Schiano: We Saw Joseph’s Best Of 2013
December 21st, 2013
That’s not necessarily a good sign
Earlier this week, Greg Schiano told media that he wished he had more games to see Davin Joseph this season.
The reasons were simple: Joseph played his best of 2013 against the Niners, per Schiano, and he’s been grinding his way back into shape after complex knee surgery in August 2012, a subsequent infection, and an abbreviated preseason.Schiano’s praise was nice to hear, but it left Joe with a glass-half-empty kind of feeling. The Bucs’ offensive line wasn’t good against the 49ers. Holes weren’t there for Bobby Rainey. Nothing. There were too many protection breakdowns.
If that was Joseph’s best, then either he’s had an extremely disappointing season (Joe’s on board with that), or, perhaps worse, the play of Jeremy Zuttah and Demar Dotson was real bad around him. The ProFootballFocus.com analyst geeks have given Dotson fantastic grades this season, and Greg Schiano has called him a “throwback” workhorse on the rise. Joseph, per PFF, has been horrible.
As Joe’s detailed previously, Joseph is due $6 million next season. He’ll turn 31 in 2014, and he’s had a long history of injuries.
Joseph probably needs a real breakout game in the Bucs’ final two in order to sleep easily in January. As Greg Schiano told Bucs fans this week, the Bucs need two pieces to become a dominant defense, but they need even more on the offensive side of the ball. That money has to come from somewhere.
December 21st, 2013 at 1:36 pm
Before dumping Joseph, I’d use his improved play as leverage to make Nicks take a pay cut. Two years getting paid elite money with nothing to show. Only played 9 of 32 games and a 300 pounder with toe issues. If the bucs cut him I promise you he wouldn’t get what the bucs are currently scheduled to pay him.
December 21st, 2013 at 1:40 pm
My reply to Schiano. No, we have more missing pieces; a competent HC, DC, and maybe an OC, QB coach, and GM.
December 21st, 2013 at 1:42 pm
Buc fans have been claiming, for the last two years, that the Bucs’ O-line is the strength of the team. It’s looking more like the the O-line *and* D-line are the glaring weaknesses. This is not good if a team/fans have any hopes for playoffs. The ‘trenches’ is where games are won. The Bucs have pot-holes.
I see five holes. A D-lineman and LB on one side, and two O-linemen and a speedy WR on the other.
I hope Joseph just needs more time to get back into true form (like Revis). but I’m not sure that the Bucs have enough time to make that $6mil evaluation. The gamble with Bowers may have made them gun-shy to take another chance.
December 21st, 2013 at 1:43 pm
Who cares what Schiano thinks, he’s a losing coach in college and pros that clearly knows nothing about talent and team cohesion, if so he wouldn’t have started gabe carimi over the guy that’s playing right now! He spits out non sense that dreams I love to hear myself talk and when Schiano looks at game tape he sees something completely different than every other coach watching tape, hell what he sees on tape doesn’t usually happen on gameday, loser mentality….
I’m glad because it means he’s scared to death he could lose his job, davin joseph is 31 why the Hell ate you still evaluating that guy lol he hasn’t reached his ceiling yet? Unless your not coming back as coach next year dude your 4-10 two games left…shouldn’t you be evaluating what’s behind all your high prices players? You lost enough games and money this year put your young players in the game and get ready for the draft, stop playing injured players in a meaningless two game season
December 21st, 2013 at 2:05 pm
This team is 4/10 who cares what he thinks he just not a very good coach and his bullying ways has these owners scared I wish I qwned this team he would of been gone in week 4
December 21st, 2013 at 2:12 pm
@ Chickster
So you would have fired Schiano in week 4?..,.. “in week 4”..That would have been after the LVD penalty & the Lindell FG miss….and we were 0-3…..a bit quick on that trigger I would say.
Perhaps that kind of decision making is why you aren’t the current owner of an NFL team.
Now….firing after week 8….I could understand.
December 21st, 2013 at 3:28 pm
Davin needs another offseason to heal up.
I say we give him one more year at a reduced rate.
If Joseph can get back to 100% by next season, he is worth keeping!
Same goes for Nicks and Penn.
We havent had the chance to see them together.
I kmow its wishful thinking, but I really would like to give these 3 guys one more year together.
But at the same time, draft a future replacement amd sign a FA to be safe.
December 21st, 2013 at 3:55 pm
It’s amazing what losing a superstar running back, a great wide receiver and a ‘starting’ quarterback will do to your offensive line play. That being said, as unimpressed as I am with Schiano’s schemes, I am very impressed with his talent evaluation and player development. If we we lost one or both of our guards this offseason I am confident that Schoano can find and develop much less expensive replacements. They seemed to have squeezed much more out of a make-shift offensive line than they have with a defensive line. Getting our offensive weapons back can only help. I am much more concerned about our defensive line. Besides, maybe The guards could stay healthy
December 21st, 2013 at 4:46 pm
Yah I don’t think Schiano is lacking AT ALL in the talent evaluation department.