Lonely At The Top
March 28th, 2018
BY IRA KAUFMAN
I hung with Dirk Koetter for most of his talk with Tampa Bay media at the NFL coaches breakfast before sauntering off in search of additional Buc morsels.
Marvin Lewis told me the Bengals signed Swaggy Baker because they liked his tape with the Redskins two years ago, admitting he played poorly while overweight for the Bucs last fall.
Jay Gruden joked that his parents will now have to endure “eight hours of stress” on Sundays this season because his brother Jon is back on the sidelines for the first time since he was fired by the Bucs.
Speaking of Jon Gruden, he sounded excited about the prospect of Doug Martin recapturing the Pro Bowl form he flashed during two of his six years in pewter.
When I glanced over at Doug Marrone’s table, I was stunned to find him sitting patiently, virtually alone. I felt bad for a guy, who came very close to leading the Jaguars to the Super Bowl.
What I didn’t know is that Marrone is very familiar with the Bay area. He said he needed to check me out to see if I was really from Tampa, so he asked me to choose between the Green Iguana locations in Ybor City and Westshore.
I picked the Ybor City spot, which has now changed hands and changed names.
“Wrong,” Marrone bellowed. “You’re not from Tampa.”
The Ones Who Got Away
Then he laughed and answered all my Buc-related questions with passion and honesty.
The Jaguars have signed Austin Seferian-Jenkins and he has a decent chance to be their starting tight end. As Buc fans know all too well, ASJ was a disappointing second-round pick as a Buccaneer, beset by alcohol issues for his first two pro seasons.
“I go back to when I evaluated him out of college,” Marrone said. “At the University of Washington, I really liked a lot of the things that he did. He was very productive. Obviously, I didn’t know about the past and it’s unfortunate, but in my conversations he was very open about it and has put a lot of hard work to better himself.
“I don’t think a lot of people have ever questioned the talent he has. We’re fortunate to get that player and we get him at a good price because there’s a risk involved. We feel very comfortable with that. We’re going to look to get the most out of him.”
The addition of Calais Campbell in free agency had a major impact on a talented Jacksonville defense. The Bucs were interested, but the Jags opened their checkbook and the results were beyond Marrone’s expectations.
“When you acquire players like Calais, people say ‘Boy, those guys really knew what they were getting.’ I’d love to be able to stand up and say absolutely, but that’s not the case in free agency,” Marrone said. “I don’t think anyone ever questioned the type of player he is. You can see that on Sunday.
“But I could never weigh the amount of what Calais brought in terms of leadership, how he helped all the younger players and sent a message of what we wanted for our team. That stuff’s invaluable. You don’t really know that you’re going to get that. That’s not on tape.”
“You Can’t Manipulate That”
Campbell, who finished second to Aaron Donald in voting for NFL Defensive Player of the Year, made everyone around him better as Jacksonville upset Pittsburgh on the road and nearly beat the Patriots in Foxborough in the AFC title game.
“You call, you talk to coaches, you talk to other players he’s been with and you’re going to get a little bit of a story, but you’re never going to really know what that story is until the free agent comes in that building,” said Marrone. “When you pay players and you give them a great contract, it’s very difficult to live up to that contract. It really is.
“We got so much out of Calais. How do you put a value of what he meant to our football team? We would love to go into the draft and find the next guy like that. It’s a unique quality. Everyone can recognize and acquire talent — this guy’s great and if we get these guys together we’ll be a hell of a team. The talent part of it is one aspect of the equation, but don’t forget about the chemistry and the locker room. You can’t manipulate that. That’s got to happen from within. As a coach, you like to think you have control of it, but you don’t.”
From his cozy perch in the northeast corner of the state, Marrone likes what the Bucs have done in the offseason.
“They’re going to be good this year … look at their moves on the defensive line,” Marrone said. “The Bucs have a lot of talent, but man, that NFC South is brutal. That’s one tough-ass division.”
Ira Kaufman is the most revered sports personality and writer in town. He has hung his hat at JoeBucsFan.com world headquarters since July 2016. Tampa Bay’s only Pro Football Hall of Fame voter, Ira busts out columns here every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and his award winning podcasts fire Tuesdays and Thursdays. You can also hear Ira on SiriusXM Mad Dog Radio Wednesdays during football season, and see him now on Mondays at 10:30 p.m. on Spectrum Sports 360 (aka BayNews 9). Ira also is part of the FOX-13 Tailgate Sunday and enjoys beet salads, Riesling, Chiefs victories and needling Joe.
Be there for Thursday’s Round 1. Arrive early. Return for Rounds 2 and 3 the following day.
March 28th, 2018 at 1:10 pm
Ira, that was an absolutely AWESOME interview with Doug Marrone. I’m in awe of what he said about Calais Campbell … ““But I could never weigh the amount of what Calais brought in terms of leadership, how he helped all the younger players and sent a message of what we wanted for our team. That stuff’s invaluable.”
That’s precisely what the Bucs have lacked for years now as a TEAM. Certain position groups have had it sporadically (Logan Mankins & the OLine come to mind) but most of our most talented players are just young from a LEADERSHIP perspective. I’m hoping that the addition of Jensen & JPP especially will light a fire on BOTH sides of the ball this season.
March 28th, 2018 at 1:13 pm
The importance of having a TRUE leader in the middle of a D line is invaluable. It definitely gets frustrating reading how other teams have found it…
March 28th, 2018 at 1:14 pm
It’s funny but except when they play us I’m starting to root for the Saints, Falcons and Panthers.
