“With Brent Grimes Leaving”
March 5th, 2018
Gone, says one NFL analyst and Dirk Koetter friend
Disturbing chatter coming from the NFL Scouting Combine out of the mouth of a guy who is a favorite of Buccaneers head coach Dirk Koetter.
Joe watched this take come out of the mouth of Maurice Jones-Drew, watched it again, threw back a gin and tonic and started typing.
Tis’ the season of reading between the lines in the NFL, or inhaling the endless smoke and seeing if it makes you high. Pick your analogy in the hours leading up to free agency and the days leading up to the NFL Draft.
With that smoke season in mind, Joe saw Jones-Drew, Dirk Koetter’s superstar running back in Jacksonville for five seasons, fire off a mock draft focused only on the teams with the top-10 picks.
He got to Tampa Bay and spoke with confidence.
“No 7, I think this is where it gets crazy [in the draft]. Because a lot of people have different thoughts on what the Buccaneers are going to do. I think with Brent Grimes leaving, you have [Vernon] Hargreaves kind of struggling, they’re going to solidify that corner position,” Jones Drew said. ” [Cornerback Denzel Ward] goes in at No. 7, kind of solidifying that defense. Mike Smith gets a corner now that can shut down a side of the field. You got some young guys out there you can make some plays.”
So does Jones-Drew know Grimes is out the door, not to return for his third season in Tampa?
Joe personally has talked to Jones-Drew about Koetter, and Joe has seen them interact at Bucs practice. There’s a ton of respect there and a real camaraderie. In their final year together (2011), Jones-Drew led the NFL in rushing with 1,606 yards. So Joe’s going to take a wild guess and say the two found a minute to say hello in Indianapolis — and it’s clear from the report that Jones-Drew was sniffing around heartily to prepare for his report.
Last Wednesday, Koetter and Jason Licht said they wanted Brent Grimes to return for 2018. But Licht didn’t answer a question posed to him about whether Grimes would be playing anywhere (retiring) again.
If Jones-Drew is on the mark with his take, then Joe could see the Bucs making a play for Ward out of Ohio State at No. 7, especially if they can’t replace Grimes adequately in free agency.
Joe wouldn’t make that pick, but the need in this scenario might be so pressing that Licht feels his hands are tied if he wants to wipe smiles off the faces of the high-powered NFC South quarterbacks.
March 5th, 2018 at 2:43 pm
He’s a rookie and probably will have growing pains, he’s not lattimore
March 5th, 2018 at 2:46 pm
So yet another scenario where we ignore pass rush, and continue to try to build our team backwards. That has worked so well for us over the last 10 years or so.
March 5th, 2018 at 2:46 pm
I have been saying this since the season ended. Brent Grimes is not coming back, Denzel Ward should be the pick at 7th. Even if Grimes were returning, Ward should be the pick.
March 5th, 2018 at 2:47 pm
Or maybe Koetter could’ve told Jones-Drew,”Hey Maurice you see Chubbs and Barkley?Yea?I need one of them 2 to fall all the way to 7 Like O.J. did last year. How about giving an old friend a hand and throwing up a smoke screen…just say something to the point of we are in desperate need of a CB. Make another team trade up for the best CB in the draft and maybe that will get Chubbs or Barkley down to #7.” I smell smoke Joe.
March 5th, 2018 at 2:51 pm
Same thing as every year, unless a talent is special, meaning they have special size, special speed, special quickness, you don’t spend a top 10 pick on a DB – you always take the defensive lineman instead, even if it’s reaching you still do that. I don’t know Wards numbers yet but thus far he doesn’t appear to be in that special category, so in that case you take probably Davenport, who is very raw but does have special talent/ability.
Or better you do everything you can to trade down. Heck in 2016 the Bucs traded down a couple of spots and picked up a 4th, or the cost of Quinn in other words and still got their guy. That guy of course was VH3, who wasn’t special in times of size/speed/quickness. He has good quickness, but nothing special, and he’s slow and small – getting Sheldon Rankins would have been the pick using the rule above, and 2 years in that clearly would have been the better pick.
March 5th, 2018 at 2:51 pm
MJD would be the best Buc RB on the roster right now…and he’s been retired 4 years or so. Grimes is gone-zo…Miko was very diplomatic the past two years…but you know she’s getting him outta here!
March 5th, 2018 at 2:53 pm
With what we’ve seen so far from the front office, would you want to spend your last year or playing for Licht and the Glazers?
March 5th, 2018 at 2:56 pm
Have you heard Brent say he is not coming back🤔
March 5th, 2018 at 2:58 pm
of course grimes is outta here… crap owners with no desire to field a respectable product much less a winner. soft clown for a defensive captain, and lame duck coaches coupled with having options makes it a no brainer he is outta of here…
March 5th, 2018 at 2:59 pm
Gin and tonic? C’mon Joe. What’s next? You going to be telling us you’re sipping on Zima’s at JBF World Headquarters.
March 5th, 2018 at 2:59 pm
I have no problem with Ward….
March 5th, 2018 at 3:03 pm
Denzel Ward won’t be the player for the Bucs that Marshon Lattimore is for the Saints. The Saints has 15 year vet, 3 time pro bowl player, Aaron Glenn as their secondary coach. And not only did Glenn do wonders for rookies Marcus Williams, Marshon Lattimore. But the Saints pass defense improved from 32nd in the NFL to 10th in the NFL. Tampa Bay will not be the right fit for Denzel Ward. Their secondary coaching is the worst in the NFL, they would ruin a talent like Ward.
