Bucs Have Their Nick Foles
April 12th, 2021
NFL clone on Bucs roster.
Joe is pretty adamant that if a team has one goal of Going for Two and anything short of that is a failure, then that team shouldn’t be fooling around worrying about a backup quarterback.
In the salary cap era, Joe finds it very, very difficult to understand the concept of paying good money for a crappy quarterback who you pray never takes a snap as opposed to using that same cash on a player that can otherwise have a weekly impact helping the team win.
Any time Joe mentions that a team is screwed if its starting quarterback goes down, someone has to reach for Jeff Hostettler or Nick Foles.
Sure, two guys in 50 years came off the bench to lead their teams to a Super Bowl. So that makes it the norm, right? Hardly.
And Hostettler was on the Giants in the pre-salary cap days. Had there been a salary cap, perhaps Hostettler would have been on another team’s roster — but Joe is just assuming there.
Well, Joe’s good friend Mike Tanier of Pro Football Network believes there is a player that both satisfies Joe not wanting to waste cash on a backup quarterback and those who believe you have to pay a starting quarterback salary to find a backup for park-violating, home-invading, NFLPA-ignoring, down-forgetting, handshake-stiffing, jet-ski-losing, biscuit-baking, tequila-shooting, smartphone-phobic, waffle-grilling, trophy-throwing, roller-coaster-scared, Bucs-Super-Bowl-winning Tom Brady.
Tanier actually believes the Bucs have a Foles-like player on the roster. And this guy came off the bench to lead the Bucs to a Super Bowl title, just like Foles did with the Eagles.
And that’s Playoff Lenny!
Tanier offered a breakdown of every running back drafted in the first round since 2010 to demonstrate why running backs have been devalued in the draft. Of course, Playoff Lenny was a first-round pick with the Jags.
The Nick Foles of running backs, Fournette is a slow-footed battering ram who morphs into Playoff Lenny come January. Folks have strong opinions about Fournette. Let’s just label him a “somewhat useful role player” and concede that he was a bust as a top-5 draft pick.
Joe has no idea why Playoff Lenny busted out with the Jags (they dumped many great young players) but damn if he didn’t bail out the Bucs when Ronald Jones went down with an injury.
Just think, without Playoff Lenny to turn to, the Bucs would have had to lean on over-the-hill Shady McCoy or unproven Ke’Shawn Vaughn.
And to think there were people last summer scoffing at the idea the Bucs would ever add a running back and not bank on the likes of Dare Ogunbowale.
April 12th, 2021 at 9:09 am
Ehhh he’s slow footed in. Leveon Bell kinda way in that he’s patient and doesn’t slam in to the line – he actually has really really good long speed and tends to take it to the house whenever he does break that second level, but I do agree that he’s a complementary player with Ronald jones being good in spurts. But ROJO is just soooooo bad at pass blocking pass catching that they kinda cancel each other out, but it works. For now. Neither may be back this year which is why drafting a real stud like Harris/Etienne/Javonte Williams actually makes sense and a 50/50 chance of happening with edge rusher being first choice. If I had to guess anyway
April 12th, 2021 at 9:17 am
vaughn has great vision and patience so i hope he continues to get reps so he can improve…
didnt we draft 2 RBs last year?
GO BUCS!!!!
April 12th, 2021 at 9:22 am
The chances are the Bucs will have another late 1st round pick next year. If you draft a RB this year with your no 1, then you are relegating a 1st round pick to the bench for pretty much the whole year. If Bucs have a need for RB next year due to Cap or FA issues, then a late 1st round pick for RB is justified – not this year.
April 12th, 2021 at 9:24 am
Ummmm Doug williams and trent dilfer were also back up qbs turned superbowl champion but lets not let buc facts get in the way.
April 12th, 2021 at 9:27 am
Gofortheface30 Says:
April 12th, 2021 at 9:09 am
Ehhh he’s slow footed in. Leveon Bell kinda way in that he’s patient and doesn’t slam in to the line – he actually has really really good long speed and tends to take it to the house whenever he does break that second level, but I do agree that he’s a complementary player with Ronald jones being good in spurts. But ROJO is just soooooo bad at pass blocking pass catching that they kinda cancel each other out, but it works. For now. Neither may be back this year which is why drafting a real stud like Harris/Etienne/Javonte Williams actually makes sense and a 50/50 chance of happening with edge rusher being first choice. If I had to guess anyway
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Rojo good in spurts? What are you watching, son? A dude doesn’t get nearly 1000 yards rushing in 13 games and average 5.1 YPC by being good in spurts.
