Wary Of New Voices
February 15th, 2013
It’s Year 2 for the New Schiano Order, but it’s the first season for many Bucs assistant coaches.
A new quarterbacks coach, wide receivers coach, linebackers coach, secondary coach and special teams coach will have prominent, influential voices in the 2013 season. That much change has left former Bucs tight end and Buccaneers Radio Network analyst Anthony Becht feeling wary.
Speaking on 98.7 FM on Sunday, Becht explained that just because Bucs coordinators are returning that doesn’t mean there will be critical continuity for Josh Freeman and others.
“As a coordinator, you’re going to preach to these [new position] coaches what you want, but it’s the nuances, the details. You know, now you’re saying different things, different stuff to these guys. That’s going to be helpful to these guys, but it’s different language. It’s different personalities. It’s approaches to the game. And it’s tough to get that fluency and continuity,” Becht said.
“You know the coordinators are only there in big-picture meetings and on the field. They’re not there teaching these guys every single day what to do. When you’re hearing [new] voices, and hearing the changeover. Sometimes that language and change … it’s gets to be a little touchy issue sometimes.
“There is a lot of turnover with the Bucs. I think as a coaching staff as an organization you really don’t want to have that, especially with the productivity that they had. You know, I’m just shocked that a lot of these coaches were either fired or let go, or they actually left. That tells me there’s something wrong with the environment maybe a little bit. Or, you know, they weren’t as committed. You just want to have that continuity. I think that’s huge when you’re talking about getting the best out of the quarterback position, making sure Freeman’s the guy, developing him, especially with the contract situation and making sure that next season everything is clean. And he comes in and the same things he heard last year he hears again. That stuff’s important. We’ll see how it goes, but I do think it could be an issue moving forward.”
Former Bucs QB Shaun King, one of only three QBs to lead the Bucs to the NFC Championship game, also has talked about the unfortunate challenge Josh Freeman will face having his fourth quarterbacks coach in five seasons. The Bucs hired former longtime NFL assistant and former Rutgers offensive coordinator John McNulty to replace the pushed out Ron Turner, and rockstar general manager has spoken of McNulty’s influential offensive mind.
Joe doesn’t know McNulty, but Joe suspects he’ll be a very strong voice, which will present another transitional challenge for Freeman.
Regardless, excuses are dried up. Freeman’s a fifth-year veteran with Grade A weapons and a familiar playbook.
February 15th, 2013 at 1:21 pm
Er… Josh sucked last year with “grade A’ talent around him. So is it possible Turner was fired for a reason? Yea, I’ll go with that instead of throwing Shiano under the bus as per your usual Joe LOL.
February 15th, 2013 at 1:25 pm
That’ life in the NFL deal with it, the excuses have run out.
ADAPTABILITY, get some
February 15th, 2013 at 1:26 pm
Looks like a whole new set of EXCUSES.
This is a win now league, and the Bucs are due for a post season berth.
If we have another “we’ll gettem next year” season, this upcoming year, then there is something seriously wrong.
Too many rookie and 2nd year QB’s have had enough success to show it is time to win now.
February 15th, 2013 at 1:28 pm
Hey Joe,
Maybe there would be less coaching turnover, player turnover, and etc, if the Bucs could win some games.
Hats off to Schiano for atleast sticking his nose to the grind stone. It is time to win some games.
No more preaching about potential. We need to spend a lot on Free Agency this March, and no looking back.
If Freeman doesn’t warrant a contract at the end of the year, then you can send him packing.
February 15th, 2013 at 1:35 pm
off the subject…the packers announced they are going to release charles woodson. Go get him dom!
February 15th, 2013 at 1:45 pm
Charles Woodson would be a great addition.
February 15th, 2013 at 1:46 pm
There may be a slight adjustment for Josh having a new QB coach, but the scheme remains the same (with apologies to Led Zeppelin). That means he can spend the offseason getting more repetitions with the scheme rather than having to learn it. I think this is way more important than the relatively slight adjustment of having a new QB coach. And if popular opinion about Ron Turner is to be believed, being coached by McNulty should actually be an instant improvement.
I would be looking for some adjustment for the receivers because Fleck was such a strong personality and motivating coach. Remains to be seen how Garrett will bond with these guys. Fortunately, they have a strong veteran presence with VJax.
LBs coach, not concerned. He’s gonna be teaching the system the way Schiano wants it, just like Fraser. That’s why they hired him.
DBs coach… this adjustment can only be positive. With an expected influx of new CBs, everybody will be more or less on the same footing with the new coach anyway. There is no place to go but up for this unit.
