“Guys In Locker Room” Want Barrett Ruud Back
July 28th, 2011
Now in the near-three years Joe has been banging out Bucs copy and content since launching this site — not one day missed; not one! — Joe has made it abundantly clear how he feels about the satanic cable syndicate known as Out House Networks.
Let Joe be even more clear: it is the suits that Joe hates there, not the people. Some of the folks who work for Out House Networks are some of the coolest in the business, whether it be Rock Riley or Victoria Lim or J.B. Long, to name a few. Nicer people one would be hard pressed to find.
This beef is not about the people that work there, but the corporate suits. It is the suits who brazenly have decided to deny innocent area citizens the want, desire and the need to enjoy the NFL Network, yet it is these same scoundrels who have decided to ram every friggin’ vapid shopping channel in the free world down the throats of the littles along with other schlap, including a “news” channel that features such internationally-compelling stories such as a new swing set in the Brandon city park, a new culvert being installed along Starkey Road in Largo and the temperature every 10 minutes just in case you forgot how hot it was 10 minutes ago.
It is simply an outrageous practice and some right-thinking politician would be warranted to launching a congressional investigation into this shady if not elicit unethical practice.
Tomorrow, Joe will feature some of the best Twitterers to follow for Bucs news and there are few local guys better at bringing you tidbits of sports information than Long. Today, he had an interesting nuggett as the Bucs reported for training camp.
It seems the absense of starting middle linebacker Barrett Ruud has created a degree of unrest among his former (?) teammates and in fact soft-spoken tight end Kellen Winslow spoke up in defense of Ruud.
@JB_Long: Bucs Winslow says it would be very disappointing to see Ruud leave. Team leader. Guys in locker room want him back.
Look, Joe thinks the world of rock star general manager Mark Dominik. But starting a third round college outside linebacker in the middle and calling defensive plays, a young man who has had a grand total of zero reps with the Bucs defense and the opening regular season game a scant five weeks away, well, this shakes Joe to his very core with fright and dread.
Joe has learned to trust Dominik. But this move is really testing Joe’s allegiance.
July 28th, 2011 at 1:12 pm
There was complaining about Freeman and about Williams, others wanted Barber gone last year. I would think the GM has earned the right to make the decisions without as much as a comment.
July 28th, 2011 at 1:13 pm
Perhaps they knew all along that they were going to do another Shelton Quarles experiment by moving the Sam LB to Mike… and that’s why they paid $6 million per year for Quincy Black, because he will possibly be the new MLB. Consider the fact that Paul Posluzny got paid $7 million per year for the Jags, that isn’t far off for a guy that has never played the middle and perhaps a little too much for a guy that is JUST going to play the Sam.
July 28th, 2011 at 1:16 pm
I wonder if Dominik is just trying to see what his market value is before offering(or not depending on what the market says) an agreement. That being said, I have not heard anything about any potential suitors for Ruud. Is anyone actively pursuing him? Is there a chance the reason the Bucs haven’t offered anything is because perhaps no other team has offered anything for him yet so Dominik has not been able to effectively gauge Ruud’s perceived monetary value around the league?
July 28th, 2011 at 1:18 pm
If i was a player I’d want Ruud back too… keeps my job safer.
July 28th, 2011 at 1:22 pm
The players don’t always know what’s best. If it were up to them, most of them would want Monday through Thursday off during the season… probably not a good idea. Most of them would want the teams to take their word that they are working out….They’d all want their contracts guaranteed…not good either.
July 28th, 2011 at 1:22 pm
I wish we could get him for a 1 year deal.
July 28th, 2011 at 1:38 pm
Joe,
“This move” isn’t actually a move until it happens. Until then it’s all speculation. Dominik could easily be maneuvering to keep Ruud’s contract demands as limited as possible. We have no way of knowing until Friday.
Also, not to be critical, but why would one single move test your allegiance when Dominik has a whole slew of moves that have proven insightful if not downright genius?
July 28th, 2011 at 1:44 pm
I’m thinking the reason Quincy Black was retained and paid handsomely is to move to the middle. He knows the defense so that would eliminate the risk of starting a rookie linebacker and allowing Foster to stay on the outside where he is most comfortable.
July 28th, 2011 at 1:46 pm
Or, perhaps it’s not up to Dominick. Meybe, just Meybe, Ruud shot him the bird, and is waiting to sign with the Giants tomorrow. And despite Raheem and Mark’s desire to resign him, he wants to play a more traditional MLB role.
July 28th, 2011 at 1:48 pm
I read that Stephen Holder confirmed with multiple sources that he is gone, and it came down to $$.
Time to move forward, good luck Ruud.
July 28th, 2011 at 1:56 pm
If your waiting for Dominick to announce” we made him an offer, but he refused, as had a better offer” it won’t happen. You also won’t hear” Barrett wanted to leave the team, and play elsewhere”. Teams don’t devolve things like that. So while Joe is right to question the sanity of losing Ruud, it is probably not up to Dominick.
