LeGarrette Blount Trade Still Good
January 13th, 2014
Rewriting LeGarrette Blount history.
Joe knows Bucs fans were outraged Saturday night when they saw former Bucs castoff and leading rusher LeGarrette Blount abuse the Colts in an AFC playoff game, running for four touchdowns and 176 yards. Joe couldn’t believe the revisionist history he was reading.
For a moment on Twitter and on this here corner of the Interwebs, Joe would have thought the Bucs traded Jim Brown in his prime for a third-day draft pick.
In fact, Blount was traded for full-time track star and part-time football player Jeff Demps, who former Bucs rock star general manager stated at that time was a “throw-in,” and a seventh-round pick.
A seventh-round pick!
Even Pat Yasinskas of ESPN is of the mind Bucs fans, fueled perhaps by alcohol, had very short memories with Blount pretending to be Franco Harris Saturday.
Yeah, I know some will say the Bucs sure could have used Blount after starter Doug Martin got hurt early last season. But Mike James and Bobby Rainey filled in adequately for Martin.
The bottom line is that former coach Greg Schiano never was sold on Blount. The running back had fumbling issues, problems getting to practice and meetings on time and he was one-dimensional. Blount wasn’t much of a receiver and he failed to pick up blocking assignments.
Blount’s only real strength is running straight ahead and it’s not like he has great vision. Blount was more of a headache than he was worth. New coach Lovie Smith likely wouldn’t have wanted someone like Blount around.
Blount was simply excess baggage with Doug Martin blasting through defenses, making the Pro Bowl his rookie season.
Joe saw with his own pair of eyes how Blount, if the Bucs won but he didn’t get his touches, couldn’t get off the football field and into street clothes quick enough. It was as if the Ebola virus broke out in the joint.
But if Blount got his touches and the Bucs lost, hey, all good. Smiles wide and big from Blount.
Joe vividly remembers the Bucs — both Raheem Morris and commander Greg Schiano — trying to turn Blount into a bruising fullback. Anyone remember the goal line stand the Saints had on the Bucs in 2012 at home, and three straight times Blount ran up the middle and couldn’t punch the ball in from the one-yard line? Anyone remember Blount when was stopped at the goal line at Atlanta in 2010, stonewalled by Thomas DeCoud of all people, which cost the Bucs a precious win? Blount was softer in short yardage than Trent Richardson.
If one is to believe Dominik contacted all 31 NFL teams when he traded Blount, that means astute general managers, guys like Ozzie Newsome and Ted Thompson as well as 28 other NFL front office types thought a sixth-round pick was too rich for Blount.
What Blount shows is that when a player is seeing the end of his career and he is playing for a coach with a fistful of rings, that the player will do just about anything asked to not just keep his career going, but to win a ring.
No need to try to rewrite history. There were many reasons the Bucs washed their hands of Blount. And Joe still doesn’t blame the Bucs.
January 13th, 2014 at 1:07 pm
Has anyone checked the Titans blogs to see if there is major whining going on….after all they cut him, we picked him up as an undrafted free agent….got two years, Demps and a draft pick that helped us get Mike James.
THEY GOT NOTHING!!!
January 13th, 2014 at 1:11 pm
Watching Michael Bennett & Cam Jordan Sat. hurt a lot, too.
January 13th, 2014 at 1:14 pm
Thinking Jeff Fisher — not to be confused with Raheem Morris or Greg Schiano.
January 13th, 2014 at 1:18 pm
Interesting article, no vision, used improperly and ran for 176 yards for a coach that apparently knew how to use him properly and understand his vision. I understand getting rid of the players who don’t fall into line but I doubt they have that issue with Belichek because of the culture he has created with the patriots. I’m not sure you cure the culture by getting rid of useful players.
January 13th, 2014 at 1:20 pm
now justify the Michael Bennett trade please
January 13th, 2014 at 1:20 pm
Plus, I bet his salary structure is predicated on his performance. I’m sure he’s making league minimum w/ incentives.
January 13th, 2014 at 1:22 pm
“now justify the Michael Bennett trade please”
Impossible to justify something that never happened.
Bennett left on his own throught free agency.
January 13th, 2014 at 1:26 pm
Do either Demps or James have a 29 yard kick return average?
Coaching does make a difference.
Blount’s value has gone up since the trade.
Yes, Joe wrote about this Saturday. Scroll down to see. –Joe
January 13th, 2014 at 1:27 pm
Yes Blount had a great game and a good season with the Patriots but anyone who says they’d rather have Blount over Doug Martin s a fool.
Martin is the Better player and it’s not even close.
This is almost as dumb as complaining about the Talb trade. Yes Talib has been good in New England but trading him was never about his play i was about him being an ass.
