Bucs Were Smart In Draft
June 2nd, 2018
Mocked by national publication. (Photo courtesy of Buccaneers.com.)
Sometimes, it helps to know the roster of the team you are typing about.
And while Joe can understand why some folks might quibble with Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht drafting Vita Vea, a person’s argument goes out the window when they do not know the roster.
Take Zach Kruse of Bleacher Report. He writes about the worst mistake each NFL team made in the draft and for the Bucs, he believes drafting Vea is that mistake.
But you can read where Kruse makes a critical error in his judgment.
Why draft a game-changing safety (Derwin James), a special hybrid linebacker (Tremaine Edmunds) or a feisty, athletic press-man cornerback (Jaire Alexander) when you can get a two-down run-stuffer?
On James, Joe has been through this before. What folks were selling on James, Joe never saw from the guy at Florida State. Sure, James was/is a good safety, no question. But the way NFL draft media was pumping this guy up, he is the next Troy Polamalu. If Joe saw that kind of player from James in college, then yeah, Joe would have been on the James bandwagon. Joe never saw that kind of player.
The suggestion of drafting Edwards borders on crazy unless the Bucs were going to trade Lavonte David or Kwon Alexander. And since the strongside linebacker leaves the field for the Bucs on passing downs, why would Licht draft a part-time player that high?
Alexander? Regular readers know how Joe feels about the 0-for-3 whiff-rate of current Bucs coaches not developing rookie corners. If the Bucs would have drafted Alexander at No. 12, off to St. Jude the Apostle (patron saint of lost causes) Joe would have gone to light candles for Alexander’s soul.
Joe is starting to think the age of drafting defensive tackles for their pass rushing ability is over. Unless a guy is the next Aaron Donald, it is foolish to believe a defensive tackle in today’s NFL can get double-digit sacks.
June 2nd, 2018 at 1:06 am
The trenches needed help and Licht tackled it with the biggest, strongest, bad-ass nasty DT from college football last year. A 350lber who plays light. It will be the best pick in the end.
June 2nd, 2018 at 1:35 am
We will see, but on paper Licht drafted his board. We got a 10 year DT. A damn special RB, 2 opposite sides of the spectrum corners, a Sleeper WR, a Smaller but Ball Hawk safety. Way I look at it, applause Mr Licht, Applause. We have one of the best GM’s in football. A GM that can draft is 10 times more valuable than a GM that is good in free agency, aka Bruce Allen. I DO NOT want to hear fire Licht EVER, the talent is there, he did his job, if we lose it’s not his fault. PERIOD. COACHING.
June 2nd, 2018 at 2:14 am
This writer is just throwing chit against the wall. I was a big proponent of drafting Jaire Alexander – with our 2nd rd pick if he lasted that is – certainly no higher than 25. But at #12? No.
I wanted James and thought #12 was a good spot to get him after picking up TWO 2nd rd picks to move down just 5 spots (hat tip Mr GM).
Had no idea the Bucs had Vea so highly rated and were prepared to take him at 7 if need be.
I’m gonna defer to the guys who get paid to evaluate on this one and be glad we got such a beast of a prospect for the interior of the DLine.
DT was a strength of this draft and we got the best of the bunch.
You can almost never go wrong bolstering the trenches with high end talent – unless they bust which I seriously doubt will be the case with Vita Vea.
June 2nd, 2018 at 3:03 am
You dont draft DTs to get sacks.
Donald and McCoy are extremely rare DTs, With enough intial burst to collapse the pocket.
Vita Vea isnt that guy. Not even close
But he doesnt need to be. Hes a nose tackleOffenses try to push the Nose tackke to one side or the other, on inside runs.
If Vea can hold his position, stand up against the inevitable double teams, and clog the middle- he will be and invaluable part of our run defense.
On run defense- Gap integrity( defending the gap you are assigned) is everything. If everyone maintains their gap- you will stop the run.
And taking away the run, makes a team one dimensional, and much easier to defend.
See the wretched 2017 Buccaneers for an example.
Nose tackle has the hardest gap to maintain. You are a rock in heavy current.
Always double teamed, and ussually a tight end( fullback) will hit you too, all to open up the inside rushing game.
You get a big, strong monster- who can stand his ground- then you are a very lucky defense.
I think Licht drafted one.
Soon, stupid fans will be calling him a bust, because he isnt getting sacks.
Vea could play a fantastic game, without getting a single sack or tackle
Most Posters here dont know the difference between a strong side DE, A weak side De, a 3 technique, and a nose tackle.
But if Vea can play consistently with the strength and agility hes flashed, in a couple years, NFL players will be voting him to the probowl
I think Licht has drafted Brilliantly- with only a Couple foul balls( VH3, our favorite kicker).
And who could have predicted that the greatest kicker inncollege history would suffer a total meltdown.
My only issue with Jason Licht, is that he waited so long to get us a DE.
