Report: McCoy And Teammates Asked To Help Pick New Coach

March 8th, 2018

Yes, there were problems among Buccaneers’ defensive linemen last year that did not involve Chris “Swaggy” Baker or overall poor play on the field.

Aside from Joe hearing rumblings of unhappy linemen during 2017, it was telling when line coach Jay Hayes was fired last month and the guys who played for him — from classy and charitable Clinton McDonald to sensitive Gerald McCoy and fiery Robert Ayers — were silent on social media. Nobody, per Joe’s searching, gave Hayes even a simple, “Good luck, Coach.”

After several interviews, Tampa Bay signed former player and Cardinals defensive line coach Brentson Buckner to replace Hayes.

Speaking today on WDAE-AM 620, NFL Network insider guru Ian Rapoport said the Bucs’ hierarchy enlisted the help of guys like Gerald McCoy and Robert Ayers to “help pick” their new line coach because there were chemistry problems with the staff and players last year.

Joe heard that and instantly thought how this nugget makes it even more bizarre that Hayes was fired more than a month after the season — after Team Glazer agreed to pay him for 2018. If Rapoport is accurate, and there’s certainly no guarantee given his track record, then it almost feels like Dirk Koetter and Mike Smith didn’t know until long after the season that their defensive linemen weren’t responding to Hayes.

Man, strange offseason for the Bucs so far, an ugly X-files episode.

Joe literally didn’t sleep last night trying to figure out how Marvin Lewis, Bengals coach and a good friend of Koetter, just agreed to sign Chris Baker to a $3 million+ contract for this season after the guy completely mailed it in on the Bucs.

83 Responses to “Report: McCoy And Teammates Asked To Help Pick New Coach”

  1. tmaxcon Says:

    How many coaches does cancer93 get to run off in his failed career. Inmates running the asylum is the glazer way… feelings more important than victories

  2. johnnybuc Says:

    just my opinion but i believe the bengals are just taking a flyer on baker , they have a need at dt next to atkins and baker before this past season was seen as a quality starter. gonna see if they can get him back to actually caring and back to the level of play he had in 16, i wouldn’t be surprised if he is cut before the final rosters are announced

  3. BetterBuccinBelieveIt Says:

    Rapoport is an absolute hack. His “reporting” can’t be trusted in almost all cases, he merely re-reports almost everything, continually lives in the Napoleonic shadow of the world-class Schefter and his unbelievable network of sourcing. Ever since ESPN bought Schefter away from the NFL Network, Rapoport has been continually thrust into that now-you-better-be-as good-as-Schefter role at the NFL Network, hence so much of his lack of credible reporting is just plain desperation, pressure, and 80% unreliable after the fact.

    Maybe if this were sourced by Mortensen, or Schefter, or Florio, then we could believe it and toss it around.

    Go Bucs!

  4. Bucsfanman Says:

    Where is the head coach?! How can there be THIS kind of disconnect?!
    Man, this team just makes it so difficult to get behind. How dumb, exactly, is this coaching staff?!

  5. darin Says:

    Man what a sad coaching staff. This thing is turning from terrible to worse. Should have canned them. Now Licht is joining in on the act and not getting them the pass rushers they desperately need. What’s next?

  6. Dusthty Rhothdes Says:

    Seemed like the way Hayes coached in Cincy the players responded ol GMC doesnt like ppl to yell or push you like schiano did, funny thing though GMC was at his best, when schiano grilled him, but hopefully there are nice coaches in oakland for GMC

  7. Bucsfanman Says:

    tmax- Sounds to me like there is a coaching void. A BIG void!

  8. tmaxcon Says:

    johnnybuc

    More likely to have double digit sacks after escaping the black hole and cancer93

  9. Bucssuccs Says:

    Wow. This shows almost zero trust in licht to bring in a good defensive line coach. Way to go, GMC93, RA91, you’ve ran this team to the ground

  10. tmaxcon Says:

    Bucsfanman

    The leadership void is from top to bottom just not the coaching staff. Most pathetic dysfunctional franchise in pro sports thank you glazers

  11. tmaxcon Says:

    Spineless franchise

  12. Bucsfanman Says:

    No doubt! I just can’t get over how a “head coach” has no idea that his players and coaches don’t mesh. What’s he doing? Dude! This whole staff needs to go along with the non-football joke for owners!

