Talented Bucs Roster
March 30th, 2020
“Jason, you have done your job.”
For years Joe has heard from Bucs coaches, both employed and unemployed, bragging about the talent on the roster.
First it was Dirk Koetter. Then it was Father Dungy. Then it was Bucco Bruce Arians.
Yet the Bucs lost and lost and lost some more.
Granted, the NFC South was one of if not the toughest divisions in the NFL. Still, too often when the Bucs played teams from outside their division, they were beaten like a rented mule.
Joe will never forget the time the Bucs went to Minneapolis and had the snot knocked out of them by the Vikings. Joe has never seen an NFL locker room with so many guys that were beat to hell and/or injured.
So pardon Joe for being numb to the talk of the Bucs roster being talented. Still, some who gloss themselves as football experts believe this is so. Like numberscruncher Mike Clay of BSPN.
“The Bucs have a top 5 roster” is not a bold statement right now.
QB Brady
RB Not too important
WR Elite duo
TE Good duo
OL Incomplete, but serviceable
DI Vea/Suh!
ED Barrett/JPP!
LB David/White!
CB Young trio trending up
S Main problem area— Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) March 27, 2020
Joe’s going to go over this, as well.
QB Tom Brady — so long as he is not washed up at 43 is elite.
RB Not too important — HELLO???
WR Elite duo — Yes. After that, major drop off. Joe’s not quite ready to anoint Scotty Miller here as a No. 3 receiver. He could be, but Joe would first like to see Miller play a full season.
TE Good duo — Underrated and underutilized.
OL Incomplete — Fair. Joe thought the line was serviceable last year. Clearly right tackle is currently a big hole since it appears the Bucs have moved on from long-time starter Demar Dotson.
DI Vea/Suh! — Elite.
EDGE Barrett/JPP! — Excellent.
LB David/White! — Underrated?
CB Young trio trending up. — Agree with this.
S Main problem area. — Not a major hole, but a hole. Jordan Whitehead is a nice player. After that, yeah, a hole.
Also, Clay forgot kicker. How could you forget about Bucs kicking? In Joe’s eyes, this is way below average (what’s new?).
Now, just win some games, would you?
March 30th, 2020 at 8:09 am
Addition by subtraction
March 30th, 2020 at 8:21 am
Joe show me a team that’s loaded with all-stars across the board. This is the nfl and every team has a salary cap so they’re going to have weak areas but the key is to load fill the most import 3-4 positions and honestly safety is the least important position on defense.
March 30th, 2020 at 8:22 am
Lol sorry but what WR3 on what team isn’t a major drop off? I’d imagine any you find would be dropping off from a C+ to a C- from their #1 and #2.
March 30th, 2020 at 8:28 am
Well then there is no excuse to make the NFC Championship game. Just making the playoffs and getting bounced out in the first round like the 2019 Patriots will be a let down.
NFC Championship game or bust!
QB> fixed
Defense> fixed
kicker> fixed
running game> will be fixed
March 30th, 2020 at 8:29 am
Get a safety with experience, and then get Edelmen
March 30th, 2020 at 8:29 am
Yeah kickers and running backs don’t matter. What an idiot!
March 30th, 2020 at 8:29 am
The 49ers went from a 4-12 team to the SB. We were a 7-9 team with Mr. Magoo at QB. Now we have TB12, instead of 30, 30. We kept the core of our D intact, with great leadership, Suh, David, JPP, David, and great young talent, Vea, White. Plus we have a draft that suits our needs. We’re as good talent wise as any team in the league.
March 30th, 2020 at 8:34 am
Justin Evans please please please come back and and stay healthy. 🙏🙏🙏🙏
March 30th, 2020 at 8:38 am
BA goaded Scotty Miller early with his hamstring….I suspect it was never fully healed……let’s give him a shot….
Brady is the key to the talent on this team…..we need his leadership and consistent play to push us over the top.
If a team feels like a winner they can become a winner.