One good DE, teamed with McCoy, would have made this defense so much better
This will prove to be another great draft. . Licht has provided the materials. Now lets see if the coaches can build a team.
June 2nd, 2018 at 6:00 am
He’s gonna smash opposing running game.
June 2nd, 2018 at 6:22 am
Im just sitting back watching and smiling….we got our huge strong man on D line…..love it! 🙂
June 2nd, 2018 at 6:57 am
Imagine the debate if Vea was chosen at 7 and there was no trade…..we’d only have Vea and Jones….likely no cappa…..a 4th round corner…..meh.
This was a fantastic draft…
I predict all 8 players will make the final 53…..that’s how good it was.
June 2nd, 2018 at 6:58 am
Well said Tim.
June 2nd, 2018 at 6:59 am
I loved the Vita Via pick. I wasn’t sold on Derwin James either and I’m a huge FSU fan.
I have to say I never really liked the Hargreaves pick either, but who else were we gonna get there? Leonard Floyd maybe? Thank goodness Licht passed on Eli Apple though!
June 2nd, 2018 at 7:14 am
See the Licht!
June 2nd, 2018 at 7:20 am
The Tongan tree stump
Impossible to (re)Move
June 2nd, 2018 at 7:42 am
Thank you, Scurvy
June 2nd, 2018 at 7:42 am
Licht would’ve drafted any of the Big-3 had they been there IMO … but they weren’t. Regardless of whether or not we’d traded down in the 1st, Jason made a smart move when he grabbed Vea & continued to build the trenches. Good move today, but a great move in setting our DLine up for years to come. Not a move that a whole bunch of JBFers had called for however.
Drafting RoJo next was another great move with an eye to the future IMO … and it also wasn’t one that a whole bunch of JBFers had called for either. Could’ve had several other RBs, but Licht instead drafted an RB with the qualities that we NEEDED most (explosiveness?) and I applaud him for that. Made sense to get RoJo before drafting a CB (2 in our case) because the draft was relatively deep in CBs. He took a gamble drafting Stewart before Davis (still not sure why), but it worked and that’s all that matters.
June 2nd, 2018 at 7:50 am
Vita Vea is a very good draft pick. Great D lineman are almost as hard to get as great qb’s. Just remember he is a rookie and it takes a couple of years. I am very much looking forward to his development. He will be fun to watch.
June 2nd, 2018 at 7:58 am
He will be eaten alive by these vet offensive lineman. the Buc’s secondary is the worst in the N.F.L. The safety play is very sad and should have been address this year and would have been covered for the next couple of years. I do not recall a defensive lineman in their first couple of years making a different.
June 2nd, 2018 at 8:10 am
I’m not making a direct comparison, but I remember when Vince Wilfork came out of Miami. I wanted the Bucs to draft him but they passed, and he ended up going to New England, where he had a great career. I think Vea can have that same kind of impact and career so I think this was a very good pick for the Bucs!
June 2nd, 2018 at 8:48 am
CaptTim
Nice post! Although I haven’t given up on Vea getting some sacks I agree that is not his main responsibility.
So we have two DL who clearly excel in one area of the game. Vea with the run and Spence with the sacks…doesn’t mean though that I don’t expect Spence to help with the run and Vea to get the occasional sack.
It is far easier to find DB’s than DL’s. In the broad universe of available athletes there are simply a lot more 6′ 200 lbers who can run and are athletic than there are 6-4 325lb men. Vea is an athletic freak of a human being.
Derwin James is NOT!!!
June 2nd, 2018 at 8:56 am
Imo, this was our best off-season in years. The ONLY thing I’m worried about is the kicking game. It’s the NFL man, offenses stall…
June 2nd, 2018 at 9:27 am
@ Defense
I’m glad someone else is puzzled by the drafting of Stewart before Davis…..and Licht traded down for the Davis pick……there were 3 CBs and one S chosen between the two…..I can only suspect that he felt one of those teams wanted Stewart……
Stewart may have been higher on his board…..would still like to know why…..the analysts around the draft didn’t seem to like the pick….but most have since started to favor it.
June 2nd, 2018 at 10:47 am
Tampa Bay Bucfan no disrespect but most of the corners ahead of stewart and davis were great corners but probably better at playing in off coverage or giving receivers a big cushion. I think Licht wants corners that can excel in press coverage to combat our divsions large receivers to jam at the line and throw their timing off. Tampa has struggled as a defense against the quick slant ever since Lovey Smith took over and its carried through to the Koetter era. And the later you draft someone in whatever round you get them the less money you have to pay that player. So I think Licht drafted for scheme and economics.
June 2nd, 2018 at 11:03 am
Like Lucy said, take your Vita meata vegamin and feel great.
June 2nd, 2018 at 11:11 am
I remember when anyone could write for Bleacher Report. I even had a stint at it, so you know their standards wee not very high.
