“Soft, Like Tissue Paper Soft”

October 13th, 2014
Michael Johnson was invisible yesterday against a rookie backup left tackle

Michael Johnson was invisible yesterday against a rookie backup left tackle

A prominent former Buccaneer would be on board with nicknaming defensive end Michael Johnson “Kleenex.”

That’s Joe’s word, but the exact sentiment came in a frustrated tirade this morning from former Bucs guard Ian Beckles, co-host of the Ron and Ian show on WDAE-AM 620.

Beckles can’t believe how weak so many Buccaneers are and how there’s no violent-player presence on the team.

“Michael Johnson, the defensive end, is soft, like tissue-paper soft. There’s tight ends washing him down and he’s taking other people down,” Beckles said. “And that’s a guy we paid $24 million of guaranteed money to, and he’s below average. Good luck.”

Joe’s seen various reports on how much cash actually is guaranteed to Johnson. But what’s fact is he is locked into a fat payday next season. Somehow, someway, the Bucs need to find a way to get production out of Johnson. He’s been a been a letdown.

But what about Johnson’s healing ankle? Well, lots of NFL players play hurt, and Johnson isn’t being given much rest and he’s not limping on the field. Heck, Joe talked to Johnson in the locker room and his ankle wasn’t even iced up, and Johnson said he didn’t want to talk about health.

Regardless, the guy has to produce, otherwise the Bucs will be forced to replace him at starting right defensive end next season. Lovie Smith’s defense simply doesn’t work without a fierce four-man pass rush, as evidenced by the 2014 product, in addition to Lovie’s commentary.

You can listen to Beckles’ full rant below. Quite entertaining.

68 Responses to ““Soft, Like Tissue Paper Soft””

  1. bucrightoff Says:

    EDS = bust
    McCown = bust
    Anthony Collins = bust
    Michael Johnson = bust
    Logan Mankins = Better than any guard we could field, still not good and cost us Wright, so bust
    Clint McDonald = Solid because it cost next to nothing
    Verner = Ok, not great. not horrible, just ok.

    Remember this roster was fully turned over to bring in Lovie’s guys. Someone has to bear responsibility for these horrible moves.

  2. Dusthty Rhothdes Says:

    Trade away zuttah and let joeseph and let penn walk and then sign all these BS FAs, i mean steve smith ran by altran BURNER….johnson is turrible mankins doesnt want to be here….so lovie and licht are making the rockstar look like well a rockstar….toes on the line would have had this team at 8-8 with maybe johnn football in here or derek carr….mike evans is whatever they are a dime a dozen….

  3. Buccfan37 Says:

    Tissue paper soft, but like that cheap dollar store variety you can see through and when you try to mop up a spill it just rolls up into pieces.

  4. Skyline Crew Says:

    McCoy sucked yesterday as well.

  5. PFUDOR Says:

    Pink fluffy unicorns dancing on rainbows!
    Pink fluffy unicorns dancing on rainbows!
    Pink fluffy unicorns dancing on rainbows!
    Pink fluffy unicorns dancing on rainbows!
    Pink fluffy unicorns dancing on rainbows!
    Pink fluffy unicorns dancing on rainbows!
    Pink fluffy unicorns dancing on rainbows!
    Pink fluffy unicorns dancing on rainbows!
    Pink fluffy unicorns dancing on rainbows!

  6. RastaMon Says:

    Has anyone noticed the locals media …that has is recent years been so quick to rag on players and coaches has been strangley silent on LOVIE !….preseason was lack luster…..then the Home Opener against the Panthers…..it is perfectly clear that Lovie and his supporting cast of assistant coaches are grossly inept !

  7. GhostofJohnGruden Says:

    Should have kept Zuttah, maybe Penn and Joseph. Never should have signed Mclown and Johnson, absolute busts. Millions that could have been spent elsewhere. Someone needs to lose a job, I vote for Frazier. If this crap continues next year licht, lovie or both need to go.

  8. PFUDOR Says:

    Pink fluffy unicorns dancing on rainbows!

