Helping GMC
March 16th, 2017
Getting a boost?
Maybe it wasn’t just America’s Quarterback, Pro Bowler Jameis Winston, who needed help?
Lots has been made that the signing of Flash Jackson will help Jameis become elite, since outside of stud Mike Evans, Jameis was throwing to a motley collection of has-beens, castoffs and never-beens. Kind of hard to complete passes when dudes are running wrong routes, bad routes or simply dropping passes right in their breadbasket, right Stampeder (2:17 mark)?
The presence of DeSean Jackson should loosen coverage on Evans so he has opportunities to explode.
However, Albert Breer of theMMQB.com believes Bucs fans are ignoring if not overlooking the signing of defensive tackle Chris Baker. Breer believes Baker will help Gerald McCoy as much as DJax will help Jameis and Evans.
Attention in Tampa was on how DeSean Jackson could make Mike Evans more effective at receiver. I think Redskins import Chris Baker should do the same for Gerald McCoy at defensive tackle.
Joe agrees. For way too long, GMC has been a one-man gang on the defensive line. Baker should be able to get pressure off GMC.
And Joe was asked this yesterday when he appeared with Pat Donovan and Aaron Jacobson on WDAE-AM 620: Does Baker help GMC?
Joe replied that Baker helps defensive coordinator Mike Smith. Why? When Smith was hired, he was quick to point out the defense would be diverse and not to pidgeonholed as a 43 front. Smith said he would throw in a 34 front if he felt it would help.
The Bucs didn’t do this much last year, but Baker has years of experience as a defensive end in a 34 front and experience as a tackle in a 34 front.
Joe watched the Bucs practice a 34 front last year with Noah Spence lined up at outside linebacker, where he played in college.
If Baker can play tackle or end capably in a 34 front, this gives Smith more tools and tricks to work with to stop opposing offenses.
March 16th, 2017 at 7:56 am
anything to comment on here Tmax? lol
March 16th, 2017 at 8:04 am
I agree it helps smith, which means it helps the whole defense, and team. I can see gmc having a great season, hope so. Clintons pretty dang good too, hope he stays healthy this year.
March 16th, 2017 at 8:08 am
We will have size on short yardage that can penetrate as well. Big Silvia at the nose, with Baker, GMC, Gholston, with Kwan and Wilcox shooting the gap, I like it
March 16th, 2017 at 8:19 am
Dude has had 4 head coaches in 7 years. that makes 5 DC’s (Lovie took over for Frazier in his 2nd year).
March 16th, 2017 at 8:25 am
Not a GMC hater because w/o him in the line really sucks but didn’t we hear the same thing said about McDonald then Ayers?
March 16th, 2017 at 8:27 am
McCoy needs all the help he can get!
March 16th, 2017 at 8:28 am
Dewey but they were all 43 defenses so nothing really changes in a 1 gap system just maintain gap integrity which he doesn’t besides these are pro players they shouldn’t need to be taught basic things like beating the man in front of you.
March 16th, 2017 at 8:32 am
Moderation Joe really???😂😂😂 Wheres the censor worthy word??? Could it be beating??? Or maybe doesn’t because it denotes something negative towards. GMC??? Lighten up on your moderation parameters………Francis!
March 16th, 2017 at 8:35 am
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 Joebucsfan.com is a funny site at times!
March 16th, 2017 at 8:36 am
Wow Joe what did I say to get on your hit list 1st thing in the a.m. ? ??
You are either using a previously banned IP address or it is something on your computer’s end that is triggering this. Given your attitude, guessing you were previously banned and you are using a new alias
Have many more important things to do than dig your comments out of the moderation filter all day.
Apologize about the inconvenience but you nor anyone else is being targeted. — Joe
March 16th, 2017 at 8:36 am
Every post is being moderated! Priceless!!!
