Brian Poole Will Hit The Market
February 15th, 2019
Bucs target?
The names Ryan Smith, Vernon Hargreaves, Brent Grimes, Carlton Davis. M.J. Stewart and Javien Elliott don’t exactly inspire an outpouring of confidence in sports bars from St. Pete Beach to Polk City.
Yes, our beloved Buccaneers need upgrades at cornerback. They’ll get some of that from competent defensive-backs coaching, unlike the subpar stuff going on at One Buc Palace under the past regime.
But more talent is needed, and certainly more competition.
Enter cornerback Brian Poole. The ex-Gators cornerback has missed just one game in three seasons for the Falcons, but he will not be part of their new defensive overhaul. ProFootballTalk.com today reports that Poole, 26, won’t be offered a tender as an unrestricted free agent. So he’ll be on the market on March 13 when the free agency dinner bell rings.
Poole has been a slot corner primarily and had three picks last season.
Trusted Falcons beat writer D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution recently wrote a piece on what possible Atlanta free agents he thought should stay or go. Poole was given a thumbs up. “He’s a tough football player. He’s a restricted free agent. Let him compete for his job against Damontae Kazee,” Ledbetter wrote.
Joe has to think the Bucs are a prime destination for a cornerback looking to win a job. If you don’t think you can beat out Stewart or post-surgery Hargreaves for a nickel gig, then you’ve got confidence issues. But Poole might be able to at least compete on the outside, too,
Competitive, healthy, experience, 26 years old … Joe thinks Poole might be worth a long look as the Bucs try to get deeper and stronger on the back end.
Poole also plays with an edge. Many may remember his sideline drilling of America’s Quarterback, Jameis Winston, last season.
February 15th, 2019 at 12:07 pm
Yea wow that’s just what the bucs need another average to below average corner in this league who can’t beat out a rookie. Bring him in here to make him look better than he really is. I think this team has more slot corners than actual outside corners so not sure why we need this guy. Perhaps he has a better mindset and mentality?–Joe If your gonna get a free agent corner make it someone who is an unquestioned starter otherwise just trade for it draft a guy. I think they will have to see how these guys perform in their system before gutting the roster, didn’t work out to well when Lovie gutted the roster after studying film on the team
February 15th, 2019 at 12:10 pm
I feel pretty good about Hargreaves as slot corner when he comes back.
I would rather see us focus on outside CB’s.
February 15th, 2019 at 12:10 pm
joe you are going a little too far with the durability stuff…. settling for average and below average based on durability gives you a roster full of bums who earn basement titles. see Donovan Smith, fully agree with your best ability is availability cliches… but bucs settle for average to below average so often you label average legendary now.
All 53 players can’t be Pro Bowlers, or potential Pro Bowlers. –Joe
February 15th, 2019 at 12:22 pm
all 53 players can’t be XFL quality either….. Results!!!!!!
please tell me the glazers have not beaten your standards so low that you take your wife to golden corral for steak night too….
February 15th, 2019 at 12:36 pm
If we sign another CB it should be an outside guy who can compete with Ryan Smith/VHIII/Smith to play across from Davis.
Kareem Jackson / Jason McCourty or some proven vet IMO that won’t cost as much. Give me a band aid for one year while we sort through what VHIII/Stewart/Davis/Adams/Whitehead/Evans can all look like in the back end with new coaching/scheme and a revamped front 7 via the draft.
I’m also OK with the idea of taking Greedy Williams or some CB if he truly is in the mold / caliber of a Marshon Lattimore/Denzel Ward/Jalen Ramsey who all basicaly were instant probowlers.
February 15th, 2019 at 12:47 pm
Bradenton kid ! Too close to home !
February 15th, 2019 at 12:54 pm
Perhaps he has a better mindset and mentality?–Joe
I can get with that idea. We need starters and capable backups, Ryan Smith just isn’t reliable
February 15th, 2019 at 1:02 pm
Ehh….PASS. Poole is average at best. Hargreaves at nickel! Now after we trade down with Jags and pick Josh Jacobs at #7 and get an extra 3rd-rounder, we should target Trayvon Mullen (6’1″, 195) out of Clemson to play outside corner (look at his tape, great in press man and finding the ball) in the early 2nd. This is all of course if we sign a veteran OL, Tyrann Mathieu, Donovan Smith, and restructure Gerald McCoy. The two 3rds and 4th rd picks can be relegated to a starting RG/RT, Dline depth, Linebackers if needed. At that point, with little spent in free agency, we have improved the talent immensely at Oline, RB, Safety, CB, and DLine. After watching Bowles defense in Arizona in 2013-2014, we will definitely be pressuring the QB with our scheme!
February 15th, 2019 at 1:12 pm
Pass on Poole. Draft Trayvon Mullen (Clemson) in the 2nd rd.
February 15th, 2019 at 1:42 pm
OL and DL should be the focus of our limited cap resources
February 15th, 2019 at 2:25 pm
I will be so sad if we take Josh Jacobs anywhere R1.