  9. billy buckaroo Says:

    Put the entire second string in next game on the def line
    Could hardly do much worse

  10. GhostofJohnGruden Says:

    @Rastamon, I notice that too. I think it is called Obamanology, any criticism directed at a minority class will be labeled racist and offensive. Sorry but that is the current climate we live in, just pointing it out.

  11. DB55 Says:

    Pink fluffy unicorns dancing on rainbows.

    We have two violent players. Foster who likes to do the Rick flair after a tackle (when we’re losing 35-0). And david who is an absolute beast. 14 tackles again for like the third week straight. He hit pierce so hard yesterday he knocked the snot out of pierce, literally. Saw pierce walking back to the huttle wiping his nose. That’s funny.

  12. GhostofJohnGruden Says:

    From the looks of things the Packers do not miss EDS, Seahawks do not miss Mcdonald, Benagls sure as hell do not miss Johnson. We have been played………..again.

  13. CB Buc Says:

    I have been disappointed in MJ90 from the start of preseason but there are those who defend him constantly.

    A walk-in, unblocked sack against Pittsburgh. Ya, he’s been great.

    What a huge waste of money…8million
    Disgusting

  14. PFUDOR Says:

    RastaMon Says:
    October 13th, 2014 at 12:09 pm

    Has anyone noticed the locals media …that has is recent years been so quick to rag on players and coaches has been strangley silent on LOVIE !….preseason was lack luster…..then the Home Opener against the Panthers…..it is perfectly clear that Lovie and his supporting cast of assistant coaches are grossly inept !
    ____________________________________

    Yes I have noticed that.
    Thank God that Joe calls it like he sees it.

    Schiano wasn’t that great but apparently he’s
    twice the coach Lovie is.

    Who was the f**king moron behind the Schiano billboards?
    Honestly that may have been the gheyest thing I’ve ever seen
    in my life.

  15. BirdDoggers Says:

    The lack of toughness applies to the entire team. There are some good players on this roster but non of them are holding each other accountable.

  16. GhostofJohnGruden Says:

    8 Million on Johnson, 5 Million on Mclown. 13 Million dollars that could have been spent anywhere else on this team.

  17. DB55 Says:

    Cb

    To make it worse mj was lined up against an u drafted rookie.

  18. bucrightoff Says:

    That $13 million could have been used to keep Revis, but why pay $16 million a year to a guy to play soft zone? Lovie can’t adapt to the talent, it’s as simple as that. If a coach can’t adapt to his talent he doesn’t deserve to coach.

  19. DallasBuc Says:

    Overpaid/under-performing FAs…sound familiar?

  20. DB55 Says:

    13 = Hester, peppers n incognito.

  21. DB55 Says:

    Not for nothing I think mankins is tough as nail BUT he gave up a safety last week and the sack this week which led to the int. He’s leaving his gap wide open. He is a probowler right? So what’s with the piss poor pass blocking?

  22. RealityCheck Says:

    @Rastamon – Most of today’s articles from Joe say how bad loving is coaching and there is even one titled “Lovie’s Failing Grade” from yesterday. Is this not “local media”?

    @GhostofJohnGruden – The only person bringing race into the conversation is you. Nobody cares that Lovie is black, he’s been criticized plenty here and from pretty much everyone in Chicago.

  23. RastaMon Says:

    I don’t think it is the players so much as the mentality and projection of toughness,discipline and urgency of the coaching staff. Lovie is an empty suit and no one in the media will call it like it is.
    9 games of the same……this is truly the strangest chapter in Buc history….

  24. WalkdaPlank Says:

    Pretty much all of the great “L&L’s” FA pickups have flopped harder than LeBron James.

  25. Phillip Says:

    @DB55

    He is not a pass blocking LG… He’s known as a better run blocker… I think he should be playing on the right next to Dotson and just try pounding the rock to the right a few times.. It literally can’t be any worse than what is currently going on… RT are generally known to be better run blockers than pass blockers unless it’s a lefty QB…

  26. DB55 Says:

    Still you can let blitzes go free and light up our qb. One of the sacks was a helmet to helmet hit. Did we get the call? NO

  27. CB Buc Says:

    Lovie blows 13 million of CAP DOLLARS on just two FA mistakes…but some guys insist that we can’t afford to fire him and pay $5 million of non-cap money. (???)

