The Bucs And Johnathan Joseph
February 14th, 2018
Solid veteran.
Beggars cannot be choosers.
And that’s just about where the Bucs are at cornerback. Depending what veteran free agent corners Brent Grimes and Robert McClain decide before the free agency dinner bell clangs in 28 days, the Bucs could be looking at a trainwreck in the secondary with vanished Vernon Hargreaves and Ryan Smith as your starting cornerbacks.
Joe understands if you have to run to the toilet to heave after reading that.
The Bucs need two corners from free agency or a trade. Joe’s been banging the drum to trade for Super Bowl-winning corner Aqib Talib, and another guy to watch in free agency is Johnathan Joseph.
The soft-spoken Houston corner isn’t a spring chicken. He will turn 34 in April. And while he may not be the shutdown corner and Pro Bowler he once was, he’s still a damn good player.
Aging corners usually start breaking down physically, but Joseph hasn’t reached that point yet. He’s only missed three games the past four seasons and will be an unrestricted free agent.
While there are reports he wants to stay in Houston, when one is looking at his final NFL seven-figure contract, zeros on a check may win the day over sentimental feelings.
The Bucs could do worse than Joseph.
Yeah, in a perfect world, the Bucs should draft talented corners and forget about free agents. But Joe lives in the real world. And in the real world of the Bucs, Joe has zero faith the current defensive staff can develop a corner — what evidence is there?
The Bucs cannot afford to bank of questionable defensive coaches developing young talent when said coaches’ future with the Bucs is in peril. Jason Licht and Dirk Koetter do not have the luxury of drafting guys for the next administration because this team needs wins immediately.
February 14th, 2018 at 7:28 am
So this team is now expected to do what got Gruden fired. Keep signing old men and don’t worry about the future. Nice. Good to know our standards are so low, no need to have any real expectations. Hurry up and get her 2019 so we can start over.
February 14th, 2018 at 8:14 am
Look at the defensive players licht and lovie gave away and this defense would be drastically different and if licht had any clue would have been able to either draft or sign some FAs that would have this team playoff ready now….i mean mason foster, mark baron, dj swearinger, claiborne, melvin, johnson, not all starters but the team needs backups and SP players, but licht and lovie destroyed that and now we are left scrambling for junk yard parts, since day 1 licht has been terrible in building a franchise and now 5 years later this team is still at the bottom absolutely terrible
February 14th, 2018 at 8:21 am
There is no hope with glazers .broken down has beens are bucs hope. No chance in hell any too tier players would even consider the crapshow ran by glazers….
Get used to being basement for anotger de
February 14th, 2018 at 8:22 am
Decade plus… most embarassing organization in pro sports
February 14th, 2018 at 8:31 am
What’s even more embarrassing cancermaxcon is you still being a Bucs fan. Did you make that phone call yet?
February 14th, 2018 at 8:33 am
Puff Puff pass what are you all smoking lmao
February 14th, 2018 at 9:02 am
It’s far too early to panic. At least about our DB’s….DE’s are another story.
FA is loaded with decent CB’s….DE’s..not so much. And this is not an outstanding draft for DE’s either at least in terms of proven depth. In addition in doesn’t matter who we play in our defensive backfield if we have NO pass rush. I’m not talking about sacks but at least some pressure…move the QB off his spot and bat some passes down at the line. We do none of this currently.
As far as Hargreaves and Smith starting…doubtful they would both be starting…who would be the backups? In addition if the Bucs let both Grimes and McClain walk there will be a shortage of bodies unless they feel they can find them as UDFA’s.
The defensive backfield is not that far off. If Evans continues to improve he seems like the real deal at safety…if Hargreaves finds his rookie form he’ll at least be a decent 3rd DB. If Grimes returns and we sign one of the talented FA CB’s we’ll be fine…..except for…NO PASS RUSH.
I’m with Tony in LA who keeps screaming build the trenches. If we REALLY built the trenches our running game improves our pass rush is better and we can find a decent RB and another CB or two.
February 14th, 2018 at 9:27 am
StPeteBucsFan
It’s been over a decade panic should have started years ago. Just more evidence glazers have no desire nor a clue how to field a respectable on field product
February 14th, 2018 at 9:28 am
Well… whomever decides to come here needs to “learn the defensive scheme… that should take about till week 10
February 14th, 2018 at 10:41 am
I realize I am part of the minority in this, but I disagree with Joe that the Bucs cannot develop CBs.
VHIII was a rising star before last season. He had a bad year. It happens and is part of his development. This time last year, people had no doubts that the Bucs could develop CBs.
Ryan Smith finally got to play his natural position and he did okay. Not great. But it was his first year there with the Bucs. Development does not happen overnight. And for CBs, it hardly ever happens over the course of one season.
I do feel we need a good, tall CB added to the bunch though. All we have are 5’11” guys. Heck, Robert McClain is only 5’9″! (I don’t know why Joe likes him so much).
But I am NOT ready to throw in the towel on VHIII or Ryan Smith. Not yet.
