Chucky’s Stain
April 26th, 2017
“If I knew mother!@#$%^g Aaron Rodgers was going to turn into a f%^&*#g Hall of Famer, I would have drafted the Son of a B$%^h!”
Oh, the mistakes we all make in life. Some are hilariously minor and forgettable. Others, well, they can Pearl Harbor your career.
And it seems that is what happened when Chucky, the greatest coach in Bucs history, ignored the pleas of Team Glazer to draft and develop a quarterback.
Instead of drafting Cal quarterback Aaron Rodgers in the 2005 NFL draft, Chucky instead went with Cadillac Williams, a great guy with the heart of a lion.
After winning offensive Rookie of the Year, Williams’ career quickly nosedived after suffering a variety of foot injuries and blowing out both of his knees. Only once after his second season did Williams run for more than 800 yards. He became a free agent in 2011, and ended his career with a final, nondescript NFL season with the Rams.
Rodgers, meanwhile, almost made Packers fans say “Brett who?” leading the Packers to a Super Bowl win over the Steelers during the 2010 season and becoming one of the all-time greats.
Meanwhile, Chucky is working for BSPN and pushing his cynical “Fired Football Coaches Association” nonsense like he is some martyr.
(Joe likes Chucky, but his constant whining about getting fired rubs Joe the wrong way. Paul Brown, Tom Landry and Don Shula were also fired. Chucky is nowhere near the pantheon of those legends.)
Chucky has never coached (other than offensive line for his sons’ high school team) since Team Glazer told him to clean out his office on that dark January 2009 Friday afternoon. And the Bucs are still searching for that elusive playoff berth.
In many ways, both the Bucs and Chucky have yet to recover.
In a story on how Rodgers came to the Packers, good guy Rob Demovsky of ESPN talked to Chucky about why he passed on Rodgers after pretending Rodgers was his guy.
“I went and watched tape with Aaron. I can still remember it like yesterday. I watched tape with Coach Tedford and Aaron,” Chucky said. “Was really impressed in the film room and then we went out right there in the stadium. We walked right outside and started playing catch to loosen him up and then you look up in the stands and here comes this strange figure walking down the aisle and Aaron says, ‘Who is that?’ I said that’s our receiver. He says, ‘Well, who is it?’ I said, ‘You’ll see.’ So it’s Jerry Rice. That was pretty good. That was a great day. I’ve still got the picture hanging right here at the FFCA [Fired Football Coaches Association]. It’s a memento of why I was fired. You can see one of the greatest regrets in my lifetime.”
But is it a regret? Oh, sure, Chucky probably wanted to stay with the Bucs as long as he could. And since he was shoved out the door, Chucky has had untold offers from both NFL and college programs.
Joe is confident Chucky is done with coaching, although prized JoeBucsFan.com columnist eye-RAH! Kaufman gets the sense Chucky just might give coaching one more shot, and soon.
Few coaches get another chance in the NFL after a nine-year hiatus. Dick Vermeil springs to mind, but rarely are they successful.
Chucky makes great coin (reported $6.5 million annually) only having to work 80 or so days a year. That’s a helluva part-time gig which gives Chucky lots of time to fish and golf and hang out with his wife and family.
It’s hard to imagine Chucky back in the NFL grinding for 100+ hours a week at roughly the same salary he’s pulling from the four-letter.
If Chucky really loved coaching as he claims, he would have returned to the sidelines — somewhere other than high school — a long time ago.
April 26th, 2017 at 6:33 am
I assume that running this piece the day before the 2017 draft starts is supposed to trigger some thought like “Will Jason Licht regret not drafting Dalvin Cook like Chucky supposedly regrets not drafting Aaron Rodgers?” If that’s the underlying question, my answer would be that every GM probably has regrets after every draft. None have crystal balls to know with total certainty how well any given player’s talents will translate to their team’s needs in the NFL. Or in the case of Cadillac, if they’ll be able to stay healthy season-to-season. Cadillac by the way is probably the poster child for NOT drafting a RB in the 1st rnd … LOTS of talent but unfortunately couldn’t stay healthy.
April 26th, 2017 at 6:35 am
Rogers went 24th to, obviously, the Packers. Of the 23 teams that passed on Rogers, I’m willing to say, in retrospect, they would all have taken Rogers. Too bad they don’t pass out crystal balls on draft day! Sure, there were some studs chosen ahead of Rogers, but none as good as him…The biggest regret has to go the 49ers who took Alex Smith with the first, overall, pick..Chucky has no room to cry– plenty of tears to go around after that draft!
April 26th, 2017 at 6:42 am
The game has changed since Chucky last coached. 9 years is a long time. Better stay in the booth.
