Won’t Get Fooled Again
July 7th, 2017
Fooled by non-NFL employees known as “analysts.”
It seems these days all it takes to be an NFL analyst is a subscription to “Game Pass” and a Twitter account.
Oh, there are very good folks who Joe respects a great deal who do their homework and talk to folks in the NFL regularly to gain knowledge and ask questions. Those guys Joe respects. That includes theMMQB.com columnist Andy Benoit.
At the end of the day, however, NFL folks know more than most of us civilians. Joe included.
Last year, Joe didn’t think free agent safety Bradley McDougald was all that horrible. And he heard nothing from Bucs contacts that suggested McDougald was a step above camp meat. It seems NFL analysts were in the same boat. Many thought McDougald was a steal on the free agent market.
The fact McDougald lasted so long on the open market and that the Bucs didn’t seem to be overly proactive in trying to keep him has Benoit puzzled.
@Andy_Benoit: #Bucs let solid (but not quite “good”) S McDougald walk in FA. Did they know they wanted Justin Evans (or someone similar) at the time?
Well, here are a few things we know: McDougald was a free agent for nearly a month before he signed with the Seahawks, who are loaded at safety with Kam Chancellor and Earl Thomas. Why would McDougald sign with the Seahawks? Barring injuries, he has virtually no shot at starting.
Then, a quick glance at McDougald’s contract, it’s a prove-it contract, a one-year pact.
Throw on top of that the Seahawks drafted not one but two safeties, in the third and fourth rounds, respectively. If McDougald was so “solid,” why could he only get a prove-it contract and sign with a team where he has almost no chance to start, and a few weeks after signing, his new team drafted two safeties?
Then, during the NFL Network’s “Top 100 Players” series this summer, Joe saw an awful lot of quarterback highlights of guys catching passes on McDougald and one jarring clip, of McDougald giving a half-arse effort as a touchdown run was scored on him. McDougald, in the clip, didn’t seem to have any interest in trying to tackle the ballcarrier.
Yeah, Joe thought McDougald was what Benoit described him as, “solid.” Actions by NFL teams and watching video has told Joe a far different story on McDougald’s skillset.
Not to mention the Bucs decided to keep fan favorite Chris Conte, sign Cowboys castoff J.J. Wilcox and let McDougald walk.
July 7th, 2017 at 1:03 pm
Wanted too much money.
July 7th, 2017 at 1:22 pm
“Fan favorite Chris Conte”
Gets me everytime
July 7th, 2017 at 1:29 pm
Best situation for him Imo when he went Seahawks. He not a buc no more so he is trash now.
But last year he was decent. Conte was horrible. I can’t believe Conte gets praise here on the site but McDogauld is whack?? C mom joe. Conte shouldn’t play at all when I seen him almost take out Kwon on a botch tackle a almost knock him out. Helmet to helmet on our own player. The 2nd saints game
July 7th, 2017 at 1:49 pm
Well at least Joe is finally coming to his/their senses regarding the McDougald situation.
The Bucs didn’t want him back. They had seen enough after 3 years of giving this guy plenty of opportunity to play and develop. More talent was needed at Safety. Of course the Bucs “knew they wanted Justin Evans (or someone similar) at the time”. We were drafting a safety this year for sure and probably in the top 3 rounds as this was the best crop of safeties to come out in some time. McDougald was originally a UDFA and there was a reason for that. He did good in reaching the level he did- but his ceiling was already maxed – and that ceiling was solid back-up level player at best.
30 other teams agreed with that assessment – which is why McDougald was unemployed for a month as a still fairly young FA and had to accept a deal as a guaranteed back-up just to get a job in the league making only $1.5M – which is half of last year’s 1 year prove it deal. Know why – cause he didn’t “prove it”.
But I’m sure Bonzai will be on here any second to tell us again what a horrible mistake we made in letting McDougald walk and why we will be bitching about it years from now in the same vein as the Michael Bennett situation…
July 7th, 2017 at 2:21 pm
Mcd got better as the year went on. Chit Eric Lagrand would make a better starting safety than Conte.
July 7th, 2017 at 2:29 pm
It’s been my opinion since last year that he was the worst starter on defense when everyone is healthy. Biggest coverage liability of the secondary. Conte would be next.
July 7th, 2017 at 4:07 pm
the team that opted to let him walk signed a FA safety, drafted one, and re-signed a fellow safety most weren’t thrilled about over retaining mcdougald. the team that signed him drafted 2 safeties high to back up the 2 elite safeties they already have. that’s all the analysis i need.
it would be surprising but not shocking to see mcdougald among the final roster cuts in seattle. all it takes is one young guy they want to develop behind their 2 starters and 2 draft picks
July 7th, 2017 at 5:05 pm
Conte is actually a really good safety. A lot of people seem to think less of him because he isn’t some kind of superstar, but given his play in several games last year toward the end of tbe season I wouldn’t rule that out, either. But he was shoehorned into Lovie’s MyScheme defense for several seasons, so there was really no fair way to evaluate his skills or talent. He was terribly exposed in the first half of the season when he was on the field, but that doesn’t mean much because the whole defense looked lost.
But after the midseason revival of Mike Smith’s defense it’s hard to say that anybody’s play was reborn more than Conte’s. I’d submit that during that particular 3-game stretch where the entire defense played lights-out there wasn’t a safety in the league that could touch him – certainly not if you go by clutch plays.
Was he playing above his talent level? Probably. But Conte after 3+ seasons under Lovie wasn’t at all the same player as he was after half a season under Smitty. At worst, we have a backup good enough to start for most teams. He’s no McDougald by a long shot.
July 7th, 2017 at 8:56 pm
McDogauld > conte. Conte
July 7th, 2017 at 11:06 pm
Man I still miss the way Tanard Jackson played. He was my favorite player for a year or 2. It’s too bad what he did to himself, derailing his career like that. Hopefully Evans turns out to be the next great safety for the bucs. It’s been a while since we have had a dominant safety roaming the secondary.
July 8th, 2017 at 12:17 pm
Joe thinking Bradley was solid hahahaha