Behind Enemy Lines - Bucs Edition

[Jeremy Igo]

Oh, then you must be new to football forums. Welcome to being a fan of the NFL! Did you jump on the bandwagon right after Cam was drafted, or this past offseason?

I think I'll ask the actual Lavonte a few questions on Sunday. Thanks for the inspiration.

[TheRumGone]

Yeah, that one was on me. Bad play, bad decision. All I got out of last year was my first All-Pro designation. How many of those does Luke have now?

Uh 1

Along with droy and dpoy.

you should be comparing Thomas Davis to "yourself" but I understand the butthurt :-)

Edited September 5, 2014 by TheRumGone

[Guest LavonteDavid]

Uh 1

Along with droy and dpoy.

you should be comparing Thomas Davis to yourself but I understand the butthurt :-)

 

He has played great in this league. He had huge numbers in 2013. That's why I listed them in my sig line, I really look...well, not up since my numbers are better, but kinda diagonally to the...um...okay, let's be honest, I look down, but he's still really good at tackling running backs 5 yards down the field! Or 7. Or 10.

 

Did you know he's up to 21 Stuffs/Defensive stops now in his career? Really proud of the guy. He's never had more than 11 in one year, but if he has 17 this year, and I have none, he'll finally have as many as I do!

 

Yeah, really good player that Luke guy.

[Razeyfingers]

i consider myself a hardcore Christian, but i wouldnt waste money to see The Golden Calf of Bristol take a poo on the football field and call it QB play. i admire the guy for his resolve on moral issues, but he is a terrible QB and he isnt without his problems. i kinda have a problem with his ego. he wont humble himself and play a different position to meet a team's need. he is stuck on playing a position that he is no good at. we all have problems, i just think The Golden Calf of Bristol's ego is his. its sad too because he could make a legitimate NFL comeback if he would play TE or RB. but he just wont come down off his high horse and admit that he is a terrible QB. 

 

 

there has to be some sort of rule like that because i can still get seats on resale websites for the Steelers game in a few weeks, but Panthers.com says that its sold out. 

 

The running on the sidelines thing was just bizarre. Maybe being home schooled warped how he thought he was being perceived.

[gettlemanjack]

a look at the Bucs secondary, which has the potential to again be one of the worst in the NFL (they were the 11th worst pass efficiency D in NFL last season):

CB Alterraun Verner (+4.9 coverage grade by PFF last yr) - replaces Revis (+10.8 coverage grade by PFF last yr). Pro Bowler for Titans last year after a breakout season, finishing 5th in the NFL (and 3rd of all CBs) with 5 interceptions. Also had 23 PD, an INT return for a TD and a fumble return for a TD. 4th R pick out of UCLA. Missed a lot of practice with the Bucs (July 28 to Aug 18) with a hamstring injury

age 29 CB Mike Jenkins - PFF rates a "below average" starter and gave him a beyond-bad negative-7.5 coverage grade last yr. Was starting CB for Raiders last season (on a one- year $1.5 million deal) and Raider's defense was the worst pass D in the NFL last season by pass efficiency D. Bucs also signed him for one-year, $1.5 million. Missed nearly a month with an injured hamstring before returning to practice this week. Listed as probable.

CB Leonard Johnson (undrafted) - rated "poor" as a starter by PFF who gave him a horrific negative-11.7 coverage grade last yr. Rotoworld: "He's a smallish, slowish, short-armed cover corner." He is in his last year of a 3-year, $1.4 million contract (makes $570,000 this yr). This is what PFF wrote about him after the Bucs ended their season in Week 17 vs the Saints: "All six passes thrown into the coverage of Leonard Johnson were completed, with the Saints gaining 104 yards, a TD, and a perfect passer rating of 158.3 on those plays. He was beaten in coverage by four different receivers, the worst coming on a 44-yard touchdown on which he was torched by Lance Moore (10:23, Q1). Equally incompetent after allowing the catch and at times in run support, Johnson also missed three tackles. With this performance in the books, he ends the season as our third-lowest graded corner, having allowed 1.44 yards per snap in coverage in the slot."