  13. zzbucs Says:

    Where Baker goes I don´t care
    If Marvin Lewis and DK are friends, good for him, I dont care either….
    And this Ian Rappaport is the same guy who reported ¨tension¨between DK and JW? the same one who said that Gruden was recruting coaches for his possible return to the BUcs____ Come on men!!!!!! this guy is suppose to be serious??? This guy is suppose to be a sports journalist????…. a good source???? Rapport can only comment on stupid celebrity gossips…he makes yellow journalism……He is as yellow as a Minion………come on Joe!!!

  14. Bucsfanman Says:

    Bucssuccs- If that’s the case, it’s the coaching staff that allowed it. Pathetic! Man, I’m bent! What garbage!

  15. tmaxcon Says:

    Bucsfanman

    You are not putting enough blame on the lack of organizational leadership… this is not the first set of front office personnel and coaches that have FAILED…. Every glazer clown hire for over a decade has FAILED.

  16. ShutTheBucUp Says:

    Joe I think it’s time for some more confidence polls.

    1) Koetter
    2) Licht
    3) Mike Smith

  17. tmaxcon Says:

    The losing culture is real and led by the face of the basement years cancer93

  18. AKick'nTheBucNuts Says:

    Here’s to hoping the Bucs go all defense in the draft and give coach Buckner some young talent to mold and shape for the future…. what else is there to hope for?

  19. JonBuc Says:

    Hayes was too much of an arse kicker for many of them…having said that…it was fortuitous that Buckner was available. Now go make chicken salad outta chicken shat, BB.

  20. tnew Says:

    One more example of why a President of Football Operations is needed.

  21. Bird Says:

    It’s one year deal -prove it contract so baker will play harder this year and mail it in once he gets multi year.

  22. derrickbrooksforGM Says:

    These guys run coaches. TheY ran Shiano who freaking got them to crack top 15 defenses in the league. The defensive players are the problem here… cough Kwon, cough GMC cough LVD.

  23. Bculaw Says:

    The management and coaching of this team reminds me of the end of Animal House, where Kevin Bacon’s character is standing in the middle of chaos yelling “ALL IS WELL! ALL IS WELL!!!!”

    Entire units are underperforming, and yet no changes are being made to either the staff or the personnel. Let just roll our 5-11 squad back out next year and hope for the best, shall we?

  24. Ndog Says:

    McCoy has to go, with every day that passes and the more he is involved in stuff like this I am convinced he is THE problem. In One Buc they worship McCoy, he has 3 lockers, he runs the music when they work out, he runs their down time between practices, he is just to influencal on this team with his weak happy go lucky mindset. At some point your leaders have to demand the best out of everyone on their team. Does anyone believe McCoy ever challenged Talib to cut his crap or Baker to be a man or got in VH3’s face to say stop playing scared we got your back? Of course not and that is the problem, if your leader is never heald accountable how is anyone being held accountable?

  25. Lamarcus Says:

    Joe. GMC is sensitive and a Baby Huey.

  26. tmaxcon Says:

    Bculaw

    Great analogy

  27. 813bucboi Says:

    Not surprised at all……. Dirk and Smitty were clueless yet again….. Yet again Dirk didn’t see it…. Just like when he didn’t see Winston and Evans in New Orleans….. Just like when he didn’t see Kwon and Winston jump on Baker….. Can we please get a real head coach in here….. Someone who knows how to be a HC over a team and not just the offense…….

    #NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!!…..GO BUCS!!!!!

  28. Mike Johnson Says:

    This is shere BS. Again, the Bucs make somebody else the scapegoat. Mainly Hayes When the real culprit..the coach players are not responding to is Mike Smith sittin his A.. up there in the pressbox game after game. Nobody here says anything. But if your binoculars are not doin it for you, You’d think a change of view was necessary. All of this is a coverup for By Koetter for his boy Smitty. Everybody know..how this sad Buc story goes. Knock off the coverups.

  29. ZK Says:

    Can anybody do there Fing job over at one bucs place? A bunch of Fing idiots.

  30. Drew aka q Says:

    Unbelievable

  31. SteveK Says:

    At what point is the lack of pass rush results on the players, or the GM?

    Tired of blaming coaches when the common thread is the piss poor results from the same players.

