More Chucky Chatter
December 24th, 2017
“Hey Ed, no matter what happens, I just want to thank you and your brothers for stirring up all this attention for me. Love it, man!”
It’s starting to get thick.
It’s that time of the year. We are eight days from Black Monday, when NFL teams toss coaches aside like used Christmas wrapping. Many coaches will not be celebrating the new year like many.
(Column intermission: Joe vividly remembers where he was when Raheem Morris got whacked by Team Glazer. Joe was knee-deep into his second beer at an Outback Bowl tailgate party. So what happened? Well, Joe will just tell a little story. After once sitting down the left field bleachers at the Fruitdome for a ballgame, Joe got a phone call from his editor with an immediate assignment. When Joe mentioned it may not be a good idea because Joe just finished his first beer, Joe’s editor said, “Grab some mouthwash and let’s go.” Duty called.)
In this NFL Network clip, Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport discuss three job hot seats including Bucs coach Dirk Koetter. Rapoport again brings up the “friction” angle between America’s Quarterback, Pro Bowler Jameis Winston, and Koetter as a factor. Both Jameis and Koetter have vehemently denied there is any issue between them.
Garafolo had an interesting take as to why Koetter is in danger. You can see that point made in the video below but as Garafolo also added, things with the Bucs this year “went the wrong way.”
From @NFLGameDay: A run through some coaches on the hot seat as the season winds to a close. #Colts, #Bears, #Bucs pic.twitter.com/y5x9KcqvGw
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 24, 2017
December 24th, 2017 at 10:51 am
Per Rap, Gruden is already reaching out to coaching assistants.
And the Bucs are his preferred destination.
December 24th, 2017 at 10:57 am
If the bears blowup…
Vic fangio is a great defensive coord
December 24th, 2017 at 11:00 am
Ian Rapport is rarely off target. HE says Gruden is forming staff now.
December 24th, 2017 at 11:08 am
Shoot… john fox as defensive coordinator.
Jay gruden or chuck pagano as offensive coordinator.
Again. I like koetter but think he is dead man walking cause no way they beat panthers or saints last 2 games.
December 24th, 2017 at 11:08 am
Mike…yes yes I hope…ready to crank it up…you gotta love football. And there is a guy that won’t be outsmarted in game planning, in game adjustments, and standing up for his players regarding bogus calls.
Let me make it clear. If I had to choose between Chuck or Koetter as a neighbor, I’d probably choose Koetter. Seems like a nice guy…would make a great steady neighbor…conscientious…a man of integrity. Jon is many of these things as well…but there would never be a dull moment in Gruden’s neighborhood…that is if you could catch him at home, as he would likely be spending most of his time “in the office” planning and preparing for the next game.
December 24th, 2017 at 11:09 am
Go bucs !
I mean please lose but play hard
December 24th, 2017 at 11:13 am
I actually think Koetter is an above avg coach. I think his decision to hire his buddy as DC is what is killing him. I think he should have fired Smith a few weeks ago. If things turned around.. Then Koetter stays. But now….I think they both might be gone. It’s a shame. The Bucs offense was the best we’ve all ever enjoyed the last 3 years. Anyone think it improves if/when Koetter leaves?
I don’t.
December 24th, 2017 at 11:17 am
Mike smith and his defense was the reason why we were 9-7 last year
Koetter will be out of the NFL and will never be hired by another team…
He (schemes/playcalling) suks and the NFL knows it
December 24th, 2017 at 11:19 am
Allegiance and loyalty sometimes can cost you. I agree Kalind. Koetter knows what he should have done with Smitty. But the 2 are Hommies, friends, faithful Road-dogs. And its gonna cost him. I’m even willing to bet Koetter insist on keeping Smitty. It will be his downfall. I’ve said all along, Atlanta owner Arthur Blanks let them leave for a reason. Koetter is kinda overwhelmed right now. The Gruden train is picking up to much momentum nationally now. Its probably a done deal.
December 24th, 2017 at 11:20 am
All I want for Xmas is Gruden back on the Buc sideline where he belongs!
December 24th, 2017 at 11:21 am
If you swing big as the buccaneers did and do not meet expectations a lot of people could be losing their job. I couldn’t agree more, all of his coaching staff contracts are up so it’s just Smith and Koetter they’d owe but in a side note Mark duffner and monken I’d like to see them be retained
December 24th, 2017 at 11:25 am
Kalid…there is plenty of talent on Offense… so I wouldn’t be surprised that with a new HC, this offense would be among the best in the league. We need a second or third round RB, and another O lineman or two. Right there.
December 24th, 2017 at 11:28 am
The Bucs don’t have the personnel to run Gruden’s “Gulf Shore Offense” or a reliable enough defense for another magical instant Super Bowl contender. People forget the more Gruden got the personnel he wanted the worse the team performed and the more problems they had managing salaries leading to years of salary-cap hell. The Glazers have made some questionable business decisions over the last decade this would be a doozy. Stop the coaching carousel long enough to see the plan through. Constant change is a losing formula. The team needs depth and stability.
December 24th, 2017 at 11:29 am
Koetter isn’t any worse than Lovie… though Lovie might be out of a Big Ten job…already has had 5 or 6 transfers out this year, and had lowest rated early signing in the Big Ten…and was the worst team in the conference last year. He may be a division two or three HC or a couch coach again. But Koetter is a good guy, I honestly believe… and maybe a very good O coach somewhere on the O side of the ball. But he is at best an average HC.
