Booger Picks Roy Miller — Right Now
August 2nd, 2012
Joe doesn’t get why Booger McFarland thinks Roy Miller should be handed a starting job
The Bucs’ run defense has been historically dreadful since the December collapse of 2008. Guys like Maurice Morris, Ryan Torain and others have gutted and gashed the Bucs like Hall of Fame backs.
(It reminds Joe how the Rays routinely make other teams’ second-rate starting pitchers look unhittable.)
The Bucs’ pass rush hasn’t scared anyone either during that time. And at the center of the Bucs’ mess for many of those games was Roy Miller at nosetackle. Spin it however you want, Miller has largely been ineffective during his three seasons. That’s almost too kind.
So it stunned Joe a bit this afternoon to hear former Bucs defensive tackle Booger McFarland take to the new sports radio airwaves on 98.7 FM and say the Bucs should give the nosetackle job to Miller because he’s put in his time.
Perhaps Booger is unaware the Bucs have Amobi Okoye and Gary Gibson on the roster. Joe’s not quite sure. But Miller is in no position to be gifted anything.
Today, per the Tampa Bay Times, Greg Schiano said those three (no mention of Frank Okam) will slug it out to win a job and playing time.
“I think Gerald, as I’ve said before, he’s got the ability to be an elite guy with get off and the motor he plays with,” coach Greg Schiano said. “Then we have to figure out how we’re going to deal with the other position and how we’re going to create depth at the three technique. As we work through it, Gary, Roy, Amobi and then whoever else we throw into that mix, it’s just going to be competition. Whoever performs the best will get the bigger chunk. Then next best will get a little bit smaller chunk and we’ll just roll it through.”
While Miller is healthy and doing some good things in practice, Joe still thinks he’s got a load to prove.
August 2nd, 2012 at 6:20 pm
Agreed that Miller shouldn’t be handed a thing, but I actually thought he improved slightly last year. He still had his moments on roller skates, but he showed flashes of being stout in the middle and holding up a double team. I also heard that he was more injured than we knew last year, with his back causing him so much pain he couldn’t sit down at times.
Overall Miller has been a disappointment up to this point in his career but hopefully he can turn it around and prove to be a reliable nose tackle. With this being his 4th year it’s put up or shut up time.
August 2nd, 2012 at 6:28 pm
God please no. Roy miller gets tossed around more then pizza dough.
August 2nd, 2012 at 6:51 pm
McFarland played at times as though HE thought he should be gifted a starting position simply by being a 1st-rnd pick. Let’s let the competition play out and may the most effective player start, whether it’s a former 1st-rounder or an undrafted free agent.
August 2nd, 2012 at 6:56 pm
My prediction: Our rush defense is going to suck again this year, because Price is gone, and all we have left is a talented, but unreliable McCoy. And Miller flat out sucks. Okoye……he’s ok. But after those two we have no one. At least we have Clayborn.
August 2nd, 2012 at 6:56 pm
And pass rush. But hopefully David makes a quick impact.
August 2nd, 2012 at 7:36 pm
Unfortunately, many of us have no clue what the coaches are seeing in the film room, the meeting room, and for the most part on the field from the guys we do have. For all we know, Schiano has been hearing the right things, seeing the right things, and Gibson is gonna be the starting NT!!! We don’t know, maybe he’s got the playbook down, or someone else. Okoye is more of a 3-tech, so he’s probably going to spell GMC and step in if there’s another injury. Miller, Gibson, and Okam will probably be fighting for the NT spot and I can easily see Miller winning that battle.
It looks like 3 of 4 could be decent with Clayborn, GMC/Okoye, and Bennett. Weak point will be NT and DE depth. Our LBs are really going to have to step up this year for the D to improve much. The line should be better, but not special. David is fast, but can he shed blocks? Foster might be better with another year under his belt. Black is getting good reviews from TC, but we have seen how bad he can be (let’s hope he’s not the same this year). Dekoda Watson has flashed some as well and Hayward is a serviceable guy. I don’t expect much (if anything) from Goode.
Really worrisome is our secondary, where reports seem to repeat that the WRs (including Underwood) are torching our secondary left and right. They have a few flash plays here and there, but for the most part, our CBs are glorified turnstiles.
August 2nd, 2012 at 8:01 pm
Booger is a great guy but a HUGE under achiever as a player. Reminds in some ways of Gerald – I realize that Boog was mostly a nose here, but he shifted to UT some.
Brad Culpepper had about 10% of the ability and was a more effective nose.
August 2nd, 2012 at 9:21 pm
Chris Freaking Hovan!
That guy over Miller, too.
August 2nd, 2012 at 11:55 pm
I agree with Joe that Roy Miller has been the common link to our horrible rush defenses. I was at training camp and cringed when I saw Miller running with the first team, and our backs completely dominate our defense.
August 3rd, 2012 at 2:08 am
Thomas…you do know Booger went to two superbowls right? And won? He was no Warren Sapp but he was solid.
Here’s what I think in regard to the Dline…I believe that all bets are off. What I mean is that previous coaching provide no growth at all. Period. There was no teaching or development. Players were given constant changing playbooks and told to do the plays. Weaknesses were addressed bg replacement, not development.
It’s different now and I believe so of these players who should have been better sooner are taking the step now. All because these coaches teach.
Gruden was a teacher (but short on patience). Monty was a teacher. Tony was a teacher. But I don’t think this team has EVER had this many teacher-type coaches on staff.
August 3rd, 2012 at 2:15 am
And because of that…faults are being fixed.
I’m not saying every player will be starting material…but maybe a few unexpected ones will step up.
Take Roy Miller…he’s got the strength but still got pushed back. Why? Footwork and leverage. It can be fixed. It hasn’t been before now because players were left to figure things out on their own.
The challenge is in finding out who has that potential and whether it is too late.
Okam may not make the team this year. I heard today that coachss are not taking to him at all….and we may see another DT or two brought after the first round of cufs.