Bucs Sign/Sniff Blocking Help
April 1st, 2014
The newest Buccaneer, Jorvorskie Lane.
Meet the living NFL dinosaur position: fullback.
Bucs fans got used to seeing Erik Lorig and Earnest Graham blocking in two-back sets over the past handful of years, but that didn’t mesh with what was happening on most NFL teams.
The traditional fullback is an endangered species. Even Lovie Smith acknowledged that last week at the NFL Owners meetings when he told Joe and other assembled media that if he were to sign a fullback, the guy would have to have special qualities. Those qualities were versatility and performing on multiple phases of special teams.
Well, today, the Bucs added a fullback and a blocking tight end type to their roster, guys who’ve been unemployed for a while.
The hopeful of note is Jorvorskie Lane. He’s got one season of NFL experience, 2012 with the Dolphins, after coming out of Texas A&M undrafted in 2009. Miami cut him before the start of last season.
Josh Baker, last on the field as a tight end with the Jets in 2011, is the other training camp body signee.
April 1st, 2014 at 1:34 pm
Headline….
“Sean Payton, one of the top 3 offensive minds in the NFL, rushes to sign ex-Bucs fullback Lorig”
April 1st, 2014 at 1:34 pm
Why would they let Lorig go to get some unknown…I just don’t get it.
April 1st, 2014 at 1:40 pm
Money was the issue 4 lorig. I’m sure this guy it’s makin peanuts hopefully he makes aimpact an they see this” value” n this guy n not just a camp body hey lovie did say he tries to sign starters n free agency not backups. …unless he’s a stud special teamer win win either way
April 1st, 2014 at 1:46 pm
Letting Lorig walk was a bad idea. We know he’s a great FB. To let him go and sign two guys who didn’t even play last year? Hmmm….
April 1st, 2014 at 1:56 pm
I didn’t agree with them letting Lorig go. He and Martin made a great combo. Maybe he was asking too much money? Regardless, I don’t believe either of these two will prove to be as good as Lorig.
April 1st, 2014 at 2:03 pm
Letting Lorig walk may not explain what really happened. They’re called Free Agents for a reason – they’re free to sign with whomever they want to. I know for a fact that the Bucs tried to re-sign Lorig.
For all we know, they may have explained how they planned to use the FB position and Lorig felt that the Saints position was more of what he wanted to do. Or the Bucs may have de-valued the position and was not offering the kind of money that Lorig was looking for.
But to simply say that the Bucs let Lorig walk is tantamount to saying they didn’t want him and that’s simply not the truth!
April 1st, 2014 at 2:08 pm
I do not envy the Joe’s right now. Though I appreciate their tireless work, you know Bucs news is slow if we’re getting feature articles on the greatness that is Jorvorskie Lane. Draft please come soon!!! lol.
April 1st, 2014 at 2:11 pm
Lorig got 4 years 4 million and was good. This guy didn’t even play last year. Guess the lovie is trying to prove that FB doesn’t matter?
April 1st, 2014 at 2:12 pm
Jason La CanforaVerified account
@JasonLaCanfora
The Bucs making a push to retain versatile FB Erik Lorig, an unrestricted free agent. Helped Martin and backup RBs have success as blocker..
Reply Retweet Favorite More
April 1st, 2014 at 2:13 pm
I think Lorig is 5 inches taller and 20-25 lbs lighter. My problem with Lorig is after 2 years he learned how to read the running lane. He could find his guy adn put a helmet on his defender, But he could never push the defender. So when he blocked in the lane, he clogs the lane, with no hope of any push.
April 1st, 2014 at 2:13 pm
^^ Jeezus, how many times do we have to hear the b1tching about Lorig? The fullback will apparently not have a big role in Tedford’s offense. This isn’t a huge loss. Yeah, he did a good job blocking for Doug Martin, but what good is having a FB like Lorig if your offense doesn’t run 2 back sets?
They’ve signed a couple of camp bodies for minimum contracts. This has nothing to do with allowing Lorig to walk. And you guys are complaining. Astounding.
April 1st, 2014 at 2:21 pm
We need to at least have a full back for goal line situations. Either that or let McCoy do it. I doubt anyone on our team could get a better push than him. He’ll just have to learn what hole to hit.
