Donovan Smith Addresses The Loafing Question
March 7th, 2019
The film doesn’t lie.
And the film shows Donovan Smith only plays hard to the whistle roughly 91.8 percent of the time.
But loafing can have its privilege when it’s balanced by special play, decent play and durability, as we learned this week when Team Glazer made Smith a very, very wealthy man. He’s better than most left tackles and that’s how he was paid.
However, the loafing concerns linger and Smith was asked about them on WDAE-AM 620 yesterday. Specifically, he was asked how he responds to fans who say he doesn’t play through the whistle?
“You really want me to answer that?” Smith asked with a laugh in his voice. “Listen, I have no comment on that. No comment. I mean, I’m not going to go back and forth about that. I obviously wouldn’t still be [here] if that was the case.”
It was a wise response from Smith.
Yeah, Joe had Smith in mind during the following exchange with Bucco Bruce Arians.
JoeBucsFan.com: Coach, do you have a general way that you handle, if you’re watching film after a game, and you see a guy who took maybe a couple of plays off or didn’t play to the whistle, is there a way you handle that with everybody?
Bruce Arians: Yeah, I’ll show it up on film and ask him what he’s doing in front of the team. I don’t have a problem with that. If you can’t play hard, you can’t play here. That’s not acceptable. We’ll have an accountability sheet, I call it. Every mental error, every penalty in practice, that’s how we start every day, with the accountability sheet. Now if you’re up there too much, you’re either too dumb to play here or you don’t give a sh*t. Alright, so you can’t be a Buc.
As Joe wrote above, Smith balances out his loafs. They’re still inexcusable, but it’s comforting now to know they might not be tolerated this year.
March 7th, 2019 at 10:17 am
the last coach that tried to hold a bucanneer accountable was ran out of town pretty fast… cancer93 will not allow a measly coach to disrupt his country club atmosphere and interrupt the losing dance party’s…. dance dance dance…. settling for loafers like d smith guarantees another basement title.
March 7th, 2019 at 10:20 am
Let’s see BA saying that to 27 mil guaranteed. Its one thing to act tough on a guy on a rookie contract but when was the last time BA benched 41M
March 7th, 2019 at 10:21 am
How can we say his loafs might not be tolerated this year when he just got a FAT contract This year ??
March 7th, 2019 at 10:27 am
Absolutely Loving Bruce Almighty’s approach!
March 7th, 2019 at 10:29 am
One common trait that every athlete has at a high level is Pride. They like to know they did their best. When they mail it in it shows and they are called out on it by the media. I am not sure their teammates or coaches do the same. It will be refreshing to have a coach that calls out players regardless who they are. The player can avoid the media, they cannot avoid their coaches.
Guaranteed money or not, nobody likes to be embarrassed.
March 7th, 2019 at 10:34 am
d.smith and other will finally be held accountable….something that was lacking under the previous staff….
#REALISTKNOWSNOTHING!!!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!!
March 7th, 2019 at 10:41 am
No leverage over 27M guaranteed.
And I don’t think DS loafs on purpose. Its who he is.
March 7th, 2019 at 10:47 am
It will be tolerated because Smith ain’t going anywhere, “can’t be a Buc” doesn’t apply when there’s guaranteed cash.
March 7th, 2019 at 10:52 am
There is loafing…and there is gasping for breath/being exhausted.
There is a world of difference.
March 7th, 2019 at 10:52 am
Ya know sometimes you just got to say something, DEFINE LOAFING! I played defense end at the college level and I am here to tell you that there are times when a running play to the opposite side that gets blown up in the backfield before you can get off your block is not loafing. You are away from the play and it’s basically over before it starts. Loafing is when the same play comes to your side of the field and you make a actual effort to avoid your assignment. Swaggy was a loafer. Just because you see a guy standing up after or not engaged doesn’t mean he is loafing. Half the guys on the field are doing the same thing. Sometimes I doubt that anyone on this web site ever put on a helmet. 91% effort for a LT is pretty dam good when you consider at least 9% of the plays are occur 20 yards away from you.
March 7th, 2019 at 10:53 am
SB Says
“Absolutely Loving Bruce Almighty’s approach!”
That nickname was taken by Bruce Allen when he was here.
March 7th, 2019 at 10:54 am
Donovan Smith does not loaf.
