“Boom Or Bust”
May 25th, 2020
Looking at 2020 lineup.
Bucs fans throughout the globe are excited about the new season. Tampa Bay certainly won the offseason. Will that success carry over to real games that matter?
Gregg Rosenthal over at NFL.com loves the Bucs top two receivers: Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. Who wouldn’t? But Rosenthal is not fully comfortable with the rest of the offensive lineup.
And yes, he has some creeping doubt about park-violating, home-invading quarterback Tom Brady.
Most of this offense — including Tom Brady — feels boom or bust outside of the top two receivers. Brady spun the ball well at age 42, but he’s still breaking all previous age barriers while changing teams after playing in the same offense, with the same terminology, for 20 years.
Let’s pick this apart: Tight ends, yeah, Joe sort of sees where Rosenthal is coming from. But it is not like the three tight ends don’t have a track record. Brate had tremendous success with Dirk Koetter calling the shots. Was he just a byproduct of Koetter’s offense? O.J. Howard needs to be consistent and perhaps he was not used properly last year? Rob Gronkowski just has to shake off the rust.
Joe has never bought into the populist theory that the Bucs offensive line is trash. It was average, yes. Joe has seen good (2000 Steelers, 1970s Raiders, 1970s Cardinals) and bad (2014 Bucs). They are none of those. Teams can win with average so long as you have weapons, which the Bucs do in the passing game.
Joe also witnessed the Bucs win a Super Bowl with Kenyatta Walker, the human hands-to-the-face penalty, starting at right tackle. Demar Dotson was better and Joe assumes Tristan Wirfs will be better.
Joe is strongly in the Show Me-mode when it comes to the running backs. Ronald Jones was below average in 2019 and downright terrible in 2018, so Joe has no confidence in the running backs. Ke’Shawn Vaughn has never taken a snap. He could be good, but how do you know? Don’t get Joe started on Dare Ogunbowale this holiday morning.
Why the Bucs don’t pick up a veteran backup is a puzzle Joe cannot solve.
May 25th, 2020 at 10:27 am
In the back of my mind, needing improvement in the run game, or the D line, or the secondary, etc, has always given Licht and “out” to explain away why this team can’t win, won’t win. But then I come back to reality and realize that no one who is GM would intentionally not get better at some positions…but…then again.
Could Licht be hedging to actually SAVE his job? That is as if to say, “Mr. Glazer, in a couple of years we can be really great, but I have to build slowly and we still need some pieces in the draft so we can do this thing right.” Naw.
May 25th, 2020 at 10:31 am
The simple answer is money and pride inspite of common sense!!!!!!! Some are (and have always) over evaluated the talent on the roster!!!!!!!!!! A bust is if this team is not deep In the playoffs!!!!!!!!! And there will be a price to pay if they miss the playoffs!!!!!!!!! There is no “building” no “learning”, this is it!!!!!!!!!!! They brought in coaches and players on their last leg, and some are past that!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And if this team bust, it will be a colossal mess!!!!!!!!!!! A full clean house will be needed!!!!!!!!!
Its a shame that because the GM was desperate, he hired a short term coach, to save his job, who flubbed his first year, who then made desperate roster moves to save his job!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Years ago, the owners say that “they are about superbowls”!!!!!!!!!!! We will see if that is truly the case!!!!!!!!!!! Their actions have proved otherwise!!!!!!!!!!
This is the “no excuse” season of all “no excuse” seasons!!!!!!!!!!!!
go bucs!!!!!!!!!!!!
May 25th, 2020 at 10:32 am
If Jones had gotten as many reps as starting RBs get with other teams, he would have been a 1000 yard rusher. Vaughn will be excellent spelling Jones this year, and catching passes out of the backfield. The only problem on the OL will occur when the other team lines up a speed rusher on D. Smith. That is when sacks happen or D. Smith gets caught holding. However, with Gronk this year can block every speed rusher before going out for passes, that will negate that problem, plus Brady can spot blitzes and call plays to take advantage of them; so no problems this year.
May 25th, 2020 at 10:33 am
The offensive line is average, but they haven’t been good enough to commit to the run when this team had leads, ex. Giants and Rams game last year. Both games ROJO had some really good runs, some called back by penalties, but we had leads in both games, but couldn’t run the clock by running the ball when it counted. I want to see the offensive line impose it’s will when teams know we are running the ball, that’s all.
May 25th, 2020 at 10:33 am
@Joe – you owe me a new iPad screen.
“The human hands to the face penalty.”
ROTFLMAO!
May 25th, 2020 at 10:38 am
(From different IP address)
Sprayed coffee at the Kenyatta Walker comment. Brilliant!
May 25th, 2020 at 10:51 am
To me lazy ass Smith is the weak link of the OF line.
May 25th, 2020 at 10:58 am
Some can think that the O-line is just average!!!!!! But the Bucs had The second highest paid O-line in the nfl!!!!!!!!!!!!
Some think that greatly overpaying for average is acceptable!!!!!!!!!!!! Then that is just a great example, of NO ACCOUNTABILITY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just like some don’t want to talk about the sloppy coaching that lead to the Bucs being THE WORST PENALIZED TEAM IN THE NFL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But why would we expect any accountability from this regime!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is the “no excuse” season of all “no excuse” seasons!!!!!!!!!!!!
go bucs!!!!!!!!!!!!
