Warren Sapp: The “Metamorphosis” Has Begun
November 2nd, 2022
Peek at post-Tom Brady era.
A lot of Bucs fans are bracing for the future. The future does not have Tom Brady at quarterback.
Throw in the uncertainty of Shaq Barrett trying to bounce back from an Achilles tear and just maybe, the possibility the Bucs won’t have Lavonte David either (he’s in a contract year), and the near future could be very bleak for the Bucs.
That’s not even factoring in the Bucs may turn to a third-string quarterback looking for his first snap, a guy who has dressed for a game once since he was drafted in 2021. That’s quarterback Kyle Trask.
If the Bucs don’t have a top-10 pick in April, they look like a pretty safe bet to have one in 2024, barring major roster additions (Derek Carr? Lamar Jackson? Kirk Cousins?).
In a virtual sitdown with local sports personality Ian Beckles on his podcast “In the Trenches,” Bucs legend Warren Sapp said the transition already has begun, even with Brady.
Ian Beckles: We have been blessed the past two or three years when Tom came back and we’re watching good football. We are going through a change now, there is no doubt in my mind. This Buccaneer team is about to go through a metamorphosis and not a good one. What do you see this team next year?
Warren Sapp: What are you talking about “going to?” It’s right in front of us. It’s right in front of us. And I’ve been telling you, these big ol’ fat 360-pound defensive tackles … We’ve got [Akiem] Hicks. What? Who? Have you seen him?
Beckles: I don’t even know his number.
Sapp: He’s No. 96.
Beckles: Well, thank you, I appreciate that. You know, the second they got rid of Ndamukong Suh, I’m like, ‘OK, you get rid of attitude, you get rid of plays, presence and the whole nine yards.” And you bring in a kid who plays up and down when he’s healthy but he’s doing what he has always done.
Is the “kid” to whom Beckles is referring Vita Vea? Beckles never said. Perhaps it was Hicks.
Joe would love to see Vea take more snaps. Joe’s educated guess is he’s on a pitch count because after too many plays and he gets worn down and ineffective.
There were two critical drives against the Crows last week in the second half when Vea wasn’t on the field. Who knows how that game turns out if he was on the field?
To Vea’s credit, he has 4.5 sacks through eight games. That’s damn good. If he keeps that pace, he could flirt with 10 sacks, which is exceptional for a nose tackle in a 34 defense.
But yeah, the Bucs are 3-5. It’s not an outrageous thought the Bucs could be 3-7 when they return from Munich. Currently, the Bucs are in line to have a top-10 draft position for 2023.
And all of that is with a healthy Brady. If Trask starts, you could be looking at a throwback season to the halcyon Mike Glennon era.
Hell no, Joe doesn’t hate Kyle Trask. What’s he done to Joe or anyone to “hate?” He hasn’t played.
Joe is struggling to recall third-string quarterbacks with zero experience taking over a team and doing anything. The only third-string quarterbacks in recent decades who amounted to anything that Joe can recall are Kurt Warner, Tony Romo and Shaun King, one of four quarterbacks to lead the Bucs to the NFC Championship game. Of course, Tom Brady was fourth-string as a rookie and worked his way up the depth chart to No. 2.
The only other impact third-string quarterback Joe can think of is Kenny Stabler, who was behind Daryle Lamonica and George Blanda with the Raiders. That’s ancient history, man.
(Mike Tomczak with the Bears? Jim Miller with the Steelers? Whiskey Wade Wilson with the Vikings? Steve Bono with the 49ers? Jeff Rutledge with the Giants? Taysom Hill? You see where Joe is coming from, right?)
It would be awesome if Trask is the next King. Joe’s not banking on it, though.
November 2nd, 2022 at 12:24 am
IF Kellen Moore can be an OC, surely Brady could be!….
I advocate for Leftwich to be sent packing and make Tom Brady the next OC…
Let Tom make the decision on Trask or whoever and roll with it…. LoL
November 2nd, 2022 at 12:27 am
That’s a problem with Bowles I don’t care if Vita is on a pitch count get him in there during critical drives.
