Rice Moved By Bucs Disaster
October 26th, 2017
He’s serious.
Prized JoeBucsFan.com columnist eye-RAH! Kaufman will never forget it.
eye-RAH! last year watched as the Bucs inducted John Lynch into the Ring of Honor. There, on the sidelines during the game against the Falcons, eye-RAH stood alongside Lynch and fellow Bucs greats Warren Sapp and Derrick Brooks, where eye-RAH! noticed the trio of Bucs stars couldn’t bare watching replays piped on the JumboTron. They were so disgusted.
Why? Matty Ice throttled Mike Smith’s defense that night 43-28 with 480 yards of offense.
The three old defensive warriors’ disgusted body language and facial expressions were noticeable, in addition to their comments.
Though he wasn’t in Tampa for that game, Simeon Rice found out the hard way how his former teammates were suffering.
Two weeks ago, Rice, who now lives in California, sat with Bucs COO Brian Ford in Arizona while the Bucs suffered that boat-racing by the Cardinals. Rice apparently wanted to throw up on his shoes he was so unnerved.
After watching, Rice told Jenna Laine of ESPN he became determined to try to make a comeback and rescue the Bucs.
Rice indicated that he previously had no intention of making a comeback. It wasn’t something that came up when head coach Dirk Koetter invited him to training camp. That all changed when he watched the Bucs lose 38-33 to the Arizona Cardinals on Oct. 15. Rice sat with Brian Ford, the Bucs’ chief operating officer, during the game.
“It was very hard watching what I could fix,” said Rice, who was the last Bucs player to notch double-digit sacks, with 14 in 2005. He reached double-digit sacks eight times, including in five consecutive years with the Bucs. “My only request is you bring me in and let me play my brand of defense, which is real pressure football — sack fumbles and disruption.”
Odd line there by Rice. The Bucs don’t (as opposed to “can’t”) bring real pressure? This is very interesting to Joe.
Look, for no other reason, the Bucs should bring Rice in for a workout just for what he has done for this franchise.
If there appears to be a remote spark left, that will show in a workout. The Bucs have such a dire need for an edge rush, what can be lost by letting Rice work out, as crazy as it seems? Yes, Joe is fully aware Rice hasn’t played a snap in a decade.
Yesterday, Robert Ayers was chuckling over the prospect of a 43-year old making a comeback. Ayers was clear that he has mad respect for Rice but added the “young killers” might have other ideas.
Ayers has a point. Imagine the offensive linemen out there that would love nothing more than to take out a 43-year old as some kind of personal prize, a guy who may some day have a bust in Canton? Rice would be a target for some idiot or idiots.
October 26th, 2017 at 12:09 am
Do it. Can’t hurt, right?
October 26th, 2017 at 12:16 am
At least for some extra help. Bringing someone in at this point sounds good now as I was opposed to it. Why not Rice? Even if he doesn’t play? Just consultant and tippers?
October 26th, 2017 at 12:19 am
It would sure as hell make the rest our D Line look stupid as….
October 26th, 2017 at 12:36 am
Bring him in as a f***ing coach. Whoever doesn’t get a sack has to block him at practice
October 26th, 2017 at 12:59 am
Of course the current Bucs don’t want Simeon around!!!! COME ON!!! It’s because Simeon will show them how it’s done!! Are they intimidated by him??? Fluck, I would be!!
So what??? Bring him in! It can’t hurt to try him out! He’s 43??? And in better shape than Baker!!!! WTF!!?? Bring him in for a try out!!
October 26th, 2017 at 1:32 am
Koetter as much I love him is a stubborn guy. When he says he sticking with his guys means alot to him. Bring in rice sends a horrible message and u think kinda embarrassing them?
I think a a little motivation with the guys we have could do the job. But also great coverage is also the remedy for poor pass rush
October 26th, 2017 at 1:34 am
Ayers has no point. He’s talked nothing but smack since he got here with zilch to show for it.
It’s probably ridiculous to entertain the idea, but hearing all our defensive linemen being disrespectful to an actual sack artist is hilarious. I watched Shady Mccoy run untouched into the end zone last week and he hadn’t scored all year.
Also, when are the media going to ask GMC when his changed leadership style is going to show up?
October 26th, 2017 at 1:40 am
Could he play worse than what we have now?
October 26th, 2017 at 2:12 am
Baker= 6 million
Gholston= 5 million
Evan Smith= 4 million
Equals
15 million!!
15 million= Calais Campbell!!
ahhhhhhhh!!!!!!
October 26th, 2017 at 4:36 am
When Ithink of great defensive ends that have played for the winking pirates
Selmon and rice come to mind, yes without a doubt there have been other
ones that have been good but those who personally I think of 1st. A coach
With Rice’s knowledge of the game would be nice at the same time he was simply a freak of nature, let’s get a freak of nature and a coach who can harness their abilities. We need to be waving the white flag we need help!
October 26th, 2017 at 5:12 am
I say we bring in a real GM so we aren’t even put in the ridiculous situation of having to consider pulling Simeon Rice out of a decade of retirement to improve our pass rush. The absurdity of this discussion is near incomprehensible and only made possible by the rank ineptitude of one Jason Licht.
October 26th, 2017 at 6:29 am
There is a very good reason to not bring Rice in for a workout. It would be a publicity stunt and a PR nightmare. Stop this nonsense, Joe. Please
October 26th, 2017 at 6:30 am
In the words of the General in the movie “War Games”….”He’ll, I’d p*ss on a spark plug if I thought it would do any good!”
Rice may be 43, but he looks to be in great shape, well rested and he’s probably forgotten more about rushing the passer than our current DE’s will ever know! Why not at least have him practice?
October 26th, 2017 at 6:32 am
Also, it’s been reported the best reason Rice isn’t in the HOF is his mouth.
