The Two Sides Of Donovan Smith
October 25th, 2020
Bucs LT Donovan Smith.
Joe has been a long-time defender of embattled left tackle Donovan Smith.
Joe is convinced that what many football fans demand from a left tackle and what football people expect from a left tackle are as different as night and day.
And it doesn’t help that the frauds at the PFF tribe shat out their dumbass, grotesquely misleading offensive line grades, which muddies the waters.
There may be no bigger disconnect in football than what fans demand in an offensive line and what coaches and front office types want.
There is no question that Smith is the most disliked Bucs player on the roster in recent years. More so than cancers like Swaggy Baker and DeSean Jackson; more so than a good player whose personality rubbed many fans the wrong way in Gerald McCoy.
At times, Smith can be dominant. He is a rock of stability, which football folks value almost more than talent.
Almost.
Fans, for the most part, if they think a player is rotten, do not put an ounce of stock into a guy consistently answering the bell on Sundays like Smith does. This year, Joe has noticed what so many Bucs fans constantly harp on Smith about, and subsequently want him gone. Some irrationally demand for him to be cut and replaced by anyone so long as the player isn’t named, well, “Donovan Smith.”
(You don’t want that. Trust Joe, you do not want that.)
Smith’s biggest fault is inconsistency, especially this season. When compared to Smith’s top-shelf salary, the Bucs aren’t always getting top-shelf play.
With the salary cap expected to plunge in 2021, Joe thinks Smith’s contract has a bulls-eye on it; it’s not guaranteed after this season.
Today, Joe took to Twitter to scold Smith for what Joe thought was an awful play. Early in the game, Ronald Jones was caught behind the line by two Raiders defenders and RoJo was fighting for his life to break free.
Smith, standing right next to RoJo, just stood there and watched the two Raiders fight to hogtie RoJo and bring him down.
Why Smith didn’t try to blast one into next week to help spring RoJo, well, Joe cannot answer that. But for Smith to just stand there and watch was galling. It was like he just gave up on the play, all but saying, “You are on your own RoJo. See you back in the huddle.”
It was a very bad look. But a play or two later, Smith blew open a wide hole for RoJo to run through for a nice gain. Those two plays summed up Smith. One was the look of a quitter. The other was the look of a warrior.
Later in the game when Leonard Fournette had a seven-yard run down the left sideline to the Raiders-1, there was Smith racing down the left sideline in front of Fournette, road-grading a path for the veteran running back.
It was an impressive display of hustle by Smith, or for any offensive lineman.
So while Joe took Smith to task for his laissez-faire response to RoJo fighting for his life to bust free on a gang tackle, Joe has to give Smith credit for blowing open holes and hustling to create a path for Fournette to run behind.
If Smith can somehow master consistency, he’d be a top-shelf left tackle.
October 25th, 2020 at 9:01 pm
Brady was very comfortable all game. Left a little to be desired in run blocking gbut pass blocking was suoerb
October 25th, 2020 at 9:04 pm
He’s playing better
Gotta give him credit
GO BUCS
October 25th, 2020 at 9:08 pm
813 Donovan gets no credit whatsoever from me until he donimates against the Saints.
Thats the game I have circled on my calendar for D.Smith. Until that hsppens I have lost all trust in him.
October 25th, 2020 at 9:08 pm
So Smith should have went in and tried blowing up a play late, probably getting a 15-yard penalty in the process? What’s the gain on that play if he does that, maybe an extra 4-inches? No thanks, I’m fine with my players not being morons like Jensen and picking up 15-yard penalties every other game.
Smith is a perfectly average LT, meaning he’s literally average, probably somewhere around the 16-18th best LT in football. His salary is “high” because of the way the Bucs do contracts, they pay money that other teams give in signing bonuses as yearly cash, so if you did cut him this upcoming season, you’re not carrying dead money for years. In fact if the Bucs really needed to create salary cap space, the easiest way to do it would be to redo his contract, give him a signing bonus you can strech over years and you could probably create anywhere from $5-10m in cap space. Just something to keep in mind if, say, the Bucs really wanted to trade for someone.
October 25th, 2020 at 9:14 pm
Hasn’t happened by now won’t happen in the future
October 25th, 2020 at 9:23 pm
He’s that guy that has a job in the outdoors and somehow never manages to get dirt on his pants.
I don’t think he’s terrible, but if he feels like he can get away with less effort on a play he’s going to take full advantage. When there’s a mob of players pushing a running back that’s still on his feet, rest assured knowing that Smith will be standing nearby watching from a distance.
October 25th, 2020 at 9:30 pm
Never wrote that and you are thoroughly misrepresenting the play. Re-read what Joe wrote. Besides, the whistle hadn’t blown. The play was still active.
