Freeman “Dragged Down” By Raheem & Co.
January 29th, 2012
As Joe’s written many times before in many different ways, Joe slaps the majority of blame for the heinous Bucs collapse last season on poor coaching.
Raheem Morris, Greg Olson and friends did not get anywhere close to the most out of their talent — the essence of coaching. Some players mailed it in, and treasured young Bucs failed to improve or regressed. After a 4-2 start, including wins against playoff teams, that’s not the fault of upper management.
ESPN NFC South blogger Pat Yasinskas seems to agree with Joe, lumping a pile of blame for Josh Freeman’s struggles on his coaching in a recent feature about Freeman and new head coach Greg Schiano.
I think he simply got dragged down by the total lack of leadership and direction from the previous coaching staff. A lot of players ran wild and there was no accountability and not nearly enough leadership from other corners of the locker room. The Bucs were a ship out of control.
Obviously, Freeman’s regression was caused by a complex group of factors. But given that Freeman performed at an elite level in 2010, it’s at least reasonable to assume that a better coaching staff and a couple more weapons can return No. 5 to greatness quickly. That alone would make the Bucs competitive again from the first snap on opening day.
January 29th, 2012 at 3:48 pm
I do hope so. Lest I forget, I can’t remember a QB who put up a Pro Bowl season in his first few years in the league, and didn’t end up being as good as advertised? Am I forgetting anybody?
January 29th, 2012 at 3:56 pm
Buccaneer Nation living and past was sucked down the Morris sewer…..
January 29th, 2012 at 4:13 pm
RahRah would have pulled Brady, Manning or Rodgers to Dilfer-status, that much is true.
However, our offensive skill positions are one of the NFL’s worst and definitely the least explosive – most teams have a tight end more explosive than any of our receivers. Outside of Williams a reliable chain movers – we have a bunch of nothing.
Our RBs (without EG) are just not NFL caliber.
We do have a tight end with the league’s best – mouth – but league’s worst ability to get open without pushing off. Also, for a tackle football player he wants to fight when the other team tackles him. Huh?
For some reason, Winslow was a sacred entity to our clueless prior coach and current pop star GM. I guess bc the pop star gave him a huge contract so under the pop star that means you receive favoritism.
This #5 pick will not be thrust into a team leadership role until its earned – unlike the way the team acted as if MCCoy was already Sapp before even 1 practice.
January 29th, 2012 at 4:16 pm
when Bucs did nothing in free agency, it gave the players a chance to exhale, rest on their laurels and regress (no one was afraid to lose job due to lack of depth which was a recipe for failure)
January 29th, 2012 at 4:23 pm
They need to get the right coaches and right players or else Freeman is gonna be ruined!
January 29th, 2012 at 4:32 pm
Rockstar selected players + rockstar selected coach…………….
The outcome is not in doubt.
January 29th, 2012 at 4:33 pm
First off yasinkas is a Douche! He flip flops on every topic.
January 29th, 2012 at 4:36 pm
I disagree with this. You are going to tell me that none of the coaches had control of their players? I don’t buy it. The problem this team had was a lack of veteran leadership. Raheem, Olsen and Dominick expected players that had potential to be leaders to do so without giving the examples to mold themselves after. At least Sapp, Lynch and Brooks had veterans around to use as examples.
January 29th, 2012 at 4:40 pm
I can’t argue with Yasinskas or Joe.
Things are looking up though. Glad to know Coach Schiano is going to pick
assistants he knows and trusts to delegate. Don’t care who they are as long as
they’re good by our HC.
Let’s get to work this off-season!
January 29th, 2012 at 4:41 pm
And…special teams sure looked disciplined…the Dline did too. Not all the coaches sucked in the department.
January 29th, 2012 at 4:42 pm
Rah Rah was a friggin joke. A bad joke.
Looking forward to that clown chest bumping someone when the Skins are down three touchdowns. Mike Shanahan just might fire his @ss on the spot.
January 29th, 2012 at 4:52 pm
@eric actully the glazers selected rah rah, not rockstar.
January 29th, 2012 at 4:53 pm
Liked how Schiano referenced to this in the presser with his “consequences and boundaries comment, and saying that without those you end up in a bad place without being sure how you got there”. Not sure if that was referring to the previous regime, but it sure did hit the nail on the head. And in reading Joe’s interview with Millard (who I was glad to see got another gig), Keith didn’t throw anybody under the bus but he seemed to infer that there were some definite issues last year.
January 29th, 2012 at 4:55 pm
Would’ve loved to hear some of the “off the record” stuff he might have had to say Joe.
January 29th, 2012 at 4:58 pm
Pete: there was NOTHING disciplined about the DLine:
32nd in sacks; 32nd in rushing defense and 32nd in ypp (I believe).
The DLine almost never maintained gap integrity. They were plain horrible.
Yes they are young and some believe a few have potential – the best 3 are Clag, Bowers and Bennett followed by Price.
The prior coaching staff was a complete and total mess starting from the incompetent disaster at the top. He even eliminated effective coaching by Millard bc he was so bad. If you cant recognize incompetent coaching when this obvious Pete, try another sport – maybe bowling or figure skating will suit your eye better.
January 29th, 2012 at 5:22 pm
yes raheem sucked,, hopefuly josh willmgetmrealmcoachingmormoff mto next qb
January 29th, 2012 at 5:28 pm
^^^ What?
January 29th, 2012 at 5:33 pm
anyone who thinks Dominik picked Raheem to coach the Bucs in 2009 is nuts. Glazer special all the way.
January 29th, 2012 at 5:33 pm
And pete:
Sapp, Brooks and Lynch – didnt become Sapp, Brooks and Lynch until they had proper coaches.
