USA Today: Bucs Dodged Bullet
September 3rd, 2018
“Who the f’ is this guy writing about me and the Bucs? I didn’t see the SOB in the draft room when people told me how great Dexter Jackson would f’ing be. F’ing little sh!t!”
Just a few months ago, there were loud voices howling if not demanding Team Glazer bring back Chucky.
Depending who you talk to and what you believe, either Team Glazer offered Chucky a job but wouldn’t match Mark Davis’ $100 million check or Chucky had his eyes set on being the King of Las Vegas, or Chucky and Team Glazer never spoke one word about coming back to the Bucs.
(Joe had heard through a reliable source years ago that when the Team Glazer hired Lovie Smith, their first choice was Chucky but he turned them down.)
Either way, Chucky uprooted his family from Tampa and now coaches the Raiders.
And Luke Easterling of USA Today suggests, in the wake of Khalil Mack being traded to the Bears and other eyebrow-raising moves, Bucs fans should be thanking their lucky stars Chucky didn’t want to return to the Bucs — or Team Glazer didn’t offer him a job or enough bread.
In fact, knowing Chucky, Easterling types, if he was running the Bucs he likely would have already traded Mike Evans.
As the cherry on top, let’s consider Gruden’s questionable (again, at best) track record when it comes to draft picks. Over his seven seasons in Tampa Bay, Gruden’s Bucs made 61 selections. Two of them ever made the Pro Bowl (Aqib Talib, Davin Joseph). Stockpiling draft picks only helps if you know what to do with them, and Gruden has proven the opposite throughout his career.
There is a lot of merit to what Easterling typed. Chucky, while he may be an excellent X’s and O’s coach, is horrible at player evaluation and overrated as a quarterback guru.
Lost in the weekend’s trade of Mack, was that Chucky, who never met a quarterback he didn’t love until he played for him, swapped a fifth-round pick for that clown A.J. McCarron. As Mike Tanier of Bleacher Report twittered, “I wouldn’t trade a fifth of Jim Beam for A.J. McCarron.”
September 3rd, 2018 at 9:06 am
I would have accepted it and moved on if he had come to Tampa, but I did not want him. He dismantles teams, not build them.
September 3rd, 2018 at 9:09 am
Chucky is a hell of a coach. Not so much of a gm.
September 3rd, 2018 at 9:18 am
How do you write this article and not mention the total loss of the 3rd round pick Chucky threw away to obtain Martavis Bryant who is now cut? I completely agree Joe, Chucky is an awesome strategy coach, but totally scary in matters relating to personnel.
September 3rd, 2018 at 9:24 am
The “real” fans would have considered that trade package for GMC!!!!!!!!!!!!!
#trust the coaches!!!!! Fix the “real” problem!!!! The roster!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GO Bucs!!!!!!!!!!!
September 3rd, 2018 at 9:30 am
Chucky is like that ass clown / a hole that everyone at work hates
……but management keeps/tolorates him around cause he’s super talented at what he does
Chucky is a cancer
September 3rd, 2018 at 9:31 am
“Stay the course”…..sometimes that is a hard thing to grasp in today’s lack of attention-span society!
September 3rd, 2018 at 9:32 am
Joe do you mean like drafting a kicker in the second round bad? Or drafting a failed corner back in the second round bad? Or drafting a first round Pacific Islander who has only ONE practice then gets “hurt” and disappears bad? Or darafting a west coast can’t run away from a 9 year old girl (ahem Rojo ) bad? Is that the kind of bad your referring to?
September 3rd, 2018 at 9:34 am
Oh, and Chucky absolutely fleeced the Raiders……of course, I say that and he’ll win two super bowls, but as of now, that total is sheer comical. It’s like some of the contracts in baseball, the only way to live up to them is to produce titles because their on the field production will most likely never match that contract amount! …………..
September 3rd, 2018 at 9:35 am
The Raiders paid 100 million to him. He’ll likely never live up to that huge contract.
