Help Wanted
June 21st, 2017
Brother can you spare a job?
If it is late June and a healthy, young NFL player still hasn’t found a team to add him to its payroll, then that is bad news, very bad.
And such is the issue with former Bucs corner Alterraun Verner.
Don’t get the wrong idea here. Joe is not here to mock or ridicule Verner. The UCLA product may have been one of Joe’s favorite Buccaneers to deal with from a media-player perspective. Verner, one of the truly good guys, was unfailingly polite and always responded to sometimes very tough questions with dignity if not thoughtful, intelligent answers.
That doesn’t mean Verner could play.
For whatever reason, Verner, who came to the Bucs as a Pro Bowl cornerback, totally flamed out. Last June, Verner was expected to be a starter and the Bucs had hoped then-rookie Vernon Hargreaves would be a nickel corner and slowly work his way into the starting lineup.
Instead, in Week 2, Hargreaves supplanted Verner as the starter opposite Brent Grimes. Verner was released by the Bucs after the season.
Verner, 28, recently had a tryout with the Jags but did not get a call back, in part, because he was reported to be out of shape. Yesterday, Verner appeared on “Movin’ the Chains” heard exclusively on SiriusXM NFL Radio, and gave an update on his job hunting.
“I’ve worked out for a few teams including the Jaguars,” Verner said. “I feel very confident something will happen come late summer.”
Verner added while his goal was to find a new team this spring, he will be OK if he is on a roster come September.
Why is Joe bringing this up? Well, earlier this underwear football season, winning Bucs coach Dirk Koetter said the roster of the Bucs is “by far” the best it has been since he arrived as offensive coordinator in 2015.
The fact a guy the team, Koetter’s team, pegged to start last season currently can’t find employment with training camps scheduled to open in five weeks, well, that’s all you need to know about how much better the current roster of the Bucs is.
June 21st, 2017 at 9:32 am
When we cut him, I was certain it was done early so he could find another job. Didn’t work out that way
June 21st, 2017 at 9:40 am
Great guy horrible cornerback
June 21st, 2017 at 9:47 am
We are getting balance…we are building depth….we can contend but we’ll get even better now that the foundation has been laid.
Another indication of just how far we’ve come is looking at next year’s draft. I stumbled across a 2018 Walter Football Mock. Yes totally meaningless but it did make me think about who I hoped we would get or what position.
Nothing came to mind! I think the Bucs have FINALLY reached BPA in the draft.
June 21st, 2017 at 9:49 am
Cinnamon Toast Crunch
June 21st, 2017 at 9:49 am
If he could be had cheap and accept a depth role, I’d bring him back.
June 21st, 2017 at 9:55 am
I would not be opposed to him for depth, except that he’s been lazy and is out of shape.
June 21st, 2017 at 10:03 am
I guess they couldn’t “coach the Lovie out of him!”
Coaches coach and players play!
June 21st, 2017 at 11:05 am
He lost his father in November!!!!
They were close. I’m not surprise he is out of shape. Lets give him a break and wish for the best. I bet you last week and this week are the hardest weeks he had to faced this year with out his father present.
I wish him the best. Much respect for him.
June 21st, 2017 at 11:21 am
If we cut the rest of our backup CBs, they couldn’t get another job in the NFL.
June 21st, 2017 at 12:50 pm
Verner had his moments. His play was obviously not worth what he was getting paid though.
I’m surprised he hasn’t been signed to a lower level 1-2 year contract by some team at this point.
Verner was the projected starter last year going into the preseason before VH3 showed he was worthy to start as a rookie. So that’s 2 of our 4 starters in the defensive backfield from this time last year whose NFL careers are now hanging by a thread (Verner and McDougald) Yea – I’d say we’ve gotten better…
June 21st, 2017 at 1:25 pm
Bucs are significantly better, but next year in the draft the Bucs have at least four areas they will need to address(unless our 5th round choice is a home run):
Cornerback
Defensive End
Offensive Tackle
Running Back
June 21st, 2017 at 2:53 pm
RayJameisStadium Says
“He lost his father in November!!!! They were close. I’m not surprise he is out of shape.”
That was more than half a year ago. A month or two I can understand (been through it myself), but 7 months? Excuses are gone.