He’s just not on 24/7. No one is.
March 7th, 2019 at 10:58 am
@Buccaneer Bonzai
What ever it is u smokin or drinkin darnit I want some lol
March 7th, 2019 at 10:59 am
tmax is back!!! Love it
March 7th, 2019 at 11:00 am
@tmaxcon,
Dude, for real. We get it. You hate McCoy. Congratulations. You are never going to change your mind, and that’s just fine. But equally, you are never going to change others minds. So why bring him up in every single post? It’s a waste of your time, and everyone else’s. Nobody cares what you think any more than they care what I think. The Glazers don’t care, Licht doesn’t care, McCoy doesn’t care, and his teammates don’t care. You’re a nobody, and I mean with all due respect as a nobody myself. It’s just incredibly tiring to have to read your bullcrap on every single post. The article isn’t about McCoy, it’s about Smith!!! Your act is old. Get a new one.
March 7th, 2019 at 11:08 am
“He’s better than most left tackles”
Um- could you define “most”??
I guess if you you count every player employed in the NFL that plays the LT position – then yea – Smith is in the top half of that group – and thus “better than most” becomes a quasi-true statement.
Narrow the statement to include only starting LTs – and your premise becomes quite a bit more suspect….
“Paid as the 4th best LT – plays like the 18th best LT in the NFL” – is a much more accurate assessment of Donovan Smith’s current “status”…..
March 7th, 2019 at 11:10 am
His best ability is availability…
March 7th, 2019 at 11:15 am
Well at least we know who will be playing L.T., now if we can get a RG, RT cause I don’t trust what’s over there.
March 7th, 2019 at 11:16 am
@pickgrin , he gives up less sacks per game than Tyron Smith , and Trent Williams , he’s only 25 , and has never missed a start . Also he will be playing next to the same lg in consecutive years for the first time in his career .
March 7th, 2019 at 11:18 am
That’s good because whether he admits it or not his lack of effort showed up bad last season. Hopefully B.A. and Co. nip that in the bud. His blase nonchalant attitude sends the wrong message to a team striving to be more physical in the run game.
March 7th, 2019 at 11:20 am
“One common trait that every athlete has at a high level is Pride.” Don’t think pride was on the mind of Anthony Collins or Chris Baker when they were cashing their checks after every piss-poor performance. Plenty of guys do what it takes to get it the league just to cash in and collect checks. We’ll see were Smith is in 3 years, which will give us our answer.
March 7th, 2019 at 11:21 am
Run blocking does count when trying to determine how good a LT is – doesn’t it?
March 7th, 2019 at 11:23 am
There’s a reason you only got a 3-year deal Donovan. You can disregard the loafing claim, but the main reason you were re-signed was because the FO left themselves without any solid alternatives. THAT’S the reason you’re still here.
March 7th, 2019 at 11:24 am
Bonzai,
I think you make a good distinction between loafing and exhausted. If that’s the reason behind the appearance of loafing, wouldn’t it have been smart for DS. to mention, in one of his many interviews, a priority for the off season is structuring his work out program to increase game day endurance.
I don’t believe there’s anything that He needs to say or add to the point that the team passed 30, 40 and even an absurd 50 times in a single game. That many reps of pass protection at left tackle, the most physically demanding position on the oline, will test any lf tackle in the league. And it’s probably 3 times as demanding physically playing a home game in ray jay, during the first 3 months of the season , than it is almost anywhere else in the league.
Offensive lineman are not the most svelte individuals on the team and anyone who weights in excess of 300 lbs, playing in what’s essentially, an oven, is going to struggle on occasion. And the effects, negative ,of this playing environment will extend from one week into the next.
Meaning , the draining conditions experienced playing a home game, can extend into playing a road game even if its in a cooler environment.
March 7th, 2019 at 11:28 am
the team guaranteed him about $5m less than they would have paid to franchise him in back to back years. they see Donovan as a year to year solution only and seem to feel it’ll take at least 2 seasons to know they have a guy who can comfortably replace him. if they have a stud LT emerge before then, the bucs will have a $14 million RT for a season or two (minus the money Demar won’t get if a move is made) before they squeeze him on pay or just cut him.
