It Didn’t Matter
June 15th, 2018
Talks JPP.
It seems all the stress was for nothing.
More than a few Bucs fans were gnawing on their fingernails, dreading the news that Jason Pierre-Paul, new Bucs defensive end, was not participating in voluntary OTAs.
It wasn’t like JPP was blowing off the Bucs. He was in contact with Dirk Koetter and after earlier underwear football practices, Koetter even confessed JPP was in the building. He just wasn’t on the practice field.
And after three days of mandatory minicamp, Koetter believes JPP is already caught up with his new teammates.
“I think he did do fine,” Koetter said yesterday. “I heard, when we’re going no huddle and I’m standing [on the field] like the ref, I’m listening to the D-line talk and listening to him communicate with Gerald [McCoy] or Beau Allen or with Lavonte [David].
“When JPP first told me he wasn’t going to be at the first part of OTAs, he said, ‘Coach, I’ve been doing this a long time, there’s only so many things a defensive end has to do.’
“I think he’s done a good job. You can tell – we all know who he is from afar but when he gets here, he’s a big man and he’s long, 280 pounds. He plays the run a lot better than people think he does so, he’s going to be fine.”
Yeah, Joe understands it is a good thing for all players to be involved in all team practices. Otherwise, there would be chaos.
But JPP has been around the block a few times. As he told Koetter, he knows what he must do to be ready. Now we just have to see results on the field. In the fall.
June 15th, 2018 at 5:12 am
JPP was caught off guard by the trade, moving from NYC to Tampa not the shortest distance. I think coaches and GM know they to have a focused player by training camp that’s isnt harboring any bad vibes, particularly over voluntary practices. I have no worries other then personalities blending. I think other players might grow tired of McCoy trying to hang on to the cameras at every chance.
June 15th, 2018 at 5:35 am
Bobby:
JPP lives in South Florida. He drove here for his press conference earlier this year.
June 15th, 2018 at 6:40 am
Yah. And he’s rich. Someone moved all his stuff for him. He can fly on someone’s private jet. It was odd that 250,000 was not worth showing up for 3 days on a new team with new players. I wondered if there was something else going on which was real reason. Cause moving and getting son acclimated when son already lives in Tampa sounded strange.
He is here and hopefully he can give some qbs the JPP shocker 🤙
June 15th, 2018 at 7:11 am
As the 4th of July approaches, my thoughts will be with JPP.
June 15th, 2018 at 7:26 am
I hope we can get 10 sacks from him
June 15th, 2018 at 7:38 am
My only thoughts were that he could rub off on the younger players like Spence. Spence seemed to really focus on Simeon Rice when he came in.
June 15th, 2018 at 7:45 am
@Tampabaybucfan… that was a real explosive comment one that can light the fuse of some people. I’m sure it will explode into a huge controversy.
June 15th, 2018 at 8:11 am
I would have gone and worked out with the team in his place. As a surrogate, for that cool quarter mil…
June 15th, 2018 at 8:13 am
@ Buc Believeer
Sometimes posters let their “fingers” do too much talking.
June 15th, 2018 at 8:15 am
Yes, I believe I could make that sacrifice. 3 long days…
June 15th, 2018 at 8:15 am
Complete coach-speak BS from Koetter. JPP was not in the building and now we are BSing the media to make it go away. LOL Most of us can see right through this BS.
Koetter needs to learn he cant coddle anyone or he will lose this team when he needs them most on the field
June 15th, 2018 at 8:41 am
You can be “been around the block” until you move to a new “Block”!!!!!!
He turns 30 before the season is over, and him and GMC have a very short window to prove that they are the “studs” that the sheep keep saying they are!!!!!!!
GO Bucs!!!!!!!!!
June 15th, 2018 at 8:46 am
When u don’t draft properly you have to sign free agents and trade for older players
June 15th, 2018 at 8:53 am
Ya it’s pretty obvious that they’ve both been lying. I do believe jpp had other stuff going on but it certainly shouldn’t have prioritized otas.
But, he’s a vet and many of them have held out or skipped OTAs over the years. Dude is acclimating to a new team and certainly frustrated which isn’t an excuse but we handled it well and there’s no doubt he doesn’t miss a beat.
Not worried.
June 15th, 2018 at 8:59 am
rhealist
so you don’t like the JPP signing?…..what excuse are you trying to create now?…..
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!!….#PRESSURESONTHECOACHES!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!
June 15th, 2018 at 9:21 am
@813
It was not a “signing” it was a trade!!!!!!!!!!
Keep fixing the “real” problems, the roster!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Go Bucs!!!!!!!!!
June 15th, 2018 at 9:30 am
correction, so you don’t like the trade?…..what excuses are you cooking up?
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!….#PRESSURESONTHECOACHES!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!
June 15th, 2018 at 10:15 am
JPP is a PROFESSIONAL who has played in this league for 8 years! I think he knows his body and what is required of him better than anybody else including coaches, fans, and media.
We are in the midst of silly season in the NFL and it’s going to get worse!!! What is there to talk about for the next six weeks? Oh yeah…JPP skipped VOLUNTARY team workouts.
June 15th, 2018 at 10:15 am
Don’t bother me coach I already know it all.
In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, in the expert’s mind there are few.
Probably mostly irrelevant, but if you get a big contract and new team and all I would think you would show up, on the remote chance you might learn something. Or be just a little more prepared for training camp and the season.
New system and teammates and all.
June 15th, 2018 at 10:26 am
Tnew:
Spence doesn’t need to talk to JPP, he needs his shoulder to keep from ripping apart. Good luck with that.
