More Bucs Observations From CBS
August 6th, 2023
Yes, Joe brought thoughts yesterday on the Bucs from prickly Pete Prisco of CBS who watched two Bucs practices this week, after watching practices earlier this spring.
Here are Prisco’s observations and Joe’s reaction.
They are faster.
It sure seems that way, specifically the defense. Even with rookie first-round pick Calijah Kancey out, the addition of YaYa’s Flame Broiled Chicken Diaby at edge rusher, inside linebacker SirVocea Dennis and undrafted roookie nickel cornerbac Christian Izien have given the Bucs defense a big shot in the arm of athleticism.
QB competition is real.
Yes, it is. Joe doesn’t know if that is bad or good. If Kyle Trask is (slightly) ahead of Baker Mayfield, the way Mayfield has just about practiced his way into danger of being the No. 2 quarterback, what are we talking about here?
Right side of line is a concern.
Right now, the defense isn’t even tackling despite being in pads. More will be known in the next two weeks when the Bucs face the Steelers in the first worthless preseason game on Friday, then have two controlled scrimmages and a second worthless preseason game with the J-E-T-S Jets… Jets… Jets in New Jersey next week.
Ya-Ya Diaby might be a rookie starter.
Well, Joe will put it this way: Joe has seen Diaby make more splash plays than Joe Tryon-Shoyinka. Not much more, but more.
Shaq Barrett being back is amazing.
Shaq sure looks nimble. Again, Joe is still concerned about Shaq recovering from a blown Achilles and will continue to be freaked out until Shaq can prove Joe’s just paranoid.
Winfield back to S is the right move.
Absolutely correct. And Antoine Winfield is just a freaking baller. That’s all you need to know.
Some thoughts from Bucs camp: Great mix of young and old on roster. They are faster. QB competition is real. Right side of line is a concern. Ya-Ya Diaby might be a rookie starter. Shaq Barrett being back is amazing. Winfield back to S is the right move.
— Pete Prisco (@PriscoCBS) August 5, 2023
August 6th, 2023 at 12:16 am
Yawn. Bucs vs Bucs? Of course they look good. We won’t know how good we are until we play against a team with a winning record
August 6th, 2023 at 12:19 am
Good intel. Love it. I’m all for Trask playing if he’s any good.
I’m a bit confused why they spent all that time with Ryan Griffin just to cut bait. I always thought he looked pretty good and they developed him forever, even behind Brady. So what gives?
All he’ll be remembered for is helping Brady stumble out of the parade.
Doesn’t make sense to me.
Is this Wolford that much better?
It doesn’t really matter cause we suck.
This head coach is clueless- No Biscuit No Brain
August 6th, 2023 at 12:28 am
Clean house and jacked me off you too need to take your sheet On the road.
August 6th, 2023 at 12:41 am
dr. pops you need to check yo sheet
August 6th, 2023 at 12:49 am
*I’m a bit confused why they spent all that time with Ryan Griffin just to cut bait. I always thought he looked pretty good and they developed him forever, even behind Brady. So what gives?*
They weren’t really developing him. He never had starter talent and they knew it. He just got lucky and hung around long enough to learn the offense, becoming valuable as a third-teamer and quasi-QB coach.
August 6th, 2023 at 1:35 am
Agree with all of what you posted Joe. How are the other OLBs looking outside of Shaq? Nelson? Ramirez?
Go Bucs!
August 6th, 2023 at 1:45 am
Joe–thx for all the updates, can you let us know about defense outside of the secondary. Is Logan Hall still a bust? is JTS still a near bust? is Vita Vea holding up in the humidity/heat? Nelson? also Joe is there anyway to get Zach(intern) to watch the o-line and d-line while you watch the plays.
August 6th, 2023 at 1:48 am
Joe one thing I learned from watching Winston is you can’t keep turning the ball over n putting your defense consistently in a bad position. If trask turned into a game manger like brad Johnson that wouldn’t be a terrible thing. Don’t turn the ball over score more then the other team rely on a good running game and hopefully great defense and we can will a lot of games. Don’t get me wrong I would love to have a super star at QB again but we have proven and other teams have to that you don’t need a super star QB to win SB just need a great team all together and some luck. Lol.
