The Countdown: Worst 20 Buccaneers Of The Past 10 Years — No. 10
July 17th, 2014
Endless Top-Whatever lists across the Internet got Joe thinking of the Tampa Bay drought since their Super Bowl glory. Not a playoff victory since! And that motivated Joe to rank the 20 worst Buccaneers of the past 10 years.
Serious deliberations went into this at JoeBucsFan.com world headquarters.
Beers bottles were thrown. Game film came out. Arguments ensued. Chants of Sabby from wild interns were quieted by Joe.
In the end, primary consideration was given to expectations combined with on-field performance. Off-field behavior was a factor, and players were not punished for injuries.
No. 10 — defensive coordinator Jim Bates (2009)
The Jim Bates Experience, as Joe called it, was a colossal disaster. With nearly 20 years of NFL experience, Bates was hired by Tampa Bay and implemented his two-gap defensive scheme for the Bucs’ new Raheem regime in 2009. The problem was Bates didn’t have the personnel for that, refused to adjust and nearly singlehandedly destroyed careers.
Bates ordered his defensive linemen to fatten up out of the gate in hopes of finding plug-filling bodies. Go ask Roy Miller and Kyle Moore how much all the Bates-ordered weight messed up their bodies and ate away at their confidence.
In a merciful move for Bucs fans, Bates was fired after 10 games and the Bucs scrapped most of his defense. Raheem even said that Bates was unhappy a couple of weeks before Bates was fired. At that time, Joe noted the odd choice of words that all but said Bates was miserable, which is inexcusable for a professional coach.
“… We’re implementing his system. We’re getting the players in place that he needs to be successful. And once we have that opportunity to do that, Jim Bates will be feeling pretty good about being here, loving life. And we’re just glad we can work together.”
A coach’s No. 1 job is to get the most out of what he has. Bates never did.
Joe’s favorite part of the Jim Bates Experience was when word leaked that Bates was defrocked but not yet fired, Bright House Sports Network anchor Rock Riley chased down Bates at a local fast food joint while the Bucs were practicing at One Buc Palace. That was entertainment.
Like many names on this dubious list, Bates never found another NFL team after leaving the Bucs.
No. 11 — Gaines Adams No. 12 — Keydrick Vincent No. 13 — Dre Moore No. 14 — Kevin Ogletree No. 15 – Sean Mahan No. 16 — Da’Quan Bowers No. 17 — Daniel Te’o-Nesheim No. 18 — Kyle Moore No. 19 – Jeremy Trueblood 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 17th, 2014 at 7:10 pm
Ah, now comes the wretched coaching. There is likely to be more rounding out the top 10 worst. Bates was right out of Psycho, the Bates motel and the carnage that it brought.
July 17th, 2014 at 7:14 pm
If we are now adding coaches, then I fully expect Raheem and Schiano to battle it out for the top spot. Schiano wins due to Raheem having a fluke 10 win season with way less talent.
July 17th, 2014 at 7:24 pm
Dominik #1 – 28-52
July 17th, 2014 at 7:27 pm
Schiano better be in this list…
July 17th, 2014 at 7:31 pm
Adding a coach surprised me. Hope to see Schiano on this list.
July 17th, 2014 at 7:42 pm
Ok Joe, I am on board with this one being worse than Clayton. Still think they both deserve to be top 5. Very intrigued to see the rest of the list.
July 17th, 2014 at 7:48 pm
If Schiano is on the list, then the rock star better be too.
July 17th, 2014 at 8:02 pm
What about the offensive coordinator that we hired from Boston College? That guy was awful
July 17th, 2014 at 8:43 pm
Let’s not forget Brian Price, who Dominik readily admitted was his regret and Freeman should make the list for sabatoging the entire 2013 season as well as never playing up to potential and costing 2 coaches and a GM their jobs.
July 17th, 2014 at 8:56 pm
Everybody pile in the truck, we’re headed to Hooters by way of Burger King.