  32. SteveK Says:

    Mike Johnson,

    What about the damn players? Smitty is at fault, but what about the crappy ass results from these players? No matter the coach, our pass rush blows donkeys.

  33. tmaxcon Says:

    You people need to stop making excuses every coach and player that comes to tampa regresses and failed. It’s the nfl black hole and cancer93 personal spa not a football team

  34. Bucsfanman Says:

    ndog- Strong coaching and organizational leadership do not allow players to control locker rooms. See Mike Tomlin and the Steelers! If GMC, or anybody else, is dictating to management then that my friend is organizational FAILURE. It would be like me telling my director what I am or am not going to do. It doesn’t work that way and it would not be allowed.
    You’re looking for GMC to be a “leader” and he has NEVER been one. Your expectations for him are unrealistic. Hope that Buckner brings strong leadership and someone emerges from that group. It won’t be GMC, so don’t be surprised.

  35. Eric Says:

    Some guys are coordinators, some head coaches.

    We got a coordinator I fear.

    A nice guy though. If perception is reality he hasn’t taken the team by the horns and imposed an identity, or at least not a good identity.

  36. webster Says:

    You guys are unbelievable. This is not the first team to fire a position coach. It happens all the time but when the bucs do it, it equates to disfunction in your warped minds. How do you geniuses know koetter did not know there was a disconnect between hayes and the players? Were any of you in the locker room or were here on jbf whinning as usual? You were here whinning and not in the locker room. What do we know? We know hayes was considered the best dline coach in the league before he got here and for whatever reason, he supposedly slipped to the worst. What else do we know? Gmc has had problems/issues with every scheme every coach has put him in. Here is an idea for all you jump to conclusion guys….. Maybe koetter and licht waited a month to fire hayes to ensure they were going to actually have a coach who could be an upgrade over “supposedly” one of the best dline coaches in the league. That means you never quit a job unless you already have another one lined up or in this case, you dont fire somebody if you do not have a replacement ready to go. Educate yourselves and stop trying to just bad mouth the bucs. Some of you must live miserable lives if you have this much hate towards the bucs. In the words of demar dotson, “yall need some women”. If you already have a woman, then you need a side chick because based on some of you guys post, yall are seriously backed up and you need to release that. That much pinned up is not healthy.

  37. Horse Liver Says:

    If Smith and Koetter didn’t know, given the wretched game film, then they are asleep at the switch, totally unaware, and there is no hope.

  38. tmaxcon Says:

    Webster

    It’s not hate when it is accurate.

    Quoting a below average walking penalty machine who should have been upgraded years ago does not help your case.

  39. SCBucsFan Says:

    webster you are wasting your time. I don’t understand why Joe lets it go one but its their blog.

  40. Eric Says:

    Whatever the reasons, lousy coaching, lousy players, lousy motivation we know one thing for sure.

    That was one of the worst performances by a defensive line in league history, on a team with a rich history of great defenses.

    Totally unacceptable and fans should be upset.

  41. Mike Johnson Says:

    Nonsense StevenK. Why ir it..teams like the Steeler, Pats, saints..I could go on. Take un-named players..plug’em right in and keep on winning? We got a plethera of 1st.2nd. 3rd, and 4th rounders yet..they are not good enough? Excuses..that what we have. And we are Deehyam good at it too! Perhaps you did not watch our Defense this past season..UNACCEPTABLE for a so called pro team. And not once did Smitty get out of his pressbox seat..to come down on the field to talk to..jump in his troops face..make game adjustments. We never even set other players up to make sacks? Yet you say Smitty is the man? Keep that thinking. I’ll get back with yas after next season to see where your head is at…after the Buc division last place finish.

  42. DB55 Says:

    Lol, the ice cream man strikes again.

    Never in my life have I seen or heard of a softer DT than Geraldini McIceCream

  43. webster Says:

    @ tmax

    Its definitely hate my friend. Joe writes an article about bucs performing community service, you post about cancer93. Joe writes an article about lineman working out hard, the thread turns into jameis not being a franchise qb. Joe writes an article about accomplishments/milestones of players, the thread turns into licht/koetter being idiots. Its like all you miserable people have one track minds and it is very sad. Im for one am tired of seeing all of you whine like 5 year old girls at disney world because your parents told you no more cotton candy. Tmax i believe i read you were retired so yes, you need some women. My suggestion is go to your local strip club (i believe they open at 1pm) and enjoy yourself. Those girl enjoy the retired. There you could feel like a winner because obviously the bucs are not helping your esteem.

