Fear And Loathing And J.R. Sweezy
March 25th, 2016
A PFF villain.
Boy, talk about hurt feelings!
Nothing gets the numberscrunchers worked up quite like telling them their numbers don’t add up. They just throw a fit.
There is, however, a close second. And that is bringing up the name of Bucs left guard J.R. Sweezy. When Tampa Bay signed the Seattle expatriate, the spreadsheeters went into a childish temper tantrum on Twitter, as if mom took away the mouse to their PCs after she caught them surfing porn.
This PFF outrage has apparently been building up in the mind of Matt Claassen who, when attaching the proud PFF grading system to each team’s free agent class, gives the Bucs a B- and goes into an emotional rant about Sweezy.
Tampa Bay lost their best offensive lineman through Logan Mankins’ retirement, which prompted the team to sign J.R. Sweezy. Sweezy is capable of making some really impressive blocks in the run game, but he’s far too inconsistent over the course of a game and season. He’s never earned a positive overall grade in four seasons, and ranked 69th out of 82 guards last year (Mankins ranked 16th). At the very least, his $6.5 million average per year—which makes him the ninth-highest paid guard—was far too much for a player of his caliber, particularly with a strong free-agent class of guards.
In addition to Sweezy, the Buccaneers signed a few other veteran players. Robert Ayers should be an immediate boost to their pass-rush, while Daryl Smith and Brent Grimes were low-risk signings to boost the back seven. Ayers’ had the eighth- and ninth-best pass-rushing grades among edge defenders last two seasons, respectively. Prior to last season, Smith was consistently a very good linebacker, but his performance declined in 2015. Was it a down-year, or is Father Time catching up with the 35-year-old? Grimes’ production hasn’t been near what it was a couple seasons ago, but he’s still been an average cover corner the last two years who can also play well against the run.
Man, if you didn’t know any better, you’d think the Bucs announced that Garrett Gilkey would be the starting left guard.
Just remember folks, this all-knowing, all-saying, indisputable grading system the PFF crowd tries to sell/con people with also once all-knowingly crowed that E.J. Biggers was Aqib Talib’s equal and Anthony Collins was a steal of a pickup.
Pardon Joe if he trusts Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht, a former offensive lineman himself, who has proven he can judge talent, over a guy who punches numbers into an Excel program.
March 25th, 2016 at 11:04 am
Joe you need to cut Garrett Gilkey some slack. He’s going to surprise a lot of people this year, just wait.
March 25th, 2016 at 11:06 am
Have they worked it into the equation that Sweezy has only been playing the position for 3 years and has nothing but upside?
March 25th, 2016 at 11:17 am
Good call out on PFF. Sweezy has a lot of physical talent that can be groomed. He and Marpet are athletic freaks of nature and will get better and better over time.
March 25th, 2016 at 11:21 am
It is what it is. Pass blocking isn’t something that comes naturally. That’s why guards are guards and tackles are tackles. The inside pass blocking game is different from the outside, the whole thing works as a unit though. Seattle’s pass blocking is different than the Bucs, Wilson and Winston are two different animals. Hopefully Koetter runs more screens and play action this year, which will help a guy like Sweezy who is probably better at getting out and pulling as opposed to straight up pass blocking.
March 25th, 2016 at 11:43 am
Defense Rules Says:
March 25th, 2016 at 11:04 am
Joe you need to cut Garrett Gilkey some slack. He’s going to surprise a lot of people this year, just wait.
Said no one ever!!!
March 25th, 2016 at 11:44 am
^^^Good call…the HC wants smash mouth run game with athletic guards to attack the edges – all accomplished with this line…Kevin Pamphile would start on many teams, as would E Smith and Cherilus..we are building one hell of an O Line, have literally 8 starting caliber lineman, when EVER could a Bucs team say that…could care less what the PFF numbers say
March 25th, 2016 at 12:07 pm
I thought this article was about Gilbert Gottfreid.