April 26th, 2017 at 6:47 am
If he had drafted Rodgers instead of Cadillac or AP instead of Gaines Adams he would still be HC here. I wonder how much Bruce Allen actually influenced both of those decisions. With Rodgers I’m confident we would have found a way back to Super Bowl contention. Instead we have been drug across the bottom of the sht bucket for the better part of the years since.
Thanks for the memories Joe.
April 26th, 2017 at 6:58 am
Chucky walks on water. I can never thank him enough for me being able to see the Bucs win a Super Bowl. It is something I never thought I would see. With Jameis I’m hoping I can see it again.
April 26th, 2017 at 7:01 am
Also Chucky & Simeon Rice belong in the ring of honor. Without those two there is no Super Bowl Ring in Tampa.
April 26th, 2017 at 7:01 am
If he’d drafted AR, he’d still be gone. Chucky wasn’t a developer of young players. Chucky would have played old has beens to “win now”. As AR languished at both practices and games the Glazers still would have fumed. And, Chucky would still have been gone. Chucky would be here if he was a builder of talent, not just a user of talent.
April 26th, 2017 at 7:24 am
Would AR had turned out the same way now if Chucky drafted him? Who knows. I’m sure his body is in a better state now riding the pine the first 3 years behind Farve vs the pounding he would have taken the first 3 years here
April 26th, 2017 at 7:31 am
Chucky chose not to draft Rodgers, not Allen. Bruce was his yes man. Chucky never liked young quarterbacks, preferred vets, and that is one major weakness. Glazes wanted a young franchise qb to be developed. Gruden, not so much. Didn’t work out, other things happened, buh-bye.
April 26th, 2017 at 7:57 am
He did want to draft him! The GM passed not chucky!
April 26th, 2017 at 8:03 am
I think Jason has learned from Chucky’s mistakes. You think Jason is going to draft a running back in the first round and make it huge mistake like Chucky did. Like a poster already said you don’t draft running backs in the first round. Especially ones with an injury history and who wants to play Thug Life. At least Cadillac was a good person. We got to help cook can stay healthy and stays away from his thug want to be friends. Then we gotta help you don’t fumble because he can’t hold onto the football. I don’t know about y’all but that doesn’t sound like first round talent to me
April 26th, 2017 at 8:04 am
I heard the gm nixed it too. Not sure it matters tho theyre both tied together, both fired. Good ole hindsight. The part that i dont get is that mike nolan said no to rodgers because he was too cocky. I think he missed the memo on that one. Interesting stuff tho. Go bucs
April 26th, 2017 at 8:21 am
Man Caddy was my favorite. He looked like the star running back we never quite had. I’ll never forget that game in 2007 week 4 at Carolina when Caddy tore his petellar tendon, you could tell just by the way he fell it was a career altering injury. Even the Panther players showed their concern as Caddy was carted off. Oh what could have been.
April 26th, 2017 at 8:54 am
The Glazers practically begged Chucky to draft him, after Chucky even told him he was going to. That is why he was fired.
Chucky didn’t want to work with a rookie QB and that is why he didn’t do so. He was always in win now mode, which was a blemish on his coaching career. He wasn’t good at developing or drafting.
I don’t think AR would have been that great with us anyway. He sat behind one of the best all time and was gifted a golden opportunity. Our defense was falling apart and AR would have had to rebuild the team on offense in which Chucky pretty much tore apart.
April 26th, 2017 at 9:01 am
Go look at that draft and you can see the trend that was going on in the league at the time….its kind of like the NBA a few years ago where you had to have the Center to win a title and now that has evolved, the NFL does not need a dominant RB to win a title, the rules have changed you need a QB and weapons around them, cook or mccafery will be great choices for the bucs in today’s NFL, chucky just got dealt a thoroughbred with a hitch in his giddy up
April 26th, 2017 at 9:08 am
If chuck would have had a great gm and wasn’t aloud to scout or make picks.
One can only imagine.
We fired him and hired Raheem wow
April 26th, 2017 at 9:10 am
What a load of crap. Not drafting AR had nothing to do with Gruden getting fired. You guys remember it was Gruden who brought in Keenan McCardel, Joe Jurivisious, Michael Pittman. It was Gruden who got pretty good QB play out of average veteran QB Brad Johnson. It was Gruden who challenged the Offense to compete with the Defense and carry their own weight in helping the Bucs win. It was Gruden who changed the mindset that only Defense matters and through that change, he took the Bucs to the Super Bowl! Gruden got fired because at 9-3, in the middle of the season, Monty Kiffen announced he was leaving after the season to go coach with his son. The defense and team quit on him and the Glaziers lost patience. Pretty dumb decision on the Glaziers part.
April 26th, 2017 at 9:14 am
Probably!
