. Free agent decisions were largely made to accommodate Lovie. I don’t know why some Tampa fans are still not clear about this and want to throw Licht under the bus with Lovie. Also, the pitch of negativity about this team at this point in the offseason boggles my mind. Things are just beginning for next year. We have a new HC with a strong coaching staff. We have a strong front office. We have Jameis. Why all the b1tching? Jeezis…
March 5th, 2016 at 2:18 pm
Bonzai you can’t be for real. Who benched Banks, who tried to move Verner inside, who played Jenkins and Jennings over Moore most of the year? Who played McKnown over Glennon, who hired Frazier then took the duties away from him who would nornreplace the o coordinator when Tedford left? All of those are 100% on Lovie .
March 5th, 2016 at 2:25 pm
Seamonster has it.
March 5th, 2016 at 2:37 pm
Seamonster is closer to the truth then most!!! There were very few exceptions to what Seamonster said. There was a reason that NFL GM Licht took full responsibility for Anthony Collins!!! And Lovie did have say in the draft, but was not interested ( as we saw the video of him falling asleep at the combine!!!) especially in the final go around when lovie could not be bothered as he was focusing on his defense!!!
Even Bonazi will admit that Lovie got a lot more wrong then what he got right!!!
March 5th, 2016 at 2:40 pm
The part everyone is missing is the choosing of the staff, particularly the defensive staff. Train wreck from day 1 and that was Lovies call.
March 5th, 2016 at 2:57 pm
Jaboo, I’m not sure about that. Much has been said and written about the D staff and how the players felt about the system. Akeem Spence made comments just last week.
But in the new day, I’m delighted with our new D staff, especially M Smith bringing in Hayes. Maxie too.
March 5th, 2016 at 4:31 pm
Lovie had two brilliant moments hiring Licht and Koetter. That is all. Thanks Lovie.
March 6th, 2016 at 1:10 pm
@ Bonzai
GET OFF LOVIES NUTZ!!!!!!