September 3rd, 2018 at 9:36 am
chucky ruined alstott
September 3rd, 2018 at 9:36 am
Gruden can coach
But u have get him a strong gm
If u let him be gm u are doomed
September 3rd, 2018 at 9:50 am
Chucky would be one of the best coaches in the game – if he would allow a GM with a good eye for young talent to do his job while Gruden concentrated on coaching them up.
But that’s not how Jon rolls. His ego will not let him acknowledge that he’s not a personnel expert. So he demands control and a yes-man GM set up.
Gruden could have had a dream set up here in Tampa Bay if he had agreed to step-in to the current structure as head coach while allowing Jason Licht to keep full control over drafting and free agency. Licht would have worked closely with Jon to get him the type of players he wanted/needed moving forward – while still having enough sense and control of the situation not to make bad deals or bad draft decisions just because Chucky sees yet another shiny object that he grows temporarily enamored with…
Whether Koetter and Smitty succeed or not – the Bucs did indeed dodge a bullet by not guaranteeing Jon Gruden a long term contract to coach this team.
Everything is “new and exciting” for the Raiders atm – and the Raiders may well achieve some measure of success within the next couple years with Gruden running the show. But at some point – likely around year 4 or maybe year 5 – once they are all nice in comfortable in their new digs in Sin City – an ugly realization is going to hit Marc Davis like a ton of bricks – “WTF was I thinking guaranteeing this guy $100 Million over 10 years. He’s worn out his welcome and needs to go – but I still owe him $50 million…”
September 3rd, 2018 at 9:59 am
I guess the fun part this season will be The Race to the Basement featuring the Tampa bay Buccaneers and Oakland / Vegas Raiders
September 3rd, 2018 at 10:05 am
Chucky’s Buc teams after the SB simply tuned him out. He was NOT a players coach and as long as we were winning that could get papered over.
Again his post SB record with the Bucs…45-51 six games UNDER .500. He had one good 11 win season and a few 9 win seasons but in his six years after the SB he reached the playoffs only twice and lost in the first round both times.
So project this out for Koetter. If he posts these kind of results will folks here be singing his praises like they do Chucky.
Strategy…drafting…all aside…Again it was clear Chucky had lost his team…they didn’t like him and tuned him out…..
Contrast that with Koetter…after all the stuff that happened..hurricanes…Jameis injuries…all the other injuries…the horrid kicking which cost a couple of games…i could go on but I think we all agree that last year was a disaster.
So that final game of the year what did the players have left to play for? Pride?
Their coach? Whatever I was impressed that the Bucs didn’t just phone it in and begin packing for the offseason as I have witnessed teams across the league do. That effort impressed me as far as Koetter’s relationship with his players. They didn’t quit on themselves and they didn’t quit on Koetter.
September 3rd, 2018 at 10:09 am
Chucky would have done well working under Jason Licht, not the other way around. Looking at the Bucs’ offensive roster, Chucky is probably questioning his decision now.
September 3rd, 2018 at 10:21 am
The Raiders got 2 not one..!st rounders for Mack. Thats quite a deal. Mack took
his gamble with the Raiders and they called his bluff. Chucky did the right thing. You don’t want to report to camp under your current contract? F you and be gone!! Everybody is saying the Raiders screwed up but they made a hellava deal here. I’m on Grudens side on this one.
September 3rd, 2018 at 10:34 am
Buc fans have a long history of confusing popularity with greatness. Alstot was never great. If he was great he would not be linked to some of the most embarrassing offenses in nfl history. At least dunn and dilfer were able to have success after escaping the ignorant one dimensional bum dungy the clown…. funny how dilfer won a superbowl with the exact same style of team the bucs had. Just more proof how worthless dungy really is. That being said, dungy is a perfect fit for bucs ring of underachievement.
September 3rd, 2018 at 10:40 am
shoulda, woulda, coulda, …Koetter’s our guy!
September 3rd, 2018 at 10:41 am
If the Raiders got two 1st rounders and freed up 16m in cap space, it was a good move.
