The Now Factor & A Nagging Question
April 30th, 2018
BY IRA KAUFMAN
As the smoke clears from a busy Bucs offseason, let’s peer through the haze.
There will likely be a few more additions before the season opener in New Orleans, but for the most part, the 2018 Bucs are in the house.
The trenches have been fortified and the Stick Carriers have been satisfied … at least for now.
When Drew Brees lines up under center at the Superdome, he’s going to gaze out at Tampa Bay’s defensive line and ask, “Who are these guys?”
That’s good, because those other guys didn’t get the job done. Vita Vea is the fifth new piece added up front in an effort to shake, rattle and roll Brees, Matt Ryan and Cam Newton.
With Gerald McCoy, Noah Spence and Will Gholston returning, that’s a nice eight-man rotation Mike Smith has at his disposal. While Vea and Beau Allen duke it out for the starting nose tackle spot, Gholston could find himself in a backup role if the Bucs decide to open with Jason Pierre-Paul at left end.– where he played extensively for the Giants.
The pass rush couldn’t possibly be worse than the gentle breeze that opposing quarterbacks faced last fall. Pressure is the key because I’m still not sold on Tampa Bay’s secondary.
Not by a long shot.
Nagging Question
Brent Grimes brings smarts and stability, but I still see plenty of issues at corner. Vernon Hargreaves returns along with Ryan Smith, but neither inspires much confidence among Buc fans.
Enter M.J. Stewart and Carlton Davis, a pair of second-round picks who will be given every opportunity to start on the outside opposite Grimes.
I like their physicality, but I left One Buc Place Friday night with one nagging question: can Stewart or Davis cover at an NFL level?
Run support (Stewart) is nice and jamming receivers at the line of scrimmage (Davis) is helpful, but most of all, I want corners who can cover. I want corners with ball skills.
Davis and Stewart haven’t excelled when the football is in the air, so Tampa Bay’s defensive coaches have a job to do. That job would be far easier if the men up front do their job.
Jordan Whitehead will be given every chance to contribute at safety next to Justin Evans, but two draft days went by without his name being called. We may be looking at Chris Conte and Keith Tandy once again.
Now Factor
To me, the rookie with the best chance to make an immediate impact is Ronald Jones.
Peyton Barber will still get his carries, but Jones has the burst and vision to bring another dimension to Tampa Bay’s plodding ground game. Long runs instantly change field position — and the 2017 Bucs were woeful on that count with only five runs of at least 20 yards and zero runs of 40 yards or more.
Compare that to the Saints (17-5), the Panthers (10-5) and the Falcons (11-2) and it’s obvious that Tampa Bay desperately needs a back like Jones with big-play ability.
Some questions remain on the offensive line, where Demar Dotson is coming off knee surgery and the right guard spot is still up in the air, but Jason Licht and his staff are feeling rather bubbly at the moment.
“When we went into the first round, we thought we were going to have a hell of a lot more needs than we do right now,” Licht said. “If we just came out with a first-round pick and a second-round pick, it was going to be tough to do that.”
If Jones lives up to expectations, Dirk Koetter will have the offensive balance he’s been denied for the past two seasons. By himself, Jones can turn Tampa Bay’s draft class into a success story.
For the other seven rookies, it’s all about keeping up with the Joneses.
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.
April 30th, 2018 at 10:46 am
Love to see bucs sign one of those FA safeties available and then definitely need a starting RT, jameis is the make or break on this team this year
April 30th, 2018 at 10:50 am
I’ll take these secondary draft picks over bandaid free agent has-beens anyday
April 30th, 2018 at 11:04 am
that 2016 secondary with Conte/Tandy was decent with a passable pass rush that’s all I’m gonna say.
April 30th, 2018 at 11:04 am
“shake, rattle and roll “…I like that !
April 30th, 2018 at 11:11 am
Great stuff Ira. But I’m anxious to see if Mike Smith does a much better job as a Defensive Coordinator. Because I gave him a D+ last year. Hargreaves has gotta step it up..I mean all the way up. Cause we are really disappointed in him and Spence. And Caoch Smith has gotta get some fire, some plays, some Manuverability on Defense from somewheres. Defense is still the key for us. Lets see what we got.
