“Whispers” Doug Williams Will Be Fired
December 4th, 2009
Scott Reynolds, The Grand Wizard of PewterReport.com, the Internet-only, Bucs fan site best known for its defunct print magazine and message boards, is making bold comments about Doug Williams.
Per Reynolds, unnamed player agents are telling him the legendary quarterback is not cutting it in his current job as Bucs Director of Pro Personnel and is likely to be fired after the 2009 season.
For years, agents I’ve spoken with have raved about Dominik’s scouting acumen as well as his personality. I haven’t heard many positive reviews at all about Williams from agents since he joined the front office in 2004. Williams’ calling card appears to be standing on the table for backup quarterback Josh Johnson on draft day in 2008 and being involved with Dominik in recruiting wide receiver Antonio Bryant to Tampa Bay last year. There have been some whispers from agents that the Bucs will shake up their personnel department and that Williams will get fired to make way for more experienced talent evaluators. That doesn’t seem far-fetched as the days of Tampa Bay’s front office boasting the likes of Rich McKay, Jerry Angelo, Tim Ruskell, John Idzik and Dominik are long gone, unfortunately. Even the front office of Bruce Allen, Kevin Demoff, Ruston Webster, Dennis Hickey and Dominik back in 2005 had more talent for spotting players and experience in dealing with the salary cap and agent negotiations than the current collection of executives. If Williams, who is one of the more storied players in team history, gets fired at the end of the season in a scouting shakeup, which certainly seems like a possibility from the agents I’ve spoken to, don’t think of him as Dominik’s scapegoat. That term means “one that bears blame for others.” Williams might be portrayed as the fall guy by some in the media following a dismal season, but within the agent community, his potential firing will be justified because he’s regarded as not being great at his craft in NFL circles.
Now no sane observer is going to confuse the Bucs’ scouting and drafting department with the NFL’s best over the past several years. Whether Williams deserves to be terminated, Joe’s not so sure.
What Joe is sure of is that Reynolds should have gotten a comment from Williams for this story.
From Joe’s experience, Williams is one of the most accessible Bucs executives, always milling around the press box and rather eager to chat, and usually a colorful quote, as well.
If Joe were ever to print such strong assertions about Williams or any other executive, from anonymous sources no less, JoeBucsFan.com readers can be sure Joe would go ask the guy for his comment.
That’s Journalism 101. Not to mention Williams deserved that respect.
December 4th, 2009 at 1:55 pm
Joe come on now – really?
I guess PR should have asked, “So Doug according to the agents that I’ve spoken to you suck at evaluating talent and when we look at the product on the field they’ve got a point. What say you?”
Looking at the draft results during Williams tenure you’ve got to ask yourself why don’t the Bucs have better players?
Now before people come up with the lines, “well we traded so many #1 picks for Gruden “… yadda yadda, yadda. I’m speaking of the rounds 5-8 picks.
Sure Sammy Stroughter is a find but what about those years from 2005-2008? How many diamonds in the rough were brought to Chucy’s and Allen’s attention?
December 4th, 2009 at 2:01 pm
Williams needs to go. PERIOD!
December 4th, 2009 at 2:03 pm
Well, when you say:
“If Joe were ever to print such strong assertions about Williams or any other executive, from anonymous sources no less, JoeBucsFan.com readers can be sure Joe would go ask the guy for his comment.”
It makes me wonder … uh … doesn’t posting this article constitute you printing “such strong assertions about Williams”?
Where’s Doug now?
December 4th, 2009 at 2:12 pm
thedeej3000 notices Joe takes a lot of shots at The Pewter Report…
December 4th, 2009 at 2:18 pm
Joe here,
Mr. Lucky – Yes, you are exactly correct. Pewter Report should have gone up to Williams and said simply, “Doug, Agents are telling us you’re on thin ice here based on performance, do you want to offer a take on that for our story?” If no. they report that Williams didn’t comment. …It’s as basic as that. Anything else is bush league.
thedeej3000 – Joe has maybe taken five shots at Pewter Report in about 3,500 posts over 16 months. They are hardly a target. We shoot at everyone. And we welcome all to shoot at us.
