Rodgers’ Next Big Thing
May 2nd, 2019
Could blow up this season.
Wherever Bucs defensive line coach Kacy Rodgers has worked in the NFL, he’s gotten good play from his linemen.
That’s something Bucs fans aren’t used to. For much of the Lost Decade in the post-Chucky era, Bucs defensive line coaches have gotten no play from their defensive linemen.
Rodgers arrived probably just at the right time. Last year, first-round pick Vita Vea struggled mightily until he had a mysterious meeting with Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht. The contents of that meeting are largely unknown to the public but after that meeting, Vea played like a house on fire.
(Imagine that it took a team suit to change Vea’s play. Not a coach — a suit!)
Coming off that final half-season playing lights out, Vea now has Rodgers to work with. And Rodgers is looking forward to helping shape Vea into his next big defensive lineman.
“Just watching last year’s cut-ups and working with him hands-on a little bit so far this offseason, he’s a very, very talented individual that can do a lot of jobs,” Rodgers said yesterday at One Buc Palace. “He has the size [and] strength. He uses his hands well. Extremely athletic. He is someone you really want to work with.”
Joe is looking forward to this as well. Joe likes that Rodgers cut his teeth in NFL coaching under Bill Parcells. Who better to learn from on defense than Parcells?
Combine Rodgers’ solid resume with a guy like Vea and Jason Pierre-Paul, this could be something special Bucs fans might have to get used to. In a good way.
Derrick Brooks is excited! TAMPA TWO is back featuring Brooks and Ira Kaufman, the Sage of Tampa Bay sports, presented by Caldeco Air Conditioning & Heating. Joe is fired up, too, for this gem of Bucs coverage from The Identity Tampa Bay and Joe.
Don’t miss it. Hit play below:
May 2nd, 2019 at 9:01 am
Off subject: listening to NFL radio this morning when they went over the NFC south. Charlie Weiss stated “the Bucs are stuck with Jameis Winston, for whatever reason”. He also stated what I have been saying all along, that “Will Grier is the most NFL ready QB in the draft.
May 2nd, 2019 at 9:09 am
Joe, I thought the theory that Jason Licht’s meeting and results were confirmed as overplayed and that it was culmination of Coach Buck, getting healthy and getting comfortable.
If Licht had a one meeting impact ability, don’t you think he would have had a sit down with a few kickers? Pass Rushers, Olinemen, QBacks, Running Backs, Secondary….you get the idea.
May 2nd, 2019 at 9:16 am
“stuck with jameis Winston”, lol…Weiss clearly hasn’t ever watched the bucs play, like every other “expert” probably read the headline of the Bengal benching and assumed that was winstons season in a nutshell. jameis makes ridiculously talented plays on a regular basis. lets not mention all his 3 and 4 touchdown games nono just his one bad half of football of the season. idiots.
May 2nd, 2019 at 9:18 am
joe
i am confused you spent the entire last offseason and majority of the season selling us that Buckner was the greatest thing since sliced bread
May 2nd, 2019 at 9:20 am
We blew it on Grier. Had the chance to get him 🙁
May 2nd, 2019 at 9:28 am
BA is not going to build Winston up and then draft a QB…..just simply wasn’t going to happen….He will go “all-in” with Jameis this year….if Winston fails, he’s gone.
May 2nd, 2019 at 9:36 am
Assuming Winston resigns here, as is the thinking, then the pick of Grier is an absolute waste. Keep pining for him, like Charlie Whitehurst he’ll be a long haired clipboard toting bench player.
May 2nd, 2019 at 9:52 am
Very excited to see what Vea can do this year. Hope he can stay healthy and hope they have DT/NT depth.
May 2nd, 2019 at 10:08 am
The 2020 draft is chock full of talented QB prospects. Far more of them than in this year’s draft. No need to worry about JW. If he doesn’t live up to expectations this year, and Arians feels he isn’t the guy, I’m 100% sure the Bucs will be drafting a QB in the first or second round next year. It’s all up to him this year whether or not he wants to be in Tampa going forward. No more mulligans…it’s put up or shut up time.
May 2nd, 2019 at 10:13 am
BTW, both mock drafts over at walter football have the Bucs picking at #6 next year and both mocks have them drafting a QB. One mock has them taking Justin Herbert out of Oregon, and the other has them taking Jake Fromm out of Georgia.
No need to worry for those of you who don’t like Winston. He can very easily get the boot after this season. No cap hit, plenty of good QB’s in the 2020 draft, no worries. Booya.