April 30th, 2018 at 11:14 am
Hopefully these player fix the soft mentality of this team. Thats really what they all bring. As of now, bucs look better in a street fight
April 30th, 2018 at 11:25 am
CB and S are very difficult to come in and do right away as a rookie. Meanwhile, I’ll be shocked if Ghoulston starts. I like the new blood though.
April 30th, 2018 at 11:28 am
Igwebuike in the mix! Donald Kicker’s relative lol
April 30th, 2018 at 11:28 am
I am very curious to see how much time the sheep and so-called fans will give the defense!!!!!!They will be disappointed if they think it will be playoff caliber in the first games!!!!!!!!! Counting up the new positions could be close to half of the defense will be new starters!!!!!! It will be very interesting to see how long they will give them to gel together!!!!! The sheep and so-called fans will get overly excited now, claiming “all this talent” and the Joe will continue their campaign against the defensive coaches ( just see their failed “status woe” campaign”)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GO Bucs!!!!!!!!!!!!
April 30th, 2018 at 11:30 am
“For the other seven rookies, it’s all about keeping up with the Joneses”
A cute ending line Ira.
Of course we hope ROJO kicks some ass right out of the gate and becomes OROY.
But at least a couple of these defensive rookies are the ones who need to shine. for our team to truly be vastly improved.
Hopefully Vea is as good or better than advertised – and at least one of these 2nd rd CBs can grab the starting outside job with authority and be this year’s Lattimore.
April 30th, 2018 at 11:33 am
BR…my prediction there will be big contrasts in games this year….fits and starts but will end with signs of encouragement….I’m expecting a season coming up short with signs of traction….I say we need another 2019 FA signing and draft class …and it will all ome together the second half of 2019 !
April 30th, 2018 at 11:43 am
@Realist
I don’t expect the defense to be much better than average. Average would be a huge improvement.
The pass rush should be improved pretty immediately. Vea is the only significant player on the rotation with no experience in the NFL and his role isn’t going to take much technique right off the bat.
Most our secondary starters are returning. If these rookie CBs beat anyone out that’s a good sign that we should see an upgrade there.
But the key to this season is the offense scoring at a top 10 rate right off the bat. Healthy Winston + upgrade O-line/run game should be all we need.
I love that Jones had a knack for scoring TDs. Will be interesting to see if Barber or him gets the red zone carries. Jamaal Charles was similarl in his red zone effectivness for a small back. Same with Devonte Freeman
April 30th, 2018 at 12:11 pm
The roster has been steadily improving so there is no reason not to expect improved play along with it. We addressed THEE biggest need at d-line and brought in secondary help as well. The talent is better.
Now, about that coaching!
April 30th, 2018 at 12:16 pm
Altered
Agree re:2019. Buc fans need to chill for this season. It all really hinges on Smitty. If he can’t coordinate this defense, and have the beginnings of traction in 2018, I can’t see how he would be retained for 2019.
That’s the sad reality.. it doesn’t matter who we bring in, if they are not expertly coached.
April 30th, 2018 at 12:23 pm
As far as the entire coaching staff goes, I am still of the opinion that they were retained, not because of continuity issues, but because the Glazers didnt want to be paying out dead money to coaches who are no longer here i. e. Gruden, schiano, Lovie.
On most other teams, I have to believe if you have the last ranked defense, that coordinator is let go (Rob Ryan for example)
This year is sooo make or break for this organization, DK SMITTY, Licht and it’s most prominent players,,JW GMC KWON, just to name a few
April 30th, 2018 at 12:29 pm
I hope that one of the two corners kill it during training camp and there is a solid #2 cornerback
April 30th, 2018 at 12:30 pm
On the bright side it would appear Buckner has some horses to work with..let’s see how he does with them.
On a side note, for all those that say how wonderful it is that Grimes is here to mentor…I’m not sure I want his unorthodox style being taught to them. It might work for him, but clearly it doesn’t work for everyone. That and I don’t think he’s really interested in being a mentor. This is his swan song, ride off into the sunset moment
April 30th, 2018 at 12:31 pm
@Joe Blahak … “Igwebuike in the mix!” Right on! Godwin’s got as good a chance as anyone of making this roster. Little over 5’11” 203 lbs, fast (4.44 secs in the 40), hard-hitting, excellent tackler & supposedly a ball-hawk. Had been projected as a 3rd or 4th Rnd pick. So Bucs actually got 2 CBs & 2 Safeties in this draft. All we need to do now is bat 50% & our Secondary will be much-improved.
