Major Wright, Major Bubble?
June 8th, 2016
Should Major Wright be major concerned?
Yes, it is hard to believe, but training camp is around the corner. Joe is still guessing the first day of training camp will be July 27.
The Bucs have yet to announce camp dates and probably won’t for another two weeks or so.
But with training camp nearly within sight, Joe’s good friend Justin Pawlowski of Scout.com and Luke Easterling of USA Today sports jumped on a podcast to discuss the players they believe need a strong training camp and preseason to stick with the squad.
For Easterling, his first player on the Bubble Watch is a bit of a surprise, safety Major Wright.
“I think that the team, they keep Chris Conte and bring him back,” Easterling explained. “Bradley McDougald has shown some flashes and he is still young enough that you hope to get something out of him. I think that the team likes Keith Tandy, they brought him back. He can come down on the nickel and play either safety spot.
“Major Wright is the guy that injuries have been a problem for him. He was a Lovie Smith-fit type of player scheme-wise. With what they have invested in those other guys [safeties] and the fact that they haven’t addressed that position at all. He is the guy out of that group [on the bubble].”
Easterling is down on Wright but made sense: A combination of injuries and being a Lovie guy might not add up to job security under the new regime of Dirk Koetter.
Also, throw in the fact the Bucs drafted Ryan Smith. Yes, he was a corner at North Carolina Central but the Bucs plan to use him at safety. Joe remembers what Daniel Jeremiah said of Smith that has Joe a bit excited: “Small school player; big school talent.”
June 8th, 2016 at 7:42 am
The biggest question is if Wright is a system safety. Can he play outside of the Cover 2? There should be no animosity toward him because Lovie brought him in.
BTW, I’m pulling for Ryan Smith. He’s not exactly a Marpet story, but some small school guys will play with something to prove.
June 8th, 2016 at 7:57 am
Don’t forget the undrafted safety from N.D., Shumate, and the S.C. safety Hoke coached in college. Wright does seem expendable.
June 8th, 2016 at 7:59 am
keith tandy impressed me more in the last game than Major Wright did all season.
June 8th, 2016 at 8:14 am
I wouldn’t be suprised if he’s was let go. There’s a couple of undrafted guys they like, and as Joe mentioned they have Ryan Smith as well wich I think will be starting next season. He will get plenty of playing time this season, as well as Conte and McDougald, and probably Tandy too, wich he has always been solid but not spectacular for us. I think Tandy is a great backup. I loved Major coming out of college and he had a couple good seasons but since has dipped in production. I think he can still be a succesful player if played in the right role, he’s showed he can run around and makes sum plays from time to time so he better prove he can still do it during preseason or he might not get a chance to do it during the regular season.
June 8th, 2016 at 8:46 am
Any major Lovie product should be on major notice.
June 8th, 2016 at 8:50 am
@Buc1987
Well said!!!! It will be such an advantage to have coaches that will be able to assess the players in OTA’s and Training camp instead of the Incompetent one that who knows what they did in all those practices and waited until the season to see who can play in his passive, antiquated, fiasco of a defensive system!!!!!
June 8th, 2016 at 9:01 am
Tennessee ready Realist!
June 8th, 2016 at 9:06 am
@Buc1987
How do not know how the Incompetent one was not fired right after that game!!!! The Glazers could not run down fast enough and can coach my scheme!!! I mean they should have down that as soon as Mariota came out of the game and was high fiving teammates in the 3rd quarter!!!!!!! They Pulled the Rookie QB IN THE THIRD QUARTER because the game was out of HAND!!!!!!!!!!!
June 8th, 2016 at 9:16 am
Rookie QB in his first NFL game….
June 8th, 2016 at 9:33 am
The worst part was how the local media would bow down to him!!! After blow out after blow out, the media would just ask vanilla questions and then coach my scheme would be so condescending to them, and they just cowered and took it!!!!!
Then that no class a$$ clown got fired and did not even have any shred of dignity to thank all those that gave him a chance and cheered for him!!!! He was exposed for what he was, and lost what little respect I had for him as a person!!!!!!!!
June 8th, 2016 at 9:42 am
He needs to stay healthy but his best years were with J Hoke in Chicago so that could help.
June 8th, 2016 at 12:04 pm
You expose your self every day, how you sound? Apologizing to you with what coming out your mouth, you weren’t cheering for LOVIE, I love the way he did it, that way you’ll always have a TASTE FOR LOVIE in your mouth!
