Good News/Bad News On Bucs Coaching Front

January 9th, 2012

The list of coaching candidates currently on the Bucs’ radar has left Bucs fans cold if not bewildered. From Mike Sherman to Wade Phillips, many a Bucs fan is hoping these are just wild rumors.

But no, they are not. It sure appears the Bucs are looking for a guy, an older guy, who has head coaching experience, perhaps ignoring what type of success said coach had.

So here’s the good news/bad news of the momment, courtesy of Woody Cummings of the Tampa Tribune via Twitter.

Marty Schottenheimer says he’s slated to interview for Bucs HC job on Tuesday. He follows Brad Childress, who is in today.

What does Joe consider good news? Marty Chokenheimer. Given the list Joe has seen of Bucs coaching candidates, he is without question the best choice.

The bad news? Chilly.

88 Responses to “Good News/Bad News On Bucs Coaching Front”

  1. Vince Says:

    Im going to drive from Ft. Myers all the way up to the skyway bridge, just to jump off! That’s how dedicated I am. SMH

  2. Dave Says:

    I don’t get the Chilly thing either. I never saw him do anything. He gets some credit for McNabb but everyone knows that was Reid.

    Like I said, what do people expect? SOmeone who is going to blow your socks off? He is not out there.
    They can not go with a young up & comer, not after Raheem.
    This young team needs older vet leadership and a disciplinarian.
    That seems to be what they are after.

  3. jvato24 Says:

    I couldnt believe how many people .. even non Bucs fans are Pro Marty ball on PFT with this report.

  4. jvato24 Says:

    I believe some of these intvws are also OC interviews in disguise. Maybe even Sherman.

  5. FLBoyInDallas Says:

    Now Sherman or Chilly as OC would make a ton of sense. Just not as head coach, please. Marty, on the other hand, would be a wise choice.

  6. bucfanjeff Says:

    Billick, Zimmer, Clements, Chip Kelly, Kirk Ferentz – why don’t we hear about some of these guys? Especially the first two.
    Glazers better be real careful about this pick. They may get roasted more than Raheem’s defense. I’m not sure going old school is going to help with the fan base, if at all.

  7. bucfanjeff Says:

    Reality check: it’s all talk for now. No smoke, no fire.

  8. mainebuc Says:

    Joe,

    This young bucs team NEEDS Schottenheimer!

  9. mainebuc Says:

    bucfanjeff,

    There is obviously a lot of smoke.

  10. yar Says:

    Go Buccanheimers! Shermaneers, Chillybucs and Billickaneers just don’t sound right.

  11. stimpy Says:

    The suspense is killing me!!!!!!

    This is going to be the MOST important decision the owners will make since Dungy.

  12. ty Says:

    joe i think wade phillips is worse than chilly don’t you

  13. Joe Says:

    ty:

    Close but Chilly nearly had a riot on his hands with players the way he lied/conned them.

    Bad coach. Taskmaster. Less than truthful.

  14. Joe Says:

    maine:

    This young bucs team NEEDS Schottenheimer!

    Can’t argue.

  15. ty Says:

    true and with are team already have players in trouble that would be a disaster but he has had more success than phillips

  16. the_buc_realist Says:

    I think the Glazers are trying to punish the Fans for having to fire Raheem and spend money on another coaching staff.

  17. Phil Says:

    Of all the people they are talking about as the next head coach Marty is the best choice. At least he will make the Bucs a tougher team.

  18. TurnThePage Says:

    will you stop calling him Cockenhymer when he gets the HC job Joe?

  19. bucfanjeff Says:

    @mainbuc, blowing smoke maybe, but everytime a report comes out it seems to be tied to “within the week it will happen”.
    We’ll know when the ‘real’ report comes out – it will have teeth. Right now, they’re interviewing with no smoke as to validity of any said report.

  20. thegregwitul Says:

    I wouldn’t mind seeing Marty Schottenheimer as the coach, Mike Sherman as OC and maybe Mike Nolan as DC. I’d also take Wade Phillips as DC but not as head coach, but I don’t think he’d go to Tampa Bay in that capacity, not with his current success in Houston.

    Please stay away from Chilly, I’m getting the chills just thinking about him associated with the Bucs.