March 25th, 2016 at 12:24 pm
One of the things I always admired about..Belecheat and the pats is..they will cut dead weight in a heartbeat. Even in the middle of a season. its Time for guys like gilkey, Stocker,ASJ, bell, banks and a few others to prove their worth or take up fishing. If we’re gonna be champions, we gotta have ballers..period.
We are getting there. But some of our dead weight is still holding us down.
March 25th, 2016 at 12:47 pm
“When the going gets weird, the weird go pro. ” HT
March 25th, 2016 at 1:24 pm
F & L in Vegas was one of the coolest books ever, RIP shoutout to Oscar Z and Hunter S
March 25th, 2016 at 1:54 pm
Does PFF go to NFL website and look the players up spewing their nonsense into their word processor? How can say with a straight face that “Grimes’ production hasn’t been near what it was a couple seasons ago” when the last three years have been almost identical except for a drop in 10 tackles, BUT HE MISSED A GAME! Morons!
March 25th, 2016 at 2:53 pm
I heard from more than just the PFF crowd on Sweezy however, he’s a very polarizing figure and the Seahawks fans didn’t really seem to think he was much of a loss. While fans are often dumb, I still get unsettled when they’re indifferent to losing a player and scratching their head about why they got the money they got. Meanwhile what gives me hope is there were a number of teams going after Sweezy with big money deals, so it wasn’t like the Bucs were on an island on this one. However saying trust Licht… what exactly has he done in free agency that would make you trust him? Most of his picks have been misses, pretty bad ones at that – and don’t tell me that was all Lovie’s fault.
March 25th, 2016 at 3:51 pm
The Seahawk’s line sucked balls as a whole last year so there’s that. I expect him to block better than Gilkey though.
March 25th, 2016 at 5:45 pm
i wonder if marshawn lynch and thomas rawls thought Sweezy was the 69th out of 82 ranked guards.
March 25th, 2016 at 5:47 pm
also curious what the hottest passer on the planet in the second half of last year (russ wilson 25 TDs 2 INTs) thought of this terrible guard
March 25th, 2016 at 7:32 pm
Good comments ‘Pick6″…..for information only, Garrett Gilkey is listed on the Bucs team roster…..just sayin
March 25th, 2016 at 8:03 pm
Rod Munch Says:
I heard from more than just the PFF crowd on Sweezy however, he’s a very polarizing figure and the Seahawks fans didn’t really seem to think he was much of a loss.
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Interesting thought. Say we traded out GMC and picked up Wilkerson or drafted a bigfoot DT. The angry sort.
Would fans here say the same buh bye to McCoy?
March 25th, 2016 at 8:12 pm
Meanwhile, I’m good with taking a flyer on Sweezy. Bring the meanness back up front. Let’s get another big back like #40 so if our pass pro struggles we just run the flucking Kitties and Taint’s over.
I’m good with winning any way possible.
March 26th, 2016 at 6:18 am
If Sweezy is as bad as PFF is stating, then why in the wide world of sports would nine other teams want his services? Not to mention one fellow lineman said he is playing like an All-Pro. If PFF is correct, there is a major disconnect somewhere? I can’t wait to see the “Smash Mouth In Your Face With A Nasty Streak” terrible five Smithereans, JR “hit you after the whistle” Sweezy, Brawley Hawley, Mongo, Cherrios umm no its Luv my Dotson, prove PFF wrong. For the first time I actually agree with M Johnson, who I will refer to as Richard. Its time for guys like gilkey, Stocker,ASJ, bell, banks and a few others to prove their worth or take up fishing. Add Verner, McDougald, Johnson, Evans, Dye, Wright and Evan Smith to your list.
March 26th, 2016 at 8:01 am
Other organizations can pull a Donald Penn or a Micheal Bennett.
March 27th, 2016 at 3:22 pm
Biff Barker-
Look no futher than the send off that Darrelle Revis and Donald Penn recieved!
Posters here were Jubuliant, like they were bad players.
Best CB and LT to ever play for this team, and “the Fans” booed them out of town