June 15th, 2018 at 10:43 am
@BobbyM,
I know you don’t know any better because you aren’t there, but you couldn’t be any more wrong. McCoy doesn’t look for the cameras by any means. I’ve seen him turn down interviews after practice on multiple occasions. I’m sure Joe would verify this. All of the players are made available to the media by the team. McCoy doesn’t talk any more than any of the other players. In fact, I’d bet he talks less. I guarantee you he wouldn’t talk to one reporter in Tampa if he didn’t have to. But I know you have an agenda, so go ahead and carry on.
June 15th, 2018 at 11:07 am
@Realist
What is so terrible with the roster currently? Put your $$ where your mouth is.
You mocked Lovie Smith by saying he needed all-pro players everywhere for his system to work…
And yet here you are…years later after we have added much more talent than we had then… going into 2018 with a talent excuse…
You NEVER gave that excuse for Lovie. If anything – you basically sh1t on the idea of talent ever being an excuse. I think it’s been a legit one for years regardless – but you have been super inconsistent in your takes on this.
We’re objectively much more talented than we were under Lovie. We’ve already seen some Licht draft picks getting signed/extended that we know deserve it vs Dominic picks.
They even drafted the f*cking main person you wanted in Vita Vea. 2 of our best D-lineman are young between him / Spence. Gholston is young. Allen is young. Yes JPP is old. So was Julius Peppers last year at 38 and JPP / Curry are 29. Demarcus Ware was balling at 33. Michael Bennet still played well last year at 31.
Just say it – you think this D-line is a bunch of old players about to fall off a cliff if that’s your point. But I just feel like you’re playing a really weird game where you are being so vague at this point that no one is going to take your realist re-posts seriously anymore. I was done to trade McCoy last year but who knows if there were any serious takers.
I don’t think the roster elite personally. But I think it’s very solid. IMO:
QB-Top 14 or better
RBs- Average with potential for better
WRs- Top 5
TEs- Top 5-10
O-line Pass Pro Top 16 or better
O-line Run blocking – Top 22 or better
D-line- Top 16 or better
LBs – Top 12 or better
CBs – Top 24 or better
Ss – Top 24 or better
That’s kind of what I think in a worst-case scenario. D-line/secondary could all be MUCH better than this in terms of potential. Worst case I’d say they have at least average D-line talent now even though most would say top 10. Worst case they still have Grimes at CB and you have a 3rd year 1st round pick / 2 2nd rounders / + Ryan Smith to work with. Coaches need to get that sh1t right because 3 picks in the top 2 rounds should = talent you can work with. Justin Evans looks like he could be special but the other spot is a ?.
This defense should be better than 32nd in points/yards allowed per drive as they were in 2017. They have enough talent to be average which would be a huge improvement.
The offense has enough talent to be a top 10 scoring unit or better.
We’ll see. GO BUCS
June 15th, 2018 at 11:08 am
And to be clear I’m not defending Lovie Smith. I’d take the DK/MS regime over him all day still.
June 15th, 2018 at 11:17 am
@Lord Corn
I am clearly stating is that we don’t know what all these new players are bringing and what it will look like until they have pads on, and are playing together against teams that are scheming against them!!!!!!
I hear a lot of sheep, saying the table is set!!! That nothing should stop this team except “play calling”!!!!!! I do not see this roster as the top roster in the division!!!!!!!!! I am not taking the new plays best year stats and adding them all together to forecast this team this year!!!!!!!!
Last year at this time, there were articles of how NFL GM Licht should be in jail because of all the stealing he did in Free agency!!!!!!! LOL!!!!!!
I like the GM, but the roster still will need work!!!!!!
I like the Coaches!!!!!!
Fix the “real” problem, the roster!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GO Bucs!!!!!!!!!!!!
June 15th, 2018 at 11:26 am
@Realist
Ok that’s more clear I can buy that. I expect 1/2 of our FA and draft picks to not pan out as we hoped because that’s normal. I hope for better because that helps turn around a team super fast as we saw with the Saints last year who jumped from 3 losing years to a lot of people’s SB favorites.
I don’t think it’s a “sheep” comment to say there shouldn’t be any excuses for having a terrible year. I don’t see many people predicting/expecting playoffs as the standard. We all know this has been a sh1t organization / roster / team for a decade now.
But there is no reason this team should be picking top 7 in the draft again next year. They are not a bottom 7 roster – even if all the FA pickups and draft picks are worthless. I can go around the league and point at teams with much bigger holes as of right now.
So when I see #noexcuses I don’t think it means we have no excuses not to win the division / playoffs / etc. I think it means we have no excuses to suck as bad as we did last year.
We should be competing in pretty much every game and not getting blown out and fielding the 32nd defense in the league in points/yards per drive; or the 18th scoring offense in points per drive; when we know we have top 10 talent on that side of the ball and at least average talent on defense.
If we have normal injury luck and we suck again and are picking high in 2019 then that’s on the coaches imo. Not the roster.
GO BUCS
June 15th, 2018 at 2:43 pm
I don’t know how many of you have made cross country moves, but after spending eight years in New York, just ridding out the stuff JPP didn’t want anymore was likely a big job. Add to that finding a suitable house in Tampa, getting his New York stuff packed, then moving in at his new place is all a big, big deal that is very time and attention consuming. Let’s not forget JPP has a child to help cope with a move and new living circumstance so I can understand why he wasn’t at the voluntary OTAs. He made it to the mandatory mini-camp and with his personal business settled or close to it, he’ll be able to focus his attention and energy in training camp.