Adrian Clayborn Making Progress
May 16th, 2013
Yes, Joe wrote earlier today that there are all sorts of questions along the Bucs defensive line.
Sure, on paper, in a perfect world, the Bucs should put pressure on quarterbacks. Da’Quan Bowers is healthy, as is Pro Bowler Gerald McCoy. And Adrian Clayborn is returning from an ugly knee injury.
Of course, this depends on Bowers staying healthy, GMC staying healthy and Clayborn being able to bounce back from surgery.
This week on his Instagram account, Clayborn posted a picture that seems to suggest he is well on his way back. He posted the picture above with the caption, “Progress is real. #living”
It sure is comforting to see Clayborn doing agility drills at One Buc Palace. Now if he can play at 100 percent, it sure would help GMC out and draw traffic away from him.
May 16th, 2013 at 12:46 pm
He has got 114 days to get 100% healthy. I think he will manage.
May 16th, 2013 at 12:58 pm
i have my lucky rabbit’s foot and 4 leaf clovers that the d-line we finally get some pressure on the QBs this year.
May 16th, 2013 at 12:59 pm
Newsflash: every damn team in the NFL, and in professional sports in general, is counting on their stars to stay healthy or come back healthy from injury. Such a revolutionary concept, I know. The Bucs are in such a unique position in this regard. Yes, that was sarcasm.
May 16th, 2013 at 1:01 pm
Why is everyone assuming that the draft did not yield front line help?
May 16th, 2013 at 1:06 pm
@Edward – I can speak for myself only, but I’m wary of Dominik mid-to-late-round picks. I am not impressed with his ability to find the late-round gem. In 4 years, his most impressive picks in the late rounds (IMO) are Lorig, who developed into a true FB and Dekoda Watson who is a stout situational pass rusher and special teams demon.
May 16th, 2013 at 1:08 pm
@Adam L
What about Mike Williams?
May 16th, 2013 at 1:13 pm
@Adam L
Is Mike Williams a bum?
If you look at most teams drafts (even the great ones) their hits on players past the fourth round are INCREDIBLY low. Not just Dom’s but every single team. If anything Dom has been “on-par” if not better in the latter rounds.
LOL, so now realist is on this schtick that luck (or chance) has absolutely no bearing in football. It is quite hilarious. Is there anybody else here that thinks luck or chance has NOTHING to do with the outcome of games?
May 16th, 2013 at 1:30 pm
@WestCoast
We dont agree on much but this is something we both agree on. Despite what some others claim. Dom is better than most at drafting. I wont mention any names but some like to claim they are “educated fans” and the rest of us arent. Then they say stupid stuff like Dom is horrible at drafting… completely laughable.
May 16th, 2013 at 1:31 pm
Great news. Is it just this shot or does he look a bit slimmer than usual?
May 16th, 2013 at 1:32 pm
From my understanding, they recruited the Seahawks’ Eric Stokes “who had a knack for finding late round gems” to do the college scouting. I am pretty sure that he had a lot of input on this recent draft class. That’s probably why we had a lot of picks that were a lot of no names.
Richard Sherman was a 5th round pick who ran a 4.56 40, Kam Chancellor was 5th round pick, Brandon Browner was a “Street Walker”, and we know Earl Thomas was a 1st. They make up the best defensive backfield in the NFL.
Most of the announcers during the draft last year had a WTH? moment when Bruce Irvin was drafted saying he had a 2nd to 3rd round grade. He had good year as a situational pass rusher with 8 sacks. All I’m saying is lets see the kids in action before consider them a waste.
May 16th, 2013 at 1:38 pm
Couch fan and West Coast,
Check on the 2014 mock NFL draft on WalterfootballDOTcom. Charlie Campbell, formerly of Pewter Report mentions a snipit: “The Bucs have a big hole at tight end. Luke Stocker is just backup quality. Austin Seferian-Jenkins makes up for Tampa Bay passing on Rob Gronkowski, Jimmy Graham and Aaron Hernandez for the all bust trio of Brian Price, Arrelious Benn and Myron Lewis”
While Dominick has done a much better job drafting in the past 2 years, it also shows he has not been the best at drafting.
Dom looks to be trending upwards, and I hope it stays that way.
May 16th, 2013 at 1:42 pm
@Couch Fan
My problem with most of the people that put Dom down is that they usually don’t give valid proof. They don’t show any evidence to support their claims. They just open their mouths and let stuff fly out. In comparison to other successful GMs, Dom has been OKAY. He has done at least enough to keep his job.
