“He Was In The Tank For A Few Days”
August 4th, 2016
Shaken and stirred
Another unfiltered admission was delivered by Dirk Koetter yesterday.
Bravo! Joe’s loving the head coach’s approach to the media, which reflects his great respect for Bucs fans.
Koetter continues to call it straight, and that’s such a blessing for the many tens of thousands of Buccaneer faithful. Fans love candor and honesty. After all, this is entertainment, and the football season is one giant soap opera. It’s all much more interesting when the head coach is less worried about nonsense and perception, and more worried about coaching. It helps fans really engage with the team.
Speaking after practice yesterday, Koetter acknowledged that third-year offensive lineman Kevin Pamphile was shaken and down after Tampa Bay signed guard J.R. Sweezy to a giant contract in March free agency.
“Kevin Pamphile was disappointed when we signed J.R. Sweezy to come in and fill [left guard], he was in the tank for a few days,” Koetter said.
“I said, ‘Look man, you’re very valuable, you’re versatile, we need you,’ and here he is right off the bat filling in at the starting left guard. And if we had to play today, we’d feel fine about that. Kevin can go pretty much across the line and start for us. It’s a blessing.”
Sweezy has yet to practice in a Bucs uniform, and his status has been kept a mystery. Right now, it’s a safe bet he won’t play in one week against the Eagles.
Yes, you read that right. The Bucs have a preseason game in seven days. SEVEN!
Chemistry is key on an offensive line, and Sweezy not only is coming to a brand new offense after four years with the Seahawks, he must learn a new position. In Seattle, he was a right guard. In Tampa, he’ll play the left side.
At the rate it’s going, the Bucs are going to have a very significant call to make at left guard. Joe hopes the fact Sweezy will earn more than 12 times Pamphile’s salary won’t be part of the decision-making equation.
August 4th, 2016 at 4:27 am
I gotta say, your so right Joe. It’s so refreshing to have a HC that doesn’t blow sunshine up our asses like Lovie did. The days of canned, sleepy pressers are over. Hell, our DC also has more personally in his pinky than Lovie could ever muster. Yes Buc fans…I have a good feeling about these guys. Something we all deserve after years of coaches that were softer than puppy chow (obviously not including Shiano). Great days are ahead…and even if we suck until the cheese melts I won’t fall asleep when the coaches are at the podium. BUC LIVES MATTER!!!
August 4th, 2016 at 6:16 am
I love how clowns always say that about Lovie. Most coaches do that so get a grip. It’s funny how people love a straight shooter or he’s so real kinda guy until it’s you he’s talking about then there’s a problem. I guess if he had at least produced a winner here so many of you wouldn’t ride him like you do. Lovie is gone and good riddance so why keep bringing him up? Schiano led worst teams but yet all of you claim he’s a better coach. I wonder why that is????
August 4th, 2016 at 7:09 am
@David
The players can expect the same candor from Koetter as the press. that is who he is.you can learn something everyday and Koetter’s insight on his team and players is refreshing.
August 4th, 2016 at 7:11 am
Schiano was a bettwr coach than lovie un my opinion, but thats not saying much. I think schano would have improved slowly but never saw it really going anywhere. Lovie was a sinking ship. Koetter is the man!!!
August 4th, 2016 at 7:21 am
@David
to put it another way,fans want to why a coaching decision was made and Koetter will be frank about it.
To this day , I still don’t know why Lovie did some of the things he did,
always will be more questions than answers because of Lovie’s evasive
nature and unshakeable belief he is right.
August 4th, 2016 at 7:40 am
Yes – Koetter’s candor IS refreshing.
Its time to let go of the Lovie talk as that nightmare is over with. Onward and upward!!!
August 4th, 2016 at 8:16 am
Let’s see, you try and upgrade the team and Pamphile is MOPING??? Just shows he’s a “me” guy and not a team guy…..what a cry-baby….part of the new generation of young people who don’t want to work for their pay, they want it handed to them…..Competition, oh we can’t have competition, EVERYONE gets a trophy!!!!
August 4th, 2016 at 9:34 am
Bucs paid a bit of change to Sweezy. he’d better perform! He cane outta nowhere to collect that change too. I’m not sympathetic to a guy who is collecting big money and not producing.
