Bucs Management Botched Three Stars
January 31st, 2018
Inept personnel moves of the past make Joe want to scream!
It’s been two days since Joe interviewed former Bucs and current Eagles running back LeGarrette Blount at Super Bowl Opening Night. And in the time since, it finally dawned on Joe, the main reason why the Bucs have morphed into Cleveland South.
Bucs management/coaches didn’t know how to work with or control players they deemed out of control or difficult to coach.
It’s been a decade since the Bucs found themselves in a playoff game. Only once since Chucky was jettisoned have the Bucs reached double-digit wins in a season — when the Bucs had Michael Bennett, Aqib Talib and Blount as starters.
Sense a pattern?
These guys the Bucs ran off for a variety or reasons went on to be key cogs in Super Bowl winning outfits.
And what is left? Cleveland South, a Bucs team that now boasts the longest playoff drought in the NFC and has the second-worst home record in the NFL since Chucky prowled the sidelines.
Bennett was run off for no good reason. He goes on to shine for the Seahawks, play in two Super Bowls and win one ring.
Aqib Talib was crazy. Yet he wasn’t crazy enough for Bill Belicheat to ignore, wasn’t too crazy for John Elway to embrace with a giant contract. Talib won a ring with the Broncos and, like Bennett, is coming off another Pro Bowl season.
Blount, too, was deemed bad in the locker room. He too was passed off on Belicheat and later Doug Pederson. Both coaches face each other in Sunday’s Super Bowl. Blount won a ring with the Belicheats last year and during the 2014 season. His 10 career postseason rushing touchdowns rank among the all-time greats.
Just think about that: At the time those three were let go, folks at One Buc Palace clearly had no clue how to work with them. So they just threw up the white flag.
Bucs fans simply just threw up.
Some call these guys “cancers,” which is utterly absurd. How exactly did Bennett, Talib or Blount blow up their teams when they won rings? That’s just nonsense to call them cancers or even distractions. That’s like calling Doug Martin a winner.
And think even more about the ramifications of giving up on those three. If Blount was not deemed to be a Grim Reaper, the Bucs would not have had to spend a first round pick on Martin — funny, but it appears Blount will outlast Martin in the NFL. If the Bucs kept Talib, then they would not have had to trade for Darrelle Revis, or worse, cut Revis for Mike Jenkins, which in turn forced the Bucs to draft Vernon Hargreaves in the first round.
Bennett? How much freaking Team Glazer loot has been flushed down the toilet and draft picks burned in futile attempts to replace him?
The Bucs not only threw away three stars, afterwards they ran loads of draft picks and free agent capital through a garbage disposal that could have gone towards other areas of the team.
So either a lack of foresight or shallow, narrow minds, or bloated egos — or downright stubbornness — led to Bennett, Talib and Blount getting shoved out the door.
Instead, these three guys helped teams win the Super Bowl while the Bucs sit on their couches in their boxers each January sucking their thumbs.
January 31st, 2018 at 7:13 am
And….what do these three have in common?
MARK DOMINICK
I think he qualifies as “Bucs Management”……let’s call him out for Joe.
January 31st, 2018 at 7:21 am
Tbbf,
Beat me to it!
ROCK STAR MARK DOMINIK SCREWED THE POOCH!
I wish Ira could let it fly one time and dive in deep to Mark Dominik’s tenure with the Joes. I get that Dominik is a classy individual, but arm chair GMs could do better.
Case in point: Mark Dominik prided himself on not drafting offensive linemen. And, in the 2011 draft Dominik spent the 20th overall selection on Adrian Clayborn, and passing on Cam Jordan.
Please point to out Dominik’s roster ineptitude.
January 31st, 2018 at 7:24 am
Tbh the worst move was cutting Matt Bryant.
January 31st, 2018 at 7:31 am
They hired a college coach who couldn’t control grown men the way he could with kids at the college level. So they were labeled as not being “Buccaneer men”.
