“Poor Ryan Smith”
December 17th, 2017
A popular Bucs punching bag this season got a strong defense from a popular ex-Buccaneer.
You’ve seen the Tampa Bay pass rush (what pass rush?). So has Ian Beckles, a Bucs guard from the 1990-1996. He’s appalled.
In addition to believing Chris Baker is “stealing” from Team Glazer, Beckles is down on the rest of the bunch, and he believes too many fans are taking it out Ryan Smith. It’s Smith’s first season at cornerback in the NFL, and the 24-year-old, 2016 fourth-round pick.
“Poor Ryan Smith, the young kid. He’s out there and he has to defend three different moves on a wide receiver, and you wonder why he’s holding him. You can’t stop a receiver from making three moves. No way. There’s no pass rush out there,” Beckles said on his In The Trenches podcast last week.
Joe agrees in principle. Jason Licht, Dirk Koetter and Mike Smith never should have banked on Ryan Smith as their backup outside cornerback this season, not for a team with playoff aspirations.
It’s not Smith’s fault that he’s further exposed by the brutal pass rush. And it’s also not his fault the braintrust didn’t have him at cornerback last year. Fans should stop beating down on Smith, who has improved as the season has progressed.
Not much should be expected of the guy. Think cornerback E.J. Biggers, who had a nice three-team, seven-year career after he was a seventh-round pick of the Bucs in 2009.
December 17th, 2017 at 1:43 pm
OJ Howard is the reason the pass rush was not addressed @ the top of the draft…I’m OK with that….the first step in recovery is admitting…..THIS TEAM IS REBUILDING…..a work in progress….OJ will be a super star !….this roster has more holes than draft picks….unless THAT 1 guy is there @ whatever pick….trade down
December 17th, 2017 at 2:20 pm
Starting to think the approach to this season was to provide the offense with whatever they needed to gauge how well they were progressing. I don’t know how much more needs to be provided but it seems obvious it’s a long way from working.
Now the defense is one of the worst in the league and needs to be adressed.
We need better decision making on offense to start getting result from all this talent we have. Have no idea how Dirk keeps that power when all his moves have done more harm then good.
I really think a new HC could take over that unit, quickly fix the running game and start producing.
December 17th, 2017 at 2:37 pm
Team is 3 solid drafts away
Jason is a okay scout
He just has no vision for building a roster
December 17th, 2017 at 2:42 pm
AlteredEgo
this pathetic franchise has been rebuilding since 2003… enough excuses and free passes. it’s clear the glazers have no clue how to field a respectable nfl team. they are not going to magically get this year, next year or the year after.
December 17th, 2017 at 2:53 pm
geesh….tmax….everyone can see what is wrong….the Glazers…LOL…they can’t be guilty of trying to do the right thing…gawd…they have spent THEIR money trying ….what would you do…LOL…
December 17th, 2017 at 3:19 pm
Oct 2 2016, Julio Jones went off against two rookie corner for the Carolina Panthers, collecting 12 catches for 300 yards. Matt Ryan the for over 500 yards. Those two rookies are the current starters for the Panthers and their 7th ranked pass defense. Don’t let one very bad game against Julio Jones define a players career. I like the way Smith has completed this season, he may turn out alright.
December 17th, 2017 at 3:23 pm
Off topic but, watching Panthers game. Apparently NOW, you need two two FEET in bounds, but only ONE butt cheek. TD sticking’ Panthers.
December 17th, 2017 at 4:01 pm
Destinjohnny
Hardly. This team has enough talent to win alot of games. The coaching staff is whats holding them back. Everyone said at the beginning of the year, everyone including dirk, how talented this team is. Now they cant win and they have no talent. Its bad coaching and bad execution. There are plenty of teams with less talent that have winning records. Look at the teams from last year who people said needed multiple drafts to be playoff bound, and with a new coaching staff are now going to the playoffs. Rams, jags come to mind. Teams with less talent but better records than the bucs…buf, miami, nyj, bal, cin, jax, ten, wash, det, rams, cards. You get the drift. This team needs a head coach who practices tackle football during camp. One who game plans well, adjusts in game. Draft O and D lines and turn into a pbysical team. Dirk had delusions of grandeur in july. Decided they could show up and win. Anyway to say this team needs 3 drafts to be good is ignorant. They could be good monday night with a great game plan. Aint happening.
December 17th, 2017 at 4:15 pm
Panthers? Wrong place bro keep moving..
December 17th, 2017 at 4:16 pm
Can only wonder if Ryan Smiths progress would have better if Licht wasn’t tinkering with him by changing his natural position.
December 17th, 2017 at 4:32 pm
You better re-think your statement that the Bucs were rebuilding in 2003. Dumb@ss.
December 17th, 2017 at 4:37 pm
Joe,
I do not know of anyone on your site that has been harder on Ryan Smith than you.
