Jac Smith Not Yet Ready
September 30th, 2017
Still waiting.
For Bucs fans banking on defensive end Jacquies Smith to bring heat on quarterbacks from the edge, Joe hopes you invested in a financial institution that is FDIC insured.
Smith, who blew out his knee last year in the season-opener at Atlanta, hasn’t seen the field since. And from the depressing tone of winning Bucs coach Dirk Koetter’s words, there is no telling when Smith can get back on the field.
“Jacquies looked sharp at times,” Koetter said of the practices Smith has participated in. “He had a real nice spin move, but at the same time – and this is just my opinion – like we said yesterday he needs a little more contact work. You can’t expect this guy to be ready to go at his former self without having full-speed football. I mean he just hasn’t.”
Joe is going to take Koetter’s words here and apply them to Doug Martin, who may or may not be back on the roster come Monday. Koetter said you cannot expect a player to be his former self until he has “full-speed football.”
Martin hasn’t been at a Bucs practice since before the preseason finale on Sept. 1. He began to serve the final three games of his four-game suspension on Sept. 4.
Can Martin, if he is on the roster, truly be expected to be in “full-speed football” shape in four days to play a significant role against the Belicheats Thursday night?
As for Smith, he has missed 21 of the last 34 games with some ailment or another.
September 30th, 2017 at 8:14 am
The fact that we even have to talk about him should alarm many. The Bucs pass rush should be dubbed the “clean machine” because they end games with opposing QBs uniforms being unruffled and spotless.
September 30th, 2017 at 8:14 am
If Smith needs “full-speed football”, shouldn’t they make him play a couple snaps this Sunday?
September 30th, 2017 at 8:15 am
So still issues with those Bucs fans who were complaining about how crappy the Bucs were looking in preseason and ow is wouldn’t carry over in to the regular season?
September 30th, 2017 at 8:20 am
Every year it is the same player’s that end up on the injury list.
September 30th, 2017 at 8:21 am
Over half this article about Smith turned out to be about Doug Martin. Anyway, Smith will definitely play on Sunday. That’s clearly the only way he’s going to get back into football shape. I think Koetter was just managing expectations and giving us an idea of how Smith will be limited in terms of snaps.
September 30th, 2017 at 8:24 am
sheli manning is going to get the ball out fast with continuous slants
the lbs and safeties will have to help out the corners and tighten windows and hope for 3 and outs
“I get 1 catch per game because im a rookie beast blocker”
OJ Stocker
September 30th, 2017 at 8:45 am
@Joe … “Joe is going to take Koetter’s words here and apply them to Doug Martin.” Given your ‘love’ for Doug Martin, that was too obvious Joe; everyone saw it coming. And as far as Jack Smith goes, is anyone surprised there either?
September 30th, 2017 at 9:47 am
there is more than just a little bit of difference here!!!!!! 4 weeks and 2 years!!!!!!! JS56 is a backup DE and DM was a starter!!!!
Joe is stretching on this one!!!!!!!
September 30th, 2017 at 10:04 am
It’s not like he is going to be a pro bowler.
We don’t have a legit defensive end.
Spence has one move
September 30th, 2017 at 10:11 am
I’m with the Buc Realist on this one, Martin and JS56 definitely in different situations, hopefully Martin contributes out of the box on Thursday and Smith has a lot more rust to knock of than Dougie….
September 30th, 2017 at 10:17 am
How could such a promising season turn into a disaster so soon? We have no RB’s with talent, our healthy corners are toast, the D-line couldn’t get to a second string Vikings QB, and our two best receivers seem more interested in protesting the national anthem than in catching passes. Desean Jackson has been invisible through the first two games. A season that could have been, should have been, might have been, 10-6 now looks 6-10 at best.
September 30th, 2017 at 10:25 am
Smith needs the reps even if it’s only 3rd down rushing. And depending on how well Quizz and company do this Sunday, i wouldn’t be surprised if after the game Koetter declares MRtin our starting running back
September 30th, 2017 at 10:35 am
@Seminole Bill: Yup.
September 30th, 2017 at 10:55 am
Joe is going to take Koetter’s words here and apply them to Doug Martin, who may or may not be back on the roster come Monday.
May or may not…..are you kidding me?
As far as Jack Smith…..this could be a bit of a smokescreen…..am I correct that the final decision is made on gameday?
Nowhere in Koetter’s comments did he say Smith was out.
As far as Martin…..there has been no indication that he “may not be on the roster Monday”……
If he was being replaced, we would have another back on the roster by now.
September 30th, 2017 at 10:55 am
All this drama has one thing in common the G.M. Get Brooks or R.Barber to be the G..M. at lease they will not draft a kicker in the second round. The press laugh about it instead of calling him out How about signing a washed up D.C, who is out of touch with modern day defense schemes. Maybe if the press focus on the bad choices this G.M. has made instead of a protest, this team would not look like a clown show
September 30th, 2017 at 11:03 am
Seminole Bill you don’t know what you’re talking about.
DJax has been invisible? He had 84 yards and a TD on Sunday. It’s his fault Jameis has missed him deep 3 times for TDs? He’s doing his job. Mike has 14 catches for 160 yards, 10 first downs and a TD. Should have 2 TD’s but Jameis missed him in the Bears game. Stop being a dumb fan.
