Geno Hayes Signs With Bears
April 19th, 2012
The thin Bucs defense just got officially thinner today when what was expected for months came true.
Geno Hayes is an ex-Bucs player.
This morning, Hayes, who was a starting Bucs outside linebacker for three seasons, signed with the Bears, so reports Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.
Hayes worked out at Halas Hall earlier this week and was among a group of experienced players the team brought in for a look. Hayes, 6-foot-1, 226 pounds, doesn’t turn 25 until August. He’s made 42 starts over the previous three seasons for the Bucs. He made 64 tackles with two forced fumbles and one interception last season.
The Bears could put Hayes in a position to compete with strong-side starter Nick Roach, who has performed well. Or they could have him in a reserve role. The team didn’t have much in the way of experienced backups last season and was fortunate to make it through the season without serious needs because of injuries.
Yeah, Joe understands the Bucs lost a starting linebacker, but as ghastly as this defense was last year, is that really a loss?
April 19th, 2012 at 12:35 pm
Ill drink to that
April 19th, 2012 at 12:37 pm
Good luck Geno
April 19th, 2012 at 12:42 pm
GOOD ! make room for a certain lb name Zach from Bama !
April 19th, 2012 at 12:51 pm
Moving right along…..
April 19th, 2012 at 12:52 pm
@raphael Heh?
April 19th, 2012 at 12:57 pm
Addition by subtraction? More coming too I think.
April 19th, 2012 at 1:00 pm
Good Luck Geno Taze !!!! (as in when the cops had to Taze him at a Tampa nite club).
April 19th, 2012 at 1:04 pm
think the kid still has some potential but glad to move on from him..
April 19th, 2012 at 1:08 pm
Good Luck Geno. You are a great person out side of that uniform. Was a pleasure to meet you in person once.
To: Levi Smith, Take care of our boy over there. He gives his heart out for the team.
April 19th, 2012 at 1:12 pm
@Raphael
…?
I think you have 2 different linebackers combined into one. There isn’t a linebacker named Zach coming from Bama. the 2 (big time) LBS coming from Bama are Hightower and Upshaw.
Zach Brown is another person who i think you might be referring to but he plays for North Carolina.
And yes i would mess my pants if we some how walk away from this draft with BOTH Dont’a Hightower and Zach Brown. Even Lavonte David and Zach Brown
April 19th, 2012 at 1:36 pm
This officially improves the team. One less underachieving loser.
April 19th, 2012 at 1:39 pm
Thought it was all coaching?
April 19th, 2012 at 2:02 pm
He’s a talented guy, last year was a big step back for him. He is one of those guys that really needed the discipline. He overpursues too much and it gets him in trouble.
April 19th, 2012 at 2:17 pm
whoopsey my bad …meant NC
April 19th, 2012 at 2:22 pm
Geno was a good dude to the fans and showed glimpses of promise. In the boxing day game against the Seahawks a couple of years ago (my first NFL game ever) he had a monster game. So did everybody but it was maybe his best ever in a Bucs uniform.
Reality is he was just too damn inconsistent. He’d turn in a big game one week and then be loafing it up the next week. Even Rah Rah called him out for it a couple of times.
Maybe he’ll find more people to play spades with in Chicago?
April 19th, 2012 at 2:28 pm
Eric
We’ll find out soon enough. I think it had A LOT to do with it!
April 19th, 2012 at 2:37 pm
No Zach Brown!! Watched as much as i could of him on the internet and he is a super athlete who can’t tackle. He might be good as tight end cover guy but god please dont think he can play against the run. he is a super athlete and may one day develop the ability to tackle but from what i saw he doesn’t have that skill as of yet. I like David and Hendricks in the second or third round. They can both play the game, hit, tackle, and have the measurables ( except height! but then again a guy by the name of Brooks was only 6 foot)
April 19th, 2012 at 2:53 pm
Well we know he wont die at the bears he has no heart lol(R.I.P. Gaines Adams)
April 19th, 2012 at 3:30 pm
?? How did the Bucs “become thinner” today, seeing as how Geno Hayes was a Free Agent, already????
Draft, draft, draft…..then maybe some cuts from other teams after their drafts shape up, sign some Free Agents. Hopefully, we cut Black after draft, with his significant base salary/bonus in place, gone, anyway…..
And, move Foster, back outside, either side, just not Middle.
April 19th, 2012 at 3:54 pm
Mark dominik talking about drafting a RB (richardson) in the first round
“You have to look at all the angles of how a player can help you today versus over the long haul,” Dominik said. “I think that one thing that helps is the new structure for rookie contracts. Without the burden of the big signing bonus and making sure that player is going to be with you for five or six years because of the money, you can focus a little more on today.”
I think more and more the bucs are leaning toward drafting Richardson if a big IF he’s available.
I think coach schiano wants a back like ray rice that he had at rutgers, with a more disciplened Blount would be a awesome duo. As much as I think we still NEED Claiborne more.
April 19th, 2012 at 3:54 pm
Agreed, BigBear. When I see Zach Brown I think of Quincy Black. Both great athletes but both were afraid of contact and couldn’t tackle coming out and obviously Quincy is still the same(coincidentally they are/were both 6’1 240 coming out). OLBs I do like, Lavonte David, Terrell Manning and Demario Davis. I’ve heard great things about all of them. David would have to be a 2nd rounder but the other 2 should be available in the 3rd or 4th.
Draft day can’t come soon enough.
April 19th, 2012 at 4:06 pm
@OrlandoBucFan…
100% agree, like the analysis.
April 19th, 2012 at 4:12 pm
Lb in round 2!
April 19th, 2012 at 4:29 pm
Big Bear speaks the truth.
Zach Brown is an athlete who happens to play football. Look at his tape vs Lavonte David or Mychal Kendricks or even Ronnell Lewis. Night and day in terms of play recognition.
April 19th, 2012 at 5:04 pm
I dunno why everyone is so down on hayes he was a 3 year starter at LB after being a 6th round pick. he wasnt a star LB and maybe hes not even a starting caliber LB but aside from foster he was probably the best we had and we could have at least kept him as a backup if not a starter like we should have done with ruud. but whatever you want have him or ruud to kick around anymore
April 19th, 2012 at 5:09 pm
Geno can fly. He would make a great nickel specialist.
April 19th, 2012 at 5:09 pm
…Geno Hayes wasn’t the worst of the 3 last season.
April 19th, 2012 at 6:12 pm
I always thought geno would probably make a better ss then he did lb. He has the athletic ability.
April 19th, 2012 at 9:38 pm
I really don’t understand how some fans can be so negative towards players. Regardless of if he played well or not, I highly doubt he played poorly on purpose. Why people feel the need to criticize them is beyond me.