March 7th, 2019 at 11:30 am
Those are great points D1. I think another thing to consider is the offense we ran last year put a lot of stress on the O-Lineman. In addition to the number of times we threw, we had so many 7 step drops and long developing routes. It’s not like our offense was like most of the rest of the league and designed to get the ball out of the QB’s hands quickly. Point is, it’s very hard to make comparisons, and I’m not going to pretend to know more than Arians and his staff. If they believe he deserves the contract, then I am going to trust what they see on tape.
March 7th, 2019 at 11:31 am
also, Arians seems convinced that bad coaching was killing this OL (and running game) and that these guys were all playing well below their abilities under Warhop.
March 7th, 2019 at 11:37 am
D. SMITH just doesn’t get it.
People are asking if he is loafing because of how BAD he looks on 1 out of every 3 plays. We are hoping he is loafing because then it means there’s a chance he can fix that and be good. If those plays are him actually playing and NOT loafing – he is worse than we thought and the Bucs are in trouble.
I may have to change my slogan from FIX THE TRENCHES, FIX THE BUCS!!! to…
RUN, JAMEIS, RUN!!
March 7th, 2019 at 12:25 pm
bad coaching and a lost season will cause many players take 8.2 percent of a season plays off.
Moving on….
March 7th, 2019 at 12:26 pm
Not sure how “No Comment” is addressing the loafing question.
March 7th, 2019 at 12:34 pm
Hawaiian,
IMO resigning Smith wasn’t a decision. The team planned to resign him long before the season ended.
You mentioned the offensive scheme as possibly contributing to the struggles the oline experienced. I agree. It has to be considered and if possible measured as to get a more accurate assessment of how a player would perform if the scheme changed.
I will say that the 7 step drop point is completely inaccurate. There’s no 7 step drops.
But I believe your point of developing routes down field vs 1, 2, and 3 yard throws creates more pressure on the line. True.
One important part of the equation is the decision making of the QB and how fast he loads and releases the ball. In the same offense, Fitzpatrick was quicker by as much as 1 full second on the plays you’d consider long developing. I think the avg was -.5 quicker with Fitz. One thing on that note is .25 to .5 is a big difference in how each QB’S rank league wide.
3.0 slowest in the league, 2.5 probably be the fastest in the league.
Since Arians runs the same offense these things still matter. Arians is not going to change to a spread or wc, scheme . But I expect He will be different from koetter on how he game plans and the play calls which goes to the idea that it’s not as simple as pointing to scheme.
March 7th, 2019 at 12:59 pm
Martinni,
True on every thing you said. Except maybe the 91%…I’d guess 99%.
March 7th, 2019 at 1:50 pm
@ Hawaiian
Love your comment on Tmax. Couldn’t agree more. His redundancies are pathetic, albeit some here with diminutive synaptic processing skills seem to enjoy his overall spews of hatred—be them the same old boring schtick.
Like you penned, nobody here or especially within the Bucs organization gives a damn what any of us think.
I come here to keep up on Buc news, get a few laughs, and to sometimes comment on the failure of America’s educational system.
March 7th, 2019 at 2:08 pm
The truth hurts doesn’t it lazy ass? I’d be laughing to if I just pulled off the heist you did. Dealing with Licht is like taking candy from a baby. Hey Smith aren’t you just a little ashamed? I guess not or you wouldn’t be laughing. But really I don’t blame you. Get all you can get.
March 7th, 2019 at 3:23 pm
Hawaiian Buc
if you don’t care why do you write a paragraph every time I call out that fraud loser you can’t let go of…. results prove cancer93 tenure in tampa is and will continue to be a failure… scoreboard pal…. those meaningless pro bowls you cry about are just more proof that he is a selfish me first cancer… i remember him missing bucs games so he could play in the pro bowl and the next year you and your fellow nuthuggers cried about him being hurt all year to justify yet antoher crap year of production… yet his sorry selfish arse showed up and played in a meaningless pro bowl.. cancer 93 has never been a team guy. he is a me first loser…. scoreboard proves it and your excuses are tiresome and beyond ridiculous he owns more basement titles than any other bucs captain and that says a lot…
March 7th, 2019 at 3:24 pm
JA
so I am in your head now… for someone who does not care you sure cry a lot….. back to work now!!!!
