“You Better Invest”
February 22nd, 2020
Former NFL scout Daniel Jeremiah.
A former NFL scout and a talking head for the league’s house organ has advice for NFL shot-callers.
For fans who have been griping for years for the Bucs to invest in offensive linemen (even though they have, but let’s not let facts muddy a story here), Daniel Jeremiah was singing your song.
In a pre-combine conference call, Jeremiah, a former NFL scout and current NFL Network draft analyst, yesterday was asked why NFL teams don’t just load up on offensive linemen and hope for the best.
Jeremiah liked this guy’s line of thinking.
“I posed the question to [a] the personnel director and said, ‘Tell me all the great teams with bad offensive lines and tell me all the bad teams with great offensive lines.’ It’s, like, at some point in time it’s not complicated: The teams with good offensive lines, you have a high floor every year. They’ll keep you competitive, give you a chance to win each and every week. I don’t know that offensive line has been more important than it is right now. When you look at the investment with these playoff teams, what they’ve done in the offensive line, it sticks out like a sore thumb.
“So you better invest. That’s with high picks, with free agents. But you need to take care of your offensive line. I think that’s first and foremost. And after that, you look on the defensive side of the ball, you’re trying to find dynamic playmakers and the skill talent that’s come in on offense is going to continue to get faster and more athletic, that’s what the college game is and that’s made its way to the NFL.
“You better have linebackers that can run all day long and cover and you better have safeties that can be interchangeable, can play high, can play low, and can really run in range.”
So, let’s say the Bucs heed Jeremiah’s words.
Now we know Bucs coach Bucco Bruce Arians isn’t big on drafting offensive linemen. So if Arians (and Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht) were to follow Jeremiah’s line of thinking, they would sign Jack Conklin (which would make Joe happy) and draft a pass rusher and at least one safety on the first two days of the draft.
If the Bucs sign Conklin, it is unlikely they will have enough cash to keep both Jason Pierre-Paul and Ndamukong Suh, and it would likely give the Bucs four players on the offensive line earning more than $10 million a year. That’s an incredible chunk of the salary cap.
The sad thing is, the Bucs clearly do not value drafting a pass rusher high in the draft. Proof? Since former Bucs commander Greg Schiano was booted, the Bucs have drafted as many pass rushers (the most important player on defense) as they have kickers.
So for the Bucs to follow Jeremiah’s philosophy, one has to stretch the imagination to expect the Bucs to defy and ignore personal personnel biases.
February 22nd, 2020 at 8:15 am
The edge rushers outside of Young aren’t great. Tackle is deep. The bucs have a left tackle with 1 year left and a right tackle that is old and a free agent. They better go OT with 2 of the first 3 picks this year. Safety and RB are not as important. That’s why they are lesser paid positions. If you want to have a good cap situation, you draft the expensive positions T, QB, CB, Edge early.
February 22nd, 2020 at 8:15 am
Gawd….Derrick Sharp’s
“stick in the eye”
February 22nd, 2020 at 8:31 am
At what point will joe and the sheep start to question the guy who is investing??????? What happened to all the talk of accountability?????? The below avg gm and ole stale biscuit said they had all the fixes and answers and yet still no dividends!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Team glazers should not allow any long term investments as the will likely be replaced next offseason!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Do not start the next regime in a hole!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
go bucs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
February 22nd, 2020 at 8:32 am
WhatTheBuc, Smith has 2 years left: 2020 & 2021.
February 22nd, 2020 at 8:34 am
No one in their right mind would draft 2 tackles in our first three picks after just signing D. Smith last year. If a stud D-lineman (Kinlaw, Chassian or Brown) is there we must take them. If they are gone then draft one of the top 4 tackles. One of those 7 players will be there at #14.
February 22nd, 2020 at 8:34 am
Draft Edge and RT in first 2 rounds, unless a quality QB falls to us.
February 22nd, 2020 at 8:45 am
Shut up Realist. You’re name calling of the coach who did enough to have a 9-7 record if the damn kicker makes a couple of kicks is ludicrous.