STs. This is the biggest question mark, since we don’t have any good intel on Wannstedt as a special teams coordinator. But, he has a good rep with players, and he’s seen it all.
February 15th, 2013 at 1:47 pm
It’s tough to get new coaches/coordinators and adjust in the first year but the elite teams/quarterbacks dont let that stop them. There was three playoff teams last year with new coordinators/position coaches (New England, Indy, and Baltimore switched coordinators mid season) so like I said, the great teams, in particular the great QBs find a way to win.
Kinda sad when Andrew Luck has so much less talent around him and much less experience than Freeman yet Luck made the playoffs while Josh was..Josh
February 15th, 2013 at 2:08 pm
Don’t think all the coaching changes will have as dramatic an effect as some may think. Most of the new hires have worked together before on Schiano’s staff, so the messages they’ll be sending should be fairly familiar to the players, albeit with a different voice.
February 15th, 2013 at 2:23 pm
I’m pulling for you Josh, but this year you must man up. Take us to the promised land or moon walk your a$$ out of town!
February 15th, 2013 at 2:37 pm
Back in 02 we sold the farm to get a new coach, WR went to the super bowl. Did we save any coaches from the 01 team? How well did Brad Johnson do with a new QB coach? I like what freeman brings to our tablr but he has things he needs to correct, things other newer NFL QB have. Maybe the new additions to our staff will help him to overcome his short comings. Fingers crossed.
February 15th, 2013 at 2:45 pm
stevek:
Winning usually means much more turnover. Most NFL owners/head coaches are not inclined to get hot and bothered over coaches from garbage teams.
February 15th, 2013 at 2:51 pm
This looks to me like he is fishing for excuses before the fact. I don’t think Schiano is preparing to fail. Clearly the Bucs had some issues that need to be addressed. Why stick with a bad position coach when you can replace him. Successful teams don’t require excuses.
February 15th, 2013 at 3:00 pm
If Josh would have won a few more games then he could have saved his QB coach.
February 15th, 2013 at 3:11 pm
Hogwash! I watched EVERY Bucs game on TV from San Antonio. Everytime Josh came off the field, he was talking and spending most of his sideline time going over photo stills and notes with Sullivan….Ron Turner was not to be found. Again…at least from what I saw.
February 15th, 2013 at 3:24 pm
I would like to see Josh improve and make the playoffs but we aren’t in the colts division we are in the NFC south. Not the same at all
February 15th, 2013 at 4:13 pm
NY Bucs Fan,
The Colts won went to the playoffs with a rookie QB AND their head coach was diagnosed/treated for leukemia…
Russell Wilson was a 3rd round pick, and he went to the playoffs, despite playing the 49ers twice a year….
RG3 and Kirk Cousins combined at QB for the Redskins to win the NFC East this past year….
Josh Freeman has had 55 starts and one “almost” season. When will we play some bonus football? We are due!
February 15th, 2013 at 4:22 pm
A new QB coach couldn’t be any worse than another season with the old one.
February 15th, 2013 at 4:25 pm
NFL combine. Any news from Justin P on this subject?
February 15th, 2013 at 4:29 pm
I suggest the QB coach use very short words…no more than two syllables. “See end run. Throw ball to end”
February 15th, 2013 at 4:32 pm
Joe,
I see your point that “higher staff turnover” is more likely to occur from “winning teams”, but don’t the “winning teams” seem to keep developing and churning out potentially successful coaches?
When you lose a bunch of games, and haven’t been to the playoffs is 5+ years, then you have to scrape around a little harder for identifying a “coach”.
Look at the Bill Walsh, Bill Parcells, and Tony Dungy coaching tree, they could identify, develop, and unleash talented coaches across the NFL.
I am glad we brought in some new coaches, because 7-9 is unacceptable, especially if your QB loses 5 games in a row. New QB Coach, and if the results are the same this year, then, NEW QB!
February 15th, 2013 at 4:39 pm
Freemanlost a couple of those games, he just did not win the others. A little defense would have went a long way last year. That is then and this is now, so let’s all move forward and embrace the team and see if they can win a couple more games this year. I could care less what a bunch of young QBs did on other teams, they are not hear and have not done it over the long term. This Freeman discusion is tired. T
I agree that the scheme is more important than the voice, so as long as the play book is not changing again the Bucs should be fine on offense, but the defense has to start helping out a little bit.
February 15th, 2013 at 4:41 pm
What kind of news you looking for?
February 15th, 2013 at 4:42 pm
McBuc,
You don’t care who wins the superbowl? Or who makes the playoffs?
Rookie QB’s leading their teams to the playoffs is boring to you?
Ok, put your blinders back on because our QB has not been “leading” our team to anywhere but mediocrity.
