Secondary Top Improved
August 19th, 2016
Helping secondary rebound.
Last year the Bucs secondary was so repulsive, it was worse than drinking a warm Stag.
(You craft beer snobs: You have no clue what bad beer is unless you’ve choked down a can of Stag. Trust Joe on this. Of course, if you could slap a weird label on it and charge $10 a six-pack. Joe swears folks would think it’s liquid gold.)
What can Joe say about a secondary which made Case Keenum, Derek Anderson (twice!), has-been Matt Hasselbeck and Austin Davis look like competent NFL quarterbacks over the past two seasons?
Well, re-tooled cornerbacks in the offseason and a new attack mode by defensive coordinator Mike Smith, gives Chris Wesseling of NFL.com a hunch that Bucs secondary will rise from the dead.
4) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Lovie Smith wore out his welcome in part because his outdated Tampa 2 scheme was an undermanned competitive disadvantage, allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete 70 percent of their passes against the Bucs last season, with 31 touchdowns. New defensive coordinator Mike Smith will use multiple fronts, mix coverages and bring heat from all angles behind an overhauled defensive front.
After signing four-time Pro Bowler Brent Grimes and using the No. 11 overall draft pick on Vernon Hargreaves, the Bucs now go four-deep at cornerback (with Alterraun Verner and Johnthan Banks already in place). That quartet smothered the Eagles’ wideouts in the preseason opener, utterly bedeviling the quarterback trio of Sam Bradford, Chase Daniel and Carson Wentz. If Noah Spence and Robert Ayers can consistently bring the heat as edge rushers, that won’t be the only time this secondary shuts down opposing aerial attacks.
Grimes is making sick plays in practice thus far, like his one-handed pick yesterday of Blake Bortles. Alterraun Verner seems reborn. When Vernon Hargreaves gets the hang of nickel, he will be special. Even Hey Jude is playing well.
Combined with a newfound pass rush, Joe believes, the secondary (like the offensive line last year) could go from the weakest unit to one of the team’s best.
August 19th, 2016 at 10:43 am
Grimes seems like a solid pickup. He’s a veteran and already familiar with Smith’s scheme so I’m hoping they limit his playing time the next 3 preseason games and give Hargreaves more work.
August 19th, 2016 at 10:50 am
I remember when Darrelle Revis went down against the Detroit Lions.
Who had to fill the void and defend the greatest wide receiver in the game at that time?
Jonathan Banks did a more than just respectable job on Megatron…he actually looked like a starting NFL DB. What happened to that guy?
I get that teams get better and competition…Grimes…Hargreaves…Verner…Hey Jude have pushed Banks down the depth chart…but he seems to have totally disappeared.
August 19th, 2016 at 10:50 am
And the next year led the team in picks. Joe thought sure Banks was going to blow up.
August 19th, 2016 at 10:51 am
Thanks for the heads up. I always like to try new beer when I see it. I’ve never drank Stag before and now I never will.
August 19th, 2016 at 10:56 am
That’s a smart move.
August 19th, 2016 at 11:02 am
Blah,blah, blah, all this defence needed was a consistent pass rush (2 str8 offensive drafts while LOVIE was here) spin it like you wanna, every one seems to be thankful Spence is here! Much needed indeed!!
August 19th, 2016 at 11:02 am
I was hoping Banks would recover faster from his Lovie disease and rebound. I’d hate to see bucs give up on him but he has disappeared more or less. Good luck to banks in the upcoming weeks hopefully he snaps back.
August 19th, 2016 at 11:13 am
Even Hey Jude is playing well.
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I think you mean to say he’s practicing well. Cuz once again during a game his man was wide open. There’s no way in any parralell universe that Jude plays better than Banks, none! I don’t think HG3 is playing better than banks yet.
August 19th, 2016 at 11:18 am
True, but even in the preseason game (with the exception of one play) Hey Jude played better.
August 19th, 2016 at 11:21 am
I think Banks should switch to FS, He has the size already and it would add more versatility to the defense
August 19th, 2016 at 11:30 am
Wow c-span I couldn’t agree more. Banks has the length and football mind to play DB but doesn’t have the footwork or speed to play CB. What a great cover FS he would make.
August 19th, 2016 at 11:35 am
Come out to Colorado sometime Joe. We will show you what craft beer is, not that Cigar City swill y’all got down there.
August 19th, 2016 at 11:53 am
Joe’s favorite craft beer joint is St. Arnold’s in Houston. Even ordered two cases of Lawnmower recently (waiting for phone call to tell Joe it has arrived).
