Koetter Likes What He Sees On The Left Side
November 7th, 2018
Life is good on the left side of the Buccaneers’ offensive line through the first half of the season, so Dirk Koetter proclaimed today.
Tampa Bay’s only Hall of Fame voter, Ira Kaufman, asked Koetter today about this year’s pairing of Ali Marpet and Donovan Smith at guard and tackle, respectively, and how they’ve performed.
“Good. They’ve really meshed well together. They communicate well,” Koetter said. “You know, there’s plays where they both have issues because they’re playing against good guys on the other team, but for the most part they’ve done a good job.”
So there you have it. Success rules the day on the left side of the O-line, per the head coach.
At this rate, ironman Smith is on his way to a gargantuan new contract when his contract expires after this season. If Koetter’s evaluation is to be trusted, someone somewhere will open up the vault for a quality left tackle.
Now if only the Bucs could pound the rock consistently somewhere between Smith and center Ryan Jensen, this offense could put up record numbers.
November 7th, 2018 at 6:55 pm
If Koetter’s evaluation is to be trusted
November 7th, 2018 at 6:56 pm
Mediocre left tackle who doesn’t play through the whistle. He will get lazy when he gets paid. Let him walk
November 7th, 2018 at 6:59 pm
America’s Left Tackle
November 7th, 2018 at 7:01 pm
I agree with the second part of that comment A’train. This guy scares me when it comes to giving him big time loot. But with so many other holes to fill, including the right side of the line, it’s hard to just let him walk and be pressed to find a good LT in a hurry.
November 7th, 2018 at 7:03 pm
Koetter is effing delusional and so is anyone who thinks that Donovan Smith deserves any kind of significant contract.
November 7th, 2018 at 7:08 pm
What else is he going to say ???
November 7th, 2018 at 7:10 pm
That is IT!!!
No more supporting Koetter and I have been a staunch supporter. If he can’t see the problem with DS76 then he no longer deserves a head coaching job. I have all 22 and am afraid to watch the left side of the line.
November 7th, 2018 at 7:12 pm
This delusional arse coach I can’t stand him. He says this after that pitiful performance? Definitely can no longer trust this guy, political nonsense to save his job, he says this right before playing 3 teams that suck as much as us. Now he’s praying for wins hoping people forget how awful this team is. You pathetic my dork Koetter. Not watching a full game now but by the end of the season which when we look back will have been the atlanta beating I’ll be better conditioned to move on from watching until they move on from dork
November 7th, 2018 at 7:19 pm
Yeah I don’t understand how you call out Mike Evans and then sugar coat the job that some of these lineman do. It is doing nobody any favors to lack accountability.
November 7th, 2018 at 7:22 pm
^He said “That is it!!!” I fell on the floor laughing!!!
November 7th, 2018 at 7:25 pm
Left side average…but both will be paid top$$$ right side sucks!
November 7th, 2018 at 7:32 pm
This makes total sense:
Koetter obviously loves inconsistency.
It’s the hallmark of his coaching tenure. All makes sense.
November 7th, 2018 at 7:32 pm
Donovan proved this year he should be replaced. Many times you can see his big fat a$$ quiting on many plays a game. Watch replays on game pass and you see a hell of a lot more. He sucks
November 7th, 2018 at 7:33 pm
Worst rushing attack in the NFL and any part of the OL should be good? Licht is THE worst GM in pro football and has built this total sh*pshow of a team
November 7th, 2018 at 7:34 pm
Hate to say it but the more he talks the less credibility he has…Koetter, that is.
November 7th, 2018 at 8:16 pm
Is Koetter deaf and blind?
November 7th, 2018 at 8:30 pm
Another Klueless komment. N lets make a guy who asked for a trade a captain. Brilliant. The guy literally hasnt a klue. Komedy of errors. Lets make the same mistake Glazers n wait half a year too long to fire another coach
November 7th, 2018 at 9:01 pm
“1 rule that Kobe Faker has always lived by and that has helped in some serious jams and tough situations in life….
Never ever trust a 300lb man wearing skinny pants”
Kobe Faker
November 7th, 2018 at 9:07 pm
It doesn’t matter what Dirk thinks. There will be somebody else evaluating this tram next year.
November 7th, 2018 at 9:25 pm
This is the same coach who evaluated Doug Martin to be the #1 back as he stubbornly kept playing him.
November 7th, 2018 at 9:37 pm
It’s statements like this one that make me believe this season will be Dirk’s last. The entire offensive line has clearly under performed this year as they have in years past and does not deserve to be commended for anything. His inability to move on from Doug Martin last season, and is unwillingness to move on from Mike Smith this season (and last) seem to be following true to form again. How can he be happy with what we’ve all seen unfold?
November 7th, 2018 at 9:39 pm
Lol Kobe Faker
This is no disrespect to Ryan Jensen nor Father Jensen. When Licht hired Jensen and said “his toughness should rub off” on the rest of the guys I knew something deep down told me that their perceived soft by Licht.
November 7th, 2018 at 9:41 pm
Markv
Or probably the oline did improve…… Scary
November 7th, 2018 at 9:47 pm
I never understand the Donovan Smith hate. Let me remind you we are the Buccaneers. A team that has been stinking up the joint for 15 years. Donovan is easily an above average LT. We aren’t afforded the luxury of letting good players walk because we have so many great ones waiting in the wings. The problems aren’t stemming from the left side of the O Line. It stems from the right side. Why Marpet isn’t playing RG is beyond me, but not surprising. Player evaluation hasn’t exactly been a strong trait out of One Buc Palace in recent memory. So, gargantuan contract for Donovan? No Good size contract? Definitely. He’s got some flaws but he’s a pretty darn good LT.
November 7th, 2018 at 10:41 pm
JJV,
Who do you think is more stubborn, Koetter or Licht?