May 2nd, 2019 at 10:14 am
I’ve never seen a board where so many people wish to WASTE our time talking about players who do not play for us and will not play for us!
Even if these players are all that they are NOT Bucs…were not drafted by the Bucs!!!
I’m burnt out on reading about Chargers and now we’re going to have to go another year with Carolina and Will effing Grier? Give me a break. There are at least three QB’s heading into next year’s draft that are far better than Grier. NOBODY picked Grier to be their franchise QB…the Panthers picked him because of Cam’s injury history. If JW fails this year our record will have us picking high enough to grab one of the three FRANCHISE QB’s.
IMHO that’s not going to be necessary!
If we drafted Will Grier it would be quitting on the MASSIVE investment we’ve made in JW…both in millions…PR…and angst.
We’d be wasting all that right at the time when we can finally get some real answers.
Is he as good as he’s played at times or is he as bad as he’s played at times.
JW deserves this chance and Buc fans deserve a final verdict.
It would be brain dead to make this huge investment and then when it’s time to cash in bring in somebody like Grier.
Will Grier is not a Buc!!! Derwin James is NOT a Buc!!! GIVE IT THE EFF UP. STOP CRYING OVER SPILT MILK!!!
May 2nd, 2019 at 10:15 am
SCBucsFan Says:
May 2nd, 2019 at 9:36 am
Assuming Winston resigns here, as is the thinking, then the pick of Grier is an absolute waste. Keep pining for him, like Charlie Whitehurst he’ll be a long haired clipboard toting bench player.
____________________
100% agree with you SCBucs Fan
May 2nd, 2019 at 10:18 am
Seriously Joe you think Vea played better because GM spoke to him??? Do you think he got motivated for that?…….Vea started his rookie season with a very difficult kind of injury, I would think he started to play better because he got healthier and he was on his rookie year, not because a “suit” spoke to him……I will say this one more time…..the biggest problem on our beloved Bucs is not coaching……..That’s one of the many problems….the biggest one is management, and has been for the last decade…….A roster with so many holes and lack of depth is considered a TALENTED roster???? And if you add no cap space at all….you think is a coaching problem?? Time to get serious on the analysis!!!
May 2nd, 2019 at 10:25 am
These can’t wait to get their hands on these guys. They feel like they’ve struck gold. Darf Vea will go down as the greatest 3/4 nose to play the game.
May 2nd, 2019 at 10:28 am
And most here are so asleep on Anthony Nelson the son of a former NFL defensive linemen and Terry Beckner jr. a five star recruit coming out of highschool.
May 2nd, 2019 at 10:44 am
Pete don’t waste your time any further good sir. Jameis in good hands with BA. BA not like these people,when he ride wit you he “RIDE” wit you. That’s why his guys love him. BA about to make Jameis a One Hundred Million Dollar Man. And that bothers them. Maybe they bathe and get some of that sand out there c$&@hie. And if they can’t oh well f$&@‘em we’ll be to busy enjoying to the turnaround to give a d$&@.
May 2nd, 2019 at 10:48 am
I’m fine with the picks even if I don’t agree. Bowles came out and talked about all the injuries in the secondary last year but if you get rid of Geraldine ok fine but if Vea gets hurt licht will be crucified because there’s no other interior lineman talented enough to step in. Should have drafted two corners and d tackle in rounds 2-3. Big risk because this d line is filled with no names on the inside
May 2nd, 2019 at 10:48 am
sport
i agree….
and you can add coaches to that list….
GO BUCS!!!!
May 2nd, 2019 at 10:50 am
Charlie Weiss??? The thicky-smalls that ain’t won ish since moving on from TB12. Phsst okay.
May 2nd, 2019 at 10:52 am
Not there yet,that’s football bro,if a starter gose down one can’t expect the same level of play from the backup. Bucs did sign two DTs over the summer btw. See when some say “lack of depth” they lying.
May 2nd, 2019 at 10:54 am
ed Oliver!!! 😆. Terry Beckner Jr away better than him.
May 2nd, 2019 at 11:00 am
Vita Vea has a lot more he needs to improve on. I have NOT been impressed with anything about him..but his size. Its time to perform Mr. Vea if you want to be among the best. Another so so season and yes, you too will be called an..average player.
May 2nd, 2019 at 11:00 am
Nobos yea ok Vea played nose last year and if Geraldine gets cut and he gets hurt we’d have a bunch of unknowns on the roster and your trying to say that’s normal. Duh we watch the next man step up every year but it’s was never a bunch of unknowns coming for Geraldine when he got hurt.