December 17th, 2017 at 5:32 pm
And people are still saying that Jason Licht has supplied this team with a boatload of talent. SMDH
December 17th, 2017 at 7:53 pm
We are the browns of the South. You freaking people kill me that think everyone had to be a high draft pick to perform. All around this league it happens where guys like Ryan Smith thrive. You can’t have a first round pick at every position
We have drafted 17th twice in a decade I think Freeman and ok Howard but other than that it’s been top 10 picks all this time. Now you can keep blaming it on draft picks or look at the coaches.
I have it when people say Mike Smith developed beckwith or Alexander when that is no more true than saying lavonte David was developed, they were studs to begin with. Beckwith would have been good no matter who coaches him but some players need more time and development because that’s what it’s about
Brent Grimes was an undrafted free agent people, the coaching staff is garbage and has been since gruden left. It’s the coaching staff not just the head coach
December 17th, 2017 at 7:56 pm
Just go ahead and say we need another decade of high draft picks to be good lol or just fire this garbage head coach and get some guys in here with a proven track record and a proven system not stupid theories about how to build a football team because they’ve never actually done it before
December 17th, 2017 at 9:15 pm
Agree 100% not there…..Another coach could walk right in here and get this offense clicking.
I’m not talking about crummy pass yards by themself or worthless 1st down records……..I’m talking the whole thing, a nice run attack, a passing game that can spray the ball all over the field, play calling that uses Winston’s legs to keep defenses off balance, ability to convert third and ones when needed, ownership of the time clock………..an actual offensive unit.
The defense may take more time but if our offense can give them a lead to start games they will have more urgency to hold up their end. Confidence will grow.
December 17th, 2017 at 9:23 pm
presently no reason to beat down on Ryan Smith but vh3-that is a whole nuther matter
December 17th, 2017 at 9:32 pm
@Bob in Valrico … “Can only wonder if Ryan Smiths progress would have better if Licht wasn’t tinkering with him by changing his natural position.” When Licht drafted Ryan Smith to be a safety in 2016, I thought the reporter had made a mistake. He was obviously a CB. and a potentially very good one. you’re right Bob, it’s a shame Bucs wasted a full year trying to turn him into something he isn’t. It’s also a shame that he had to start at outside corner with so little experience, but even still he’s performing better than VHIII did. He’s got some great intangibles (instinct among them) and he’s learning quickly … on the job training.
December 17th, 2017 at 9:36 pm
Oh, and kudos Joe, you finally mentioned Jason Licht in this article … “in principle” only of course. And the “playoffs aspirations” was a nice addition. It’s nice to add a humorous touch once in awhile.
December 17th, 2017 at 10:08 pm
This team has some good players but they don’t play line…offense or defense.
Ali appears to be the real deal and GMC is GMC….bottom line…we have one stud on our OL and one on our DL…we can’t run block and we can’t rush the passer!!!
Build the dang trenches!!!!
December 17th, 2017 at 11:03 pm
StPete: BINGO!!! You need to be able to run the football and rush the passer in this league. We are deficient in both areas. Dominant line cover up a lot of flaws. We have skilled players on offense and LBs that can fly around and make plays. Sure up the lines and we can be good for a long time.
December 18th, 2017 at 12:02 am
Ive been saying it
Ryan Smith, along with Justin Evans, are the Bucs future in the secondary
Hargreaves is a future triva question- concerning wasted draft picks
On draft day- posted right here on Joebuc
Hergreaves is too short and slow. Noah Spence is too small
Time passes- nothing has changed
December 18th, 2017 at 12:52 am
Wow.. This season started with a bad vibe. I actually, truly like our head coach. But there’s too much talent on our roster to be this bad. I personally would be overjoyed to have the Chuckster back.i With this regime what’s the plan? Go big? Go small? Spread or run and take deep shots. We HAVE NO IDENTITY…. At least back in the day, I knew our offense will probably suck, but our defense was a BEAST, and would keep us in every game.John Lynch said recently if his Buccaneer teams had a q.b. like jimmy G. He would have won 5 Super Bowls. For our new and old generation of fans WE NEed a Identity
December 18th, 2017 at 7:44 am
Maybe they should of drafted a CB, oh right they did!
December 18th, 2017 at 7:53 am
Haven’t seen enough of him YET but damn dude can you at least stay on your feet! Never seen a player slip and fall in coverage as Ryan Smith. Hope he gets those issues figured out then maybe we can see what he has.
December 18th, 2017 at 10:33 am
No way you can judge our secondary with the current pass rush. Put the best secondary in the NFL with our pass rush and they will suck as well.
December 18th, 2017 at 11:37 am
I also have seen Ryan Smith progressing this year. He was a great CB in college and has a high ceiling the NFL. And you are exactly right Ian. He is very big and very fast, but the problem is because of his size he cannot stick with multiple moves playing 12-yards deep. Go watch his highlights as an All-American at NC Central playing press and you will for sure see a different player and I’m not just talking about because it was a move from NCC to NFL.