As for Fournette being slow footed… not at all. He’s actually very fast… but he’s also got terrible balance and isn’t a tackle breaker. He has poor quickness and is only slightly better than Rojo in catching and pass blocking. Rojo earned every bit of his 5.1 YPC… while Fournette earned his 3.7 as well. He went weeks and weeks without breaking a single tackle while Rojo was one of the league leaders in broken tackles and yards after contact.
April 12th, 2021 at 9:35 am
Brandon – it’s hilarious how offended you are with your white knighting of Ronald Jones. Do his posters on your bedroom wall help you go to sleep at night if you know what I mean? If he is nearly as good as you one to think he is, then he will get that big contract next yr. I’d be more than thrill to make a wager with you that he will not even be on the team next yr unless he takes a huge home town discount. You have your head buried in the sand of how problematic it is that he is nothing short of wretched at catching the football as well as his pass blocking. Fix those issues “son.”
April 12th, 2021 at 9:41 am
webster dont forget hall of famer steve young..lol
April 12th, 2021 at 9:42 am
Alanbucs – if the Bucs draft a RB late first round, the chances of him being buried on depth chart are approximately slim and none. It’s not like they’re paying big money to Fournette or Jones, and a guy like Etienne will be playing and playing a lot. And what is peoples’ super weird emotional attachment to Ke’Shawn Vaughn? Like get real, he will never be the number one back at any point, ever. Stop worrying about his feelings. It’s a business. You don’t tell someone like Najee Harris:” nah we good we got Ke’Shawn Vaughn brah!”
April 12th, 2021 at 9:51 am
Im not really worried about a backup qb, I just think it would be a huge missed oppertunity not to draft our guy of the future and give him a year or so behind the greatest QB of all time.Doesnt even have to be a first rounder. Imagine Kyle Trask on the bench for 2 years learning. That would be awesome.
April 12th, 2021 at 10:02 am
I think a good pass catching back would make us unstoppable.
A pass rusher or a corner would make good depth, but a rb would help right now.
My understanding is that all 3 top backs can also pass protect.
April 12th, 2021 at 10:11 am
Forgot all about that stiff Dilfer (for good reason). Williams as a “backup” to Jay Schroeder is a whole ‘nother story. 🙂
When did Steve Young come off the bench and win a Super Bowl? He was a starter for years when he finally got one.
April 12th, 2021 at 10:19 am
Doug Williams came off the bench to win a Super Bowl too
April 12th, 2021 at 10:28 am
Haha- yeah right- I respectfully say that this might be the dumbest article I’ve read in a while-
So a backup QBs is not important- defies logic- let’s just role with none then- like the Broncos last year and see how that goes….
Is this even a real argument or click bait? Sorry but just dumb.
Also yeah Fournette is a bust- had several thousand yard seasons on a crap team- made it to the NFC championship- had a ton of catches with the jags then carried the Bucs on his back through the playoffs and to win the Super Bowl- Magical, awe inspiring all time highlight reel runs when it counted! Dudes a baller and a key key piece to our Championship- don’t forget it.
If this is not a success, what is?
Fournette is hardly a bust- absurd commentary all over this article.
April 12th, 2021 at 10:40 am
We need to show over-the-hill Shady McCoy the door, IMHO.
I am glad we resigned Lenny. He went into beast mode when it really counted, and his running helped slam the door on the Mighty Kansas City Chiefs.
April 12th, 2021 at 11:33 am
@ joe
How can we forget Tom Brady came off the bench to win a superbowl? Thats also buc facts. Even Shaun king came off the bench and became one of 4 qbs to lead us to the nfc chanpionship. Back ups are important
April 12th, 2021 at 11:36 am
Brandonsays
Agree completely! I don’t understand all the love Lenny. He is average at best.
April 12th, 2021 at 11:42 am
Good catch. But remember, Brady was on a rookie contract for a sixth-round pick. So it wasn’t like Belicheat was paying a rotten quarterback $2 million+ to chart plays.
April 12th, 2021 at 11:42 am
I may be a little dense on this Monday morning, but can’t follow how a discussion of a backup RB ties into the QB issue. Who’s going to be our backup QB?
April 12th, 2021 at 11:42 am
I still high on Ke’Shawn Vaughn. With injuries and the Covid, Vaughn did not have much of a training camp. It would be nice if he can show some pass catching skills.
April 12th, 2021 at 11:56 am
Joe spelled it out in the story.