Gruden didn’t have much of a choice.
September 3rd, 2018 at 10:44 am
Gruden, Mr. Ego Narcissist Extraordinaire. GOOD RIDDANCE! The Raiders had good teams under him the last time he coached them. Of course, Al Davis wasn’t paying him a $100M.
September 3rd, 2018 at 10:45 am
Those two firsts are from the Clevelandesque Bears. A top pick can be an enticement to teams desperate for future year’s overhyped QB phenoms.
Any player who asks for way too much money has to be let go. If Aaron Rodgers or Drew Brees absolutely refuses to play unless you pay them $100m a year, you have to say bye-bye.
Many people are criticizing Chuck, but very few of them are praising the Bears. Two firsts and then paying out a monstrous contract they’re locked into for years…
September 3rd, 2018 at 11:07 am
Good points buc believer
September 3rd, 2018 at 11:38 am
I agree with most here: Chucky is a good OC but, a bad GM.
He will, however, have his team prepared to play every Sunday. He can also make in-game adjustments! Our Bucs’ staff has struggled in those areas. We haven’t exactly knocked the drafting-thing out of the park either!
Nobody’s perfect! How about that for a two-word slogan?
September 3rd, 2018 at 11:59 am
Don’t forget while Chucky was here the Bucs gave up two first round draft picks for a Jet WR. Also the Bucs gave up a bunch of draft picks to get Chucky, which after our Super Bowl Win we were unable to recover for years for all those lost draft picks and relegated us to mediocrity for many years. I am glad we did not get Chucky. He is tops at Xs and Os but doesn’t build good relationships with his players; so eventually that results in a fractured lockerroom, which resulted in the Raiders trading him off to us even though he had a successful Offense at that time. That should tell you something real negative about Chucky! There has never been another NFL Team trading away their HC for draft choices after he built them a successful Offense.
September 3rd, 2018 at 12:35 pm
Mike johnson another hypicritical fan. They are cool when a team cuts a player with years left on the contract but say F you when a player holds out? Who the F are you to tell these players how to take care of their families? They have the same right to hold out as an organization has the right to cut them. But ive seen your post, you are team shut up and dribble. Gtfooh
September 3rd, 2018 at 12:38 pm
@ gambelero
Rodgers and brees both signed contracts for over 100 mil. What the he11 are you talking about?
September 3rd, 2018 at 12:50 pm
“Posts like this will will sting/hurt more when Gruden wins a superbowl while the Bucs continuously keep peeking out the basement window”
1) Grudog knows the present team (defense) cant win right now
2) Carr will reach his prime in 3 years when Mack will be 30 and downside of his production/career
3)Grudog unlike Gump knows about windows and peaking (overall team talent growth under the restraints of the salary cap)
4)overall objective and goal- Grudog returned to coaching for 1 thing. superbowls. 90% of the teams in the next 20 years will fluctuate 4 to 9 win seasons
5) You must lose to win. Grudog knows you win with the draft and not free agents. build the roster with young injury free talent under the rookie cap roster to gun for superbowls in a 5-6 year window
6) with another and hopefully 2 more superbowls, Grudog will guarantee his ticket for his yellow jacket …which was the only reason he came back to coach
Kobe Faker
September 3rd, 2018 at 1:02 pm
@ kobe
Gruden’s drafts sucked. Grudog knows you build through the draft? What the he11 are you talking about?
September 3rd, 2018 at 1:15 pm
@web
Gruden came back because he thinks he can win with “new chuckie”
old chuckie would have paid Mack and tried to buy championships and patch holes each year always running but going no where (Gumps formula)
*The Mack trade and acquiring draft capital is CONFIRMATION of the new chuckie
Kobe Faker
September 3rd, 2018 at 1:22 pm
Geez, I’m no Gruden backer and I still think he destroyed what should have been a dynasty- and he did so all because of ego. But come on, Gruden is a much better coach than Dirk, and its not even close. Saying the Bucs dodged anything when this team has the lowest odds for a SB win out of all teams in the NFL despite the team having plenty of top talent… come on. While I don’t expect the Bucs to be as bad as Vegas has them, people with money are betting on Dirk being fired at the end of the season.
