Bell Cow Year 2
September 1st, 2019
Peyton Barber has a load riding on his shoudlers
Perhaps the safest best in Tampa is Peyton Barber getting his second season to shine as the Buccaneers’ No. 1 running back.
Bucs officials are not about to make a blockbuster deal at the position on September 1.
Frankly, Joe hopes they don’t because the evaluation of running backs under Jason Licht, Dirk Koetter and Bucco Bruce Arians is highly suspect.
Think about all those practice and preseason snaps just wasted on Andre Ellington, the 30-year-old running back cut by the Bucs yesterday. Those could have gone to develop a young player.
Before that, there was the stunning incompetence of Ronald Jones as a rookie. And remember the pure stupidity of bringing back Doug Martin for the 2017 season at top dollar when he was coming off drug issues and a 2016 benching. Team Glazer’s money literally was poured down a drain by Licht and Koetter. All that happened while stud running backs were ignored in the NFL Draft.
Now Barber returns to the spotlight at 25 years old and in a contract year. No Buccaneer plays the game harder than he does. Joe’s a fan of the guy.
Despite defenses focusing more on the Bucs’ passing game last season, Barber averaged a paltry 3.7 yards per carry. That was brilliant compared to back-to-back 2.9-yards-per-carry seasons from Doug Martin, but it just wasn’t good enough.
However, Joe is confident that Barber would have been at 4.0 yards per carry if his offensive line simply matched his effort level. And Joe suspects that’s what Bucco Bruce Arians and friends are banking on: accountability will translate to effort, and that will deliver a legitimate running game when combined with better coaching.
The Cleveland preseason horror show aside, it’s a sound plan for a team determined not to upgrade significantly at running back or at offensive line.
Yes, that last sentence is dripping with irony.
Joe sure hopes the running game upgrade comes. Joe doesn’t rule out Barber and Jones improving enough on their own to bring it back close to respectability.
September 1st, 2019 at 9:54 am
stay safe young man that oline is brutal…. i still think leftwhich needs to just have assistant coaches position blocking dummies before each play the results would be better than watching a dotson / d smith line attempt to play football again.
September 1st, 2019 at 9:55 am
The SF defense looks to be a good one. I don’t envision Barber or Jones rushing for over 80 yards combined.
September 1st, 2019 at 9:59 am
hey, when did anthony becht become an attorney??? lol look at the dolman law group ad below…HAHA
September 1st, 2019 at 10:06 am
If you’re so down on the O line, why did you post another story whining about the Bucs no signing McCoy? Wouldn’t he have the same struggles as Barber running behind the same O line? Or would McCoy become the “savior of the running game”?
Makes no sense.
September 1st, 2019 at 10:06 am
It’s going to be difficult for any RB to run behind this offensive line. How do you gain positive yards while being hit in the backfield every time your handed the ball?
September 1st, 2019 at 10:10 am
Barber is a good back. Not a all pro. But he is good. Put Barber on Dallas and his a 1500 yard back. If your RB is getting hit by a D linemen first, then your oline isnt doing there job.
September 1st, 2019 at 10:12 am
The above posts are exactly right. Bad OL = poor rushing results. Screen passes will be critical to get some production from our RB’s. But hey, we are good at letting defenses run unimpeded into our backfield so screens should be a great tool.
September 1st, 2019 at 10:16 am
Sliglife—
🎤…DROP!
September 1st, 2019 at 10:26 am
Oh this is the worst team assembled in the history of mankind, Bruce Arains has done a horrible job and can’t evaluate talent at all, I mean look at our preseason lack of success! I mean how can we expect to win anything after not having a hundred yard rusher every game in the preseason! We should just cancel the season as this coach has no experience and has never won anything and NEVER developed a young running back or lead a offense to success, I mean this guy has no idea what he is doing.
September 1st, 2019 at 10:28 am
I don’t envision this being a high scoring game but Barber will help pound the rock on that right side of the line.
September 1st, 2019 at 10:28 am
Barber does pretty well when he gets some blocking. So, we’ll see in a week about that.
