Ex-Linebackers Coach Roasts Bucs LBs
June 15th, 2015
Jameis Winston euphoria aside, these are tough times for Bucs fans listening to knowledgeable national media talk about their team.
After an offseason of the Bucs being dubbed a Super Bowl contender by guys like Herm Edwards and Peter King, the Bucs are taking a beating a calendar year later. And Joe’s not just talking about Booger McFarland.
The prominent media guy who was an assistant linebackers coach under Monte Kiffin in New York, Pat Kirwan, knows plenty about Tampa-2 defense. The former Bucs scout and Jets personnel man now breaks down all things NFL for CBS and SiriusXM NFL Radio.
He and Movin’ The Chains co-host Jim Miller, the former NFL quarterback, teamed up last week to rank linebacker units across the NFL and by division.
Kirwan labeled the Panthers linebackers — Thomas Davis, Luke Kuechly, Shaq Thompson and A.J. Klein — a top-10 corps but said there’s “significant separation” between that group and the second-best linebackers in the NFC South. Sadly, Kirwan said that unit belongs to the Falcons.
Kirwan ranks the Saints third and the Bucs fourth. Miller had the same division rankings.
Miller is very suspicious of new Bucs middle linebacker Bruce Carter because he hasn’t been a starter has never played a full season, in addition to not being a starter at the position previously. Kirwan says there’s too big a dropoff in quality after Lavonte David.
Yes, the Bucs have legitimate questions at linebacker, as they do at every position. Carter is an unknown, but Joe thinks Danny Lansanah at strongside linebacker is underrated. David believes he’ll be improved, and the Bucs are super high on rookie Kwon Alexander.
Joe disagrees with Kirwan and Miller. The Bucs linebackers should be at least average.
June 15th, 2015 at 10:09 am
More of the same wishful thinking that we were inundated with last offseason. Those guys make great points and I agree completely. I am waiting to proven that Carter is an upgrade over Foster. I believe it letting Foster walk was a mistake. These are the reasons we perpetually have depth issues.
June 15th, 2015 at 10:10 am
As with all predictions, when the pads come on and the play starts, we find out the real truth, in the meantime we can only hope.
I must also add the the offense and defense are each a team and it doesn’t matter what each piece ranks, it only matters what the entire offense or defense ranks and of course, who scores the most points in a game. For example if we won 15 games by one point and lost one by 100, would we care?
June 15th, 2015 at 10:12 am
Another instance of national guys glazing over the Bucs because we haven’t played at a level that’s worth their time to actually look in to what we’ve got going on. I get it. We haven’t earned it. Once we start winning and playing solid football then people will stop putting us at the bottom of every list simply because they saw the Bucs name on the list.
June 15th, 2015 at 10:14 am
Everybody said the same thing about Shelton Quarles. How’d that pan out?! Carter will be fine.
Let them keep underestimating. It’s good to be “under the radar”.
June 15th, 2015 at 10:21 am
We knew this rebuilt would not happen in 2 seasons. The offense has been drafted and the defense will be drafted in the next 2 years. we have stop gap players at MLB and DE. This time next year we will be salivating at out new rookie DE.
June 15th, 2015 at 10:26 am
I agree. We’ll be fine there. They would look a lot better with a pass rush in front of them.
June 15th, 2015 at 10:36 am
By the way Joe there is NO national euphoria that I have heard about JW. The most positive national guys are cautiously optomistic.
June 15th, 2015 at 10:46 am
If I was weak minded, after reading this stuff, I might change my outlook to the Bucs getting a top three pick in next years draft. Damn party poopers! Opinions, who needs them when they disagree.
June 15th, 2015 at 10:48 am
And the over evaluation by the homers continues for this team!!!
June 15th, 2015 at 11:01 am
Ranking is based on unproven talent. Agree with the ranking. MLB and SLB are still question marks. No problem. What’s the saying about “Potential”?
June 15th, 2015 at 11:26 am
The Falcons, the dirty birds, they are assuming Vic Beasley is all that, mmmm, we’ve see this Clemson movie before.
June 15th, 2015 at 11:35 am
Not even Koetter and Jameis can save us from Lovie’s ineptitude.