June 8th, 2016 at 12:25 pm
The Buc Realist Says
“How do not know how the Incompetent one was not fired right after that game!!!!”
Oh please, Realist.
After the Rose Bowl Mariota was completely in Winston’s head. Anyone with a lick of foresight knew we would lose that game.
I knew it weeks before the game was even played.
June 8th, 2016 at 12:27 pm
As to Major Wright…I never felt he should be on the team. Good riddance if he goes. Yet another of JASON LICHT’s roster mistakes.
June 8th, 2016 at 12:47 pm
@bighog….I love that and your right…lovie doesn’t own anyone an apology…why would he apologize for being stabbed in the back….it is what it is tho….what goes around comes around and licht is definitely on the hot seat if we don’t have a 10win season….
I would love to see major wright at lb….he’s a down in the box safety that could make an easy transition…has experience with covering tight ends and has the speed to be disruptive on a blitz…he has talent…surely mike smith can put him in a situation to play at his strength….even tho I like some of the undrafted FA’s, I wouldn’t count on them to be a major contributor on defense….special team absolutely…but counting on undrafted FA’s is what got lovie canned…talent and i.q. level….its a reason why they went undrafted….GO BUCS!!!!
June 8th, 2016 at 1:10 pm
I don’t know if anybody remembers this , but Major Wright committed the first personal foul of the season in that f-in Titans game. He did lead with his helmet so it was a legit foul by today’s standards. What galled me was that LVD used the call as an excuse for passive and uninspired play the rest of the game. As he put it, the penalty took “the wind out of our sails”. I hope that the new coaching staff’s emphasis on penalty avoidance prevents such emotional meltdowns in the future.
June 8th, 2016 at 1:17 pm
813bucboi and Bonzai – you’re right in that Lovie doesn’t owe anyone anything.
However, Lovie never accepted responsibility for any of the teams failures, and left here after being deservedly fired. Lovie carries himself as a great man. Great men take responsibility and own their mistakes. They are also grateful for every opportunity afforded to them. There in lies, imo, the issues with Lovie. I’m sure he’s a good guy, but he certainly didn’t impress me at all.
I watched a video last night of Jameis – the last thing he said was (paraphrasing) – “I accomplished so much last year, thanks to my teammates and the grace of God”. That is how it’s done right.
June 8th, 2016 at 1:36 pm
@1987 and Realist- We all know where you stand on the subject. This statement, “Any major Lovie product should be on major notice.” should read, “ALL players” not Lovie projects, “ALL players.” I know you want to continue to place all the blame on one guy but, lets face it, the players have to own up too.
Anyway, what’s wrong with a guy being a system player? It goes well beyond Cover 2 personnel. Don’t fault Wright for being a better player in a certain scheme.
June 8th, 2016 at 1:43 pm
Jameis Winston says: Mr Realist, now that lovie has been fired, the Tampa2 mafia is hiding under a rock and the sheep changed their screen names, how will you tabs on all of them???
The Buc Realist says: I make them come to me!!!!
June 8th, 2016 at 1:50 pm
^^^You’ve got issues!!!
June 8th, 2016 at 2:15 pm
@74….ive heard plently of times lovie say during a press conference that, ” we must do a better job”…now we could’ve meant himself and the coaching staff(which I believe) or we as a team, players included….you win as a team…you lose as a team….the difference between lovie and your jameis comment is that jameis wasn’t stabbed in the back….if we had traded jameis after the first panthers game I doubt he would’ve thanked the front office or licht directly…his comments would’ve been,” I want to thank the city of tampa, the fans and my teammates for an opportunity to live out my dream…you haven’t seen the last of me”….but like I said…it is what it is so their are no excuses heading into this season….licht should and would deserve to get canned if we don’t reach the playoffs….GO BUCS!!!
June 8th, 2016 at 2:27 pm
Bucsfanman….1. yes Realist has issues. Or are you new here? lpl
2. Not “project”…product. Wright played for Lovie in Chicago.
June 8th, 2016 at 2:36 pm
“After the Rose Bowl Mariota was completely in Winston’s head. Anyone with a lick of foresight knew we would lose that game.”