September 3rd, 2018 at 1:24 pm
I love how everyone ignores trollmax’s ridiculous comments these days.
September 3rd, 2018 at 1:26 pm
AJ is a great young man & better football player than Joe or Tannier ever have been… need to stop being so disrespectful to people you wouldn’t even look in the eyes if you saw them face to face
September 3rd, 2018 at 1:40 pm
Chucky was not here when bucs traded for Meshawn.
Lets see how Mr. Gruden’s team plays on the field. I’m guessing they will be highly competitive in their division and wouldn’t surprise me if they make the playoffs.
Yeah yeah, I know that is completely irrelevant in Chucky hatred world. Much better to have great drafters and not win squat and pull even with the Browns in the race to ineptitude.
The hatred would flow if Chucky was on the other end of the Mack trade, and had given up a bunch of picks for a veteran.
So sad, for the only guy who ever won it all for us, in brilliant fashion.
September 3rd, 2018 at 1:56 pm
Raiders got to reallocate cash on other players and improve odds of landing two first round franchise players assuming the other two first rounders are a bust. Assuming that the 1st round has the lowest bust rate at 50%.
Bears got to help a 2yr rookie QB flourish a la Bortles style vs being thrown to the wolves and in a second offensive system he’s had to learn.
I chalk this up to a win win for both parties. One man’s trash…yadda yadda yadda.
Besides, now they have Cousins in addition to Stafford & Rogers to chase around.
September 3rd, 2018 at 2:13 pm
Same ol Chucky. First year back and he has the oldest team since they’ve been taking that stat.
He also said they would find a way to keep Mack.
Same ol disingenuous Chucky who will dismantle that roster and lose his locker room within 2 years.
Biggest bullet dodged!
Go BUCS!!
September 3rd, 2018 at 2:30 pm
Gruden wanted to coach in Tampa, his home, but did not want to deal with he clown show of JW. You would be a fool to think that people in power don’t know all of the details associated with not only the Uber incident but also the paid off swept under the rug shenanigans he got away with in college. Furthermore, he knew that JW would not be able to understand his complex offense.
September 3rd, 2018 at 2:45 pm
You must lose to win. Grudog knows you win with the draft and not free agents. build the roster with young injury free talent under the rookie cap roster to gun for superbowls in a 5-6 year window
—————————————-
That to me seems like the opposite of Gruden’s Theory, and method.
September 3rd, 2018 at 2:54 pm
Eric – Gruden let Warren Sapp walk AND he cut John Lynch all so he could sign an old injured Charlie Garner and a bunch of old injured offensive lineman. There was no salary cap situation they couldn’t get around, Gruden didn’t want Sapp and Lynch here. If there was a salary cap situation then how did the Bucs spend big money on Ion Gold and wrap up Ellis Wyms to a big deal? How did they give an old injured Charlie Garner $5, how did they afford big deals for Todd Steussie and Derrick Deese?
Gruden is all about Gruden and making sure the spotlight is always on him. Keyshawn, Sapp, Lynch – all guys that got attention, and all gone the moment Gruden had control. Gruden literally ruined everything Rich McKay had built in a single offseason and the fake news media gave him cover with the fake “salary cap” news – which again is complete BS since you can do some simple math equations and see the Bucs spent a lot more money on the garbage FA’s that Gruden signed than what it would have taken to keep Sapp and Lynch and the defense together.
So anywho this is par for course for Gruden, to dump people that take up his spotlight. Marshawn Lynch doesn’t talk to the media so I’m not sure if that counts or not in Gruden’s world, but if Gruden thinks Marshawn is getting too much attention, then Marshawn gets the same treatment as his cousin John, which is why Gruden brought in Doug Martin, a guy who is ultra quiet and won’t take Gruden’s headlines.
