Nos. 51-53 Should Be Nervous
August 30th, 2022
Bucs coach Todd Bowles.
Yeah, the Bucs have to meet the 4 p.m. deadline to turn in their initial 53-man roster. Joe suspects that will be very temporary.
First, Joe would not be shocked if the Bucs brought in another offensive lineman for depth. The fact Robert Hainsey appears a bit brittle is not a good sign. With so much on the line, can the Bucs afford it if Hainsey is lost for a significant time down the road?
Joe always points to 2020 when the Bucs, in late August, signed versatile veteran offensive lineman A.Q. Shipley for depth. He started two games for the Bucs when Ali Marpet missed time with a concussion; Ryan Jensen moved to left guard and Shipley played center. He helped shut down Aaron Donald in a one-score loss to the Rams.
Then there are Bucs special teams, which are really not special. Haven’t been for a while. Todd Bowles moaned Sunday about not seeing anyone step up to be a gunner on the punt team.
“I don’t think anyone has helped themselves any more than they helped themselves the past two weeks,” Bowles said. “I don’t think anyone stood out [Saturday] night to say, ‘Wow, maybe I should think this way or that way.’ I think it was pretty much status quo of what we thought and it kind of went that way.”
Status quo with the special teams is, well, status woe.
Do the Bucs have a return man? Right now, Joe doesn’t see one.
So Joe suspects there are at least two players, perhaps three, that might not want to sign a Tampa lease quite yet. Whoever are players Nos. 51-53 this afternoon, they may not be with the Bucs later this week.
August 30th, 2022 at 10:01 am
Yep
On and off the roster
Round and round it goes when it stops nobody knows, even JL
August 30th, 2022 at 10:11 am
Bucs definitely have a return man. Do the Bucs have a scheme that creates better blocking is the question?
August 30th, 2022 at 10:22 am
I just can’t figure out why our STs are so incredibly terrible.
August 30th, 2022 at 10:22 am
Why is it so challenging for the Bucs to have a sound and/or upper tier STs unit?
August 30th, 2022 at 10:22 am
They should have signed Rich Bassagio (?) as soon as the raiders cut him loose!!! Our special teams are awful and have been for awhile…..IMO the bucs have been way to loyal to a poor special teams coach….
August 30th, 2022 at 10:25 am
It must be more than inept players. It must be terrible coaching.
August 30th, 2022 at 10:27 am
Jaelon Darden is obviously our return man and not like it matters, but statistically he had a better year as a rookie returning kicks in 2021 than Jaydon Mickens had as our full time return man in 2020. Darden is also an actual option as a WR rather than Mickens just being a return guy. None of this matters, because 1 year of Darden was enough for some of you which is 2 seasons too soon to people who give a damn about affording players time to develop into their pro forms.
August 30th, 2022 at 10:37 am
We need to replace Darden as a return man. The guy is wearing skates for cleats and he curls up like a fetus when a defender is near. We have to find someone better to replace him. Maniac must be Darden’s friend. He goes way too hard for him. I would replace Darden with Thompkins. Darden is a good practice player, but in the real games where there is a possibility of him getting hit he folds like a chair. Also his football IQ isn’t the greatest.
August 30th, 2022 at 10:44 am
I am not thrilled with the Punter and would not be surprised if they cut him or replace him sometime during the season. Not good so far. This guy was supposed to be the low avg but high hang time punter. The 40 yd net, no return, lots of fair catches punter.
So far this guy punted 18 times in the preseason. 15 were returned for 200 yards. Watch the punts. It is not all on the coverage units. His avg is 47.5 yds per punt but his net is 35. Out kicking a poor coverage unit is not a recipe for success. The ideal net is 38 to 40 with a lot of fair catches called and a lot of punts in the 20. The guy we got rid of, last year his net was 39 and he had 17 fair catches in 53 punts. Carmarda so far only 2 fair catches out of 18 punts. The guy we got rid of, so far in preseason, 43 yd net, 4 fair catches in only 9 punt attempts. Sorry to bore everyone with punting talk, but other than steady Succop, the rest of this group is a liability. The change at punter was supposed to help make up for that, but I have a feeling it is going to get worse.
August 30th, 2022 at 10:46 am
Tyler Johnson cut! what?
August 30th, 2022 at 10:47 am
Dooley, saying he’s better then Mickens isn’t really saying much. At least he catches it clean. I’m more worried about our coverage team.
August 30th, 2022 at 10:47 am
Grant Stuard traded to the colts for a sixth rounder.
August 30th, 2022 at 10:49 am
Capece, the new punter is not going anywhere. He punted just fine. Coverage team is terrible.
August 30th, 2022 at 10:50 am
@HODAD
“Not like it matters”
August 30th, 2022 at 10:50 am
You cut Tyler Johnson but keep Jalen Darden? That’s the wrong move Bucs.
August 30th, 2022 at 11:21 am
The punter is pretty good the coverage on the other hand is horrible and the bucs still do not have a gunner.
August 30th, 2022 at 12:05 pm
Yeah, right, cut the strong legged punter we drafted and then have to find a better punter on the street. Dumb… good luck with that idea.
They didn’t scheme the punt game in the preseason, they just had him kick away. Coverage has to be better. I have faith in Camarda, and I believe they do at OBP as well.
August 30th, 2022 at 12:24 pm
I saId it before earlier this preseason, If Todd wants to take true control of this team as his, he needs to show Armstrong the door. BA’s buddy has no business calling on ST members to perform better, when he clearly has no ability to do so himself.
Armstro g… Don’t let the door hit you where the Lord split you.
August 30th, 2022 at 5:13 pm
How I yearn for the days of Karl “The Truth” Williams.
August 30th, 2022 at 8:02 pm
So many casual fans here. Ease off the punter. Bowles literally came out and told us that he asked him to boom punts so we could evaluate gunners. Reasons why preseason doesn’t matter.