Banks Blasts Coaching
November 18th, 2016
“You listen to me or I’ll Banks you.”
Many fans still don’t understand why 2013 Bucs second-round pick Johnthan Banks drew frowns from Lovie Smith and rode Mike Smith’s bench before being launched at the trade deadline to the Lions for a seventh-round pick.
Banks offered a little more insight, via MLive.com.
“What was holding me back in Tampa? Coaches. That’s what was holding me back. Coaches,” Banks told MLive after practice Thursday. “I mean, I can play. If you go and look at this year’s preseason, nobody in that secondary made more plays than me. Every game in the preseason, I got a PBU or interception. I don’t know if I had a ball caught on me all preseason.
“I mean, it is what it is. I’m past Tampa. I’m glad to be out here, and I wish them well.”
First, Joe gets how many fans might have their panties bunched up over Banks’ comments, but it’s really no surprise. Coaches benched Banks, so he blames coaches. Simple as that.
Now Joe does think Banks’ comments about preseason stats are silly. Banks wasn’t facing first-team receivers and quarterbacks this year. Coaches thought Brent Grimes, Alterraun Verner and Vernon Hargreaves were better on the outside, so Joe thinks Banks would be better off keeping his blame focused on the coaches.
There’s more via the link above. But Joe finds it all insignificant. Banks was a good teammate and is giving the media an honest answer. The NFL would be a lot more interesting if all players did the same.
November 18th, 2016 at 9:24 am
Because our secondary has been so special
November 18th, 2016 at 9:31 am
This guy never got a fair shake here, and I have a strong feeling he’s going to do really well in Detroit. In this case I really hope he does.
November 18th, 2016 at 9:37 am
Unfortunately he was also one of the players that caught mrsa and was on heavy medication if I remember correctly, one has to wonder how much this played a part of not being able to be 100% all the time!!!!
November 18th, 2016 at 9:40 am
He now has the chance to prove it. I wish it would’ve worked out here but yes the coaches benched him, but he has to take some personal responsibility Was he doing everything that a professional can do to learn his craft. Idk but I’d wager not
November 18th, 2016 at 9:41 am
ANOTHER waisted 2nd round pick!! Uuuuugggggghhhhh! Maybe we should just use our 2nd to trade up in the first since we reach and waiste the pick year after year. Maddening!!
Verner is gone after this year and Grimes will be after next year. Guess what we’ll be looking for in the draft AGAIN next year?
November 18th, 2016 at 9:42 am
I would like to know why he never was given a shot esp in this day and age of taller corners…i mean in the schiano era he was coached by arguably one of the nfls best dbs in revis and schiano is a great defensive mind and schiano had the bucs playing with an attitude and intensity on defense, GMC, LVD, Baron, and Banks were all performing at arguably their best plays ever
November 18th, 2016 at 9:54 am
Though we do not have the whole story, can’t help but think Banks is spot-on. He may not be the most athletically gifted player but it seems that there was a bunch of coaching personalities that were getting in the way of Banks being the guy we drafted him to be. Wishing him the best of luck in Detroit.
November 18th, 2016 at 9:56 am
@Dusthty Rhothdes – I would like to know that too. Banks used to ball out and then slowly but surely didn’t get on the field enough to get better. Then Revis leaves and he had a box of pickles for 2 seasons to work behind. I’m more than willing to give Koetter this year and next to prove he belongs but for sure our coaching staff needs more Warhop in them.
November 18th, 2016 at 9:59 am
Realist- MRSA s not a big deal if it effectively treated. MRSA has had zero impact on Banks since he was cleared to play.
Rhodes- Schiano is/was a defensive moron. Do you not remember how horrible this team was in pass D during his first season? They were historically bad. His second season the Bucs D wasn’t even in the top half of the league.
Banks has nobody to blame but himself. Three head coaches and three different D coordinators later and you can’t blame them all. The only common factor in thone coaches is Banks.
November 18th, 2016 at 10:00 am
he may be right….boo hoo…GO BUCS!!!!