Joe, doesn’t matter if Arians prefers not to draft o-linemen, there is a glaring need at RT and a number of top flight tackles in this years draft. So deep in fact that I think a good one could be had in the second round. My preference would be Kinlaw (if available) in the first, and one of the decent RTs that will still be available in the 2nd. If Kinlaw is gone I think they have to take the best tackle on their board at 14.
February 22nd, 2020 at 8:50 am
The big upside to drafting Kinlaw is that Suh becomes expendable and they can use that approximately $10M contract on addressing some needs in FA. I think a safety like Ha Ha Clinton Dix would be a nice vet to bring in just in case Justin Evans doesn’t recover from his injuries.
No matter what both Barrett and JPP need to be brought back.
February 22nd, 2020 at 9:03 am
@Touchdown syndromebay
Are you saying that ole stale biscuit does not know what a good kicker looks like???? Ole stale biscuit gave his blessing to draft gay!!!!!!!!!!!! Did you know that gay had the most attempts of 40 plus yard attempts!!!!!!!!!! Did not ole stale biscuit say that he would put “players in a postion to win”!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And the “real” fans saw a 4-12 or best 5-11 team that had a very easy schedule, that had the lucky break of barely beating bad teams that had backup QB’s playing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Did you enjoy the losing season from ole stale biscuit and toilet bolwes defense???????????
Because you will have to endure another lost season before they are ran out of town!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
go bucs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
February 22nd, 2020 at 9:03 am
Why is Conklin a soon to be FA if quality lineman are so coveted?
This smells like floppy hat BS
February 22nd, 2020 at 9:03 am
40 million for 4 quality players > 30 million for 1 mediocre head case QB
February 22nd, 2020 at 9:04 am
See: Philadelphia Eagles.
Arguably the best o-line the last 20 years. From runyan jason Peters lane johnson to tra thomas. The bucs didnt INVEST and havent capitalized.
You cant scheme around horrific line play. Jameis has been running for his life since his rookie year. 7 step drops domt help, Bucco.
February 22nd, 2020 at 9:06 am
6 straight games, AWAY FROM HOME, is now an “easy schedule”, for SAD LOSERS with zero argument.
And EASY ON THE EXCLAIMS!!!! Lmao!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now can you read it? Heheheheheeeeeee.
February 22nd, 2020 at 9:11 am
Go away. Root for another team. What happened to your matra. What did the sheep learn? Loser!
February 22nd, 2020 at 9:12 am
Are you serious bucboy ? You think no one in their right mind would draft 2 tackles? That shows that you know zero about football. Tackle is the 2nd most important position next to QB. Also Chasson is garbage. He’s this years Rasean Geary. Ton of potential and no production. Brown and Kinlaw are likely gone at 14 but since Bucboy can’t do math, you can draft them if they are there and still draft a tackle with the next 2 picks. Do some more research on the edge rushers before you get all excited about them because all but Young have major flaws.
February 22nd, 2020 at 9:18 am
Bonzai, you are correct. What I meant is that he has 1 year guaranteed left and we will have to make a decision after the season. I think Smith is good enough to keep but not necessarily at the contract that he will command next season. I doubt that he will be keen on playing 2021 as a lame duck with no guaranteed money.
February 22nd, 2020 at 9:20 am
I mean the thing is we haven’t invested in pass rushers through the draft we have done it by other means yeah I know no one knew shaq would do what he did. but for this upcoming season the best thing this team could do is pay their D line and draft Wirfs to replace Dotson. and idk trade up for that bama safety in the second.
February 22nd, 2020 at 9:40 am
Jason Licht only wants to draft defensive backs and kickers.
February 22nd, 2020 at 9:43 am
TDTB – you fell into the troll trap. Always ignore underdeveloped mean spirited posters. Exhibit A and B – Trollmin and El Pessimisto. Those troglodytes are the detritus of fandom.
Resign as many D players as possible
Get a new RT in the draft or FA
Improve special teams
Reduce penalties
That formula gets us into the playoffs.
In BA I Trust!
February 22nd, 2020 at 9:48 am
What the Buc
Agree with your draft strategy if it is accompanied by resigning our D FA’s. If we sign all of our D’s we should mitigate any desperate need in the draft.
February 22nd, 2020 at 10:07 am
@sport
Remember this???
Sport Says:
July 25th, 2019 at 9:16 am
Getting Pumped! Thank you for bringing this to us Joe!