March 16th, 2017 at 8:38 am
Interior DLine should improve significantly this year with addition of Baker … hopefully that’ll set up a better rotation and keep all DTs fresher in the 2nd half of each game. Haven’t really made any improvement at DE positions far as I can see. Gholston & Ayers will be our 2 horses, while Noah Spence & Jack Smith will (hopefully) be the speed demons. However, can see the Bucs carrying at least 9 and possibly 10 DLinemen on the active roster. Looks like the Bucs still have room for 1 maybe 2 more DE/DTs on the 53-man roster. They seem to like Lambert, and Rogers is still under contract, but … gut feel is that we’ll draft a DT/DE if a ‘just can’t resist’ prospect falls in our lap.
March 16th, 2017 at 8:43 am
Baker appears to be a beast and is an upgrade over anything else we have outside of GMC. This can only help IMO.
March 16th, 2017 at 8:51 am
Baker will expose GMC.
That is all.
March 16th, 2017 at 8:52 am
Plus I’m all for bringing in any player named “Swaggy”to the Bucs.
March 16th, 2017 at 8:54 am
@87- By “expose” you mean free up, right?! 🙂
March 16th, 2017 at 8:59 am
This post should be titled Helping Mike Smith.
March 16th, 2017 at 9:06 am
If he gets anymore “help” then it would have to be old ladies helping GMC93 cross Dale Mabry to get to the stadium!!!!!!!!
March 16th, 2017 at 9:20 am
I thought Noah Spence would help him break out, or Ayers, or McDonald, or Clayborn, or Bowers, or Michael Johnson, or Akeem Spence, or a better secondary with Grimes and Hargraves? I know maybe we should bring in Reggie White and Lawrence Taylor in their prime and then and only then will he “break out”.
March 16th, 2017 at 9:25 am
I don’t believe Chris Baker will be that impactful. Nor do I think he will start unless thru injury.
March 16th, 2017 at 9:35 am
We do this every year with him…
March 16th, 2017 at 9:57 am
A true Bucs fan wouldn’t just wash away the thought of another good player like Baker on the team and only focus on DJax all day. Very excited to see what the 330 lb man beast Baker can do to help.
March 16th, 2017 at 10:24 am
Nothing help a 3 tech quite like a 1 tech that can force double teams. Not to mention Noah Spence should break out this year. This d line could be better than its been in a real long time.
March 16th, 2017 at 10:30 am
Why just why? GMC AND SHAKE&BAKE will make his a top 7 Defensive group!
March 16th, 2017 at 11:29 am
@Bonzai- You’re not a fan of Baker? Why? Even if he’s a rotational guy, you have to like him better than A. Spence.
March 16th, 2017 at 11:38 am
Clinton McDonald is a pretty damn good DT if you ask me. He hasn’t always been healthy since he came to the Bucs – but when McDonald is healthy, his play is solid and he brings it with attitude.
I’m not sure Baker is all that much better than McDonald is the point I guess. Both are good players and its a great inside 3 man rotation w/ GMC, Baker and McDonald. Bring Ayers inside w/ MCCoy on 3rd and long with Jac Smith and Spence rushing from the edge – and there’s your Nascar pkg…
All of these guys have had problems staying healthy though which is the biggest problem we have had at DL. We have had more of a “staying healthy” problem than a talent problem regarding our DLine.
Baker has not missed a game in the last 2 years and only missed 2 games in the last 4 seasons. Perhaps that will wind up being his biggest asset for us – actually being available for 16 games this year…
March 16th, 2017 at 11:41 am
Well said Pickgrin. That’s really the key for us when you think about it. Health!
March 16th, 2017 at 11:41 am
LOL Bonzai I wouldn’t have a expected such a comment from you.
You are out of your mind if you think Baker is not going to start next to McCoy.
Whether you think he will be impactful that’s on you, but to think they didn’t bring him in here to be a force starting next to McCoy, which they have said themselves, is sort of laughable.
His play over the past two seasons, speaks for himself. Impactful he is and will remain. There’s a reason Baker has been ranked amongst the top pick ups by many NFL talking heads.
March 16th, 2017 at 11:48 am
Can’t wait for this year to see how GMC fairs now.. there will be no more excuses for the GMC apologists.
March 16th, 2017 at 11:50 am
I’d love to see GMC rushing from the edge. I believe he would be more impactful outside bc Right tackles simply can’t not block him. He’s too big and too fast.