The only real target Joe has is Rachel Watson.
December 4th, 2009 at 2:24 pm
keeponbucn thinks joe looks foolish jabbing PR, keeponbucn thinks joe is a grade D journalist.
keeponbucn has an itch on his balls, keeponucn thinks instead of jabbing at PR every turn, joe should develope his own sources at OBP instead of puking out everyone’s elses hard work
keeponbucn thinks this is funny, keeeponbucn may now create a site pasting other peoples articles
December 4th, 2009 at 2:26 pm
MB:
In a word, “No.”
Color Joe skeptical. Using unnamed sources and not attempting to contact Williams for any response? Let’s just say Joe calls that walking out on a thin limb.
Williams very well may be shown the door. But to throw that out there using the always dicey unnamed sources, well, Joe’s seen plenty of journalists get burned doing that, as well as non-journalists too (Dan Sileo).
Better hope that information is accurate.
Look, Joe has used “unnamed sources” a couple of times, it’s not a practice he likes doing for any number of reasons. When Joe did use unnamed sources, Joe was positive the information and source(s) was sound; that Joe was not getting played.
December 4th, 2009 at 2:28 pm
Joe, is that 9mm or 357? Bang! Bang!
December 4th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
Joe here,
Keeponbucn – Joe has plenty of sources. Feel free to hit the archives. Or better yet, scroll down and you’ll see the first in-depth interview with the Bucs new quarterback. Heck the DallasMorningNews — one of the finest sports sections in America — even saw fit to link to Joe’s interview with Rudy Carpenter. …And Joe is pleased and proud to provide a one-stop-shop of commentary and news articles for Bucs fans absolutely free.
Again, Joe jabs and praises everyone equally. Sorry to hear about the “itch on your balls.” Thanks for reading.
December 4th, 2009 at 2:34 pm
oar:
Eh, a BB gun actually.
Trust Joe, when he brings out the big gun, your computer monitor rattles.
December 4th, 2009 at 3:09 pm
If every individual was hired/fired based on the recommendations of AGENTS, I think there would be a lot of FO turnover throughout the league. I do agree that Doug may not be as productive as Dominik was in the position, but without knowing (and I don’t think may people have a clue who’s exactly responsible for each player/staff decision) what guys Doug has identified, it’s hard to agree that he should be fired. If they are thinking of making a change, I think he would be a valuable addition to the Bucs PR department, though I think he has designs on advancing his career in the FO of an organization instead.
December 4th, 2009 at 6:49 pm
so that would be twice……
December 4th, 2009 at 8:37 pm
I thought the primary responsibility of the Director of Pro Personnel is just that, pro players. Draft and college player evalution falls on other’s shoulders. The DPP (lol) evaluates players already in the NFL, so talking to agents should be a daily occurrence. Maybe they should have Raheem-da-vet-Dream talk to the agents. He is such a great communicator. With all the garbage on the Buccaneers’ Staff, Williams is the least of their problems. This is why the Bucs need a “Real” Chief of Football Operations to hire an all new Staff on the field and in the office. I’d keep Rich Bisaccia if he doesn’t get an HC job first, but all of the rest can go, including Dennis Hickey. He’s another idiot responsible for many bad picks. Wait, I’d retain Shelton Quarles, well because he’s Shelton Quarles. Hire Derrick Brooks as DC and SGW94 as D line Coach.
December 4th, 2009 at 9:51 pm
Fair enough, Joe …
But as a tangent to journalistic methods and styles, MB wonders. Is there anything that would persuade Joe to stop referring to Joe’s self in the third person?
Kind regards,
MB
December 4th, 2009 at 10:56 pm
Joe here,
Sorry MB, going to stick with the third person thing. It’s just sort of what we do around here, kind like Jim Bates and his two-gap system. Just too set in our ways.
December 5th, 2009 at 1:47 pm
How’d that work out for Bates?