Ali Marpet Wants Less Practice, Less Training Camp Hitting
July 14th, 2021
Ali Marpet weighs in
“Scale it back,” says Ali Marpet.
Yes, Super Bowl left guard Ali Marpet has firm opinions on the NFL’s new 17-game schedule debuting this year.
Bring on the extra game, Marpet told a Hobart College Athletics reunion broadcast in June. But make sure that game is offset by less work starting in July.
“I’m ok with the 17th game if there’s the same or less football in general, right?” Marpet said. “So if we’re reducing our practice time or reducing how much hitting we’re doing in training camp, think that’s what’s relevant. So I’m not opposed to a 17th game, as long as that means we’re not, you know, doing a lot more football than we would be. So again, we just have to scale it back considering we have a 17th game, during training camp and throughout the week.”
Marpet’s take is especially interesting given Bucco Bruce Arians’ stated desire to “beat the sh*t” out of his team in training camp this year, and the fact that Marpet is a former team captain and was the Buccaneers’ NFL Players Association representative before Bradley Pinion took over the job last year.
How many other Bucs feel the same way? Will Arians agree?
July 14th, 2021 at 10:10 am
Not exactly what you want to hear from your starting guard, but welcome to modern football. I also happen to agree with the sentiment.
July 14th, 2021 at 10:16 am
Veterans need a lot less training than rookies or young players. More veteran days seem popular.
July 14th, 2021 at 10:17 am
Hmm, isn’t 1 less preseason game scaling it back?
July 14th, 2021 at 10:30 am
More Football = More Injuries = Less Talent = Bad Product
I agree with Ali. I want to watch better football.
July 14th, 2021 at 10:36 am
I’m with Ali.
July 14th, 2021 at 10:46 am
Give some of his reps to Hainsey and Stinnie. They need the work. Ali doesn’t.
July 14th, 2021 at 10:49 am
Ali signed his name on his contract to play. He making more money then most people will on the planet in their lifetime. It is not to much to ask to play 1 more game. Again I will repeat Ali, will make more money than most of the 7 billion people on the planet in their lifetime. That is an honest perspective, not a jab at him or any other NFL player, just a perspective based on facts. I like Ali, he is a good player and he has been very durable and consistent since he was drafted. But to play one more game is not to much to ask.
GO BUCS!!!!!!
July 14th, 2021 at 10:50 am
I trust Ali. He’s a hardworking guy. If he says they need less, he knows better than the Keyboard Coaches.
July 14th, 2021 at 10:57 am
Bucfanforever Says:
July 14th, 2021 at 10:17 am
Hmm, isn’t 1 less preseason game scaling it back?
Actually it is the same 20 week period of time, they simply converted the 4th preseason game into a regular season game.
So man up Bucs, training starts in a couple of weeks.
GO BUCS!!!!!
July 14th, 2021 at 11:06 am
According to “Mr Google” we see that 20 game period of time for preseason and regular season has been the norm since 1970
From 1970 through 1977, the NFL season consisted of 14 regular season games and six exhibition games, sometimes but not always three at home and three away (the 1973 Washington Redskins, for instance, played all but one of six preseason games at home), with some played at neutral sites.
Then they went to 4 preseason games and 16 regular season games in 1978
and now 2021 3 preseason and 17 regular season.
So it has actually been a 20 week period of time for 51 years
GO BUCS!!!
July 14th, 2021 at 11:21 am
I’m with Ali, more football, less injuries.
July 14th, 2021 at 11:31 am
You guys realize, that you are talking about a starter in preseason, don’t you? How many reps do you think Ali played in the 4th preseason game in 2019?
July 14th, 2021 at 11:38 am
At some point, working the players reaches a point of diminishing returns
July 14th, 2021 at 11:50 am
Thank you German Buc. Saved me from writing it.
These players are the very best at their sport and positions. Only a few get paid lavishly. They trained their whole lives to play a handful of years. Most die young and can barely walk after they leave the game. CTE brain injuries should be considered too. I just hope these same people are going on all the big companies sites complaining about their CEO compensation too.
July 14th, 2021 at 12:12 pm
Marpet is right. A 17 regular season is uncharted territory. It’s hard enough getting through the old 16 game season with a semi-healthy roster, especially with a team with so many older vets.
At most, just keep the starters on the field for the first half of the first two preseason games so they get their timing and chemistry back. The second half is for the backups, and that last (third) preseason game is reserved for guys on the bubble.
Practice but use no pads in lieu of shells, and shells in lieu of full pads.
July 14th, 2021 at 12:18 pm
1976, how much the players make compared to us is totally irrelevant to the argument. This is American we’re Capitalists, a person is worth what someone else is willing to pay you them. I laugh when people complain about player compensation. The players are putting their health at risk and basically shortening their lives for our entertainment, meanwhile someone who more than likely inherited their money and never worked a day in their life can afford to pay the whole team. Bottom line, injuries are bad for the game and I’m all for anything that will mitigate them.