  44. BlogTalkFootball Says:

    Joe,

    Is Vinny Curry worth a 7th rounder and his $9 Million salary? Or should Licht wait until someone else gives them one? A lot of these guys being traded are coming off of injuries (Quinn, Sherman…), is that why their teams are dumping them?

  45. TOM Says:

    I believe all the head coached the Bucs have had since Gruden, the best one might have been Schiano if he had more time. At the time I think the media was instrumental in getting him fired. I’m probably in the minority but so be it.

  46. tmaxcon Says:

    SCBucsFan

    You don’t know why Joe does not censor…. is that what your snowflake arse is implying….. thats really special that everything needs to be cleansed and softened for you lol wow just wow… do you wrap yourself in bubble wrap when your leaving your safespace to face the real world

  47. derrickbrooksforGM Says:

    Horse Liver Says:
    March 8th, 2018 at 10:33 am
    If Smith and Koetter didn’t know, given the wretched game film, then they are asleep at the switch, totally unaware, and there is no hope.

    ^^^Did you read some of the presser quotes from these guys last year? Did you not realize then they have no idea what’s going on with this team??? 🙂

  48. Evolvingbucfan Says:

    There are much bigger internal problems if the players are making the decisions!!!! WTF, in the words of one of the captains from Deadliest Catch ” you can’t have the crew run the boat!!!”

  49. BucNole Says:

    The main failure of this franchise continues to be a total lack of professional management from top to bottom. It has created a losing culture that permeates the entire organization. It allows GMs to make boneheaded draft and FA hires, it allows coaches to totally screw things up and nobody gets fired, it allows players to not give 110%.
    AND THAT is why we need professional management – somebody to bridge the gap between GM and owners with full control over the operation. If this ownership is not interested in winning they should get out period.
    end of rant

  50. Tom T. Says:

    You couldnt sleep!? Are you kidding after the scam Marvis Lewis and Michael “Ghost” Johnson pulled on Tampa!? They told him to come here and make the money they couldnt give him. Instructed him to do nothing and once Tampa cut him signed him right back. What team/coach in their right minds would give Johnson a contract after the way he played in Tampa. It was all pre meditated and changed my entire outlook on free agent scammers!

  51. adam from ny Says:

    would you put sensitive men on your front lines in a war, or in a bunker with you?…i doubt it…”warriors come out to play-yay”

    #BallersAndStallers

  52. tmaxcon Says:

    adam great reference

  53. El_Buc941 Says:

    Joe what do you think about this trade…call up the steelers.offer them our 1st and 3rd rounder this year in return for Leveon Bell and convince them that they can trade up to get Saquoan Barkley with the Browns by offering 2 1st rounders(1 from us) and 2 2nd rounders(1 from us as well.that would be real hard to pass up by the browns.that would leave the Browns with 4 1st round picks AND 4 2nd round picks.it would be a win win win for us(Leveon Bell), the Steelers (Saquoan Barkley) and the Browns(8 total picks in the first round) AND they could still get a QB at #4.

  54. TampaTown Says:

    @ Webster
    Great post. And no way tmax is getting laid. That’s why he’s always so mad.

  55. tmaxcon Says:

    TampaTown

    I do just fine thanks for caring. I am a happy go lucky guy not a mad guy not sure where you get that from. just post honest takes. nothing to be positive about with glazers running show.

  56. SCBucsFan Says:

    Love it Webster and that’s some sound advice

  57. tmaxcon Says:

    you guys need to get together for a group hug… kumbaya!!!!

  58. Defense Rules Says:

    Interesting reference Joe to the ‘Bucs hierarchy’ in Rapoport piece on WDAE. Obviously there’s a LOT of speculation in this piece, but who is Rapoport referring to when he says ‘Bucs hierarchy’? The Glazer Boyz? Jason Licht? Dirk Koetter? Mike Smith? Rufus the beer man? All of the above? Did the Glazer Boyz and/or Licht step in and demand a change someplace in the defensive coaching staff? Was Jay Hayes at ‘fault’ or did they just decide to ‘blame’ him? Lots of other questions surrounding this speculative ‘reporting’ from Ian Rapoport.

