“I’m All For It”
February 13th, 2021
Donovan Smith speaks
It’s ancient history at this point, but lots of Bucs fans do remember Tampa Bay’s first Super Bowl win and how — somehow — that glorious team went 7-9 the following season.
Think about the Bucs going 7-9 next season. It’s incomprehensible, as it was back in 2003, especially after the Bucs shut out an excellent Andy Reid Eagles team to open their post-Super Bowl campaign.
Managing a Super Bowl club into its follow-up season has long been considered a challenging task — except for teams quarterbacked by Tom Brady. So maybe the Bucs have nothing to worry about. But certainly a lot of key decisions have to be made.
Will the team have spring practices?
Do they even need them after winning a season that had no spring practices (OTAs) or minicamp, plus a slightly shortened training camp and no preseason games?
Serious NFL fans know the players union recently advocated an end to OTAs. Joe can’t blame the union. No OTAs mean no spring injuries.
NFL owners are unlikely to go for it, and coaches certainly want no part of that. Players, however, are divided. But Bucs left tackle Donovan Smith gave SiriusXM NFL Radio a hearty endorsement of an I’ll-see-you-at-camp policy.
“If we could advocate to get that done, I’m all for it,” Smith said of eliminating spring practices.
Joe’s really eager to see how Zoom-loathing players coach Bucco Bruce Arians handles this spring. The NFL may do what it did last season, with players only having online and fitness commitments off-site. But that’s unclear. The Bucs may report back for duty in the third week in April, as they would in a typical season.
Might Arians tell all his veterans to stay home?
Tom Brady has skipped spring practice in past years with the Belicheats. Jason Pierre-Paul has passed previously. Certainly guys like Ndamukong Suh and others don’t need them. Bucs veterans are entering their third year in the same system and just proved a lot of offseason work is unnecessary.
Arians is a forward-thinking dude in many areas, and Joe would not be stunned to see Arians consult with his sports science guys and bless the starters having a uniquely extended vacation with some form of loose monitoring.
During one of his many TV interviews recently, grind-loving Rob Gronkowski even talked about how cool it would be if he could just show up in August.
If it’s possible for Arians to become more beloved than he now by his players, imagine what happens if he serves up players an extra six weeks off.
February 13th, 2021 at 7:18 pm
Somehow I’ve got a hunch that if the Bucs go 7-9 this year like the 2002 SB team did in 2003 that the media will be the first ones to throw this whole coaching staff under the bus for being too lax with the players. Just a hunch though …
February 13th, 2021 at 7:18 pm
Man we actually won the SB a week later and I still cant believe it. What pisses me off more then anything is how these commentators on all these shows get paid all this money just to be wrong, from Brady being old to Tampa wont make the SB f-ing idiots.
February 13th, 2021 at 7:41 pm
Like I mentioned last week about preseason, spring is geared towards the bottom 1/3 of the roster unless it’s year 1 in a new system. I don’t have any answers about vets going but I really think it is needed (post covid, if there will ever be one).
February 13th, 2021 at 7:41 pm
Man it’s actually hard to believe it was just this past Sunday. I know we won it and it was beautiful, but it feels like a month ago lol.
February 13th, 2021 at 7:42 pm
What’s up LUV!?
February 13th, 2021 at 7:52 pm
Anything to get out of work, right Donnie?
How can anyone advocate for this lazy azz backpedaling waste of space ….. and 14 million?
We can do better.
February 13th, 2021 at 7:56 pm
LMAO. Joe you mentioned a bunch of future HOF players that don’t go to spring practice. It’s for rookies and the young guys that need and go to spring practice.
February 13th, 2021 at 7:57 pm
I don’t know all the implications of getting rid of OTA’s but I don’t believe they should be eliminated completely. There needs to be fitness check points and the ability for schemes to be installed, coach contact..etc at some point in the off-season. In my eyes there is too much money in the nfl to get a 5 and a half month vacation without any required check points or real work commitment.
February 13th, 2021 at 8:01 pm
@LVMYBUCS
I don’t know what you are talking about with the commentators. The experts never get it wrong.
Sincerely,
Steve Smith
February 13th, 2021 at 8:05 pm
What’s left if u can’t make it as a commentator ? Weatherman
February 13th, 2021 at 8:17 pm
The 2003 team was struck with the injury bug big time, and lost DExter Jackson to free agency which was a huge loss especially when Brian Kelly went out.
Gruden got rid of Roman Oben and another O-lineman who had performed well in the Super Bowl run. Then Gramatica got the shanks and cost them three games. Then there was the infamous Monday Night Collapse against the Colts.
The Bucs did relatively ok injury wise this past season. Yes they had a few but none to the most key players — Brady, White, David, Shaq, JPP, Wirfs, Jensen, Gronk, Succup.
The odds are the injury bug will hit harder next season. I hope it doesn’t.
February 13th, 2021 at 8:28 pm
OTAs are a waste of time. So are 4 preseason games. Get there two weeks ahead, play 2 practice games and go. These guys stay in shape year round. This isn’t 1955.
February 13th, 2021 at 9:07 pm
And still, no Realist. No TMax, No NDog. Come out come out wherever you are!
Clean House at least has been here, took some heat and admitted where his takes have been wrong. Who amongst us hasn’t some bad takes? Much respect, Clean House.
As for the gutless ones mentioned…. we’re waiting….. run your mouth now.