January 31st, 2018 at 7:34 am
I also love how it was “unexplained” how he was allowed to walk away!!!!!! its the same reason that the bucs had to do a full rebuild from just 4 season ago!!!!!!! Only 2 draft picks and 1 undrafted free-agent remain!!!!!
The straw house that talk show dominik built has been exposed!!!!!!!!!!!!
Go Bucs!!!!!!!!!!!!
January 31st, 2018 at 7:40 am
Since we are talking about what a completely different regime did ok I guess since we can’t let this go. Blount was a cancer and complained about touched even when the team won he was also cut from the Steelers. Talib was crazy and needed to grow up unfortunately this franchise couldn’t handle him or any outspoken player which is why they all leave for bigger markets and thrive. This Tampa Bay market team are just small minded thinkers and they act like a small market. They are looking for good little soldiers like McCoy and as long as they have that doesn’t matter if they win
January 31st, 2018 at 7:46 am
This post headline can be an ongoing Fill In The Blanks:
Bucs Management Botched ____________
An endless supply of stuff to fill in there…..
January 31st, 2018 at 7:49 am
Here is what J0E does not understand!!!!!!! Talk show dominik was beyond terrible!!!!!!!! You can let a bad player attitude player go, but you have to replace them!!!!!!!! and with all the high draft positions the Bucs were in, to only have 2 drafted players and 1 undrafted free agent left after 4 years is beyond unacceptable!!!!!!!!!!
And if you think that GM Licht is bad in free-agency, check out talk show host dominik’s free agent signings !!!!!! Its worst!!!!!!! The guy is terrible and will never see the inside of an NFL office again, (no matter how much he begs)!!!!!!!!!!
ITs a Full Rebuild Sheep!!!!!!
Go Bucs!!!!!!!!!!!!
January 31st, 2018 at 7:51 am
There are always locker room cancers when YOU are a loser! Bucs always say, we are lookin for high character players. Other teams have consistently taken our castoffs intefrated them into a system and become winners. Its our Cancererous ownership and Management. And our..not knowing what kind of coaches are needed to build winners. Sadly I see this trend continuing for a while. We are always going to be the team of Coulda’s Woulda’s and Should’das.Single out Dominick all you like. We Bucs are authors of the, Invasion of the Body Snatchers. But our problems are at the root. They are systemic.
January 31st, 2018 at 7:59 am
Kevin, you make a great point about Matt Bryant. Dominick came on after the 2008 season when Gruden & Allen were shown the door. Dom released Matt Bryant in Sep 2009 & turned the kicking game over to Mike Nugent. Our kicking game has gone downhill from there.
Of course in 2012 Dominick also cleaned house. Bennett wasn’t re-signed. Blount was given his walking papers. Talib was traded, for next to nothing. They bring in a disciplinarian (Schiano) to to get things back under control (after Rah’s soft approach didn’t work I guess). As Dr. Phil would say “And how did that work out for ya?”
Bucs management has been a disaster since Rich McKay was ousted. Bruce Allen, Mark Dominick, Jason Licht … all have one thing in common: they were all brought on-board by the Glazers to right the ship. And with each GM change, it’s just gotten worse & worse. I wonder if maybe the Glazer Boys just have no clue about what it takes to build a real football T-E-A-M.
January 31st, 2018 at 8:06 am
Realist, Joe, and JBF.com brethren,
Not only were Dominik’s personnel choices poor, but think about how often the team “loaded” on the field during his tenure.
The results were worse, the talent was worse, and the effort on game days was MICH worse.
At least this current group of losers gives max effort. I can hang my fan hat on that when everything else is bad.
January 31st, 2018 at 8:06 am
@Defense rules
Actually Big Payday McKay, last few years were not good at all!!!!!! once the underlings left and got GM job’s elsewhere, he was exposed, and when mckay went to atlanta it became apparent that alone, he is not a good gm!!!!!!!!!!!
I find it interesting that the 3 stars ousted where not talk show dominik draft picks, 2 undrafted free agents and a draft pick from NFL GM Allen!!!!!!!!!! Makes you wonder if they had been drafted by talk show dominik, if they would have been insulated and protected like much of his draft picks were and sunk the Bucs to the lowest depths of the league!!!!!!!!!
