“Obviously, I Think I’m One Of The Best Tackles In The League.”
February 1st, 2018
Confident and driven
Grade yourself, Donovan Smith.
That was the request made of the Buccaneers’ starting left tackle this afternoon.
Smith joined the radio airwaves of WDAE-AM from Minnesota, the site of the Super Bowl, and was happy to oblige. He didn’t offer a specific grade but placed himself among the cream of the crop and was looking ahead.
“Obviously, I think very highly of myself,” Smith said. “You know, obviously I think I’m one of the best tackles in the league.
“…Keep honing in on my craft and perfecting it and, you know, just taking that next step, and leading guys off the field on the field in terms of how we do things and taking that role and playing it big.”
Smith went on to say the Bucs’ running game was “way below average” but it was most about the offensive line not “honing in on technique.” On the pass protection, Smith sees greatness in Tampa. “Honestly, I think we were one of the better protecting lines in the league,” he said.
Joe’s not going to knock a guy for being super confident in February. No harm there, just bring a healthy and hungry work ethic to practice in the spring.
Smith had a couple of brutal games last season, but he certainly bounced back very well and finished strong. As Joe has written many, many times, Smith is at least an average left tackle by 2017 NFL standards.
February 1st, 2018 at 4:53 pm
Thanks for the daily laugh 😂
February 1st, 2018 at 4:57 pm
I think he is somewhere between average and good at LT. You just can’t fall asleep once in awhile as a player and say your one of the best.
February 1st, 2018 at 5:02 pm
The playcalling put the O-Line in tough situations.
February 1st, 2018 at 5:04 pm
Ya and Jameis is as
Good as Aaron Rodgers
February 1st, 2018 at 5:05 pm
What Tackle said^^^
February 1st, 2018 at 5:06 pm
Man. I kinda like the guy but those comments didnt help. He is one of the best tackles in the league, one of the best 64. Thinking you are already at the top when youre not isnt gona help the hunger in camp, I would think. I dont pretend to be an oline expert tho so i could be off. Id prefer to see guys saying they were 5-11 and need to practice and improve. Oh well its a bucs life
February 1st, 2018 at 5:07 pm
Those terrible long developing routes didn’t help either. I’m so tired of watching my bucs lose. Why is it we never get it? Dirk needs to learn to adapt! I was for keeping him 1 more yr. it’s time to prove yourself Dirk! Get it F**KIN DONE!
February 1st, 2018 at 5:14 pm
Before you judge a man, walk a mile in his shoes. After that who cares?… He`s a mile away and you`ve got his shoes!
February 1st, 2018 at 5:20 pm
Tackleblockwin Says:
February 1st, 2018 at 4:57 pm
I think he is somewhere between average and good at LT.
^^BINGO^^
I agree….
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!!…..GO BUCS!!!!!
February 1st, 2018 at 5:21 pm
Sounds like that was his agent talking……trying to posture for the next contract…..
February 1st, 2018 at 5:21 pm
Another Buc bad draft choice.
February 1st, 2018 at 5:26 pm
LakeLand Says:
February 1st, 2018 at 5:02 pm
The playcalling put the O-Line in tough situations.
Arealbucsfan Says:
February 1st, 2018 at 5:07 pm
Those terrible long developing routes didn’t help either.
BINGO BINGO
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!
February 1st, 2018 at 5:40 pm
horrible tackle
February 1st, 2018 at 5:40 pm
You’re one of the best there aye Smith? Welcome to the..Smoking club sir! Whose your supplier? Smith is maybe a notch just above average..but mostly average on most Sundays. He has had games where he got..beat like a drum. Course now, our Bucs do their O linemen no favors trying to play..Bombaneers. Our routes seem to be slow..and developing. Calling Dirk Koetter..Playcalling and makin in game adjustments… Please take a quick remedial class there sir!!
February 1st, 2018 at 5:41 pm
Oh boy.
I’ve stated how I feel about Smith – as long as he’s the starting LT, the Bucs will be subpar at best on the offensive line. Move him to RT or inside and he could be above average (regardless of what HE thinks).
Move Smith the inside and draft/sign a better LT and the Bucs improve at two offensive line positions for the price of one.
They need to find some guys to come in and push the incumbents this offseason on both lines. That has to be priority number one.
Fix the trenches, fix the Bucs!!
February 1st, 2018 at 5:42 pm
As a whole our offensive line has regressed under Dirk. Having lineman switch positions this year was a awful idea that produced poor results.
Won’t say that I understand all the intricaties of Line play but I have heard enough explayers talk about how important continuity is to believe there is defiantly something to it. Dirk decided to disregard continuity this year and move players around and I believe this line should be getting better with lots of young players…….not getting worse.