February 15th, 2013 at 4:46 pm
Shawn King has a better idea of post season football then our current QB.
Freeman is so much more talented than Shawn King ever was…
Will Freeman get to the playoffs this year, or will he get the heck out of Tampa?
Stay classy Bay fans.
February 15th, 2013 at 4:48 pm
Look all those young QBs had a defense that made plays. Ours sucked defending the pass. If we just get an average pass defense we will be playoff bound. Lets not forget everyone thinks Josh sucked, but he set every franchise record. Come on people think for a moment.
February 15th, 2013 at 5:10 pm
If Bad Josh shows up it doesn’t matter what defense we field, we will still lose.
Let’s hope he disappears for good.
February 15th, 2013 at 5:11 pm
Seven months before next season and Josh already has excuses for next year’s failures. He’s just not a clutch QB and he folds under pressure no matter how many coaches he has. Boy I wish we wold have drafted Russell Wilson.
February 15th, 2013 at 5:29 pm
Steve, you arte misunderstanding me…My point is that it is useless right now to keep having the same argument over and over, all those young QBs were fun to watch and some had great stories. Half way through the season all you heard about was how fun the Bucs offense was to watch. Freeman is here for at least one more year, it does not matter what others have done he needs to do it here.
Now, you also talk about King, and he is not as talented as freeman but went to more play off games…He also had a defense that domintaed, Freeman has a defense that was domintated all year.
I agree that freeman needs to step up this year, but the pass defense also needs to. It does not matter how many points you score if the other team out scores you, which is why no one really cares that Freeman broke all those team records.
I hope this is my last post on Freeman, at least in the same old tired argument about consistancy and others have done this or others have done that…because none of it matters. I simp-simply hope this team can come together and play complete football, and the defense has to step it up at least as much as Freeman does.
February 15th, 2013 at 5:33 pm
Ifind it funny that any opinion from anyone that is not rosey and says the Bucs may struglle for this or that is an excuse. It is an opinion not an excuse. It is the same way when the Bucs try to explain why anything happened, I guess they should man up and either keep their mouths shut or just say “we suck” instead of trying to explain how things work to fans. Then they would be too quiet or they have no confidence, Tampa fans are never happy!
February 15th, 2013 at 7:04 pm
All I’m say is that we don’t play the same teams as the colts. But if you want to look at that way the games we lost were by an average of 29.2 points did the hawks give up that many points? So if free can’t put up 30 a game he stinks forget the 4000 yards he passed for. Free is not RG3 he is not going to rush for 100 yards a game. How did that work out for RG3 ya he made the playoffs and won a trip to the surgeons. We will see how long he holds up
February 15th, 2013 at 10:56 pm
Anthony Becht has been making excuses for Freeman for the last two seasons. So many, in my opion, Freeman should have him on pay roll.
@ upthegut : nicely put my man.
Someone said the quarterback coach leaving was because of Freeman. That’s nothing! A head coach and his entire staff was given the boot because of a p—- poor season (quarterback unable to communicate. Lol) . Same thing happened this last year. Anyone remember ?
In my humble opion, Josh needs to take football more serious if he wants to make the big bucks, or he will be an ex Buc . Time to man up and go for the ring. Make us sing your praises!
February 15th, 2013 at 11:31 pm
He’s stupid Can’t fix stupid
February 16th, 2013 at 6:09 am
I’ve been through every one of this team’s QB’s since Steve Spurrier. Each one was roundly criticized by our fickle fans if they were not Dan Marino, Joe Montana or any of the other super elite passers. Fact is that supremely judgmental and lazy Shawn King benefited from the # 1 defense in the league. It wasn’t anything he did to carry the Bucs to the NFC Championship game in 1999 and unable to score a single TD that would have won the game. Before the last Saints game many were singing the praises of Josh Freeman. As I recall, # 5 took a seat late in the 4th quarter with victory in hand against the Redskins, Falcons and Eagles only to have the defense allow those opponents to easily score. That would have then been a 10-6 record. It is absolutely ridiculous for people to have this idea that football is a QB duel like baseball pitching. Can we simply look at the entire 2012 season of QB play and stop focusing on those two lousy games at the end of the season to judge our still young QB? Our offense and Josh Freeman were not the reason for the 9 losses.
February 16th, 2013 at 6:29 am
Ny and scubog. Agreed
February 16th, 2013 at 9:17 am
if we played in the afc south and played the colts schedule, we would be in the playoffs, you guys are all boobs.
February 16th, 2013 at 12:15 pm
Jarret is correct.
February 17th, 2013 at 6:06 pm
No more excuses this season 🙁