GO Bucs!!!!!!!!!!!!
January 31st, 2018 at 8:10 am
@stevek
did you mean “loafed” because that happened, But if you did mean “loaded” by impairment of substance, then that would explain that mysterious duffel bag!!!!!!!!! And why Team Glazer told Coach Schiano to “clean up the locker room”!!!!!!!!!!!! And how he fought with talk show dominik because cleaning up meant some of his draft picks needed cleaning”!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GO Bucs!!!!!!!!!!!!
January 31st, 2018 at 8:14 am
Defense Rules
Mckay was a horrible gm that together with the ignorant one dimensional fool dungy could not even field a high school level offense during the failed dungy tenure. You can’t rewrite history because you like mckay and Mr peanut. Mckay is a league politician and a horrible judge of talent.
January 31st, 2018 at 8:20 am
Realist,
I meant loafed, but great point about the duffel bag.
Schiano was screwed over by Dominik and Freeman.
January 31st, 2018 at 8:28 am
Two words —
MARK FARGIN DOMINIK
OK that’s three words. Sort of.
Does he have pictures of the Joes or something? Call him out!
January 31st, 2018 at 8:28 am
Stevek
Schiano was screwed over by his SOFT MENTALLY weak defensive captain who cried about him being a big meanie… cancer93 was then given big softy in lovie friends and family smith and failed even worse.
Bottom line bucs ownership and front office care more about perception than reality. They keep soft choirboy career losers like cancer93 and let driven winners walk year in and year out. The world is not perfect players are not perfect and bucs cant handle any personality that is aggressive or of a driven winners. Glazers and most buc fans would be happy every year going 0-16 as long as the team is made up with soft choirboy career losers like cancer93. Pathetic franchise with ZERO hope fgor the future.
January 31st, 2018 at 8:43 am
Joe, here’s the thing a team can handle one of those personalities, but to have 3 on one team (not to mention the mental cases who didn’t go onto a winning team…josh freeman i am looking at you) it becomes 90% diva management and 10% coaching!.
Chucky really only had to manage Keyshaun and coach the rest.
January 31st, 2018 at 8:44 am
Put Matt Bryant on that List
January 31st, 2018 at 8:47 am
Tmaxcon, I wouldn´t call GMC soft mentally by any means!!!! I think is a different mentality but not soft!!!! Common, is everybody wrong? this guy is picked every single year for the pro bowl……Its not my favourite player in the roaster but common men!!!!
January 31st, 2018 at 8:49 am
Please don’t let fake news get in the way of what happened. Let’s see…Dominik claimed both Bennett and Blount off of waivers from teams that cut them, so if he hated those players so much why did he get them in the first place. Did they produce for the Bucs, you bet they did. Did Dominik publicly work to keep Talib in Tampa while EVERY reporter wanted the “cancer” gone. Now we are doing the same thing to Licht. Too many of you are weak minded people who just throw guys under the bus. I have always been a fan of Dominik and I am of Licht as well, those two spent years and years scouting, unlike McKay and Allen who were front office from day 1. Butt Realist only blames people and doesn’t take into account situations that may have led to those decisions!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (was that enough !!!)
January 31st, 2018 at 8:51 am
Don’t forget all the other winning personalities that were in that locker room as well!!!!! Albert Haynsworth!!!!!!!
At the end of the 2011 season, someone in the know, was asked what happened off the record, which the answer was, ” it was like a year long bachelor party there”!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Go Bucs!!!!!!!!!!!!!
January 31st, 2018 at 8:56 am
zzbucs
pro bowls are meaningless and nothing more than a popularity contest…. Cancer93 is SOFT he comes out flat almost as much as she comes out ready to play. cancer93 is king of the meaningless sack and in 8 years has made less than 5 plays at critical times when his team needs him most. And don’t even get me started on the me first selfish crying tantrum on the sideline BS…. The one guarantee you can count on with a gmc led teams is they will come out flat in big games and will be nowhere to be found in the 4th qtr.