May 16th, 2013 at 1:56 pm
17 sacks for predator, 15 for bowers, 12 for GMC and 6 for spence holler
May 16th, 2013 at 1:58 pm
thats the main thing thats going to help this D line be successful, keeping double teams away from McCoy as much as possible. I know most of the time thats not going to happen, but the only way to do that is for everyone else along the D line to win there one on one matchups thereby forcing the opposing O line to account for everybody.
everybody else NEEDS to win there one on one matchups. anything less is unacceptable.
d linemen other than McCoy need to step it up now.
May 16th, 2013 at 2:19 pm
Damn Peter King sure is optimistic lol!!
May 16th, 2013 at 2:51 pm
WestCoastBucsFan Says:
May 16th, 2013 at 1:42 pm
@Couch Fan
My problem with most of the people that put Dom down is that they usually don’t give valid proof. They don’t show any evidence to support their claims. They just open their mouths and let stuff fly out. In comparison to other successful GMs, Dom has been OKAY. He has done at least enough to keep his job.
-West Coast,
Get serious, Buster. C’mon man. There are 2 sides to every coin, and here is your proof:
24-40 record, and ZERO playoffs.
Despite your “down home” beliefs that Dom has gotten it done, he HASN’T.
2013 playoffs for the Bucs is the expectation.
May 16th, 2013 at 2:55 pm
@SteveK
I never said he was the best but comparing his drafts to others of the same time frame he isn’t bad at all. Yes there are still holes on the roster. Yes he has had some awful picks but he’s also had some very good ones. He’s hit and missed on his share of FA singings as well. But the roster for the most part looks leaps and bounds better than it when he first took over as GM. I think in a year or 2 (if Dom has that long) this team will be complete and contending for championships on a yearly basis. I believe Dom he will be that good.
@West Coast
I agree. I actually think he’s done more than enough to just keep his job. But it has to start showing up in the W/L column soon. He was handed an awful roster so his task was very hard, given the situation im sure they knew they had to give him some time to make over the roster… question is how long are they giving him? I think this is the year W/L’s will really matter in terms of his job security. The roster looks real good on paper. There arent any glaring needs like some are trying to say. More depth issues and injury concerns than anything. Expectations should be hi for all involved. I hope it leads to a few more wins.
May 16th, 2013 at 3:34 pm
Couch- don’t forget the argument from Dom critics is that he has nothing to do with the drafting of the players that play well, He only picks the ones that don’t pan out.
May 16th, 2013 at 4:41 pm
@Sneedy, @WCBFAN…
I don’t think there was any doubt about Mike Williams’ ability and he was touted to be a high pick; however, he quit his team at Syracuse and that raised some doubts about how committed he was.
Turns out, he was pretty committed.
I’m referring to finding the Tom Brady’s in Round 6 or an undrafted Wayne Chrebet or Cruz. Guys who were unheralded … PERIOD.
May 16th, 2013 at 4:53 pm
He found Donald Penn and Michael Bennett.
May 16th, 2013 at 4:58 pm
The same can be said about Victor Cruz when he was a Mass U. He basically quit football. Tom Brady was a starter at Michigan before he was benched, but he had the accuracy and talent he was just scrawny.
May 16th, 2013 at 6:09 pm
stevek Says:
“West Coast,
Get serious, Buster. C’mon man. There are 2 sides to every coin, and here is your proof:
24-40 record, and ZERO playoffs.
Despite your “down home” beliefs that Dom has gotten it done, he HASN’T.”
He’s better than Rich McKay was after 4 years (marginally). Rich brought us a Superbowl.
May 16th, 2013 at 8:00 pm
FILTERS!!!!!
May 16th, 2013 at 10:27 pm
Glazer said something telling about Domonic while he was trying to get Revis. I’ll try to paraphrase as close to exact as possible.
If management plans long term then ownership will think long term. If management plans short term then ownership will think short term. It’s no doubt that Dominik was planing short term with a win now mentality with free agent purchases. My Translation is Bucs better be in the playoffs and not “one and done.” Dominiks future is in the hands of 5 and new 24. Under 30 must be a winning combination. He sure has cut or run off some players who could have still contributed to a winning season. Brooks and Lynch and I know some of you dispute Barber.