March 5th, 2018 at 3:03 pm
Bucs should sign trumaine and draft denzel if Chubb not available
March 5th, 2018 at 3:15 pm
JOE,
The other NFCS QBs will continue to shine untill the DL is addressed. Licht should come down from the clouds and acknowledge this matter of fact already.
-Pissed off Bucs fan
March 5th, 2018 at 3:17 pm
Maybe Jones-Drew can suit again and save his mentor Koetter..lol…
I
Am
Losing
Faith…
March 5th, 2018 at 3:28 pm
Everyone keeps yelling “Fix the trenches, fix the trenches” but it’s all just talk it seems. Bucs can fix the OLine (LG & C or LG & RG) in FA if they’re willing to spend some money. Unfortunately not much to fix the DLine in FA outside of Poe (right now at least). Thus … focus on the DLine in the draft. Vea or Payne with our #7, plus 2 DEs by the end of round 4. Fix the Secondary in FA and use 3 more draft picks to nab 2 RBs. plus 1 CB.
March 5th, 2018 at 3:30 pm
Kyle Fuller…pay him!
March 5th, 2018 at 3:31 pm
Sign FA DBs, draft oline and dline the first 2-3 rounds. Davenport at 7, Hernandez if he is still there in the second.
March 5th, 2018 at 3:41 pm
let grimes walk!!!!!!…..sign 1 or 2 of the following: kyle fuller…ej gaines….Malcolm butler….
then draft 2 of the following…..Holton hill….duke dawson….travaris McFadden
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!
March 5th, 2018 at 3:42 pm
Good riddance … replace the OLD man with someone younger
March 5th, 2018 at 3:47 pm
as an FSU grad and fan, please do not draft Tavaris McFadden. He’s slow and has no dog in him.
Now, i would be good with getting both Derwin and Sweat. Derwin is a beast and a difference maker. Sweat is worth a shot in the 3rd if available. He’s been hurt a lot but he can play.
March 5th, 2018 at 4:06 pm
I’m with Lakeland. Been saying it all along no way in hell Grimes stays. Why would anyone want to.play for this defense. Hell I know even offensive free agents don’t want to.come.here because it’s obvious that nobody can win games with the league’s worst defensive coordinator.
This team needs new owners. How can we see the issues and not the owners and coaches..
BECAUSE THEY.DONT GIVE A RATS ARSE THAT’S WHY!!!
March 5th, 2018 at 4:21 pm
Josh Sweat ran a 4.51 and 4.53
March 5th, 2018 at 5:13 pm
Personally i’d rather we pay for the services of Trumaine Johnson and another FA corner before I’d pick Denzel Ward over Quenton Nelson or Vita Vea.
March 5th, 2018 at 5:15 pm
JabooBuc Says:
March 5th, 2018 at 3:47 pm
as an FSU grad and fan, please do not draft Tavaris McFadden. He’s slow and has no dog in him.
good to know….I thought he played well in the games I saw….not many team threw his way…..but i’ll trust you…..lol…
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!!…..GO BUCS!!!!!
March 5th, 2018 at 8:37 pm
Still don’t understand why you guys want to let Grimes walk. He’s the only CB that has had success so far in Mike Smith’s defense. I don’t care how old he is, the dude can still play which is all that matters.
March 5th, 2018 at 8:55 pm
he’s not lattimore
Denzel Ward won’t be the player for the Bucs that Marshon Lattimore is
Says youse.
March 5th, 2018 at 10:46 pm
This is a little bit of a stretch. Drew is merely speaking that Grimes is a free agent at present, not that Grimes won’t be re-signed.
It’s a mock. He’ll do ten more before the event.
March 5th, 2018 at 11:11 pm
Apparently Ward had a heck of a day today and does have exceptional speed – so that actually meets the criteria of a top 10 DB. So there you go, you can now take him. Also he passes the name test, Denzel Ward sounds like a top corner.
March 5th, 2018 at 11:22 pm
Wow, in other draft news there’s a S from Northwestern called, Godwin Igwebuike. The Bucs have to draft this guy, to be the first team in NFL history to have two Igwebuike’s having played for it, well that’s just incredibly special and something that needs to happen.
March 5th, 2018 at 11:56 pm
utter nonsense…grimes is about to get paid by the bucs out the ass on an end of career contract – which rarely happens – but it will happen here, and the bucs are just holding out to play it cool…without grimes they are a total mess on the back end…realize ward flopped out, tandy is gone, and har-grievances is in deep ass doo…there would be no point in fixing the front end of the d if you let the back end of the d become the new achilles heel…they must sign him or a talib or someone of that caliber no matter what, or this team is done…they have the money and will get it done…and also note that his wife has been a pretty good soldier here in tampa…if she raised complete hell, as they say she did in other places, it would be easier to let grimes go…grimes is super important to this team – he will be here and get paid nicely imho…
#SmokescreensAndPreDraftFodder
March 6th, 2018 at 2:25 am
Licht, is always drafting for holes he creates and never gets to the other ones. It’s been how long and the team has more holes than ever!
March 6th, 2018 at 4:02 am
Fitzpatrick is the best player for the team.
March 6th, 2018 at 4:11 pm
I’m with you Jdr I’m loving the idea of Fitzpatrick. Only if Licht would do something about this DL in FA but I’m not holding my breath.