August 6th, 2023 at 1:49 am
Lavonte David is still a terror. SirVocea Dennis will be starting maybe as early as 2024. YaYa Diaby is a freak — but will that translate into sacks? JTS hasn’t done a lot. Shaq might be back.
Only a handful of training camp practices this year. Maybe we can get an intern next summer. 🙂
Thanks for the kind words.
August 6th, 2023 at 1:50 am
haha underwear football…
August 6th, 2023 at 1:52 am
Ramirez is finally starting to show up (did one practice, not before or since). Shaq may be coming around. Nelson is doing a nice job but “this Joe” doesn’t think he’s anything more than a nice guy off the bench.
August 6th, 2023 at 2:58 am
Joe I can’t intern. I’m too old and I make too much money in my real job to consider a career change.
August 6th, 2023 at 2:59 am
I know you can’t help yourself but please stop trying to make your nicknames a ”thing”. They trend towards disrespectful, lack creativity and humor.
August 6th, 2023 at 3:04 am
🙂
August 6th, 2023 at 3:05 am
Joe’s been doing this for 15 years. Why stop now?
August 6th, 2023 at 3:31 am
Right Side of the OL
Make or break year for the Goedeke. He sucked last year. He’s getting his shot at being a starter this year. If he fails, the Bucs fail. Simple as that and RT will be the 1st or 2nd round pick. He’ll be gone.
August 6th, 2023 at 3:42 am
This is quite possibly the most encouraging piece on the Bucs that I’ve read in months Joe (despite CleanHouse’s continuing harangue against Bowles). We’re undergoing a major ‘retooling’ right now, and it sounds to me like that’s being successfully managed (ie, ‘Great mix of young and old on roster’).
When BA took over as HC in 2019, the offense understandably took center stage (he was an offensive coach & our defense had sucked for years). Yet even he struggled in 2019 (to a 7-9 record) while Todd Bowles reworked the defense after a major infusion of new defensive talent (Suh, Shaq, Dean, Edwards, SMB, Nelson & some others). That was a ‘retooling’ year for sure, but if it hadn’t been for 41 turnovers by our offense (a MINUS 13 TO Differential), it would’ve turned out a lot better than it did. But that defensive development set the tone for our 2020 & 2021 Top-10 defenses that were so critical to our success those years.
It looks like we’re seeing the same ‘retooling’ going on right now and I have every expectation that our defense will once again rank in the Top-10 (if not this year then almost surely next year). Bowles’ emphasis on the offense not turning the ball over (and our defense getting takeaways) is perfectly understandable IMO if you look at the Bucs’ records during past years of negative Turnover Differentials (Bucs’ record is 52 giveaways in 1988). Todd has a good track record of developing these youngsters and integrating quality FAs into his defense. I’m excited to see how well this new dog can hunt.
August 6th, 2023 at 4:01 am
A GM can’t be cute with his O-line picks. Luke was just a horrible pick. And, moving the best RT to LT for him? Sorry, not a believer. This move made a headcase out of Wirfs. Very poor decision making on the GM’s part. Seriously failed season ahead. Where is the season ticket holder’s revolt?
August 6th, 2023 at 7:08 am
Jack Clark Says:
August 6th, 2023 at 12:16 am
Yawn. Bucs vs Bucs? Of course they look good. We won’t know how good we are until we play against a team with a winning record
^^^^^^^^
Are you the same Jack Clark that whined his way off of several Major League Baseball teams in the 1980’s? If so, your bad attitude hasn’t changed in the last 40 years.
August 6th, 2023 at 7:34 am
A few observations
In 20 and 21, we had the most prolific and successful game manager this league has ever seen. We had excellent talent at the skill positions, and a strong O-line. We also had a strong defensive unit with a strong DC. While under the “Kanga”, our OC seemed quite good as well.
In 22, however, under a new HC/DC, our O-line self destructed through retirement, injury, and FA loss. Our game manager lost focus for several different reasons but probably couldn’t have made that line look good even in his prime.
Most importantly, whether it was our OC or our HC/DC, we were seemingly unable to make any adjustments to our game plans to compensate for these things.