    Next step; sign some free agents, shore up the defense (especially the LB’s), wave goodbye to Kregg Lumpkin, Quincy Black, Geno Hayes and Sean Jones and get Freeman some weapons, some speed, something that doesn’t amount to trading a 4th round pick for a TE who has a bad case of the drops and the worst change of pace RB in recent memory.

  21. 941-Bucs Says:

    please for the love of god KEEP CHILLY AWAY FROM FREEMAN and the Bucs. The biggest LOL i got this week was when Chilly Said “Tavaris Jackson can vouch for me, i can develop Freeman”. After what he did to Jackson replacing him with a 100 year old QB, Jackson still never developed into anything.

  22. T. Bass Says:

    I WANT BILLICK NOW!!!

  23. eric Says:

    Please Marty.

    Save us from the Sherman childress duo.

    That might be worse than morris/Olson which I did not think was humanly possible.

    Childress!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Childress!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Oh my God that can’t happen.

  24. Jerry Says:

    People approve of Marty because he would bring discipline and instant respect. Players wont be able to get away with being lazy and being late to practice. There will be consequences now.

    The whole organization has gotten lazy. That’s why they are going for older and more experienced guys who are going to bring a hammer. These guys need discipline which is something a young coach is going to be weak with.

  25. BucFan South Tampa Says:

    Three former HCs hired to be HC, DC, OC wouldnt be bad. You can quibble over who is going to get us to the Super Bowl, but lets put some wins on the board first and maybe win the division-then we can talk about the NFC Championship. Sherman has a great W-L record. Just because Sapp doesnt like him is no reason to waive him off. Wade Phillips? Good choice too. Chilly and Nolan? Good ones as well. 4-3 or 3-4? Who cares. This Tampa-0 defense (Raheem) didnt produce, why should we be scared to turn to another scheme ofdefense. Lets bring some control to this team, get them focused on winning instead of going to Drynk and we will have succeeded.
    Man, once these guys are hired I cant wait to go and see camp this summer. Hey McCoy, you thought last year was hot. hehehehe

  26. Sensiblebuc Says:

    I’ve gotta say, Marty’s stats from his time in SD are better than I thought.

    Offense was ranked 16th, 14th, 10th, 10th & 4th.
    Defense was ranked 30th, 27th, 18th, 13th & 10th.

    The great thing about those numbers? Sustained improvement year to year. If the Glazers don’t mind the nepotism (Brian as OC & Kurt as STC) and the .278 playoff win % he’s certainly the most polished candidate available.

  27. eric Says:

    Marty can bring his son uncle third cousin and mother in law provided Childress never again sets foot in obp

    And keep Sherman ‘s ass in Texas.

  28. New Coach Says:

    Marty is the best named candidate available aside from Fisher. Most of the coordinators who are thought of with potential have no proven record to justify a promotion to Head Coach. You might as well go play Roulette. And please don’t say Mularkey, the Atlanta offense sucks aside from when they are palying Raheems the dream’s team

  29. 941-Bucs Says:

    If by chance we DO get Mart Shottenhiemer as a HC. Does anyone think Wade Phillips in fact would move laterally and rejoin his former Partner in crime from the Chrager days?

    That’s a combination that would be deadly imo. I still like the Nolan for DC job tho.

  30. ty Says:

    another thing people need to realize is that hiring marty would not be a cheap move he would be more expensive than a cordinator who has never coached

  31. Patrick Says:

    Ironically, Gruden is actually better than all these candidates. But obviously he can’t come back.

  32. 941-Bucs Says:

    We don’t want CHEAP! You get what you pay for… If the Glazers are finally serious about putting a winning team on the field. A 2-6million dollar a year coach is a small price to pay for a dramatic turn around and rejuvenation of passion from the fan base.

    I mean hell, it’s what we are paying a punter. Why not the best coach available?

  33. 941-Bucs Says:

    I don’t see how people think Gruden was so good. Ok i get that he took the Bucs to it’s very first SB and won ( against his old team non the less) but after that, it was a steady decline. QB carousel and picking apart a defense that once was legendary and highly considered the BEST D from 95-05 decade.

    The only proof he was a winning coach was the fact the Raiders (he built) was the other team in the SB that year. Offensive guru? YES. Good HC? NO. Plus he was a liar to his own team!