November 2nd, 2022 at 12:45 am
Idk. Vea seems, to me, that he has lost somewhat, even with his new sacks. I wonder why no one seems to be interviewing Tony Piroli (his name sounds like the title of an early 70’s song) who is our HC of strength and conditioning. I sure would like to hear what he has to say.
November 2nd, 2022 at 12:49 am
Stop advertising Ian beckels. He was nobody and his nobody. All he has his is mouth.
November 2nd, 2022 at 12:51 am
We can be a contender with or with Brady. We have great players we can trade. Re tool. Or add. it’s a matter of gamble.
November 2nd, 2022 at 12:57 am
Joe is not taking cash from Ian Beckles (though Joe would like to work out some financial arrangement). Joe finds Beckles’ takes compelling. And what Bucs fan doesn’t want to hear what Warren Sapp has to say about the Bucs? He’s one of the very few people not working for the Bucs who has a direct pipeline to Joel Glazer.
If you have some hangup with Beckles, you know you don’t have to read the article; there are tens of thousands of stories free to access in Joe’s archives.
November 2nd, 2022 at 12:59 am
Assistants have to be made available by the team in order to speak with them on the record. Not sure when the last time the head trainer was made available for media access.
And, honestly, Joe isn’t sure there is any clamoring to hear what a trainer has to say unless it’s about a specific injury (which they are likely not allowed to discuss).
November 2nd, 2022 at 1:19 am
We have had a great couple of years. And a Superbowl. If our Bucs don’t beat the rams? We are 3-6. And the players will be home with us watching the playoffs on the TV. Our D lines is gonna take some gashing’s bigtime. SHoulda made a play for Chubb. Tryon and Nelson ain;t the answer.
November 2nd, 2022 at 1:58 am
Was wondering if Warren Sapp might be a good candidate for a defensive-line coaching job?
November 2nd, 2022 at 2:11 am
I would make my take on Hurricaine Ian but a “Joe” will forever moderate my comments as before 🥺
November 2nd, 2022 at 2:12 am
I keep going back to the question for the season: is this (1) a highest expectation all-in SB run with and for Tom Brady in his final season (all things geared towards that), or is it (2) just a normal season see-what-happens-it’s-all-good (no one and no position given extra consideration, team budget/cap treated conservatively, an extended practice for developmental players), and a weeding out process for tired veterans (who will be cut, traded away or demoted), with a low-expectation long-term 3 year time horizon?
If the answer is (2) everything you seeing is exactly what it is, a slow demolition towards a rebuild.
If it is (1), it is a total failure, a mismanaged disaster…that becomes (2) anyway.
November 2nd, 2022 at 5:16 am
It’s almost like someone in the Bucs organization is not all in for this year or someone just made some bad decisions on free agents or it’s just bad luck or maybe all of the above. We signed Akiem Hicks who we knew was injury prone, Julio Jones who we knew is at the end of his career and did not play much the last two years and Logan Ryan who is also towards the end of his career. Of the three Ryan was the most effective but all three are either currently injured or have missed most of the season. We didn’t get anyone who could help us before the trade deadline and say what you want about Suh, we play better defensively when he is on the team. There seems to be a lack of commitment from the organization this year like they are afraid to be all in. Kind of like oh well we won our Super Bowl a couple of years ago, we’re good for another ten years.
November 2nd, 2022 at 5:43 am
Joe … ‘It would be awesome if Trask is the next King. Joe’s not banking on it though.’
You keep saying that ‘Joe doesn’t hate Kyle Trask’ and then you stomp on him by comparing him to Shaun King. The guy started 24 games in his ENTIRE 6 year career, and two-thirds of those were in 2000 as you know when we went 10-6 & made the playoffs, where we lost to the Eagles 21-3 … with King as our QB & Les Steckel as our OC.