    This guy has taken a bad situation and made it worse!

  28. Greg Schiano Says:

    Joe,

    Great job as always! I am moving much better now that I have that dagger belonging to the Big (flea bag) Dog out of my back! Hey, how about that NFL experienced Head Coach the Big Puppy has been smooching for the past 6 months?? Now my excuse was I was just a college coach…and according to the Big Puppy I was not even a good college coach!! So I had a bunch of Coordinators without any NFL experience and I was kind of tough on the discipline…but I won 4 games last year!!

    Oh Lover Boy (Lovie) may not even win 4 games! He is the Super Bowl (loser) experienced coach whose record is not much better than mine….but hey..he did get to go crazy drafting his players….spending millions in the off season the Glazers refused to allow me to do…Now according to the Big Puppy he spent the whole last year in his basement and had it all figured out??

    Just seems fair if they ran the inexperienced college guy out after 2 seasons…the NFL (Super Bowl Loser) experienced guy should pack his bags after one (1) season….and by the way…..Big Puppy take the loser train also!!

    Sincerely,

    Greg Schiano

  29. Phillip Says:

    Oh and on MJ… People were quick to say hey its just TC and can’t touch the QB… Then it was onto the Pre-Season and same thing it’s just Pre-Season doesn’t want to get hurt and just getting into game shape… Then it was his injury during the season… Then he has 2 sacks while being injured in one game… Now its umm… Well see what had happened was that ummm….

    Maybe there is a reason the Bengals let these guys leave and chose to re-sign other players…

  30. RastaMon Says:

    I believe if the entire coaching staff was fired and the players on D&O put together their own game plans and called their own game on gameday the results would be dramaticlly better…..it certainly would be more entertaining…Lovie is an empty suit….piggy backing a career on those greater than he….now that he must stand on his own….he wilts….can you not see how the other players and coaching staffs…..have sheet eating grins on their faces !

  31. bucrightoff Says:

    lol thanks for the laughs Greg.

  32. Phillip Says:

    @”Greg Schiano”

    So Vjax, Revis, Goldson, Wright, and Nicks weren’t spending money? Seemed like a boatload we gave them while “you” were here…

  33. sam Says:

    There is an old saying that comes too mind when I think of Michael Johnson, and I even thought this about him when he was in Cincinnati. ”LOOKS LIKE TARZAN PLAYS LIKE JANE!!!!!”

  34. Posey99 Says:

    I think Leslie Frazier should be fired today. Guy sucked in Minnesota and sucks a defensive play calling. Nobody is talking about him

  35. Greg Schiano Says:

    Hey Joe,

    P.S. Lovie could have drafted Johnny Football, yo! What in the heck (he#@$%) was he thinking passing on Johnny Football! Even me…the college idiot would have gone all in on Johnny Football.

    Big Dog…me and Tim Tebow are looking for ya at the next home game!!

    Greg Schiano

  36. sam Says:

    looks like tarzan plays like jane. Michael Janeson.

  37. WalkdaPlank Says:

    Actually, Greg, you had a bigger hard on for Glennon than anyone in the MGM. Doubt you would’ve drafted Johnny Clipboard.

  38. Mr. Mudge Says:

    GhostofJohnGruden Says:
    October 13th, 2014 at 12:12 pm

    @Rastamon, I notice that too. I think it is called Obamanology, any criticism directed at a minority class will be labeled racist and offensive. Sorry but that is the current climate we live in, just pointing it out.

    This is ignorant. None of what’s happening with the Bucs or the media’s dealings with Lovie has anything to do with race. So, why are you bringing it up? And then you wonder why people get labelled racist (?!?!?!?!)

  39. OneLove Says:

    Yeah and lets add that to:

    Jonathan Banks = bust
    Mark Barron = bust
    Dashon Goldson = bust
    Doug Martin = bust
    Mason Foster = bust
    Akeem Spence = bust
    William Gholston = bust

    and you have SERIOUS issues!!! It’s going to take YEARS for someone to get this going in the right direction!

