Mel Kiper A Big Fan Of Sean Tucker
May 2nd, 2023
Joe is always a fan of readers sending Joe tips and links to cool Bucs stories.
Regular reader “Brandon” sent Joe a couple of links where Mel Kiper, the long-time BSPN draftnik, had spoken to the Syracuse Post-Standard and said Bucs undrafted free agent running back Sean Tucker was his favorite running back in the draft.
Tucker went undrafted possibly due to what veteran NFL scribe Bob McGinn reported as “an ongoing heart issue,” though McGinn wasn’t specific about the condition.
(Unfortunately, the Syracuse Post-Standard story in question is behind a paywall.)
Kiper noted Tucker wasn’t the best running back in the draft, but Kiper loved watching him. In Kiper’s listing of top players at each draft position, he had Tucker as his No. 8 running back.
If Tucker can get cleared by doctors, this could be an absolute steal by Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht. In his final two seasons at Syracuse, Tucker ran for over 2,500 yards and 23 touchdowns.
So not only did Tucker get production, he also impressed a guy who just finished his 40th draft working for BSPN.
Sean Tucker has signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with some guaranteed money coming his way, but @SteveInfantiNC9 & @pauliescibilia can't help but wonder about his future with the latest news regarding the former Syracuse RB's health. pic.twitter.com/BPueSHteoJ
— Cuse Sports Talk (@CuseSportsTalk_) May 1, 2023
May 2nd, 2023 at 4:23 am
Could be anything from a heart murmur to something big. Sounds like he might be OK though.
May 2nd, 2023 at 4:34 am
That being said I’m optimistic about his chances.
May 2nd, 2023 at 5:36 am
How do you go from being his favorite RB in the draft to being ranked 8th in the draft by the Helmet?
This is why we don’t listen to the Helmet. He makes no sense.
May 2nd, 2023 at 6:05 am
All these “experts” are ridiculous, in all honesty. Only one I put any stock in is our beloved Draft Guru here.
May 2nd, 2023 at 6:17 am
Han’t Syracuse put out some great running backs in the past?
Jim Brown
Ernie Davis
Floyd Little
Larry Csonka
Joe Morris
Daryl Johnston
May 2nd, 2023 at 6:20 am
He says he’s aleady been cleared to play. By Whom is the question.
Hope he gets cleared by the Bucs and bcomes another great from Syracuse!
May 2nd, 2023 at 6:24 am
An unknown heart issue is quite dangerous.
A known issue might be remedied, depending on the issue.
Sports medicine has come a long way, and he now has access to some of the best minds in medicine.
Not such a big gamble as a UDFA.
Both he and the team could benefit in a very big way!
May 2nd, 2023 at 6:30 am
I’m telling this guys style from the highlights looks like Tony Dorsett, not saying he is that guy, but that running style
May 2nd, 2023 at 6:42 am
Hope he’s ok. Great gamble, nice get by Licht. Smooth runner, quick & compact. Could be a steal. White, Vaughn & Tucker are a bunch of no names with little experience. Canales will make them earn PT, unlike last year.
May 2nd, 2023 at 7:00 am
The production is phenomenal. The cuts, the quickness. The receiving.
This guy will start. This guy will produce.
May be the highlight of this draft class. Even though he wasn’t drafted.
He could have gone anywhere. He came here. Bravo Licht and Glazers. And no income tax and no snow.
Smart man, this Sean Tucker.
May 2nd, 2023 at 7:02 am
After last year’s on field heart issue this kid has a massive obstacle to overcome, I wish the kid a all clear from the medical bureaucrats and layers of lawyers.
May 2nd, 2023 at 7:48 am
I like the idea of being able to retain Tucker, but we’ve got to see what this heart condition is and whether or not it’s something that can be treated to allow him to resume his career. IDK if you guys remember the Penn State RB a few years back Journey Brown who had to stop playing football all together because of some type of rare heart condition.
Health aside, if all things were to go right for Tucker I think he can get some burn on early downs for us, one of the knocks I kept hearing was his ability as a pass catcher and protector, but with the speed he has it’d be worth taking a chance on him to develop into a 3-down back. From the jump on 1st/2nd down and manageable Tucker can be an asset for us should he get medically cleared.
May 2nd, 2023 at 8:00 am
Nothing ventured, nothing gained……..UDFA………give him a shot…
May 2nd, 2023 at 8:07 am
I am also a fan of Sean Tucker!
May 2nd, 2023 at 8:08 am
Also read they gave Tucker one of the highest guarantees to make sure he signs with us, so the Bucs must have confidence he’s healthy
May 2nd, 2023 at 8:11 am
Tucker reminds me of a faster Thurman Thomas the way he bounces off of would be tacklers,and quick cuts, but what’s really impressive is how freaking strong he is, 29 reps of 225 is great for a lineman
May 2nd, 2023 at 8:40 am
Another athlete with a heart issue? Another?
Gosh, I wonder why? Maybe he and Hamlin can compare notes…
May 2nd, 2023 at 9:23 am
garro Says:
May 2nd, 2023 at 6:17 am
Han’t Syracuse put out some great running backs in the past?
