The Countdown: Worst 20 Buccaneers Of The Past 10 Years — No. 17
July 13th, 2014
All the Top-Whatever lists across the Internet got Joe thinking of the Buccaneers’ drought since their Super Bowl glory. And that motivated Joe to rank the 20 worst Buccaneers of the past 10 years.
Immense thought went into this at JoeBucsFan.com world headquarters. There was even an all-night screaming session where a top intern was standing on a table yelling, “If Derrick Ward isn’t on this list, then I quit.” Joe had to get the poor kid a beer before Joe fired him for spilling it.
Primary consideration was given to expectations for a player combined with his on-field performance. Off-field behavior was a factor, and players were not punished for injuries.
No. 17 — defensive end Daniel Te’o-Nesheim (2011-2013)
Joe realizes this selection may surprise some readers, but Joe simply couldn’t ignore Greg Schiano’s pet defensive end.
Joe skewered sackless Kyle Moore at No. 18 for his 15-game Bucs career without a sack. Te’o-Nesheim, however, went all 16 games last season without a sack, despite starting 13 times and having a powerful interior pass rusher disrupting the pocket.
The hell with sacks for a moment, there was a five-game stretch last season in which Te’O-Nesheim had zero tackles, and he started all those games.
Yes, there were expectations Te’o-Nesheim would have a solid season year coming off a four-sack 2012 campaign, one in which he was an anchor on the NFL’s No. 1 ranked run defense. “Te’O” was brought back as a restricted free agent in 2013, and Joe doesn’t recall anyone complaining about the move.
“Te’O” was not hurt last season, just healthy, young and historically dreadful. It’s no surprise he’s 27 and unemployed.
No. 18 — Kyle Moore No. 19 – Jeremy Truebood No. 20 – Michael ClaytonThe Countdown: Worst 20 Buccaneers Of The Past 10 Years will run once or twice daily until No. 1 is revealed on Thursday, July 24.
July 13th, 2014 at 9:28 pm
How this guy found the field while we let Michael Bennett walk will haunt any Buc fan for years
July 13th, 2014 at 9:45 pm
Seriously.. “Haunt any Buc Fan for years?” Did we not win the Super Bowl last year because we decided not to over a pay for an average pass rusher? Will we not win the Super Bowl this year because we don’t have Michael Bennet? Will we not win it next year because we don’t have an agin Michael Bennet. Get over it. Good Player.. not a Pro Bowl Player. Good Players are a dime a dozen…
July 13th, 2014 at 10:09 pm
“…there was a five-game stretch last season in which Te’O-Nesheim had zero tackles…”
WOW! I did not know that. How is that even possible? If he is out on the field that long, can’t he accidentally run into whoever has the ball and get a shared 1/2 tackle? That is friggin embarrassing.
July 13th, 2014 at 10:36 pm
Excellent point Harry, a blind goat could have been credited 1/2 a tackle just for being on the field.
July 13th, 2014 at 10:47 pm
Well, I don’t have Te’o-Nesheim on my top 20, but I had considered him toward the end.
I thought the previous year sort of saved him even though he was minimized badly in his prove it year. He had a motor but didn’t possess the athletic agility to shed blockers.
July 13th, 2014 at 11:03 pm
The dude made $88,200 per TACKLE last year. Think about that for a second as you prepare to go to work on a job that likely pays less per year than he got for a single tackle.
While you’re doing that, I ask you this: Who are the idiots? Him for taking the sweet payday? Or us for expecting anything more from a Schiano ‘buccaneer man’?
July 13th, 2014 at 11:10 pm
So much for your posters who bragged on what a good judge of football talent Stupid Schiano was! Any football fan off the street would have known better than to leave Teo starting when it was obvious he was having a bust of a season. Had Schiano pulled Teo early and started Gholston instead he would likely have had a double digit sacker given Gholston had three sacks in no time right at the end of the season before he was given a start!
July 13th, 2014 at 11:15 pm
Count me as one of the surprised fans on this one. He was picked up for peanuts, was thrust into a starting role, and yet had a decent 2012 season. In the end though, the guy should have never been a starter to begin with, its that simple. And yea no one was complaining that he was brought back as a restricted free agent, but I think most of us thought he would be used mostly as a rotational player and that we would bring in his successor. But, it never happened.