April 1st, 2014 at 2:27 pm
Lovie is taking a giant eraser to nearly the entire roster that went 7-9 and then 4-12 losing a lot of close games. I REALLY do hope he is not OVER-doing here. I get the feeling he is.
For the rest of you, you’re pleased as punch. I wonder how long this love affair with Lovie will last. I say not very long if he is over doing it by getting rid of 75% players.
Right now I trust L&L but with caution, because of these damn moves. That’s not the case for most of you tongue wagging fans, you’re taking the full plunge, no caution at all. Lovie will make them winners and there is no two ways about it. Setting yourselves up for a MAJOR letdown.
Good lord Bucs fans. Use caution.
April 1st, 2014 at 2:28 pm
I think this is an excellent idea, I mean Mason has shown us over the years he is a great player. Why the H@#$ would we not blitz him all day, I can’t wait to see lovie smiths new DEFENSE. I am honestly not even worried about the offense as long as he can keep it in the top 15 of the season, which is basically average or mediocre. Because we all know Lovies defense is going to be a top 5
April 1st, 2014 at 2:31 pm
I think after 5 years of mistakes, Some were ready for the reset button. the question is, will the fans be patient enough for the draft picks come in.
April 1st, 2014 at 2:35 pm
Yawn
April 1st, 2014 at 2:35 pm
^^ So, the roster didn’t need an overhaul?
This is the coach we’ve got. This is the general manager we’ve got. Until they prove they’re not up to the task, they have my trust. I think they’re doing what needs to be done – they need the right personnel to have success in the schemes they want to run. Frankly, there’s probably about 20 players who were worth keeping around from the previous regime(s), if that.
April 1st, 2014 at 2:37 pm
Will the fans be patient? Realist what do you think?
April 1st, 2014 at 2:41 pm
No Orca not entire over-haul. No not from a team that went 7-9 2 years ago and lost a lot of close games last season to go 4-12. One thing will be for certain and I’m glad for this. Lovie will have a GIANT stamp on this team. It’s his baby now for certain. No excuses.
Hell I guess the biggest excuse any Schiano supporter has is that he was coaching a team of inferior players. Lovie says so.
April 1st, 2014 at 2:49 pm
If anyone outside of Realist were to say to any Buc fan before the start of the 2013 season that 50% of the Bucs roster are scrubs that have no business starting in the NFL and should be cut or let go. 95% of the fanbase would have thought you were crazy.
Now in hindsight since L&L have let go of nearly 50% of the roster it all makes sense to do so. I don’t think so Homie don’t play that. Use caution Buc fans.
April 1st, 2014 at 2:50 pm
Schiano may have coached a team of inferior players, but the talent depravity was nothing compared to Gruden’s teams of his last four seasons or so. Those teams had almost ZERO talent. A bunch of old has-beens and never-weres thrown together to get at least 9 wins just about every year. I thought Gruden’s best coaching job came in that 2005 season. We had no talent on either side of the ball and yet the team won the division. And somehow, that mostly talentless defense, led the league in total defense that year. Gruden sure could coach, but he was one of the worst evaluators of talent to ever roam the Buccaneer sidelines (and that’s saying a lot).
April 1st, 2014 at 2:52 pm
Gruden would’ve done wonders with the team Schiano had at the beginning of 2013. He probably could’ve solved the Freeman puzzle and on top of that, not have rudimentary play calls every down on offense and allowed a defensive scheme that was fundamentally unsound. Gruden would have won at least 10 games with last year’s group.
April 1st, 2014 at 2:56 pm
Brandon ..with all the injuries I say Gruden might of had them at 8-8.
April 1st, 2014 at 3:14 pm
value
April 1st, 2014 at 3:21 pm
Buc1987,
It is not that half of our roster was “scrubs” going into 2013, it is that they were overpaid and not worth that type of money.
Dominick did us a solid by not giving out signing bonuses, but he still overpaid. Mostly, because we had to.
Lovie and Licht have changed that approach, and it is refreshing.
I am pleased with the turnover, and hope we can get back to the playoffs.
Last year, we had a few great players and some scrubs.
Penn is not worth 8mm a year. Ted Larsen is not a backup. Carl Nicks has had a very unlucky time in Tampa.
