Safeties Shoudn’t Be Safe
December 14th, 2011_t607.jpg)
The Bucs are losing. The Bucs are out of the playoff hunt. Shouldn’t the Bucs be playing for the future and intensely looking at their youngest players to see what they’ve got, especially in positions where starters are underperforming?
Former Bucs defensive end Steve White (1996-2001) thinks that absolutely should be the case, so he detailed with Derek “Old School” Fournier on Two-Hand Touch on WQYK-AM 1010 last night. You can listen to the whole show here.
Here’s a tough-talk snippet on the Bucs’ safeties.
“You gotta see what your younger safeties can do. Sean Jones, hey, we gotta see if there’s somebody better than him on our roster right now. Because if there’s not, we’re still going to need to find an upgrade for that guy, in my opinion,” White said. “And I love Tanard Jackson as a bawl hawk, but this guy has got to re-learn how to tackle. I wouldn’t be opposed to having him share time, too, until he gets some fire in his belly again to start wrapping people up. And he used to be a very good tackler. But now, most of the time, when he’s going for the big hits, he’s not even attempting to wrap guys up. And he’s a guy who kind of has escaped a lot of criticism around here. But week in and week out he’s missing a lot of tackles.
“And then, of course, the big play he gives up [in Jacksonville] trying to jump a short route in Cover 3, you just can’t do that in that situation when we hadn’t given [Jacksonville] anything all this time and then you let Mercedes Lewis run them almost all the way down to the goal line because you tried to be greedy.”
White’s most scathing review of the show came for Kregg Lumpkin. “There’s nothing about the guy that says he deserves scrimmage reps on any NFL team,” White said.
Joe’s all for emptying the bench in the appropriate spots. However, that’s a lot tougher reality to implement when there’s a seven-game losing streak in place and the head coach is battling to retain his job. Joe can’t blame Raheem Morris for playing the guys he thinks give him the best chance at a W.
December 14th, 2011 at 11:51 am
The Lumpkin thing kills me. Does he just kill it in practice against our D or what?
December 14th, 2011 at 12:05 pm
Blumpkin is horrible. He absolutely has ZERO special qualities. I’ve never seen him run around, run through, jump over or do anything to tackler that would prevent him from getting tackled. He is a wasted roster spot.
Tanard has been terrible. His tackling has been far more atrociious than his coverage. He looks like he’s playing flag football out there.
Sean Jones? He hasn’t been tackling much better than Jackson. His coverage has been awful as usual. The only thing he does well is blitz… thank god, there is a reason to run him out there.
I’d rather see what, if anything, Ahmad Black has to offer. If he sucks, so what… we already suck.
December 14th, 2011 at 12:09 pm
I still don’t understand why we extended Tanard so quickly. I was all for starting him right away and seeing what he could do, but extend him before watching him play a few games? sigh
December 14th, 2011 at 12:10 pm
Lumpkin does not give them the best chance to win.
December 14th, 2011 at 12:31 pm
We signed Jackson because we know he can play at a pro bowl level and we got him at a serious discount. (the Black contract is the head scratcher)
Also I really don’t see the value in starting players who we already know shouldn’t be starting just so they can give 50% and get blown out.
December 14th, 2011 at 12:50 pm
Nearly everytime something goes wrong it seems like #26 is right there .. trailing the play … STanding around the play or just watching someone score a TD. #26 is flat out Awful .. I guarantee if he is not on the Bucs he WILL NOT START more than 4 games next season and even those will be due to injury of someone or a team giving him a try.
#26 is not an NFL PLayer
December 14th, 2011 at 1:29 pm
here lies the problem with morris at this point. he’s going to play it safe. we all know madu should be getting way more reps, hell, from what i’ve seen lately he should be stealing reps from blount, but it wont happen.
December 14th, 2011 at 1:58 pm
Lumpkin must have compromising photos of someone important. There is no other explanation for him being on an NFL roster. Or UFL!
December 14th, 2011 at 2:05 pm
Madu has 9 attempts for 31 yards(3.4 ypc with a long of 6) and 1 reception for 3 yards. What of that justifies giving him reps over Blount?
December 14th, 2011 at 2:05 pm
Its a shame Cody Grimm isnt 20lbs heavier…I’de love him as a strong safety
December 14th, 2011 at 2:07 pm
Jones must be another buddy of Raheem’s. That’s the only explanation. I haven’t been able to figure out why he’s on this team for a while.
As for Lumpkin – Couldn’t agree more. He sucks. Bad.
December 14th, 2011 at 2:15 pm
Sean Jones… all for benching that bum. He shows 0 effort and makes 0 plays. How many big plays has sean jones had the last 2 years of starting for us? Thats right…0, nada, none. He sucks. Tanard has more picks then he has in the 8 games since he came back as #26 has his whole bucs career. Been saying this since the beginning of the year that #26 is a bum and shouldnt be starting on a team. I always see him trailing every big play that we have made against us. Coincedence? I think not. Start black or asante see what he can do. Tanards been off of football so long it was inevitable that he would struggle in terms of tackling NFL players. He’ll be the tanard of old next year.
December 14th, 2011 at 2:18 pm
And what more could anyone say about lumpkin that hasn’t already been said. O and @Brandon I think it was the chicago game when lumpkin juked somebody… his shadow… when he spun enough to juke the shadow but failed to notice the defender behind his shadow and got tackled. LOL
December 14th, 2011 at 2:19 pm
Mikeck … Size is overrated … Grimm was our best Run Defender hands down and also one the Bucs toughest players. Measurables can become an illusion and leads to Draft Busts 100 times every year.
If Grimm can stay healthy he can play SS all day long as far as I can see.