Finally is Carr and Cooper. Gruden trading for yet another QB confirms what I suspected from day one and something I’ve been telling Raiders fans, if Carr really is as much of a California cupcake as he’s been made out to be, Gruden will hate him, and Gruden will bench him. Gruden wants someone to run his 1980s west coast offense exactly as he says, not some “young” guy with a “future”. Blah. Also Cooper… the first time he drops a catch, which will probably happen in week one, he’ll lose his #1 job to the old guy, Jordy Nelson. If you’re in fantasy, I’d buy cheap on Nelson while there is still time.
Anywho, with all that said… I’d still much much much rather have Gruden coaching this team than clueless Dirk. Of course I’d much much much rather have Dungy coaching this team over Gruden.
September 3rd, 2018 at 6:07 pm
Gruden is a good coach and play caller. However, he should never be allowed near roster decisions. If I were to hire him I would be straight up him…. “call the plays, organize practices, but you have ZERO input on the roster, draft, or free-agents.”
September 3rd, 2018 at 6:27 pm
So many people think Gruden did the wrong thing? How is paying a DE like a franchise QB of a defense that was going to suck with or without him a bad move? Mack wasn’t going to show up until the absolute latest he could and still accrue the last year on his contract. He would have been unavailable, less effective, and at the end of the season the only compensation the Raiders would’ve received would be a 3rd round compensatory pick. But instead, the Raiders have money to pay five good players, two 1st round picks, and even more picks coming their way. I’m no fan of Gruden the GM but this move was pure genius by him and insanity for the Bears who are going to be struggling for cap space soon enough.
September 3rd, 2018 at 6:35 pm
Wow everyone is against Gruden for being forward thinking hear me out the Raiders signed Carr to a $125 million dollar deal before last season so the cap is already tight so In my opinion Gruden was right not throwing a giant contract at Mack, follow the money and contracts that has been done in the past, almost every team that has a big named QB is paying over $100mli after that what team pays another player more than the qb? The teams that has rookie deal QBs have the cap to do so and once the Qb gets paid in their second deal the other players with the giant deals are gone or are structured to make less than the QB.
September 3rd, 2018 at 6:58 pm
Gruden is a blowhard and has a toxic personality.
September 3rd, 2018 at 9:32 pm
Gruden is fine as the OC, possibly better than Koetter, but Koetter is far superior as a HC. People trust Koetter. He’s honest with them and they know he will do what is best for the team. Gruden’s only loyalty was to the camera and the microphone. Gruden drove the team from behind with a bullwhip and depended on Monte Kiffin. Koetter leads from the front and this team will run through a brick wall for him. The future is bright NOW. Gruden would have destroyed this team. Forget about building a team, Gruden couldn’t even maintain one. I like our team.
September 4th, 2018 at 6:34 am
I love the incredulous, sarcastic comment someone left above about drafting a kicker in the second round .. as if Gruden would never do something so stupid, when he was the guy who drafted Janikowski in the FIRST round!
Moreover, to those who say he was never good at player personnel evaluations, but fine if left ‘only’ to coaching .. I’d remind you this was the coach who couldn’t figure out how to use Alstott, except as a blocker .. he repeatedly failed to adapt his offensive playcalling to maximize (or even recognize) the strengths of the players on his team (whether he picked them in the draft or FA or not)
All told, I agree with the headline
September 4th, 2018 at 5:20 pm
Janikowski had a worse rookie season than Roberto, the difference was that social media lynch mobs didn’t yet exist. Had it existed then Janikowski would have been cut halfway through his rookie year.
Anywho Roberto had a very good preseason this year and lost out on the final cut with the Chargers. He’ll catch on somewhere, I’m still thinking in Indy, and he’ll end up playing 10-15 years probably. Not sure what happened in his head, why he couldn’t cut it, but I always said just put him on IR for season and get him out of there, then do it again. A lot of HOF kickers have very bad rookie years, they’re OK but not impressive in year 2, then by year 3 they become who they’re going to become.