Fishing For A Special Teams Warrior
May 3rd, 2016
DE Channing Ward of Ole Miss
Yes, there’s a fresh crop of rookies invading Tampa en route to Bucs rookie minicamp, which starts Friday.
Most of them you’ve never heard of.
One intriguing prospect is Ole Miss defensive end Channing Ward, an undrafted free agent. He never missed a college game in four years and was a part-time starter.
But Ward was considered a special teams ace, and he’s obviously an athletic freak. At 6-3, 280 pounds, per the Daily Journal, he ran a 4.61-second, 40-yard dash at his pro day. That’s one flying mass coming down field.
Ward has had weight issues and hasn’t displayed the greatest football IQ, per the Clarion-Ledger, but he did grow into a role at DE and made his share of plays and some starts.
Of course, Joe’s always curious who the Bucs are sniffing at DE, given the need for better play at the position.
Last year, DE Ryan Delaire was a standout undrafted guy in Bucs rookie minicamp. A handful of weeks later, he was a member of the Carolina Panthers and was sacking America’s Quarterback, Jameis Winston.
May 3rd, 2016 at 5:59 pm
Grades B-??? It was a B+ after the first three picks. If one draftee member drafted anywhere between 3 and 7 becomes a starter it becomes an A.
May 3rd, 2016 at 7:19 pm
I see roster turnover for the good, getting a different kinda player here in Tampa, not that the previous guys weren’t hungry, they just had the hunger deflated by the coaching staff, now you have coaches that take responsibility and let players make plays, it seems to have a method now and it’s all built around Jameis, i.e., having your QB solidified and players want to play with him, watch out world. Don’t get me wrong, I think a whole lot of teams got better this here draft, the difference in a lot of teams will come down to a few minimal plays, I believe we now have playmakers and just like last year I can finally relax when the offense is on the field and hoping similarly when the defense rolls out there along with the FG team, now
May 3rd, 2016 at 7:26 pm
Can’t be any worse than George Johnson was last year can he?
May 3rd, 2016 at 8:16 pm
Really 6’3 280 and runs a 4.61
May 3rd, 2016 at 8:26 pm
Get that guy in the weight room with Kwon and Noah, and give Coach Hayes a couple years to work with him, that’s a nice piece of clay to mold
May 3rd, 2016 at 8:31 pm
His on field football IQ must be low because he killed this interview ( except his fav team is the Titans)
http://www.nfldraftblitz.com/channing-ward-interview/
May 3rd, 2016 at 8:37 pm
Two tryout players to watch out for, Micah Awe and Travis Britz LB and DT.
May 3rd, 2016 at 8:37 pm
Thanks Power Vapor, he seems like a humble well spoken guy, and the way he’s passionate about special teams puts a smile on your face l, he only cares about helping his team win, plus he knows his weaknesses such as getting in better shape, he pulls a Winston and drops 15 pounds, look out this guy can be dangerous
May 3rd, 2016 at 8:42 pm
No prob Guzzie. I love this time of year. It’s so easy to Google players and watch game tape. Senior bowl and pro days are best. Their own hype vids are kinda telling. The udfa OT Dominique Robertson has awesome tape.
May 3rd, 2016 at 9:25 pm
Can’t help pulling for RB Peyton Barber, his mom is homeless so she can put him through college, don’t know the details, but can’t help rooting for the guy, he’s got the genes, related to Marion Barber
May 3rd, 2016 at 9:26 pm
Barber makes it to training camp, sure he’ll get some more pub
May 3rd, 2016 at 9:30 pm
Somehow many of us on here liked Delaire last year, but yet the incompetent coaching staff couldn’t see it.
Now we’ve got The Magician A.K.A. Jay Hayes running the show!
May 3rd, 2016 at 11:05 pm
We had a DE under Dungy. I think his name was McLaughlin. White guy wore number 95. I remember him lining up as a gunner on punts and bullying blockers out of this way and totally disrupting any hope of a decent return.
May 5th, 2016 at 11:00 am
[…] Not referenced here is a guy Joe thinks has a leg up on the crowd when it comes to finding a roster spot, defensive Channing Ward of Ole Miss. Joe explains in detail here. […]
May 5th, 2016 at 8:23 pm
At his size and speed if he can block, use him as a short yardage blocking back…or…
May 6th, 2016 at 7:33 am
@nole_on_sat
Joe is referring to the crop of UNdrafted FA’s.
If I’m right we got around a B+ ~ A- for our draft picks from most analyst.”The professor” John Clayton seemed to love our draft. He rated us no. 2 right behind the Jags at who clearly had the best draft. IL take that all day. If u have a GM that can find 4 starters, (3 at the very least) every draft, there should be no reason why u can’t become a playoff team in the near future. The glazers need to start on a contract extension very soon for mr. Licht. It seems we FINALLY have the right staff (regime) in place after a decade of searching.
You know everybody poops on Lovie but if it wasn’t for him we would not have famous Jameis, current HC Dirk Koetter, or our “draft guru” Jason Licht. He basically brought all those guys here. So there is a bright spot through all the suffering we endured in the Lovie era.