  59. Robert Says:

    should have given schiano more time. inmates running the asylum

  60. Dusthty Rhothdes Says:

    I am also one who believes that schiano deserved another year, I mean the total “crack out” of your 1st round draft pick of a QB, you give up a 1st round pick for a hurt revis, the bucs didnt need revis at the time, the bucs needed players and I believe the player the jets got was sheldon richardson for the bucs #1 pick, a horrible domminik move, but the bucs seemed to have an identity as a tough solid defense under schiano and now the entire orgnaization is a train wreck

  61. Couch Fan Says:

    As I said trade McCoy. Rebuild the line. We will never win like this. This coaching staff and front office sounds more lost every day.

  62. AKick'nTheBucNuts Says:

    Seems like a lot of people here need an “Emotional Support Hamster” to deal with the real world facts that the Glazer Boys care about 1 thing….making money. Not making champions.
    Ex: See last 16 years

  63. Eric Says:

    When Schiano starts looking good………….

  64. Red86 Says:

    I wonder what caused the disconnect. Did Hayes bring up how the d linemen act like it’s Showtime at the Apollo with all the dancing, singing, and joking around was the reason for poor production? Or did he hit a nerve by saying how GMC complaining about his knees being bad but was okay with joking with the ref instead of being focus on the field and leading?

    Now we are back at the question I’ve been asking for at least 5 years. When are the players the blame for these failures? When are they going to step up an be accountable for their actions?

    I believe, though I could be wrong, this report is real. When you listen to Sapp being asked to be D line coach? He said he wouldn’t want to deal with the millennial mentality of players today. (Not willing to listen, think when someone telling the truth is a hater, social media beef and addict, and displaying pride when they haven’t accomplished anything.) Yet, he’s getting players ready for the combine. This should speak volume. Sapp and GMC are supposed to be boys. Yet, Sapp said something along the line of what I typed.

    Another reason I think this real is because Breston Buckner emphasized how he is a ex player often. I think I’m going to like him. But truth be told there are successful coaches who never stepped in between the line. Yet, they can run circles around anyone football iq wise. Heck a lot of coaches were back up players as well. Truthfully, a new regime isn’t going to fix this issues. It getting rid of players that will fix this

  65. BigHogHaynes Says:

    This staff should have gotten 2 yrs just like LOVIE simple as that!

  66. tmaxcon Says:

    Red86

    in today’s society holding people accountable is frowned upon and a felony in some areas. It’s all about the feelings sir… Accountability and Integrity have joined masculinity as a crime.

  67. I’m a Tandyman Bucs Fan Says:

    Tmaxcon that might be the most sensible thing I have ever seen come from you!! I must say I’m impressed and do totally for once agree with you!!!

  68. Tony from Los Angeles Says:

    Geez,

    This tmax fellow is a very angry dude.
    I actually agree with a lot of what you’re saying, tmax.

    But – where I think you’re misplacing your blame is with McCoy. What other NFL team has the the damn defensive tackle as the face of the franchise, like the Bucs did before Winston?

    That’s what was pathetic, the fact the bucs had zero taLent outside of their defensive tackle that even garnered a mention by the national media. Thus, because McCoy was being mentioned a s the guy on the bucs – he gets all of the blame and ire.

    But McCoy’s job is simply to chew up as many blockers as possible and penetrate up the middle so the edge rushers and linebackers have a clearer and easier path to the QB. The complete ineptness by the franchise to find a single pass rusher is not his fault.

    The other things people aren’t realizing – we’re so quick to label our linebackers as studs. Has anyone stopped to think of what a big part McCoy is in their success? He takes up so many blockers and attention in the middle that those guys have clear lanes to do what they do.

    Watch what happens to their play when we run McCoy out of town.

    I don’t give a lot of credence to this article. Buckner was a good hire. Now, the Bucs need to bring in numerous bodies to really compete.

    FIX THE TRENCHES, FIX THE BUCS!!

  69. tmaxcon Says:

    BigHog

    you look pretty stupid spouting off about a coach who is currently 5-19 but hell we all know your agenda…

  70. SteveK Says:

    BigHogHaynes,

    Thanks for bringing up Lovie!