February 14th, 2018 at 10:44 am
Get DE in 1st round, CB in 2nd Round, and DE again in the third round.
Resign Grimes. Sign Blount. Sign Isaiah Crowell.
Running game addressed. CB addressed. DE addressed.
Team fixed (for the year).
February 14th, 2018 at 10:44 am
Face it, Joes. If there is a free agent DB who can get to the dinner table, sit uprigh, and take nourishment independently, he’s a potential option for the Bucs and you will write about him. Upgrading from awful means mediocre looks pretty good. But let’s not get confused – a real pass rush makes every DB better and 5at will be an even greater priority IMO.
February 14th, 2018 at 10:44 am
And if Bennett is released, sign him too, with only the first year guaranteed.
February 14th, 2018 at 10:50 am
I know there are a lot of moves that need to be made, but I’m still optimistic for improvement. I know that’s an unpopular place to be in Bucfanland, especially on JBF, but I think the thing that wrecked them last year was all the preseason hype and the Hard Knocks bullsh!t. They believed their own press clippings and weren’t ready for the season. That’s not gonna happen this year, and maybe the humbling of 5-11, along with dumping that turd Chris Baker, will get them more zeroed in. I expect a solid turnaround and improved play across the board. I believe the talent is closer to the 2016 team than the 2017 team… provided they get the needed help at DE, CB, and RB.
February 14th, 2018 at 11:30 am
Jonathan Joseph would be an upgrade over what we have.
February 14th, 2018 at 11:49 am
Maybe a proven vet like Johnathan Joseph can come in and teach the young guys in the Bucs secondary.
February 14th, 2018 at 12:20 pm
Bucs won a superbowl when they built through the draft in 90’s-
Saap, Brooks,Lynch, Barber, Allstott, McFarland, some offensive linemen- all draft picks that WEREN’T TRADED!!! If they had drafted a great qb during that era (not Dilfer) they may have won more..
February 14th, 2018 at 1:33 pm
Please o more of this aging past their prime stopgaps that will end up failing on the field and keeping the younger talent already on the Bucs from gaining valuable experience and improving through actual playing time.
I’ll be the first to agree that the Bucs need tremendous improvement in the secondary. The #1 thing the Bucs can do to improve the secondary is to improve the defensive line and to get actual QB pressure and actually start run stopping up front.
It’s simple…
FIX THE TRENCHES, FIX THE BUCS!!
February 14th, 2018 at 2:07 pm
Alanbucsfan
Dilfer Won a super bowl and was not the bucs problem. the bucs problem was they were led by an ignorant 1 dimensional fool in coach dungy. Mckay and dungy wasted Whyce’s hall of famers… stop bringing up the underachieving failed dungy era it’s embarrassing it was 2 decades ago
February 14th, 2018 at 2:28 pm
Robert McClain is not any good, I don’t get why he keeps being mentioned. I don’t care if his stat line looks OK or not, his play on the field was not good. At best, if he’s back, it should be at most the #4 position. He was only marginally better than Ryan Smith and like Smith he consistently gave up big plays. If he’s brought back at all it should only be as a deep depth guy. If he comes back and he’s #3 or better on the depth chart than the Bucs have failed with one of their big offseason goals.
February 14th, 2018 at 3:09 pm
Tmaxcon
Dilfer won a superbowl with a Ravens defense that dominated, just like Bucs won with defense, but Dilfer wasn’t much more than a serviceable qb.
The reason I bring up that era is because the Bucs built the core of their playoff team through the draft and didn’t trade their no 1 picks- since 2007 – the Bucs have traded or given up on 6 or 7 no 1 picks and that is why they stink today. The reason I believe they could achieve playoff status in 2-3 years is they have an elite young qb and a core of 7-8 good young players- add 3-4 more in the next 2 drafts and a free agent difference maker or 2 and they could be there- alot of ifs but I prefer hope over despair…
February 14th, 2018 at 3:28 pm
Dang it I guessed the next one was going to be Star Lotulelei and the Bucs..
February 14th, 2018 at 4:23 pm
Dungy has a CHAMPIONSHIP RING! ….and was be still is a GREAT COACH, the idiotic language and baseless accusations thrown at Father Dungy, shows a lack of respect for his accomplishments! And it shows a lack of Football acumen!!
February 14th, 2018 at 4:25 pm
This team has a bigger problem than talent so sign whoever you want. We are gonna loose until leadership all changes.
February 14th, 2018 at 8:03 pm
‘there are reports he wants to stay in Houston’
Tampa is just as humid as Houston. Should be an easy transition.
February 14th, 2018 at 9:00 pm
@joe
Joe understands if you have to run to the toilet to heave after reading that.
Where do you think most of us are as we read this?
February 15th, 2018 at 3:31 am
If you had a choice between Brent Grimes or Jonathan Joseph, who would you sign? Soon to be thirty four year old Joseph (5-11 190) is going into his 13th season and is still playing at a high level with 47 tackles, 2 INT and 9 passes defended. PFF ranked him the 61st-overall cornerback in the league last year. I would re-sign Grimes and go after Talib or Claiborne.