December 24th, 2017 at 11:32 am
Crazy.. you forget how many O players we brought in on the O side of the ball Grudens first year. We are only a couple players away from having one of the best O’s in the league. Get a good D coordinator as well, bring in a few of the right FA’s, and draft two or three other guys, and we could be right there. And nobody game plans and gets the most out of his talent as JG does.
December 24th, 2017 at 11:33 am
WOO HOOO!!!! I like Koetter but Gruden would be a great upgrade. He replaced the whole offensive side of the ball in one year and added Simeon Rice to our pass rush. After the super bowel the Glazers bought Manchester United and suddenly we couldn’t spend money. I believe the Bucs were like 9-3 in his last year when Kiffin announced he was leaving for Tennessee to work with his son and our defense looked like crap causing us to lose the last 4 games. He will make a lot of changes in areas we need a lot of help.
Merry Christmas Pewter Pirates!!!
December 24th, 2017 at 11:34 am
Jon gruden offense schemes are jay grudens schemes
Very similar and same philosophy
Jay learned everything from his older brother jon
Jay turned a turnover machine in cousins to a 30 mill per qb
December 24th, 2017 at 11:46 am
Rumors, rumors, rumors. Okay, I admit it. I started it. It was a slow Thursday night after seeing portions of a bad Bucs practice. The Bucs were 2-3, and people told me I was crazy, that there was no way such rumor could be true. But it grew legs. The losses mounted. And while the story would be more believable now than it was then, a rumor is still just a rumor. As my clients like to say: “Suckas!”
It’s all true folks. Chucky’s already got his DC picked out too. It’s Jack Del Rio. And he’s brining back Mike Shula. Or maybe none of it’s true.
December 24th, 2017 at 11:49 am
Mark2001 I understand your point I remember Gruden won the SB with a QB he didn’t want and spent the rest of his time with the Bucs trying to replace with someone better. I remember the constant tinkering, the motion penalties for all the pre-snap movement that confused the offense more than the defense, the players who got tired of all the Chucky-ness and the years spent trying to fix the changes Gruden brought too. I don’t think the Bucs win the SB without Gruden but I also remember the team’s decline after one truly magical season.
The team needs a builder like Parcells or Belichick more than a mad scientist like Gruden but hey that’s just one opinion. The only opinon that really matters is ownership who’ll let us know soon enough. Their money – their team.
December 24th, 2017 at 11:51 am
lol right cause an inept offense that couldn’t score points in the first half of most games let alone muster a first down wasn’t an issue at all.
Tools
December 24th, 2017 at 11:52 am
On a less serious note. If Dirk being retained is tied to Jameis (and I don’t think it is), we won’t know the truth behind J-WUbergate until end of March at least. And it may not be getting started until then if the drops a civil suit in March…the statute of limitations for a civil case in ARI. Ouch.
Everyone else will be talking draft, free agency…and we may be still doing take 2 on whether Jameis is guilty as alleged…or not and the league still thinks he is.
Ah, the start of a new year. Each of the 32 teams have aspirations for playoffs, or higher. But this year, it will probably be just 31 hopefuls…because we won’t know who the starting QB is, more than likely, until June.
December 24th, 2017 at 11:53 am
If Gruden comes back the NFL will likely take it easy on Jameis if there is not 100% indisputable evidence Winston groped someone. I don’t see 6 games just for his name involved. And Jameis doesn’t strike me as the type that would yell homo slurs out the window.
December 24th, 2017 at 12:03 pm
Half of the male nfl employees are in a sexual discrimination allegations. Nfl execs are getting fired and a owner is forced to sell his own team….
Jameis he said/she said non criminal case with absolutely no physical evidence isnt even a pimple….
1 game max
Kobe and son of kobe PA
December 24th, 2017 at 12:06 pm
crazy…but a few points to remember. We didn’t have first or second round picks for a few years…so it was always plug and play. I don’t think McKay did him any favors the last year here in the draft. And Allen was a cap guy to get us out of “impending cap hell”. The Glazer’s were up to their neck in ManU and didn’t spend on top shelf FA’s. Did Gruden make some mistakes during those years…certainly. But you don’t think he has matured a little since then? Frankly, I don’t think he has lost a lick regarding football strategy and knowledge. He would have to adjust his camp regime in light of the new rules, but I’d bet he can. I don’t think there is anyone better out there for this team now, but will support whomever they choose.
December 24th, 2017 at 12:14 pm
“F” Gruden!!!!!!
This franchise doesn’t need retreads see “lovie smith”
December 24th, 2017 at 12:43 pm
F koetter is more like it. Gota find the right one before you marry her kids. This, wait more than 2 years stuff, works out IF you have a coach who knows how to be a head coach. We have a former great offensive coordinator who is now a terrible head coach. No thanks. Bring us a great defensive coordinator Jonny!
December 24th, 2017 at 12:45 pm
I doubt Jameis gets even a 1 game suspension as there is ONLY ONE witness and that witness corroborates Jameis’ story, so to me, that’s the end of the story.
As for Gruden … he LOVES Jameis … and Jameis LOVES being coached hard, getting screamed at, etc., as that’s how he was raised and what he respects.
I’d be ecstatic with a Gruden hire … and I’m a guy who actually likes Koetter a lot … but Gruden is just on a different level!
December 24th, 2017 at 1:47 pm
Anyone notice how only one reporter is breaking any news about this? Ian Rapoport.
No one else is getting anything? Not even Jay Glazer????
Maybe Gruden is talking a little, but the Glazers are not.