Vea was playing nose last year and we Geraldine got hurt we put wil Gholston in his place with all the interior lineman we had so that should tell you something
May 2nd, 2019 at 11:03 am
Sure hope so because Derwin is already the next big thing
May 2nd, 2019 at 11:04 am
Forget about the depth. What about the lack of quality starters?
May 2nd, 2019 at 11:05 am
“He also stated what I have been saying all along, that “Will Grier is the most NFL ready QB in the draft.”
Why are you posting this everywhere? If Will Grier ends up sucking are you going to bring it up again?
More likely it’ll just be like the millions of failed predictions by fans & analysts that no one ever owns later lol
Like Chris Simms propping DJ SHark as the #1 WR in last years draft. Haven’t seen him bring that up again after the 2018 regular season. Or that he had Mayfield behind Lamar Jackson & Josh Allen. Still early but that looks pretty bad as of today
May 2nd, 2019 at 11:12 am
Responding to Off-topic…
I wanted us to draft Will Grier so badly! For next year, backup, this year, whatever… I can’t believe so many teams passed on him so many times… I feel like he’s a stud.
May 2nd, 2019 at 11:20 am
Not that I don’t love Jameis’ potential… Jameis is just expensive, and still needs toprove himself… I think we’ve all seen that stat about all the team’s with the highest-paid QB’s didn’t make the playoffs… (Because it hinders your financial ability to surround said QB with an elite-level supporting cast)
An early-performing/mature QB, who is able to perform and have success while still on their rookie deal is the formula for CHAMPIONSHIPS. (Or you can have a Wise QB who takes less pay to enable their team to sign whoever they want, TB12)
May 2nd, 2019 at 11:25 am
Now this was a positive feel good vibe. Thanks, Joe
May 2nd, 2019 at 12:00 pm
Smith ‘s defense last year – worst in NFL
Secondary soft coverage- worst in NFL
Head coach takes over play calling and then offense produces 3 points ( Koetter ‘s excuse was he wanted to maintain time of possession to help defense)
Running game worst in NFL
Just the fact Bucs have better coaching should mean 3 wins
May 2nd, 2019 at 12:24 pm
I’m all for being positive I love my bucs an hope we make it to the playoffs but how realistic is it that our defense will improve by? We had a historically bad defense an I mean historically an so yea we will see hopefully a big improvement but I’m just wondering how long will it take for this team offense defense an ST to learn new schemes? I don’t think 1 offseason is enough that’s just my opinion any thoughts
May 2nd, 2019 at 12:26 pm
Not there yet,I watch that guy up there in New England trot out a relative bunch of unknowns and they continue to get it done year after year. As a younger man I was Bigger on player names like a lot folks on this site are. But having been forced to respect and watch that Patriot machine I no longer feel that way bro. Coach’em up get all the ability they have out of them. If they happen to have a Big name that’s icing on an already sweet cake bro.
May 2nd, 2019 at 12:30 pm
Joe just told you Vea had a sit down with a suite not a coach to turn the proverbial corner. We don’t know what these players are capable of,ive said for months you’re gonna be hard press getting the most out of players potential when they view the HC as a lame duck.
May 2nd, 2019 at 1:17 pm
nosbos
terry better than ed?…..
boy stop….lol…
GO BUCS!!!!
May 2nd, 2019 at 1:45 pm
😊you’ll see for yourself starting next season.
May 2nd, 2019 at 2:46 pm
They’re gonna be blitzing White or LVD on the inside all day. Throw Vea in the mix in the middle of the two (not to mention JPP and Nassib at DE) and sh!t could get very serious.
Why White was a great choice. Two awesome inside LB with speed that can blitz or drop into coverage and a gigantic NT that is prime for the position.
May 2nd, 2019 at 4:16 pm
Sport, you’re exactly right. Vea came on at the end of the season because he was healthy. He also had to get in shape because he missed the entire training camp. If anyone watched the combine, Vea pulled something in his leg when he ran the 40. I suspect that had something to do with his calf injury.
May 2nd, 2019 at 4:18 pm
Pittsshore, You forgot to mention that afterwards Weis said “don’t forget about Winston.” “That guy was a 1st round pick and he has talent.”
May 2nd, 2019 at 5:26 pm
Exactly SOEbuc. A mountain in front of Devin and LVD. Why they can’t see the vision is beyond me.
May 2nd, 2019 at 5:27 pm
And just some fat stiff,but an atheletic freak.