January 13th, 2014 at 1:30 pm
@1sparkybuc
Exactly, just because a guy has a great season playing for one of the best coaches in NFL history doesn’t mean he would have had the same success here or with any other team.
January 13th, 2014 at 1:32 pm
@d-money – I don’t think anyone is saying that they’d rather have blount over martin. Just that he had value that we didn’t get out of him. Especially in the return game.
January 13th, 2014 at 1:33 pm
it was still a bad trade to me! It’s bad coaching from a bad coach who wouldn’t coach to his players strengths!!!
January 13th, 2014 at 1:34 pm
Coaching smart enough to realize once this guy gets up to full speed he’s tough to stop…..but then again his value has gone up simply because having a hall of fame quarterback that could make you pay for playing the run, if blount had to be THE GUY on offense like he had to be here, he would be in trouble unless he learned how to block better
January 13th, 2014 at 1:34 pm
I dunno I recall that Joe was a very staunch supporter of Blount.
That being said I always thought they should get rid of him so can’t criticize that decision. Running back is one of the very few positions on offense where we do have good players.
Overall though, we’re the worst offense in the league – as built by the dearly departed rock star. For that bucs fans have every reason to gripe.
Yes, Joe was high on Blount as a No. 2 running back and wrote about how ditching Blount was curious without any proven RB behind Martin. But Dominik and Schiano were proven right in what they had in rookie Mike James.–Joe
January 13th, 2014 at 1:36 pm
I knew Bucs nation would blow up on this after Blount’s good game. Truth is, on the Bucs roster, he is a 3rd string back and would be next season as well. No way is Blount better than Martin or James with his one trick pony game. Just no room on the roster for Blount. Wait until he starts fumbling again and Belichick will have him on the bench so fast. The only thing I regret Schiano not doing with him is kick off or punt returns.
January 13th, 2014 at 1:38 pm
DT David Jones of the Pats had a post season sack as well…. he was cut from our roster at the beginning of the season… not a Buccaneer Man… that’s probably a good thing to Blount, Bennett, George Selvie, and Wallace Gilberry.
And yeah, we picked Adrian Clayborn after Cam Jordan absolutely thrashed every OLineman at the Senior Bowl proving to all in attendance, other than Dominick, that he was worthy of top 20 draft status.
January 13th, 2014 at 1:38 pm
@Patrick, Exactly! It wasn’t an either / or situation… Schiano simply does not know how to get the most out of his players,or how to game plan to their strengths. Only how to get rid of players that didn’t fit the same stupid schemes he ran over and over.
Look at how much better Blount and Talib are now that they are playing for real coach. The good news is we now finally have a real coach too.
January 13th, 2014 at 1:39 pm
It’s amazing what happens when he’s with a coach that knows how to coach.
January 13th, 2014 at 1:41 pm
Sorry folks but trading a young and at times highly productive RB for a cup of coffee is stupid and so is this ongoing justification. Just because your #1 back is Martin doesn’t mean there isn’t a role for Blount. It just means that a good coach has to find a way to compliment. Blount also showed he could tote it full-time his rookie season. Belichek found a way to make Blount productive with Ridley and Vareen getting their fair share touches and production. Could Blount improve his game, sure. Most young players have room for improvement. He had not problem punching it in Saturday night.
Totally disagree with Joe and Yasinskas on this one and I think we can all better understand why HC and GM responsible for that move are collecting unemployment.
January 13th, 2014 at 1:43 pm
Man that’s crazy Blount has some of the best vision as a running back, he knows how to let hole develop. However in short yardage situations you have to press the attack and hit the hole. As a matter of fact, Doug Martin can smash through the hole, but at times he lacks vision. He rather run up his linemen’s back instead of letting the block develop. He will consistently get you positive yardage, and for most that’s acceptable. The best running backs knows when and how to do both.
January 13th, 2014 at 1:44 pm
YOU. DON’T. GIVE AWAY. TALENT.
When was the last time this team made the playoffs? I’ll wait.
When Belichick has a use for a player, & your organization does not, YOUR ORGANIZATION IS AT FAULT. If this comes down to the Glazers failing to hire a coach as talented as Belichick, then I’m fine with this going that high. What “Joe” is ignoring here is *there was no reason to draft Doug Martin*. Imagine if we had those premium picks back (didn’t we trade up to get him?). Dominick was smart enough to pick Blount up, & his mediocre coaches (Raheem & Schiano) weren’t smart enough to play him. If Blount plays all 16 games his rookie season, he EASILY makes the Pro Bowl, if we’re citing Dougie’s PB berth as a thing to justify his worth. The fact is, Doug got hurt this year, & Blount hasn’t encountered too many injuries at all. Believe it or not, staying healthy is a thing, & a big thing.