January 31st, 2018 at 9:04 am
Talib being cut is on the Glaziers…..Raheem was a joke and couldn’t control his team.
Bennett is on Dominick…..the ole “bum shoulder” concern along with Dominick drafting Clayborne who also had a permanent shoulder issue.
Then you have the Glazier boys taking over…..and thats the really telling sign to all this. Since they have taken over the emphasis on putting a winner on the field has been non existent…..They totally destroyed the fan base by blacking out games when they were rebuilding the team after Gruden was fired. The Bucs are not their golden goose like other owners and it shows all to often in who we resign and who we pick up. We make “splash” signings to meet the cap requirements but how long have we been hovering under the cap with $20-30 million to spend? We keep talking about resigning our own but you can bet it will come with letting depth go.
January 31st, 2018 at 9:07 am
Total agree with letting Bennett was even dumber than spending two picks on a kicker and almost as dumb as firing Gruden. However, I don’t know that letting Blount walk was all that bad… as good as he’s been, he is a free man every year. The Titans and steelers cut him and the Pats let him walk twice and every year he has to sign a short term deal for less than market value. Talib, is a great player and probably needed a stronger locker room when he was younger. He needed to grow a little and at least we got Will Goldston for him. Again, the Pats let him walk and he hit the open market and now Denver is talking about trading him.
January 31st, 2018 at 9:19 am
all these discussion are adorable but the bottom line it’s been 16 years since a meaningful win and there is ZERO hope in sight.
Tampa is the undisputed least desirable franchise for free agents in ENTIRE league.
Glazers refuse to do what it takes to field a respectable on-field product. either because they are simply incompetent or just do not care… take your choice.
Team leaders are PROVEN CAREER LOSERS who simply do not care or KNOW how to win… this team has taken on it’s captains personality and is soft, not driven to win at all costs and enjoys losing. the bucs led by cancer93 accept losing better than any sports franchise on planet earth.
clearly the organization does not understand personalities nor does it have the ability to manage personalities that do not fall into the quit stay in your lane choirboy model that dungy, dominick and glazers seem to believe in even though it’s a proven FAILED business model.
again the bucs will be 4-12 or 5-11 next year with the same ole routine.
Get excited in off-season for mediocre 3rd and 4th tier free agents
get excited draft night
training camp enthusiasm and over rating underwear football performances by long shots and gambles.
week one unprepared choke job…
week 2 a meaningless win against a bum franchise
week 3 close but no cigar
week 4 meaningless win against a fellow basement dweller
week 5 blowout
week 6 close but no cigar
week 7 season over / draft talk begins
week 8 blowout OFFICIALY DRAFT SEASON
week 9 – 16 a bunch of crybabies stating they are close and will turn it around all the while the season was already over week 8
#IT’S A BUC LIFE
IT’S NOT NEGATIVITY WHEN IT IS REALITY FOLKS.
January 31st, 2018 at 9:28 am
i apologize for leaving out the yearly off season press conference from the CRYING CLOWN CANCER93 stating this will be his year and he has to do more and yadda yadda tears tears tears blah blah blah… 8 years running still not a single meaningful win…. can’t let career losers captain the defense or you will get what you deserve soft flat failures.
January 31st, 2018 at 9:49 am
I understand the article…..we’ve let plenty of good players go without developing them…..ok got it….this staff hasn’t done a great job in that category either….
but some of yall have lost your minds if you think dom is the reason why we finished 5-11 this year…..he hasn’t been here for how many years and people still find a way to blame him, lovie, SOS, injuries, IRMA, HK for this teams short comings…..
NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!!
January 31st, 2018 at 9:56 am
folks are just now realizing what a disaster Rock Star was?
I knew it when he cut 55.
January 31st, 2018 at 10:01 am
Add Matt Bryant and Donald Penn to that list.
January 31st, 2018 at 10:27 am
SALE! SALE! SALE!…to owners that will know how to run a football team and keep them in TB.
