“Steal”
May 8th, 2017
SI.com weighs in.
So did the Bucs have a good draft? Did they snooker the rest of the NFL with any picks?
We won’t know for perhaps three years, though reading folks’ draft grades, while perhaps irresponsible, is sure fun.
So Joe turned to SI.com to see what analyst Ari Ross had to write. (Hey, SI, you are one of those arses assaulting readers with those friggin’ louder than loud auto-load videos. Joe understands from a former employee you are hurting for cash. Maybe if you didn’t blast people with those wretched auto-load videos, folks might be more inclined to visit your site more often? Take a hint.)
It seems Ross is one of many big believers in running back Jeremy McNichols.
Tampa Bay may have found its future starting running back in Round 5. A two-time All-Mountain West second-team selection, McNichols rushed for 3,205 yards and 44 touchdowns over three seasons. Many projected him to be taken somewhere between the third and sixth round, but once healthy, he’ll immediately compete with Doug Martin and Charles Sims for the starting job. Fellow Boise State alum Jay Ajayi spent last year proving the teams that passed on him wrong, and there’s a good chance McNichols does the same.
Joe really wants to be believe what Ross and others write about McNichols, and they may very well be correct. But given the fact we’re talking about a fifth-round pick, Joe has to tap the brakes.
And as Joe wrote yesterday, Doug Martin isn’t the one who should be awake at night worrying about McNichols. It is one-trick pony Charles Sims.
May 8th, 2017 at 4:07 am
@Joe, Pre-draft (and still wish we could have found a way to get D. Foreman. I loved his combination of size, speed, and power) post draft I think we may have found “a steal” in Jeremy. Time of course will tell. The new passing game, and blocking upgrades with O.J and a healthy Sweezy will pay the biggest dividends for whomever is toting the package. As a side note, @Lee, send me an email as I have a couple great stories about Donald Penn and Jeremy “Zoo” Zuttah that you should hear. Nothing controversial, just funny stories.
May 8th, 2017 at 5:08 am
“Maybe if you didn’t blast people with those wretched auto-load videos, folks might be more inclined to visit your site more often? ”
LOL – Pot – meet Kettle….
McNichols stats are even more impressive if you look at the last 2 years when he actually played. 3000+ yards and 43 TDs rushing. 900+yards and 10 TDs receiving.
May 8th, 2017 at 5:56 am
Pickgrin-
Touché. That’s hilarious !
May 8th, 2017 at 6:26 am
@ Pickgrin
LMAO 🙂
May 8th, 2017 at 7:10 am
He’s got a good point with Ajayi…
May 8th, 2017 at 7:13 am
Ahem. Joe does not have pre-produced videos that autoload. Never have, never will.
May 8th, 2017 at 7:22 am
Not for awhile Joe, but at one point had to turn my speakers down as it was unbearable! This site was one of the worst ever, but glad to see you fixed it 🙂
May 8th, 2017 at 7:25 am
Boise State does seem to have some history in producing NFL level running backs.
May 8th, 2017 at 7:29 am
He is a steal. Good job Licht. Again. I think Sims is gone.
May 8th, 2017 at 7:30 am
Wombat:
Joe has never produced a video that autoloaded. Never.
May 8th, 2017 at 7:34 am
Complaining because the guy is a 5th round pick is kind of silly if it is the deepest draft in regent memory like they say. We’ve started undrafted rookies like hump so if he’s the guy I doubt the gm waits 3 years to find out.
May 8th, 2017 at 7:36 am
SI the magazine is like a women’s magazine now. 10 pages of ads with a bunch of one pargraph stories. Half expect and overwhelming perfume insert in the middle of them. Couldn’t even find the draft in the last issue.
May 8th, 2017 at 8:09 am
I agree with Not there yet on this one. A number of successful RB’s in the league were drafted in middle rounds. He was one of the best blockers in the draft and is known for having very reliable hands as a receiver out of the backfield. He is quick and shifty. He and Rodgers should make a good tandem. Perhaps Martin will make the roster and have a good season as well. That would give us strength at the RB position. Also Howard along with the new look offensive line should make the going a little easier this year not to mention Flash Jackson and ME13 causing defenses to to play less 8 men in the box.
May 8th, 2017 at 8:09 am
Ross thinks Sims has a shot to be the starter? SMH
May 8th, 2017 at 8:16 am
“Hey, SI, you are one of those arses assaulting readers with those friggin’ louder than loud auto-load videos. Joe understands from a former employee you are hurting for cash. Maybe if you didn’t blast people with those wretched auto-load videos, folks might be more inclined to visit your site more often? Take a hint.”
CHEERS FOR JOE!!!!!!!
I hate that crap with a passion!!!!!!
May 8th, 2017 at 8:17 am
The other thing I hate is click bait, when you click to read an article and it has next buttons leading you through ten pages.
May 8th, 2017 at 8:22 am
“Joe really wants to be believe what Ross and others write about McNichols, and they may very well be correct. But given the fact we’re talking about a fifth-round pick, Joe has to tap the brakes.”
I agree. Fans are acting like this guy is the second coming of Winston around here. He’s a 5th round pick. Yeah, he might turn out to be great, but the keyword is ‘might’.
I’ll be cheering him on if he makes the team because I want every player on the final roster to succeed, but until then, he has to earn his spot.
It is entirely possible that being taken in the 5th instead of earlier could drive him to prove teams wrong. I hope so.
PS
I want a hard hitting short yardage back…still.
May 8th, 2017 at 8:28 am
Denial is not just a river in Egypt Joe. Glad you no longer allow the intrusive types of video adv that play automatically but lets not pretend that wasn’t happening here nor how annoying they were. Thanks for getting rid of them and for all your hard work and great Bucs coverage. I just thought you calling out someone else for something that was a huge source of annoyance to all your readers for years was a bit ironic.