November 18th, 2016 at 10:03 am
With a statement like that it was probably his attitude that held him back
November 18th, 2016 at 10:10 am
Nope Brandon…I agree with Dusthty on this one (well I might not call Schiano a great defensive mind, but he is a pretty darned good one.) I have no idea what possessed Lovie to trot a guy like Jenkins out over Banks, but at least I can understand Mike Smith’s decision with the current DB’s on the roster (though I think Banks is as capable as Verner)
November 18th, 2016 at 10:12 am
Johnthan Banks obviously worked with several different coaches while with the Bucs, and each one of them apparently tried to mold him into something he wasn’t instead of just capitalizing on his natural skills and correcting his weaknesses. I think that’s all Banks was trying to say about his coaches. Nothing really harsh. The article about Johnthan Banks on MLive.com seems to say that …
“Banks credits his improvement to reuniting with Tony Oden. He initially worked with the Lions’ cornerbacks coach during his first year in Tampa, when he started all 16 games, defended five passes picked off three others. Oden made Banks a better player that year, and has already made him a better corner in two weeks this year, fixing some bad habits that had gone uncorrected in Tampa. “I feel like he’s readjusted me all over again,” Banks said. “I’m a new corner again. Just changing me, getting me low, getting me into a better stance. I’ve had so many coaches, I’ve been changed so much, I feel like I was changed the wrong way. And, you know, I feel like I’m being coached right again.”
November 18th, 2016 at 10:14 am
I’ve said since last yr, Banks and Verner were problems in the secondary. He was long overdue. And Buc Realist, MRSA has nothing to do with it. Nothing whatsoever.
November 18th, 2016 at 10:17 am
I wish bin well but I keep asking myself this question… If he such a good corner, wouldn’t another team have traded something higher than a 7th rd pick for him? A truly good corner would fetch a 4-5 rd pick in my eyes.
November 18th, 2016 at 10:18 am
Ya I’m going to agree with Chris (above). I remember as soon as we traded Talib to NE, the first thing he said was “this is a real football team”
November 18th, 2016 at 10:26 am
Yes Banks was so good that the Bucs best offer was a 2018 7th round pick.
Sounds like he’s the next Deion Sanders
November 18th, 2016 at 10:36 am
He may have a good point as far as pre-season. I read all of the articles about how bad he looked in OTA practices and training camp so I kept a close eye on him in the pre-season games and I though he performed as well as any other CB on the team. The only question for me was whether he could play at that same level against the other teams starters.
November 18th, 2016 at 10:40 am
Some of you guys think Banks wasn’t worth a higher draft pick so that proves he wasn’t any good. You think the Bucs could get more for a player everyone knew was going to be cut if he wasn’t traded? A player in the final games of his contract who’ll be a free agent in January? None of you are paying attention.
I enjoyed Banks perspective, and I think he’s probably right. That being said it’s not a good thing to start a new job by criticizing your old one.
November 18th, 2016 at 10:42 am
If we drafted Tunsil. Banks would still be here.
November 18th, 2016 at 10:43 am
No one is good enough to be on the Bucs roster according to you geniuses. Banks, Foster, Castillo, Barron, Claiborne, shall I go on? Yet all of them start on better teams than the Bucs. I wonder how that works. Well at least you guys are smart enough to hold on to the biggest cupcake DT in the history of the game. *golf clap*
And that is why the Bucs have been in last place for 6 years AND can’t seem to win more than 6 games. But plz continue, tell me why these players ain’t good enough for you?
Congrats, Tampa, you played yourself yet again.
November 18th, 2016 at 10:44 am
Banks is spot on. It started with Lovie so I’m not surprised.
November 18th, 2016 at 10:56 am
Not THE FANDANGO ALL WORLD COACHING STAFF! Ha ha ha ha ha DOWN WITH BANNON AMERICA DO IT DO IT NOW!
November 18th, 2016 at 10:57 am
DB55 100% you are spot on and don’t forget Bennett and also Revis despit the price tag and schiano did have the team and the defense playing at a level not seen since the kiffen days, LVD was an animal, GMC was playing before he became a cupcake and the defense and the team should have won that game up in Seattle, schiano may have been tough but the man can coach defemse look at OSU and he will get measured against Bama in 2 months…..GMC and LVD look like shells of themselves now
November 18th, 2016 at 11:18 am
@The Buc Realist that’s a great point.
As to why he was in the dog house, clearly he has an attitude. Maybe coaches saw that and that is why he didn’t get his opportunities.
