“California Surfer Dude”
May 4th, 2022
Bucs rookie defensive lineman Logan Hall played hard-to-get.
Call Logan Hall hard to get. And it is understandable if the Bucs would have passed on their second-round pick after he dodged team officials.
This is a shocking rarity for Joe: The Bucs never interviewed Hall at the combine. You draft a defensive tackle you expect to start right away on a team with one goal (Super Bowl) and you don’t interview him at the combine?
There was a reason, Bucs co-defensive coordinator Kacy Rodgers said yesterday. Hall was always doing something else.
“We tried to interview him a couple of times at the combine and for whatever reason, he had a reason where he was caught up in something else so he missed our meetings,” Rodgers said. “He kept blowing us off at the combine.”
Many teams would have said at that point, “Hey, if he doesn’t want to interview with us, he doesn’t want to play for us. The hell with him.”
Instead, the Bucs were persistent. Despite no sitdown with Hall at the combine, the Bucs invited him to One Buc Palace as one of their 30 in-house visits. There, the Bucs learned Hall is a good dude. He wasn’t intentionally blowing them off.
“Then he came in with one of our top-30 visits and we got to spend a lot of time with him,” Rodgers said. “He’s a really laid-back kind of guy. I almost [want] to say a California surfer dude. But he was really laid back. Really humble kid. He wants to learn as much as he can.”
Hall obviously doesn’t have a surfer mentality on the field. He really flips the switch.
With Jason Pierre-Paul return a dying prospect, and the return of Ndamukong Suh not much better, Hall is going to have to flip a switch and fast if this Bucs defense will help carry it back to the Super Bowl.
The pressure on Hall to produce immediately almost seems unfair or unrealistic.
May 4th, 2022 at 4:05 am
‘The pressure on Hall to produce immediately almost seems unfair or unrealistic’.
Interesting conclusion. Can’t remember either of the Joes ever writing that about Jameis Winston. Seems like I might remember the word ‘savior’ though.
I’m equally stunned though to see you write that Suh isn’t much more likely to return than JPP is. He checked himself out of the hotel with his last statements about the Bucs. Suh on the other hand has indicated a willingness to return, but wants to be paid appropriately for his talents. He doesn’t need the money apparently; it’s all about respect IMO. We’ll pay him, simply because we need him. Hall was drafted to be JPP’s & McLendon’s replacement, not Suh’s.
May 4th, 2022 at 5:14 am
With our current D line we’re not going anywhere. Hall is one potential piece. As is JTS. Both unproven. Physically JPP may be finished. Suh may be pricing himself off our roster. McClendon is 35. All three are in the rear view mirror. We wasted draft pick on a RB and punter. Feels like our next step has to be trade.
May 4th, 2022 at 5:51 am
I kinda would have to agree overall we sorta spent the draft picks on some positions I feel weren’t a need. We probably could have gotten a punter well after round 6. Our DL definitely needs rebuilt. A pass catching rb is important but not sure at that time it with this specific RB was the right move. RB actually wasn’t a bad class from top to bottom. Lot of skilled talent here. I was more interested in OL and DL still or adding another skilled CB Or LB. That’s just me.
Logan hall – Vita Vea – Will Gholston
Not much behind these guys. We can assume Nacho in 2nd string NT but 2nd string 3-4 DE on either side has me wondering. Need depth and size here.
May 4th, 2022 at 6:13 am
Free agents???
May 4th, 2022 at 6:46 am
Hang Ten and Cowabunga!
May 4th, 2022 at 7:16 am
Akiem Hicks
May 4th, 2022 at 7:28 am
Spicoli Hall?
All he needs are some tasty waves and a cool buzz…
May 4th, 2022 at 7:34 am
I hear the surf is really up in Elgin Oklahoma, Belton & Houston Texas…..
May 4th, 2022 at 8:10 am
I think a lot of folks are of the opinion that we’ll use Logan Ryan much like the Rams use Aaron Donald in their 3-4 defense. When you look at Donald’s 8-year career with the Rams, it’s easy to see that he’s even more than a once-in-a-generation talent.
He’s been selected to the Pro Bowl all 8 years, and has made All-Pro for the last 7 of those years. He’s already got 98 sacks (over 12 sacks/season average), more than what Warren Sapp had in his 13 year career (96.5 sacks).
What’s even more impressive is that Donald almost never comes off the field. Last season for instance he had 1041 def snaps in 17 games; the Rams allowed opponents 1118 total snaps, so Donald was on the field for over 93% of their plays. That’s incredible.
And for those who don’t value Suh enough, might take a look at how Donald did in 2018 with Suh playing beside him. Donald racked up 20.5 sacks and 70 QB pressures that season, BY FAR the most of his career. Kinda wondering if JTS & Ryan might not also similarly benefit from having BOTH Vea AND Suh inside.
May 4th, 2022 at 8:13 am
Camarda is under more pressure than Logan Hall because he’s got to come right in and actually be THEE GUY at his position. Hall on the other hand, is going to be mixed in with all the other talent we have on the defensive front so the staff gets to experiment with him as they did with JTS, who got alot of experience in the snaps he did get w/o over playing him and risking minor/major injury. Hall whiffs on a tackle, he,s got a clean up crew with him.
I’m 100% sure the first punt Camarda shanks, some of you guys will be calling him a “bust” or “wasted pick” lol
May 4th, 2022 at 8:48 am
Suh was the best defensive player in Rams’ playoff loss – re-signing him makes the DLine pretty strong and adding JPP , IF HEALTHY , makes the Dline borderline great. The older veterans would be great mentors to Hall and JTS and improve the rotation.
May 4th, 2022 at 9:04 am
Suh’s value cannot be overstated. No DL played more snaps. Signing Suh would go a long way towards shoring up that DL, not to mention mentoring. Suh has been the consummate professional during his career. (foot-stomp aside!)
May 4th, 2022 at 9:04 am
All the players are under extreme pressure to produce!!! This is the NFL!!! The best of the best over the past 15 years or so!! A what have you done for me lately league!! Go Bucs!!!
May 4th, 2022 at 10:05 am
I am anxious to see Logan Hall play. From what I have read about him, he has the best inside pass rush moves of any player we were considering.
I agree that we probably could have drafted our new Punter a round or 2 later, but I have watched some film on him, and he really looked great!
May 4th, 2022 at 10:37 am
GMC could still be available, lol
May 4th, 2022 at 11:08 am
Just wait & see. There are a few FA vets still out there along with Suh. Don’t overpay.
May 4th, 2022 at 11:15 am
To rrsrq: I hope McCoy is available for a 1 day contract so he can retire a Buc – that seems fitting for a solid contributor.
May 4th, 2022 at 11:15 am
I am hoping that Hall has the physicality and power that JTS seems to lack. Unless JTS gets physically bigger and stronger he will always be just a fast dancer. Speed without power.
May 4th, 2022 at 11:36 am
Thomas Pfalz … ‘There are a few FA vets still out there along with Suh. Don’t overpay.’
Care to share any names of DTs that are as good as Suh but who could be signed for less?
May 4th, 2022 at 11:53 am
A surfer dude from Oklahoma?
May 4th, 2022 at 11:57 am
so basically this guy is GMC 2.0…great
May 4th, 2022 at 1:34 pm
I don’t buy for a minute SUH isn’t coming back, just glimpse the depth chart, this is all leverage negotiating, nothing else.
May 4th, 2022 at 4:53 pm
Great sh!t again here Joe(s)
May 4th, 2022 at 8:50 pm
“California Surfer Dude”. Is that going to be his nickname from now on?