“I Do Think His Time’s Coming”
November 27th, 2012
Greg Schiano talks about Michael Smith
M.I.A. running back/returner Michael Smith is a “Buccaneer Man,” Greg Schiano said a month ago.
And Schiano heaped even more love on the captain of the inactive list last night, during The Greg Schiano Show via the Buccaneers Radio Network. A fan called in to ask the leader of the New Schiano Order “what happened” to the speedy rookie, who hasn’t been seen since opening day.
“I was very impressed and am still very impressed,” Schiano said of Smith. “You should see the way he practices and the way that he works at it. He’s a great guy to have on this football team. And I do think his time’s coming. I do think that Mike’s a guy that’s going to help us down the road, and is helping us now in practice, but is going to help us down the road in games. So just hang on. I think we’re going to get to see him one of these days.”
Schiano stopped well short of calling Smith “the driving force of our football team,” but it’s clear Schiano likes and respects the kid.
As little as D.J. Ware and LeGarrette Blount were used Sunday (no carries combined), maybe it is time to give Smith a shot to return kicks and play third-string running back for a game.
Lord knows there will be plenty of kicks to return in Denver, and Smith (out of Utah State) is no stranger to cold weather.
November 27th, 2012 at 4:21 pm
I think Schiano may be keeping on the sidelines until Martin starts to feel the reality of a the rookie wall. Then maybe he will be unleashed. It’s kind of what they do with Dallas Clarke. They leave him be most of the game, sometimes the entire game..until the fourth quarter comes and we need some plays made, then Freeman starts targeting him after the defense forgot he even catches the ball. I like it. Don’t know if that’s Schiano or Sullivan or maybe even Freeman, but I feel like he comes out of nowhere in the fourth quarter saving third downs and scoring left and right.
November 27th, 2012 at 4:25 pm
I’ll eat my hat if Smith ever amounts to anything in the NFL.
November 27th, 2012 at 4:26 pm
I think its just a numbers game. Are we really gonna dress 4 RBs (Martin, Blount, Ware, Smith) and 1 FB on game day?
November 27th, 2012 at 4:29 pm
I mean we’re not playing Blount in the offense or on special teams…sit Blount and play Smitty. FREE SMITTY!
November 27th, 2012 at 4:37 pm
DeSean Jackson got hurt send Benn there for a 6th round pick and let Michael Smith back up the Kick Returner lol
November 27th, 2012 at 4:49 pm
“DeSean Jackson got hurt send Benn there for a 6th round pick….”
HAHAHAHA!!!!!!
November 27th, 2012 at 4:49 pm
Eagles just released Jason Babin……………….maybe We could use him to get the pass rush going?
November 27th, 2012 at 4:54 pm
@Canadian Buc – Babin is very good. Eagles are cutting ties because they can’t afford all those FA signs and are clearly planning on rebuilding.
He would definitely ai the pass rush, but I don’t see how the Bucs could afford to have Clayborn, Bowers, Bennett AND Babin on this team next year.
November 27th, 2012 at 5:26 pm
Clayborn and Bowers combined only account for $3M next year. Resigning Bennett would be the only valid argument….but we are already scheduled to have almost $20M in cap room next year, and if we cut Black, Wright, and Trueblood we free up another $17M. $37M is plenty of room to give Freeman his extension and resign Bennett and pay Babin his $4.5M.
November 27th, 2012 at 5:29 pm
*Correction, There will be plenty of touchbacks in Denver on Sunday.
November 27th, 2012 at 5:42 pm
@Jessup – My point was that it is an awful lot of cash to invest at one position in which generally only 2 players are on the field at one time.
Though there is always the chance of Clayborn/Bowers and Babin on the outside with Bennett and McCoy on the inside. That is an extremely scary pass rush.
November 27th, 2012 at 6:15 pm
How come I have to learn from Facebook that Cody Grimm and Jeremy Trueblood have been put on injured reserve. What’s up with that Joe?
November 27th, 2012 at 6:19 pm
We need to claim Babin NOW!! Domonik can’t screw this up.
November 27th, 2012 at 6:26 pm
Babin also got all his guaranteed money up front. He has about $850K left….so he can be cut at any time with no real loss.
November 27th, 2012 at 6:27 pm
Kirk:
Guessing you got that from the Bucs Facebook page?
November 27th, 2012 at 7:04 pm
Sounds to me that he expects Smith to step up and be the main backp after Blount is ousted at the end of the year.
November 27th, 2012 at 7:10 pm
@Dave – That is digging deep.
From a coach that preaches “every game is its own season”, it doesn’t make sense that Schiano would be throwing out midseason hinters of moves he is contemplating for the offseason.
November 27th, 2012 at 7:16 pm
I live in the Philly area…Babin ahead turned into a team cancer. He bashes fans on tv and twitter, he takes plays off, he’s a one trick pony, and now there are grumblings he was a locker room cancer.
Just say no to Babin.
November 27th, 2012 at 7:19 pm
@NJBucsFan – I was wondering about that. The only sensible reason I could come up with was that he was a cap casualty or he was not a “locker room guy”.
November 27th, 2012 at 7:27 pm
Here is a very new write up PFF did on Babin: https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2012/11/27/jason-babin-trash-to-treasure/
November 27th, 2012 at 7:31 pm
The Eagles are $20 mil under the cap this yr. I think his contract was reasonable for the next yr. pretty sure it was front loaded.
November 27th, 2012 at 8:42 pm
If we’ve learned anything from Schiano this year it’s not to expect anything from his press conferences as far as personnel. How many time have we been told “We are going to get (inset name) more involved this week” to have him cut the next week.
November 27th, 2012 at 8:49 pm
@1976 – ” How many time have we been told “We are going to get (inset name) more involved this week” to have him cut the next week.”
Once.
November 27th, 2012 at 9:24 pm
Dude, it’s a situational statement, i.e Underwood, Blount, Talib, Wright etc. We have been told certain things about all of them and others that have not developed. Nothing wrong with that and I don’t expect him to give us his game plan via Facebook. Just saying don’t put a lot of value in what Schiano says in a interview.
November 28th, 2012 at 12:53 am
YOUR TIME IS GONNA COME!!!!! – Robert Plant
November 28th, 2012 at 1:18 am
@1976Buc – I was just answering your question.