Now what’s he going to do? Move them all around again? Just keep Marpet at C at this point. Quit moving everybody around and let these guys progress as a unit. A new guard would be nice and keep Phampile and Sweezy.
If Sweezy can’t handle as much as he used to with his back sub package the dude or release him. Speaking of sub package use more of it idiot. Our running game was opening bigger holes with different lineman due to injuries. If some of your bench guys can do things better then you guys on the field then use them…….You said you want to get the best lineman on the field and failed. It’s the one spot we have good depth so use it……..If you know what your doing you can keep the defense guessing.
And for effs sake……figure out how to run the ball for one frighten yard when you need it!!! It’s been killing this team for over five years now. I don’t care if you have to put McCoy at TE and that 400 pounder at RT…….just figure it out!!
February 1st, 2018 at 5:43 pm
He’s definitely one of the top 32 tackles in the league so there’s that.
February 1st, 2018 at 5:48 pm
You people are amazing you don’t like anyone or anything! This kid is young and still is developing his skill ! He’s young man he’s learning!plus he’s durable as a tank I have faith with his work ethic he will be good to go
February 1st, 2018 at 6:06 pm
Thanks Buccaneer Scott these people think we should have Joe Montana, Anthony Munoz, Barry Sanders, Decon Jones, Jerry Rice, Deion Sanders, Ronnie Lott and they would still STILL say we suck and aren’t good enough. I am fully convinced from this board we have dumbest fan base of any sport on the planet.
February 1st, 2018 at 6:15 pm
I don’t know about the dumbest fan base. But I would definitely say the Bucs has the dumbest Owners and Front Office.
February 1st, 2018 at 6:30 pm
I like it!!! But don’t talk about it every off-season like GMC. I like that he thinks the next big step is being a leader on and off the field. Someone has to step it up and be the man in each position group, obviously sweezy is not that guy. I’m tired of beating up on our young players when the so called veterans of the team don’t step up. Who’s been the leader during these losing streak, who tries to really the troops in each position group?
February 1st, 2018 at 6:43 pm
In my best Charles Barkley voice…You’re terrrrrible
February 1st, 2018 at 6:59 pm
I like Donovan Smith…he has the best ability. He may not be a HOFamer but he’s big, steady & AVAILABLE. Kinda like Donald Penn!! Bucs fans need to wake tf up. Let’s see if a healthy Jameis & the Bucs can turn it around in 2018. I’m ready for free agency!!!
February 1st, 2018 at 7:48 pm
Oh brother….
February 1st, 2018 at 7:51 pm
What is he smoking, he is pitiful at time and average the rest. What a joke. This team will never get better if that can’t accept their play on the field.
February 1st, 2018 at 7:52 pm
LakeLand Says:
February 1st, 2018 at 6:15 pm
I don’t know about the dumbest fan base. But I would definitely say the Bucs has the dumbest Owners and Front Office.
_________________
I wouldn’t say that we have the ‘dumbest fan base’ either. But I Would however say that about 40% of them are Spoons among Knives.
February 1st, 2018 at 8:05 pm
The problem is our coaching staff is MEDICORE the same as our LT! I would have moved his ass inside after his rookie season…you gotta see what you got in a player!! I predict he will never be a top 15 LT….we’ve seen what he has at LT and it ain’t gonna get any better!!
February 1st, 2018 at 8:45 pm
He’s average. That being said, we could have Anthony Collins. I’ll take average. It’s like the people who want to replace Winston. We could have Josh McCown. I’ll take Winston. I’ll never understand that from the Winston bashers. We’ve had average to terrible QB play for 40+ years and yet they still want to run out of town the one QB with the most upside of any QB we’ve ever had. Yes, he still makes boneheaded mistakes, but he still makes throws and plays that I’ve never seen a Bucs QB make. We just might be looking for his replacement sooner than later, but just give him time. I know I will.
February 1st, 2018 at 8:53 pm
Give Tampa the next decade with a healthy Jameis, Evans, Godwin, OJ, Brate, Hump, Ali and Donovan and I think the Bucs will have the best passing offense in the entire NFL over that 10 year span … and if the running game and defense can just be slightly above average, probably at least one SB ring as well!
February 1st, 2018 at 8:53 pm
The great ones don’t have to tell people they’re great, everybody just knows.