You haven’t heard him say he made offers to Doug Free, but story line is we were neck and neck bidding with the cowboys. No one at one Buc has announced we made offers to Nnamdi- but rumors abound that we have( don’t know if they’re true).
If we made on offer to Ruud, and he rejected it, it won’t be announced. GMs only announce their successes. Not their near misses.
July 28th, 2011 at 2:00 pm
Who cares? Of course they’re all going to say they want him back. Otherwise they risk tension in the locker room if he is resigned.
July 28th, 2011 at 2:09 pm
Just heard mason foster is taking team pictures in #51 jersey
Jk but that would be funny though!
July 28th, 2011 at 2:12 pm
And , not to rain on The parade of happiness going on.
But didn’t Quincy Black suck last year. We revolved the defense around him, trying to make him our ” pressure Lb” ?
And he didn’t produce squat? I thought we we all Gung ho for Heyward to start, or Foster! I’m not thrilled about resigning an underachieving LB- even for low dollar. I thought we were trying to get better?
July 28th, 2011 at 2:20 pm
I seriously don’t know why they like Black so much. He’s built like He-Man but plays more like She-Ra.
July 28th, 2011 at 2:28 pm
CaptTim
“I’m not thrilled about resigning an underachieving LB- even for low dollar.”
Quincy got low dollar??
July 28th, 2011 at 2:29 pm
since $ is obviously a factor in this, would it be completely out of the question to offer something like a 2 year deal for $12 mil or so, fully guaranteed? a lot of these other deals have $10-15 mil guaranteed. he wouldn’t be sacrificing too much, and would still be young enough to get a decent contract when this is up. and it would give the Bucs some flexibility and allow them to bide time while they develop someone to replace him.
just so everyone knows, i’m not exactly pro or anti Ruud….im kind of in the middle on this issue. this is just a suggestion, trying to think outside the box a bit.
July 28th, 2011 at 2:33 pm
Brandon Says:
July 28th, 2011 at 1:22 pm
The players don’t always know what’s best. If it were up to them, most of them would want Monday through Thursday off during the season… probably not a good idea. Most of them would want the teams to take their word that they are working out….They’d all want their contracts guaranteed…not good either.
=========================================
Yeah, players don’t know nearly as much as critically acclaimed “Internet Prediction Makers”!! LOL.
The Joke strikes again…
July 28th, 2011 at 2:57 pm
big marlon, i think tie problem is that ruud and his agent have set a price and dominik isnt going to touch it until he sees how other teams react to it. doesnt look to me like ruud is in as much demand as what he had hoped.
July 28th, 2011 at 3:10 pm
Based on his production, it was another Derrick Ward deal. Based on your average starting NFL LB, it wasnt anything amazing. He’s young, Meybe they see something we don’t( I’m sure they do), but just based on his game day play, he was invisible last year. Guess they have plans for him, but our outside LBers were the weak link last year. I’m sure somebody has a plan- gotta start making the playoff soon . .
July 28th, 2011 at 5:17 pm
I would rather watch an inexperienced LB missed tackles or take bad angles to the RB all year long. Than watch another second of our veteran LB back peddle, dodge contact or ride the back of another rookie/practice team RB down the field this year. I don’t want to see that LB back in a Bucs uniform ever again. Mark my words he will not show up at a crucial time and fans will be livid. Discharge and move on Dominick.
July 28th, 2011 at 6:43 pm
“Learned to trust Dominik”
pitiful Mr. Joe, just pitiful.
July 28th, 2011 at 6:56 pm
Joe here,
@Eric — C’mon now. Context, Eric. Context. Joe’s saying Dominik deserves the benefit of the doubt since the end of the Jim Bates Experience. Faith in the guy is warranted. 10-6 with that bunch was near miraculous. Surely you concur there.
July 28th, 2011 at 7:00 pm
Ok Joe, I concur. But remember these dudes promised “lasting contenders”.
A little meat left on that bone wouldn’t you agree?
Supplementing the good young core with some vets wouldn’t kill them!
July 28th, 2011 at 7:20 pm
Joe here,
@Eric — Playoffs has to be next. The bar has been set. They can’t turn back. 9-7 and third place won’t cut it.
As for adding free agent veterans now, it’s a tough call when you start looking at re-signing guys long term and being able to afford that. Point is they believe these young guys are the real deal, so they have to be in position to still have this wishful “lasting contender” and that includes Freeman, Williams, Blount, Talib, and others. . …Funny thing is, if they don’t go after any free agents now of substance, then it’s almost an admission that they don’t think 2011 is their Super Bowl year. Hard to swallow coming from the top down, but probably very accurate. …Brutal balancing act to figure out how to win now and win later. Don’t know if they know how to do that, but after last year they get the benefit of the doubt.