If Bill Belichick has found a way to coach him (“run with your pads lower, you’re powerful but you run upright”), has found a Mike James/Brian Leonard-esque runner to spell Blount (Ridley/Vereen), & keeps him in the backfield with Tom Brady (“protection issues”), then it was doable, & we f*cking failed. The #1 rule in professional sports is you don’t give away talent too soon, if it’s Steve Young or Adrian Clayborn. Blount MAY be Jim Brown 2.0 (all Jim Brown was was Eddie George, & I can see Blount being Eddie George). I like Dougie, but we had a premiere running back already, & we could’ve strengthened another area.
January 13th, 2014 at 1:44 pm
We can piss and moan about Blount, Bennett and Talib all day, but in the end that’s what got Dominik and Schiano fired.
So there is some satisfaction in that, um, I guess.
January 13th, 2014 at 1:45 pm
@unbelievable – Now watch the same people who talk about how good Blount is with a real coach not give Glennon a chance to shine now that he’s under a real coach here.
January 13th, 2014 at 1:47 pm
i don’t have any illusions about how limited a player blount was, but what i saw was a case study in the difference between belichick and the wanna-be schiano. belichick took a guy who was only good at one thing and used him all year in situations where that one thing helped the team. schiano took players who are good at one thing and has them doing some other thing 2/3 of the time
January 13th, 2014 at 1:49 pm
Blount loved to dance around in the back field when he was with the Bucs. He was never a North South runner like he displayed this weekend. That was obviously taught to him and to his credit, he implemented it well. It is what it is.
January 13th, 2014 at 1:49 pm
“Joe would have thought the Bucs traded Jim Brown in his prime for a third-day draft pick.”
Worse, they traded Jim Brown in his prime for a 7th rounder. By the way, the Little General would have traded the arrogant, egotistical Jim Brown.
Imagine, if Belicheat decides to go “wildcat” and put Brady on the pine? Tom would pout and sulk and run out of the locker room after a victory.
Trading away top tier talent for 7th round picks because Schiano couldn’t bully them into submission cost Dominick, Greg, 47 assistants (spies) and the front office their jobs.
How butch was that?
January 13th, 2014 at 1:52 pm
How much longer must we endure these articles of ex-Bucs….Dominick & Schiano paid the ultimate price…if letting them go was a mistake….OK…but they are gone!!!
Lets please move forward!!!
January 13th, 2014 at 1:56 pm
@TBBF – It’s the offseason bro. There are going to be tons of articles about things that would be trivial during the regular season. Just settle in man.
January 13th, 2014 at 1:59 pm
Alstott loved to dance around in the back field when he was with the Bucs.
Funny how one was revered as a “saint” and the other dancing back is a goat.
Although, Blount is doing truly amazing feats in December & January when it counts the most
January 13th, 2014 at 2:00 pm
@unbelievable – Now watch the same people who talk about how good Blount is with a real coach not give Glennon a chance to shine now that he’s under a real coach here.
——————-
exactly!!!
January 13th, 2014 at 2:07 pm
And I’d like to know how Mike James’s 295 yards in 8 games is so impressive that it proves Dom and Schiano right? I’m not understanding that.
James looked good in the few games he started but thats much different than riding him a whole year. Some opinions make no sense to me.
Well, it was clear to Joe that James is immensely talented. He performed well against top fronts and the moment wasn’t too big for him as a rookie. That’s all the Bucs wanted from Blount, was to be a sound backup to Martin, and James showed he was capable. That’s all Joe was saying. Schiano missing out on Blount the kick returner is another story, one Joe touched on Saturday. –Joe
January 13th, 2014 at 2:09 pm
Bitter buc fans. 4-12 watching the playoffs. –Rick in Carrollwood
January 13th, 2014 at 2:15 pm
Rick- yeah some of us are bitter. What’s your point? Who are you a fan of?
January 13th, 2014 at 2:20 pm
I obviously didn’t witness Blount pouting. However, I can at minimum understand where he would be coming from. The guy averages 5 yards a carry and gains 1000 yards as a rookie, but then when the new coach comes in, his carries basically completely stop. I love Doug Martin and in no way is Blount better than him, but there’s nothing wrong with giving him a rest every now and then. That pretty much never happened with Blount.
I can’t speak for his attitude off the field, but on the field he runs with maximum effort. All of his fumbles were a result of him dragging 4 or 5 guys and guys ripping it out. I’m of the belief that with coaching, that could be fixed. However, Schiano never gave the guy much of a shot. Schiano is the kind of coach that will tolerate mistakes from “his guys”, but others don’t get that same kind of leeway.
