Ultimate 53-Man Roster
August 15th, 2014
Former Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik selects his ultimate 53-man roster.
Joe knows fantasy football is all the rage. He gets it, but it’s just not Joe’s cup of tea. Joe’s more into the real football, and there are plenty of games on the tube for Joe to watch and DVR.
As Joe has always said, Joe’s fantasy has nothing to do with football and everything to do with Rachel Watson.
So from what Joe knows about fantasy football (he dabbled in it years and years and years ago), the funnest part is the draft where you get to drink beer and cuss and throw things at people who draft a player you wanted.
From that angle, and since this is the time for fantasy drafts, former Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik decided to draft his own ultimate 53-man roster, which can be found over at BSPN.com. The trick with this one is, Dominik had to stay within the NFL salary cap limits.
Dominik has four current or former Bucs on his roster, and two of his choices/non-choices surprise Joe. Here are the four with Dominik’s explanation:
Doug Martin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers ($1,851,144): I might be a little biased, having drafted him to the Bucs as a rookie in 2012, but remember, he had nearly 2,000 yards from scrimmage his first season. If his injury was more than a shoulder ailment, I might hesitate picking him here, but he is a special player who I think will bounce back and have a very productive season. He has the very rare ability to make you miss and can quickly accelerate to full speed.
Demar Dotson, Tampa Bay Buccaneers ($2,000,000): Sure, you can call me a homer for selecting another of my former guys from Tampa, but the fact is that Dotson continues to develop and dominate at the NFL level. A former basketball player, he has the feet movement and length you love at the tackle position. If the average per player for this team is more than $2 million, Dotson is a good deal for my team.
Lavonte David, Tampa Bay Buccaneers ($946,836): Another of my former draft picks with the Bucs, David produced like an eight-year veteran his rookie season. To me, he is the best outside linebacker to come along in many years; he is a classic Will backer who is effective both blitzing and dropping into coverage.
Darrelle Revis, New England Patriots ($7,000,000): Given the defensive line in front of him on this team, we can put Revis back on his island and really control the game. Revis is well over a year removed from his knee injury, and I expect him to be in top form in 2014. I traded for the five-time Pro Bowler when I was with the Bucs, and I want him on this team as well — especially at this cap number (due to how the Pats structured his deal).
Martin surprises Joe. Yes, he had a good rookie season but was somewhat inconsistent. Last year, Martin did little before he was hurt. And Joe has been told Martin’s pass-catching abilities are exaggerated; that he is fine with dump passes and screens. Anything downfield? Forget it (which sort of explains the Charles Sims pick).
Now has anyone noticed who is missing from Dominik’s selections? Yeah, Gerald McCoy. Now this isn’t because Dominik doesn’t like McCoy. Hardly. There is only one person Joe knows and has spoken to who gushes more than Dominik over GMC, and that is Warren Sapp.
Dominik doesn’t give an explanation for players omitted. Joe would love to know why GMC isn’t on the list, but Joe thinks he has a good idea, and understands. Remember: This is not a Pro Bowl list Dominik put together, it’s a 53-man roster that must fit under the salary cap. Joe’s guessing GMC’s uncertain contract status played a part in not being on the list.
Notice Dominik claimed J.J. Watt was a bargain at his salary? There’s a pretty good hint.
August 15th, 2014 at 1:35 pm
Hey Dominik. STFU nobody cares what you think!!!
Worst GM in football history.
You don’t think so? That’s why he is working at ESPN and not NFL…
August 15th, 2014 at 1:38 pm
Bill Polian works for BSPN and not the NFL (uh, oh).
August 15th, 2014 at 1:47 pm
He’s making over $10 million this year…who are the tackles he chose instead?
August 15th, 2014 at 1:47 pm
Yes. But Bill Polish is so old he darts dust… He already had a successful NFL career…
Mark Dominik is only 24 years old and will never get another GM gig unless it’s as a fake one on ESPN…
Uh-oh….oooops
August 15th, 2014 at 1:49 pm
Polian not Polish.
August 15th, 2014 at 1:54 pm
I see your Dominick – and raise you Millen.
August 15th, 2014 at 2:01 pm
You know, as time goes on, I am starting to believe that Shaun King was right about Mark Dominic.
Never thought I would ever say that.
But perhaps Shaun King is right with his assessment of the ole Rock Star.
August 15th, 2014 at 2:07 pm
Still trying to defend his Revis reach that imo was just ridiculous.
August 15th, 2014 at 2:14 pm
Hey, Mac. STFU nobody cares what you think!!!
In some ways, Dominick was a brilliant GM. He definitely missed on a bunch of draft picks & FA signings, but he was a cap wizard & he did hit on a few picks & signings bigtime. People give Schi most of the credit for drafting David, but either way Dom drafted 2 future HOF’ers. Not many front office guys can say that. And a he’s a really good guy who worked his way up the ladder through many years of quality hard work.
August 15th, 2014 at 2:17 pm
@buc the haters
too bad the Dominick did not have more top 3 overall picks in the draft!!! thank goodness Coach Schaino came in, or the only talent on this team would have been GMC.
August 15th, 2014 at 2:37 pm
Future Hall of Famer’s? Little premature to start predicting that, no?
August 15th, 2014 at 2:44 pm
Hate to point this out Joe, but as much as you take a s–t on ‘BSPN’…. it looks like youre at least willing to put money in their pockets with that ‘Insider’ subscription.
