Toes On The Line Returns Monday
April 13th, 2013
With all the draft chatter and Darrelle Revis buzz flying around, it’s easy to forget the Bucs have other important things going on, such as reporting back to work Monday.
Yes, the 2013 offseason training and conditioning program launches in two days. And the anniversary of the Toes On The Line legend is near.
Greg Schiano has implied that he will slightly loosen the tight leash he has on all aspects of Buccaneer life — in select areas. However, Joe’s not about to bet on that. In fact, Joe wouldn’t be shocked if Schiano, in total, kicked his controlling ways up a notch, especially early in the 2013 grind.
Schiano must find a way to raise expectation levels, and Joe suspects Schiano only trusts one way to do that.
April 13th, 2013 at 11:44 am
Hey joe is this open to the public?
April 13th, 2013 at 11:45 am
Trade up some spots for Milliner….
Trade back into the 1st for Eifert….
It can be done!
April 13th, 2013 at 11:55 am
I believe after one year under his belt, that the NSO will find the correct amount of discipline for the team. All good organizations (not just sports teams) must have a proper amount of discipline to be successful. Dave Wansted might help in that regard with his past HC experience. I for one smile when I hear it shouted “TOES ON THE LINE”.
April 13th, 2013 at 11:56 am
@Sunny – It’s not open to the public. Joe doesn’t know of any teams that do that until training camp in July. Only limited viewing by media, and that probably won’t come for another 10 days. Schiano will be talking to media Monday afternoon, and Joe will bring you the latest.
April 13th, 2013 at 12:17 pm
YAY – That is all.
April 13th, 2013 at 12:24 pm
Joe,
Any players rehabbing an injury that you know aren’t expected to be there?
April 13th, 2013 at 1:07 pm
Dominik has done so little to help this team…. I don’t even care any more.
It’s one thing to be passionate either way (positive or negative), but I’ve really reached a point where I just don’t care.
April 13th, 2013 at 1:25 pm
@Adam
Just a thought but how do you know its not Schiano who has been the influential one in not wanting many of the FAs available? People really need to quit blameing Dom for things when they have no clue about what is really going on behind the scenes. None of you are professionals, none of you have any facts other than what you hear reported. Your opinions are no better than mine.
On that note… I cant wait to hear more people bitch this year about the dreaded “gauntlet”. Wonder whos gonna be the first to call Schiano a criminal and murderer for making our poor lineman sweat a little bit.
April 13th, 2013 at 2:34 pm
@Adam….????????????????????
Nicks, V-Jax, Goldson, Williams, McCoy, Barron, David, Foster, Clayborne, Bowers, Martin, none of these players have helped the team?? We will be in the playoffs this year and you’re not happy?
April 13th, 2013 at 2:49 pm
Off topic Joe, I just wanted to thank JoeBucsFan for me discovering Brett Metcalf, the Tampa Criminal Defense Attorney, who advertises here!
My Son got in a little trouble with the law (as kids are prone to do), and I had the good fortune to discover and retain Attorney Brett Metcalf to represent him.
I could not be more pleased with the awesome job (at an affordable cost) Brett Metcalf did, representing my Son.
Thank You so much Joe!
April 13th, 2013 at 3:04 pm
Mad max I’m with you. More with the second one but I’m with you
April 13th, 2013 at 3:49 pm
I have this gut feeling there were going to do the same thing we did last draft. Trade down in the first round, then trade back up into the late first. I say we trade down from 13th to somewhere from 16-22 and take D.Trufant. Then trade up to somewhere in the late first 22-28 to grab Eifert..
April 13th, 2013 at 4:55 pm
Thank you Bobby.Adam look at this year and last year together and you will see the Bucs have picked up the most probowl free agents, some teams haven’t done crap compared to as many players as we have.
April 13th, 2013 at 5:13 pm
@Gus and CanadianBucsFan
We ARE that close to being playoff bound to draft high quality CB and TE early. As long as Freeman throws well. And in 2010, he had Winslow (as much as I didnt like him after running his mouth), but having that TE option he had his best year. He could go there again, especially with a big and tall man with hands and jumping ability like Eifert.
And if Freeman screws up, just look at what our next QB could be walking into….that kind of Offense just smacks him in the face with WOW!
And instead of spending so many picks on Revis, use some of them to move up and grab Milliner! He’s no slouch and IS NFL ready. We can wait for Revis next season (if we even need him then, and he’s healthy).
I want a NT to put beside McCoy, and picking a “Star” would be awesome too. But we did ok with Miller, so I think star CB and star TE will help us more than anything. We could go after next best NT for our 3rd pick (and I hope Mathieu would be there for our 4th pick).
Lots of trading, I know, and may involve a pick or two from next year’s draft, but think of the cap room Dom would be saving.
April 13th, 2013 at 5:24 pm
@MadMax.
Pretty much agree with you with the exception of Eifert. Good player but see him underutilized in Sully’s offense.
April 13th, 2013 at 5:32 pm
Thats why Schiano should get with Sulli and make some exceptions. We were pretty predictable last year right? Time to change that up. Vjax, Williams, Eifert, Martin…maybe Crabtree on a double TE set….who do you cover?
April 13th, 2013 at 9:31 pm
One step closer to football season!
Can’t wait to see Clayborn and Bowers again, working with McCoy.
Freeman in year 2, with Jackson,Martin, Williams
We have some players to be excited about
April 13th, 2013 at 10:41 pm
@madmax. yeah we were too vanilla at times.
Consider this, I’d rather use the TE pic on a QB. The thought is it’s better to have a good QB throwing to a below average TE than the other way around.
April 14th, 2013 at 1:28 am
Next year’s QB class look a lot better than this one though.
April 14th, 2013 at 2:08 pm
Nicks (hurt)
V-Jax (Pro-Bowl WR, not Dominik’s “find”)
Goldson (hasn’t played a down yet… Alvin Harper had good numbers before he came to Tampa, too)
Williams (drafted to be a #1, ended up a #2)
McCoy (one good season, lacks stats, injury prone)
Barron (if he’s not Ronnie Lott, the pick was a reach and a waste – his numbers could have been duplicated ANYWHERE)
David (one good season)
Foster (underachieved one year, adequate the second)
Clayborne (one good year, hurt the next)
Bowers (hurt from Day 1)
Martin (most likely a legit star, but we said the same about Michael Clayton after one year)
I noticed you kept your praise fairly vague – you asked if any of these guys “HELPED” the team. Of that rationale, YES. They HELPED. On my “GM Scorecard” I don’t give a lot of points to signing UFAs because you’re just opening the checkbook for a proven commodity. Nicks and Jackson were both Pro Bowlers. They weren’t FINDS. We KNEW they were good.
Explain trading up for Luke Stocker.
And even when Dominik KNOWS a player is horrible, he throws more money at them! This is the guy who EXTENDED MICHAEL CLAYTON.
I also don’t see you listing ONE CB on the list. Dominik’s scrap heap CBs have had PLENTY of time. Not ONE has risen to the occasion, or even LOOKED like they have risen to the occasion. He’s known for 2 years the team needs corners and he passed on one in the draft by REACHING for a safety. This was a different team last year with the CB problem addressed – and it WASN’T – AND STILL ISN’T.