It did work out ok for us in this instance. However, it’s just another example of Schiano getting rid of talent because he couldn’t get along with them. There is a very long list of players like Blount, and it greatly reduced the overall talent on this football team. As I watch Blount tear it up in the playoffs, it actually makes me happy – happy that Schiano is gone.
January 13th, 2014 at 2:22 pm
@d-money – no trade is correct but the Bucs had plenty of time and money to make a deal either him and by all accounts a willing participant with MB. Deal didn’t get done b/c of Bucs. So yeah, technically ur correct but deal could have gotten done and it didn’t
January 13th, 2014 at 2:22 pm
I guess I can understand that line of thinking Joe. Blount also proved he was immensely talented with that 1000 yard rookie season, but then again that wasn’t under Schiano.
January 13th, 2014 at 2:26 pm
Terrible trade from the start! I like Doug Martin now that he’s here but they really didn’t need to spend a first round pick on a back that year, all they needed was a complimentary back to Blount. Lumkin and the other guy that they were bringing in on 3rd down the previous year couldn’t get it done. Schiano should’ve been able to figure out a way to use both backs instead of giving Martin 319 carries.
January 13th, 2014 at 2:34 pm
Always thought we could find a “role” for Blount. I cannot be convinced otherwise.
January 13th, 2014 at 2:38 pm
JFF, the problem with your reasoning is that you state all the flaws he had here that are not evident now in NE. That’s pure and simple COACHING! The other problem Shiano had is if you somehow didn’t satisfy his personality profile, he got rid of you, i.e. Bennett, Gilberry… Blount, if properly used could have been a good 1-2 punch with Martin. Maybe Lovie understands like Dungy, you can develop players’ personalities as well as talent.
January 13th, 2014 at 2:41 pm
I see a bit of back and forth here. Martin had a great rookie year. As so many other rookies who feel of in their sophomore year. Let’s not forget while Blount had the exact same thing. After his rookie campaign everyone thought he was going to be the next Big deal in the league as a walking highlight reel. Blount may be a one trick pony but that one trick is straight up amazing at times, kind of reminds me of Randy Moss.
I said it before and i will say it again. I would still take Blount as my primary RB over Doug Martin. Martin Has a good overall package but his stature is not built to be the workhorse of the NFL. We saw it towards the end of his rookie year where the wear and tear started to creep up on him. I would have loved for Blount to be the #1 and Martin be an amazing 3rd down/ spell back up.
The biggest issue was the same issue we’ve complained about for the last 5 years. Coaching was never very good. They couldn’t get the most out of talented players. Raheem and Schiano combined couldn’t touch Belicheat’s hoodie. Mike James looked good in his whole 2.5 games he played this year and Demps didn’t do very much before ending up on IR. So while Blount is running his tail off in the playoffs and returning kicks and doing what he does best busting out highlights. so the 3 guys we have to replace him are all on IR Martin, James, and Demps with only Martin having anywhere near the same talent and ability.
January 13th, 2014 at 2:42 pm
I still think ditching Blount was the wrong move. He was one of the better players on the Bucs offense. What did Schiano know about offensive players anyway? Blount is one tough guy.
January 13th, 2014 at 2:42 pm
It was a poor trade. Schiano doesn’t know how to coach and that’s why he will never coach in the nfl again. He quit on Blount and numerous others, because his ego couldn’t handle theirs in the same room. He demanded respect but didn’t earn it or show respect to anyone else. He’s a d bag and good riddance. But let’s stop looking back and start looking forward. Under lovie we will be a real nfl team. I can’t wait, this season is going to fun to watch.
January 13th, 2014 at 2:43 pm
Blount is on Tom Brady’s Team
No way he would be doing this in Tampa
His role as a 250 pound RB was to run North and South
for some reason he wanted to be Barry Sanders at times
He was never our short yardage guy and was unreliable ball handling
WHILE HE WAS HERE.
He “Looks” better now than he was in Tampa
whether that is a product of his Coaching or situation in Tampa
When the Bucs got rid of him
The Bucs were a team with a winning record and the Coach and GM had more Credibility.
He was viewed as a “Bad Apple” and his release was addition through subtraction.
Is he better than Rainey?
Possibly.
But he was going to be the Bucs Number 3 or 4 RB with
Martin and Leonard in front of him.
Things change but injuries to the Bucs RB’s made his success post-release seem more exagerated
January 13th, 2014 at 2:45 pm
Got on a rant there. Bottom line to say the trade was good or still worth it is ludicrous. Blount’s value is much higher then what we got. The only reason his value dropped was because he was in Schiano’s dog house and looked horrible the 1 or 2 times he was allowed on the field. Schiano messed that up himself. Blount is a creature who needs to be fed the ball to make things happen, It’s his M O. He wont be worth much with 1 or 2 touches a game it isn’t his style. But he has proven time and time again. give him the touches and great things will happen.