I mostly agree with Capt Tim, except for his comment that you don’t draft DTs for sacks.
I think it depends on which DT spot you are filling. Sacks should certainly play some role in it. We drafted McCoy because we wanted someone comparable to Sapp…who got sacks.
Suh was drafted for sacks.
A large number of successful DTs were drafted for their ability to get sacks. Heck, Tampa not drafting to get sacks is why this dLine has sucked.
So far as Vea, I agree he is not going to be a sack master…that’s not his role in the spot he will play. He is there to be the stopgap and run stopper, and to absorb double teams…but to get double teamed, he’ll have to become a sack threat…otherwise teams will have no need to double team him.
June 2nd, 2018 at 11:17 am
WutdaBucisthis Says
“Imo, this was our best off-season in years. The ONLY thing I’m worried about is the kicking game.”
This is exactly my stance too. I think Licht finally nailed free agency…and this draft is going to cause some surprise cuts from the previous roster.
But the kicking? I understood the need to upgrade at kicker…my problem is that I think we did not upgrade, or if we did it was only just barely. Our new kicker only has one stat that is substantially better than Patrick Murray…touchbacks.
While touchbacks are important, the main thing I care about for a kicker is field goals…I do not want to lose a game because our kicker cannot make one. Heck, the NFL is trying to phase out kickoffs anyway.
And our new kicker is pretty much the equal of Patrick Murray in that department (and in extra points).
I don’t even mind them bringing in the guy…to compete. But that’s the problem…he’s being handed the kicking job…just like the last guy.
June 2nd, 2018 at 11:44 am
I got on the Vea bandwagon in January or February. Since he has arrived here my expectations for him have gone up even more and he has not played one down for us. He is a great combination of character, size, and talent.
Just look at his belly. It speaks volumes to me.
[That’s right! I mean that literally. … :-))))))) ]
I see him helping to prolong Gmac’s career by at least two years.
I do not expect any superstar exhibitions this year. I do see him as probably being a repeat pro-bowler and maybe even multiple all-pro in the future. He should be a great performer for at least ten years.
He is what is meant by the term “Manster”.
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Go Bucs!!!
June 2nd, 2018 at 12:05 pm
All the draft magazines rated Stewart far below Davis. However, the more we see of Stewart, he is a good press corner and a real good playmaker too, so hat’s off to Licht recognizing how really good Stewart is. But others, including experts, didn’t think so. Therefore, Licht could have taken Davis first, gotten a good second round Safety or DE, then moved up into the third round and still gotten Stewart. Had we known Smith had improved so much after all his experience last year we could have just taken one DB, Davis, and picked up a good DE in the second round. If PFF or Spence goes down we don’t have a top talent DE to step up for them. However, I think Whitehead is a solid SSafety pick despite his size, and I am still happy how Licht did in the draft!
June 2nd, 2018 at 12:38 pm
I just want to add a big “Amen!” to what RealBucsFan said earlier.
I could ramble on but I cannot say it any better. So I will just shut up for a while. 🙂
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Go Bucs!!!!
June 2nd, 2018 at 1:36 pm
Nice ! 🙂
June 2nd, 2018 at 2:05 pm
If vea can learn to rush the passer then the pick will be worth it.vince willfork could rush the passer coming out of college.vita has no moves he is all power. It will take him a few years to develop. In a 43 defensive it’s crucial that all four lineman can rush the passer so vea will be on the bench on third downs until he can get some pass rushing moves.i didn’t like the pick but I pray he proves me wrong.
June 2nd, 2018 at 2:36 pm
juggernauts of june
slight outside possibility we might achieve mediocrity
June 2nd, 2018 at 3:22 pm
Don’t have a problem with the pick as there is no doubt our DLine needs major upgrades. However Joe, your assessment of James is simply wrong. He is a game changer and will be a force as a safety in this league.
June 2nd, 2018 at 3:49 pm
I think Davenport will be a better pro
But vea will be a force and a blast to watch
June 2nd, 2018 at 10:33 pm
Vea and McCoy are Mike Smith’s John Henderson and Marcus Stroud from the 07 Jaguars. He finally has DT’s who can disrupt the interior line.
June 3rd, 2018 at 1:04 am
you obviously never watched a FSU game before….James is that good and can play anywhere. Also you can play Edmunds at DE and he would excel at that position, he can also drop back in coverage. I do agree with Alexander though only because it was a bit high to take him. Guess you need to know the roster and the players in the draft more before you write about it. js
June 3rd, 2018 at 5:37 pm
While the storm seems to have cooled from the draft, anyone would be a fool to think that Licht will be back next year. He pushed the panic button and made Koetter head coach and then brought in Mike Smith… Forget about the Derwin James blunder. Licht sucks at his job and should’ve been fired last year before he had the opportunity to set this franchise back even more.