Jim Brown
Ernie Davis
Floyd Little
Larry Csonka
Joe Morris
Daryl Johnston
—————–
Yes, and Tucker has the Syracuse single season all-time rushing record. Pretty impressive.
Joe, I read somewhere else that the Bucs gave Tucker $155k signing bonus. I could post the link… but it is on Syracuse DOT com… look up “Sean Tucker signing bonus”. That’s a hefty chunk of change for an UDFA.
I see it as a very worthwhile gamble, not too much different than La’el Collins getting a big bonus after the draft from the Cowboys. If his heart checks out okay, we win big. If not, we’ve spent far more on far less.
May 2nd, 2023 at 9:27 am
BTW, to those doubting/touting his abilities. I love the pick up and I 100% believe that if he’s ready to go, he will get starter’s carries early in the season. He has top three round talent… that being said…. I watched about 10 games from Tucker’s career on YouTube, he did drop some balls but I wouldn’t say he has bad hands. He can catch the ball and appears to have soft hands… but the dude is a non-factor in blocking. Even when his assignment was to chip block and go into a route, he often missed his chip. In roughly 10 games, I think I saw him successfully block a defender maybe twice. Blocking is a major issue for him right now.
May 2nd, 2023 at 10:01 am
Bucs better get this right. If he drops dead on the field it will be a PR disaster.
May 2nd, 2023 at 10:14 am
To those that are saying this is a gamble? Is it a gamble for Tucker and his life? or a gamble for the Bucs because of a measily $155K signing bonus?… That signing bonus is peanuts for the organization… guaranteed EVERY YEAR there’s money earmarked to bring in a UDFA like Tucker and the only way you get a look as paying to get him here, it’s peanuts in the big scheme of things. This is absolutely a low-risk high-reward situation. High-risk, high-reward for Tucker.
Can’t wait for camp to see how these guys compete. Go Bucs!
May 2nd, 2023 at 10:35 am
Cheep. Spend non cap money to bring in players and give them a shot. Should do more of this. Ya, it costs some cash, but not picks. Make the Vets earn that fat contract.
May 2nd, 2023 at 10:56 am
Damar Hamlin
Nobody wants to see that again. Sean will need to pass a lot of tests to get on the field.
May 2nd, 2023 at 11:11 am
I can’t believe in this and time they don’t know what kind of heart issue he has.
May 2nd, 2023 at 11:18 am
Vaccine .
May 2nd, 2023 at 12:22 pm
He is definitely a better back than White. As long as he remains cleared to play he should be RB1 and it’s not even close.
May 2nd, 2023 at 1:02 pm
Very pleased with this signing…. I wondered why we didn’t take a back in this fairly RB deep class. Probably intended to late – but then the Edge guy we got in the 6th rd was too good to not select instead….
HA-HA-HA – its not “non cap money”. It counts.
If Tucker gets cut or doesn’t play or whatever – it’s dead cap $ next year. If he sticks – then its a bonus on top of whatever his minimum UDFA contract winds up being.
May 2nd, 2023 at 1:17 pm
His health issue is prob myocarditis. (Sound familiar?)
Skill/talent-wise, he looks like the best RB on our roster.
May 2nd, 2023 at 2:11 pm
RB1 for the Bucs this year is a joke that way too many people bring up. They have not been sitting on Vaughn for this long in NFL for no reason. They have always loved Vaughn he just has never got a ton of reps for reasons that made since. Vaughn can cut and go with power up the middle. This dude will get thumped trying to go up the middle in the NFL and Canalas is bringing in the ground-and-pound offense (so says).
I want to have all the faith and am excited for the good pick, but this rookie with a bad ticker is not gonna walk in day one to beat out Vaughn RB1 (preferred), or even RW at RB2 (sophomore third round investment). Tucker needs to build weight and there is nothing wrong with red-shirting (so to say) year one.
May 2nd, 2023 at 2:19 pm
@pickgrin, I think only the top 50 salaries count against the cap. Yeah, it can get complicated, but I think that’s the rule.
If I’m wrong $155K isn’t even a blip on the cap scale.
May 2nd, 2023 at 2:26 pm
I am a big fan of the film I saw of his running abilities and feel he is above vaughn in this regard. But I am a bit concerned as someone mentioned above about his blocking. To me that(blocking) should be fixable and seems a matter of laziness. His frame and athleticism is there so he needs to take blocking more serious.
May 2nd, 2023 at 3:41 pm
If he’s been cleared medically, he’s fine. Im not going to pretend I know what his condition is. However, as an athletic male in my 20s (played many sports in HS) I too have been diagnosed with a heart condition (irregular heartbeat and myocarditis ((pre Covid so can’t blame the vaccine)). I have taken many physical tests, have never had any symptoms other than what appears on an EKG, and have had no physical limitations. No treatment is necessary for me and doctors have concluded this is just how my heart is.
Just saying it may sound scary, but it is entirely possible he’s completely fine.
May 2nd, 2023 at 3:48 pm
He was diagnosed with a rare congenital heart defect. The diagnosis was uncovered at the NFL Combine. According to the CDC (who I have no faith in), it could be 1 of 11 different things. So we will have to wait and see.
May 2nd, 2023 at 6:30 pm
Let’s hope he turns into the player every Bucs fan hopes he will be.