For all you negative nancys out there. Get ready to enjoy a significant.improvement on the field and a healthy dose of Crow at the end of the season.
Looking at you El Bucco Pessimisto!
In BA I Trust!
How does that 7-9 losing season taste?????? Is the thermometer “mean spirited” troll when it tells you the temperature, and you don’t like it??????? It sounds like you have the problem with the truth and “reality”!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
go bucs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
February 22nd, 2020 at 10:25 am
What the Buc is correct…Draft premier positions early & don’t be afraid to stockpile them, yr after yr.
February 22nd, 2020 at 10:26 am
From 5-11 to 7-9 when in actuality they should have been 10-6 save for two missed field goals and a blown call by refs in the TN game. Sport and I will be enjoying the playoff run next year while you are depressed because you will be proven to be a fool!
February 22nd, 2020 at 10:41 am
The more that comes up about Bruce Arians, the more questions surface.
He doesn’t like to draft O-line. That is okay because O-line guys are always a crap shoot. Some that look super solid at draft time fail when the season starts. We do have some decent backups, we just need a run blocking RT however it comes about. Draft is the cheapest way.
He doesn’t do fullbacks. A lot of teams don’t. They are the easy way to jump start a run game and the few teams that have them all had a serious run game last season.
He doesn’t utilize tight ends. That seems pretty dumb when you have some really good ones on the team. Maybe it is Jameis who couldn’t get to that point in his progressions.
Arians needs to remold this team to fit his vision. That means he needs to start with a QB that can play a whole game, not one that is only capable of one aspect of it at a time.
February 22nd, 2020 at 10:45 am
Agree with Touchdown Tampa Bay on the draft strategy. Look for RB as 4th pick and Zuniga or some other edge rusher as well as a WR late.
February 22nd, 2020 at 10:45 am
Ok What The Buc, we will see if the Bucs draft 2 OTs in the first three rounds to stock pile them after we just signed D. Smith at 14 million a year. I think we have more holes to fill on defense than to collect OTs. Even if we do resign our defensive lineman we need young guys to learn and rotate in to stay fresh. So you can do the math. Plus every rookie has flaws and it would be smart to draft a D-lineman and allow them to learn from Suh and JPP as they taught Vita this year.
February 22nd, 2020 at 11:10 am
Stop talking if’s and could have been.
If we made a kick , if the refs didn’t screw us.
If, If, If …. how about accountability!
You are what your record says you are!!!
February 22nd, 2020 at 11:16 am
Looking more and more like the Browns are intent on outbidding everyone for Conklin of Titans don’t sign/tag him. Given their extremely poor tackle play last year plus Robinson’s drug arrest, they clearly will. Won’t be an issue here for us.
February 22nd, 2020 at 11:20 am
Here’s what grownups do Pessi.
I’ll admit the start to the season was slow. I’ll also admit we couldn’t get out of our own way a few too many times. We got waxed in the Saints game. We were competitive in all others. Far from perfect.
However, if you were a grownup, you’d admit there was significant improvement on the defensive side of the ball in the second half.
I believe the D has great momentum going into 2020.
You threw the baby (heck who are we kidding, you threw out the entire nursery) out with the bath water on the Bucs a long long time ago.
You offer no serious solutions, you speak in platitudes so you can’t be right or wrong. Fire everyone, everyone is a sheep. You try to stamp out all optimism and excitement.
It’s clear you have been hurt so badly the sun never shines on your life. Your act is tired, your negativity blinds any sense of balanced perspective.
Anyone who claims to be a realist is a Negative Nancy in sheep’s clothing.
You are a bitter troll with no joy. You and Trollmin can enjoy yourselves in self imposed perpetual purgatory.
In BA I Trust!
February 22nd, 2020 at 11:32 am
That is a mighty impressive diatribe man!
February 22nd, 2020 at 12:13 pm
Thx LaRue. It was cathartic. If only Tmin and Pessi understood what it means.
In BA I Trust!
February 22nd, 2020 at 12:45 pm
Sport–
Agree wholeheartedly! Too bad Joe’s moderation program isn’t capable of blocking the clinically insane and the interminable, preadolescent attention seekers that bemoan their lot in life because they were never picked for a team choosing sides for sandlot football games.