I know we all want to see L’s mount up so we can win the division but I’m enjoying hearing how great our division is from coaches in both Conferences around the league.
Yeah makes our task that much more difficult but it all works out. If you want to be the best you have to beat the best. Nobody looks down on the NFC South Division Champion.
March 28th, 2018 at 1:16 pm
Between him and Gruden it almost comes across as though they’re saying – the Bucs don’t know what they’re doing so we’ll gladly take their castaways-
Bellicheck has certainly made a good living doing just that. Darn shame really.
March 28th, 2018 at 1:18 pm
D.R.R.
Agree with you completely about getting some fire starters for our team…I hope JPP and Jensen do the job as well.
Sometimes you just need to reach a critical mass. I see some hungry good guys on our team but we can’t seem to get over the hump psychologically.
Licht/Koetter/Smitty have obviously seen enough. The D line will have only one returning starter. We’re making some big changes. Now we have to hope that the chemistry of this new group works out.
March 28th, 2018 at 1:40 pm
Yes it is fantastic to finally have a REAL leader on the D line rather than the imitation one we have been force fed over the years! Watch said fake leader know he has been exposed as the fraud he is and then get “hurt” in week 2 or three and be out for the year and then get traded in the off season therebye keeping his title as captain underwear intact.
March 28th, 2018 at 2:07 pm
jags are the new bullies……that’s why he was sitting by himself…..everyone is afraid of a bully…..
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!!
March 28th, 2018 at 2:20 pm
Very few Buc fans congratualted the JAGS during there playoff run (sore losers).
But the Jags fought hard. And they did it without a so called..America’s QB. They did it mostly with Defense. What we..use to do it with. When we got away from it, we have never been the same. Now, our Bucs have woke up and..smelled the coffee. I for one am happy we are trying to field a great defense again. Because it was our calling card long ago. Perhaps we can get back to like where the Rams seem to going..one day! Maybe even in a yr or 2.
March 28th, 2018 at 2:30 pm
Derwin James is one of those natural “fire starters”.
As much as I hate the idea of drafting another safety at #7 – I’ve evolved into believing that if Chubb, Nelson and Barkley are off the board and no decent trade down offers come – that the Bucs should take Derwin James and be glad they are getting a true impact player as well as a fiery leader in the defensive backfield. We need those traits badly on the back end and James brings both with authority.
James is the much “safer” pick IMO than either Ward or Minkah and you HAVE to nail that pick and get a great NFL player when selecting at #7.
Paired with young and talented Justin Evans at FS – James is a great fit for our needs because he’s a natural SS who will give you all kinds of options to work with – speed, ferocious tackling – he can blitz effectively, he can cover TEs and RBs well, he’s a monster in the box vs the run. And he’s got that “It” factor to boot. Exactly what we need. We just missed on getting Eric Berry years ago by 1 or 2 spots I believe – well here’s our next good opportunity to draft “the next John Lynch”.
March 28th, 2018 at 2:52 pm
StPete … “Now we have to hope that the chemistry of this new group works out.” And nothing creates great chemistry like winning StPete. In my experience, winning is contagious. So is losing unfortunately.
March 28th, 2018 at 2:56 pm
OK Pickgrin you’ve got me sold on James…after…Nelson…Barkley and Chubb.
I like “firestarters” and agree that a leader at safety is a very good thing.
March 28th, 2018 at 2:58 pm
BRUTAL
Facts not feels…
Hard to get to 3 HOF QBs in their prime…
Signed GMC
March 28th, 2018 at 2:58 pm
feelings
March 28th, 2018 at 2:59 pm
D.R.
Agree 100%. Winning cures everything. This is one thing that gives me hope about Koetter. Nobody realizes this more than he does. He didn’t wait very long before pointing out the only thing people care about in this league is W’s.
I like the part of Dirk that is honest and gets it. I think last year thinned his skin a bit though and that’s understandable.
But Licht appears very confident and ready to roll…Koetter seems a little more chastised but I do not believe he’s given up yet. I’m sure he’s aware every moment that he is coaching on borrowed time. He needs to make a significant payment to the “coaching mortage” this year.
March 28th, 2018 at 3:27 pm
DB55
I agree but i think it’s similar to what Ron Rivera said yesterday about the Bucs, “the Bucs are the Bucs”. It’s our culture at this point and I give a lot of credit for the move to bring on Coughlin… I think that had a lot to do w/ a change in theirs culture.
March 28th, 2018 at 7:01 pm
I think I would gladly trade pre-Jacksonville calais Campbell for JPP and his performance last year showed that missing on getting that guy in the building was like the equivalent of never getting our Simeon Rice. I love Koetter and Licht but when he shot down that reporter last season with we couldn’t afford him nonsense it was a pretty upsetting take on which is almost certainly not true. Just ignorant
March 28th, 2018 at 7:03 pm
Also you are the man Ira, glad JBF made the decision to go get THEIR guy, whatever the cost 🙂
March 29th, 2018 at 9:41 am
@pickgrin
I am with you 100%
Derwin James would be a great pick.
March 29th, 2018 at 10:44 am
If you want a leader at safety, Fitzpatrick is your man. I’d hate to draft James and then see Fitzpatrick go light it up for someone else.
March 29th, 2018 at 1:45 pm
@Pickgrin thought I couldn’t like James more, but you articulated that very well and I went from 100% I want Derwin to 1000% Derwin. #DraftTheBlackPanther