March 7th, 2019 at 3:30 pm
Hawaiian and ja
You may not like the truth but the results prove i am 100% accurate and you both accept losing and excuses over actual on field results. You live in glazer fantasy land they have trained you well. Now go to Walmart buy a jockstrap and prepare for this years guranteed nutpunch 6-10 at best….
Mb
March 7th, 2019 at 3:35 pm
JA
dude people in glass houses should never throw rocks. you are a janitor the poster child for a failed education system…
March 7th, 2019 at 5:06 pm
As D.R. loves to point out…football is still a team sport. IMHO the ultimate TEAM sport. Minimum of ELEVEN guys all competing against the very best athletes in the world.
And they are ALL interconnected. So no pass rush can make DB’s look horrible.
Targets who can’t seem to get any separation from the defenders can make a QB look awful and they can make the offense take so much time to execute that the OL also looks awful. As for the miserable run blocking…play calling or just getting beat.
While I love our WR’s and TE’s…there were times last year they didn’t seem to get a lot of separation. Of course that could be the result of the play called, or can we all admit this…they pay the other guys as well!!! Every week our guys go up against the absolute best players in the world. They are NOT going to win every battle. They need to win enough of them to produce success.
March 7th, 2019 at 6:48 pm
T-maxie
C4mh. You need an estrogen blocker. Take SitbackSmitty with ya when you go.
March 7th, 2019 at 6:59 pm
@Duh
“JA (are you quoting you in the first person? Good one!)
dude (upper case “D” is required with a comma after Dude) people in glass houses should never throw rocks (impressive–eight words in a row without a mistake). you (upper case “Y” is required) are a janitor (missing comma after janitor. A double hyphen is acceptable and often preferred in this case) the poster child for a failed education system…” (no quotation marks needed after “…” You seem to be hung up in quoting yourself in the first person). Also, a space after “system” is needed before you insert the “…”
Thanks for the lesson in “education.”
This is fun!
“Insult” me again!
March 7th, 2019 at 7:46 pm
@Tmaxcon,
Even if you are right, so what? I don’t care about you or what you think anymore than you don’t care about me and what I think. Nobody cares about you on this board. The only people that even bring you up do it to make fun of you. But even if there were people that agreed with you and you were always 100% right, why keep repeating yourself? Is your self esteem and self-worth so low that you need a website to justify it? I assume you don’t act like this in person, because if you did you literally would have no one in your life, because no one wants to hear the same crap over and over again.
As for McCoy, I’m done arguing with you. It’s tired. You can hate the guy all you want, among other Buc players you hate. That’s something you have to live with. I’m just glad I’m not you and I don’t spend my entire life bashing someone I don’t even know. Seriously, what kind of person does that make you? Do you think it makes you cool? Do you think it makes you likable? Do you think it makes you a bigger man? All it does is make you extremely annoying, and a joke of a poster. You may know more than all of us when it comes to football, but no one even cares because of your repetition. You should try to contribute to the conversations, instead of hijacking them. I highly doubt you are mentally capable of doing so, but one can dream.
March 7th, 2019 at 9:29 pm
Where did you get the 91.8%? Did you factor in when he gets whipped as well?
March 7th, 2019 at 9:54 pm
Accountability versus a player on the team getting paid are independent of one another. I firmly believe B.A. wouldn’t hesitate in the slightest to bench Smith regardless of the millions he will be getting paid. A coaching staff isn’t going to be held hostage by a player being paid. Not Bruce Arians. Not now. I do think that Donovan is an above average LT as he stands today. Hopefully coaching and accountability can propel him to being good, if not great.
March 7th, 2019 at 10:03 pm
martinii Says:
“91% effort for a LT is pretty dam good when you consider at least 9% of the plays are occur 20 yards away from you.”
If the play is 20 yards away from you, I want to see you running to catch up.
March 8th, 2019 at 9:22 am
Really, does Smith NOT Get it!
Like BA says, Tape doesn’t LIE!
Smith a word of advice. You were not paid because you deserve it.
You were paid on the potential that you may possess. But sounds like if you play the same way you did last year. That salary that you now get; will be your last in a Buc’s uniform!
March 8th, 2019 at 2:11 pm
AKA He’s not going to change a thing, and especially not now that he got paid. Great. .
Guess we’ll find out just how tough BA really is.