  34. gotbbucs Says:

    I love all the people that are suddenly pro 3-4 defense because a couple of bogus names got thrown out there. We barely have a single corner that can play press-man coverage, no true 3-4 outside linebackers, no true 3-4 nose tackles, and our d-ends are too small to play the 5-technique constantly.
    I’m all for a small shake up to the defensive scheme, but there’s no way in hell Dominik agrees to switch to a 3-4 after completely devoting the last two drafts to aquiring true 4-3 personnel.
    I thought we had this same conversation last year when everybody was loving that stupid ass 3-3-5 abortion of a 3 man front.

    If this is truely the case and Dominik completely goes away from what he’s been working toward for the better part of three years and switches to a freaking 3-4 defense, then he should be thrown in a bottomless pit.

  35. ty Says:

    i know but people were complaining that to hire an marty would be cheap and i was sayin that hiring an experienced coached would not be the cheap thing to do so the complaint that glazers are being cheap on this coaching search is not true

  36. Luther Says:

    Marty would be great if we could get into our time machine and go in time. The guy is really old. I’ve always admired his coaching ability but is that the best we can do?

  37. stevek Says:

    Glazers are cheap when it comes to putting PLAYERS on the field.

    Why did this team not address it’s Secondary NEEDS with FA? Cheapness….

    Bottom line, you get what you pay for, you want to win big, you gotta pay big.

  38. stevek Says:

    @gotbbucs

    You laugh at the idea of changing to a 3-4??????????

    The Defense we fielded last season is something to laugh about, FACT!

    I am open to a change that makes this team better, and if we need to get a whole new crew of players, then so be it.

    I never want to watch a “pro” athlete give up on D like we did this past year. Forget it.

  39. Dave Says:

    T. Bass

    There is a reason NO ONE is talking to Billick. I thought he was a good candidate, but…. just saying

    941-Bucs

    All these ex-HCs are not cheap. There is nothing out there that is “expensive” and going to blow your socks off and please everyone. That guy does not exist.

  40. ty Says:

    i am not saying they are not cheap all i am saying is that i dont think marty would be cheaper than say mularkey. i could understand that after a 10-6 season you would think maybe were on the right track i agree they should have got some players but i could also believe maybe they didnt think they needed to but after the season we just had if they dont get some good fa’s then i will be all fo calling them cheap

  41. Dave Says:

    STEVEK

    NO to a 3-4. THey do not have the players for it and look at history, it usually takes a full 4 years to become proficient.

    With the right coaches and a couple players here and there, they could be real good in 2 years if they stick with a base 4-3

  42. Not Chilly, Major Dad Says:

    So… can you guys just go ahead and coin Chilly’s new nickname, since you guys LOVE nicknames. A couple buddies of mine and I did an NFL podcast for a couple years, and throughout its duration, Brad Childress was known as MAJOR DAD… for obvious reasons: http://www.crazyabouttv.com/Images/majordad.jpg

  43. gotbbucs Says:

    stevek,
    “You laugh at the idea of changing to a 3-4??????????”

    Yes, I do laugh at that idea.
    There is way too much invested into a 4-3 scheme from the last couple drafts and payroll wise to just scrap it. You need to look at this thing rationally. If they switch now, Dominik totally undermines everything he supposedly believes in and looks like a complete moron to ownership.

  44. CharlieB Says:

    @SteveK
    How many championships have Snyder and Jones, the big spenders, won?

    How many of the previous champs this decade have gotten a core through FA?

  45. Hudbud Says:

    This may sound absurd to many of you but just because Schottenheimer is 68 does not mean he has an “old” mind. The man is still studying the game and he is still learning. That is not a product of an old mind. I’ve read posts that say he can’t relate to young players. Who says? His own words state that he lives vicariously though his players because they can do what he physically can’t. To me, that IS relating. Remember we are not looking for a coach to befriend our young Bucs but to teach, motivate and mold them into being the very best players they can be. I believe, despite, the fact that he has not won the big one, this guy is a true winner and that he has a heart for the game of football. The man in NOT hurting financially. Why would he be coaching the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League if he did not still love the game with a passion? Besides if 50 is the new 40 than that makes 60 the new 50. Looks to me like he at least takes care of himself. Look how many coaches are fat slobs.

