Giddy About Evan Dietrich-Smith
August 20th, 2014
Lovie Smith loves EDS.
Grousing has already begun about some Bucs free agents, but there is one free agent that has caught the eye of Bucs coach Lovie Smith. In a very good way.
His name is Evan Dietrich-Smith.
When most of the offensive line did its best to impersonate turnstiles in the first preseason game at Jacksonville, there were two players who escaped with their dignity intact. That would be right tackle Demar Dotson and starting center EDS.
Last week against Miami, EDS put in another solid effort. May not have been an All-Pro performance, but it wasn’t bad. Yesterday, Lovie took to the soapbox to gush over EDS.
“Love him. Everything about him,” Lovie said. “He’s smart, good football player, good run blocker. So I like everything about him. He knows what’s going on. Of course, he has to be a coach on the field. [Offensive line coach] George [Warhop] has done a great job with him. But he’s got great football knowledge. Leader of our football team. He’s used to that too, coming from a good program in Green Bay. We need guys like that to help us get to that point.”
Joe knows that when EDS left the Packers to come to the Bucs, a certain someone known as Aaron Rodgers was upset enough about losing his center that he had to seek the comfort of Olivia Munn. We should all have such rocks to lean on in troubled times.
And that’s why Lovie went out and got EDS. He was a rock on the offensive line for one of the better offenses in the NFL. Barring injury, he will be a rock here. That’s one free agent Bucs fans won’t have to worry about.
Now you may resume your fretting over Michael Johnson, Alterraun Verner, Josh McCown and Mike Jenkins.
August 20th, 2014 at 10:14 am
I liked EDS in GB because of his grit and intelligence. I recall when the Bucs signed him Chris Landry was absolutely stoked on the air and graded him higher than Zuttah at Center.
Losing Zuttah at Guard really hurt but this is and was clearly a upgrade.
We can’t address everything in one off-season so this was one hell of a move.
KUDOS L&L
August 20th, 2014 at 10:19 am
I just hope EDS isn’t the second coming of Jeff Faine.
August 20th, 2014 at 10:23 am
I realized last night that EDS was the center that Suh stomped in that turkey day game a few years ago.
August 20th, 2014 at 10:26 am
I wonder if the Bucs Oline coach has pulled EDS aside privately and asked…”Who do you prefer to your right and left?”
August 20th, 2014 at 10:35 am
Rodgers looks pretty dorky in that picture. And the dude behind him is checking out his chic.
August 20th, 2014 at 10:40 am
I’m not impressed with EDS so far. Roller skates. We’ll see. I can’t speak to the leadership qualities.
Collins is looking like the best line pickup so far, but its early.
August 20th, 2014 at 10:46 am
Joe, I was in shock a few years back when (then) OG Evan Dietrich-Smith and OT Erik Pears wound up with the Omaha Nighthawks of the UFL. Both should have been picked up then. Pears is a below-average, but starting, RT for Buffalo. EDS wound up back with Green Bay.
August 20th, 2014 at 10:59 am
Can we please not call him EDS. (Erectile dysfunction syndrome). It just sounds terrible to have a nickname like that. Lol
August 20th, 2014 at 12:12 pm
More lip service from Lovie…
EDS graded out slightly below average for the first two preseason games…
I hope he can do better than that… Zuttah probably will…
August 20th, 2014 at 1:34 pm
Graded?
Based on who’s grade? Profootballfocus?
August 20th, 2014 at 1:48 pm
By the way… this is an amazing article about PFF. I wish you would write a long article about this long article Joe.
http://www.bostonsportsmedia.com/2014/06/can-pro-football-focus-stats-be-blindly-trusted?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BostonSportsMediaWatch+%28Boston+Sports+Media+Watch%29
August 20th, 2014 at 1:55 pm
Add Anthony Collins to the list
August 20th, 2014 at 6:09 pm
Jim Walker Says:
August 20th, 2014 at 10:23 am
I realized last night that EDS was the center that Suh stomped in that turkey day game a few years ago.
———-
Actually, that wasn’t EDS. That was a rookie OG, I think Josh Sitton. Perhaps EDS told him to untie Suh’s shoelaces, but it wasn’t him that got stomped.