April 30th, 2018 at 12:34 pm
That is Ok…All the worry’s at Safety and doubting Tandy’s ability. We saw what he did in 2016 and what the Bucs did in 2017 with Smith and Koetter deciding to keep him on the sidelines. They both about lost their jobs. They both have learned their lesson and Tandy is motivated by people doubting his ability. He is a seasoned Vet and has earned the right to be considered the other Starting Safety beside Evans whom I personally am not sold on just yet. Not a very good tackler, but good coverage guy. With this said and all the tangible’s that were addressed on the defensive side of the ball look for the Bucs to be vast improved come 2018. I may be wrong but I may not.!!!!!
April 30th, 2018 at 12:49 pm
Every Corner drafted from #4 to the last pick you can ask the same question. The Draft and these player are not in a Vacuum. Every player drafted has question marks and doubts.
April 30th, 2018 at 1:01 pm
I think this is the draft that gets Jason on the hot seat.
Hope I’m wrong
April 30th, 2018 at 1:01 pm
Ego an real I agree with both of you. You guys hit it both on the head one more draft an a few depth pieces added an we should be golden hopefully. I think this year we will be back to a 9-7 record an will compete with mostly any team. We might come up short but that’s ok if progress is moving forwards this is deff a marathon an not a sprint
April 30th, 2018 at 1:12 pm
I don’t think it’s any one piece….it’s the whole package that should make a difference.
An infusion and a totally re”Vita”lized Dline…..growth from Smith, VH3 & Evans….new blood with Stewart, Davis & Whitehead. Spence coming back from injury.
A new kickier…..
New Center…..perhaps help from Cappa….
And, of course ROJO…..
Those are a lot of elements…..the primary ingredient is toughness.
April 30th, 2018 at 1:13 pm
Also forgot…..Coach Buckner….
April 30th, 2018 at 1:30 pm
We need a young back up QB that is ready to step in and play…because Fitz is old and living on his old worn down and ragged resume….if/when he is asked to start…he will not last long…one late hit penalty would be worth it for any opposing team….WE desperately need a back up QB and Fitz is not it !Sorry but that is the weakest link in the chain
April 30th, 2018 at 1:34 pm
Lakeland is on the clock
7-9 at best for the Bucs in 2018
April 30th, 2018 at 1:53 pm
Lake ,
You come back with that!
Homer! You are 2 games too high
Again bucs will get destroyed by teams that can pass short. 70 % completion again from journeyman qbs
So we dtafted a 199lb rb to run klueless predicatale playcalls? Run to the gut on 1st and 2nd down with 199?
Thank goodness barber will breakout this year. Only hope of 7 wins is barber becomes a beast this year
Kobe Faker is here to post first that the 2018 mvp for the bucs will be peyton barber. …..sorry to disappoint the rojo 199er klueless matchstick carroers
April 30th, 2018 at 1:54 pm
We still need to pick up another safety for competition and depth. We still could use pass rusher help but that will have to wait till next season cause no one reliable left for pass rushing. All in all we’re ready!
April 30th, 2018 at 1:58 pm
Bring in quinton demps for depth at safety. He will come cheap now.
April 30th, 2018 at 2:47 pm
If you’re looking at players, you’re way off! Coaching is the critical issue. Lots of new talent. Same ole coaches. Buckner may make a difference, but Smith couldn’t find his a$$ if you tied both hands behind his back!
April 30th, 2018 at 3:01 pm
Funny how many experts there are here with such definitive opinions considering we’ve all seen these same posters completely wrong on 1/2 the sh1t they’ve said over the years lol.
I can’t take someone seriously who thinks of the NFL in such a calculated little box. Put your $$ where your mouth is and bet 1/2 your savings on the Bucs sucking if you’re so confident about it. Thought so.
April 30th, 2018 at 3:55 pm
Bucs seem to be switching from soft “off” coverage to physical press corner play. With the new D line, this makes sense. Really tough to cover Julio Jones and Michael Thomas with their QB’s sitting in a clean pocket.
I’m actually one of the only bucs fans that’s ok with our safeties. They don’t stand out, but a quiet safety group isn’t a bad thing because it means they’re not getting burned.