  46. Thomas 2.2 Says:

    Gotbucs:

    How did our defense in the 4-3? 41 points to the Falcons pre-halftime. Could a switch to 3-4 possibly do worse? No.

    You dont let a better coaching walk bc you dont like the 4-3. There will be NO getting worse defensively than 2011 in 2012 no matter what system they play. They could play a 3-3-3 and hold the Falcons to less than 41 in a quarter and a half.

  47. Tampa 2.5 Says:

    MARTYYYY

    I’m glad to see marty getting some love on this board, he is a legendary coach. Regardless of his abysmal playoff record, this guy is a winner.

  48. raphael Says:

    I like the 4-3 defense but I will say the Texans ran a 4-3 last year and were 30th in the league…they switched to a 3-4 this year and are # 1 in the league in defense….just sayin ! marty fan here …………

  49. raphael Says:

    btw marty won the ufl championship this year with a expansion team virginia destroyers……wish he would be our coach all he does is win !

  50. TheProsUseAdvoCare Says:

    Chilly did some very good things bringing on talent to the team. , Jared Allen, Chad Greenway, Erin Henderson, Adrian Peterson, Brett Favre, Steve Hutchinson, Sidney Rice, Percy Harvin, Visanthe Shiancoe….. Ended up putting together one of the best OLs and DLs of the time. Unfortunately, it seemed as if he didn’t know when to let go of a QB i.e. Tarvaris Jackson. He put together an all star team but didn’t realize his QB wasn’t ever gonna be “the guy” until it was far too late.

    Of course, his team was pumping out some serious cheddar to free agents as they held a top five player salary for years.

    I say this from the stand point of the Vikings being my second favorite team: He was rightfully let go but I don’t think he is/was a “bum” of a coach.

  51. Deminion Says:

    Marty Ball!!! or Zimmer on another note sign some free agents LaRon Landry and Desean Jackson im no expert but both would be great fits

  52. gotbbucs Says:

    Thomas, there’s more pieces in place for a 4-3 than a 3-4 switch, IMO.
    I’m going to be biased because I am a firm believer that a base 4-3 is superior to a base 3-4, and I don’t care for a hybrid of the two. That’s what Morris was trying to do, it doesn’t work. I’m of the school of thinking that you find something that works and then get so good at it that no matter what other teams throw at you, you can still operate out of your base schemes.
    I think if Morris could have left well enough alone and just let the guys get good at a few things instead of trying to constantly throw ridiulous wrinkles in there(dropping DT’s into coverage) we could have been a decent defense. And I know you don’t want to hear this, but the injury to McCoy threw everything off.

  53. TheProsUseAdvoCare Says:

    Bucs are primed for a 3-4. Bucs have gotten very big at the DL and LB position over the past 3 years. A mixture of McCoy, Price, Haynesworth, Clayborn/Bowers on the line, and a mixture of Bennett, Bowers/Clayborn, Black, Foster, Watson, and Hayward standing up. That is a very big front 7. Not one of those LBs should be considered small. All of them are 250+(Foster and Hayward may be a shade under with definite room for expansion if necessary). Watson and Bennett could blitz all day with McCoy, Price, and Haynesworth filling the gaps.

    Not saying they would be good or not, but size wise, they are very similar to the Ravens and San Diego.

  54. Deminion Says:

    gotbbucs your right ppl r gunna say McCoy is injury prone but our DLine was playing inspired whn he was playin

  55. K2theSoldier Says:

    Man, I forgot all about Mike Nolan. He’s a hell of a defensive coordinator. That’d be great if Spags or Nolan came for the defense. Then gimme Marty for head coach and for offensive coordinator………can Chilly coach offense? He did have that one ridiculous year with Favre. I like hiring former coaches as coordinators. He could be a nice fit. Anything is better than Olson, I think we can all agree on that. I wish I had more faith in Dominik to put together a good coaching staff. I hope he proves me wrong.

  56. jvato24 Says:

    Too many ex- Head coaches could be a disaster

  57. K2theSoldier Says:

    And @Advocare….I have to disagree with you on us fitting a 3-4. A few things.