    He’s won less games the last four years (2 with Tampa 2 with Illinois) than this regime has won in two years (both with the Bucs).

    As crappy as our coaches are right now, they are literally twice the coaches Lovie’s regime were and then some!

    lol Lovie was terrible, sleeping at the combine, not changing his scheme, getting our team’s Azz whooped like crazy.

  71. SteveK Says:

    Tmaxcon,

    Keep on keeping it on, brother! Love your truth speaking!

    Also Lovie has ZERO players from the University of Illinois invited to the combine. That is damning.

  72. donuts Says:

    In the same interview, Rappaport could not confirm that even a call was even made by Licht to acquire the services of Quinn. If Quinn is not worth a call, I am not sure who is worth a call that could help us on the DL.

    Sorry team JBF if you were saving that data nugget for later. It stuck in my craw when I heard it…does this “craw” mean Lee is rubbing off on me? lol

    Loyal listener of the pod and donut expert.

  73. NFLNut Says:

    If Buckner turns the D-Line around but we don’t make the playoffs, he could be the next head coach … crazier things have happened.

  74. Pickgrin Says:

    maxi says:
    “I am a happy go lucky guy”

    BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA – that’s a good one maxi-pad

  75. Red86 Says:

    @ Tmax

    lol. Seem like the case.

  76. Greecosuave Says:

    There is no doubt that theirs blame to go around. We lacked talent as well as a poor coaching scheme. As you can see so far this team is shedding players and a coach. Licht only has this season left then he’ll be gone too. PATIENCE my friends.

  77. BigHogHaynes Says:

    TRUMPMAXCON: what’s your agenda, you and you cheerleaders peep this, I know LOVIE didn’t win enough to stay coach in this backwoods town! He needed talent …the exact same thing they are looking for now! We looked bad, horrible, or whatever derogatory adjective you care to use….and please SteveK, Red86 and Pickgrin (cheerleaders) what do you have to cheer about now ….Another 5 game win season!! RAH RAH ….but don’t jump to high…I see your bloomers!!

  78. buddy Says:

    CLASSIC BUCCAROOS!!!!!! What a joke. Letting the inmates run the asylum. This just proves even more that #Klueless Koetter is a clown and not respected inside that locker room. How’d that CARRY A BIG STICK thing work out for ya DIRK??? Joe Cullen from the Ravens TURNED DOWN a return to the Bucs even after McCoy called Licht himself asking him to rehire Joe. But CULLEN turned down LICHT and Klueless Koetter after they burned a bridge with him in 2016. That place is a absolute dumpster fire!!!!!!!

  79. LakeLand Says:

    Chris Baker might tear it up with the Bengals. Just because players sucks in Sucksville, don’t mean they will suck with another team.

  80. darin Says:

    Baker has already lost alot of weight since end of season. The guy simply got paid and then was as lazy as he was allowed to be. He was probably astonished the coaches let him loaf through the season. 6 million for a half year of laziness, only in America…or Tampa. Dont lose any sleep over that tho Joe. We need a coaching staff who is going to hold every player accountable. Why would this one start now, their ways are tried and true.

  81. Vorbs68 Says:

    Pretty sure the Bucs wanted Buckner all along but waited until the Cards got their coaching situation sorted out to make sure Buckner was available. No reason to dump Hayes before then and who cares if Glazer cash got spent in the meantime? Not our money?

  82. ZK Says:

    F BigHogHaynes

  83. Owlykat Says:

    Licht keeps supposedly talking to players who could help us get some sacks but so far hasn’t got us anything but his mantra is “we are very very close” I guess as an excuse for why other teams are getting stronger but he has accomplished nothing. He also has confirmed his strategy of just taking the best player available and talked about how filling needs is not the way to operate in the draft because he has seen that not work. What a genius. We have seen what his BPA approach has done to our team. Oh, and it sounds like his strategy on getting a good backup QB is to let Fritz go elsewhere but we can get that great backup QB who already knows this playbook, wow, the great Chicago BUST—Glennon! Apparently our Genius has never looked at Glennon’s all time win-loss record. That will guarantee if Jameis goes down again, we could end up with an even worse record than last year. At this rate we may even have a first round top draft pick next year. The Browns will be glad they are not us!!!