“One Of The Leaders In The Locker Room”
March 2nd, 2018
The pulse of the Buccaneers’ locker room is a bit of an enigma.
Dirk Koetter kept telling everyone who would listen that the Bucs had strong leadership last season.
But, in reality, the Bucs did not have it.
Yes, Tampa Bay played hard in the second half of the season. They battled when they could have rolled over, but that doesn’t exactly deserve a trophy. It’s encouraging but hardly comforting in a division where everyone plays hard.
A team with playoff-caliber leadership would have extinguished the Chris Baker mess before it started, forced T.J. Ward to care like he used to, played more respectable defense on the road, and not seen some of its leaders come unglued on the field.
Leadership is overrated, but it still matters.
So for those who want to know how Bucs leadership is evolving, retiring Bucs center Joe Hawley shed light this morning on WDAE-AM 620. Hawley explained that Ali Marpet has grown from silent newcomer to powerful voice.
“Marpet didn’t talk at all as a rookie,” Hawley said, adding that Marpet was hitting his stride on the field and in the locker room when he got injured in November.
“Just a confidence thing for Ali to thrive at center, more of a mental game, a leadership game. He’s one of the leaders in the locker room now,” Hawley said. “I think they’re going to keep him at center, give him a chance to develop. I think he’s going to have a lot more confidence there.”
Joe is pleased to hear this from Hawley, who calls it straight, though it did put a spotlight on how Marpet’s adjustment to center is a process, not a quick-fix. And it still remains a bit puzzling that the team volunteered for that transition coming off a 9-7 season with a right guard (Marpet) who was damn good where he was — and a new right guard coming off major and mysterious back surgery.
Marpet, per conversations with Joe, is eager to be a major team leader. And part of his process was jumping to the forefront and becoming the club’s players association representative in 2017.
For the draft obsessed, Hawley added that adding Notre Dame guard Quenton Nelson at No. 7 overall next month would be a great move for center Marpet.
March 2nd, 2018 at 9:20 am
Keep the Hawley insights coming….
March 2nd, 2018 at 9:24 am
There is a clear division between the young driven players like marpet, kwon and America’s Quaterback and the soft holdover career losers led by cancer93. Clearly cancer93 love of losing and mentally weak soft approach is holding back the youth. Eraducate the disease that is cancer93 the me first cryin clown that is the core issue.
March 2nd, 2018 at 9:25 am
Jameis not the leader?!!!
March 2nd, 2018 at 9:35 am
is hawley really retiring or are you saying his time as a buc is retired ?
March 2nd, 2018 at 9:39 am
Anyone else see Barkley put up 29 reps on the Bench press? Nick Chubb also put up 29. Those are Beastly numbers for a RB.
March 2nd, 2018 at 9:45 am
SB… you are correct, who else put up beastly numbers? 25 yo FA to be Jerick McKinnon who put up 32, with two no reps that he short cycled early during his combine in 2014.
March 2nd, 2018 at 9:59 am
Imagine Marpet-Nelson-Smith holding down the left side of the line for the next decade.
Imagine two TE sets and OJ over there blocking. We should be able to run the ball and we should have protection for #3’s backside.
March 2nd, 2018 at 10:12 am
Wasn’t Druggie Martin a big time weight lifter as well? How did that work out?
March 2nd, 2018 at 10:30 am
I am imagining it StPeteBucsFan, and I t looks glorious!
March 2nd, 2018 at 10:32 am
At this point if we don’t get Nelson I am going to be disappointed, very disappointed.
March 2nd, 2018 at 11:57 am
Who’s decision was it to bring on baker?
Tampa Browns
March 2nd, 2018 at 12:20 pm
Doug Martin put up 28 reps at the combine.
March 2nd, 2018 at 12:31 pm
Destinjohnny Says:
March 2nd, 2018 at 11:57 am
Who’s decision was it to bring on baker?
Tampa Browns
I’m sure it was Licht’s decision. But no matter who’s decision it was, they aught to be hit in the face with a brick!! In my opinion that’s one of the worst signings ever…..kind of reminds me of the Anthony Collins signing at LT. Another brilliant signing by Licht.
March 2nd, 2018 at 7:39 pm
Strong leadership, team unity, Bad attitude, Plays Angry. Demands Accountability- blah, Blah, Blah.
Its all BS. Its what losing teams talk about, and emphazoz,
March 2nd, 2018 at 7:52 pm
– emphasize.
Its all garbage. Its just loser chatter, to try and sound like their team is building something.
The team with the better players wins.
They can be happy, angry, quiet.
If more of your guys- can beat the guy across from them, then you win.
Everything else is just losers,trying to comfort themselves
March 2nd, 2018 at 8:19 pm
This was another reason why I didn’t like him switching to C. It’s kinda hard to lead when he’s learning a foreign position. Now, maybe with some continutity along that line we can see them step up. If Dirk moves Marpet to a different position again I’ll be convinced he has no clue.
March 2nd, 2018 at 9:54 pm
Moving Marpet to center, a position he had NEVER played, was yet another incredibly stupid move, by an incredibly stupid team