January 31st, 2018 at 10:40 am
A few of these guys were punk asses on and off the field (Penn, Blount, Talib) and that was a big part of letting them go on to be better players on better teams. Have no clue who COULD be a pro bowler with another team because they’re playing for this BS franchise and it’s just so freaking sad. But with Blount and Talib, players don’t win rings, teams do. Matt Bryant might be able to win a ring on his own and we let him go.
January 31st, 2018 at 10:46 am
Eric
55 should have retired two years before dominick was made the scape goat by cutting a declining player. 55 never won without sapp. Sapp was the key 55 was a good undersized lb who benefited from longevity and having sapp in front of him.
you guys really have selective memory about the past. I suppose next you fools will be trying to convince fans dungy offenses were equal to montana led 49er offenses.
the legends of the failed past grow each year but I guess that is all you have to hang onto when you are fan of a pathetic franchise that has NEVER won consistently and has no hope for future.
good thing honest realists like myself are here to offset all the BS that spews from the fans of the failed dungy era and the living in the past fans.
January 31st, 2018 at 10:51 am
Tmaxon…. WHY DON’T YOU GIVE UP ON BUCS THEN. Since they suck and there is no hope for the franchise as you say. I am POSITIVE that 99 % of us would be happy for you to find a new team to criticize, you are clearly disgruntled and quite frankly part of the problem. People like you in our fanbase who are so pessimistic that no matter what happens good or bad you have something STUPID to say. If thiswas a club or gang im sure you would be beat n kicked out. So why dont you just BEAT IT YOU MORON.
January 31st, 2018 at 10:54 am
It amazes me Joe how you keep advocating for the Bucs to sign race baiting, cop hating, America hating Michael Bennett. Benett is full of drama and openly hates whites and the police, and you think this idiot will be an asset to the Bucs? When Bennett releases his garbage book, “Things that make white people uncomfortable”, are you going to be first in line drooling for Bennett to sign your copy??? Unreal!
I agree with you that the Bucs need to seriously upgrade their pass rush via free agency and the draft but please leave Bennett out of the conversation! Bennett will be another terrible free agent signing by Licht! I know you get upset when fans disagree with you; I enjoy your site and you provide excellent analysis on the Bucs but your wrong on Bennett! Is or was Bennett talented…yes…but what about team chemistry when he starts race baiting and poor mouthing the police and military…you think that will go over well in this town?? No way!!
January 31st, 2018 at 10:55 am
Joe
The logic is if McWeapon turns out to be good we must bring him back cuz we botched him too?
How about Kalean Clay and Shepard?
January 31st, 2018 at 11:09 am
Those were Greg Schiano dumb,stupid moves.
January 31st, 2018 at 11:09 am
DanBucsFan
you need help sir. a positive fan base has never once made a team better. maybe that works in the safe space bit not in the real world. I have earned the right to be disgusted by the on-filed product that I spend thousands a dollars a year on. you maybe okay with failure and accepting pathetic results but I am not.
What you call “stupid to say” are actually facts based on actually results not the feel good fantasy land BS the clueless optimists peddle.
beat it – LOL 1950 want’s their expression back…
January 31st, 2018 at 11:29 am
@TMax
Mr peanut. I love it! Except he needs the monocle.
January 31st, 2018 at 11:46 am
Actually very real. Joe doesn’t give a damn about the guy’s politics. This Bucs team needs wins, not Boy Scouts who cannot produce.
If you can find a police mug shot of Bennett, please let Joe know.
January 31st, 2018 at 11:50 am
Tmaxon
Thats fine to be disappointed by resuts of the team for years. I think we are all in same boat. But IMO you sir are the one who needs help. I spend thousands also as I have a pair of club seats that and my other expenses to travel from about 2 hours away. But because we have a choice in the matter to spend , follow, SUPPORT the team. It’s just the way that I see you express your anguish constantly on here. However, I do respect the fact that you are using this platform to voice your displeasure. So for that reason, I apologize for the comment regarding your opinions. Im a firm believer we are all different and therefore opinions are different. Shouldn’t turn into a off subject personal assault. My bad! WE JUST NEED TO WIN SOME DAMN GAMES AND WE ALL WILL BE HAPPY & those of use who feel more connected due to our investments made to support team will feel much better.