April 26th, 2017 at 9:21 am
I always thought Chucky’s big mistake was the 2004 draft. We take Michael Clayton when everyone was projecting us taking RB Steven Jackson. Had we taken Steven Jackson we wouldn’t have needed Cadillac Williams. Then we take Aaron Rodgers in 2005. They would have dominated on offense with those two picks. Anyway the past is the past lets get this years draft over. GO BUCS!
April 26th, 2017 at 9:22 am
Not drafting AR certainly did have a role in why Gruden was fired, amongst many other influences. That is not a debate. Glazers wanted him and Chucky refused.
Believe what you want though…
April 26th, 2017 at 9:24 am
That’s the beauty of hindsight, could’ve, should’ve, would’ve!
Incidentally, didn’t Chucky go 9-7 in consecutive seasons without Rodgers or AP?!
I hate these discussions about who we missed drafting. The argument is ludicrous. Many, many picks who were highly touted went on to do ZERO and zilch. Oh, “but if we drafted this guy Gruden would still be here”! B. freakin’ S.!!!!
People need to give Gruden his due. The guy is/was a great coach.
April 26th, 2017 at 10:12 am
Oh really? And what line, what kind of team would he have put around him? Would he have thrown him in the fire or who would he have put Rodgers behind?
You can try to speculate all you want. That does not mean Gruden would still be here or Rodgers would have made it here.
April 26th, 2017 at 10:28 am
Caddy was my favorite too!
I graduated from Auburn in 2006 with a degree in Anthropology.
I ran into Caddy two times during 2002.
He was a STAR. He was humble but he shined bright!
Caddy was one of the main reasons Josh Freeman had his best season with Caddy as his third down. Caddy called out ALL the blitzes and picked up HUGE third downs on many game saving drives.
Go re-watch that 10-6 season and you will consistently see Caddy making game-changing catches, runs, blitz calls and BLOCKS.
I love Caddy and always will.
Peace Eagle!!!
April 26th, 2017 at 10:51 am
This is why you don’t draft running backs in the first round… no matter how good they may be (Dalvin Cook).
April 26th, 2017 at 11:31 am
Biggest mistake in Bucs draft history
Allen and Chucky had dinner the night before the draft with Rodgers where they told him they’d pick him.
April 26th, 2017 at 1:09 pm
Tampa Tony Says:
April 26th, 2017 at 11:31 am
Biggest mistake in Bucs draft history
LOL – you aren’t very familiar with Bucs draft history are you Tony?
April 26th, 2017 at 1:17 pm
bo jackson is and always will be the worst draft decision in bucs history
April 26th, 2017 at 1:39 pm
Well stated tmax. I mean there are so many examples, but Bo. That takes the cake!
April 26th, 2017 at 2:04 pm
So stop blaming Lovie for Lovie. Blame Gruden for Lovie. If he wasn’t so stubborn and set in his ways and drafted Rogers, Gruden and the Bucs would probably have 2 SB rings and Lovie would never sniff the glue of the Glazers stationary. He’d still be in his basement and we would have no need for Fameis.
April 26th, 2017 at 2:45 pm
Honestly, I don’t think Lovie was that bad of an idea, in theory.
He was with our team when we won the Superbowl and then he went to another with the Bears. They consistently had a very good defense.
It didn’t work out that way, but I must admit I was stoked when we got him at first.
It went away after about 3 weeks into the season.
April 26th, 2017 at 2:49 pm
Pickgrin
Not picking a HOF qb when you said you would? Over drafting bo who would’ve died playing behind the Bucs line? Bucs have a bad history draft wise but missing on Rodgers is #1 for me
April 26th, 2017 at 4:16 pm
Lovie left to be an assist with the Rams. He then became Bears coach in 2004. He wasn’t part of the Buccaneers Super Bowl team.
April 26th, 2017 at 5:17 pm
So the last time we drafted a rb in the first round, we currently are trying to replace him. Injury issues, inconsistency, can’t rely on him, can put the team on his back and win a game.
Time before that how was it? Injury issues, inconsistency, can’t stay on the field, can’t perform like he’s supposed to.
So by that logic we might as well draft a first round rb with injury issues, inconsistency in coughing up the football, character concerns, who’s already taken second fiddle to Jameis (not really a knock against him) so doubtful to put the team on his back! It’s bound to work eventually!
You can’t be scared of the past, but you sure as heck gotta learn history
April 26th, 2017 at 8:41 pm
Why are we wasting time and energy talking about what might have happened or what whoever might have become?
Look to the future and talk about what and who we are about to become.
#beforwardthinking
April 27th, 2017 at 1:35 am
Rodgers took forever to play and only has one ring despite playing for one of the best run teams in the league … I’d rather have Jameis going forward and would bet he wins more rings than Rodgers by the time all is said and done …