August 4th, 2016 at 9:49 am
What a completely insensitive, judgmental comment “Tom”. I gotta believe if you were up for a promotion at work and told what a great job you were doing and what a valued employee you are and then your company hired an outsider and paid him 12 times your salary all while letting you know you may be replaced… you too might be “down” for a couple days before recovering and becoming a company first kinda guy. That is perfectly normal and what most of us would react if we could be intellectually honest about it. I’m just glad he is performing well despite their attempt to replace him and I sincerely hope he performs so well they have to make a decision what to do with Sweezy when he his healthy enough to play.
August 4th, 2016 at 10:01 am
May be KP wanted a shot at that starting left guard spot, because you do know know starters do get paid more, there is not one thing wrong with wanting an opportunity to show you can handle the job, all I can say is KP you keep putting it on tape and when contract time comes the power will be in your hands! KEEP BANGING KP!!
August 4th, 2016 at 10:15 am
Im torn with Dirk. On one hand I want this team to go 16-0, just like any good ole Bucs fan. On the other hand I want to see us suffer a heartbreaking loss………..but only if Dirk promises to give us fans an epic rant……and I mean epic. I want the rant of all rants!!!!! I want a violent rant that will blow any other coahing rant you can think of right out of the water!!!!!
If ever there was a coach who had a looming, raging, ballistic, out-of-control rant in his future it was Dirk Koetter.
GO BUCS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 4th, 2016 at 10:29 am
Koetter doesn’t strike me as the ranting type. What has a ranting coach ever accomplished? Koetter seems more cool calm and collected. He will handle adversity that way also.
August 4th, 2016 at 11:36 am
@C2, comparing an NFL player to me is nuts, of course, that is why I work as an independant contractor……back in my Tribune days, the best writers didn’t always get the best assignments, a lot of times it went to someone because they had been there a long time and we didn’t mope about it….you are either a team player or you are not…..insensitive? Awwwwww, someone might get their feelings hurt….tsk, tsk.
August 4th, 2016 at 12:01 pm
C2 is right.He has every reason to be frustrated ,since he was supposed to be the heir apparent to Mankins.If he didn,t get a little upset about it then he is not the player the Bucs thought he was.
August 4th, 2016 at 12:13 pm
@Bob:
Whatever happened to getting upset and taking it out on the guy across from you and simply WINNING THE DAMN JOB??????
August 4th, 2016 at 12:43 pm
David:
You say Lovie was a better coach than Schiano. Did you even watch the games?!
August 4th, 2016 at 1:04 pm
Bob in Valrico
he was supposed to be the heir apparent to Mankins.
————————————————–
no such things as heir apparent…. its a what have you done for me lately, best man wins league…. i am not going to call him titiled but he could have embraced the competition.
c2
sorry but the word insensitive has no place on a sports blog.
August 4th, 2016 at 1:54 pm
Tom Edrington Says:
August 4th, 2016 at 8:16 am
When does the competition for D!ck of the Year begin. Seems you might be an early front runner.
Never mind that players are regular people with real emotions. Can’t fault a guy for initially being disappointed. And if he hung his head and complained or didn’t give full effort, then some criticism might be warranted. As it is, your comments sound like you’re an intolerant assh0le.
August 4th, 2016 at 9:31 pm
2tmax
your argument would have merit ,except Lovie was deciding who was best man.
August 4th, 2016 at 9:39 pm
never mind tmax I thought I was still on Dotson arcticle.
August 4th, 2016 at 9:55 pm
I like the sweezy pick up or its potential if he can pass protect.But lets face it ,there will be no competition with the money they paid Sweezy. Now its not hard to guess ,that the bucs may want pamphile to be the long term backup,since they also brought in Benowith.Would not surprise me if he is testing the market next year.
August 5th, 2016 at 12:42 am
Sweezy is a poor pass blocker but a road grader for the run. Pamphile is both and should be the starter at LG and can hold off Sweezy when he is finally well! We overpaid for Sweezy. We have a decent OL right now and have good depth too with our former Center being a better Guard backup than Center backup. If our LT goes down we move Dotson to his position and start Cherilus at RT.