That being said, how sick would an Eric Reid addition be? Why is nobody talking about this?? Especially with his versatility and the Beckwith injury
April 30th, 2018 at 4:30 pm
Did you honestly think we wouldn’t be asking if any corner we drafted could cover at the next level, that is being asked about first round picks because they haven’t done it yet. There back end won’t be tops in the NFL but I think they will be good enough to win. No excuses for these coaches sorry don’t wanna hear it
April 30th, 2018 at 5:26 pm
Absolutely positive spin on a turd of a draft. Need safety, don’t draft best one in draft.. draft running back with hamstring issues… draft dB from a terrible UNC team with no INTs.. Fire Jason Licht. Trade Jameis so he can play under competent leadership.
April 30th, 2018 at 5:31 pm
Also, since Licht loves those FCS guys, why doesn’t he draft Brandon Parker!? Best OL at the FCS level period… they whiff with not picking ball hawking sure handed tackler Jessie Bates and… man. This just proves you don’t have to be smart or be good at your job to keep it. I’m tired of Benny a fan of a team with crap owners who don’t focus on winning by employing proven losers on top… it’s gotten so bad that fans are getting arrested out of disgust for Jason Licht. Stop getting fans arrested Jason Licht and quit.
April 30th, 2018 at 5:39 pm
I’ve never thought Conte was that bad. Evans was really terrible in my opinion.
Nevertheless, safety is the hardest position for the casual fan to evaluate. We only see them if they’re involved in the play. And because they’re “helping” the safety will often be the closest one to the receiver and thus get tagged on these computerized evaluations even when they’re not the ones responsible. Look at the archive for “perfect pocket.” There’s a play on there that when you watch it you think Conte got beat. He was the closest to the ball. If you look at it closer, you see that the guy catching the touchdown pass was Evans’ responsibility. He was beaten so bad that he wasn’t even in the picture. Conte had his guy blanketed on the other side of the hash, but peeled off when he saw the play go to the other side. He came within inches of making a great play. On TV all we see is the guy closest to the ball. A number of people on this site blamed Conte when it clearly wasn’t his man.
The coaches on the other hand see hours of competition in training camp, position by position tape cut-ups through the pre-season and game tape, play by play, position by position. They know who the best player is. And that’s who’ll play. Several coaches are on the hottest of hot seats. They’re not going to play the worse guy.
April 30th, 2018 at 6:37 pm
Hate to say it….but maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea to offer Brate to Dallas for a first rounder. He’s a top tight end and they are looking desperate with Dez already out the door.
That will also move O.J into more of a veteran role. Can’t have a 1st round TE not being ann impact player.
This offense almost has too many players. 1st for Brate or a 5th for Djax. I’m sure he would lick his chops to play for dallas.
April 30th, 2018 at 6:42 pm
Wait so now Realist says after a complete roster overhaul on defense that when the until continues to perform like crap that it STILL won’t be Mike Smith’s FAULT?
At what point would it be his fault?
I understand maybe a couple of games to Gel but these are professionals that have played the sport their entire lives. At what point is there enough evidence to suggest that it is the coaching for you????
Whole new line, new dbs, no excuse for another 32 ranked defense. Maybe they need to learn, but as I’ve said all along when your dead last thats on coaching. If they end up being 22nd, 24th….then fine lets see it improve to 15th or 16th the following year, but there are ZERO excuses for being dead last with a team full nil talent.
When will it be enough to finally put it on the coach? Unless I see some press coverage, I’m not holding my breath
April 30th, 2018 at 7:17 pm
Love your insight Ira!
April 30th, 2018 at 7:42 pm
BucEMUp ,no one on here listens to anything Realist says but a few of his little chump boys!He called the last two 1st round picks for the bucs and wants everyone to think he is a GM. I have a couple friends in high school that knows football better than that clown!why are you surprised by his comment on Mike Smith?Of course he will be held responsible for this defense after revamping the dline and half the secondary.anyone who listens to Realist was left in the outfield ,never crossed home plate my friend!It takes realist two hours to watch 60 minutes!c’mon bro!!
April 30th, 2018 at 7:48 pm
Realist=Richard Williamson
April 30th, 2018 at 7:51 pm
I don’t have a problem with the Vita Vea pick, I think he makes the defense a little more scheme flexible. I do think they had every intention of taking Minkah Fitzpatrick and they expected the Dolphins to take Vea.
May 1st, 2018 at 10:42 am
Mr. Kaufman, you’re a heck of a writer. Tip of the hat to you, sir.