That, is my primary position of concern going into this season. Mostly because IMO it is the HC’s responsibility to force those adjustments if no one else will.
I am pleased with the off season changes this year.
I think the O-line changes are the best we could have done given the talent on hand. Wirfs is a beast and will excel wherever he plays and has replaced a passable but not “all in” player from last year. Goedeke is a strong boy and has been moved bake to his comfort zone position. I expect him to be passable if not good there. Mauch has the potential to be a mauler/intimidator in the same mold as Jenson, but still an unknown at this time. Jenson is the wildcard here, will he be able to play? He is the linchpin and defacto leader of the line. If he can’t go I’m afraid the line will be mediocre at best.
Defense has seen improvements but as always, needs the offense to hold the ball log enough for them to rest up between possessions.
QB
We need a game manager here to succeed.
Will our HC/DC and our new OC be able to work better together, make the adjustments that need to be made week to week?
Time will tell
August 6th, 2023 at 7:40 am
The anti Bucs trolls respond with overwhelming negativity in an attempt to stamp out a tweet modestly suggesting some positive points about Bucs preseason practices. Trolls are disgusting.
August 6th, 2023 at 8:12 am
I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS POST-BRADY ERA BEGINNING !.., I FEEL WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A GOOD STRONG TEAM THIS YEAR..IN ALL PHASES..I TRULY BELIEVE “KYLE TRASK” CAN HELP GUIDE THIS TEAM TO NOT ONLY A DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP ( POSSIBLY THE SUPER BOWL CHAMPIONSHIP ! ! ! ! ) MY LOVE FOR THIS TEAM ONLY GETS STRONGER THROUGH THE YEARS ! ! ! ! !..
GO KYLE TRASK ! ! !..YOUR THE MAN FOR THE JOB !..I KNOW YOU ARE ! I PRAYED FOR THE BUC’S TO DRAFT YOU & MY FLORIDA GATORS QUARTERBACK WILL NOW FINALLY BECOME THE BUCCANEERS HEIR APPARENT TO THE G.O.A.T.. HERE IN TAMPA BAY ! ! ! ( JUST AS I PRAYED WOULD BE THE OUTCOME ONCE HE GOT HIS OPPORTUNITY TO PLAY WITH THE STARTERS !.FINALLY ! )
August 6th, 2023 at 8:58 am
Game manager? After 23 years, I’ve thought we moved past that ignorant narrative.
August 6th, 2023 at 9:04 am
The scrimmages against the Jets will be the biggest test of this team, especially the offense. It won’t be some preseason game not playing against the opposing team starters. We will play one on ones with the Jets. They have a legit top 5 defense. Their DL and secondary are elite. I want to see how Baker and Trask respond to the pressure from the Jets D. Also, the Jets offense has improved. Let’s see how the defense does against Garrett Wilson and Lazard.
August 6th, 2023 at 9:19 am
Crazy horse, Licht has a history of “getting cute” with o-line & 2nd round picks. He treats the 2nd round like a GM should treat the 6th round. I too am worried about the o-line & question the move of Wirfs & Luke as his replacement. I hope we are wrong!
August 6th, 2023 at 9:56 am
If Ya-Ya’s competition is JTS he is a lock for the team.
August 6th, 2023 at 10:23 am
“Right side of line is a concern.”
One of the primary failures of the previous OC was not adjusting his game plan. He didn’t make adjustments during series, games and certainly made no adjustments based on the strengths and weaknesses of his personnel.
Canales came in, evaluated the talent, or lack thereof. and has crafted the game plan and coaching accordingly. Getting rid of the ball in 2.7 seconds, scripted roll-outs and pounding the rock are three tenets of Canales’ offense designed to compensate for the weaknesses in our OL.
August 6th, 2023 at 10:34 am
I wouldn’t be surprised if Ya Ya received starter snaps. Barrett’s work will be closely monitored and might only be on field initially for 50% of plays. I can definitely see a 2/3 split for Ya Ya if he shows he can stop the run efficiently.
August 6th, 2023 at 10:35 am
There was a time that being a great game manager was enough.
