Flowers Illustrates O-Line Gamble
April 3rd, 2015
Football junkies like Joe absolutely must grab a cold beer and dive into former Bucs defensive end Steve White’s detailed breakdown of University of Miami manbeast left tackle Erick Flowers for SBNation.com.
What great stuff. Here’s a tiny excerpt:
So here we have a guy who has a bad kick step, was late off the ball in several games, who also had at least two false start penalties also in the five games I watched and he consistently played higher than I would have liked to have seen.
You know what, though? You might be surprised by this, but I like him.
I like him because 6’6, 320-pound dudes who are athletic enough to only give up two pressures in five games, two of which featured projected NFL draft picks Randy Gregory and Mario Edwards Jr, do not grow on trees.
White dove into various tendencies and projections. Flowers could be second-round material, White says, if teams determine he has battled weight issues. Otherwise, he’s a late-first-rounder.
Of course, the Buccaneers’ absolutely have to draft a left tackle prospect, hopefully a guy who can hold down the fort as a rookie. Lovie Smith seemed to top his draft hand in that direction when talking to Joe about Demar Dotson at the NFL Owners Meetings in Phoenix last week.
Flowers could be the guy, and he was the pressure choice of former Bucs tight end Anthony Becht.
But when you read White’s breakdown, and Becht’s comments, it’s scarily clear that Flowers, or any other left tackle in this draft, is nowhere near a slam dunk.
Joe just hopes the Bucs have sharpened their O-line scouting skills immensely. The thought of Jameis Winston behind last year’s line has Joe headed to the liquor store.
April 3rd, 2015 at 1:04 pm
if jameis can part the red sea, surely we don’t need a LT
April 3rd, 2015 at 1:10 pm
Whatever.
April 3rd, 2015 at 1:12 pm
As he can’t part the Red Sea, I guess the Bucs will still need one.
April 3rd, 2015 at 1:15 pm
Thinking through this, I think we have to take a tackle with our second pick. We cant risk taking another position and hoping one of quality falls to the 3rd round. A couple other guys I like are Andrus Peat and DJ Humphries. I hope there is a run at another position and we get luck.
April 3rd, 2015 at 1:19 pm
If Flowers is available we will be so lucky.
April 3rd, 2015 at 1:20 pm
@BucPuck…
No way in chance the Colts let go of Luck.. lol
Seriously, though…I highly doubt the Bucs stand pat at 34 and wait for their guy to fall to them. Makes more sense to throw in a late round (future) draft pick to move back into the 1st and get the guy you want on a 5 year contract instead of a 4.
April 3rd, 2015 at 1:24 pm
@Buccaneer Bonzai
I responded to your post in the last thread, but i guess you’re done with that one……
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While I will agree that those are some needs that need to be filed, I don’t necessarily agree on all of them. Let me explain…
I don’t think we need 2 DEs. 1, definitely, but not 2. At some point, we have to give the guys on the roster a chance to compete and be “that guy”. We’ve gotten rid of people that Lovie/Licht belived can’t be “that guy” (Johnson, Clayborne).
Agree, we need both safety spots filled. I’m sure one will be drafted.
I think Carter can handle the “mike” role well. Just my personal opinion. And we already have guys on the roster that can handle the Sam.
QB will be addressed with the first pick.
I would say we need to upgrade 2 spots on the line (left tackle and RG). who’s to say that if we sign Wiz and he plays center, EDS can’t slide over RG and be more productive. Also, lets not forget the fact that there have been some pretty servicable linemen that have been taken from other teams’ practice squad (Penn, Donald).
As far as return men, that position could be filled with one person. As a matter of fact, i would prefer that.
With all that being said, every team in the league has a hole somewhere… And while i don’t expect all these holes to be filled in one draft/offseason, i still believe we’re headed in the right direction
April 3rd, 2015 at 1:25 pm
@Joe
sorry, meant to post that in another thread. feel free to delete.
April 3rd, 2015 at 1:27 pm
according to walterfootball this guy is the top rated OT in the draft and some think he’ll be there in the second. hell, we’d be lucky to be able to move up and get him. These guys are a hot commodity.
We’ll be left with the 2nd or 3rd best OT, which aint bad I guess, but what about a LB?
so many holes.