King’s accomplishments that year? Passed 428 times, with 233 completions (yup, that’s a whopping 54.4% completion rate). Steckel was smart though; he had us run (490 rushes) a lot more than pass (with Dunn & Alstott back there, I would too). Even King ran his tail off (73 times for 353 yds). IOW he was a running QB, a poor man’s Lamar Jackson.
A 6-year career with 8 starts outside of that 1 year doesn’t exactly scream ‘Rocky’. Bucs were 10-6 that year because our #7 defense held the opposition to 269 points and took the ball away from opponents an astonishing 41 times. And I do give Les Steckel all the credit in the world for the offense’s performance. The old Marine drill sergeant literally ran their butts off, which is probably why he only lasted 1 year despite producing 388 points with a mediocre offense & got them to a #6 ranking that year.
November 2nd, 2022 at 7:30 am
The question is, will it be a total rebuild, or do they keep patching it together? Also, who will be in charge of the project? Bowles could not build a winner in NY, and Licht couldn’t build a winner without Brady. Do the Glazers trust them enough to get the job done?
November 2nd, 2022 at 7:32 am
JOE SAYS: “That’s not even factoring in the Bucs may turn to a third-string quarterback looking for his first snap, a guy who has dressed for a game once since he was drafted in 2021. That’s quarterback Kyle Trask.”
JOE ALWAYS LEAVES OUT: Trask was pushed down to third string and not allowed to compete with Gabbert because that’s what Brady dictated and the Bucs coaches went along with it. Bucs QB Coach Clyde Christensen said it out loud before the 2022 training camp even started: “I don’t see Trask competing with Gabbert this year. We will prepare Gabbert as No. 2. I see Gabbert being the backup and Kyle being a developmental guy.”
Joe never lets facts get in the way of his hatred.
November 2nd, 2022 at 7:32 am
Joe you’re forgetting every 3rd and 4th string QB from other teams have put hall of fame numbers when it comes to our beloved Bucs….
November 2nd, 2022 at 7:46 am
I think Joe worked for the Atlanta Falcons when they drafted second-rounder Brett Favre and convinced them to trade him to the Packers because he didn’t play his rookie season and sucked. Joe then went to work for the Patriots and tried to convince them to trade sixth-rounder Tom Brady because he also didn’t play his rookie season and sucked too. 😂
November 2nd, 2022 at 8:29 am
Bucsfansince89
Ugh!
Beanie:
Thank you, good call!
November 2nd, 2022 at 8:40 am
Too many missed draft picks
November 2nd, 2022 at 9:16 am
I didn’t think Tomczak was too terrible. But then again, I was a kid when I was watching him play. I had no idea what I was looking at back then.
November 2nd, 2022 at 10:47 am
Fire Bowels, sign Sean Payton then bring Lamar Jackson home….BAM problem solved for next year LFG
November 2nd, 2022 at 11:32 am
No accountability with the Bowles coaching methods. Players that stay aggressive and play hard should be on the field. This crap with guys missing assignments and loafing is unacceptable. The Bucs are in the entertainment business. All major league sports attract fans to see a winner or at least have the expectation of star players make big plays when the bright lights are on.
There have been so few big plays made by the Bucs this year. The red zone offense is garbage. Bowles and Leftwich are living in unreality. They are not doing enough to change the culture now that Arians is gone.
Glazers and Licht cannot have Bowles and Leftwich as the guys that face the media since all they do is say nothing, which is what they are doing on the field.
Bucs must get some savvy creative coaches that players have fun playing for. The mood in Buc-world is boring and lazy.
November 2nd, 2022 at 11:35 am
I think beano’s the biggest Gator fan ever.
November 2nd, 2022 at 12:55 pm
These 2 gas bags!!!
Can’t stand both of them
November 4th, 2022 at 5:48 am
Joe, I used to like Beckles on WDAE, but then he showed me his true colors … and I won’t go in to any specifics. Little to no respect for him these days. Just a former player trying desperately to remain relevant. And failing!