That time is past. While it is a great tool for the toolbox, in today’s NFL it better not be all a QB can do.
For one thing, most teams with game managers do not win rings. Only a very limited number do.
I don’t know about every other Bucs fan, but I want the Bucs to actually compete for a ring every year.
Winning a ring should be the goal every. Single. Year.
Just having a winning record is not enough. Winning a division is not enough. Just making the playoffs is not enough.
If the team doesn’t make it to at least the conference championship game every year, they are not good enough.
Bucs fans have paid their dues. We experienced the losing times.
But the NFL is wide open right now. The closest thong to a top dog is the Chiefs…and though they are in a position to be king of the hill for a while, they have not claimed that roll yeat, not like the Pats did for so long.
There is an opportunity…a window…and every team is looking to fill a void.
I want it to be us.
I know we cannot do that this year. But we can inch toward it.
August 6th, 2023 at 10:46 am
BucsBeBack (Artist formally known as: BringBucsBack) Says:
August 6th, 2023 at 9:19 am
Crazy horse, Licht has a history of “getting cute” with o-line & 2nd round picks. He treats the 2nd round like a GM should treat the 6th round. I too am worried about the o-line & question the move of Wirfs & Luke as his replacement. I hope we are wrong!
_____
You hope you’re wrong? Good news. You are. He has yet to strike out with any of his 2nd or 3rd round line picks. He’s hit on all of them. Smith, Marpet, Cappa, we’ll see about Goedeke.
August 6th, 2023 at 10:49 am
As to the offensive line, people forget that we went through two years of drafting for depth. We had an excellent OL…and then it literally fell apart.
Ali Marpet was the first blow. Clearly the right decision for him, but it really hurt the OL.
Then the cap issues forced us to make moves that affected the line.
Then, the injuries piled up.
I remember when Licht first came here…I didn’t feel he was held accountable enough. And he wasn’t.
But the Glazers saw something I didn’t. Yes, he came in as a rookie GM. Yes, he made plenty of mistakes.
But over time, I saw him learn from those mistakes.
In regard to the OL, because he thought we only needed depth, maybe he didn’t put in the diligence he should have the past two years.
But one thing I am certain of…he’ll learn. He will rebuild the line. It may not happen instantly. It didn’t the first time. But he will do it.
But in its current state, it is NOT going to start out at a stable acceptable level. It’s just not likely.
So let Baker take those hits until the bye week.
August 6th, 2023 at 10:55 am
QB competition is real-
If Trask beats out Mayfield, then Bucs have decided that either Trask or their #1 pick next year is their future QB
August 6th, 2023 at 12:15 pm
Alanbucsfan … Even if Kyle Trask wins the starting job & does reasonably well this year, I can easily see the Bucs drafting a QB with their 1st Rnd pick … IF one who fits their need is still available. If Mayfield doesn’t win the job, OR if he does but gets replaced because of poor performance, we obviously wouldn’t re-sign him.
In that case, we’d still need another QB in our arsenal, and one who could push Trask for the starter’s job (Kyle will be a FA after next year, and if he’s just ‘average’ or thereabouts, we’ll be looking for more QB competition. It’d be a lot cheaper to draft a QB (who could be with us for 5 years), and especially since 2024 draft is supposed to have some excellent QB candidates.
August 6th, 2023 at 12:37 pm
Bonzai … ‘There was a time that being a great game manager was enough. That time is past.’
I think the term ‘game manager QB’ can mean different things to different people. And because of they’re using different meanings, sometimes 2 folks can end up talking right past each other on the subject.
One definition I found is … ‘a game manager is a quarterback who, despite pedestrian individual statistics such as passing yards and touchdowns, also maintains low numbers of mistakes, such as interceptions and fumbles’. Looks reasonable as a definition on the surface, until you evaluate the TEAM that surrounds that QB. As we’ve seen as Bucs’ fans on more than 1 occasion, ANY QB with a mediocre supporting OLine/weapons can end up with PEDESTRIAN INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS. Does that make him a GAME MANAGER or just an unlucky QB? (Think Steve Young when he was here versus when he was with San Fran).
