Love/Hate With Ryan Smith
November 26th, 2018
Candy for Ryan Smith?
A lot of folks are certain Bucs coach Dirk Koetter will face the guillotine used on NFL head coaches come Black Monday. Yesterday, Koetter sure wanted to use one on cornerback Ryan Smith.
It was Smith in the second half who broke the eight-game streak of no takeaways. But Smith seemed confused on the play after the interception and reacted as if he wanted to return his pick some 109 yards for a score.
Initially, Smith, appeared to fall out of bounds after catching the Nick Mullens offering. That would have been a touchback but there was no whistle.
Smith tried to return the pick before order was restored and the play was blown dead by referees who correctly pointed out Smith, after the catch stepped out of the back of the end zone for a touchback.
Koetter was both giddy and outraged at Smith.
“When [the officials] didn’t call [Smith] out of bounds right away and he got up and started running, I wanted to cut his head off after that,” Koetter joked.
Yeah, normally, that’s beyond a dumb move. Joe saw the Chargers, under Marty Schottenheimer, lose a playoff game to the Belicheats on just such a play. A Chargers defender got greedy trying to return a late pick and fumbled the ball. The Belicheats recovered and went in later for the go-ahead touchdown.
Joe doesn’t blame Koetter for being peeved. But Smith was down.
After the pick.
Good times for Koetter.
November 26th, 2018 at 2:04 pm
Those great Bucs defenses didn’t just try to get turnovers, they tried to score points on those turnovers. Derrick Brooks and Dwight Smith weren’t just taking a knee in the Super Bowl, they were scoring points. But I also really hate Ryan Smith and think he’s an awful player and a terrible liability for the team. I’m very conflicted here.
November 26th, 2018 at 2:21 pm
To me it looked like Smith thought he was down, got up and started running to celebrate with his team, them want sure if the whistle blew and started to make what he could of it.
November 26th, 2018 at 2:24 pm
Ryan Smith is a decent player. He had a great career in the MEAC for NCCU. He is what he is as a late round draft pick, but he’s better than M.J. Stewart who was selected in the early rounds.
November 26th, 2018 at 2:34 pm
Of course he thought he was down and started celebrating when he brought it out. That would have been on the referees if he got hurt. Because they didn’t blow the whistle.
I too like how he competes. He is not trash like others want to label him. He just needs experience. At least he is in the same picture frame when a catch is made on him. Unlike some of these other guys who are so far off, there’re not in the same frame with the receiver.
November 26th, 2018 at 2:40 pm
Smith isn’t NFL talent, plain and simple. He knew he was down someone told him to keep running.
November 26th, 2018 at 2:52 pm
Ryan Smith has vastly improved his coverage skills this season.
Love watching guys like him because you know the only reason he imporved was from sheer hard work.
November 26th, 2018 at 2:55 pm
Lol Conte could you imagine if he had spiked the ball and done that…..then of course they wouldn’t blow the whistle.
That one might have ended his career in Tampa.
November 26th, 2018 at 2:58 pm
I doubt he would’ve ever been a pro bowler, but the Bucs ruined Ryan Smith by moving him to safety, and then back to corner. Just like they are doing with Marpet.
Let the young guys play their position. Crazy idea, but all this moving young guys around is doing no one any favors.
Ryan Smith is explosive, tackles well in the open field, but often looks/is confused in coverage. He is reacting instead of his instincts taking over. I kind of think he would play more instinctively if he didn’t move to safety and change his assignments. He came from a small school, they needed to focus on developing what they drafted, not change it.
Ditto goes for Marpet. Let him settle down, back at right guard (not like the Bucs have a good one). He’s gone from someone that looked like they are going to dominate for at least 10 years, to an average offensive lineman with all the stupid changes.
Sweezy and Marpet and they make Marpet move. Seriously, who was thinking that one through?
November 26th, 2018 at 3:03 pm
@JimmyJack – Imagine if they didn’t waste a year trying to make him a safety. He has all the physical tools needed to play in the NFL. It’s just the coaching staff screwed up his head.
November 26th, 2018 at 3:08 pm
AJ outside of wide receiver the staff hadn’t been able to develope anybody. Quite a few examples of putting guys into the wrong positions too.
A lot of the players we have that everybody thinks is horrible might become decent players for a coach who can develope them properly and put them in the right position.
November 26th, 2018 at 3:23 pm
It looked like he was running in celebration, not trying to run and pick up yards.
Watch the way he’s high stepping his knees after making the catch.
That looks like a celebration run, not a serious run trying to return the INT.
November 26th, 2018 at 3:42 pm
ryan smith is borderline nfl corner who was going against borderline nfl wrs & qbs yesterday, same as in philly game when philly down wrs
November 26th, 2018 at 3:44 pm
I think Buck is doing alright on the d line this year, but I would agree player development has been terrible. And Buck still needs a couple of guys who can play.
“Jimmies and Joes” how he calls them.
