Warhop Lashes Out At Smith Critics
May 18th, 2017
George Warhop stands up for his left tackle.
It’s really too bad there is roughly only one time a year Bucs assistants speak on the record.
Yes, Joe knows it is NFL policy that coordinators must speak weekly during the season, but the rest of the Bucs assistants sure are refreshingly blunt.
Takeoffensive line coach George Warhop. He’s really a good, laid back guy. Top notch dude. But boy, did Joe get Warhop revved up today when Joe what it was about the spreadsheeters and their persistent erection for Bucs left tackle Donovan Smith.
Warhop initially tried to hold back but in the end, he failed.
Asked about how so many mock drafts had the Bucs selecting a left tackle at No. 19, Warhop thought it was outrageous.
“I didn’t get that,” Warhop said as he was confused by the notion. “I saw that. And I am like, ‘Really?’ Hhhmmm. ‘I guess they know something I don’t.'”
When Joe asked Warhop about how badly the geeks beat up Smith, Warhop cocked his head backwards and roared in laughter.
“I’m going to say this,” Warhop said as he dialed back his emotion. “If you look at Donovan last year, the first thing he has to improve on is being consistent. He is an unbelievable talent. I mean, when I say he is unbelievable, I think he literally could be one of the top two or three tackles in the league. That is just my opinion.
“I love the guy. I think he has strength; he has quickness; he has athleticism; he’s smart. I think in the early part of last year, he just wasn’t consistent. If you watched him in the second part of the season, he played a lot more consistent. He played way better for us.
“I think that is where [Smith] is and where he will go up from. I am excited for Donovan. I think you all better get ready for someone to do something spectacular. I think he is really going to be a great player for us.”
Warhop admitted he has thrown the kitchen sink at Smith to learn and use, and Smith is just starting to grasp a command of all that Warhop demands. Warhop also noted coaches are learning where Smith excels.
“I give him a lot of stuff,” Warhop said. “I try to give him a full tool belt to use in games and we have to sort out what he does best. I think he figured that out last year around Game 8 or Game 9. He settled in.”
This is the first time Joe had a Bucs assistant really swing a big mother f’ing stick in defense of Smith (on the record), and it just happened to be his position coach.
Joe is happy Bucs types are starting to mount an offensive for their battered left tackle. Now, Joe just hopes Smith’s play silences the frauds.
May 18th, 2017 at 1:37 pm
Smith is a solid LT, I’ve seen nothing that makes me think otherwise. He doesn’t standout as getting beat or taking penalties – he just does his job.
May 18th, 2017 at 1:40 pm
He’s going to look a HELLUVA lot better this year when Jameis is slinging the ball immediately after his 5 or 7 step drop, because he’ll have open receivers.
LT always gets abused by the fans and press when the QB is on the run constantly making plays outside the pocket because no one is getting open in time.
May 18th, 2017 at 1:43 pm
D Smith doesnt have the feet to play very good level left tackle…Never will…EOM
Kobe is a very disciplined individual and i live by certain mottos
“Never ever trust a 300lb man wearing skinny pants”
Kobe Faker
May 18th, 2017 at 1:50 pm
I’m pulling for him. He’s never stood out to me honestly for bad play beyond the penalties…He’s definitely never had a game like the RT position had against Dallas for example in any start he’s had.
May 18th, 2017 at 1:53 pm
By the title i thought he meant Lovie Smith.
May 18th, 2017 at 2:01 pm
sounds like kobe faker got burned on another one of his “blind dates”!!!!!!!!!!
@Joe
I think his statements are very telling!!!!!!!!
“I think he literally could be one of the top two or three tackles in the league. That is just my opinion.”
WOW!!!!! he said “tackles” not Left Tackle!!!!!!!!! could this be a clue??????? DS76 takes a big step and we won’t have to wonder about this!!!!!!!!
Go Bucs!!!!!!!!!!!!!
May 18th, 2017 at 2:04 pm
LT DS76 is fine! 3rd year and will lock jit down….its the other side Im worried about!
May 18th, 2017 at 2:07 pm
he’s right i’ve said it too it seems that sometime in the middle of the season he just started clicking we saw less penalties and i really don’t think he gave up too many pressures to end the season either the beginning of the season it was looking like he was gonna be a bust but he turned it around and i expect him to continue to get better him and ali marpet are easily our two main pieces of this o line
May 18th, 2017 at 2:33 pm
Kobe Faker Says:
May 18th, 2017 at 1:43 pm
“…Kobe is a very disciplined individual…”
Clearly not.
Kobe Faker=Oath Breaker.
May 18th, 2017 at 2:55 pm
So instead of 3-4 draft Dalvin Cook post we now have to be subjected to Lee beating us over the head that Donovan Smith didn’t lead all Tackles in penalties…
Dudes not awful but he hasn’t done much to deserve this kind of parade of JBF
May 18th, 2017 at 3:04 pm
RT is the problem spot …
May 18th, 2017 at 3:35 pm
Our biggest problems were with Cherilus and Hawley. Hopefully health willing, neither will play a large role this year.
Donovan Smith is our best lineman with the most upside after Ali Marpet. He has PROVEN he can shut down some of the league’s best pass rushers. He has the ability, at age 23 it’s just about being consistent with it like coach Warhop said.
May 18th, 2017 at 5:15 pm
Pablo > kobe faker
May 18th, 2017 at 7:51 pm
You gotta be a special stupid to call for the drafting of a new left tackle after the current one is just now going into his third season. Can’t wait to watch him dominate this year!
May 18th, 2017 at 9:16 pm
Warhop wont publicly berate his players. Not saying Warhop doesnt love, like, loathe him. So of course while in the spot light he’ll defend his people. A good leader will. However; Smith is awful… Hopefully he does well and improves nothing will make me happier. Drafting a LT would have been stupid. Sounds like bucky made that call. In licht I trust.
May 18th, 2017 at 9:57 pm
Let’s just flush this point out.
Jason Licht has demonstrated since he came here that if a player sucked, he won’t blink an eye getting rid of the guy or at worst, bring in competition.
Licht had the title of general manager (we all know who was in charge) when the team threw away tens of millions of dollars of Team Glazer loot to a boatload of stiffs (Anthony Collins, Ghost Johnson) who were unemployed after Licht’s first year. A lot of GMs would have been scared sh!tless to do that, thinking they would be setting themselves up to be fired.
Waste a second round pick on a lousy kicker? Licht brings in another kicker.
How many tackles have the Bucs selected in the first two days of the draft in the past two drafts? Zero. How many big-named free agent tackles have the Bucs brought in the past two offseasons? Zero.
If Licht — who himself played offensive line for Tom Osborne — or the coaching staff really believed Donovan Smith was subpar or “awful,” don’t you think Licht would have brought in someone to at least compete with Smith for a job?
As Warhop said today about the offensive line as a whole, “If I thought we needed somebody I would have been screaming in the draft room to draft somebody.”
May 18th, 2017 at 10:36 pm
Let’s keep in mind that Jameis Winston doesn’t like giving up on plays, meaning he’s always trying to extend the play to make something happen. That puts a lot of pressure on the O-line and sometimes Jameis just “extends it a bit too far” and it looks like the line didn’t give him enough time.
May 18th, 2017 at 11:00 pm
Rick in Fort Myers:
You will want to read a story Joe has scheduled for the morning. 🙂