    1) Adrian Clayborn would be a wasted talent as a 3-4 defensive end.
    2) Gerald Mccoy would get swallowed up in the middle playing nose tackle every down. He’s too small. We would have to move him to end, where Morris had tried moving him before and he failed every time.
    3)We’d be left with Haynesworth and Price to play the nose tackle, and Haynesworth absolutely refuses to play it (see his problems in Washington) and who knows if Price could.
    4)In a 3-4 you want your linebackers to be able to get off blocks and make plays in the backfield. Our linebackers don’t do that. Hayward would be starting inside linebacker next to Foster, and Hayward has no business starting in this league.
    5)I could see Bowers playing standup pass rusher, but who knows if he’d actually be good at it. Just because you’re built for something doesn’t mean you’ll be good at it.

    Overall, we’ve spent the last 2 drafts stocking up on guys that fit into a 4-3 type of defense, which is what we run most of the time. I just think it’d be wasting a lot of talent. Get another outside linebacker and a good play caller and we may be able to get this front 7 to be deadly.

  58. NJBucsFan Says:

    perry fewell……look what he did to the Dixie chicks.

  59. TheProsUseAdvoCare Says:

    !) McCoy was a rookie without proper training by a decent coaching staff. Hard to take his DE play for anything more than that. McCoy would not play inside anyways. That would be Price and Haynesworth(who either plays or leaves. We can easily find another big man to take up space). Both are big enough to handle it. Clayborn would not be wasted at DE in a 3-4. He just might end up being the next Justin Smith.

    2)Again, our LBs have no coaching. Put them with an experienced 3-4 coach and they could play well. It worked in Houston when everyone else was saying exactly what you are.

    3)Bowers and Bennett both can and have stood up. Bennett did it quite a few times this year with notable success. Only thing that would prohibit either from further progression would be coaching.

    4) In 2009 and 2010 we played plenty of 3-3-5 defense with better results than the strict 4-3 we played this year. The guys can do it already.

    The only thing holding people back from this idea is fear of the unknown. What I don’t get is that the known is so friggen scary, how could one fear anything else? We were terrible this year. How could a switch to 3-4 make us any worse? Especially when another team did it with amazing result regardless of fans being nervous about making their star DEs stand up.

    I am not supporting a switch by any means, but to say we aren’t built physically for it is nonsense. Right now all we have a big bodies without any decent coaching. Imagine what good coaching could accomplish regardless of the base defense.

  60. BigMacAttack Says:

    Its not that Marty is a bad coach or the fact that he is 0 – 1099 in the playoffs, but I don’t get it. Are they going to get a walker for him on the sidelines, or a 4WD Scooter. Why don’t we get Joe Pa Or Bobby Bowden? Since we’re looking for centenarians, let’s look a little deeper. How about Knute Rockne or can we try and dig up Bear Bryant. I always liked Wade Phillips’ dad Bum Phillips? He’s available or even Buddy Ryan or Jerry Glanville. I don’t have a problem with AARP, but do we have to hire a senior AARP member?

    I think its safe to say the Bucs have seen their last Coach doing chest bumps. I want Raheem back, Chucky please, but not this crap. These guys all lick balls.

  61. Brian Says:

    @gotbucs

    I’m normally apposed to the idea of a traditional 3-4 scheme coming to the bucs with their current core personnel. With that being said, research a bit of what Houston has been doing this year. They switched to a one gapping 3-4 defense with 4-3 personnel that they have drafted in the past. Poeple doubted it would work, but it worked beautifully because it’s not a standart 3-4. It’s also not a hybrid defense that a secondary’s coach came up with. It’s a proven defense that Phillips uses. I think he could work the same magic here.
    That said, i’m still pro Marty with the current candidates.

  62. BigMacAttack Says:

    The Glazers are going to screw this up. I am 100% positive they are going to totally eff this up. Oh please just sell the team now. I have never called them cheap before but I think they are totally trying to get some 3 for 1 package deal garbage to save cash.

  63. stevek Says:

    BigMacAttack Says:

    January 9th, 2012 at 7:49 pm
    The Glazers are going to screw this up. I am 100% positive they are going to totally eff this up. Oh please just sell the team now. I have never called them cheap before but I think they are totally trying to get some 3 for 1 package deal garbage to save cash.

    AMEN TO THAT! They don’t have an interest in winning.