    I think Lovie needs to re-evaluate the defensive scheme! Our players are not good enough to run his scheme! Maybe he needs to do what Schiano did and dumb the playbook down so much to the likes of pee wee football so our players can actually look like an NFL defense!

  40. PFUDOR Says:

    “It was definitely a fun day,” Flacco said. “You don’t get those too often in this league. … It was pretty crazy.”

  41. Tampabaybucfan Says:

    Firing Lovie now would make many Buc fans happy but it would be absurd. What makes anyone think the Glazers would want to pay 3 coaches at the same time and more importantly make the right choice with the replacemet?…..what worthy coach would take the job?
    We are stuck as the Glazers are with Lovie and have to hope that he works this out.
    Unless Lovie made the choices…..Licht would be a better candidate for the ax…..he either reccomended or put his stamp on all the FA signings……not one is living up to potential.
    A good sacriicial lamb would be Frazier….he shoud go now!!! Arroyo is over his head and really can’t be faulted too much.
    Our special teams suck….we need to ax Koenen now…

  42. PFUDOR Says:

    What makes anyone think the Glazers would want to pay 3 coaches at the same time.
    _________________________________

    Because they’re terrible inept owners who could care less?

    (Lol, pay 3 head coaches at the same time. PLease make it happen.
    That would be so fitting and epic justice.)

  43. PFUDOR Says:

    Paying 3 head coaches at the same time. It would be like a monument
    to their ineptitude. I really don’t think the Bucs will ever be anything but
    a rebuild, a running joke or a move to LA ever again so we might as
    well get some laughs out of this model of mis-management.

    DO IT!
    Fire Lovie and get a 3rd HC on the payroll!!!

  44. Tampabaybucfan Says:

    Easy for us to say since we aren’t paying the salary….but you heard it here first….NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!!!

  45. PFUDOR Says:

    Mr. Mudge Says:
    October 13th, 2014 at 12:44 pm

    GhostofJohnGruden Says:
    October 13th, 2014 at 12:12 pm

    @Rastamon, I notice that too. I think it is called Obamanology, any criticism directed at a minority class will be labeled racist and offensive. Sorry but that is the current climate we live in, just pointing it out.

    This is ignorant. None of what’s happening with the Bucs or the media’s dealings with Lovie has anything to do with race. So, why are you bringing it up? And then you wonder why people get labelled racist (?!?!?!?!)
    ______________________________________

    Frasier is Lovie’s version of Eric Holder.

    I hope I don’t get assaulted or thrown in jail for typing that.

  46. PFUDOR Says:

    Again:

    “It was definitely a fun day,” Flacco said. “You don’t get those too often in this league. … It was pretty crazy with all those pink unicorns running around.”

  47. Aubpierce Says:

    You could put together a high school all star team together from the surrounding counties and they would have beat the Bucs Sunday.Totally unprepared for the Ravens.A girls powder puff team would have had a half time lead.Disgraceful performance.

  48. drdneast Says:

    I wouldn’t have known if you were a racist or not GhostofGruden just because you rant on Lovie.
    That is, until, you write something ludicrous and base it purely on race and call it Obamanology.
    When everyone else is hoisting the pirate flag on Sunday, u r hoisting your loser traitorous Stars and Bars flag off I-75 and I-4 aren’t y0u.

  49. DB55 Says:

    Pfudor

    Lmao lmao lmao

  50. PhillyBuc Says:

    MJ, the proverbial looks like Tarzan plays like Jane athlete. He has zero desire to be disruptive, what a bust.

  51. StPeteBucsFan Says:

    I love the call for a “badasss” on our team. That’s not Lovie’s M.O. And in case you haven’t noticed it’s not the M.O. of the face of our franchise GMAC.

    I don’t enjoy poor sportsmanship but I must admit I found it a bit galling to see GMAC help up a Baltimore Raven in the 2nd half after the Raven was tackled for a short gain on a run. GMAC is the quintessential nice guy. He’s never going to be Suh or even Sapp it’s just not in his makeup.