April 12th, 2021 at 11:59 am
He did. Go back to the Chargers game and watch that sweet catch he made for a touchdown.
One play, however, doesn’t make a career. Not giving up on him (for the same reasons you stated) but not willing to commit to him being an everydown back yet either. Certainly not one to bank on if your only goal is to win a Super Bowl.
April 12th, 2021 at 12:19 pm
Still don’t understand some folks comments about KeShawn Vaughn. For all practical purposes, he sat on the bench for a year. Total of 26 rushes for 109 yds (4.2 YPC) behind our OLine is OK but not spectacular for sure. He was targeted 10 times in 10 games & caught 5 of those (50%) for a total of 34 yds. Don’t think I’d build an offense around stats like that.
Walter Football last year rated our Vaughn pick as a B grade (not that bad), but look at the writeup that went with that:
‘The Buccaneers finally get their running back. Ke’Shawn Vaughn runs with some nice power, and he makes sense as a third-round pick, but I’m not sure about the fit. Tom Brady wants running backs who catch passes out of the backfield very well. Vaughn can do that, but it’s definitely not his forte.’
April 12th, 2021 at 12:48 pm
I’m glad we resigned Playoff Lenny, but the reason he’s Playoff Lenny is because he didn’t show much in the regular season. He had that early season long TD, but not much after until the playoffs. In the regular season games when comparing him to Rojo it looked like he was looking for excuses to fall down and not take extra hits where Rojo was always getting more yards after contact and always looking like he was putting in max effort.
I hope Fournette puts a little more effort into the regular season understanding that it could lead 1st or 2nd seed in the playoffs. If not, give Rojo a chance to the be the playoff hero with all the work I’m sure he’ll put in.
April 12th, 2021 at 4:16 pm
DR
vaughn showed more promise in his rookie year vs rojo….and with some development, rojo has turned into a decent RB outside his pass catching skills…
rojo sat on the bench his rookie year….4.2YPC behind any OLINE is good not OK….
you build an offense around a player that can play all 3 downs and continue to get better week in week out, year in year out….
googling stats tells you half the story…and a lazy 1 at that…go back and watch the games…
GO BUCS!!!!
April 12th, 2021 at 6:30 pm
We have no backup quarterback and so far no future quarterback either . I want to see how the draft go because we are under the mercy of Tom Brady feeling and him getting injured. So I really hope we draft a quarterback this year.
April 12th, 2021 at 7:19 pm
“Sure, two guys in 50 years came off the bench to lead their teams to a Super Bowl”
More than 2 obviously. You are already acknowledging Dlfer and Doug Williams……
Brady counts too – Drew Bledsoe was NEs entrenched starter and had just signed a large contract extension with the 5-11 Patriots prior to the 2001 season. But Bledsoe got hurt in game 2 and 2nd year, 6th rd pick Tom Brady came off the bench and proceeded to go 14-3 and win his 1st of SEVEN Super Bowl victories and 1st of 5 SB MVP awards…..
Oh – and I Guess you completely forgot about Earl Morrall who came off the bench to lead his team to the Super Bowl TWICE! Replacing injured legend Johnny U with the Colts in 1968 – but then, ultimately losing to Namath and the JETS in SB III – and then Morrall did it AGAIN in 1972 with starter Bob Griese injured, Morrall started the final 11 games of the Dolphins perfect season….
And then there’s Jim Plunkett who replaced newly acquired Raiders starter Dan Pastorini after the ex- Oilers QB went down in game 5 of the 1980 season. Plunkett started the final 11 games and led Oakland to the playoffs and ultimately victory over the Eagles in SB XV – also earning SB MVP honors in the process……
C’mon Joe – your CRS must be kicking in when it comes to football history….
April 12th, 2021 at 7:38 pm
Don’t forget Kurt Warner. He was the backup before Trent Green got hurt in pre-season.
April 12th, 2021 at 7:47 pm
Love the funny titles you gave to Tom Brady
April 12th, 2021 at 7:54 pm
Don’t forget Kurt Warner. He was a backup until Trent Green got hurt in the preseason. Probably was pretty cheap after his call up from the arena league, but still.
April 13th, 2021 at 6:12 am
There will always be only one Nick Foles. He also called the seminal play in the Super Bowl. But the Eagles resorted to their old ways of losing and released Nick and kept Carson Wentz who was a total bust.
April 13th, 2021 at 11:22 am
Geez Joe you keep adding to the names you have for Brady. Do you type it out each time or copy and paste?