February 13th, 2021 at 9:52 pm
Arians is enough of a forward thinker that it is possible. It would sure endear him even more to his players!
LOL, we are now 2-0 against Andy Reid teams, in the playoffs.
I was AT The Vet in Philly, to watch us beat the mighty Eagles, in the last game, of their Home Stadium.
Yes, I wore my Bucs colors to that game, and the so called terrible Philly Fans treated me with great kindness and respect!
Even when it became obvious they were going to lose, I never heard one bad word, or got bad vibes from any of the Philly Fans.
February 13th, 2021 at 10:19 pm
Frankly LVMYBUCS have a point. I follow Brady before he was in the NFL. I was just blown away by his poise in the pocket and his capacity to go in after the starter QB when his coach though that the game was out of reach, and Brady enter the field just to turn things around and win the game.
I said to my wife: the best QB for us was Brady all along! And what? The starter QB have been taken way before Brady in the draft. Incredible.
In the NFL? Same damn thing! Everybody are saying for 20 years that the success of NE was Billichick. The coach was important. But nobody have ever won a football game from the sideline or in the chairs behind! Brady and his teammates did. F**k these ”experts”! Brady is still the best QB EVER.
Brady is with us in Tampa Bay now! There will be no bad year after a SB.
It will be a repeat! Yes! You hou! And damn the ”journalisms Experts!”
GO BUCS!!!!!
February 13th, 2021 at 10:20 pm
Chris how’d you put up that profile pic?
February 13th, 2021 at 10:25 pm
I been to many games and honestly the only fans that were true dycks was Panther fans. Every other fan base had been class acts.
February 13th, 2021 at 10:50 pm
“In 2003… the Bucs shut out an excellent Andy Reid Eagles team to open their post-Super Bowl campaign.”
Yeah after we won the Super Bowl we opened ON THE ROAD in Philly no less 🤬
Somebody get me Paul Tagliabue on the phone. No one has ever answered for that bu11$hit
February 14th, 2021 at 2:27 am
The 2021 team will not be like 2003 team, for the first time during that run, 2003 team could not stop the run. The Bucs will be better in year to of TB12. As Shaq O Neil would say, “I am going to go out there and dominate” This team barring Injury will win at least 14 games next year. They could give the 2007 Patriots a run for their money as far as a more dominant offense. Bucs have to keep the front 7 intact as best as possible. You can interchange pieces on offense a lot easier than on defense. Must keep the pass rush intact, and the dominant run defense. Without them, they would have not won the Championship. KEEP THE FRONT 7 ON DEFENSE INTACT!!!!!!! GO BUCS!!!!!!!
February 14th, 2021 at 3:00 am
I’d be all in favor of just having training camp if we got rid of the asinine catch rule, stopped protecting quarterbacks as much, let db’s actually play defense like they were allowed to in the 80’s, and mandated that holding calls would only be called in the most egregious of circumstances. 😲
February 14th, 2021 at 8:18 am
All due respect to the 2002 team, will always be known as the first and forever grateful to them – but they aren’t anywhere as good as this current Bucs team. The offensive line, receivers, quarterback etc etc, are non comparable – don’t even belong in the same galaxy. The defenses however are comparable in terms of talent and in fact a handful of guys on today’s defense I’d take all day everyday over the 02 defense. If the 2 teams somehow played the 2020 team would be favored by a touchdown, or more.
February 14th, 2021 at 8:51 am
Find out what Tom Brady does every off season- and have everybody do that!
February 14th, 2021 at 9:56 am
I was a season ticket holder during the first Super Bowl win (wow, that sounds weird). Loved that team, but that story started in 1997 with the 5-0 start to the almost champions of 1999 and Super Bowl win was just the end of the story. The team was loaded with expensive free agents and was getting old.
This team is an enigma. It’s like a young team led by their Dad.
I would 7-9 is possible, but so is 14-2. Just like this year!?
February 14th, 2021 at 10:07 am
@DR- agreed 100%. It will be on the players to maintain their same drive and fire that they had this season. Brady should help with that.
@LUV – Seems their are 2 jobs in the world you can be wrong almost everyday and there are no consequences- sports talking head and weatherman.
February 14th, 2021 at 11:37 am
All the Vets should get a pass! The rookies should come in and get indoctrinated in the “Buccanner Way”. If Brady could show up just a day or two to help with that aspect great.
But NO vet needs to be told how to get ready for August. They are all professionals with MILLIONS of dollars on the line with their bodies. Think they’re going to take care of themselves. In addition it’s not just Brady, Gronk, JPP and others who have tasted SB success it’s the entire team. They all will be hungry.
Rookies yes…vets no unless they wish to workout.
February 14th, 2021 at 1:26 pm
I’m sure Tom Brady would’ve shown up for more Spring workouts in Boston if it was more like Tampa Bay’s Spring weather!
February 14th, 2021 at 2:30 pm
We also suffered two injuries alstot and 83 jurvecis collision 40 alstot major neck injury and 83 leg which set tone cause they valued almost automatic scoring machines 7-9 guarantee no 9-7 maybe Repeat Champs. Go Champa Bay Under Dogs Raise Those Trophies Cause We Live In Champion City. Tampa Champa.
February 16th, 2021 at 9:50 am
OTA’s would benefit rookies…and PS guys coming back from the previous season. Have a fitness evaluation for vets and leave it at that.