For all the bad things you are pointing out. I can equal them all with just as many good things he has done while he was here. Face the fact he is man beast and like everything else Schiano touched. It went to Ship.
January 13th, 2014 at 2:48 pm
Joe I think you are in denial. Schiano screwed us plain ans simple.
January 13th, 2014 at 2:51 pm
@ Patrick In VA
Off-season?…..we have been rehashing this all season….with Bennett, Blount & Talib…
To me…we have too much going on to look back…if Schiano or Dominick were still here…maybe some reflection is OK…but this isn’t the first article on the subject and probably won’t be the last.
If you are happy discussing byegones….fine.
We have plenty of subjects to keep us busy without them.
January 13th, 2014 at 3:01 pm
Don’t care about Blount, but watching Talib and Michael Bennett may always hurt.
January 13th, 2014 at 3:01 pm
If Blount was so great… even in New England, he would’ve average more than 8.6 carries per game prior to the Buffalo game.
1st 15 games 129 carries: 8.6 carries per game
So we’re basically crowning him over two games in New England.
Ridiculous.
For once, I actually agree with Pat. The Bucs are better without him.
January 13th, 2014 at 3:01 pm
It’s funny how Joe was blind to all the off field stuff of Freeman, despite the likes of Boomer Esiason and Warren Moon, as well as most of Tampa, knowing about his issues. Yet he knows for certain that Blount was a malcontent based on a couple of locker room interactions, though no one, teammates, coaches, or otherwise, has ever said this.
Let’s be real here, please. Joe didn’t call Blount a malcontent. Joe didn’t say Blount’s actions forced a trade. Blount was a sound backup who didn’t fumble in 2012. Joe’s only saying the trade made sense. As for Freeman, Joe was very quick to blast Freeman and question all things Josh when he played dress up as Michael Jackson when his team was knee-deep in a playoff chase. And Joe also quickly shared Freeman’s wasted-sounding radio interview last summer, among other things you didn’t read elsewhere. Joe could go on. Guys do stuff. That doesn’t mean everybody deserves to be cut or traded. Joe’s not about to pretend Freeman was a well known party man yet nothing of substance ever surfaced and he never got busted for anything. In this day and age, that just doesn’t happen. Joe, who gets all kinds of things emailed his way, also never received any hard evidence of Freeman’s improprieties. –Joe
January 13th, 2014 at 3:04 pm
“If Blount was so great… even in New England, he would’ve average more than 8.6 carries per game prior to the Buffalo game.”
I’m sure right about now Belichik is wishing he had run him more throughout the season. It’s no secret Blount is better on his second 10 carries, than his first 10 of each game. Wanna bet he gets at least 15 carries against Denver?
January 13th, 2014 at 3:12 pm
It’s easy to say we should have gotten more for Blount after he has the game of a lifetime.
Blount wasn’t even a starter at Oregon, goes undrafted, gets cut by the Titans and we get one good year out of him. Yet the Bucs still traded back into Rd 1 to draft Doug Martin (anyone regret that pick?), and relegated Blount to the backup role.
The Bucs only got a 7th-rounder because they had no leverage. Teams don’t have to part with a high draft pick to find a productive running back. Ask the Colts how that Trent Richardson trade is working out? Bobby Rainey had more yards and TD’s than Richardson this year. And how many games did Blount start for the Pats during the year?
January 13th, 2014 at 3:17 pm
Joe, you apparently are now starting to drink earlier each day. Your assertions about end of career and a coach with all those rings is just so much cover your butt. The clear, stark fact is, Belicheck is a coach that knows how to assess and develop raw talent. Neither Raheem or Schiano has the creativity, vision or flexibility to make this happen. Blount’s first season showed anyone with eyes and an IQ over 50 that there was a bruising and different running back in him that needed to be developed. Our last two coaching regimes were, as their records showed, pitifully inept. We have washed a ton of good talent down the drain (Michael Bennett ring any bells?) and Blount is a very painful one to watch as the Pats use him to go to the Conference playoffs and we go bakc to the drawing board. It is time you “informed” sports writers stopped letting the Glazer family, and the rest of theri organization off the hook for repeated screw ups.
January 13th, 2014 at 3:36 pm
PFT is spot on. We got hosed here. LB size speed and vision dont come along too often. Everything about our backups is somethign that pops up every year in this league.
LeGarrette Blount is something special. The Patriots made Blount the focal point of their offense on Saturday, and he rewarded them in a major way, carrying 24 times for 166 yards and four touchdowns. (Blount has only played in one postseason game, and he has more career postseason rushing touchdowns than Barry Sanders and Walter Payton combined.) Blount has always had a phenomenal combination of speed and power, but after a great rookie season in Tampa Bay in 2010, he was largely a forgotten man with the Bucs. Now the Patriots are getting the most out of his talents. One of the primary differences between a bad coach like Greg Schiano and a great coach like Bill Belichick is that Schiano saw Blount as a problem to get rid of, while Belichick saw Blount as an opportunity to make the most of.
