Bucs “Still Looking For Leaders”
October 28th, 2011Via the magic of live chat, ESPN NFC South blogger Pat Yasinskas was able to field important Bucs questions today.
One of them was about whether Terrell Owens should join the Bucs now that he has brushed off an alleged overdose/suicide attempt, worked out for nobody this week, and even his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, told the world the other day that T.O.’s services are not in demand.
(Joe loves live chats.) Yasinskas seemed to take the question seriously and explained the Bucs’ uncertain leadership situation makes T.O. a bad fit.
Austin (Tampa): Why not T.O. to the Bucs. I know they are focused on a “youth movement” but why not add a household name to a roster of full of guys the average football fan has never heard of. Freeman needs all thre help he can get and they may actually be able to sell some tickets.
Pat Yasinskas: First off, you’re assuming T.O. has something left. I’m not so sure that’s the case. Second, you’d be putting him into a locker room that is still looking for leaders. Not sure he’d be the best influence.
So the Bucs are still looking for leaders? Hmm, just yesterday Hardy Nickerson said the same thing about the defensive front seven.
Now Joe’s not buying the Bucs are lacking leaders when it comes to the whole team and dealing with a locker room cancer. That sounds like a weak take.
There’s a pile of legitimate veterans on the offensive line, including Captain Faine, plus Josh Freeman has eagerly grabbed the reigns, and guys like Earnest Graham, Kellen Winslow and Ronde Barber are walking around. Hell, they even have a third-year head coach.
Joe suspects if a guy like T.O. was walking around the locker room and practice field acting like an idiot, the Bucs would have what it takes to handle it.
October 28th, 2011 at 3:50 pm
Joe
Would that be the Ronde that says he’s more comfortable around the coaches than teamamtess cause of age? Or the screaming Win-slow?
October 28th, 2011 at 3:56 pm
Why did you seriously waste space with this?
October 28th, 2011 at 4:03 pm
Cause, it’s Joe’s space!
Do what you like with it Joe! Keep up the great work and site!
October 28th, 2011 at 4:03 pm
Didn’t we draft a bunch of collegiate team captains over the past few years? Why are we worried about leaders in the locker room? With all those ex-team captains, I really don’t think there is any leadership lacking from a player standpoint.
October 28th, 2011 at 4:08 pm
Look who’s getting toasted in the photo…
October 28th, 2011 at 4:22 pm
sure, just what the Bucs need….another talented receiver who is prone to drops. and another guy who will cry about not getting balls thrown his way, even if a TD is scored. only difference is, Mike Williams isn’t a 37 year old d!ckhead coming off ACL reconstruction. and from all accounts, Winslow already has a solid rapport with Freeman, perhaps the best on the entire team. so no thanks Rosenhaus, shop him elsewhere.
October 28th, 2011 at 5:05 pm
I wish our WR’s were playing better, so we wouldn’t even have to discuss TO aka “Team Obliterator”.
October 28th, 2011 at 5:07 pm
Yeah Winslows a leader like lemmings off the cliff.
October 28th, 2011 at 5:24 pm
We all know that T.O. is well……T.O. But IN A WAY, the guy would actually bring leadership to a locker room like the Bucs’. He’s been there, done that.
I don’t want us to sign him. DON’T. But I’m just saying.
And I don’t believe he attempted suicide. The media is always showing their hate.
October 28th, 2011 at 5:28 pm
Never happen. It would cost money.
October 28th, 2011 at 5:57 pm
there should be a mirror in the locker room…..or over the door out of the locker room with signs overhead stating…
Bucs “Still Looking For Leaders”
hell…coaches and front offices too…..
October 28th, 2011 at 6:16 pm
TO will shortly be joining Tiki Barber and others on the scrap heap of NFL has beens. The only coach who might want these guys is in the Monday night football booth. Stay the course boys
October 28th, 2011 at 6:20 pm
I would hardly call our three year experienced head coach an asset. Most coaches with 3 years experience at nfl head coaching had some prior formative experience at something higher than secondary coach.
Someone pointed out, how many NFL head coaches who werent NFL players have been given head coaching jobs without NFL coordinator or College head coaching experience?
October 28th, 2011 at 7:36 pm
@ Thomas 2.2
No Playing Experience
Andy Reid – QB Coach
John Harbaugh – ST Coach
John Madden – LB coach
Former Players
Dan Reeves – Player Coach
Tom Flores – Asst Coach
October 28th, 2011 at 7:38 pm
@sensiblebuc Win.
@Thomas Research Fail.
October 28th, 2011 at 8:13 pm
As for your no playing experience argument:
Madden was drafted by the Eagles but got hurt. Obviously, that is a little different than Rah Rah. Also, Madden was a college head coach – so you are wrong again. Andy Reid was the Assistant Head Coach of the Packers under Holmgren – also a level of experience that Rah Rah never got close to. Harbaugh was the special teams coordinator, I consider that “coordinator” experience just like I consider Biasaccia’s experience coordinator experience.
Dan Reeves, really? He had like a 10 year with the Cowboys where he was an All-Pro – I believe. He then mentored for a long time under Landry and became Landry’s top assistant before accepting the Bronco’s job. I know that Tom Flores was a starting NFL (or maybe AFL) qb for the Raiders and won a championship. He followed his 10 year playing career with substantial time as Madden’s top assistant before becoming head coach.