March 16th, 2017 at 12:04 pm
Check out Bakers highlights
This guy is a mean tackler. Every tackle has guys thrown to the ground. Swaggy!!!!
March 16th, 2017 at 12:10 pm
He will win the DPOY this year…
March 16th, 2017 at 12:53 pm
he wanted help and licht has delivered…..
stud young de(noah spence)….
good quality side kick(c.baker)….
good veteran de(r.ayers)….
time to step up GMC…..GO BUCS!!!!
March 16th, 2017 at 2:07 pm
@ Buc1987
Exactly.
@Bonzai
You are out of your mind. You don’t sign a guy on the first day of free agency that you think will ride the pine.
Why does a guy with a $100 million dollar contract need help to be good? Shouldn’t a guy making that kind of money help others? By the end of the year, Baker will be playing more snaps than GMC, and next offseason they will unload McCoy for whatever they can get for him. McCoy is supposed to be one of the best one gap pentetrating DT’s in the league. When he does time the snap right and gets through he is out of control and can’t make the play, the rest of the time he is getting stood straight up or jumps offside.
I do not understand how the apologists have not caught on to his tendencies, every team in the NFL South has. He rarely makes an impact on our divisional games. I pray that Licht can somehow swing a deal for him in this draft while he still has value.
March 16th, 2017 at 2:31 pm
LOL so now GMC isn’t even good? LOLOLOL
Some of you are fckn ridiculous I swear. It’s amazing you don’t all have jobs in the NFL with your prowess and insight into professional football.
March 16th, 2017 at 2:35 pm
Well he’s right, isn’t the top player on your defense supposed to make others better not vice versa? Every year this guy gets help and every year he is his same average self.
March 16th, 2017 at 3:28 pm
The only NFL fan in the world who thinks for a second that McCoy stinks are Bucs fans. The rest of the league would trip over themselves to get him.
March 16th, 2017 at 3:38 pm
By “help” ndog, do you mean the “Beastly” Ayers (37 tackles, 6.5 sacks, 12 games) or Clinton McDonald (25 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 12 games) or maybe you meant the rookie Spence (16 tackles, 5.5 sacks, 16 games)? Is this the “help” you’re referring to? If so, what I see are 2 players who played in 3/4 of the games played and a rookie who had a small impact. Not exactly what I would call “the cavalry” in terms of production!!!
@gotb- 7 years for $98 million, only $52 guaranteed. $7.5 million a year compared to Calais Campbell $15 million a year GMC (29 yrs)-7 sacks, Campbell (30yrs)- 8 sacks………Comparatively speaking, it sounds like a bargain to me.
March 16th, 2017 at 6:23 pm
McCoy is only the leading sack master for DTs over the past 4 years. But yep. He sucks. He gets double teamed on a pretty regular basis. that is how he helps. He takes on 2 so the other can be man to man with their blocker. If they aren’t winning their one on battles that isn’t mccoys fault. In the NFL you are expected to win a one on one battle every once in a while. Once a game would be nice. But our current stock can’t win 1 battle every other game. McCoy is by far our best pass rusher right now. He isn’t consistent in the run game though. Sometimes he penetrates too much and leaves open run lanes for the RB. But sometimes his penetration leads to a TFL. Take the good with the bad on that one. And count his pass rush as a big plus.
March 16th, 2017 at 6:42 pm
Watch the tape guys.. GMC is first off his mark almost every snap, and has a motor that never quits… Glad he got rid of the stupid red patch of hair and he should stay away from microphones.. we got jaboo for that now
March 16th, 2017 at 8:13 pm
This MF always looking for help. Aunt Geraldine still got grass stains on his back. But he’s smiling so that’s good.
March 16th, 2017 at 8:47 pm
Have to be 8 deep on the dline nowadays – such a fast game with 70/80’snaps need fresh attackers at all times and injuries – Dumgy carried 10 a few times going way back – we lost JS in the 1st qtr of game 1 by gosh – I wouldn’t mind if we draft another DL first round – just makes the secondary that much better