Do you really believe Koetter stubbornly played Martin?
Hint, play Martin until He absolutely positively leaves no room for Licht to keep him.
You guys can be awfully simple in how you think about things . Limited is the answer.
November 7th, 2018 at 10:42 pm
DO NOT PAY HIM!!! THIS GUY IS GMC 2.0 AFTER HE GETS PAID AND HE IS AN AVERAGE PLAYER!!! Who’s that guy that sucked his entire career at OG and then was lights out for us at LT entire preseason? Him and draft a LT in the fourth with some better cheaper depth on top of it. GLAZER KIDS, YOU’RE TAKING THE WORD OF TWO GUYS THAT HAVE BEEN TALKING HIM UP FOR YEARS AND YOU’RE LIKELY GOING TO FIRE THEM BOTH NEXT YEAR!
November 7th, 2018 at 10:42 pm
24 comments so far and one blind Enought to think Donovan should be paid like a top tackle. It’s not hard to find a replacement for someone that inconsistent. It’s not about the money but how would you about how he was abused against the panthers if he’s making 10-12 mil? Hard pass
November 7th, 2018 at 10:57 pm
If you’re going to pay him top dollar, you might as well go out and get top dollar LT that has proven himself as top dollar. See this guy jump and get swept badly every Sunday. Made Marpet the highest paid OG, now make it complete by paying a proven player next to him and drafting a RG in one or two.
November 7th, 2018 at 11:10 pm
That quote screams good but not elite
November 7th, 2018 at 11:15 pm
You listening Licht- this is your opportunity (the 100th opportunity). Take it!!
Hey Dirk- you could always pull an Urban or a Tedford for the sake of the fans (I’m going to hell)
November 7th, 2018 at 11:17 pm
^^this is the same guy that really likes Mike Smiths talent as a DC- WTF?
November 7th, 2018 at 11:48 pm
I’m not sure what film Koetter was watching from this past week, but Donovan got beat like a drum all day long. And as for Marpet, virtually all of the running plays on Sunday were up through his and Jensen’s blocking lanes, and aside for the fluke 18 yard effort by Barber, we averaged less than two yards a carry.
This O-line stinks. Benenoch had his best game as a pro and he still was barely average. Dotson is done. Donovan needs to move inside to guard. And Warhop has had years now to coach these guys up, and they still can’t protect their QB, impose a push against a any defensive line, or establish a run game. He needs to go, with the rest of this coaching staff.
November 8th, 2018 at 4:40 am
Good job except when they play good players on the other team…unbelievable
November 8th, 2018 at 4:58 am
Bucs fans need to come back to reality. Exactly how many positions can we ‘fix’ in one year? Or even in two years? Heck make that three years. It’s NOT about how many ‘hits’ we’ll get in draft & it’s NOT about how many FAs we can snarf up … there WILL be mistakes made by whoever replaces Licht (no doubt in my mind that he’s a goner). Bucs management didn’t create this mess in a single year. Bucs don’t REALLY have the luxury of gutting the entire team in one fell swoop in an attempt to ‘fix it’.
Players like Donovan Smith aren’t top-tier IMO … but they are ADEQUATE. Heck, Marpet’s only ADEQUATE right now, and so is Jensen and both of them have lengthy contracts. Benenoch & Dotson on the other hand don’t pass the eyeball test (time to waive Bye-Bye to both of them). Personally wouldn’t offer Donovan a super-fat contract (no one else will either), but I’d offer him ENOUGH to keep him here (whatever that amount is). Definitely would NOT let Licht be the one to negotiate his new contract however (he’s going Bye-Bye & that’s NOT who you want making ‘deals’ just before the door hits him in the butt).
November 8th, 2018 at 8:11 am
Its a rebuild situation, there really isn’t anyone on this team except for Adam Humphries, who in the past I’ve been hard on because of fumbles and drops, that is truly deserving of a raise in pay. OJ Howard is another player that is rising. Chris Godwin is a warrior. The rest of the offense isn’t improving. What business increases pay when their business is staying the same. Even Mike Evans has flattened out, there are so many receivers out there that make plays that break the backs of their opponents. Mike is a great player but how many plays a game does he make that shift the momentum to push the Bucs over the top.
With the new coaching staff coming in I would hold off on resigning any of the status-quo or non-improving players and let the new staff build this team up to be physical and smart. There is some talent capital on the team that has some trade value and there are other spots that hungry free agents may make more sense than resigning the old guard.
The GM has passed over too many great players in the past 5 years. I don’t think you can trust him to evaluate talent. For every Godwin, there has been a Hargraves, Ronald Jones, Winston, Vita Vea, Sefarious-Jenkins type draft pick with great players on the board. Poor scouting, poor evaluaton results in players that keep the team losing.
November 8th, 2018 at 10:33 am
Koetter like what he see’s on the left side and I..like what I see after this season.
HIS FIRING!
November 8th, 2018 at 10:51 am
Wideouts are remembered for their best plays. How they do on average over a 60 play game isn’t important. Catches, yards, touchdowns. Defensive ends are remembered for their best plays, over an 800 play season, a 12 sack guy is going to be lauded, an 8 sack guy respected, a 6 sack guy—meh. Sacks, knockdowns, fumbles recovered, tackles for loss.
Left tackles are remembered for their worst plays. Two turnstile, total whiff, blind side sack fumbles in three games, one against Jameis when we had a bunch of momentum, the other against Fitz that would have the key play of the game except that for once the ball bounced our way as Jensen recovered it and then Fitz made his best throw of the game to Godwin to convert a third and forever on the drive that got us back to within 7.
November 8th, 2018 at 3:37 pm
Who gives a s***t what koetter thinks it’s what the next coach thinks