CB Johnthan Banks - PFF rates "below average" as a starter and gave him a horrific negative-15.2 coverage grade last yr. He is in 2nd year of a 4-year, $4.7 million contract (makes $619,833 this yr). In Week 8 of last season, PFF wrote: "While Revis has excelled, the man who has spent the majority of time opposite him has not...allowing 69.4% of throws into his coverage to be complete, his -8.8 coverage is fourth-worst of all cornerbacks."

SS Mark Barron - rated "average" by PFF, who ranked him 59th out of 86 safeties last yr. Rotoworld writes: "Barron was a liability in coverage last year." However he is excellent against the run, for ex in Week 10 of last season, PFF wrote: "Bucs SS Mark Barron leads in run stop percentage when playing in the box...Made a stop on 13% of run plays." Over the offseason, he had arthroscopic knee surgery to repair knee cartilage. He is making $1.7 million this season

FS Dashon Goldson - rated "below average" by PFF. QBs had a 121.4 rating when throwing at him last season. He had the tenth-most missed tackles among 85 qualifying safeties last season. He hired a private tackling coach over the offseason. He is in his 2nd yr with the Bucs and was apparently made to look at lot better than he was by the 49ers' front 7 (the 49ers replaced him with rookie Eric Reid who went to the Pro Bowl last yr). NFL.com: "Goldson has been a mild disappointment in his first season with the Buccaneers." Rotoworld: "Goldson disappointed badly in his first year with the Bucs." As of Week 11 last season, he was rated the No. 76 safety in Pro Football Focus' ratings. He underwent foot surgery over the offseason.

Edited September 5, 2014 by gettlemanjack

[gettlemanjack]

Vikings blog released their NFL rankings two days ago. Have Bucs #30

30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Where to begin? The Tampa Bay offense is in desperate need of an overhaul, ranked 30 overall. They've begun the overhaul this season, but are relying on journeyman Josh McCown at quarterback as a temporary placeholder, an average level player. They have nothing more than an average offensive line supporting Doug Martin at running back, who underwhelmed last season before getting injured. Other than Vincent Jackson, who's become nothing more than a league average receiver at age 31, there are three other rookie options in the receiving game that have yet to prove themselves. This is a young, mediocre offense that could face a lot of growing pains.

Their defense is a little better than the offense ranked 22 overall, but we'll see what kind of results Leslie Frazier and his worn out Tampa 2 defense can do. This defense does have a few above average pieces they acquired in free agency like Michael Johnson and Alteraun Verner to add to Lavonte David and Gerald McCoy . But there are still major question marks in the secondary with Mark Barron, Jonathan Banks and Dashon Goldson ... The Bucs special teams is below average with a 24 ranking due to an unproven rookie kicker, and a huge 5-year deal for an underwhelming 31-year old punter. Their returner Eric Page is also an unproven rookie.

[Herbert The Love Bug]

Oh, then you must be new to football forums. Welcome to being a fan of the NFL! Did you jump on the bandwagon right after Cam was drafted, or this past offseason?

 

you knoweth not who you speaketh to

 

[Udogg]

 

 

 

Can you imagine the Panthers every being able to tell PSL owners since 2007 they could bring 2 friends to the game for free? Just, wow.

 

______________________

 

 

Even at six flags you can only one person in free.