January 13th, 2014 at 3:36 pm
How could no one have mentioned that this is the last year of his contract? He is a FA this offseason, and we were lucky to get anything for him. The Pats gave us something to “rent” him for a year, most teams wouldn’t do it. We were’nt going to re-sign him so….
In a way, the better he plays (more $$$ he will get), the smarter it was to trade him. Why? No way we could afford to keep him as a backup when he’s playing great! If he was mediocre, maybe having in the fold would have helped us re-sign him cheaply. But, he wouldn’t have stayed here anyway with his attitude! It’s a business decision people!!! (the right one too)
January 13th, 2014 at 3:40 pm
“I’m sure right about now Belichik is wishing he had run him more throughout the season. It’s no secret Blount is better on his second 10 carries, than his first 10 of each game. Wanna bet he gets at least 15 carries against Denver?”
—-
Actually, I doubt he is. Its not like they had a rough season. And all the rest of NE’s RBs are averaging at least 4.3 yards per carry. Having a good offensive line helps too.
It was probably his plan all along. Blount has very fresh legs.
January 13th, 2014 at 3:44 pm
People are such marks.
He’s had 2 good games, people.
Like Joe said… people are acting like he’s Jim Brown.
Oh, and in today’s NFL, running backs are a DIME a DOZEN.
January 13th, 2014 at 3:53 pm
@jbf.
You seem to have a hang up about people doing things that don’t seem to meet your moral standards. Who cares if Blount left early, or these other supposed rumours about Freeman.
If you know something, then write it unless you consider it slanderous or libelous.
Joe is not making moral calls. Blount not having a great attitude all the time has nothing to do with morals. Regarding Freeman, Joe has written all that he can without getting into rumormongering.–Joe
NFL coaches are not paid volunteers. Some people have issues that sometimes you have to really work on to correct. As an example, when I followed the Chargers in the Dan Fouts era, players mentioned practically hating Chuck Muncie (the one who wore eyeglasses when playing), and that they didn’t give a fuck as long as he produced on Sundays and helped them to win.
Granted, if you are as successful as Belichek, you can be hard assed as Brandon Spikes found out.
Something happened to Freeman that turned him into a “bad guy” at the end of the 2012 season. I can only speculate that the bully destroyed his confidence and lead to this erratic behaviour I read or hear about. But yet nobody is specific. One writer emailed me that he was sworn to secrecy.
If Freeman had drug, or drinking problems, or whatever, then say so.
I don’t care that he is no longer with the team, I would like to get some kind of idea what happened.
For someone who was a captain, who lead the team during the lockouts, and who lost all that weight, something smells.
Criticize all you want, but sometimes I wonder is some of the posters on this site are priests, ministers, psychiatrists, or social workers. Please, don’t judge people on your standards. Look back to when you were in your early 20’s.
January 13th, 2014 at 5:09 pm
I think we all need to let it go. The old regime is gone. The point is moot. Looking forward with hope for sound personnel decisions and good coaching.
January 13th, 2014 at 5:16 pm
Snook Says:
January 13th, 2014 at 3:44 pm
People are such marks.
He’s had 2 good games, people.
Like Joe said… people are acting like he’s Jim Brown.
Oh, and in today’s NFL, running backs are a DIME a DOZEN.
_______________________________________________________________
People posting here aren’t saying he’s Jim Brown. A lot of them are saying that trading Blount was a bad idea and they have a good point.
January 13th, 2014 at 5:29 pm
EXACTLY
AHAHAHA!
The guy was absolutely awful at the short down and distance which is what we needed him for that season.
He would rumble and bumble than just fall on his arse.
He was good for 1 highlight run and that’s all and thats IF he got an adequate amount of carries.
He may have improved but FACT IS while he was here, he lacked that skill.
Martin, James, Rainey (possibly Leonard, Demps) > Martin, Blount
January 13th, 2014 at 5:34 pm
Not to mention, logically speaking, why on earth would Schiano or anyone for that mater, fathom making Blount a kick returner when he was having trouble holding on to the ball?
And again what he’s doing now, does not change what he was doing while he was here.
January 13th, 2014 at 5:54 pm
If one is to believe Dominik contacted all 31 NFL teams when he traded Blount, that means astute general managers, guys like Ozzie Newsome and Ted Thompson as well as 28 other NFL front office types thought a sixth-round pick was too rich for Blount.