September 1st, 2019 at 10:30 am
Oh wait….
September 1st, 2019 at 10:35 am
As down as I am on Cappa, Dotson and the OL depth, 27-28 other team’s fans are having the same discussion we are about their respective offensive lines. After watching the first full week of college football yesterday, I know why and I agree with BA. Colleges are not developing “ground and pound” offensive linemen. Hell, it’s almost a rarity to see a college lineman in a 3-point stance. I have a great amount of faith in BA and Harold Godwin but not so much in our OL coach Gilbert This team will go as far as the OL takes us if the coaching of this team is as good as we think it is.
September 1st, 2019 at 10:44 am
1 more week. Then we will be 1-0 and Super Bowl bound or 0-1 and talking draft. Can’t wait!
September 1st, 2019 at 10:52 am
Everyone whining that are backs get hit to much behind the line just stop. Every runningback gets hit behind the line. You just notice it with the bucs more because you watch every play all year. Where as the other backs you just see highlights or a game here or there. Every back gets hit behind the line just the good backs when they get a lane they hit it and get 30 plus yards with there elite speed athleticism. Barber in the same lane only gets 15 yards with his average speed and athleticism. It is 100% the runningbacks. If saqoun Barkley was our running back he would have got 1200 yards and averaged 4.5 plus a carry. Because he turns barbers 15 yard runs into 60 yards touchdowns. It’s plain and simple. That why jones is so important to our offense this year he has elite speed and can break some long runs. That our offense has been missing
September 1st, 2019 at 10:54 am
I’m looking forward to hearing gene saying a lot of run Ronald run.
September 1st, 2019 at 11:01 am
Screen pass to RoJo on offensive play #1 goes for 17 yards on the way to a near 100 yards from scrimmage for the game. GO BUCS!
September 1st, 2019 at 11:24 am
Kiko Alonso to the Saints.
September 1st, 2019 at 11:49 am
Trade Cameron Brate for Melvin Gordon?
September 1st, 2019 at 11:57 am
three minutes to Waver awarding begins… 5th highest pick…
September 1st, 2019 at 12:01 pm
@ Jeff
I understand the point you are trying to make. The RBs you speak of are few and far between in the NFL. We will need to spend @ $12-$15 million per season to have one of these guys at One Buc Place. Are you suggesting that we not sign Winston and sign a top rated RB instead? Where does a team with zero salary cap find the funds to sign this RB? Maybe we can draft one with our first round pick next year. We will probably be drafting in the top five again.
September 1st, 2019 at 12:03 pm
@ Jeff
And another thing. We are not “whining” about this offensive line. We are pointing out the OBVIOUS. Take off the pewter colored glasses once in awhile.
September 1st, 2019 at 12:09 pm
Barber is an average RB with well above average effort…..our Oline is below average with below average effort and above average pay….
Unfortunately, we will have to make up the difference with defensive improvement this year…..and I actually am encouraged by what I am seeing there.
September 1st, 2019 at 12:27 pm
Marine there’s too many homers in here … too damn positive to see what we did last year … 10 wins the past 2 years … 25 wins the past 4 years… yes BA is here playoffs … oh we need to trade for Gordon knowing we have no offensive line … jameis will lead us to the playoffs … ummm no he won’t go ahead and look at his TD-INT ratio and his wins since he came in … Get f’n real yall
September 1st, 2019 at 12:35 pm
Jeff, ever heard of a RB named Emmitt Smith? He is one of the all time leading rushers because his o-line gave him huge holes. Pittsburgh loses thier all pro RB due to a hold out and his back up comes in and lights it up. A good o-line can make below average RBs look good. The reverse is also true. A bad o-line will make a good RB look awful if they don’t create holes. This is a very basic concept. You are the first person I have ever said that a RB doesn’t need a good line. Outside of Barry Sanders I can’t think of a single RB that succeeded behind a bad o-line.
September 1st, 2019 at 12:45 pm
If we tradeBrate, hopefully itsfor an upgrade at either Rt or Rg.
