Tykee Smith, Rookies And A Depleted Safety Position
December 14th, 2024
Playing two positions?
Is Tykee Smith still a rookie?
Well, by the strict definition, yes. With most football coaches, including Bucs coach Todd Bowles, no.
Coaches often consider rookies to be veterans late in a season. The reasoning is, the rookie has seen enough that little should surprise him, if he’s been playing a lot.
Joe asked Bowles about that this week and Bowles believes if a player shows enough savvy and smarts, he’s no longer a rookie in the summer.
“We try to make that saying in August,” Bowles said on Wednesday when Joe asked him about Jalen McMillan seemingly turning the corner. “Once you have your first meetings and first day of practice, you’re no longer a rookie.”
But with nickel corner Tykee Smith, Bowles seems to be treating the rookie like, well, a rookie.
With so many safeties hurt and not expected to play Sunday, Bowles was asked if he may flip Smith, normally a nickel corner, between safety and corner in Los Angeles against the Chargers. Bowles did a little bit of that against the Raiders.
Bowles didn’t seem to favor that as he said that may be too much for the rookie.
“It’s probably too much to put on his plate right now, as a rookie,” Bowles said. “.We try to give him what he can handle but I think he’s a good football player and, if needed, he can go back there.”
So much for becoming a seasoned veteran in August.
Joe isn’t terribly worried about the injuries at safety. Not this week. Justin Herbert is beat to hell and the veteran Chargers signal-caller has a sprained left ankle along with a left leg injury.
A bad wheel messes with a quarterback’s throwing. So while normally Herbert would easily test the Bucs’ backup safeties, that may not be the case tomorrow.
December 14th, 2024 at 12:10 am
Well, our best and starting safeties are tested on the regular by whichever QB lines up, so I’m not sure I agree with this. Meaning the last paragraph.
December 14th, 2024 at 12:43 am
I think keeping Tykee in the slot makes the most sense. Keeps him closer to the line of scrimmage and the middle of the field. We need mor
I think Izien will be OK @ safety. A little worried about Merriweather. Might see T.Thomas back there some – he’s got ton’s of juice but has looked a little lost. Safety play hasn’t been great this season, even when we had Winfield and Whitehead back there….maybe these guys will surprise us again and have solid games.
December 14th, 2024 at 1:12 am
The Bucs pass defense made a limpy Kirk Cousins look all world. Herbert could be on one leg and one arm torture the soft zone. If we see man at the mix we saw against Raiduhs, we could be ok. If not, see Cousins and where half his passing yards in 13 games came from 2 games against the Bucs.
Go Bucs
December 14th, 2024 at 5:15 am
It’s a disgrace, but ummm – how do you think the Lions feel? 12-1. Should be 13-0. A complete wagon, a great team in a sea of complete mediocrity and yet the season could be derailed because the only starter they have left on defense is…*drum roll* CARLTON DAVIS. The one time in NFL history that the lions and their fans are Super Bowl favorites and the lead NFL story – the whole defense freaking drops dead metaphorically speaking. The Bucs proclivity to be just annoying as hell pisses me off, but the Lions situation is far more devastating and it WILL derail their season
December 14th, 2024 at 5:36 am
Herbert has a cannon and will test us deep. He will also test us in the intermediate and short ranges because we can’t cover or rush the passer. So forget about the injury. As long as he has a healthy right arm we are in trouble.
December 14th, 2024 at 7:04 am
Herbert has been quoted as saying this latest ankle sprain isn’t severe and not nearly as bad as the one he had earlier in the year. His thigh bruise is just a thigh bruise, he’ll tape an aspirin to it and be fine. He was a full participant at practice Friday.
If you’re pinning your short-term investment future or your Bucs secondary hopes on Herbert’s injury, I’d hedge your expectations.
December 14th, 2024 at 11:30 am
Leighroy Says:
December 14th, 2024 at 7:04 am
If you’re pinning your short-term investment future or your Bucs secondary hopes on Herbert’s injury, I’d hedge your expectations.
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Exactly. Herbert standing on one leg still has a better arm than most QB’s.
December 14th, 2024 at 1:28 pm
Yeah, because a hobbled Kirk Cousins wasn’t able to torch us at all, even when most of our secondary was still healthy, right?
🙄
Sometimes your so-called reasoning is quite devoid of logic…
December 14th, 2024 at 5:07 pm
Press man is the way all day. Let the players use their athleticism and stop having to think so much every play.