So is it Te’Os fault that he didn’t turn down the starting job that was offered to him? I ask the same question about the hiring of Schiano. Is it Schiano’s fault that he didn’t turn down the head coaching job that was offered to him?
July 14th, 2014 at 12:04 am
@Owlykat
Sure you were watching Gholston? All of his sacks came in one game, and he had zero in the last 5 games of the year. He also got pressure on QB’s on less than 5% of designed pass plays. Which isn’t what a double digit sacker gets.
July 14th, 2014 at 12:23 am
@ deacon blues
I wouldn’t say michael bennet is an “average player.” Agreed, we can win a superbowl w/o bennet but we still haven’t replaced him with an equivalent talent(I understand we signed johnson.) Good football players, especially DE’s, are NOT a dime a dozen….
July 14th, 2014 at 2:30 am
Dude was just invisible when he played funny part is some would say he is better then bowers that says alot
July 14th, 2014 at 4:45 am
I don’t like this pick, but I have to admit I’m biased, being as he is from Hawaii (and he’s a really good dude). I do, however, think I could come up with 20 guys that I would put in front of him.
July 14th, 2014 at 9:11 am
This guy was a Buccaneer? I have never heard of him until now. I watched every game and never noticed him. /sarcasm off
July 14th, 2014 at 9:42 am
This guy shouldnt be on the list. He wouldnt make the roster for most teams. Schiano was a bum had no idea how to evaluate talent. Dominik probably brought him in for special teams and emergency depth and Schiano put this guy in the starting line up. #17 should be Greg Schiano’s decision to play him. Not the player.
July 14th, 2014 at 10:22 am
You also have to take into consideration all the other ends that Schiano and Dominik let walk or flat out released (Bennett, Selvie, etc) to best appreciate how much of a dud Teo was. Ugh.
July 14th, 2014 at 10:24 am
@Andrew 1- Good points! I too am a little surprised by this one. I guess looking back, he should not have been starting. You’d think that you would fall into a tackle or sack every now and then!
Here we go again with the “it’s Schiano’s fault” garbage! This is about players. Rail against Schiano when Joe does the top 20 coaches.
July 14th, 2014 at 10:59 am
Not sure why this guy is on the list. He is a wavier wire find. He is great and should be used as 3rd string depth… The problem is , we had to use him as a starter bc of crappy draft picks. Its not like we spent a high draft pick on the guy and its not his fault he is a depth guy that should be used situationaly.
July 14th, 2014 at 11:39 am
No. 1 worst needs to be
No. 1- Jacquez “Run out of bounds” Green
July 14th, 2014 at 1:36 pm
I have to say I’m disappointed by this analysis. It feels like you included this guy just to get people riled up during the slow time of year. I’m not saying he was a great player – he was a below average athlete who was asked to do WAY too much as a starter. As a situational/depth player and special teamer, I really liked his motor and you always need one of those guys in the room. It was Schiano and Dom who deluded themselves into thinking he could be a featured player on the DLine. And, as others pointed out, he was a waiver wire find. It’s not like he sucked AND we spent a fortune on him.
July 14th, 2014 at 1:39 pm
And, again, joebuc is cementing the fact that he does not watch game tape. If he did, he would realize that Teo, while he was listed as a starter, was not on the field that much. Teo might have been on the field 50% of the time when the defense was out there. There was a rotation between him, Gholston, Bowers, Gibson, and Landri. And to say that Teo was not good is definitely worth a laugh. Teo and Landri were the two guys on the defensive line who hustled the most. Landri is a huge loss for us and a bone headed move to let him go. He was a playmaker. Clayborne can be included in that list of hustlers.
And I see, once again, that you are referring to McCoy as someone who disrupted the interior line. Man, please please please go and watch the game tape. I implore you. I can guarantee you that if you watch the coaches film on McCoy, you will be thoroughly underwhelmed.
July 14th, 2014 at 4:58 pm
Teo who??
July 14th, 2014 at 4:58 pm
I’m betting sabby the goat is coming soon
July 14th, 2014 at 8:17 pm
Don’t agree on the hate towards 93 above but I do agree with the sent men that this was a bad pick.
So far this list reads as 20 worst buccaneers in RECENT history.
Teo underperformed but we keep hearing how much better this d line will be because the lack of slants and stunts. That should be weighted more heavily than it is.
Joe… I love ya brother…but this is a bad one.