Bucs Eyeing Jason Babin?
June 20th, 2014
A national NFL writer claims he “knows” the Bucs are sniffing around for a veteran pass rusher. Is recently released Jason Babin that guy?
Joe knows priority No. 1 for Bucs coach Lovie Smith this offseason was to somehow find out how the hell to get pressure on quarterbacks.
It was simply insulting for Bucs fans to watch the likes of Adrian Clayborn guard Darren Sproles in pass coverage while Drew Brees — and other QBs — had so much time they could enjoy a cup of coffee and finish reading the Wall Street Journal before getting any heat from the Bucs’ front seven.
Recently, Bucs general manager Jason Licht bragged he will never stop beating the bushes to find any player who may give the Bucs an upgrade at any position. Now, if you are to believe Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports, Licht is hunting for a veteran defensive end and, maybe, recently released Jason Babin could be Licht’s target.
Two teams I know have been testing the waters on veteran pass rushers that might be avail via trade are TB and ATL. Watch them for Babin.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) June 19, 2014
While Babin’s numbers aren’t that great (he led the Jags with 7.5 sacks last year), he has 62.5 sacks for his career, which began with the Texans in 2004.
If the Bucs do end up bringing in Babin, if only for a training camp look-see, Joe has to think one reason is the Bucs are unimpressed by defensive end Da’Quan Bowers. Now on his third coaching staff and second general manager, Bowers has never lived up to his expected ceiling. Last year, after having to deal with a gun hassle in New York, Bowers was handed a starting job because then Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik let sack leader Michael Bennett walk for no good reason.
How did Bowers respond to this gift? He came into training camp out of shape.
Bowers did have a knee surgery of some sort this offseason, but he was cited by defensive line coach Joe Cullen for not being in shape. In June!
Joe can never remember a player coming off some sort of medical procedure being outed by a coach for being out of shape. In June, no less.
Joe can’t help but believe if L&L decides to bring in Babin, it means they are getting impatient. Remember, L&L did not bring in Bowers. And they have shown in their few months on the job they have short leashes on players they did not draft or sign.
June 20th, 2014 at 6:43 am
WE ARE DONE WITH ALLOWING OPPOSING QBs COFFEE BREAKS!
Let’s keep looking for the perfect fit for the attacking d-line. I’m all in on that one. If a player comes in out of shape he is not all in with the game plan. He has to go. He is disrespecting the organization and particularly us the fans!
NEXT!!!!
June 20th, 2014 at 6:48 am
I’m trying to think of a player who left Jacksonville and had success on their team…..no one comes to mind. Please correct me if I’m wrong.
June 20th, 2014 at 6:52 am
Bawlmerbucfan Says:
June 20th, 2014 at 6:48 am
I’m trying to think of a player who left Jacksonville and had success on their team…..no one comes to mind. Please correct me if I’m wrong.
—————————————-
Mark Brunell
Keenan McCardell
June 20th, 2014 at 6:54 am
Ahhhh….I stand corrected Brandon. Well done.
June 20th, 2014 at 6:56 am
Hey Joe, do you have an advertiser with the address carsrider.com/scrstat ? Because twice today while navigating your site, my Norton Anti-Virus said it blocked virus attempts from that site.
Joe’s got no knowledge of this advertisers. Likely in a national feed but those are typically phony malware alerts. Joe’s getting know alerts on his end.–Joe
June 20th, 2014 at 6:56 am
Come on Joe, Bowers is low hanging fruit. The question should be how this effects Clayborn, who could possible be replace for the second time.
June 20th, 2014 at 6:59 am
Bawlmerbucfan-
Your point was taken though, neither of those players played with Jacksonville in the last 10 years. Eugene Monroe has the highest probability of success in another landing spot having been signed by the Ravens this past offseason. But we shall see. If you live in Baltimore, you should know before the rest of us.
June 20th, 2014 at 7:12 am
He’d be a good rotational guy
June 20th, 2014 at 7:18 am
Still part of the process to clean up after “pop star” Dominik. “Pop” star because his bubble sure burst thanks to the highly-motivated Da’Quan Bowers and other members of the “clown show.”
The new men in the house mean business and upgrading the roster, no matter how successful a team is, is a constant process.