March 30th, 2020 at 8:41 am
Everyone knows RB is not that important … Everyone. We will get Swift/Dobbins/Akers/Perrine and maybe Gibson and we will be good to go.
March 30th, 2020 at 8:45 am
In re: running back. Go back to what TB asked for, his teammates phone numbers, I will bet a dollar to a donut, his phone call to ROjO, study the Pats running back, study their routes and let’s go over what is happening in either their plays from the Pats or what he did on plays for the Bucs. You think he is talking to ROjO about being the underdog. Remember what BA said, he is going to make players with potential better with his knowledge and intensity.
March 30th, 2020 at 8:50 am
Ndog,does you’re mommy need to burp you? Stop the cryin!
March 30th, 2020 at 9:00 am
Do we really want to bank on “CB Young trio trending up”? CB’s are one of the most impactful positions (according to PFF). I’d feel much better with at least one good veteran (not named Ryan Smith).
March 30th, 2020 at 9:02 am
He just misses Jameis. I’m still wondering what team he’ll win the super bowl with.
March 30th, 2020 at 9:03 am
So glad Arians didn’t hitch his wagon to losing and tolerance for subpar decision making. As it turns out Bucs fans are as uninformed as some people think. 😉
March 30th, 2020 at 9:05 am
Kicker is one of bottom five in the NFL. Will probably cause at least two losses in 2020.
March 30th, 2020 at 9:08 am
Don’t count out J. Watson as 3rd wr. Had a down year but I think he will bounce back.
March 30th, 2020 at 9:12 am
Any updates on Beckwith, or Justin Evans?
March 30th, 2020 at 9:13 am
If there were, you’d have read about them. No reason to hold back on news this time of the year.
March 30th, 2020 at 9:25 am
Thats to bad they were both good players.
March 30th, 2020 at 9:53 am
any WR group that does NOT have a big dropoff from #2 to #3 probably has a mediocre #2
March 30th, 2020 at 9:58 am
I predict carlton davis will atleast have ten picks the season. 3 being pick 6s. I cant say he’s highly underrated but he is highly looked past. His man coverage is getting to be phenomenal. He gave Julio jones a run for his money,and his overall progression threw the season was awsome. Look out for 33 this year boyz
March 30th, 2020 at 10:07 am
I look for Mike Edwards to be better in his second year.
March 30th, 2020 at 10:09 am
The CBs have top 5 potential IMO. That’s how good Davis & Dean were looking as outside lockdown corners those last few weeks, along with SMB in the slot.
If the CBs are top 5 this defense will easily be top 5. If they are just top 10 we will have a chance at top 5 defense.
March 30th, 2020 at 10:16 am
I saw a mock draft that gave us OT Becton first rd, Then RB Cam Akers 2nd rd, Edge rusher 3rd, QB Jake Fromm 4th rd, WR 4th rd Comp pick, another Lineman 5th rd, and AJ Dillon with the 6th rd pick (last pick).
I really like that mock draft!!! Offensive Line fixed, RB fixed (love the AJ Dillon 6th rd pick), Fromm sits behind Brady for two years, possible JPP replacement, drafted, and competition for WR3!!!!
Love this Mock Draft, if this happens then we come out of the draft and look for Veteran Saftey/Cornerback and we ready to roll.
March 30th, 2020 at 10:25 am
I’ve been suggesting the Bucs trade Evans for draft capital especially considering they have to lock up Godwin; and the economics make it difficult to carry that much cap weight at one position. Since we’re in a win now mode with Brady, it would be foolish to trade Evans. I just needed to get that off my chest!
March 30th, 2020 at 10:38 am
Every time someone post a trade Mike Evans comment, I get so annoyed. That is soooo dumb!!!
March 30th, 2020 at 11:10 am
• Kicker need will be determined by how Matt Gay responds to last year. Sometimes a player needs a year behind him to add some drive and show him ways to get better. Hopefully this will be the case, because outside of a couple games, Matt Gay was actually fairly good.
• Safety is a need, but one which can be addressed in the draft.