September 30th, 2017 at 11:07 am
Lol thanks rootscrew I was just about to post that.
Sucks about Jac Smith. I was hopeful after not seeing his name on the injury report…
September 30th, 2017 at 11:35 am
Totally off topic, but this is something that can’t escape my mind.
Does anyone think that players have to play together as a team for a certain period of time to actually care about that said team? I do.
Using the Bucs playoff teams from the late 90’s as a reference. Much of that team played together for quite awhile before they won a SB. Many were on their 2nd contracts. They fought to get to one place together. It was like a mission.
To me most of the current roster has not played together long enough to actually give 2 shytes about eachothers desire to win or the team for that matter. I’m just trying to say I don’t think this team has had a chance to say to each other…I’ve got your back. Most of them barely know eachother. Why would they care. Some sign 2 year contracts and such. Why would they care?
I really hope someone can help me out of this horrible thought. The roster has been turning over for years now. Here today, gone tomorrow. I’m not sure I would care about this team if I just signed a 2 yr deal and there’s a good chance in 2 years I won’t be here anymore.
Help me, help me!
September 30th, 2017 at 11:45 am
Lol omg Joe this has to be the silliest anti Doug article I’ve seen this year.
Huuuuuuuuuuuuge amount of difference between not playing for a few weeks since preseason and literally not practicing or playing full contact football of any kind for well over a year.
Are you still denying that Doug was clearly the best Rb that played for us this preseason?
September 30th, 2017 at 12:31 pm
87- I would agree somewhat with that idea of needing time to play with each other to care. Not so much to play and compete, but more when the teams are down and in dire situations. That desire to put it all out there and stage a comeback perhaps wouldn’t be burning as much for a newly signed vet.
However for a rookie I don’t think it’s an issue. And a fair amount of this team has already been together for several years now. The core of this team should want to win and have each others back already. If not, we got big problems.
September 30th, 2017 at 12:52 pm
I understand that Doug has not taken a hit a month and Jacq hasn’t played in a year, but these guys have been playing football their whole life. When Quiz was brought in last year, how many weeks was he out before he suited up for the Bucs, was he on the Beats preseason roster all four games, just a question…
September 30th, 2017 at 2:41 pm
The Bucs FO re-signed Will Gholston
Great job Licht
LakeLandBuc (kneeling)
September 30th, 2017 at 3:16 pm
Joe your an idiot… Doug Martin well be welcomed back with open arms. I know I know Paytin Barber is better… lol
September 30th, 2017 at 3:31 pm
As predicted here come the running game excuses. Like no one saw that coming. Martin will be rusty, an oft-injured OL is playing new positions, can’t coach up Mcnichols, America’s quarterback Mr. Magoo is giving the ball away, defense can’t get off the field, poorly called game by Koetter, the officials are biased, etc… blah blah blah. Fans at home saw the weaknesses on this team and the GM should have to face the heat as to the poor decisions on showcase. The last two games proved what the other backs were. Martin is the last hope for Mr. Magoo this season.
Jac Smith? They have never been able to count on him for anything. This is the type of guy that should be on the bottom of the depth chart because getting anything out of him is a bonus. Smith and an injured, undersized Spence aren’t scaring anyone. Ayers is already in costume for Halloween as a ghost. It is like the Bucs have made every wrong move possible on the DL since Rice left.
September 30th, 2017 at 3:47 pm
Will ‘Ghost’ Gholston can’t get near a QB….ask him what type of cologne they wear…he couldn’t answer you.
September 30th, 2017 at 3:52 pm
@Joe, I’m seriously starting to think you know something about Doug Martin you won’t or can’t share. Your personal animosity toward him is clear. You speak badly of him every chance you get.
He’s not the best back in the NFL, but as bad as you make him out to be? I don’t think so!
Did he date Rachel Watson! What did he do to you?
September 30th, 2017 at 4:58 pm
Ed….I totally agree with you
September 30th, 2017 at 4:59 pm
Get well soon Bucs…!!!
September 30th, 2017 at 7:25 pm
Waste of a roster space. What is the point. He’ll be injured again right after coming back anyway…like he ALWAYS is.
September 30th, 2017 at 10:06 pm
LOL 🙂
September 30th, 2017 at 10:11 pm
Again, Joe has ZEE-roe personal issues with Doug Martin. Joe is actually fond of the guy. He’s always been good to Joe.
This issue, for Joe, has been and always will be about production, nothing more and nothing less.
Joe just wishes the Bucs would come out and say, “Yeah, Doug is coming back. He may not be ready for New England but he’s coming back. His spot on the roster is secure.”
Since the day it was announced Martin was suspended, the Bucs have yet to say that, despite repeated opportunities, both on and off the record.
That’s just fishy as hell to Joe. If he’s coming back, why not say it?
FYI, Joe’s favorite player to deal with was Alterraun Verner. Great, great guy. But that didn’t mean Joe’s relationship clouded the fact Verner just wasn’t getting the job done here.
October 1st, 2017 at 9:11 am
Running Back and DE…. it seems Licht’s strategy was “pray the players overachieve.”
I am losing faith in him as a GM.