Arians Believes In Donovan Smith
September 18th, 2020
Coach expects bounce back.
Bucs left tackle Donovan Smith had a poor game Sunday in New Orleans. And the howling dogs were set free as a result.
Smith is anything but a popular Bucs player among fans. Many have had an ax to grind with him from the day he was drafted in 2015, for reasons Joe isn’t quite sure of.
So when Smith struggled against a backup defensive lineman last week in New Orleans, the haters came out of the woodwork, some screaming for Joe Haeg to replace him.
Today after practice, Bucs coach Bucco Bruce Arians was asked if Smith has to turn things around immediately for the Bucs to get on track offensively. Arians explained he has faith in Smith.
“I think he will,” Arians said, explaining how Smith has been working his tail off in practice.
As to why Smith is sometimes inconsistent, Arians detailed Smith sometimes gets all out of sorts by not using proper technique.
“In the running game, he has a tendency of trying to knock the crap out of people and lose his technique,” Arians explained. “Just try to maul them. And sometimes he ends up on the ground that way and he misses his second-level block that way because he is trying to kill the down guy [defensive lineman].”
The way to repair Smith is easy, Arians said. “It is just keeping him focused like that.”
There is no doubt Smith needs to — and wants to — get better and play well. The immediate need is he doesn’t want to be the guy known for ending park-violating, home-invading, NFLPA-ignoring Bucs quarterback Tom Brady’s career by whiffing on a block.
Second, this is basically a contract year for Smith. He is signed through 2021 but this is his final year of the guaranteed money.
If Smith continues to have a lousy year, and the salary cap is currently expected to plunge, all of a sudden his roster spot becomes anything but secure.
September 18th, 2020 at 1:44 pm
I would think he would’ve learned by now????????//
September 18th, 2020 at 1:44 pm
No excuses, Donny stinks. He laid another big one on the field in NO.
September 18th, 2020 at 1:48 pm
At one time I believed in the toothfairy.
September 18th, 2020 at 1:49 pm
if it was me, i would slide wirfs to the left, and put smith to the right, and if he continued to play poorly he would ride the pine and haeg would replace him, he would be depth, and next draft i would get o-line d-line, and trade smith if i could, or release him
September 18th, 2020 at 1:50 pm
The “real” fans do not expect to see DS76 on the team in 2021, nor ole stale biscuit for that matter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sad that they are wasting a year with the best left tackle playing right tackle this year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
go bucs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
September 18th, 2020 at 1:56 pm
Wait, the tooth fairy isn’t real?
September 18th, 2020 at 1:58 pm
Tired of the reasons (excuses), as to why he doesn’t play well. Over and over.
September 18th, 2020 at 2:01 pm
You know what Donovan Smith reminds me of? He reminds me of the kid on a little league team that did not want to play but his parents made him. All the other kids were serious about playing and winning but he is out there because mommy or daddy make him play. You gotta love the game before it will love you back.
September 18th, 2020 at 2:03 pm
Is not you, Joe, that use to say that Donovan Smith plays accordingly to his opposition? Maybe it was one of these days?
September 18th, 2020 at 2:20 pm
The reason for the ax since day one joe is because there were quality tackles (IMO) that we’re still on the board.. I think a check of that years draft class will testify to my point.
September 18th, 2020 at 2:21 pm
The Bucs, per uuush, drafted what looked like a reach. Now it has worked out in some cases but just felt like a bad bucing pick at the time lol
September 18th, 2020 at 2:23 pm
the “REAL FANS” know, there will be more “sheep & biscuits” from @rhealist after the BUCS week2 WIN!!!!
GO BUCS!!!!!
September 18th, 2020 at 2:25 pm
The good and the bad.
September 18th, 2020 at 2:29 pm
He has to lie.. the guy is below average thats a fact and he suppose to be in the best shape of his life,, dotson and penn were better then this guy and they pay this guy big money?? management sux
September 18th, 2020 at 2:30 pm
Lets be honest, Licht would never have drafted Wirfs, he was the last good tackle left, he had no choice.
September 18th, 2020 at 2:34 pm
Wirfs is gonna be good but smith he is getting worse
September 18th, 2020 at 2:34 pm
Zero excuses for Smith’s play. None. Bucs fans, however, always seem to scream to start the backup. Scott Milanovich. Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?
September 18th, 2020 at 2:39 pm
I do too
That he is below average.
And Over payed.
September 18th, 2020 at 2:49 pm
But why?
September 18th, 2020 at 2:51 pm
Here’s to hoping whatever bad juju Smith was holding onto in that saints game last week he got it all out of his system. This week he literally had one of the best match ups you could ask with pretty much Carolinas entire starting Dline on the shelf I mean he’s going to bring going against guys that would barely be on the practice squad. So hopefully this week he pancakes a few dudes and gets his confidence back up because we need him to be better if were going to have kind of season we’re hoping for
September 18th, 2020 at 3:09 pm
Got rid of one 5 year loser. Maybe Arians will tire of making excuses for smith AND leftwich.