Sorry but that’s insane hype for a guy that Saban never featured heavily and was injury prone. If he truly is a beast 3 down back it’s really weird the best college coach of all time is not featuring him after having him for years. And Bama RBs have a recent history of dissapointing in the NFL.
Love his skill set but jesus that scares the f*ck out of me lol
February 15th, 2019 at 2:26 pm
I kinda like our CB room and don’t think we need to many moves there.
There’s only one move I want and that would be for a veteran corner to cover the sideline opposite Carlton.
If that happens I you have VHIII, R Smith & MJ as depth. I absolutely wouldn’t mind competition for those 3 but it doesn’t seem as dire a need as spots like DL and LB.
I also think we should resign A.Adams(who I liked before his spash game). Adams would keep our CB position strong cause my wager says he wins the slot role..Sorry VHIII nugglers but he is not gifted that position in my plan.
February 15th, 2019 at 2:27 pm
I knew the logic in the proposal of the Isaiah Crowell suggestion couldn’t last long.
I (and the Bucs) have for now had enough of Florida CB’s. Went undrafted for a reason outta Florida, plays the slot (yay!) and at 26 in the like 30th ranked secondary, can’t even keep his job there?! But we should want him.
Nope. Makes a hell of a lot more sense to let Bowles simply plug in any of the past CB/SS/FS’s in free agency that he’s had scheme success with, and go from there, other than Landon Collins at FS if Bowles sees him as the upgrade.
Go Bucs!
February 15th, 2019 at 2:39 pm
Maybe Brian Poole has potential Joe, but not as a CB IMO. He’s probably one of the heaviest corners that I’ve seen (5’10” & 211 lbs) and he’s not extremely fast for a CB (4.45-4.59 secs in the 40 yd on his Pro Day). But he apparently does get very high marks for durability (only missed 1 game in 3 years), for being a tackling machine (195 tackles in 3 years part-time duty), and he did have 3 sacks & 5 QB hits last year.
I’m not sure that the Bucs need yet another nickel CB right now, but I am wondering if Poole has any potential as a Safety. Good size (for a safety), decent speed (for a safety), durable & very good tackling skills might be useful after this year especially (seriously doubt VHIII will be offered a long-term contract given his history with us).
February 15th, 2019 at 2:43 pm
Poole is better than every cb on the bucs roster
February 15th, 2019 at 2:47 pm
Well, he’s young. Healthy. Plays with fire.
But I don’t know. His stats are not there at all.
And don’t give my this ‘stats are for losers’ quote from Raheem ‘Bad Coach’ Morris. Stats do count, just as other influences do. It’s not either this or that…it’s a combination of everything.
February 15th, 2019 at 2:47 pm
Also, he is only 5’9″. We already have enough under-sized CBs.
February 15th, 2019 at 2:56 pm
Bonzai…..CB is maybe the only position where a lack of stats can be a great thing.
I don’t know what stats your talking about but I do know they try to mearsure everything this day so if I’m talking out my ass.
February 15th, 2019 at 3:24 pm
Just like with Jameis, I look forward to seeing what Hargreaves can do with real coaching.
February 15th, 2019 at 3:24 pm
If you can get Poole at a reasonable price, do so. He has good experience and great speed. Stuart is not fast enough to play slot and Hargraves may well get hurt (Stuart needs to be retrained as a Strong Safety). Poole would also be excellent as a gunner on Special Teams. It also may get more Gator Fans to follow the Bucs.
February 15th, 2019 at 4:05 pm
PASS
February 15th, 2019 at 4:37 pm
Yea – that’s what we need – ANOTHER slot CB – after drafting one at #11 and another at $56 over the last 3 years… SMH…..
February 15th, 2019 at 4:38 pm
#56
February 16th, 2019 at 12:02 am
No–dude should of been called for helmet to helmet on that play. I appreciate Ryan Jensen on that play–he can be counted on when shat hits the fan
February 16th, 2019 at 1:45 pm
Not a big fan of VHIII Average CB who can’t stay healthy. Hard to count on a guy like that. Like Davis. Whitehead may be ok. Like Adams at CB or S. The rest UCK.
February 16th, 2019 at 3:56 pm
Worth a look, sure. But considering the way the Falcons competed with the Bucs and the Raiders to be the worst defense in football with the worst corners, I’m not sure that’s where I’d start looking for replacements. Now, one guy isn’t responsible for everything in a backfield, and perhaps this guy is good, but then again if he was good they wouldn’t be letting him walk considering how awful that defense was.
That’s a hard pass from me unless it’s for 5th corner spot. Hopefully the Bucs are aiming higher, although I completely understand everyone wants corners so who knows how much of a choice the Bucs will even have.
February 16th, 2019 at 9:10 pm
Every single defensive back on the Bucs could easily start for the USF Bulls or UCF Knights. They are so maligned. It’s unwarranted 😂
February 17th, 2019 at 12:21 am
M.J. Stewart sucks. Worst DB in the league. He should try falling down on every play so he has an excuse as to why he blew his assignment. Another bad pick by Licht. Doubt he makes the team this season.
February 17th, 2019 at 12:36 pm
Fire Light – Stewart has a long ways to go to beat out Ryan Smith for the worst corner award. A long long way to go.