November 18th, 2016 at 11:24 am
I have been blasting the Bucs coaches since Rah was fired, Schiano, Lovie and Koetter, they all are terrible. Our ex players are balling out for other teams while we have trash on our roster. Schiano should never have been hired, he only got the job because Chip Kelly and Wade Phillips turned the job down. Lovie was hired and given complete control of the roster, a dumb move by the Glazers. He knew nothing about talent evaluation. Then he hired Jason Licht, another dumb move. The Glazers fired Lovie, but they should have cleaned house ( firing Lovie,Licht and Koetter ). We need a football guy as a consultant and let them pick the GM. Someone like Bill Polian or Charley Casserly, we have let too much talent walk out the door here. It starts with the Glazers, they the worst owners in the NFL. Which owners in their right state of mind would give Lovie the power to hire a GM. This franchise is a Joke, I thought Johnthan Banks outplayed all of our corners during the preseason. But Mike Smith wants 5’9 midget corners, and who can they cover?
November 18th, 2016 at 11:28 am
every bucs media outlet has said the Lovie secondary coaches were bad so why down Banks for blaming the coaching, and frequent coaching changes, for his fall in Tampa? Detroit’s DB coach wants him there. So he’s going to do whatever he needs to do to make Banks a better player. Can the same be said for Lovie & Mike staff? No! If banks was a lower draft stock he would’ve been let go but the GM forced him on two coaching staffs that systems he didn’t fit into… i give him props for lasting as long as he did… not fitting into a “system” or coach’s preferred style of play doesn’t mean you can’t play football
November 18th, 2016 at 11:45 am
BANKS produced even in love scheme , top in INT which is what sorry lovie preached and than benched him..
they blame schiano for Freeman
Lovie for Banks downfall is more legit argument
November 18th, 2016 at 11:49 am
Yep, it HAS to be coaching! Give me a break! He was given as much opportunity as everyone else. HE WASN’T GOOD ENOUGH. Why is that so hard to understand?!
November 18th, 2016 at 11:59 am
I think the biggest problem with our Head Coaches are the fact they want to wear 2 hats. Gruden, Rah, Schiano, Lovie, Koetter they all want to be Head Coach and call the defense or the offense. Bill Bellichick, Pete Carroll, Mike Tomlin, John Harbaugh, Tom Coughlin ( before he was fired) they all were Head Coaches only. I don’t know why we keep letting these guys wear 2 hats. Dirk Koetter is already overwhelmed with new responsibilities as Head Coach. Why in the world he want to call plays for the offense ? It don’t make sense, Todd Monken is a capable playcaller, let him call the offense.
November 18th, 2016 at 11:59 am
Wasn’t Lovie’s son a secondary coach? God help us all.
November 18th, 2016 at 12:17 pm
Banks is right. He is a good player. Coach’s weren’t smart enough to use him. Too bad we threw away another second round pick.
November 18th, 2016 at 12:22 pm
No one can tell me that Jude is a better player than Johnthan Banks. Jude career stats, 0 INTS, 3 PD.
November 18th, 2016 at 12:30 pm
All entertaining perspectives of our rosters and coaches.
I just wanted to add that any negative criticism of Koetter that insinuates he is a bad coach and/or a bad decision by the glazers is ignorant and unwarranted. I continually see people post comments like this. It is WAY TOO EARLY. He is also responsible for our most successful offense in history last year so that completely contradicts your point. If you act like an educated fan, than educate yourself.
November 18th, 2016 at 12:39 pm
Most Successful offense because of Garbage time. Look at the stats when the game has a meaning.
November 18th, 2016 at 12:44 pm
Also he don’t run fast, but receivers do.
November 18th, 2016 at 12:58 pm
Banks would require a new contract next year so it was when not if he was going to go.
November 18th, 2016 at 1:01 pm
He could have said “how can anyone cover a receiver for 6 seconds” jk
These comments make me believe that he was not “all in” and the coaches sensed it.
November 18th, 2016 at 1:02 pm
The Bucs just get rid of too much talent and replace them with less talented players. It’s a receipt for success, fooo shooo.
November 18th, 2016 at 1:06 pm
If he were better than Jude, he’d be playing. There’s not a whole lot of mystery there. Why does everybody BUT the coaches think this guy got a raw deal?!
He could not beat out Verner, Jude, OR Robinson. Get over it!