January 31st, 2018 at 12:01 pm
You only care about non boy scouts now. Was not the fact a few years ago was it?
Oh how the headline read. We were here then too and have not forgotten all the stories and who said enough was enough. Right??
Man, you are good at twisting words into knots.–Joe
January 31st, 2018 at 12:04 pm
Why even bring up mug shots. Talib as many. And you are begging him to come back.
January 31st, 2018 at 12:11 pm
55 was a “good undersized linebacker”
the Hall of Fame disagrees.
Man earned the right to go out on his own terms, and Dom cut him so we could go 3-13 with Geno Hayes.
Unforgiveable.
January 31st, 2018 at 1:17 pm
Must be a slow news day
January 31st, 2018 at 1:21 pm
The Talib and Blount moves made sense at the time. It just wasn’t working.
Bennett will never make sense.
Fix the trenches, fix the Bucs!
January 31st, 2018 at 2:19 pm
Again regarding Bennett. What should the Bucs be willing to trade for him? He is not in danger of being a cap casualty based on his production, dead cap value (5.2mil) and total salary (8.3 mil). Just to break even they will need to replace his production for 3.1 mil. Unless Dominick has been named GM for the Seahawks this will not happen
January 31st, 2018 at 2:21 pm
Still say the whole win/loss, trophy, flag on the stadium, gig starts and ends at the top. The NFL is a raunchy business so if the executive suite doesn’t want to get its hands dirty it should stay out of the sewer. And they do exactly that. All that flows downhill like a septic tank drain field on a mountainside. Bucs fans are at the bottom and I, for one, don’t like not and certainly have no respect for it.
January 31st, 2018 at 4:11 pm
A lot of us fans don’t want criminals and militants. We want players we can be proud of. Great players and great men like Brooks, Lynch, Barber, Alstott. Even Sapp, yeah he was a dick to fans, but he didn’t get arrested, didn’t disrespect the flag, didn’t resist arrest and lie about it.
So yeah, the Bucs need to keep those three turds off the team if they want to win back those of us who think players need to be more than just good players. They need to be good people too.
January 31st, 2018 at 4:56 pm
In the cases of Talib and Blount, I think Joe is discounting the possibility that being sent packing is what it took to wake them up and get serious.
Bennett was offered a deal and refused it.
January 31st, 2018 at 5:47 pm
Yep. There’s a pattern there.
Poor personnel management.
Poor GM and coaching .
Yep. There’s a pattern there.
January 31st, 2018 at 5:59 pm
These guys has no interest in playing for the Bucs. They just use the Bucs as leverage to get more money from other teams.
January 31st, 2018 at 11:00 pm
I guess Blount and Talib growing up after being jettisoned by a NFL team and realizing if they don’t straighten up their careers are over. In Bennett’s case, well, that was just a bad call.
January 31st, 2018 at 11:02 pm
Remember, these players are children compared to most people here. At 23 I did some REALLY stupid things. They were coddled through high school, college, and in the NFL. Only through a hard dose of reality do some players swim – the rest sink.
February 1st, 2018 at 9:15 am
I for one am not expecting much from the bucs next year doesn’t matter what moves they make prove it
February 1st, 2018 at 2:17 pm
“a lack of foresight or shallow, narrow minds, or bloated egos — or downright stubbornness” – All moves made by the same GM, but yet his name isn’t even mentioned in your article?
Man, Dummynick must have some seriously incriminating photos of one or both of the J0es…
February 1st, 2018 at 11:45 pm
C’mon Joe, really? I give you the Bennett call but you were one of the writers constantly bashing Talib for his run ins with the law. You called him every bad name in the book and wanted him out of town. Boy how badly we could have used him all these years. Talib and Bennett are the worst to let go, the fact that we don’t have a good running back after all these years is just a team problem (thanks for drafting Charles Sims over Devonta Freeman!)