The Smartest Defensive Player?
December 28th, 2022
If you’re looking for a hint that the Buccaneers want cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting to be re-signed for next season, this may be the biggest one yet.
For this exercise, Joe will assume head coach/defensive playcaller Todd Bowles returns for his second season at the helm of the Buccaneers.
Bowles spoke yesterday about Murphy-Bunting’s command of the defense. Bowles is known for valuing football intelligence, so this really struck Joe.
“Sean’s extremely smart. He understands the gameplan as well as anybody, and he understands what he sees, what’s coming at him,” Bowles told the Buccaneers Radio Network. “So he plays even faster than what he’s looking at.”
Bowles went on to praise Murphy-Bunting’s production the past two games.
Murphy-Bunting was benched during the first three games of the season, only playing on special teams. Then he got back on the field a bit before getting hurt in Week 12. He returned two games ago and has looked good. The timing is right; his contract is up after the season along with those of fellow defensive backs Jamel Dean, Logan Ryan, Mike Edwards and Keanu Neal.
Earlier this year, Bowles said he believes Murphy-Bunting would make a good NFL coach. That’s the kind of guy someone like Bowles wants to stick around.
(Tuesday’s Ira Kaufman Podcast) Ira Talks Frustrated Mike Evans, A Bowles-Leftwich Disconnection, Cardinals Game Reactions, The Glazer-Brady Relationship, Defensive Personnel & More
December 28th, 2022 at 1:46 pm
🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂
December 28th, 2022 at 1:51 pm
When this fella is playing good…he’s very good. He was key to the Super Bowl run in 2020…ints in the straight games and shut down Michael Thomas. He was injured/off last season…but he seems to be rounding into form. Bucs need all the help they can get to eek into the playoffs.
December 28th, 2022 at 1:51 pm
no matter what you say about smb…positive or negative…
he generally plays big when it counts…
i can see him grabbing an int vs one arnold darnold this weekend
December 28th, 2022 at 2:22 pm
He has his physical limitations, but yeah i always got the impression he was a fairly smart player
December 28th, 2022 at 2:22 pm
“Joe assumes head coach/defensive player returns for a second season” can’t wait to see what he will do next year we probably will be running the wishbone.
December 28th, 2022 at 2:40 pm
The thing I always see is SMB looking at Cooper Kupp and then dismissing him and blitzing.
It would a lot more than I have seen this season to forget that.
December 28th, 2022 at 2:53 pm
Thanks Todd, you just made your case for Caption Obvious a whole lot less obvious.
Wait, what?
I think Todd is lulling me into his hypnotic way of thinking with his way of expression.
Before you know it, I won’t even like football anymore and I will start watching women’s soccer to get my thrills and sporting fix. Im so excited, I can’t wait for next season to begin because I won’t even be interested in watching anymore.
Thanks Todd! Your my hero!
P.S. Hey Todd, did you feel as dumb as you looked and sounded in your interview during the game Sunday night. Sure felt to me like you knew people thought you sounded dumb as you walk away from that interview. Lets check the tape on that one again. Yup, your dumb and you know that everyone knows and thinks that about you now. PLEASE, for the love of football, pull a BA and hand the reigns over to someone else and step down. ACTUALLY, I like you as D Coordinator, you’re a natural for that job.
December 28th, 2022 at 3:29 pm
SMB has forgotten how to tackle 🤷🏻♂️….
The one place that makes him negatively stand out…
December 28th, 2022 at 3:51 pm
Dean, Edwards, and SMB… who do you resign?
I would lean towards Dean and Edwards, personally. SMB has def made some splash plays, but he’s still a little too small and slow for my liking as an outside CB.
December 28th, 2022 at 4:12 pm
It’s not
DW
Surprise surprise surprise
December 28th, 2022 at 4:25 pm
Eh, he played good against Hopkins but to be fair the QB couldn’t hit the side of a mountain. Not a big fan. Someone for the life of me explain why Davis has a mouth piece yet never puts it in. Wouldn’t that be a distraction jumping for an int, that thing swing up in his face?
December 28th, 2022 at 4:26 pm
Lets not get carried away bowles…smb has made some pretty dumb plays in his career. His best and only attribute is playing in the slot. He looked like a high school freshman last year in game 1 against the cowboys and got hurt for most of the season on that play when he fell for the “toro” treatment from cd lamb ..looked pretty dumb there
December 28th, 2022 at 4:40 pm
List/NE fan, I noticed the same thing with the mouth guard. Weird.
December 28th, 2022 at 4:48 pm
He could and should stay with Bowles where ever he lands as long as it’s not in Tampa…for 2023
December 28th, 2022 at 4:49 pm
I thought Logan Ryan was supposed to be the smartest member of the secondary? What’d I miss?
December 28th, 2022 at 4:59 pm
If anyone needs help coaching, it’s Todd Ball-less. Can SMB call plays for the offense? Asking for a friend.
December 28th, 2022 at 9:51 pm
I think Dean and Edwards have to be priority, then go from there.
It sure would be nice to see the grave digger’s all healthy, with the defensive line healthy to see how good this defense could be. We really have not seen it since the Super Bowl run.