• RT will be addressed in the draft.
• Quarterback is a need. While we have a starter, it is important to get a young guy in to be mentored and developed. Both Brady and Arians have expiration dates, so we need him to get as much exposure to them as possible.
March 30th, 2020 at 11:12 am
Smashsquatch, trading Mike Evans is a horrible idea.
OJ Howard? Probably a good idea, but I would rather keep everyone. Trade picks, not players.
March 30th, 2020 at 11:13 am
I think Arians should draft a kicker in round 6 just to tick some of you off, lol
March 30th, 2020 at 11:29 am
Marine
Stop teasing us…lol…that would not just be a good draft that would be a grand slam home run. Bechton is a generational beast…Akers and Dillon would be an excellent combo. I know Dillon can catch and has 4.5 speed..excellent for a 250lb man just wonder if he can block. Not sure he was ever asked to do that but at 250 at least he could match up physically.
Joe in Michigan…Agree about Edwards. Remember UK players claimed he was more of a baller than even Josh Allen. Perhaps he discover himself for real this season.
There will be safeties in the draft and TONS of 3rd receiver candidates to compete with Scotty.
And for all the bashing of Licht he did score two major targets in UDFA’s Brate and Hump. Given the domino effect of all these great receivers in this draft there will be some talent overlooked and available after the draft.
March 30th, 2020 at 12:40 pm
LMAO here. We are talented every year right? Bring on the Hype.
March 30th, 2020 at 1:07 pm
I’ve been wondering do we still have Ryan Griffin on contract? If so I wonder if Arians sees him as a good understudy for Brady.
March 30th, 2020 at 2:15 pm
Marine Buc … Saw that mock draft from CBS Sports a couple days ago and got all excited. That’s as close to the perfect draft as we can get IMO. Saw one today that left me shaking my head though … Bucs moved up to #7 by trading out their 1st AND 2nd Rnd picks and got the Tackle Wirf. As a result, we missed out on a RB in the 2nd, and ended up taking a WR in the 3rd. Booo. We’ve GOT TO fix the RB situation in the draft, and 2nd Rnd is the perfect place to do it (like that CBS Sports draft that had us taking Becton in the 1st & Akers in the 2nd).
StPete … Really want to see us grab AJ Dillon, but that’s probably why it won’t happen. That mock has him coming to us in the 6th Rnd, which is baloney (he won’t last past the 4th). And not a big fan of drafting a Safety this year, only because we’ve got other higher priority needs AND what we really need is a veteran Safety to act as a ‘Field General’ for our youngsters. Tony Jefferson (5’11” & 211 lbs) is still out there. He played for Arizona from 2013-2016 then Baltimore 2017-2019. Injured last year though, so maybe that has something to do with it.
March 30th, 2020 at 2:47 pm
D.R.
Yeah agree hoping for Dillon in the 6th is probably hopeless. In the 3rd or 4th probably more realistic.
If we burn the second to get Wirfs or Bechton I wouldn’t be devastated…there goes Akers..Dobbins or a host of other backs. But if we get Wirfs and Dillon I’d be willing to wait a few rounds for a project at “all round” back to compete with ROJO.
If you can squeeze an FA safety under the cap fine. I think Edwards still has a bright future but we are definitely thin t safety and an experienced hand would be nice.
March 30th, 2020 at 2:50 pm
Yep superbowl or bust because Jamies was the reason why we lost . So no excuses superbowl or bust …….
March 30th, 2020 at 10:23 pm
This feels like a trade up year for the Bucs. We need one of those 4 OTs and why run the risk none will be there? This team is indeed talented and the last 2-3 picks might not even make the team… bundle them and get 2 OL, RB and S. With Brady and the talent onboard we should have a pretty good year with UFAs for filler roles on DL and maybe WR. 7 picks aren’t making this roster… let’s be sure we get best 4 possible by trading into top 10 for OT, RB in 2nd and double-dip in 3rd for best S and OL available.
I know they say this draft is deep but… Super Bowl or bust.