  64. TheProsUseAdvoCare Says:

    @Brian Nail on the head, sir. I too am a fan of Marty’s coaching here.

  65. Garv Says:

    It’s really a shame that Jon Gruden won’t be considered.
    Of all the men out there, I think he’s the best fit here………except for the Royal’s and Dominik of course. LOL

    I too wonder why Brian Billick is not being considered. I like that hire.
    Of the men we know have been interviewed or will be I like Marty the most.
    Jerry Gray second.

  66. A REAL Bucs Fan Says:

    One draft and one Free Agency could see us switched to 3-4…the Texans did it in a year, so we can.

    I’m not saying it’s going to happen…just that it can be done. And I disagree that Clayborn would be wasted. He’s young, he can adapt. He’ll also put on some bulk as he ages.

    I think everyone that is taking the rumors seriously will be in for a shock next week.

  67. BigMacAttack Says:

    I am fine with a 3-4 switch hybrid. I’d take Wade Phillips. I’d really take Brian Billick. I’d love to break the bank for Spags to be a DC. I would give my right arm to have Chucky back. I’d even take Mike Gundy and a little setback time.

    Please oh please, bring Chucky back!

  68. McBuc Says:

    You guys should do some research on Wade, I think he would be a good fit. He has a good record.

  69. BigMacAttack Says:

    We’ll be in for Shock alright. Its gonna be shock and awe, right up the wazoo.

  70. TheProsUseAdvoCare Says:

    Marty has two losing seasons in 21 years as an NFL head coach for three teams a 4-12 and a 7-9. Every other year was .500 or above. That is pretty outstanding.

    Looking at his 5-13 playoff record can be viewed in two ways: That he sucks in the playoffs or that it is awesome he has gotten there 13 out of 21 seasons with three different teams. Really, it is 13 out of 20 considering he was only the HC for half a season his first year with Cleveland.

  71. Sensiblebuc Says:

    I don’t think you have to make a huge leap to see our defense changing to a 3-4. We’re going to have to make big changes in the back seven anyway so why not make them now with a new and more flexible 3-4?

  72. JoshBucsFan Says:

    Dear god can we just hire lane kiffin so we can get monte back coaching our d!
    Half hearted joke by the way. That’s the last time I remember it being worth anything though

  73. K2theSoldier Says:

    @AdvoCare, you’re doing an incredible amount of assuming there. Assuming that it’s the fault of coaching that these guys couldn’t do this and that. That’s not a good way to hold up a debate. I don’t buy it. Our linebackers are terrible, and wouldn’t transition to a high school defense, let alone a 3-4 defense. But hell, doesn’t matter what defense we play, if you can’t tackle you can’t play any type of defense. Our biggest problem is tackling.

    BTW, the idea that since the Texans swapped to a 3-4 smoothly then we can is garbage. The Texans have 3 elite players in that front 7 with Cushing, Ryans and Williams. Plus J.J. Watt. That’s more proven talent than we’ve got here and it’s not even close. I just don’t buy us swapping to a 3-4 and having success in one year.

  74. Brian Says:

    The idea of switching what the Texans are running is not garbage. It’s garbage to think we would be a top 10 defense in the first year. I’m sure we could do better in a transition year defense wise than we did this year. No?

  75. K2theSoldier Says:

    @ Brian, I just think it’s silly. Even bringing up Wade Phillips name is silly. He isn’t a fit here at all, both because of scheme and his laid back soft type of attitude. Hiring Wade would be terrible.
    Our guys flat out don’t fit. Da’Quan Bowers and Michael Bennett were dropped back into coverage a few times this year and were beat constantly. Jermichael Finely got a 30 yard gain with Bennett covering him. Like I said, you can’t just assume that a guy can play a position just because of how he’s built.

  76. TheProsUseAdvoCare Says:

    @K2 You are assuming it isn’t the coaching. History points to bad coaching. Many sub par teams have become dominant with new coaching i.e.49ers.

  77. gotbbucs Says:

    “BTW, the idea that since the Texans swapped to a 3-4 smoothly then we can is garbage. The Texans have 3 elite players in that front 7 with Cushing, Ryans and Williams. Plus J.J. Watt. That’s more proven talent than we’ve got here and it’s not even close. I just don’t buy us swapping to a 3-4 and having success in one year.”
    Amen, K2! Don’t forget they have the cover corners too.

