“An Eye-Opener On How You’re Doing Things”
June 28th, 2022
Joint practices are about more than fights.
Former Bucs general manager Mark Dominik reflected today on how the Bucs learned from Tom Brady and the Belicheats.
No, this is not a joke.
When the Bucs had joint practices with the Belicheats back in 2012, Year 1 of the New Schiano Order, Dominik said the Bucs quickly realized they weren’t running practice with enough tempo and efficiency. The Patriots were getting significantly more reps within a given time period.
Dominik said that, in general, joint practices are a great “eye-opener on how you’re doing things” because you can see a direct comparison to another team.
This is why Joe is pleased the Bucs have multiple practices this summer against the Dolphins (at home), and then at the Titans in Nashville.
What a great chance for Todd Bowles and offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich to scrutinize how new Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel runs things, and what he might have brought to Miami with him from Kyle Shanahan.
Joe hopes Leftwich gets a few fresh run-scheme ideas in his head watching McDaniel, and perhaps during a brain-picking session the two hopefully have.
As for the Titans, head coach Mike Vrabel has a stunning 41-24 career record and has never had a losing season. So there should be a nuance or two for Bowles to pick up on there.
The controlled nature of training camp scrimmages makes them so valuable for evaluating players. Preseason games are a wild card and a team might not get to see a player(s) in a matchup that tests and stresses them. That’s far more likely in a scripted scrimmage.
Dominik told a story of how Father Dungy-era Bucs officials realized stud cornerback Donnie Abraham was an extra special third-round draft pick during a 1996 joint practice at Jacksonville (when the Jaguars were a strong team). Per Dominik, Abraham calmly walked off the bus with an assignment to cover four-time Pro Bowl receiver Andre Rison and shut him down consistently.
June 28th, 2022 at 9:49 am
Donnie Abraham, a true unsung Buc hero.
He was a guy you never had to think about back there.
June 28th, 2022 at 9:55 am
Unfortunately, Mark Dominick didn’t learn nothin’ from nobody…..
June 28th, 2022 at 9:56 am
@Cobraboy:
+1!
June 28th, 2022 at 10:36 am
Hilarious how often Joe references Dominik
Failed GM and now a failed analyst who ESPN threw out just like the bucs did
June 28th, 2022 at 10:59 am
As an offensive mind in the running game, Kyle Shanahan is Nikola Tesla and Byron Leftwich is the cave man who hit two rocks together and made a spark.
June 28th, 2022 at 11:06 am
The only thing hilarious is how people on this site are so quick to dismiss someone like Dominik or McCoy… The NFL is littered with coaches and GM’s and players that never won a Super Bowl. Just like life. It doesn’t mean you can’t learn something from them. It doesn’t mean they don’t have value.
June 28th, 2022 at 11:17 am
It was really a scouting visit by the Patriots to see who else they could purge off our depth chart after allowing Aqib Talib to fall in their laps. Schiano & Dom were the Lloyd & Harry of HC-GM duos in 2012, and combined they were a fraction of the football brain trust Bill Belichek is all by himself.
June 28th, 2022 at 11:21 am
David…Dumbnick was here long enough for most of us to evaluate.
Horrrrible GM.
Partial reason why they sucked for so long.
June 28th, 2022 at 11:24 am
David either loves losing or is a relative of Dom. We learned how bad Dom was at his job, and dedicated fans suffered for his on the job learning.
June 28th, 2022 at 1:03 pm
I personally don’t like the idea of having joint practices with Miami. It gives Brady a birds eye view of everything with that team especially if he truly is pondering playing after this season. He can see the talent they have on both sides as well as the coaching. Not sure that’s such a great idea truly!
June 28th, 2022 at 1:05 pm
Obviously Schiamoron was in over his head, but Dumbernik neglected to even try to learn anything about being a general manager at all, even a lousy one. The 2010 10-6 mirage made him think he had the secret. Wrong. Instead we got a 28-52 performance from the dipstick and a hole so deep it took Brady to pull us out of it,
June 28th, 2022 at 1:20 pm
Now we know why Dominik lost his job. He did not learn the general manager job from Belichick. He should focus on the scouting report from the Patriots’ squad to trade for or get the practice squad players for free.
June 28th, 2022 at 6:12 pm
Rock Star couldn’t draft his way out of a paper bag
June 28th, 2022 at 7:44 pm
Hire Brown
June 28th, 2022 at 7:47 pm
“Joe hopes Leftwich gets a few fresh run-scheme ideas in his head watching…”
A window into Joe’s head, and one that I agree with, wholeheartedly. Luckily for us, there are plenty of signs that we’ll see a revised (and hopefully improved) running game: Bowles’ ball-control offense vs Arians’ no-risk-it-no-biscuit, a more highly skilled and more versatile RB room, drafting a TE with a reputation as a nasty and willing and technical blocker, not to mention CB14’s injury to start the season, and TB12’s past reliance on skilled and versatile RBs when the pocket breaks down are all great indicators of where the offense will look different this season.
June 29th, 2022 at 1:36 am
This won’t be a ball control offense. They will run more and call more play action, but the strength is still the pass.
If you’re hoping for Dungy ball forget it.
June 29th, 2022 at 3:58 pm
Donnie Abraham should have been extended.
He would have retired a Buc.