Another aspect of that however is what that ‘game manager’ QB is being asked to do. Eagles ran (544 runs) as often as they passed (536 passes) last season, plus a lot of their passes were short play-action passes. Hurts ended up throwing for 66.5% with 3700 yards. They ran for 32 TDs, passed for 25 TDs, and only committed 19 TOs in the process. Those are all fairly ‘pedestrian’ statistics compared to Mahomes or Burrows or several others. Does that make Jalen Hurts a game manager? Maybe. If so, kind of impressive that he got the Eagles all the way to a 14-3 record & a trip to the Super Bowl.
August 6th, 2023 at 4:25 pm
Many successful quarterbacks, have been labeled as “game managers” at various points in their careers.
Case In Point:
Joe Montana: Known for his poise and precision, Montana was a master at managing games, particularly in high-pressure situations. However, his exceptional skill set and success mean he’s often remembered more as a playmaker than a game manager.
Tom Brady: Early in his career, Brady was often referred to as a game manager, but as he developed and started winning Super Bowls, he became known as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. His ability to manage games is still a crucial part of his skill set, but he’s also known for his ability to make big plays.
Troy Aikman: Aikman was often called a game manager because of the Dallas Cowboys’ run-first offense and strong defense. However, like Montana and Brady, Aikman was also capable of making big plays when needed.
Russell Wilson: Early in his career, Wilson was often labeled a game manager, largely because of the Seattle Seahawks’ strong running game and defense. However, as he developed, he became known as one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL, capable of making big plays with both his arm and his legs.
Phil Simms: Simms was known for his ability to manage games, particularly in the New York Giants’ run-first offense. However, he was also capable of making big plays when needed.
Remember, being a “game manager” is not necessarily a negative term. It often means the quarterback is good at avoiding mistakes, controlling the clock, and putting their team in a position to win games. However, the term can be seen as a slight because it can imply that the quarterback isn’t capable of making the big, game-changing plays that some of the best quarterbacks are known for.
August 6th, 2023 at 5:00 pm
DR-
If Trask starts and plays well and Bucs win- Bucs will not use 1st round pick next year on a QB- they will have their QB of the future (Trask)
And if Bucs decide to start Trask, it will mean they will cut Mayfield after this year and are basically letting Trask’s play decide if they will draft a 1st round QB next year.
I think Mayfield will probably be the starter because he has had a full off season to prepare and I think he’ll do well in Canales’ offense . But we’ll see, the pre season games will have to show Trask is overwhelmingly the better option because most head coaches prefer experience
August 6th, 2023 at 5:36 pm
D. White for J. Taylor .
August 6th, 2023 at 5:52 pm
They don’t have to cut Baker next year he only got a one year contract.
August 6th, 2023 at 8:45 pm
Friday should show a lot when the Bucs get smashed in the face in the first quarter by Pittsburg. The rest of the game both teams will be evaluating their rookies which is fun to watch but messy.
August 6th, 2023 at 10:03 pm
1#bucsfan wrote: “we have proven and other teams have to that you don’t need a super star QB to win SB just need a great team all together and some luck.”
I’m not sure “we” or anyone else has “proven” that – especially in the past decade where offenses are much more pass driven.
The only non-stellar QB in the last decade to win a Superbowl was backup Nick Foles. The rest were Tom Brady (4 times), Pat Mahomes (2 times), Russel Wilson, Peyton Manning and Matthew Stafford.
August 6th, 2023 at 10:07 pm
You can take the 10 years before the past decade and the only average QB you will find on the list is Joe Flacco. The rest are Hall of Famers or potential HOFers.
August 7th, 2023 at 8:27 am
We have two complete unkowns at the right side of the line so I’d say it’s a concern until proven otherwise – like Joe said that won’t happen till preseason / joint practices with more hitting tho
August 7th, 2023 at 2:53 pm
Goedecke is a definite question mark. If he struggles Matt Fieler moves to RT. I think the OL will be solid regardless, Wirfs has the smars and athleticism to switch sides. DL should be fine, Gaines is a solid player, Cancey might be special. Logan Hall to me was a wasted pick. Too small to play the interior, too heavy and slow for the edge. Just my opinion