October 26th, 2017 at 6:43 am
WesternBuc … “Ayers has no point. He’s talked nothing but smack since he got here with zilch to show for it.” Hope you’re kidding with that comment because exactly the opposite is true. Robert Ayers ISN’T the problem with this DLine.
The defensive snap count to me pretty much tell the story of who’s contributing & who isn’t. OK, as much as tackles, sacks & forced fumbles do, because time-on-the-field is telling you where you stand in the pecking order, says a lot about injuries, etc.
Look at the DT snaps counts for our first 6 games … our defense was on the field for 425 snaps total. GMC was on for 361 of those (85%) … that’s ridiculous. McDonald was on for 183 (43%); Baker for 140 snaps (33%); and Siliga for 42 snaps (10%). So GMC was on the field for the same number of snaps (85%) as ALL the other 3 DTs combined (86%). Does anybody see anything wrong with that picture?
Look at the DE snaps for our first 6 games … again 425 defensive snaps altogether. Ayers was on the field for 312 of those (73%) … way too high for a DE to stay ‘fresh’. Spence was on for 247 snaps (58%); Gholston for 227 snaps (53%); Russell for 110 snaps (26%); and Jack Smith & Will Clarke for a combined 36 snaps (8%) … of course, the latter 2 only had 4 games between them.
Mot too hard to see that GMC & Ayers have been way over-used, but the bigger question is WHY? Because they make the most $$$? Hardly. My take? Because based on their play, an over-used GMC & an over-used Ayers give us the best chance of stopping anything. To me, that says a LOT either about the rest of the talent on our DLine OR about their condition (injuries, etc). I’ll buy the latter for Jack Smith (1 game & he was gone) and Spence (played like a warrior IMO, but like a hurting warrior) and Russell (now on IR after playing the 1st 4 games). Baker isn’t playing up to his billing IMO (on the field for 33% of the snaps … seriously?). Siliga has only been active for 3 of the 6 games, and played minimally in those (42 snaps TOTAL). I wouldn’t want to be Smitty or Hayes right now working with the minimal talent Licht has given them to work with. Do your job Jason … either make a trade or at least scour the other teams’ practice squads to find some viable talent for now and for the future.
October 26th, 2017 at 6:54 am
Go get Demarcus Ware and Rice on each end, at least season will be fun
October 26th, 2017 at 7:05 am
“My only request is you bring me in and let me play my brand of defense, which is real pressure football — sack fumbles and disruption.”
Sorry, Simeon. That’s not the kind of defense Smitty is trying to run this year!!
October 26th, 2017 at 7:24 am
A better idea would be to draft defensive lineman wouldn’t it?
October 26th, 2017 at 7:29 am
Rice also most definitely backed up that so called mouth with his game wreaking skills ! This dude right here I know at some point , was the NFL record holder for most games in a row with multiple sacks ! And you people remember , that long arm always came up when he bent the corner and would tomahawk chop that ball out..all our guys along the dline these days are bums..point blank ! I dare anyone to argue that
October 26th, 2017 at 7:37 am
@Defense- Great breakdown! It’s kind of telling, isn’t it?!
October 26th, 2017 at 7:40 am
@ Hail
Nobody ever had a problem with his play. His crass arrogance and nonsense claims have been the problem. Ex: dumping on Pat Tillman at the peak of the Iraqi war.
October 26th, 2017 at 7:46 am
I like Simeon, one of my all-time favorite players to watch. I’m really rooting for him to get a yellow jacket. But let’s get real here. His mouth has always been what’s been in his way. Remember his acting nonsense? Foolish Strahan peeing match? Come on!! This is just more Simeon bring Simeon. 43 yr old defensive end come back? Please.
October 26th, 2017 at 7:54 am
https://youtu.be/YBcI3cwmcfw – Football version of Mr 3000
October 26th, 2017 at 8:27 am
This would turn the already bad situation on defense into a circus.
October 26th, 2017 at 8:49 am
We all saw the decline of derrick brooks during his last years with the bucs…..he still had great technique, but his speed was vastly slow
the same thing happened to rhonde…..
you can’t beat father time
October 26th, 2017 at 9:12 am
Leadership in this organization need to end this Rice talk. It is just one more distraction this team needs to avoid. How about Licht say we are looking at options but respectfully Rice isn’t one of them.
October 26th, 2017 at 9:26 am
I’m not sure how he would have more of a target than any other DE that’s lining up across from them. Besides, if his skills haven’t eroded, let them have a target on him. I’m sure that the OL players he lined up across from in his hey day had a target on him as well. Didn’t matter. Let the man play. He wants to give it a shot, he’s earned a shot.
October 26th, 2017 at 9:33 am
This is so dumb. Rice would get killed. He sucked in semi pro when he was in his mid 30’s. He sucked for the colts and broncos when the bucs cut him. He’s in great shape but this is stupid… the same way idiots every year say, i bet Bama could beat the Browns or whoever is the last place nfl team is.
October 26th, 2017 at 9:45 am
…….bama probably could beat the browns in their “factory of sadness”
October 26th, 2017 at 10:51 am
I would say that the best way to take advantage of Rice’s offer it to bring him as DE/DT Coach. Somebody has to put all the “young killers” in the right place and teach them how to do the right things in the field. Also he can teach them to feel the Buc’s colors in the skin and defend them.
October 26th, 2017 at 11:35 am
Maybe we should try out Jack LaLanne at MLB, he’s still in fantastic shape.
October 26th, 2017 at 1:10 pm
Do it. Because if can still play, what does that say for Ayers
October 26th, 2017 at 8:50 pm
I say do it. He obviously has more passion than anyone else on the dline. Hes practically begging for a workout. Why not?