GM’s are not going to give you anything for talent that they know you are going to cut. The 49er’s wanted Eric Wright; they were not going to trade with the bucs when they knew that the bucs were going to cut him and they could sign Wright after he was cut. Joe articles need a little more thought!
Sorry, but nobody gets cut in April, and Blount had just signed a restructured contract. Feel free to look it up.–Joe
January 13th, 2014 at 6:03 pm
Exactly.
Martin/James/Rainey > Martin/Blount
Not even close.
January 13th, 2014 at 6:49 pm
I see the revisionist history right here in these comments.
Blount was not a bad move. Why? Because we have not suffered for it. Period. He was a problem in the locker room, and was unreliable. James is as good as Blunt, if not better. He could even play fullback.
Talib HAD to go. The only reason he has straightened out is because he got a dose of reality when he was sent packing. If he wasn’t, he would still be getting into trouble.
Bennett wanted more money for the Bucs to keep him. Because they would not pay what he wished, he tested the market. Obviously there was an angry parting of ways, because he said some things afterward.
It wasn’t until he tested the market and realized he could not get what he was asking that he settled for less, with another team.
Offering him more money to stay to begin with would have been a bad idea, because we THOUGHT Bowers was ready to step up.
And if we get a better DE this year, you can thank the fact that Bennett isn’t here, because the Bucs would not be looking for one otherwise.
No point in crying over spilt milk.
January 13th, 2014 at 6:51 pm
Amen BB
January 13th, 2014 at 7:17 pm
I was a fan of Blounts. Still am. I still think it was a mistake to get rid of him. HOWEVER, when it comes to personell, Schiano did more good than bad by a large margin. so if this was one of his mistakes, I’ll take it for a swap of the good he did. No one is perfect and I’m pretty happy with most of the player choices he and Dom did while Schiano was here. The Freeman thing alone makes up for it
January 13th, 2014 at 7:28 pm
In 2011 Blount was a fumble machine.
January 13th, 2014 at 7:50 pm
All this tells me is that the coach and assistants could not teach or motivate him.
January 13th, 2014 at 8:36 pm
I can only speculate that the bully destroyed his confidence and lead to this erratic behaviour I read or hear about.
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Lmao, the things people will say to justify there hate.
January 13th, 2014 at 8:38 pm
Can we not anoint mike james the next best thing since celebrity sex tapes? I mean he had a couple good games himself. I liked blount but felt he needed a fresh start myself, but i do wish we’d have gotten more from the trade too. But u can only get wat someone is willing to give and they were not give willing to give more i guess.
January 13th, 2014 at 9:22 pm
Sorry, but nobody gets cut in April, and Blount had just signed a restructured contract. Feel free to look it up.–Joe
Not the point Joe. I know he signed a contract, but how much guaranteed money was in that contract? Schaino did not want Blount and the bucs were going to let him go at some point. Bill Belichick just help Schiano out a little…. sort of!
January 13th, 2014 at 9:35 pm
Blount just got lucky and stumbled into 4 touchdowns. Yeh he sucks good riddance!
January 13th, 2014 at 9:40 pm
ooohhhhhhhhh there’s miguel payasito, aka clowney, popping his head up again like a whack-a-mole.
nag and bitch about schiano and call him names on the internet like a little girl. still projecting your little man syndrome on others, clowney? still a toughguy that is an expert mma fighter, right payasito?
go back to your iggles board and fawn over the liar, chip the dip.
January 13th, 2014 at 10:00 pm
@Snook.
I agree.
Martin – 1
James – 2
Rainy – 3
Blount – meh
Provided all stay healthy. We will have a great running game.
January 14th, 2014 at 3:53 am
Did a little homework.