    You can’t draft nice guys, hire nice coaches and then wonder where the badassess are? They’re certainly not on our team!

  52. Aubpierce Says:

    I’am tired of racist accusations.It’s about performance and leadership and I don’t see any.Next man up.

  53. Skyline Crew Says:

    drdneast,

    Really? Traitorous Stars and Bars flag? That was ludicrous and ignorant.

  54. Skyline Crew Says:

    Why isn’t anybody talking about how bad McCoy has been this season?

  55. buctebow Says:

    Let’s nickname him “Charmin”

  56. Buc1987 Says:

    It’s true Greg Schiano…you were Glennon’s biggest supporter. WTH are you talking about Manziel for? When everyone here knows you would have never drafted him. You were in love Glennon and still are to this day.

  57. Buc1987 Says:

    Skyline Crew Says:
    October 13th, 2014 at 1:55 pm

    “Why isn’t anybody talking about how bad McCoy has been this season?”

    Me me me. I have been. Sapp is my favorite Buc of all time and I hate the comparisons to Sapp. Sapp took over games, unlike McCoy.

  58. Skyline Crew Says:

    hahah ’87,

    Yes, McCoy has been a bust this year. He has looked awful. He looked awesome in the preseason, but hasn’t done anything. I was looking to him to be like a JJ Watt for our team. He just doesn’t make the plays.

  59. NJBucsFan Says:

    #leastmode

  60. Rutgers4Schiano Says:

    @GhostofJohnGruden:

    I get what you are saying and in time Lovie will be exposed as having the game pass him by. I think more blame needs to be leveled at who in the hell evaluated our Free Agent talent and pulled the trigger on these lousy deals? As much as I blame Lovie and the coaches, whoever is evaluating talent needs a mental check up.

  61. Rutgers4Schiano Says:

    There is a very good reason why Chicago fired lovie, why Minnesota fired leslie, Why the packers did not re-sign EDS, why the bengals did not re-sign Johnson, why Belichek let Mankins go, it all adds up. We are a garbage team with garbage talent and re-tread / has been coaches.

  62. Architek Says:

    This mess has to be fixed from the owners and down!

    Chicago fans tried to warn us.

  63. bucrightoff Says:

    So who’s the worst defensive signing in the last 3 years seeing as there are 3 to choose from

    Easy E (probably the winner by default)?
    Goldson?
    Michael Johnson?

    Either way that’s like $120 million in total contract money for more or less nothing. Staggering waste and yet another reminder of the foolishness of pursuing free agency as the means to win. Draft, draft, draft. We better not sign a single major free agent next year, no thank you.

  64. jo_mama Says:

    We need to bring in Incognito to add some toughness.

    Day 1 Incognito comes in, Incognito will make GMC his B!tch.

    GMC is about as soft as they come.

    Bring back schanio and the victory formation attack.

    I loved it.

    Incognito would make Lovie SMith his B!tch.

  65. jo_mama Says:

    RastaMon Says:
    October 13th, 2014 at 12:09 pm
    Has anyone noticed the locals media …that has is recent years been so quick to rag on players and coaches has been strangley silent on LOVIE !….preseason was lack luster…..then the Home Opener against the Panthers…..it is perfectly clear that Lovie and his supporting cast of assistant coaches are grossly inept !

    __________________________________

    RastaMon, we all know the reason why.

  66. PFUDOR Says:

    # Least Mode

    I like it! It’s descriptive and accurate and easy to remember.
    Watch out when the pink fluffy unicorns go into Least Mode, baby!
    Not a single rainbow is safe!

  67. ufcguy Says:

    It’s a big problem a across the board. Sometimes I just don’t understand how these coaches can’t see the basic things fans and media see. Stop Playing Soft coverages! You are getting murdered in the passing game and your line sucks including Mccoy. He’s inept With a hurt hand. Johnson is terrible. Linebackers terrible. Safety terrible. They take wrong angles lose contain on the edge. It’s disgusting

  68. tweezydakidd Says:

    You are absolutely correct! Some people are racist on here. Soon or later it will be a confederate site, if Joe don’t take care of this.