Still Riding The 2018 Class
December 27th, 2021
“Hey Glazer, I want another raise, a clothing stipend, new pool toys and a Super Bowl ring for my dog.”
Joe’s written about this a couple of times but it bears repeating as the Bucs have players dropping like flies to injury.
Tampa Bay has five healthy starters on the field from their 2018 draft class.
Safety Jordan Whitehead (Round 4) was crushing it yesterday and right guard Alex Cappa (Round 3) is a Pro Bowl alternate. Carlton Davis (Round 2) is the best Bucs cornerback and Ronald Jones (Round 2) is carrying the mail in the absence of Leonard Fournette. And while Jones dropped a likely touchdown pass out of the backfield yesterday, a simple pitch-and-catch in the red zone where he was Tom Brady’s first option, he’s still a powerful runner who should get stronger over the next two games.
Vita Vea, the 2018 first rounder? He is a freakish manbeast and Joe can’t wait until the Bucs let him play more often in the postseason.
That’s five quality starters out of one draft for general manager Jason Licht, key contributors as the Bucs won their first division crown since 2007.
No wonder Licht was drinking bad beer in his pool last night!
Even Justin Watson (Round 5) played about 20 snaps on special teams.
The first five picks in the 2019 draft were huge contributors yesterday, too.
The youngest core of the Bucs is healthy and a huge piece of the puzzle. They may not be enough to carry the Bucs back to the promised land, but they’re enough for Joe to post a hearty thank you to Licht for what his draft savvy has translated to on the field.
December 27th, 2021 at 4:10 pm
Unrelated, but I just got a notification that Evans is on the Covid list. I have a bad feeling this is the end of the streak…
December 27th, 2021 at 4:11 pm
Yep just saw that from Schefter on ESPN abiut ME13
December 27th, 2021 at 4:21 pm
Im starting to think that COVID list is actually a short term IR. Great way to stash a player. Anyone else feelin that vibe?
Go Bucs!
December 27th, 2021 at 5:29 pm
Joe, even though no longer a Buc, if you saw the Packers/Browns game on Saturday, former Buc MJ Stewart had nearly as good of a game as Jordan Whitehead.
Whiteheads game vs Carolina earned him a grade of 89! He only allowed 4 completions in 12 targets and broke up 2 passes, plus an interception and 3 tackles. Stewart graded 84.4 going against better receivers from Green Bay. I watched that whole game, he stood out over all of the Browns secondary players. I can’t remember why the Bucs let him go.
The one guy from that class that hasn’t been the receiver we had hoped for was Justin Watson.
December 27th, 2021 at 5:33 pm
ROjO would’ve had two break a tackle to get in the end zone on that catch, the defender was right there. This was TB going to first target instead of throwing the ball to the end zone. That being said, ROjO only catches ball thrown to him in the left flat than the right
December 27th, 2021 at 5:36 pm
In a 2018 redraft, Vea goes #6.
1 – Josh Allen, QB (7)
2 – Lamar Jackson (32)
3 – Nick Chubb (35)
4 – Quenton Nelson (6)
5 – Roquan Smith (8)
6 – Vita Vea (12)
I can’t imagine taking Mayfield, Darnold, and Rosen in the Top 10 of a loaded draft.
December 27th, 2021 at 5:39 pm
Carlton Davis may go top 10 in 2018.
December 27th, 2021 at 6:20 pm
Licht’s drafts really improved, when Arians and his gang got to Tampa.
December 27th, 2021 at 6:43 pm
Is there a slam dunk, no brainer gm better than Licht right now? I don’t think so.
December 27th, 2021 at 6:53 pm
The first five picks of the 2018 draft included MJ Stewart as the third of those p picks. Whitehead amazingly was our sixth pick of that draft.
December 27th, 2021 at 7:45 pm
Ed Says:
December 27th, 2021 at 5:29 pm
Joe, even though no longer a Buc, if you saw the Packers/Browns game on Saturday, former Buc MJ Stewart had nearly as good of a game as Jordan Whitehead.
Whiteheads game vs Carolina earned him a grade of 89! He only allowed 4 completions in 12 targets and broke up 2 passes, plus an interception and 3 tackles. Stewart graded 84.4 going against better receivers from Green Bay. I watched that whole game, he stood out over all of the Browns secondary players. I can’t remember why the Bucs let him go.
————-
MJ was let go because he was truly awful – and worst of all, he was way too slow. He was like a slow Ryan Smith, which is as big of an insult as I can give to any player.
The pick never made any sense because you don’t draft corners who can barely break a 4.7 40, and Stewart looked so slow, so lost, they cut bait. Now, you can hide a guy like that at safety, it’s not like John Lynch was running people down from behind, but for whatever reason they kept moving Stewart from corner to safety and back, and just gave up on him. I will say at the time, while I didn’t think much of Stewart, I did say the Bucs shouldn’t have cut him, they should have ‘discovered’ an injury that meant he was on IR for the year. Give him time to learn safety without needing him on the field, but yeah, I guess its against the rules or something.
Anyways Stewart also cost the Browns bigly last year in the playoffs, against the Chiefs he’s who they picked on when they needed that late 4th down conversion that finished the Browns. Also while he made a play early in the Browns/Steelers playoff game, the Steelers came back and burned him over and over again as they tightened up that early blowout, I recall at least 2 TDs against him, but I’m pretty sure it was 3, just in that game alone.
December 27th, 2021 at 8:00 pm
rrsrq Says:
December 27th, 2021 at 5:33 pm
ROjO would’ve had two break a tackle to get in the end zone on that catch, the defender was right there. This was TB going to first target instead of throwing the ball to the end zone. That being said, ROjO only catches ball thrown to him in the left flat than the right
LOL, I’ve noticed that too, darndest thing
December 27th, 2021 at 8:15 pm
I can’t believe they put Dyson back on the practice squad! The hell with contracts and your investments, play the best players.