Lagerrette Blount:
2010- (rookie) 13 games, 7 starts, 201 attempts, 1007 yards, 5 rec, 14 yards, 6 TD’s 4 FMBL, avg 5.0 per carry
2011- 14games, 14 starts, 184 attemps, 781 yrds, 15 rec, 148 yards, 5 Td’s, 5 Fmbls, avg 4.2 per carry
2012-(1st year for Schiano & Drafted Martin)(signed V-Jacks & Carl Nicks) 13 games, 0 starts, 41 attempts, 151 yards, 1 rec, 2 yards, 2 TDs, 0 Fumbles, avg 3.7 per carry
2013- (traded to NE) 16 games, 7 starts, 153 attempts, 772 yards, 2 rec, 38 yards, 7 TD’s, 3 fumbles, avg 5.0 per carry ( not including playoff games)
Doug Martin:
2012-(rookie) 16 games, 16 starts, 319 attempts, 1454 yards, 49 rec, 472 yards, 11 TD, 1 Fumble, AVG 4.3 yrds per carry 4.6
2013 – 6 games, 6 starts, 127 attempts, 456 yards, 12 rec, 66 yards, 1 TD, 2 fumbles, Avg per carry 3.6
Mike James:
2013- 8 games, 3 starts, 60 attempts, 295 yards, 10 rec, 43 yards, 0 TDS, 0 Fumbles, average 4.9 per carry
Bobby Rainey:
2012- 6 games, 0 starts, 13 attempts, 34 yards, 4 rec, 19 yards, 0 tds, 0 fumbles, average 2.6 per carry
2013- 10 games, 6 starts, 137 attempts, 532 yards, 11 rec, 27 yards, 6 TD’s 1 Fumble, Average 3.9 yards per carry
Say what you want Blount > James and Rainey. Only Martin had the best single season of the 4. Let’s not forget a couple of things stats wont show. Blount had M. Williams, Stroughter, and A. Benn as the starting WR’s and a garbage line in front of him. His rookie year Cadillac was the main starter most of the season until Blount was able to take over and produce. Blount consistently was met with a stacked box and still produced. 2012 Schiano shows up and Blount is immediately in the dog house. Martin on the other hand had a newly signed V-Jacks to take some heat of the RB and Nicks (half the season) paving the way allowing for a break out season. Once teams realized Freeman wasn’t a threat in the air, Martins numbers took a significant dip as defenses started to stack the box.
It is what it is at this point. All i wanted to do was shed some light that Blount was and still is a very good RB he just needed a coach/team who could let him show off his talents. Blount was never going to be good as a 3rd down back. He is a work horse style back who needed to be fed the ball with a good 3rd down back to spell him IE like Cadillac Williams in 2010. Yes he had his faults but i always said those are coach-able faults. You can teach someone to stop tip toeing the line or fumbling the ball with techniques. His talent or production was never the issue.
So i say the trade was bad value. Schiano shot himself in the foot by putting Blount in the dog house and only giving a small sample in 2012 for teams to make a judgment call. The smarter choice would to have been to trade him at the beginning of the year when his value was much higher.
January 14th, 2014 at 3:58 am
in 2013 alone Martin, Rainey, and LGB had similar amount of starts/attempts and only Rainey comes close to the same production LGB had.
January 14th, 2014 at 6:35 am
Love all the clueless, trashing Blount.
He rushed for a thousand yards, and played in 12 games. First thousand yard rusher we had in quite a while!
Lol!
The next season, our clueless, losing record coach seems dedicated to over using Martin, and under using Blount.
Gotta polish that shiny 1st round pick.
And again, the lies and Slander pour outta one Buc.
“Can’t block” , “can’t catch”
He seems to be doing a fine job of blocking in New England.
Here, he had the highest rate of ” thrown to, caught” in the games he played.
Can’t catch it, if they don’t throw to you.
Several of Blounts long Runs- punctuated by hurdling a defender- were among the best runs ever by any Buc back. Earl Campbell didn’t catch many passes. You can verify that by reading his stats.
By his Bust- in Canton. At the Hall of Fame.
Yet, despite a banner year- some here are still spewing the same sewage that the previous, equally clueless Regime spewed!
Lol!
I said at the time, that getting Rid of Blount was a big mistake. Martin is tiny, and The NFL is a big mans game. I love the guy, but don’t think he can hold up long being the workhorse back.
Of course, I also said that Schiano was going to in over his head, and terribly unprepared to coach/ evaluate talent at the NFL level. Posted that two days after he was hired- to the protest of the Clueless.
Blount was a great back here, when given the ball enough to get a rhythm. It was stupidly not to use him, and Stupidity to lose him. Unfortunately, he’ll be racking up major yards- with one of the NFLs most consistent and intelligent teams. And we will be worrying about keeping our small, or Skinny RBs off I.R.
January 14th, 2014 at 6:52 am
Still laughing.
The guy just ran for 166 yards, and 4 TDs. In the playoffs! Against a very good Defense!
He was unstoppable. The featured back for a team that is always in the Playoffs. A smarter team. A better Team. With arguably the best coach in the game!!
And idiots here are still saying he sucks!
Clueless Zombies!
I know that Blount is dealing with a more intelligent Fan base.
Just because it would be near impossible to be more clueless than some of the posters here!
At least it’s good for a laugh!
He’s dominating in the Playoffs. Our ” great Stable of superior backs” all spent more time on IR, than they did playing!
And we started a guy who was undrafted, and walking the streets two weeks before we started him!
Oh, yeah! We have the market for talent Cornered!!
Guess all that massive talent pool at RB explains that sweet 4-12 record!
January 14th, 2014 at 8:39 am
It was good for the Patriots. We got screwed.
January 14th, 2014 at 2:38 pm
Phil- yeah, that’s what I was trying to say.