July 14th, 2021 at 12:44 pm
Hill said he and his team mates are grinding in the off-season as they want back in the SB. Hope the Bucs are not letting up as KC is highly motivated and looking to knock us off this year. The Oline better not let Brady down this year… lol.
July 14th, 2021 at 1:36 pm
Hello Mirage….these players have availed an opportunity that most will never have. More power to them. Make all that you can
“I laugh when people complain about player compensation”
Do not know why you said this, my point was about the reality of opportunity, and what they make, and again I say more power to them.
I live in a country where the common wage currently is from 6 dollars to 10 dollars a day.
I see poverty constantly where I am, and I see how hard so many have it here as I am helping different people in their daily lives. I know it is the same in many countries. So again I say this because it highlights the opportunity these players have, and the wealth that can be made.
One of the reasons players get paid so much is not just entertainment, but because it is a dangerous game. But no one forces these players to avail the opportunity to make the generational wealth that so many do by playing a sport.
Again make all you can, more power to you, but at the same time there is a price to pay also. Just the reality of the situation.
GO BUCS!!!!
July 14th, 2021 at 2:02 pm
100% agreed. Some of you commenting have never put your body through the ringer for years upon years. Did it ever occur to some of you that the reason why he may want less hitting is because he wants to extend his career? Less hitting could lead to one extra contract he may not have ordinarily get if it was up to you wanna be keyboard coaches that think players should do two-a-days with no water.
July 14th, 2021 at 2:29 pm
No problems at all with what Marpet is saying.
July 14th, 2021 at 2:48 pm
1976, They have the opportunity because they worked their butts off to get the opportunity. Your second sentence reads,”He making more money than most people on the planet in their lifetime,” then repeated that sentiment 2 sentences later. That’s why I said that. GO BUCS!!
July 14th, 2021 at 4:11 pm
I didn’t believe Bruce when he said he’d be beating them up in training camp, and I still don’t believe him. He knows he has a veteran team that knows what it takes to get to game day. Just lock up home field for the playoffs if you want to save your body Ali. Going on the road 3 weeks in a row for the playoffs ain’t going to cut it this year.
July 14th, 2021 at 4:55 pm
I agree with Ali. Just begging for injuries with more practice.
July 14th, 2021 at 7:20 pm
I think teams with there core players coming back don’t really need a preseason and practice. But last year with Covid and the Bucs, I think all that missing time hurt Brady and the Bucs getting on the same page. A team like the Saints last year didn’t need any time to get on the same page, but the Bucs could have used it. Maybe do options for teams with new coaches, rookie or traded QBs or other key personal to decide if they need the extra work.
July 14th, 2021 at 8:53 pm
I don’t know…This is a hard one for me to A. Agree or B. Disagree. I grew up in the grind grind grind beat the crap out of each other training camps. But the NFL has already made significant changes to off season programs and training camp. So they added a game so now it’s denominational transaction. You added a game so I’ll take 2 less padded practices and one extra day off. To me it’s just getting petty and stupid. I guess I’ll go with the old guy rant. But seriously can you imagine the greats ty hat have passed on? They would be rolling in to their graves. With the amount of money these guys get and all the perks of advanced medical science. Old guys would say I’ll do 10 extra practices and grind 10 times harder to get that salary. Meanwhile these younger players want to work less and get paid more. I know it’s a new era of rainbows and acceptance but this is getting stupid.
July 14th, 2021 at 9:59 pm
It’s Hobart College btw
July 15th, 2021 at 5:52 pm
Ali knows what he’s talking about. I’m not sure BA meant MORE work when talking about TC…perhaps more ACCOUNTABILITY.
Let’s compare Ali’s method to that of a famous Bucs Coach Ray Perkins!
He used to brutalize players during the preseason!!! And how did that work?
Amazingly this LOSER milked a FREAKING 8 year career as an HC in the NFL.
How the F did this happen. He had ONE winning year..a whopping 9-7,
Perkins lost the other seven years….a lifetime .359….317 winning % with the Bucs in four truly sad seasons.
SERIOUSLY!!! How did LOSER Perkins last eight years?????
July 15th, 2021 at 6:19 pm
hey buc bros: ali is 100% correct. we all know 16 games of extreme violence is more than most humans can survive. giving up a mostly free agent/rookie tryout exhibition game in no way makes up for an extra game in the regular season. many college and some pro coaches don’t even involve contact in any of the preseason workouts. folks, given our team, we should be hyper vigilant about injuries. the only thing that’s going to stop us from a repeat are significant injuries. GO BUCS!
July 15th, 2021 at 10:25 pm
Seems like so many in today’s society expect things to be given (thank you idiot, everyone deserves a trophy parents) to them instead of being earned, but I agree with Ali. Last year proved that you don’t need to work players to death with Ray Perkins like practices in order to be successful. I’d get rid of all but one (won’t happen) preseason game and like a lot here have said, let the younger guys take some reps from the vets.