April 3rd, 2015 at 1:33 pm
Many teams are in the same boat. Everybody seems to be looking for DEs.
Perhaps, the Bucs may have to settle for short term veterans until draft choices are ready to start.
It takes time, and it’s a crap shoot anyway.
April 3rd, 2015 at 1:36 pm
I like Flowers as well and would be happy to grab him. I like DJ Humphries even better because the only knock on him was size and he went to the combine topping 300. Humphries is known for his quick feet and ability to cope with those speed rushes off the edge.
If we can get Flowers or Humphries I’d also be happy with Andrus Peat who has great bloodlines.
That’s three potential franchise LT’s and one of them should certainly drop far enough for us to move up and grab. If we’re lucky perhaps two of them will drop far enough and we can take our choice.
April 3rd, 2015 at 1:45 pm
@celly: I disagree. My response to you is in the other thread.
April 3rd, 2015 at 1:47 pm
Sheesh Celly, let it go. I disagree with you anyway.
We don’t have proven starters at those positions at all. They are all legit needs.
April 3rd, 2015 at 1:48 pm
And, btw, Carter cannot handle starting. He is injury prone.
April 3rd, 2015 at 2:22 pm
I would rather have Cam Erving. Moving back up into the 1st round is going to take more than a late round pick though as previously suggested – that’s for sure. Flowers will NOT make it into round 2.
Bucs have a lot of needs so it seems to me that giving up a 3rd or 4th round pick (which could net an additional decent-good Olineman this year) to move up 10 spots or whatever – would not be a good idea.
There are 3 players I could see the Bucs standing pat and hoping 1 of them falls to them at #34. Erving, Kendricks and Owamagbe Odighizuwa. Any of those 3 would be a great addition to this team.
April 3rd, 2015 at 2:24 pm
Bonzai you are correct sir. Ian Beckles agrees with you as well. He was on the radio today saying that the team is worse now than they were last season. That is my point as well. I was all for getting rid of the underperformers. However, free agency came and went and we didn’t bring in any upgrades. We keep creating more cap space but there is no need to. The better free agents are gone now and anyone brought in at this point isn’t going to cost much. Being more than $30M under the cap makes me think we probably should have tried to bring in Suh. That would still have left plenty of money for the back ups that we still may have a shot at. There are not enough draft picks to address all of these holes, even if you assume the majority of them p an out which is unlikely.
April 3rd, 2015 at 3:13 pm
Tre Mcbride would be great in the fourth round. A receiver to challenge Louis Murphy with very reliable hands and red zone pressence. Can also be an explosive return man. Only flaw is his inability to seperate from man coverage. Shouldn’t be too big a problem as a third/slot receiver.
April 3rd, 2015 at 3:18 pm
But is he 100% Juicy Juice?
April 3rd, 2015 at 3:25 pm
Lol so many needs so few picks… I like Flowers/Humphries in the 2nd but we also need a DE… maybe Orchard in the 3rd…
April 3rd, 2015 at 4:12 pm
Flowers is an absolute beast he should be off the board by 20, but could even sneak into the top 10…
Rd1. Jameis Winston (QB) – FSU
Rd2. Jake Fisher (OT) – Oregon
Rd3. Lorenzo Mauldin (DE) – Louisville
Rd3. (Trade Up) A.J. Cann (OG) – South Carolina
Rd5. Justin Cox (DB) – Mississippi State
Rd6. Mario Alford (WR/KR) – W. Virginia
April 3rd, 2015 at 4:59 pm
No way Flowers drops to Round 2. Not sure Cam Erving will be their either, and he’s a far better prospect at center (which we don’t need). The guy I’m zeroing in on is Cedric Ogbuehi, who was one of the best LTs in the SEC before tearing his ACL. We need a left tackle at the top of Round 2, end of story.
April 3rd, 2015 at 11:28 pm
@onebuc55 I would love this. Totally realistic as well
April 4th, 2015 at 8:54 am
Flowers will be fine. He started playing football late in high school and did not receive good coaching at Miami. Miami players almost always overperform relative to their draft stock. Even the crappy Bucs staff teaches better than Art Kehoe.