September 18th, 2020 at 3:09 pm
BS
this is called sports political BS
September 18th, 2020 at 3:16 pm
Guy is a physical talent but a slacker with a mushy competitive spirit, not a good combination in the NFL especially when he mushy competitive spirit is greater than his physical talent in some ( many) games and after 3 HC’s and the GM that drafted him have to read articles like this… in this case the trend is not his friend
September 18th, 2020 at 3:46 pm
BA…what a disaster he is….. He is “taught” on TB12… BUT he “belives” on DS….what kind of cra*p is this…..shame of him. Have lost the fairness, with the rest of other stuff….
BA = Lovie S 2.0
September 18th, 2020 at 3:47 pm
I wanna see Donovan jump out of a pool like Wirfs and maintain his balance ounce his feet are on the deck. Sounds like Arians is just making excuses for him in trying to wipe out the down lineman. He doesn’t have near the quickness nor balance that Wirfs has. Just watch how many times he loses his balance and can’t keep his feet under himself once he’s pushed back.
September 18th, 2020 at 3:50 pm
I think it was on this here part of the interwebs that it was said that Donovan has always had trouble with speed rushers. I wonder why?
September 18th, 2020 at 4:10 pm
When people have to make excuses for your poor play after 5 years in the league starting every game . . . .
Joe, are the Bucs running any plays in practice with Tristan Wirfs at left tackle and Donovan Smith at right tackle?
September 18th, 2020 at 4:22 pm
Unless Smith turns things around in a big, big way, we likely are seeing his last season in a Bucs uni.
The salary cap waits for no man, especially unreliable ones.
September 18th, 2020 at 4:43 pm
i don’t even have to read this post…
he believes in him on friday, but let’s see if he believes in him monday afternoon if he flops out again and almost gets tom killed out there…
this guy is going under the bus hardbody on monday if he delivers another stinker
September 18th, 2020 at 4:48 pm
GRRRR!!!! ICE CREAM!!!! GRRRR!!!! SOFT!!!! GRRRR!!!!! LAZY!!!! GRRRR!!!!!
September 18th, 2020 at 5:03 pm
Donovan Smith needs to be on notice just like Jay-Miss was on notice last year. If he plays like that again then that should be the final nail in the coffin for his career with the Bucs.
September 18th, 2020 at 5:13 pm
50% M I C K E Y M O U S E
park-violating, home-invading, NFLPA-ignoring Bucs quarterback Tom Brady’s career
September 18th, 2020 at 5:16 pm
donovan’s top 2 plays of his career…
when he hit that rams corner in the end zone last year who returned a pick 6…
and…
when he rag dolled poor little todd monken 2 seasons ago heading back to the locker room
September 18th, 2020 at 5:18 pm
donovan should be forced to sit in a room for weeks on end watching donald penn tape
September 18th, 2020 at 6:09 pm
Some of us didn’t have an ax to grind until he called himself an nfl lab rat and said he was gona opt out. Guess he opted out and still gets his salary this way.
September 18th, 2020 at 6:17 pm
Adam it’s a damn shame that the hit on Peters in the end zone is the only thing that stands out good about that guy to me as well. I was at that game and was like DAMN if only he could block like that or had that fire every play. I’m not sure why Joe continues to wonder why fans are on this guy.
I actually wish he had opted out that way Wirfs would’ve slid to LT from the start. I’m not for moving him after this season so if Smith doesn’t get it together we’ve gotta find a LT in the draft IMO.
September 18th, 2020 at 6:19 pm
El Buco Fake-A-Leasto: When you wrote “Go Panthers!!!!!!!!!!!!!” the other day, I lost the .000000000000000001 amount of respect I had for you.
September 18th, 2020 at 8:52 pm
Does “…Smith have to turn things around immediately…?”
Belacheat: Yes.
See BA, isn’t that just easier?
September 18th, 2020 at 10:01 pm
Dude has had 5 years to rid himself of his inconsistencies. He is what he is. Overpaid, above average on his best day, and my head would be on a swivel looking for a legit replacement.
September 19th, 2020 at 12:29 am
DS is not superstar LT but also not a slug. Dude shows up every game – he is available! DS needs coaching for better consistency. If Bucs cut him tomorrow, he would be signed in 15 minutes somewhere.
September 19th, 2020 at 10:32 am
BA & Licht need to take there head out of there ass & call lazy ass Smith what he is. Garbage. This is exactly why the Bucs are bad year after year because they won’t admit when a player stinks. Look how long it took to get rid of Hargeaves because they kept tryin to convince the fans how good he was. When it was proved that the fans knew all along how bad he was. The same thing goes for lazy ass Smith. Licht just admit you fked up when you gave him that big contract. Of course it was a loser signing a loser, so what do you expect.
September 19th, 2020 at 12:58 pm
That D Smith sure is available. That is all.
September 19th, 2020 at 3:03 pm
Interesting that BA didn’t say yes or no. He just said that he thinks Donovan will turn it around. Maybe reading too much but sounds to me that if he doesn’t turn it around he will be replaced.
September 19th, 2020 at 8:37 pm
BA believed in Jameis last year…