Noticed how they wouldnt show Dom’s complete roster without that…
August 15th, 2014 at 2:49 pm
@ but the haters
Hahahahahahaha….
Defending Dominik is…Hahahahahahaha…
Sorry I can’t stop laughing….
Hahahahahahaha…
August 15th, 2014 at 2:57 pm
Schaino a coach that came from college did not run the draft But he did cut all those players that went else where and had great success.
August 15th, 2014 at 3:01 pm
*bites tongue*
I promised when I changed my moniker from Oil Derrick Brooks, that I would let my abhorrence for Dominik die with it.
August 15th, 2014 at 3:07 pm
Love how it was ALL Schiano who drafted the two years he was here… Guess Dom decided to hire him and say ya don’t worry I don’t want any say in the draft… I wonder if other teams have fans that are this delusional… BTW I’m not an ESPN Insider but they do show that he picked Tom Brady as his QB… Not sure if I would do that or take Luck with his small contract and invest the rest of that into other spots
August 15th, 2014 at 3:12 pm
My comments sometime disappear into like a lost comment world.. Bizarro World maybe?
August 15th, 2014 at 3:23 pm
Joe,
I’m curious what in my comment would warrant it saying it is “awaiting moderation”?
August 15th, 2014 at 3:28 pm
@oil derrick brooks
or now @love and warrick dunn
I made the same vow, but Joe keeps thowing this clown in my face!
August 15th, 2014 at 4:47 pm
All sorts of things. Using a banned IP address. Using naughty words. Using a new computer. Using a new username. Using multiple usernames. Logging on at a new location. List is many.
August 15th, 2014 at 4:52 pm
Yep…still defending the Revis reach….but the good news is he got him for 9mil less (16 vs 7) in this little draft. Dominik also gets to talk tough on Sirius XM NFL radio soiling an otherwise great product.
August 15th, 2014 at 4:58 pm
@Phillip,
Agreed… After Dom drafted the guys, it was on his rookie coaches to get the best out of them… possibly the worst coaches in Bucs history.
I never understood the deep hate for Dom on this website while Schiano’s incompetence gets overlooked… He could adapt at halftime.. He couldn’t adapt to different players. And the players who had trouble adapting to his napoleon complex, he ran out of town or broke them… even his idol/butt buddy belichik was able to get the best out of his cast offs… and watch belichk do what Schi should have done with revis…
Dom was an above average GM, put in the absolute worst case, franchise-killing scenario once Schi came to town.
August 15th, 2014 at 5:01 pm
*he couldnt adapt at halftime
August 15th, 2014 at 5:02 pm
Yeah, Revis looks like a better bet now… now that he is two years removed from an ACL injury and the Pats only gave him his actual market value of $7 mil ($9 mil less than Dominik coughed up).
Yeah, that’s a great freaking deal…but a horrible deal under last season’s contract and circumstances.
August 15th, 2014 at 5:16 pm
@Brandon, it was basically a 1 year “prove-it contract”. But Schiano and Coach Chirp were clueless.
Bottom line, if AC, Bowers, Barron, Spence, Bowers, Gholston, Means, Foster… if those guys emerge this year… (I expect at least a couple to break out)…then we can agree that coaching plays a major part in a young players success… minus injuries (Brian Price).
August 15th, 2014 at 7:15 pm
“Dom was an above average GM, put in the absolute worst case, franchise-killing scenario once Schi came to town.”
You probably lost a few points even with the Fire Schiano crowd with your first six words of delerium. I think you are crediting the wrong coach with being the franchise killer…put more blame on the dynamic duo responsible for bringing in a currently unemployed, franchise killing QB along with drafting so poor that four players from three drafts remain on the team from the glorious 2009-2011 years. That tends to set a franchise back more than a 4-12 season
August 15th, 2014 at 7:16 pm
Check that Stocker is still on the roster too, up it to five
August 15th, 2014 at 7:41 pm
GMC isn’t on the list for $$$ alone. He is counting something to the tune of 15 MILLION dollars against the cap right now. It’s hard to field a team of all studs when they cost that much for one player.
Come on, you guys don’t think Mark loves him some GMC? That’s dumb.
August 15th, 2014 at 7:41 pm
@Toe
please dont be one of those guys that has to bring JFro into every article conversation regardless of topic…
drafts cant be fully evaluated until at least a handful of years have gone by… and we still have solid group of draftees from the Rockstar Era, (which was 4 years btw, not 3, so dont nitpick just to try to make your point look valid), but over Doms FOUR YEARS, theres a solid lookin bunch still on the team, who’ll finally get coached up by actual professional NFL coaches… and I get a sense that a good chunk of those guys I mentioned (forgot about Banks) will come up big this year…
so if that happens, man up and acknowledge that Dom, who spent 16 years with us evaluating talent, actually didnt do too bad. and shed a little more sh–t on the true f–k up that is Schiano.
August 15th, 2014 at 8:20 pm
Dom was terrible. Should have been fired with Raheem
Dom was yet another brown stain on the Bucs history
August 16th, 2014 at 12:15 am
Stack Doms drafts over five years, include Freeman and he out drafted Atlanta and Green Bay. Look and see from real and starts production as well as overall talent.
August 16th, 2014 at 12:16 am
Greg if buc realist is right then signed Eric wright and let Bennett walk who Dom claimed.