December 14th, 2011 at 2:32 pm
How crappy is our Defense? Worst Defender, Sean Jones. Leading tackler, Sean Jones. Wow, that’s depressing.
December 14th, 2011 at 2:40 pm
Agree about Grimm. If there’s one Buc that is fearless it’s Cody.
December 14th, 2011 at 3:08 pm
Rah shouldn’t be safe
December 14th, 2011 at 3:11 pm
I’m not buying Jones is our worst defender. Good? No. Worst? Not with Black and Hayes playing LB.
December 14th, 2011 at 3:25 pm
Not one non-kicker (and we dont know about the rooks) is clearly playing up to hos potential.
That is an indictment on the coaching.
December 14th, 2011 at 3:27 pm
Shaun King today was dead on
December 14th, 2011 at 3:41 pm
Let’s reflect on this past summer when everyone said WOW!! look at Tampa.
Great new coach for the ________.
Great new GM ________.
Insert “Rays”, “Lightning” or “Buccaneers”
All teams building through youth and the draft.
Now, people want Raheem fired.
Dom is taking heat.
Guy is taking heat for the Lightning’s slow start.
Yzerman is even going to take heat if he can’t develop or get a goalie.
The Rays are being bashed again because they won’t sign a big name FA.
It really is no longer “what have you done for me lately”. It is “what did you do for me 5 minutes ago”.
Makes me kind of wish Raheem had 2 years left so the guy could have a fighting chance.
I think he will be gone, and probably rightfully so, but this notion from fans and owners that you can gut a team, build in the draft and expect massive results within 2.5 years is ridiculous.
December 14th, 2011 at 4:05 pm
advocare, i dont really care what your stats indicate. i see a more explosive player with more wiggle than the other two and on at least a couple of those 9 attempts he made something out of nothing. madu has surely earned more snaps.
December 14th, 2011 at 4:13 pm
TheProsUseAdvoCare
9 attempts is hardly a good sampling.
Lumpkin is not explosive, not shifty, not fast, doesn’t have vision… he offers NOTHING.
They are 4-9, give the young kid a chance to show what he can do.
Madu looks fast, shifty, elusive, etc… maybe it won’t pan out but give it a shot at this point.
****** Just re-read what you wrote. I don’t think anyone was saying give him carries OVER Blount. It was give him the extra carries over LUMPKIN. Mix in that speed with blount’s size.
Many, MANY teams use two RBs succesfully and with Blount’s style, they are going to have to figure that out as well.
(Hopefully it does not harken back to the days of gruden claiming he can not figure out how to get Bryant & Galloway on the field at the same time… this from an “offensive genius”)
December 14th, 2011 at 4:33 pm
im with you gotbuc i want to see madu out there, i feel like given more chances he will break a long run or catch the guy definitely has some wiggle in him which is what i have been saying we need all along. As for grimm it doesn’t matter how big you ar fs and ss are the same position in this defense rah has said it multiple times. Grimm hopefully comes back healthy and is a starter at safety along with a well conditioned tanard who remembered how to tackle. let black play the year out and if he shows he can ball we got ourselves a nice third safety
December 14th, 2011 at 4:51 pm
Madu has shown more in 9 snaps than Lumpkin has all year. What could it hurt to see a little more.
December 14th, 2011 at 5:02 pm
Seriously……what did Lumpkin do to even earn a roster spot?
Nothing!
Lumpkin=perfect example of cheapness by this team
December 14th, 2011 at 5:27 pm
Not asking for massive results, just for them to turn the ball over maybe 3 times a game and not regularly get blown out by terrible teams.
December 14th, 2011 at 5:36 pm
Bad teams coached by bad coaches do not fare well in the NFL.
December 14th, 2011 at 5:40 pm
Guys…Advocare was respnding the the post below…
December 14th, 2011 at 5:41 pm
Oops, Advocare was responding to the following post, which suggests Madu should get some of Blounts reps. I would like to see more Madu, but not at Blounts expense. Put him in for Lumpkin.
gotbbucs Says:
December 14th, 2011 at 1:29 pm
here lies the problem with morris at this point. he’s going to play it safe. we all know madu should be getting way more reps, hell, from what i’ve seen lately he should be stealing reps from blount, but it wont happen.
December 14th, 2011 at 6:39 pm
The answer is ages old.
Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome.
December 14th, 2011 at 7:40 pm
I’ve been holding my tongue (figure of Speech) for the past month or so. I have watched Jackson duck tackles, run at 1/2 speed, toward the ball carrier, and loaf since he has been back. He just wants to go for the interception and if that isn’t close he quits. Everybody talks Jones, Black, Grimm, etc. Notice no one ever mentions Corey Lynch. When he plays he is near the ball, he takes good angles, and rarely lets a defender beat him. Lynch is the most consistent safety on the team…but they will not play him…??? Morris even talks highly of him …but they won’t play him…??? He is a kick blocking machine but they won’t let him do his thing…??? When Lynch is gone to another team next year the Bucs won’t have a good back-up player or special teamer like he is.
December 14th, 2011 at 8:23 pm
Landry from the redskins is a free agent next year would love see him a bucs uniform
December 14th, 2011 at 8:50 pm
Tanard started very well but has faded. IMO, Tanard is out of football shape and needs an off-season of lifting to get back to size and get back where he was. He’ll be fine.
December 14th, 2011 at 10:18 pm
I think the bucs should give Dekoda Watson more playing time and try to steal Quincy or Genos Job.
December 15th, 2011 at 8:41 am
Joe, If Sabby was Sabby the Goat, Shouldn’t Jones be Jonesy the Mule?
December 15th, 2011 at 1:34 pm
I agree a million % Bucs55….
Laron Landry please.