November 18th, 2016 at 1:39 pm
Banks are in a better situation and the Bucs and their secondary still sucks. And they always will, until some changes are made.
November 18th, 2016 at 1:58 pm
He did play well against second and third team offenses this preseason. Might be speaking a bit highly of himself. The only interception I saw him make was against a third string offense (maybe PS week 3) thrown directly at him with no one within a 10 yard radius. There could have been more. I liked Jonathan Banks but I think we needed to go in a different direction in the secondary also. Is he getting playing time in Detroit? All the best to ya Banks.
November 18th, 2016 at 3:40 pm
If your in a preseason game in the 4th quarter week 4. They hand you a home depot application. When the game ends.
November 18th, 2016 at 4:27 pm
Banks seemed to play OK most of the time he played – he didn’t stand out like a lot of the DBs on the team as being completely awful. I don’t get what the coaches saw that made them not play him or even give him a chance – but considering how terrible the coaching has been on defense this year, I wouldn’t dismiss what he has to say. Anyways I hope he does well, he always seemed like a decent guy.
November 18th, 2016 at 4:35 pm
That’s hilarious!!!! You just attributed our most successful offense in our 41 year history to garbage time!!!! I have researched the stats in 2015 several times before and we were really only blown out 4x. You’re telling me that 1/4 of the games contributed to that significant amount of garbage time stats? Not to mention that’s the only reason we were that successful on offense last year?
There are a couple of you have endured the Yucs for far too long that it has manipulated your perception of this franchise to the point where 90% of your comments are negative. I understand the frustration and I agree to an extent, however, to write off Koetter after 9 games and a 4-5 record after our most successful season in history(which is incredible no matter how much you twist it), is completely irrational.
Most fans have confidence in him, as should you. Educate yourself.
November 18th, 2016 at 5:33 pm
Not as simple as that….I disagree. Time will tell but banks should have been playing physical press coverage and he was playing in a soft zone scheme.
November 18th, 2016 at 5:38 pm
Look at all the other good players we have shown the door. I guarantee he was vocally expressing his displeasure with the way he was being told to play and now hes going to make the lions better.
Thanks again Mike Smith. Our defense is going to get destroyed this Sunday and it will be with your name on it….idiot
November 18th, 2016 at 7:53 pm
Lol at preseason hero
November 18th, 2016 at 9:02 pm
Call me crazy but if we stayed with Schiano drafting his type of players and coaching them up… We would be a stout hard nose team man.
But he was t pleasent to local writers( who Are now unemployed)
He had players fit and hD them playing gritty. He got the best out of a lot of guys who are shells of their former selfs
November 18th, 2016 at 9:50 pm
Second attempt: it’s not easy to post on here tonight. Wonder why? I raised hell about Banks, and I’m glad Detroit picked him up. BTW, you need to update your icon pics.
November 18th, 2016 at 10:02 pm
Our most successful offense was in 2012, when we scored 389 points under Mike Sullivan. Last season, we scored 342 points. Total yards don’t mean nothing without points.
November 19th, 2016 at 1:58 am
Banks said what most people who never really saw the light of day after their first 2 seasons would say. No surprise there. But, between the several coaches that worked with him and evaluated him versus Banks, I’m going with the coaches. Everyone assumed it was a “being in Lovie’s doghouse” thing. Interestingly enough, the next coaching regime saw fit to keep Banks off the field as well. There is a reason for that and while I wish the best for the young man, I think it will be evident in Detroit.
November 19th, 2016 at 5:42 am
It is not the coaches, its the fact that Johnthan Banks is simply not going to start over a four time All-Pro and a number one draft pick. I still feel it was a bad move giving up on a 2nd round draft pick before his fourth year even ended. Cornerbacks take time to reach their full potential and the Bucs could have re-signed him for next to nothing. If he was an issue in the locker room or was refusing to try and play Safety then I can see why they would move on. 6-2 185 pound CB’s are what teams are looking for. In his first two seasons he produced 105 tackles, 7 INT and 15 passes defended. Those are strong numbers to let go of.
November 21st, 2016 at 11:17 am
Way to cherry pick one aspect of my comment. You still haven’t addressed my point.
My point is valid and especially considering yesterday’s win at Arrowhead, you couldn’t be more wrong about our coach. Oh well, you tried.