November 26th, 2018 at 4:05 pm
Yea – Smith totally thought the play was over and was running back to the sidelines celebrating while still in the field of play. I think someone said something or he suddenly realized that the whistle hadn’t blown so the play was still live and then tried to make the best of it. An honest mistake considering he probably knew he had stepped out of the back of the end zone…
Lichten up coach – geez. First interception in nine games – first of dudes career in fact – and you call the guy out publicly for an understandable mistake that had no bearing on the game?
November 26th, 2018 at 4:25 pm
So JimmyJack, you love Ryan Smith and hate Winston and McCoy – says everything about your scouting abilities. You’re such an awful judge of talent you couldn’t even head a Madden franchise to a one win season on the easiest level. LOL!
Ryan Smith is literally the worst corner I’ve ever seen at any level. Ever.
November 26th, 2018 at 4:33 pm
C’mon Munch! Rod Jones, Myron Lewis, EJ Biggers
November 26th, 2018 at 4:41 pm
Dewey – yes, Ryan Smith is worlds worse than EJ Biggers and Lewis, and an entire step down from even the terrible Rod “the Toast” Jones. Football Outsiders backs me up on this – he’s terrible.
But hey he has good speed, so keep playing him since he can run down all those WRs that catch the ball when he attempts to cover them.
November 26th, 2018 at 5:07 pm
Yeah Munch I love guys who work hard. Ryan Smith prooved he works hard. It’s the only way to impro e yourself You may call him the worst Corner if you want but you’re wrong….. Last year yes but he has played nice in coverage this year and the tape don’t lie.
As far as hating Winston you have manifested that one on your own. I’m a Winston fan. Again you are wrong….,….McCoy, I just want him out of my face. Call it hate if you want
But at least your right about one thing. I’d not very good at video games.
November 26th, 2018 at 5:56 pm
Everyone commenting here have boring idiotic comments
November 26th, 2018 at 6:17 pm
Ryan Smith is better than Brent Grimes at this stage of his career -at least Smith shows some emotion/effort and is aggressive, supports the run better, and is far more physical against larger receivers
Grimes is a layoff corner who lets everything in front of him happen and is an ole’ tackler -has no jump the route quickness left, is late to every play
Would at minimum be platooning him with Grimes on early/run downs
Stewart is not an outside corner and VHIII is coming off injury, get the man some reps!!!!
November 26th, 2018 at 6:32 pm
First of all, none of us know what Smith can be because he had a guy named Mike Smith that was trying to ruin our franchise (and was succeeding until he got fired). Smith was a press cover corner in college, so naturally we moved him to Safety where he had never played. Cost him a full year of development. When that didn’t work out, we moved him back to corner and have had him playing 10-15 yards off the WRs since. All this tinkering with players positions is why we don’t develop anyone. Because Mark Barron turned out to be a decent LB now we gotta move everyone around? It is just plain stupid.
November 26th, 2018 at 6:36 pm
Sorry aj- I just should have said EXACTLY!! I started tying before I read the comments, LOL
November 26th, 2018 at 7:18 pm
The people talking about Ryan Smith have clearly not watched him play – or they have the memory of a mentally deficient nat. The guy is literally rated the worst corner in football since he’s been in the line-up, had the worst season I’ve ever seen a player have last year, and this year, even with this awful coaching staff, was pushed way down the line-up, behind even guys off the street – and people think he’s a future pro-bowler. Meanwhile these same people think Winston should be cut and McCoy is a bum. LOL!
Anywho, please, and I truly mean this, please give me a scouting report for the entire team, I’d love to read it. Seriously, indulge me, it would make for some fantastically entertaining reading.
November 27th, 2018 at 2:54 am
Rod munch I raise you Myron Lewis. Mic drop.
November 27th, 2018 at 12:01 pm
aj Says:
November 26th, 2018 at 2:58 pm
I doubt he would’ve ever been a pro bowler, but the Bucs ruined Ryan Smith by moving him to safety, and then back to corner. Just like they are doing with Marpet.
Let the young guys play their position. Crazy idea, but all this moving young guys around is doing no one any favors.
Ryan Smith is explosive, tackles well in the open field, but often looks/is confused in coverage. He is reacting instead of his instincts taking over. I kind of think he would play more instinctively if he didn’t move to safety and change his assignments. He came from a small school, they needed to focus on developing what they drafted, not change it.
————–
I love the geniuses that have the gall to tell the football guys what they should do despite having only half the facts. You do realize that Smith played two years in college as a safety and two as a cornerback, right? Yeah, I didn’t think you did. The Bucs saw him more as a safety when he was drafted, it didn’t work out despite the fact he is a solid tackler and has excellent athletic ability for the position. If he had worked out there he would have been a valuable asset due to those two traits.
Oh, and as far as moving Marpet around… if the Bucs kept him in his original position he would be playing Left Tackle… you know, the position he played all four years in college?
November 28th, 2018 at 1:54 pm
Ryan Smith = Josh Robinson
Nothing wrong with that since Robinson had a 6 year career mostly on special teams.