July 17th, 2014 at 9:13 pm
Freeman didn’t cost schiano his job, schiano did that himself
July 17th, 2014 at 9:32 pm
Jagodzinsky better be in this list if Bates is there.
July 17th, 2014 at 10:06 pm
Jeff jagodzinsky should be #1 if we consider coaches. He was fired before game 1. That’s unheard of. Like I don’t know an example of that. That’s quite literally an epic fail. Way way worse than Schiano or Raheem by a mile. I’m calling it now, #1 spot for Jeff jagodzinsky. If it’s not then the list is wrong.
July 17th, 2014 at 10:10 pm
Jagodzinsky was an epic fail.
July 17th, 2014 at 10:32 pm
Of course, the Glazer boys led us all down this path, so logically, they’d be on the top of this list.
July 17th, 2014 at 10:57 pm
Im a little disappointed seeing coaches on the worst 20 list. I mean, where does it end if you start this. Jag, Raheem, Schiano. And, for those that claim Freeman should not be on this list, I would like you to send me what you are smoking in a bag packed in coffee grounds. Dude was a 1st round pick and a spoiled baby who never progressed.
July 17th, 2014 at 11:15 pm
As long as the great Kregg Lumpkin is honored…
Already been revealed that Lumpkin didn’t make the cut, largely because Joe and no fan in his right mind should have expected anything from him. Plus the guy caught 40-something balls in his last season here.–Joe
July 18th, 2014 at 5:05 am
So let me get this straight you think all the coaches sucked and it’s all Freeman’s fault for not progressing. And after winning 10 games one season and braking the franchise passing record another and he deserves to be in the top 10 players in the last 10 years and if you don’t agree with you than you must be high. I guess he should have been happy the crappy coach tried to trade him in the Summer of his contract year after he passed for the most yards in franchise history and lead the 12th ranked offense in the NFL. I do not defend the way Freeman handled the benching and he is paying the price for it now.
July 18th, 2014 at 8:01 am
The pique of Glazer football on the cheap.
July 18th, 2014 at 8:14 am
“Already been revealed that Lumpkin didn’t make the cut, largely because Joe and no fan in his right mind should have expected anything from him. Plus the guy caught 40-something balls in his last season here.–Joe”
I am confused…why is it that fans should not expect anything from him? Your Rockstar brought him to this team to run the football if needed. He was needed and embarrassed the team, fans and himself. He was one of the worst players ever to suit up in a bucs uniform. If Daniel Teo makes the cut then Lumpkin should as well. Neither had any business seeing the field on Sundays.
July 18th, 2014 at 8:19 am
Dallas:
If it makes you feel better, this was one of those beer bottle-throwing debates at JoeBucsFan headquarters.
July 18th, 2014 at 8:22 am
Good ole Alvin “take the money and run” Harper is definitely top 3.
July 18th, 2014 at 8:46 am
Nope. Doesn’t qualify.
July 18th, 2014 at 10:26 am
I’m slightly disappointed. I was under the assumption that this was a players only list. Adding coaches muddies the water, it should be separate.
On that note, when your HC has to take the reigns from your DC, you know they’re bad! Especially when you consider how awful the defense was even after the takeover.
July 18th, 2014 at 12:29 pm
“If it makes you feel better, this was one of those beer bottle-throwing debates at JoeBucsFan headquarters.”
Not really. The great Kregg Lumpkin missing from this list delegitimizes it. There is no way that a guy with legitimate injury issues like Bowers somehow makes it but Lumpy gets a pass. Waste of time.
July 18th, 2014 at 11:07 pm
Joe, I think you are going to need to increase this list to the top 50 or 60 worst bucs of the last 10 years. There are just too many bad players and coaches to fit only 20 in.
July 19th, 2014 at 1:48 am
Well if ‘Bates Motel’ Defense makes the list for his suck defensive scheme – can’t wait to see where Schiano’s “”Stunters Paradise” “ranks” on this list of woe & shame….
…and maybe ‘Lump’ just didn’t get enough September reps? Sometimes he looked a lot like Earnest Graham…in the pre-season…