Versatility The Key
May 8th, 2016
Bucs’ head coach explains.
You are a third day draft pick. The odds are against you. It is just simple math.
In some ways, you are just above camp meat. What is a rookie to do?
Well, if you want to make the final-53, you better not be a one-trick pony. You better be able to multitask. Those were the words from Dirk Koetter when asked after rookie minicamp practices why two third-day draft picks played positions different from those they excelled at in college.
“Well both of those guys you’re talking about – Ryan Smith and Caleb Benenoch – both of those guys played both positions at college. I mean, they both started at both positions, so as we said going back to the day we drafted those guys, versatility in the later rounds is key,” Koetter said.
“You’ve got to have multi-positions guys; you’ve got to have guys that can play more than one spot. Look at a guy like [tackle] Kevin Pamphile. Last year his versatility is what kept him here, and he did a lot of great things for us on offense. That’s just one example.”
It’s interesting to hear Koetter say, “what kept him here,” in relation to Pamphile. So he was that much of a bubble guy?
Pamphile played quite well last year. Otherwise, Koetter wouldn’t have kept putting him back in the game each and every week. It is just interesting to Joe that a guy used that much, the way Koetter talks, was close to not being with the team.
May 8th, 2016 at 9:25 am
Players taken in the late rounds absolutely must be able to play special teams well….that helps keep some of the starters off ST and gives developing players an important job in the process.
May 8th, 2016 at 9:47 am
I concur TBBF.
May 8th, 2016 at 10:07 am
The guy that needs to really outperform is Bond. The rest of the guys are safe. Smith prolly needs to go nuts too. But benenoch and super back, they’re safe.
May 8th, 2016 at 10:16 am
I urge all JBF readers to check out the combine stats oder Dan Vitale. …outstanding numbers even as compared to Derrick Henry! He is my choice for the best third day pick. I really see him as a possible answer at slot receiver
May 8th, 2016 at 11:04 am
Check this out from Yahoo. Sick!
But really, it was his eye-opening athleticism that Vitale displayed at the NFL scouting combine that firmed his place on most draft boards. It was a fairly stunning display a few weeks ago in Indianapolis, frankly for a 6-1, 240-pound ‘tweener. Consider:
• Vitale ran a faster 40-yard dash (4.60 seconds) than 16 defensive backs at the combine.
• He pumped out more 225-pound bench-press (30) reps than all but four offensive linemen and four defensive linemen there.
• Vitale’s vertical jump would have placed top five at any individual position group.
• His 20-yard shuttle was the fastest among the running backs by almost a tenth of a second, and his 60-yard shuttle was faster than that of Notre Dame wide receiver Will Fuller, one of the fastest men in college football.
• Or, more apples to apples: Vitale beat Alabama’s Derrick Henry, the Heisman Trophy winner, on five of the seven athletic-testing events each of them did there.
In short, Vitale crushed it. And naturally, he stood on those numbers from Indy at his pro day, opting only to do positional work during NU’s pro day.
May 8th, 2016 at 11:11 am
Whether it’s in the slot or at TE, we should have that guy with the ball in his hands as often as possible. He will be a load to bring down in the secondary and is remarkably shifty for his size. An incredible athlete.
May 8th, 2016 at 11:23 am
Pamhile can play all OL except center. TE on the line…. Probably could have played fullback if they needed in a pinch. Saying we keep him over another Backup OL who can only play inside made the difference is a fair statement… No?
May 8th, 2016 at 11:23 am
I agree on Vitale. Sleeper pick.
May 8th, 2016 at 11:38 am
Vitale is the new breed of SLASH player but with power. Dude benches 30 reps of 225 lbs, is extremely quick and has a 38.5″ vertical jump? GTFO.
May 8th, 2016 at 11:46 am
Doesn’t anyone see the Alstott comparison w Vitale? It will start feeling like that when he gets the ball. The Vi-Train
May 8th, 2016 at 12:14 pm
All our picks after the 3rd round look like players that will make the team. Another good ndraft by the GM. I like our Ryan Smith pick and Dan Vitale pick. I think if Smith can make the jump from small school to the big boys he will be a BIG upghrade of what we have at Safety. He is fast, can thump, has quickness, and is a ball hawk. Vitale indeed will find a nitch in our offense. I think Keotter is already trying to find ways to get his new toy the ball. The way he wanted to use ASJ, he will use Vitale if ASJ doesnt stay healthy this year. Move over.
May 8th, 2016 at 1:36 pm
Think versatility is important on a 53-man roster?
The WFL played with a 35-man roster…
May 9th, 2016 at 9:16 am
Nice nugget stpetematt
For a 6th rnd pick we got a steal. He will play a key role in the offense this year. He’s known more for his receiving skillz than his running skillz. But that doesn’t mean he won’t tote the ball. They like him at TE as well, so it will be very interesting to see all the different ways they utilize his skillz this year.
It’s been a long g time since we had a FB that could catch out of the backfield. Of course the last one ended up being pretty good. Sum guy named Alstott??…
May 9th, 2016 at 9:29 am
I’m confident all of our draft picks will make the team. I would be so ked if they didnt.
Benenoch will become a very good player in the future imo and may be Dotson succeser. He was projected to be a 2-3 round pick next year if he would of stayed another year.
Ryan Smith is a underated player imo that has the ball hawking skillz of a corner and will be put to use at safety. Something the bucs haven’t had since Tanard Jackson.
Devonte Bond may not seem like a shoe in for the 53 but he does have sum pass rushing skillz, and tue talent to develop into a decent LB. but the main reason I think he will stick is we have no depth behind our starting LB’s. We cant really afford to let guys go like Bond.