Joe doesn’t like pilsner beers but running to catch a flight at a change of planes in Houston last month (thankfully, the connecting flight was late) there was a beer vendor at the Southwest gate. She didn’t have Bud Light and was out of all beers but two or three brands (Joe refuses to drink Miller Lite) but she did have St. Arnold Summer Pils. Joe was panting from running, sweating and thirsty as hell so he gave in. Figured, can’t go terribly wrong with St. Arnold’s beers, just from experience. Joe just wanted something ice cold and wet with alcohol.
It was one of the best beers Joe has ever drank!
That beer lasted maybe five minutes. Dead solider. Joe ended up downing three more before boarding his flight.
Hey, Texas folks, help Joe out. St. Arnold has top shelf beer, no?
August 19th, 2016 at 12:11 pm
St. Arnold is one of the best in texas… but I am a fan of real brewery in blanco, tx. when it comes to texas beers. firemans 4 is pretty common but they have some great beers…. brewmaster is a bucs fan so that helps…
August 19th, 2016 at 12:15 pm
I think Mike Smith will keep Banks. He’s a great young talent who definitely languished under Lovie. Dumb Question: which player is Hey Jude?
August 19th, 2016 at 12:22 pm
Brent Grimes, Alteraun Verner, Jude Barimah, Vernon Hargreaves, Josh Robinson, and Johnathan Banks
Damn!!
I love it!!
August 19th, 2016 at 12:26 pm
Um, first name of a No. 4 corner.
August 19th, 2016 at 12:26 pm
Jude Barimah is Hey Jude? Thanks, @777.
August 19th, 2016 at 12:27 pm
Ha!!! That does help. 🙂
August 19th, 2016 at 12:28 pm
By the title of this article I was thinking this was about Safety play improving, but I agree with the idea of moving Banks to Safety if he’d be willing to make the change. That could be a big if, but there are many examples of sucessful transitions from CB to S. Could be worth a shot.
August 19th, 2016 at 12:36 pm
Didn’t know Banks could tackle well enough to play safety. He would have to stop the run more.
August 19th, 2016 at 12:48 pm
Yah I don’t think Banks can make the transition to safety, but wtf do i know.
August 19th, 2016 at 1:29 pm
True, but even in the preseason game (with the exception of one play) Hey Jude played better.
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Banks was making plays all game. He even broke up a slant pass in the fourth. Jude makes a tackle in the flat and all of a sudden he’s a good CB. I don’t get it, but just like 87 wth do we know?
August 19th, 2016 at 2:17 pm
That pic of Grimey looks like “Mr. Peepers”
August 19th, 2016 at 2:29 pm
Man that was one sick interception by Grimes!
Hey Jude played the best of our corners last year but it seems as though some are down on him. What gives? Is this a bad problem to have: UFA outplays 2nd rounder to win nickel or dime spot?
August 19th, 2016 at 2:49 pm
Optimistically giddy. Need me a nice, left in the car warm, Stag!
August 19th, 2016 at 3:04 pm
Seems like Robinson is pushing Banks for that spot
August 19th, 2016 at 3:38 pm
Bucsfanman
You have got to be kidding right? Do you watch games or just read headlines? Did you not see him get burnt by 10-15 yards on every pass play last year? The kid made 3 tackles in the flat and was handed the starting job. This guy can’t even cover a punt w/o interfering with the catch.
August 19th, 2016 at 7:18 pm
Joe’s you seem to always leave out the immortal Ryan Mallet who we made look like the second coming of Joe Montana last year — not a criticism, it’s just that that’s the one that really sticks in my craw
August 20th, 2016 at 8:53 am
“…You craft beer snobs: You have no clue what bad beer is unless you’ve choked down a can of Stag. Trust Joe on this. Of course, if you could slap a weird label on it and charge $10 a six-pack. Joe swears folks would think it’s liquid gold…”
Or one might mistake it for bud light… lol
August 20th, 2016 at 6:32 pm
I agree with those that think Banks would not be best suited to tackle like a safety.Those long arms proved to be useful in goal line defense.Barimah and
Hargreaves have thicker bodies,but I wouldn’t want to put Hargreaves at safety.Believe Hargreaves on the field will soon start making big plays.Has
Barimah ever had an interception?
Kwan wasn’t quite ready and LVD had to keep an eye on him for the first few games.Hope to see Hargreaves asap.