Joe has never, ever demanded a player late hit a guy (unless he deserved it).
Thanks for really twisting Joe’s words. smh
October 25th, 2020 at 9:39 pm
Joe – That’s how that play ends up 90% of the time, the refs see a guy coming in late, even if he isn’t late.
October 25th, 2020 at 9:39 pm
Didn’t notice anyone on our offensive line today. Means they were solid. Zero sacks. Only a few hits on Brady. Only a handful of negative plays. O line did well today.
October 25th, 2020 at 9:42 pm
Gerald McCoy left the Bucs and I haven’t heard his name once.
Like Kevin Spacey said in “Usual Suspects,” …. “… and PFFT… he’s gone.”
October 25th, 2020 at 9:47 pm
In all fairness Donovan Smith is the absolute best Buc in giving a teammate a helping hand up after he’s tackled.
Film don’t lie!
October 25th, 2020 at 9:52 pm
HeyItsAdam – You just said it.
October 25th, 2020 at 10:00 pm
I like that the only time you hear Wirfs name is 1st quarter introductions. That guy has really stepped in to that RT spot without a hitch.
October 25th, 2020 at 10:19 pm
Smith is playing MUCH better. Wirfs continues to be a beast. Brady was barely touched.
October 25th, 2020 at 10:24 pm
“And it doesn’t help that the frauds at the PFF tribe shat out their dumbass, grotesquely misleading offensive line grades, which muddies the waters.”
PFF has graded him an average/above average tackle last season and this season so far.
October 25th, 2020 at 10:43 pm
Three sacks given up in seven games but our dumbass fans think a street free agent would ve better. Could he be better? Yes. Can we find better? Nope.
October 25th, 2020 at 10:46 pm
G McCoy is injured out for the year.
I did see Donovan Smith making that downfield block for Fournette. Wish he would have stayed on his feet as opposed to diving and trying to push a player put the way.
Wirfs is balling – on the Scottie Miller TD he appears to engage 2 defenders while protecting Brady.
October 25th, 2020 at 10:50 pm
I have no issues admitting my unfavorable opinion of Donovan Smith. He’s probably the most frustrating player on the team to watch. Like Joe stated, one play he looks completely lackadaisical, the next he’s mauling people. If he would just play consistent, he’d be a solid left tackle. Outside of the NOLA game, and then in Chicago, he has played better.
October 25th, 2020 at 11:11 pm
If anyone should be called out today it’s Shaq for his offsides penalty that erased an interception and let the Raiders back in the game. It was totally unnecessary and is like a drag racer guessing the tree. Keep your eye on the ball.
October 25th, 2020 at 11:17 pm
Eh I actually thought the Shaq offsides was bs. Was close though. Live looked offside. Replay didn’t look that way
October 26th, 2020 at 1:01 am
McCoy never made a play to end the game, he sucked especially at the end and no, he didn’t have the mentality to play that position!! People didn’t dislike him because he looked Batman!! That’s the kind of thing YOU judge a player on!! …. You are no better than “a fan” and most the time (9 out of 10) are wrong about your player assessments… And the only reason you like Smith is the exact reason he isn’t good enough!! He doesn’t jump into that pile Joe because those piles is where ankles and stuff get rolled up on!! You wonder why he looks lazy sometimes well, there’s your answer!! He’s worried about getting hurt on a lot of those plays!!! …. People that played should be the ones writing about football… Just my opinion…
October 26th, 2020 at 4:53 am
Anyone who says McCoy couldn’t play in the fourth Quarter didn’t check his 4th qtr numbers – which sat just slightly lower than a dude called Sapp.
October 26th, 2020 at 6:59 am
Bucs better rushing the ball as a team this year.
This season we have rushed on 1st down 93 times for 393 yards a 4.1 average. Hardly, a team that i getting stuffed every time or even a majority of time.
Teams still try to rush against the Bucs run defense on 1st down. They have attempted 70 rushes for 205 rush yards. 2.9 yards per carry.
October 26th, 2020 at 7:55 am
“If Smith can somehow master consistency, he’d be a top-shelf left tackle.”
If JW could have stopped throwing to the other team, he’d be a top-shelf QB
If your aunt had balls, she would be your uncle…. IF, IF, IF…
October 26th, 2020 at 9:40 am
Go Bucs
October 26th, 2020 at 6:17 pm
You just perfectly highlighted what many of have had frustrations about with him during his career.
When he wants to, he can be absolutely dominant. The consistency just isn’t there.
I will say that he has improved his run blocking a lot this year.
We just want him to stop taking 5 – 7 plays off each game. Top paid left tackles shouldn’t do that. And please know this doesn’t mean I’m expecting him to never ever get beat. That’s not realistic. It’s when he simply doesn’t even try that get my blood boiling.