No Set Spot For Ronde Barber
June 15th, 2012
Looking back on the now completed Bucs offseason, after minicamp ended yesterday with Donald Penn showing off his punt-catching skills, it was nothing if not interesting.
Where does Joe start? The hiring of Greg Schiano, the free agent frenzy from Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik? The wheeling and dealing during the first two days of the draft? The selection of safety Mark Barron and running back Muscle Hamster Doug Martin? The trade of Kellen Winslow?
Whew. Joe cannot remember such an active Bucs offseason.
Almost lost in the shuffle is the re-signing of veteran graybeard Ronde Barber.
Now Barber has been playing safety and both Schiano and Dominik have noted that Barber will play safety, but do not turn the page on Barber’s cornerback days. In this NFL Network video, Barber explains that he has multiple positions to play and cannot be pigeonholed.
On a similar note, last night on “Total Access” on the NFL Network (Joe likes to call it “the Man Channel” because real men have and enjoy the NFL Network), former Bucs great Warren Sapp called Barber “a gambler” for his play at cornerback (not an original read on Barber’s play) and Sapp jokingly — through the camera — told Barber that if he gambles at safety like he does at corner, Barber could put himself in trouble.
“You can’t gamble at safety,” Sapp said, suggesting Barber may have a learning curve by flipping to safety.
June 15th, 2012 at 10:13 am
Joe, as you know, life is a gamble. Rhonde is a smart gambler and like everyone else, not perfect. Since he is better than the average bear, HOF is mentioned with his name. No DB defences every play, that is why the other team almost always scores. Plus, he is going to have a team with him in the other DBs, LBs, and DL. So he is not the lone gambler. Besides I like him.
June 15th, 2012 at 10:28 am
“Besides I like him.”
Then spell his name right!
June 15th, 2012 at 10:28 am
The extent of the gambling, and whether or not it should be allowed/tolerated will depend on the type of defense/coverage the Bucs are running. I’m pretty sure the coaches in Baltimore and Pittsburgh are not telling Ed Reed and Troy Palomalu, “Forget your instincts, play where I tell you to play”. In fact, I’ve heard plenty of interviews where those players pretty much have free reign of what they do on the field on most plays, as the coaches trust their players ability to anticipate the play.
Ronde, while not having the same physical tools as those players, has shown similar instincts through out his career. So long as he plays within his physical abilities (I don’t think he give a WR/TE/RB a 5 yard cushion, expecting he can make up for it with his speed), I would trust his ability to anticipate the play, as I think the coaches will too (I’m guessing that was part of the reason they moved him to safety).
June 15th, 2012 at 11:04 am
i like him being the X Factor on Defense
June 15th, 2012 at 12:33 pm
I’m not sure, but I suspect Barber knows a bit more about the defensive back position than Sapp. It’s one thing to point that out to a rookie or younger db, but a potential HOF’er probably knows what he’s doing. He knows when to take a risk and when to play safe. That is after all how he stayed in the league.
June 15th, 2012 at 12:52 pm
I never knew he played the horses???
June 15th, 2012 at 2:12 pm
Is that a muscle hamster in your pocket or you just happy its almost football season?