May 8th, 2017 at 8:49 am
Joe: I’ll take your word that you have never produced a video that autoloaded. Maybe it was the other Joe, maybe he didn’t either. But, I’ll bet at least one of your advertisers did. Let’s not deny they were on this site.
May 8th, 2017 at 9:00 am
You didn’t produce them… just sold them ad space. Worse. You can’t even be proud of the product because you didn’t produce it.
May 8th, 2017 at 9:01 am
Besides you didn’t call them out above for producing the videos, but for hosting them.
May 8th, 2017 at 9:28 am
Why should Sims be worried? I thought you’ve been saying Martin is the one who wont make it to training camp or beyond?
May 8th, 2017 at 9:57 am
“Is it just Kobe that thinks JM looks like a smurf”
Kobe Faker
May 8th, 2017 at 10:32 am
I tell ya what I didn’t read the article on this kid. I’ve read and seen enough. Not sold, need to see more. 5th round has nothing to do with it either. I don’t really care where your drafted under Licht, see: Kwon in the 4th. I will however admit he might BE a steal, only because he was kind of tucked away at lowly Boise State and wasn’t in the national spotlight as much as other RB’s from bigger schools. Is he better than the other rb’s before him? Time will tell like everyone always says, but what else can you say about a 5th rounder?
IMO…Every once and awhile a back shines being drafted that late. Now the JBF stats and records guru’s can come on here and post me a list of late round rb’s that went onto shine in the NFL. I hope you do, cause I couldn’t tell you where Icky Woods or Christian Okoye or whoever was taken where. They weren’t Bucs afterall. I just know Dougie was drafted high. Dunn was drafted high. Wilder was drafted high. Some the best backs in league history were drafted high. Then again Lars Tate and Reggie were drafted in the 2nd rnd.
I guess it boils down to it’s hit or miss no matter what round your’e drafted in. I guess I kind of always knew this, but the kid in me wants the Bucs to hit on every pick. 🙂
Go Bucs!
May 8th, 2017 at 10:33 am
Cobb*
May 8th, 2017 at 11:08 am
A small running back is more susceptible to injuries, i.e. McNichols’ bum shoulder, and all the injuries to our Muscle Hampster, as well as more likely to be stripped of the football. Therefore, we should keep McNichols and the Muscle Hampster both, despite the fact neither one has breakaway speed and are not big enough to make their own holes between the tackles, which will cost the Bucs a lot more money in the long run than if Licht had used the opportunity this draft to have picked up a burly large back with breakaway speed. We knew our team’s top priority need was a RB this draft, yet Licht felt he knew best what we need, and again made the wrong decision. If we had not had top coaches like Koetter, and Smith to overcome a lot of Licht’s failures, we would be destined to be always at the bottom of our Division as long as we keep tolerating his bad picks.
May 8th, 2017 at 11:13 am
By the way the Dolphin’s star running back, from the same college team as McNichols, has and demonstrated break away speed last year to run all the way to the end zone. McNichols and Muscle Hampster don’t have that kind of speed.
Just think, we could have gotten Peterson for 3.5 million dollars this year instead of letting our competition, the Saints, take him and would have had a break away big back this year!
May 8th, 2017 at 11:42 am
owlykat
AP needs a walker to get to the end zone.
May 8th, 2017 at 12:16 pm
The sentiment I agree with is that “time will tell”. I prefer bigger backs overall anyway, this guy’s on the small side. I tend to side with Joe in that he’s more likely Sims replacement, a 3rd down change-of pace back, which Sims never really lived up to.
Hopefully we’ll have some fierce competition at the position.
May 8th, 2017 at 12:20 pm
Bucs fans will regret bashing this pick. Mostly the Cook fanboys that couldn’t stop whining
May 8th, 2017 at 12:32 pm
Yea Joe but you have a ds that do the same exact thing and blast people with obnoxious noise without any warning, so your complaints are pretty ironic. Doesn’t matter who “produced” it lol, such irony. I think I can guess who wrote this article.
As for mcnichols, I agree with your take.
I hope he ends up being a steal but only time will tell. He definitely challenges Sims and Barber, and we’ll see what happens with Doug.
May 8th, 2017 at 1:07 pm
McNichols is a future star.
May 8th, 2017 at 1:08 pm
With Mixon in Cincy Jeremy Hill could come available that would be a major boost if they somehow got him on this offense.
May 8th, 2017 at 2:12 pm
Since the 2007 NFL draft, 16 players drafted in the 5th round has played in the Pro Bowl. 5 played in the 2017 Pro Bowl, Jordan Howard, Jay Ajayi, Richard Sherman, Tyreek Hill, D.J.Alexander. Jeremy McNichols could be a future Pro Bowl player. It’s not like it has never been done before by a 5th round draft pick.
May 8th, 2017 at 3:35 pm
McNichols may very well be a future star here, where he might not have been elsewhere.
In such a specialized league, matching the players skills to the right system is key.
The Bucs are going to be a pass first team. Despite all if our Coach’s desire to be balanced.
We gave a Gunslinger QB, and a heck of a lot of talented guns!
Of this years extremely talented crop of RBs, McNichols was considered best Pass blocker, and a top Recieving option.
Taylor made fit? Licht got his man?
Time will tell. But I think McNichols has the entry skills to fit in here really quickly
May 8th, 2017 at 8:16 pm
McWeapon!!!!!!
May 9th, 2017 at 9:15 am
Bet the oly mockvdraft he was in was mine….