[gettlemanjack]

at LB, the Bucs only keep 5 on their roster:

SLB Casillas - PFF rates "average." Split time at SLB with Dakota Watson last yr (Watson signed with Jags for 3-year, $6.25 million). Before that, Casillas was backup for Saints. Currently on a 1-year, $1.4 million contract with Bucs

MLB Foster - returning starter, PFF rates "poor" as a starter. In 2011, signed a four-year, $2.8 million contact with Bucs (makes $754,686 this season then his contact is up). Rotoworld: "In the Bucs' new Tampa-2 defense, the middle linebacker has to excel in coverage. Foster has struggled with that ever since being the 84th pick in the 2011 draft. He graded out in the bottom half of Pro Football Focus' inside linebacker rankings this past season." (note: with the Bears, Lovie Smith had Brian Urlacher, who was a safety in college)

WLB David - beast

backup MLB Fletcher - Bucs signed to 1 yr, $2 million. Rotoworld: "will likely focus on special teams in Tampa Bay."

backup OLB Lansanah - spent three seasons in the now-defunct United Football League while his day job was counseling problem children at Alternative Rehabilitation Communities, a Harrisburg facility for children with criminal backgrounds. Bucs are paying him $570,000 this season then his contact is up

ESPN's Pat Yasinskas on the Bucs underwhelming LB core (other than David) back in March:

"Linebackers: Lavonte David is a certainty on the weak side. Beyond that, there are question marks. Mason Foster has been the starter in the middle the past couple years, but the Bucs signed [another scrub in] free agent Dane Fletcher to provide some competition. Jonathan Casillas is the best bet on the strong side, but the Bucs might not be done with that position just yet" [turned out they weren't able to get anybody better than Casillas]

[Guest LavonteDavid]

ESPN's Pat Yasinskas on the Bucs underwhelming LB core (other than David) back in March:

"Linebackers: Lavonte David is a certainty on the weak side. Beyond that, there are question marks. Mason Foster has been the starter in the middle the past couple years, but the Bucs signed [another scrub in] free agent Dane Fletcher to provide some competition. Jonathan Casillas is the best bet on the strong side, but the Bucs might not be done with that position just yet" [turned out they weren't able to get anybody better than Casillas]

 

Turns out there's a limit as to how much awesomeness the universe can support in one linebacking corps. Don't worry, I'll pick up the slack.

[gettlemanjack]

Tampa Tribune:

"The Bucs defense hasn’t finished in the top half of its 32 team league since 2008.... It’s a long way from there to the top.... It will take more than Pro Bowler (Gerald) McCoy and the astonishing (WLB Lavonte) David. It will take a real edge rush, something the Bucs haven’t had in recent years... It will take even more from (MLB Mason) Foster as he drops into coverage (in the new Tampa 2).... It will take bigger, better seasons from (underperforming) safeties (Dashon) Goldson and Mark Barron.... 'We ain’t got it yet,' McCoy said."

[gettlemanjack]

Grantland:

"It’s a long shot for the Bucs to NOT spend the whole year frustrating fans and teammates and slowly crushing their hopes and dreams... Is it insane to trust (QB Josh) McCown and maybe Mike Glennon to be above average for a full 16 games? Of course. Picking McCown and the Bucs to compete in the NFC South could look even dumber than the EJ Manuel optimism."

[Guest LavonteDavid]

Tampa Tribune:

"The Bucs defense hasn’t finished in the top half of its 32 team league since 2008.... It’s a long way from there to the top.... It will take more than Pro Bowler (Gerald) McCoy and the astonishing (WLB Lavonte) David. It will take a real edge rush, something the Bucs haven’t had in recent years... It will take even more from (MLB Mason) Foster as he drops into coverage (in the new Tampa 2).... It will take bigger, better seasons from (underperforming) safeties (Dashon) Goldson and Mark Barron.... 'We ain’t got it yet,' McCoy said."

 

Yeah, we have these things (newspapers) which report on things happening in the world (news). It's almost like when Panthers fans listen to Old Man Cooley tell war stories around the cookin' spit and share whiskey shots (school) or when your friend Billy tells on you for kissing Jenny (your sister).

[rayzor]

Yeah, we have these things (newspapers) which report on things happening in the world (news). It's almost like when Panthers fans listen to Old Man Cooley tell war stories around the cookin' spit and share whiskey shots (school) or when your friend Billy tells on you for kissing Jenny (your sister).

keep your poo in the smack thread.