Bonzai…I can’t even take you serious anymore. REALLY? That’s why Mariota in his first NFL game shredded Lovie’s “Tennessee Ready” defense???? Because he was in Winston’s head.
Are you an alcoholic or something? Someone coherent can’t possibly make such a statement, but you do have a dayum big list of excuses for Lovie.
Perhaps your next novel should be called “Lovie Smith : A Raw Deal”
@Realist…if you come up with a better book name fire when ready..
June 8th, 2016 at 2:40 pm
@swaggy64….im not saying you said it, but how is something like that lovies fault….1play in the beginning of the first quarter in the opening game of a 16game season some how as lvd stated took the wind out of our sails….how?…because our so called leaders on defense (lvd &gmc) allowed it to happen….normally the complete opposite happens….a player gets called for a personally foul on a big hit and the defense rallies around the penalty gets pissed off and starts playing their hair is on fire….the same thing happened on the 4game losing streak to close out the year….it happened because of so called leaders on defense allowed it to happen….no on defense stepped up during that stretch….their were 2 players that stepped up during the season on defense…one got injured and one got suspended(clint and kwon)….once kwon aka our defensive leader got yanked it was over….if you need your coach to get you hyped up about the possibility of making the playoffs then you don’t need to be in the nfl….if you need a coach to get you motivated and hyped up on game day period you don’t need to be in the nfl….lovie gets 33.3% of the blame…licht gets 33.3% of the blame and the players from jameis to jude gets 33.3% of the blame….i’ll take the rest of the blame for believing the glazers and front office finally got it right….if you think it is the job of the coach to do so then ask jim harbough how did that work out for him…the rah rah coaching style works in college and high school….GO BUCS!!!!
June 8th, 2016 at 2:44 pm
@87- Clearly a rhetorical statement! Sorry I misquoted you. You know what I meant though.
See I don’t have a problem with that. Some players excel in other schemes zone/man, whatever. BUT, there are very few players “in the clear” on defense from last year and it has nothing to do with Lovie. We had a slew of under-performers and very few play-makers. We need these guys to step up.
June 8th, 2016 at 2:45 pm
@Buc1987
How about ” How to be incompetent and still cash out” !!!!!!!! or ” How to run a Franchise into the ground and blame everyone else”!!!!!!!
June 8th, 2016 at 3:09 pm
Or “How to Say But We We’re 4-12 Last Year and Only Win 2 Games”
June 8th, 2016 at 3:19 pm
Mine would read, “Lovie; Here’s the Slant!”
Sorry, I shouldn’t be encouraging you guys! My bad!
June 8th, 2016 at 4:00 pm
@realist and@87…..i like….lovie smith:it aint my fault….or lovie smith: how to get stabbed in the back….GO BUCS!!!!
June 8th, 2016 at 4:02 pm
When was Winston playing ole defense for the Bucs?
That game was the beginning of the end for Lovie and his coveted scheme.
June 8th, 2016 at 5:05 pm
imagine if you were a contractor….some one you know, another contractor, mentioned that he and his son could use some extra cash with a side gig…you tell them ok you can work with me…you land a job and tell them ok work starts tomorrow…you and the two guys meet the home owner and he gives you the green light…the home owner knows you do good work and you are well respected within the city…you tell the home owner its going to take 4 weeks to complete the job…the home owner tell you great lets get to work…week 1 you rip out everything that needs to go….the home owner says wow, this is really a mess…it looks a lot worse than when you started…you assure him it’ll get better…you tell the owner just wait until week 3 when I have all the pieces in place….the father is normally the one giving orders and doesn’t really like his new role of taking orders…week 2 you begin bringing in things that will improve not only the structure of the house but the interior and exterior design of the home as well…the home owner says ok I see where your going with this, I like it…at the end of week 2 the father drives to the home owners home at night and tells him you don’t know what your doing and his son may land a better job…he tells the home owner if his son receives the job offer he will take it and you will go with him…he also tell the home owner if they both leave, you wont be able to finish the job in 4weeks and it may take you 7weeks…he also suggest to the owner that you should be fired, because he and his son could complete the job by the end of week 3 saving the home owner money….now, the home owner doesn’t know anything about the construction/contracting business…he’s a doctor…the father never mentioned that his son has zero experience…he normally just does the yard work….the father says between me, my brother and my son we’ll knock it out in no time….the doctor is all about saving money so he says ok but you(the father) must call him(you) and give him the news…the father says sure it will be my pleasure….
