Damian Williams Opt-Out Prompted Bucs?
August 1st, 2020
New Bucs RB LeSean McCoy
Former Tampa Bay rock star general manager Mark Dominik was talking about his favorite football team yesterday on SiriusXM NFL Radio.
Dominik was in his typical co-hosting duties and the topic of new Bucs running back LeSean McCoy came up.
The Bucs’ pre-Jason-Licht skipper said he is confident that Chiefs running back Damian Williams opting-out of the 2020 season on Wednesday led to the Bucs hastily moving on McCoy, whose signing was announced by Adam Schefter on Thursday.
McCoy was with the Chiefs last season but did not play in the Super Bowl, where Williams ran for 104 yards and racked up two touchdowns, one through the air.
For Dominik, the McCoy signing is all about the passing game and Team Glazer’s push to get back to the Super Bowl, to be hosted by Tampa in February.
“I think he brings that pass-catching that I think Tampa Bay’s looking for,” Dominik said. “It’s just proving again that the Bucs are going all-in on the season.”
Joe never had a problem quoting Dominik for three reasons: he still has close ties within the Bucs organization, he left on good terms with Team Glazer, and he genuinely is a Bucs fan.
The Damien Williams take is interesting, and Joe has long suspected the Bucs were serious about adding a veteran running back (though not serious enough) and it seems various fallout from The Sickness lit a fire under them. Or, as Ira Kaufman barked about on Friday’s podcast, signing McCoy has Tom Brady written all over it.
August 1st, 2020 at 10:07 am
Sure it could be Covid, but how does that explain last year when BA said (paraphrasing) ‘this team will look different by the time the season starts’. Every year someone has a stick up their A&& about a free agency guy we should have signed.
I’m just glad Joe can pull his out because we signed a RB that fits his criteria.
Now if we could just get Joe to stop with the tedious labels for everyone, I’d say 2020 was starting to trend up.
In BA I Trust!
August 1st, 2020 at 11:44 am
Joe will never stop that Sport. That is one of his shticks !
Several things about ‘Joe’ that annoy me but he is always pumping out content that keeps us coming back. Over 8 years for me now.
August 1st, 2020 at 12:20 pm
I like the tedious labels.
August 1st, 2020 at 1:01 pm
I would have taken Frank Gore all day early in the offseason. Dude can be a three down back, blocks and has yet to miss a game and can catch. Mccoy played pretty poorly last season we shall see how this works out
August 1st, 2020 at 2:12 pm
With the opt outs, it’s goot they moved on McCoy quickly With the opt outs also comes more new of measures the NFL is taking to protect players. I’m reading/hearing about shields being developed to be placed inside face masks, push button whistles for referees, will wear masks, special towels/finger wetting cloths for QBs, etc. Some of these may be permanent fixtures in the “new normal.”
Two more days to see who else opts out. I’m glad for now the Bucs got most of their pieces in place.
August 1st, 2020 at 2:14 pm
@BucemUp…I tought same…but, I’d bet earlier they thought they were set with Vaughn, RoJo, and Dare. Plus I’m sure McCoy came cheapter than Gore would have at the time. I do the Jets snatched Gore up. Wonder what they paid.
August 1st, 2020 at 4:38 pm
there is a bottom line here…
that’s just how it is…
the bottom line:
brady worked out both rojo and dare…and it was like an interview…
they clearly didn’t fit the bill as brady’s security blanket and he told bruce and jason…
he told them get me a guy i can trust…
in comes shady mccoy…
it’s that simple…
rojo stays…
dare is totally gone in due time…
and the rookies will work as rookies do, with some time, some practice squading, etc…
brady needed a guy he can trust as a security blanket…
it’s that simple…
#LaymansTerms
August 1st, 2020 at 4:42 pm
basically they just replaced dare with mccoy…
the rb’s will be:
rojo
mccoy
vaughn
calais
and maybe a bruising big back fullback type…
prolly not…
they have all those tight ends
August 1st, 2020 at 5:39 pm
Thanks for laying out a specific perspective on the situation, adam from ny.
Go Bucs!
August 1st, 2020 at 7:38 pm
@Adam, good take, very plausible of why they signed McCoy. Exception to your posts: I think Dare will be on the roster, if nothing else because he was Special Teams Captain last year, and with no pre-season and limited camp, good at playing as a RB or not, he brings continuity and stability on Special Teams.
August 1st, 2020 at 11:47 pm
Having a veteran rb on a team full of unproven guys in a win now year just makes sense.
Go Bucs!!!!
August 2nd, 2020 at 3:47 am
@ Roy T.
you are right…i totally didn’t consider his significance on special teams and him wearing the team captain badge…
he just might be on the team this year…
it’s not to often a team captain one year is on the street the next…
i also wonder how he hasn’t developed the nickname “Oggie”…
it’s simple and let’s the jaw muscles rest