May 25th, 2020 at 11:22 am
The OL was ranked 7th last year…above average although that was predicated more on pass pro which was OK than run blocking which was lacking.
IE I agree 100% with Joe. This line has been maligned to the point of hyperbole. They are NOT bad. For once I do take Realists point about how highly paid they are and so they shouldn’t be just average or even slightly better than average.
So I think objective observers would say we came into this year with an average to above average line with depth issues and an obvious hole at RT. We filled that hole with arguably the top tackle in the draft. We addressed depth with Haeg a former starter who can play multiple positions.
I think the line is going to be top ten this year.
May 25th, 2020 at 11:30 am
Bust!!!!! Bust!!!!!! Bust!!!!!!!!! Bust!!!!!!!!!!
This is the “no excuse” season of all “no excuse” seasons!!!!!!!!!!!!
go bucs!!!!!!!!!!!!
May 25th, 2020 at 11:39 am
I think you have button that is sticking on that keyboard.
May 25th, 2020 at 11:40 am
Oh Never mind, you are clearly just an idiot.
May 25th, 2020 at 11:47 am
Joe, I wish you a happy Memorial Day…….but
With every beer you drink, think of Dare.
With every chip you crunch, think of Dare.
With every rib you eat, think of Dare.
Every pi$$ you take, think of Dare (to get him out of your system)
You’re on your own with your #2s……..
May 25th, 2020 at 11:55 am
The team that finished last season was a much better team than the one that started it.
The O-line will be much better this season, if injury doesn’t raise its ugly head. The two questions are in D. Smith and in how long it takes Wirfs to get up to speed.
Marpet, Cappa and Jensen will be better than fine. They will be able to open holes for even RoJo to run through.
It will not be a bust.
May 25th, 2020 at 11:59 am
Can we please start calling our QB “Hole in One Brady”? Please?
May 25th, 2020 at 12:27 pm
What’s up two face fans. It’s a bust all the way. Just like two face Arians.
Football is about team. Chemistry. Playing smart and making plays. All of cannot happen in first year. And we are assuming we go all year with no injuries.
8-8 or 9-7. Yes.
May 25th, 2020 at 1:19 pm
I’d like to buy El Buco Realisto for what his opinions are worth, and sell then for what he *thinks* they are worth.
I could buy an NFL franchise.
Oh, and I forgot: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(What a Maroon)
May 25th, 2020 at 1:53 pm
Good article and I agree about our running backs. How can our front office/Arians be so ignorant about the state of our running back position? We are going to make a Superbowl run with 0 proven running backs on the roster? Really?!? Unless we have some kind of backup plan that is being kept under wraps, then this is beyond dumb. Devonta Freeman looks like he is holding out for big $ (I don’t blame him) so he is probably out and Carlos Hyde got snapped up by the Seahawks. Pickings are getting slim when Lamar Miller and Bilal Powell are starting to look good.
Our aversion to making sure that our running backs are at least solid is bizarre as all hell. At this point, I’m left to wishing and hoping that Rojo continues to improve and that Vaughn is one of those third round gems at running back. Gosh damn frustrating. 🤣
May 25th, 2020 at 2:02 pm
@Craig … “The team that finished last season was a much better team than the one that started it.”
That’s an outstanding point Craig that far too many forget IMO. And especially our defense. Many bemoan the fact that we finished #29 in Points Allowed, but our 2nd half of the season was considerably better than our first half. Bucs’ defense had as many as 4 rookies on the field at one time last year; I doubt there’s another NFL team that can say the same.
It’d be a lot to ask that they start off 2020 where they left off 2019 after the impact of The Sickness, but I have a hunch that our defense will have a much better first half this year than they did last year. Time will tell though.
May 25th, 2020 at 2:22 pm
With both Tristan Wirfs and Gronkowski blocking on the right side this should open up some significant holes there. Rojo’s game should be quite improved. He also needs to practice catching the swing passes Brady is known for executing.
May 25th, 2020 at 2:35 pm
Isn’t it boom or bust every year, for every team?
For those who keep insisting that all of this chemistry, timing, cohesion etc. can’t be obtained during one season: see 2002 Gruden-lead Bucs! Yes, that team had a stellar D but, ‘20s O is much better with a far better QB! No?
May 25th, 2020 at 2:48 pm
After the last several years with the needle firmly on bust, we finally have a QB that moves the needle in the right direction… It’s surely closer to boom than it has been in 12+ years..
If for whatever reason it turns out bust, will it’s no different that years past…
If it turns out boom, then the changes where justified!
May 25th, 2020 at 5:52 pm
How many times can these people say this??? A great hard ass QB whisper HC and a hard ass GOAT QB will not be able to figure out something??? It’s been made public that Brady is going to be a part of the coaching staff on the field. Gives me a migraine every time someone says this.
May 25th, 2020 at 6:44 pm
SOEbuc Says:
“It’s been made public that Brady is going to be a part of the coaching staff on the field.”
Not by the Bucs it hasn’t. That’s complete unsourced media speculation. Brady will be doing what every QB is supposed to do…lead the team.