while your having an romantic dinner with your wife the phone rings….you answer it and the father tells you the home owner wants to meet with you right now…you ask why?…the father says idk but it aint good…I think your getting fired….you call the home owner and he confirms what the father said…your fired…really no sweat off your back…they still have to pay you because the owner signed a contract….plus your good at what you do so you’ll find another job in a heartbeat….
now would take the time to write an hand written letter to the home owner thanking him….and say,”hey thanks for allowing me to do all the dirty work heavy lifting while these guys only have to finish the job by painting”…or would you say screw it, it is what it is….im a good contractor, i’ll find another job…..
lovie doesn’t own the bucs or the fans nothing…..especially not an apology…GO BUCS
June 8th, 2016 at 5:37 pm
I don’t see a SS on this roster who is better than Major Wright, he had good seasons in Chicago under John Hoke. He has speed, he’s an excellent tackler, he has range, he’s great in run support, he had 9 ints in Chicago. His play fell off here in Tampa ( as every Buc defender ) if he’s healthy, he’s by far our best SS. It don’t make sense to cut him, especially with his low salary.
June 8th, 2016 at 5:48 pm
JOe …you’re too kind.
June 8th, 2016 at 6:43 pm
813bucboi……Lovie did all the work of what?
Laid down what foundation?
Losing? Losing in historic beat downs?
How come none of those beatings affected you guys?
I read this long drawn out paragraph and I must be an idiot, cause I don’t get how any of that drivel applies to Lovie Smith and the job he did in Tampa.
June 8th, 2016 at 6:46 pm
And WHO, who exactly stabbed Lovie in the back? The Glazers? Well they own the effing team sooo they can do what they want.
June 8th, 2016 at 6:54 pm
He lost the reference at “knows you do good work and you are well respected within the city”!!!!!
The Incompetent one was not longer in a division with the 0-16 lions and the horrible vikings!!!!! He was exposed for the hack of a coach he is and sons that have no business standing on a football field!!!! He does not have to say anything after being fired!!! But do not ever say that Bu!!$hit of him being a leader of men and such a great guy!!! ITS lies and he was exposed!!!!!
June 8th, 2016 at 6:57 pm
@Buc1987
lovie stabbed an employed coach in the back in Oct 2013, when he secretly meet with the Glazers to discuss him taking Coach Schiano’s Job!!! Karma is a B!t@H isn’t it coach my scheme!!!!!
June 8th, 2016 at 7:03 pm
Posted in thread below this one…
The Buc Realist…It’s okay none of this matters. You’re in a no win situation with these guys.
It’s like this. If the team does well this year, it’s because Lovie laid the foundation for the current regime. If the team does poorly, it’s because they got rid of Lovie.
You can’t win!
June 8th, 2016 at 7:08 pm
@Buc1987
Oh, It matters. And for the record, I like to do a random head count of what is left of the sheep!!!!!!
June 8th, 2016 at 8:56 pm
Then expect the name changes along with it if the team prospers under Kpetter and M Smith.
I hope Joe will keep all those name changes in check and block them from posting once they do it.
June 8th, 2016 at 10:56 pm
Bucs have 2 options for their secondary:
1:
S: conte, mcdougald, tandy, Wright, smith (5)
CB: grimes, Hargreaves, Verner, banks, Robinson(5)
2:
S: conte, mcdougald, tandy, Smith (4)
CB: grimes, Hargreaves, Verner, banks, Robinson, Jude adjei-barema. (6)
Not sure which makes more sense. Traditionally teams do go with 5 safeties. As they make good special teams players.
June 9th, 2016 at 10:51 am
lovie cleaned house starting with the oline….foundation….drafted franchise qb….foundation….he did control the roster didn’t he?….when it came to the draft if he wasn’t for it, the player wasn’t drafted….duh….
licht stabbed lovie in the back…..duh…..glazers don’t know football…duh….lovie is well respected in the football circle…duh…that’s why he landed another job so quickly….duh….
again…an “l” is an “l” no matter it you lose by 1 in triple overtime or lose by 40….duh…all of this we didn’t look competitive is bs….did we win or lose?….obviously @realist and @87 don’t know football….maybe football….lol….GO BUCS!!!!!
June 9th, 2016 at 10:55 am
*FUTBALL