For example, Lynch was such a disappointment early in his career that Floyd Peters tried to switch him to linebacker. Dungy immediately eliminated that idiotic idea, coached him up and John Lynch was born about year 4 or 5. Brooks was fortunate to get Tony in year 2, but Sapp struggled in year 1 under Wyche/Peters.
Yes, I accept the argument that McCoy may suck bc Rah is his coach – although that wont explain the fragile part.
January 29th, 2012 at 5:52 pm
REPOST:
I’m putting my bets down on Mario Cristobal as OC and Jim Tomsula as DC.
Cristobal is currently HC at FIU but he’s an offense guy who has connections to Schiano from both Miami and Rutgers. He took a winless FIU team and improved on the win totals each and every year for five straight seasons, never regressing once, and has put them into bowl games the past two seasons (their first ever bowl games). He coached TE’s and OL under Schiano. Also, his “idol” is Joe Paterno…same as Schiano. He’s an upwardly mobile kind of coach who’s looking for a stepping stone into the NFL head coaching ranks eventually. This would be a perfect situation for him, as he’s gone about as far as he can go at FIU similar to Schiano having no further he could’ve gone at Rutgers. His salary is only $450,000 at FIU and would easily double, and possibly even more, by becoming OC for the Bucs. He’s known as a good teacher and excellent recruiter (which doesn’t hurt in dealing with free agents). Looks like a no-brainer to me.
Tomsula coached the defensive line of the 49ers the past five years and they finished first in the NFL in rushing yards allowed per game this past season. They are known for having one of the most physical and well-coached d-lines in the league. He also coached in NFL Europe from 1998 to 2006 as DL coach, DC and HC. He was also the 49ers interim HC for one game after Singletary was fired, which they won 38-7. It was reported a couple weeks ago that the Bucs had interest in him as a coordinator, and he has stated in recent weeks that he didn’t expect the 49ers to renew his contract after the 2011 season (probably because he is a holdover from the Singletary era and is not one of Harbaugh’s “guys”).
January 29th, 2012 at 5:54 pm
Joe I think josh has some talent around him its just the wide outs need to lose the case of the drops they had last year. We do need another running back, but I really believe if the wr pick up their game just a little this year the offence will be leaps and bounds better.
January 29th, 2012 at 5:59 pm
@FlBoyInD,
Definitely agree with the Cristobal line of thinking, though I believe he may be candidate to take over as HC at Rutgers as well. And like the Tomsula idea, though it seems as though Schiano is leaning towards coaches that he has a familiarity with (maybe Butch Davis or Randy Shannon).
January 29th, 2012 at 6:10 pm
Shannon is an under-the-radar guy who I think could be a good fit. While he had issues as a HC, his defenses have typically been very good. Aside from one year at 28th, his defenses were ranked no worse than 7th nationally while he was DC at Miami from 2001-2006. If we did end up with Cristobal, would think the Bucs might look to grab T.Y. Hilton in the 3/4 rd.
January 29th, 2012 at 6:19 pm
FB84…totally agree with the possibility of Davis or Shannon as DC, but for some odd reason my gut is saying Tomsula although I admit that could also be the chicken fingers I had for lunch talking back at me.
As for Cristobal, if I were in his shoes I’d see being OC for an NFL team as a step up from being HC at Rutgers. He was already at Rutgers from the beginning of the turnaround with Schiano and they took that program as far as it’s likely to ever go. I don’t see him being able to improve on what Schiano was able to accomplish, so Rutgers isn’t likely to be a stepping stone to an NFL HC job again any time in the forseeable future. Being a successful OC for an NFL club, on the other hand, is most definitely a stepping stone to becoming an NFL HC.
I bet if given the choice, he chooses the Bucs.
January 29th, 2012 at 6:29 pm
Does Shannon even have any NFL experience? Seriously, I’d think that’s something we could use? On my iPhone, takes forever to look up stuff so please inform me.
January 29th, 2012 at 6:38 pm
Patrick…yes, he does. He was LB coach for the Dolphins.
January 29th, 2012 at 7:26 pm
@ Thomas, your K2 hate is annoying. Considering he was top 10 in receptions for tight ends, your claim that he can’t get open without pushing off is stupid and ignorant. Facts my friend, use them and you may not look so silly. Try again.
January 29th, 2012 at 7:31 pm
Oh, and to who it may concern (Pete and Thomas) Mccoy didn’t and doesn’t suck. Ask his former position coach, and ask Steve White. Guys who actually know what they’re talking about when it comes to the defensive line.
Alright, now Kellen check and Gerald check, any other stupid player myths I need to dispel in the comment section?
January 29th, 2012 at 9:41 pm
I’d buy this except that Josh was horrible before the collapse too. It’s not like the rest of the team where he started good then faded. josh was a liability from week 1.
January 29th, 2012 at 10:17 pm
Once these guys start eating some of atrie’s cooking they should be gassed up for another season. Versuvio’s meatballs are the best and charmagne is one hell of a hostess what a rack on her just keep Blount away from the wine rack and make sure no one backs into his caddillac and things might work out well.I’d also try keeping Penn out of Satrielle’s he has that sweet tooth and a propensity to stuff those hogie’s down his bread basket
January 29th, 2012 at 10:30 pm
Hey Yo K2 the soldier I got to go with Thomas on the Winslow argument he pushes off constantly and that hurdling tacklers hasn’t added up to much either a couple of costly fumbles for the sake of what?
January 29th, 2012 at 10:52 pm
Darn stop with the elite and Freeman in the same sentence will you?
Elite QB’s overcome crappy coaching, average QB’s don’t.
Freeman is average at best
January 30th, 2012 at 12:41 am
Coaches don’t throw interseptions nor fumble the football. Next excuse for Freeman??