September 1st, 2019 at 1:02 pm
DanBucsfan Says:
September 1st, 2019 at 12:45 pm
If we tradeBrate, hopefully itsfor an upgrade at either Rt or Rg.
please tell me what GM is dumb enough to give up a valuable draft pick for a mediocre overpaid TE that has bad hips… only bucs over pay players like that.
September 1st, 2019 at 1:07 pm
Joe I bet the only reason Andre was brought in to camp was to help ROJO learn the play book an terminology of the offense. Andre blocking wasnt great but wasn’t bad either so that prob also helped an I’m pretty sure there was a article written about how Andre helped Rojo out. So there’s your answer
September 1st, 2019 at 1:09 pm
M A X I P A D how is Brate who leads all TE for TD catches over the last 3 seasons mediocre. Sorry bud your wrong again an don’t know what your talking about it’s hilarious by the way
September 1st, 2019 at 1:14 pm
Rob in LO’L: great post on the college OL reference.
September 1st, 2019 at 1:16 pm
“… dripping with irony.”
Nice word assemblage from a former print journalist (no left hand in the compliment).
However, the significant upgrade you alluded to might have been truly ironic if the Bucs had the cash to obtain said upgrade. As you are well aware, significant improvement requires significant dollars–something Mr. Licht has chosen to use for “charitable contributions” to unworthy players.
September 1st, 2019 at 1:18 pm
Ben real if hoping the Bucs win makes me a homer then hoping they lose makes you a loser. I picked my side.
September 1st, 2019 at 2:12 pm
The only way (IMHO) that we are going to see improved line play and more “smash mouth” rushing attacks is to get rid of all these sissy a$$ rules for quarterbacks and receivers. Dudes like Adam Humphries and Julian Edelman were few and far between back in the day because those dudes were not allowed to catch easy balls over the middle without getting pounded. Quarterbacks 20-30 years ago had terrible completion percentages compared to today not because they were less accurate (by and large), but because defenders could lay hands on them and the receivers far more frequently. All of these gosh damn penalties for ticky tacky nonsense are ruining the sport.
I’m not advocating spearing and other dirty stuff, but there has got to be some balance. How about just calling only the most blatant holding calls on offense in exchange for being able touch receivers down the field and light em up over the middle? Stop protecting the quarterbacks so much. If Drew Brees (I don’t see this guy lasting in the 70’s & 80’s) or really any quarterback is getting pounded on for 70% of his passing plays, bet your butt his coach will call more running plays which should lead to better blocking in both college and pro ball.
No more ranting, I’m just pi$$ed at the direction football is going. 🤣
September 1st, 2019 at 2:34 pm
How about Ajayi?
September 1st, 2019 at 2:36 pm
Joe, your assessment of the run game is a little harsh….Any running back is going to be tied to the offensive line, and the Bucs O-line is horrible….I don’t care what running back you bring in….If you don’t get the push up front nothing happens….
September 1st, 2019 at 2:44 pm
I expect Kwon to take some bad angles and watch our running game go…
I also think we have competent coaching and play calling to get points in the red zone (the starters didn’t see much, especially ME, so they are coming out with something to prove, they hear all you naysayers)
September 1st, 2019 at 3:16 pm
It’s 2019, the running game doesn’t matter.
The Bucs had their best offense in history last year, yards AND scoring. They won the time of possession, they had no issues converting 3rd downs. Teams use their short passing game as their running game.
Get with the times already.
September 1st, 2019 at 3:31 pm
Patriots didn’t have an elite WR last year, so they used White out of backfield for 80 plus receptions and Michel had 900 + yards rushing and they had Edelman and Gronk.
Bucs have Evans, Godwin, and some good TE’s – so it comes down to Jameis- he needs to make good decisions like Brady does and develop RB receiving game – get rid of the ball quicker, forget last year.
September 1st, 2019 at 3:40 pm
TouchdownTampaBay-
Emmitt Smith did have a great OLine, but Emmitt was the MVP of those SuperBowl Teams and Cowboys would not have won any SB’s without him