Top Bucs Free Agents
June 28th, 2011
It’s always interesting to Joe what others outside the Tampa Bay market feel about Bucs players, partially because they are not tainted by perhaps a too cozy relationship, and because said scribes are not worried about retribution for harsh critiques.
Of the many Bucs free agents set to hit the open market when/if this asinine lockout ends, Pete Prisco of CBSSports.com isn’t all that won over by them, though he thinks Davin Joseph is the best of the lot.
26. Davin Joseph, G, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: He is a mauler in the run game who missed five games last season after breaking his foot. Joseph struggles at times with quick tackles in pass protection. He was better in 2007 and 2008 than he was the past two seasons.
Pretty solid take on Joseph. The guy is a beast run blocking and OK to fair on pass blocking. Joe believes that’s an objective assessment.
To many Bucs fans’ delight, Prisco is hardly enamoured by linebacker Barrett Ruud as so many others are. However, as Bucs fans roundly pillory Ruud for his perceived inability to muscle up and stop the run, Prisco instead believes Ruud to be a fine run-stuffer but lacking in pass protection.
38. Barrett Ruud, LB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: I had him ranked higher on an earlier list, but after evaluating him I am not as high on him. He’s a good player, not a great one. He does have a knack for getting to the football, but he sometimes isn’t as good in coverage.
This may be the first time Joe has read someone take Ruud to task for not-so-great pass defense. Interesting.
For those wondering, Prisco has linebacker Quincy Black rated No. 43.
June 28th, 2011 at 9:20 am
I have been saying for a year that the guy is not as good in coverage as people think. Don’t get me wrong, he is good, but only between 5 to just of 15 yards downfield. Deeper routes in the middle he gets burned. Quicker routes heading to the sidelines, he gets burned.
Basically he just does not seem as fast as people like to believe he is. Add that to the “can’t stop a RB in the hole to save his life” issue and you realize why the Bucs have not resigned him and have two guys in the wings now………… regardless of how “smart” he is.
Many defenses got along just fine before Ruud and many will do just fine after Ruud. Other players do have brains and football knowledge, they’ll be okay.
June 28th, 2011 at 9:32 am
It is going to be interesting to see what Tampa does with Ruud ? I don’t see that we have anyone to step up and replace him, this year. The University of Washington Linebacker we drafted is not ready yet. I find it sort of funny that Bradford of USC and him are ‘reunited’ here in Tampa. Bradford ran all over him when USC played Washington, and drug him down the field too. Unless Bradford is really the stud we all think he is, this kind of concerns me. The NFL is full of mean, powerful running backs like we hope Bradford is.
As for Ruud not pass covering, I am more concerned with his ability to stop the run.
But, in fairness to Barrett, when you have a 240 pound NFL running back with 4.5 speed running full tilt through a hole the size of Tampa Bay, they are not easy to stop.
As for Davin Joseph, I like him a lot. Unfortunately, those super long arms of his he used to hold with in College ain’t flying in the NFL. They call that stuff in the NFL.
Still, he is a nasty run blocker, and seemed to take on new life when Tampa discovered Blount. Some People in Tampa are brainwashed into believing only the SEC is “all that”.
The Pac 10 has had some great players, especially big mean running backs.
Jonathan Stewart of Carolina was a Pac 10 running back, as are Blount and Bradford of Tampa. These men bring that “West Coast Gangster” attitude to football, and have the size, speed, and strength to back it up. Breaking tackles, and running over linebackers is what they do. In all fairness to Barrett Ruud who was run over by Carolina, few NFL Linebackers would have stopped Stewart and Carolina that day. Our D Line failed us, and Ruud took the heat for it.
June 28th, 2011 at 10:20 am
After re and threewatching the entire season, I agree that Ruud might have had a sloppy year in coverage. Perhaps it was just bad play calling but he was constantly getting burned by TEs on crossing routes. He did great when playing deep middle. His man coverage skills are lacking due to his equal lack of speed. It also could have some to do with the lack of coverage skilles of Hayes and Black in certain situations. I am inclined to believe it is a mixed of some poopy play calling and sloppy plays.
June 28th, 2011 at 11:00 am
Rude Ruud fact in 2010: 1 INT, 4 Pass Defensed… Nnamdi Asomugha had no INTs and 6 Pass Defensed (in 14 games)…
June 28th, 2011 at 11:03 am
@CalicoJack AHAHAHAHA, STATS ALWAYS PROVE A POINT. AHAHAHA…
Ahem. Man, some people…
June 28th, 2011 at 11:58 am
I’m glad someone finally in the mass media rates this guy decently. See not too bad Joe and other Ruud lovers.
June 28th, 2011 at 12:14 pm
Architek, I’m glad to see that you are willing to accept that Ruud is a beast in run stopping, as the article also said. Or are you only buying into the negative comments? . . .Ruud the Run stopping Beast! Man, who would have thunk it. You Ruud haters are TOTALLY wrong in your perception, according to this Pete Guy!
June 28th, 2011 at 12:50 pm
tim you would be wrong too since you think ruud is a safety and good at pass coverage, so whats your point
June 28th, 2011 at 11:01 pm
“Rude Ruud fact in 2010: 1 INT, 4 Pass Defensed… Nnamdi Asomugha had no INTs and 6 Pass Defensed (in 14 games)…”
I hope that wasn’t meant to be a serious post.
June 28th, 2011 at 11:10 pm
@Calico Jack
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June 28th, 2011 at 11:11 pm
Please approve my previous comment Joe, the comparison of Ruud and Nnamdi in pass coverage deserves an ascii facepalm.
June 28th, 2011 at 11:12 pm
Capt. Tim, Ruud’s about as much a “run stopping beast” as Talib is a poster child for self control.
June 28th, 2011 at 11:15 pm
Jonny, I love it.