June 20th, 2014 at 7:46 am
I’d bring him in just so Atlanta can’t. The dirty birds D-line has more holes than Swiss cheese.
June 20th, 2014 at 8:09 am
I pray to god we pick up Babin. That would be an instant upgrade on the DLine. Having RE Johnson, DT GMC, and LE Babin…. qb’s will fear our DLine again like they once did in our glory days with S. rice, B, McFarland, and W. Sapp. If L&L make this move this will not only batter our DLine but our secondary will look be picking off qb’s left and right. Leaving qb’s only options would be dump off passes that will be eaten up all day by our man beast linebackers. Our defense alone would then make it easy for our offense to score and make us contenders for the NFC championship.
June 20th, 2014 at 8:40 am
There’s a better than good chance that Bowers has actually never been in good shape. #1 prospect in HS, probably never had to work that hard. His injuries have killed off any burst he may have had at Clemson. Doubt he sees the end of camp.
June 20th, 2014 at 8:50 am
This is about more than just players they did not sign Joe- This is more about the fact that they have a short leash for players that were given all the chances in the world and refused time after time to really take advantage of the situation.
They also have a very short leash for players that feel like they are owed something when they haven’t earned anything. Despite people saying he is a good guy, if Bowers keeps coming in here overweight, and he KNOWS he needs to get to weight every year and that his teammates are ALREADY in shape- then he must feel entitled to a free spot.
Why? Because he obviously feels he doesn’t have to work too hard on it. Now then, cut Bowers and bring in someone who wants to work- someone who appreciates being in the NFL- someone we can get behind as fans and that will work hard for us!
If it’s Babin, then so be it!
June 20th, 2014 at 9:18 am
I’m sure basin got doubled all the time in Jacksonville, they had nobody else. They wouldn’t be able to double him Johnson and mccoy, I would be geeked if we signed him. He would be a great value with potential high reward signing
June 20th, 2014 at 9:28 am
Babin is a long way removed from his high of 18 sacks. But he may be a great rotational guy, as has been pointed out. And, I am done with Bowers. His laziness disgusts me. He is a prime example of “youth is wasted on the young”. (crap, quoting sayings like this is a sign I am getting old, right? lol)
June 20th, 2014 at 9:32 am
Uh..no one is fearing Babin on our left end. Sorry. Would rather see this vaunted coaching staff rehabilitate Bowers career. Way more upside.
June 20th, 2014 at 9:54 am
Bowers wasn’t as bad on the field last year as his reputation suggests. I don’t see him making the final roster though, simply for the fact that I think tolerating less than 100% effort isn’t what Lovie is about. And it sure seems like he’s unfocused and undisciplined. At this point in his life, I don’t those things can be taught to him in a single training camp. When he’s older, and out of the NFL, he’s going to realize how stupid he was to waste this opportunity.
June 20th, 2014 at 10:03 am
I would think if the bucs brought in Babin, then that means they are not impressed with a lot of the pass rushers we have and not just Bowers.
June 20th, 2014 at 11:39 am
In reality Babin doesn’t need to be an upgrade over Bowers or Clayborn, he needs to be an upgrade over the last guy on the depth chart which could be Steven Means.
So in that regard, Babin would be a huge upgrade.
June 20th, 2014 at 12:35 pm
Bowers is toast regardless… We know 3 DEs are Johnson, Gholston, and Clayborn… The 4th will come down to Means or Sutton barring an acquisition. So if Babin is acquired, the job he’s taking is that of Means or Sutton.
June 20th, 2014 at 1:37 pm
So how old is this guy Babin and weight?
June 20th, 2014 at 1:57 pm
I guess they could keep 5 DEs if they think Means and/or Sutton have upside worth developing.
June 20th, 2014 at 3:15 pm
🙂
June 20th, 2014 at 6:42 pm
I’d take Jason Babin anywhere after Michael Johnson in the rotation at RDE – he’s an upgrade, period.
June 21st, 2014 at 5:11 pm
Brandon yea I my antivirus has been detecting this here as well. Must of sneaked in through his advertisements somehow.
June 22nd, 2014 at 4:00 am
I don’t expect Bowers to make it, and Means isn’t heavy enough to be a force against runs, so we need to bring in Babin.