June 15th, 2015 at 12:30 pm
Lot of fans are blinded by their love of the Bucs. Guys, we have two studs on defense, two adequate players at cornerback and a bunch of no names at the 7 other spots. The silver lining is an offense that may be on the rise if the two o-linemen drafted pan out. We need a couple years of drafting on the defensive side before this team is competitive. Like it or not they are rebuilding and they basically haven’t even started the rebuild on defense. Joe loves his second tier players they have brought in but that kind of low level talent doesn’t help you win championships.
June 15th, 2015 at 12:31 pm
I agree with Kirwan and Miller. You can’t rank these guys higher than anyone else until they prove it. Carter is still a question mark and Lansannah is far from a pro bowl caliber player. Hopefully they can execute and silence the critics.
Otherwise, it’s another going to be another year of Lovie getting criticized for not making gold out of dog shit.
June 15th, 2015 at 12:57 pm
by the way, the week before, Kirwan and Miller ranked the D-lines for the NFC-South and the order was.
1 Panthers
2 Saints
3 Bucs
4 Falcons
June 15th, 2015 at 2:06 pm
Trade Bruce Carter for Mychal Kendrick
The Best— Bruce Carter has every played, is at RILB in a 3-4 scheme. Philly gets another a player signed for two more years.
We get an instinctive MLB, that hasn’t even scratched the surface of his true potential. Dude runs a sub 4.5–Blitz the A Gap like nobodies business, and can make plays from sideline to sideline.
Fair Exchange Ain’t No Robbery
June 15th, 2015 at 2:11 pm
interceptions:
the only two linebackers listed on the entire page on nfl.com for linebackers are bruce carter and danny lansanah
combined tackles:
assist and total tackles lavonte david is second to kuechly and the rest of the nfc south is behind
total tackles:
lavonted david is number 2 in the nfl second to a detroit linebacker
so in this case pat kirwin is being a hater, if your a buc fan and you dont even think our linebacker core is good because of lovie smith then you seriously dont know anything about the bucs
June 15th, 2015 at 2:18 pm
In the words of the Big Lebowski aka the Dude…..”Well, that’s like your opinion man.”
June 15th, 2015 at 3:16 pm
REF: A.J. Klein
LUVMYBUCS Says:
April 10th, 2013 at 12:19 pm
Pough is solid.
Like A.J. Klein overall playmaking ability, and Vince Williams upside more though. Will never forget that smack that Vince Williams put down on that guard at the senior bowl practice.
……
@Brandon
Check out ILB prospect A.J Klein (Leonard Johnson former Cyclone’s teammate) Cyclones coach Paul Rhoads(One of the most underrated coaches in college football) . Has fielded some pretty good complicated defenses + he’s pretty good friends with Coach Schiano.
June 15th, 2015 at 3:30 pm
Sorry, more lazy journalism here, kicking teams because they’re down and it’s easiest to do. There’s no way in the world the Bucs have worse LBs than the Saints or Falcons…just no freaking way. If Keuchly is the best LB in the division, David is a very close 2nd…that has to be worth something. Lansanah and Carter are still every bit as good as the best LBs on either the Falcons or Saints. Their units are terrible.
June 15th, 2015 at 7:09 pm
I agree with touchdowntampabay I don’t think this team is close to being complete still some holes left however given a couple more years I think this team will be a real contender!
June 15th, 2015 at 7:43 pm
Not sure how anybody can disagree. This defense scares nobody right now.
Licht and Lovie are once again hoping non-starter cast offs from other teams will be stars in Tampa. Bruce Carter the is the 2nd coming of Quincy Black.
June 15th, 2015 at 8:48 pm
I believe Khaseem Greene is our best MLB , but I also believe Bruce Carter is our best Sam LB. This is my starting LB corps, Bruce Carter Strongside, Khaseem Greene MLB, Lavonte David Weakside LB.
June 15th, 2015 at 11:27 pm
if the mlb is not up to the task, the whole defense looks worse. the bucs had few options but to roll the dice, but that is definitely a position other defenses will target. carter or alexander or whoever mans that position will be one of the most frequently challenged players on the field.
June 16th, 2015 at 10:28 am
Buc Realit, you can call us Homers if you like, just like I call you a troll because I can’t remember you posting anything positive about the Bucs. Your posts usually consist of something snide, negative and rude.
Foster is a liability in this and almost any defense with his 4.85 speed. Barret Rudd was a better MLB.
Still, Carter is an unknown at MLB and has to prove himself.
With Keckley and Davis, the Panthers should own the top slot. But for the Dummynick, Kueckly could have been in pewter and red.