February 1st, 2018 at 9:01 pm
6-10 dumpster fire of an organization, pretty soon cleveland is going to be in the playoffs and the bucs will be all alone as worst run franchise
February 1st, 2018 at 9:42 pm
Watching this 30 for 30 about The Bills just shows how it’s done. Bill B doesn’t call a game scared. He prepares, believes in his game plan that is built for each opponent and it works. While we stick with the same crap defensive system week in week out.
February 1st, 2018 at 9:45 pm
The Browns SHOULD be in the playoffs next year if the sign Cousins and draft Saquon at #1 and Minkah at #4 and then just hit on 30-40% of their remaining picks
February 1st, 2018 at 10:45 pm
NFLNut, why would Cousins sign in Cleveland? I suspect he would be more interested in a situation where he isn’t inheriting a team that has gone 4-44 in the past 3 years; 16 fewer wins than Tampa. Other teams such as AZ, Buffalo, Denver, NY, etc might be more likely spots but I guess it comes down to the coin.
BTW: whoever at the top of the thread made the statement that the playcalling put the Tampa OL behind the 8-ball was spot on!!!!!! Predictable and vanilla in many situations as well as Dougie Martin in the backfield made it very difficult for the boys in the trenches! When an O is one dimensional the defense has a distinct advantage over an OL, no matter how talented its members are…..
February 1st, 2018 at 11:23 pm
^
FORTMYERSDAVE,
I’d say Cousins would like to sign with the following teams, IN ORDER, if the $$$$ was all identical: Jaguars, Vikings, Broncos, Browns, Jets, Cardinals … however I expect Cleveland to offer Cousins BY FAR the most $$$$$$$$$$$ and for Cousins to sign there. The one guy that could talk him out of doing so would be John Elway imho but I’m not so sure Denver is a better option than Cleveland as he’d be going to a team with a monster amount of cap space and a team that would probably be drafting Saquon Barkley and Minkah Fitzpatrick as well … to me, Cleveland should be in the playoffs next year and own the AFC North starting in 2020 and for the foreseeable future after that as I expect 2019 to be Big Ben’s last year.
February 1st, 2018 at 11:39 pm
NFLNut,
I agree with you 100%
The Browns has $111 million in cap space
6 picks in the Top-65
12 total draft picks
And a talented young squad
If they sign Kirk Cousins and draft right they should win 9-10 games
February 1st, 2018 at 11:53 pm
^ Amen … and it will be nice to see the Browns in the playoffs again … it’s been a long, long, long time.
February 2nd, 2018 at 9:12 am
Thank god we got rid of penn
He went on to be…..
February 2nd, 2018 at 10:41 am
IMO Smith is average at best. Although at times he looks pretty good he takes to many plays off. The classic underachiever.
February 2nd, 2018 at 8:49 pm
Meh…average tackle- would be all pro at guard- why bother saying it no one is listening no matter how bad the tape is – his kick step drop against speed….poor way more than average forcing JW up into the pressure of the pocket
Watch the tape on yourself kid – we all do…..
February 3rd, 2018 at 4:06 am
Lakeland and NFLnut make good points BUT remember it is the Browns they are predicting the playoffs for. The same guys who botched up a trade for AJ McCarron this season from Cincy via a missed fax or e-mail. Their front office is WORSE than Tampa’s gentleman, let that sink in before you make far reaching claims. Good chance, indeed likely chance Cleveland is Cleveland and baffles people yet again! I love Cleveland simply because if it was not for them my 2nd fave team to our local Rays (still at MLB level but barely unlike AAA Miami and Pittsburgh) the ATL Braves would have gone 0 forever in the ’90s as far as World Series matchups…. The Indians even lost to the ****ing Cubs!
February 4th, 2018 at 5:38 pm
The key in my eyes for Donovan Smith is with his improvement in consistency within pass, run blocking and reducing penalties. Smith has shown he is a punishing run blocker and can go stretches without giving up a single QB pressurer. In his rookie season in 2015, he earned a 37.1 PFF grade and surrendered 54 quarterback pressures, including 5 sacks and 11 penalties over this season. In 2016, Smith finished 66th of 78 tackles, earning a 42.0 grade. Smith had a pass block efficiency ranked 49th of 61 qualifying tackles. Smith surrendered 57 quarterback pressures in 2016, including no sacks and 13 penalties over this season. Smith did improve as the year went on, improving his pass block efficiency from dead last to eighth out of 55 qualifiers over the second half of the season. Smith showed everyone the kind of player he is by turning into a top ten pass-blocker over the final eight games of the 2016 season. In 2017, Smith earned a 51.9 grade and finished as the 53rd OT, out of 64 starting NFL OT. Smith surrendered 5 sacks and 8 penalties over this season. Smith has the strength, quickness and athleticism necessary to be an All-Pro LT.