Sensiblebuc: You just accentuated my point thanks. And think about that: in the history of the NFL, you identified (wrongly) 5 potential head coaches. This shows exactly how unqualified this kid is, and why they play so undisciplined, disorganized and inconsistent.
Thanks for proving me right.
October 28th, 2011 at 9:44 pm
@ 2.2
No need to shoot the messenger my friend. You asked “How many NFL head coaches who werent NFL players have been given head coaching jobs without NFL coordinator or College head coaching experience?”
I gave you your answer and apparently it wasn’t good enough. That’s funny.
Outside of Madden, every one of the aforementioned coaches were successful despite their perceived lack of experience being THE guy and for some reason that bothers you.
Andy Reid was a quarterbacks coach and ASSISTANT HC. It wasn’t his show. He wasn’t even the OC. He assisted Holmgren with the offense and coached the QBs. He didn’t have an opportunity to shape the personality of the team and lead men. He led the QB room, just like Rah led the DB room.
The Harbaugh comment is laughable. By that same logic I can simply say that Rah, as a DB coach, was the pass defense coordinator. Which type of coaching experience is more valuable: Rah K-State defensive coordinator job or Harbaugh’s special teams coordinator experience? C’mon guy.
There’s no reason to argue about Reeves and Flores because the argument is the same: They had zero experience being the head man in charge on any level.
I get it. You don’t think he’s had enough seasoning, he’s too young, he’s too buddy buddy with the players, blah blah blah. But look at this list and you’ll see that many coaches who were hired at a young age turned out ok: http://www.profootballhof.com/history/stats/youngest_coaches.aspx
October 28th, 2011 at 9:59 pm
“This shows exactly how unqualified this kid is, and why they play so undisciplined, disorganized and inconsistent”
I think any objective fan of the game would beg to differ with this assessment. When you have the youngest team in the league your team is going to be inconsistent and your penalties are going to rise unfortunately.
In 2009 (when we were a more veteran team) we were 14th in the league in penalties per game at 5.8. In 2010 (when we were the youngest team in the league next to the Panthers) we dropped to 22nd in the League with 6.2 per game. The Panthers were 25th at 6.6 per game. This year we’re ranked 31st in the league in penalties at 8.4 per game. You want to know who’s ranked around us? The Cam Newton-led Panthers (8.4/game) and the Detroit Ndamukongs (8.1/game)…two young football teams.
Did Rah get LESS disciplined, organized and experienced from 2009 to now? Or is it that his team got younger, less experienced, and more prone to drawing penalties?
October 28th, 2011 at 10:53 pm
Another win for SensibleBuc. Very sensible indeed.
October 29th, 2011 at 1:19 am
Good read
October 29th, 2011 at 8:45 am
Thank god Freeman’s not hurt or we would be getting an article about Brett Favre being available.
Just a subtle dig at Joe.
October 29th, 2011 at 9:33 am
I don’t care if it’s T.O. but there are other role players with experience like Bernard Berrian that can come in and help this struggling WR corps learn what they are seeing on the field. I am sure yarber is trying to communicate and they are looking at film but they need a veteran with skins on the wall that still has something to offer.
Again I highly doubt the Bucs will call Berrian as he plays for a salary and they are well unwilling to pay veterans. (I didn’t say cheap, you just thought it) I have been saying they need more veteran depth but somewhere we are missing the boat because all of the SB winners were mixed with veterans and youth. This will truly be a long term building because the young today will be the veterans of tomorrow’s Bucs contending teams. Not this roster, unfortunately. Too young, too many mistakes.
October 29th, 2011 at 9:40 am
Haha dumbass 2.2 gets owned again. Just do us all a favor and STFU OR GTFO. Go bucs
October 29th, 2011 at 11:09 am
The coaches asked Faine to step up and be a leader but Faine declined because it wasn’t in the new CBA.
October 29th, 2011 at 2:13 pm
The 2009 bucs were 26.4 years of age on average, the 2010 bucs about 25.6, a .8 year difference, it is laughable to say that such an insignificant difference means more to undisciplined play than coaching. This year the numbers reflect a similar team age to 2010. Also, the Raiders have been one of the oldest and most penalized teams in the past.
The league average for age is under 27, and less than 2 years typically seperates the youngest and oldest teams.
Also, team age stats have been disregarded bc, for example, if you have an old punter, kicker, long snapper and back up qb but be very young with your core 22 and your age numbers will be distorted.
Your argument is self-defeating: on one hand you say rah and his coaching have nothing to do with how undisciplined this team plays, its just youth, yet you say inexperienced rah is good for these young players bc he is young and their buddy. Well either he is responsible for the way they play or he isnt. That means: he gets credit for the good but blame for the bad, or he has no responsibilty for either – it is just all the players
If you are taking the latter, why have a head coach? If it is the former, then Rah’s lack of discipline influences his players.
Also you fools, there are NEW penalties (like any blow to the head) that werent enforceable in 2009. That will more than account for the difference. Some coaches coach this, some just yell “violent, and yungry, and race to 10” and think that makes it difference- it does, a negative obe.
Now sit down, bc I have rested with another simple victory.
October 29th, 2011 at 2:14 pm
Btw: the non-jbfers i speak with, now basically all want Rah replaced.