February 22nd, 2020 at 1:55 pm
You invest in & build from the trenches, on both sides of the ball…That is where games are won.
Just about any NFL level QB can pass well in a calm pocket.
Plenty of WR’s can create separation & catch balls.
Plenty of RB’s can gain yards through open holes.
But if you have a OL that creates those holes/pockets & a DL than lives in those holes/pockets…You win more often than you lose.
February 22nd, 2020 at 2:39 pm
Yeah to me I’d draft at least one trench player every year and a qb at least every 3 even if it’s a mid round development. Too important to not always have the next guy waiting in the wings even if you think you may have one. Can always trade a good qb
February 22nd, 2020 at 2:42 pm
One trench in each side that is
February 22nd, 2020 at 3:14 pm
When deciding whether to draft players you have to consider the depth of the position. Honestly we were smart not to reach for offensive lineman last year. It was a bad class for offensive line.
However, this year the offensive line class is the best in 20 years. Grab two guys in this draft and you will not be second guessed. Those guys will get to mature together on the same team for years.
February 22nd, 2020 at 3:20 pm
Jean- Conklin has been pretty healthy during his 4 year career. He was injured his 2nd year 9 games into the season. He’s started 57/64 games. 32/32 in the past couple of years.
Conklin is worth the money. He’d make a huge difference in our run game. That alone would cut Jameis’s interception number in half. Those two factors equal a lot more wins.
February 22nd, 2020 at 4:27 pm
Not always Crabby. In the NFL you expect your kicker to make 25 yard chip shots, 1 of 3 40ish yard attempts in a single game. In the NFL games are typically one by a single score or less. When a kicker leaves 9 points off the board and the refs blow a fumble dead and negate a recovered TD sometimes the team save for a soccer player or bad referee did in fact do enough to win those three games.
February 22nd, 2020 at 6:22 pm
Realist,
Keep doing you! You’re takes bear credence, merit, and an overall good chuckle at the Bucs beating Bucs.
Some folks get upset because what you say is not always “nice”, but at least it’s “entertaining”.
Do you think Arians has the cojones to play chicken with Jameis and let free agency test the waters. I’d be less upset if they don’t pay him franchise tag money and keep the D, add Conklin, and give Jameis a 1 year take it or leave it.
February 22nd, 2020 at 7:15 pm
You simply can’t financially have 4 different O Linemen at $10 million annually plus. The math isn’t there. And I don’t see getting rid of Jensen in 2020 anyway, coming off his 2019 year. Gotta draft Wills or Becton for RT.
Gotta cut Brate pronto.
February 22nd, 2020 at 7:17 pm
The “real fans” already reported and discussed this topic last week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It’s another much requested “REALIST REPOST”!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
El Buco Realisto Says:
February 14th, 2020 at 11:22 am
Ole stale biscuit has to be wondering how he got stuck in this situation!!!!!!! “Word on the street”, is that ole stale biscuit knows he can’t fix jay-miss!!!!! But he can’t jay-miss walk away, because then all the fans will ask why licht Wright is still the GM???? And why is stale biscuit here just to retire in a year!!!!! And why draft a new qb to fit ole stale biscuit’s when ole stale biscuit is leaving in a year or so!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So the only solution, was sign “blameless” cheap, and sign free-agent in hope that the roster was finally good enough to “DRAG” jay-miss to meaningful games!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And when Jay-miss’s camp released that they wanted 30 million, ole stale biscuit was p!$$3[ !!!!!!!!!!!!! He was a new shade of purple!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So now ole stale biscuit sits in a “no win” situation!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
go bucs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
February 24th, 2020 at 8:19 am
The idea that the Bucs as an organization have no interest in drafting pass rushers is foolishness. Every team does. BUT, if value is not present when they pick, then it doesn’t add up. If they believed Shaq Barrett was as good as Josh Allen (which he was) then controlling the middle of the field and run game with Devon White was more important. Reaching for any position gets teams in trouble. Reaching for pass rushers is bd too. Over the years, a great draftable pass rushers where they picked just didn’t line up. Glazers haven’t said no pass rushers in the draft which you seem to subscribe to for some reason.