V-Jax may be the only one of the rock star FA acquisitions that is actually “worth” it.
What do you do?
April 1st, 2014 at 3:46 pm
Buc1987,
I don’t know if Lovie will succeed or not. The one thing I do know is that Schiano will damn sho not be back!
April 1st, 2014 at 4:48 pm
We will get a chance to eat Lorig up twice a year…..
April 1st, 2014 at 6:33 pm
Here is the thing: the Bucs already have a capable FB in Pruitt from FSU who can not only block but can run the ball too. Remember how great it was when we had Alstott who could do both? I believe they added another FB just for competition to Pruitt to push him. Likely they know Lorig had no wiggle in case they gave him the ball on the goal line plus he had a much higher salary than Pruitt. They did Lorig a favor letting him get a raise now rather than a waive goodbye at the final cut down. I liked Lorig too, but L and L know what they are doing. Relax and enjoy the ride.
April 1st, 2014 at 7:50 pm
I remember Lane from watching hard knocks with the dolphins. Hes decent. I think he weighed around 270 and was blowing guys up.
The comments have gone way off topic but i think this is a good signing. We need someone to hit Kuechly in the hole.
April 1st, 2014 at 9:37 pm
Is there such a thing as a Shiano supporter?
April 1st, 2014 at 11:23 pm
Ghost…actually there is one. NY Bucs Fan or some screen name like that…
April 1st, 2014 at 11:36 pm
Here is the thing: the Bucs already have a capable FB in Pryor from FSU who can not only block but can run the ball too. Remember how great it was when we had Alstott who could do both? I believe they added another FB just for competition to Pruitt to push him. Likely they know Lorig had no wiggle in case they gave him the ball on the goal line plus he had a much higher salary than Pruitt. They did Lorig a favor letting him get a raise now rather than a waive goodbye at the final cut down. I liked Lorig too, but L and L know what they are doing. Relax and enjoy the ride.
April 2nd, 2014 at 12:49 am
Owlykat Says
“Here is the thing: the Bucs already have a capable FB in Pryor from FSU who can not only block but can run the ball too. Remember how great it was when we had Alstott who could do both?”
That some revisionist history you’ve got going there.
Alstott was horrible at blocking until very late in his career. When a player admits it, which he did, and is on his second contract, you know he sucked at blocking. Alstott was a pure pounder…to the point where he would take a knee on the sideline while assistants fanned him to cool him off because he was running so hard.
But he was not a great blocker, wasn’t even average until late in his career.
A good blocking FB would have been John Conner years ago…but the Jets took him and ruined him, got him injured and he has not been the same since.
The best blocking FB the Bucs ever had was Lorenzo Neal, and he only played her about a yer. But when he lead blocked he opened a three lane tunnel for Mike to run through.
April 2nd, 2014 at 12:50 am
Tablet typos.
April 2nd, 2014 at 12:59 am
I see a lot of new people here talking about how good Lorig was. I hate to break it to you guys, but he wasn’t. He sucked at running the ball. Completely suck at it. And when he blocked he was just below average. Not at suck level, but not quite average either. And he’s had years to get better.
Let the Saints overpay him. Lovie has already said the FB will not have a major role in the new offense. If the TEs can at least become average at blocking, it will be good enough.
And we still have not seen who he drafts. I suspect the draft will focus on offense in the early rounds. QB in rnd 1, WR in rnd 2.
April 2nd, 2014 at 10:31 am
Brian Leonard!
April 2nd, 2014 at 1:37 pm
Buc1987 Says:
“Lovie is taking a giant eraser to nearly the entire roster that went 7-9 and then 4-12 losing a lot of close games. I REALLY do hope he is not OVER-doing here. I get the feeling he is.
For the rest of you, you’re pleased as punch. I wonder how long this love affair with Lovie will last. I say not very long if he is over doing it by getting rid of 75% players.
Right now I trust L&L but with caution, because of these damn moves. That’s not the case for most of you tongue wagging fans, you’re taking the full plunge, no caution at all. Lovie will make them winners and there is no two ways about it. Setting yourselves up for a MAJOR letdown.”
You trust him but you think he might be overdoing it. Which is it? I guess we should cover all our bases. 😉