    People are really grasping for straws here if Wade Phillips is the answer. He’s the only Head Coach that I’ve seen in my lifetime that has looked more puzzled on a sideline than Raheem Morris.
    Listen, I’m sure a couple of our players would transition alright into a 3-4. I think Bowers might be able to do it and maybe Price, although he’s not really big enough to be a Nose and not tall enough to be a 5-Tech, not to mention his hips holding up to a season of double teams. Some of our players I think would be ruined by it and probably go straight backwards in development. Clayborn being one of them. I saw it happen first hand to a guy I know pretty well. I played in highschool with Aaron Kampman, who was on his way to being one of the premier 4-3 DE’s in the NFL. They switched to a 3-4in Green Bay and it pretty much ended his career. You’re suddenly asking players to make their bodies do stuff on a football field that they’ve never done before. I would personally feel terrible for guys like McCoy, Price, and Clayborn who have years left on their contracts, forced to add more weight to fit a scheme they aren’t built for, and then by the time they hit the open market their stock is garbage.

    Wait, haven’t we tried this once before with the Jimi Bates Experience? I wonder if that sour taste is still in Dominik’s mouth?

  78. gotbbucs Says:

    “@K2 You are assuming it isn’t the coaching. History points to bad coaching. Many sub par teams have become dominant with new coaching i.e.49ers.”

    You’re absolutely right AdvoCare. For that reason alone, I see no reason to completely change our base defense.

  79. Hillbilly Heaven Says:

    3-4????
    Right or wrong, Dom is calling the shots. I can’t believe that there’s any way he’d be in favor of scrapping the last 2 drafts and start over.

  80. Plbuc Says:

    Seems like the only name with sufficient clout to get to the players is Marty. Let’s not worry about his playoff record when this team lost 10 straight and is not even competitive. I believe Marty would be the best candidate to bring a new culture to TB but give him a chance by getting some reputable FAs on this team and get rid of the dead weight. Marty brings credibility,dedication and passion all qualities sorely lacking here.

  81. Noleriff Says:

    Okay Joe…I’m not buying any of this cr@p …last time around everyone thought they knew who the coach would be and Gruden popped up !! There’s no way these idiot brothers are this stupid with daddy’s money. I’m willing to bet the next coach is a name we haven’t even heard of yet….

  82. K2theSoldier Says:

    I know we had bad coaching. But we also have a lot of bad players. Geno Hayes and Quincy Black wouldn’t be good football players with Vince Lombardi as their coach. It was the perfect blend of crappy everything this year.

  83. TheProsUseAdvoCare Says:

    @gotbucs Like I said, I am not advocating a switch, but to think it isn’t possible, or that it would be counter productive, is ludicrous.

  84. TheProsUseAdvoCare Says:

    The only reason any of you are against a switch to a 3-4 is because you aren’t used to it! There is no other possible reason! This team does not fit the mold of a Tampa 4-3 at all. They are way too big. When every one of your starting linemen are over or pushing 300+ lbs, while your all of your LBs are around 250+(minus Hayes), you can’t tell me we aren’t moving past the Tampa 2 defense. We have all the parts for a 3-4.

    Again, I am not advocating a switch. Just point out the pieces are already in place.

  85. Insight Says:

    I work in an industry that allows me to see the movers and shakers come in and out of town. Brian Billick is in town. I don’t know why but I assume it is to interview for the Bucs job.

  86. Patrick Says:

    @Insight

    Is that true?

  87. gotbbucs Says:

    Advocare, the Bears have identically sized players at LB and D-Line and they’re functioning just fine as a 4-3 defense. Besides, I don’t recall ever saying we had to run a traditional Tampa 2 scheme. There’s pro’s and con’s to both, I just prefer a base 4-3 to a base 3-4.

  88. A REAL Bucs Fan Says:

    I think the old Tampa2 is a thing of the past. It doesn’t work with the new and upcoming rule changes.

    The 4-3 still works IF it adapts. The challenge is finding a DC who can evolve it. I don’t think anyone mentioned can do it. Even Edwards.

    btw…NO oc or dc is making a lateral move. It doesn’t work that way.