Injuries Killed 2010 Class
January 31st, 2015
Former Bucs DT Brian Price never recovered fully from a freak injury early in his rookie year.
It is often said, and Joe agrees, that it takes three seasons to fairly assess whether a draft class was any good.
However, in this microwave, DVR-rewind, drive-through age we live in, few want to wait three weeks much less three years for anything.
Over at ESPN.com, Pat Yasinskas has been reviewing recent Tampa Bay draft classes, and he has given the 2010 draft class a “B-.”
[Brian] Price was one of two second-round choices. Wide receiver Arrelious Benn was the other. He had enormous potential, but never was able to stay healthy and didn’t make an impact in Tampa Bay. Cornerback Myron Lewis, a third-round pick, was the only real bust in this class.
The Bucs seemed to get a bargain with wide receiver Mike Williams in the fourth round. He had a stellar rookie season. But Williams hit a sophomore slump and then had some off-field issues that forced the Bucs to give up on him and trade him away.
Punter Brett Bowden was a wasted pick in the sixth round, but the Bucs did pretty well with their three seventh-round picks. Cody Grimm ended up being a part-time starter at safety. Linebacker Dekoda Watson made an impact on special teams. And Erik Lorig, who was drafted as a defensive end, ended up as the starting fullback.
Injuries killed this class. Anyone who ever was at training camp that year know what an absolute monster Price was. Dude was all over the field, not just in the backfield. He was like a man possessed until he had his groin muscle ripped from the bone in a freakish injury. He never recovered.
Benn was just turning the corner his rookie year when he blew out his knee last in his rookie season. He never recovered, but was signed by the Jaguars earlier this year.
Williams, too, had a nasty hamstring injury his fourth season. He did recover from that but seemed more interested in making rap videos than in his football career.
Go ahead haters. Pile on former Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik. While you are at it, let Joe borrow that crystal ball of yours that is able to predict injuries. Joe wants tonight’s Lottery numbers.
January 31st, 2015 at 10:06 am
While you’re at it, let’s take a long hard look at the Bucs’ training and strength and conditioning personnel and processes. It sure seems the Bucs have more than their share of injuries, season-endings injuries and people on IR. I could be wrong, but the numbers are horrendous. Just wondering if what the Bucs are doing in the off and pre seasons are preparing the people for the rigors of an NFL season. In addition, are they getting the right treatment and enough of it after games to recover? Just wondering.
January 31st, 2015 at 10:08 am
injuries do not give a GM a pass, And do not forget that the Bucs were picking in the 3 slot for the draft. Ahead of 29 other teams. With all these IF’s and Injury Exclusions that Joe thinks apply to the past GM, its no wonder that he thinks he was a good GM.
Just please Joe, I hope you are not spilling this around NFL people at the Superbowl. Its one thing to have the rest of the nation think that Tampa has a bunch of morons, but its another thing for you to prove them correct!
January 31st, 2015 at 10:14 am
How many of Dominick’s draft picks will be on the field for us in 2015?
That number speaks for itself……his miserable record will haunt us for a while longer.
January 31st, 2015 at 10:15 am
Whats with the stupid music automatically starting when I come to your site now Joes? It started yesterday….I thought it would go away…..really wish it would because it restarts on every click.
January 31st, 2015 at 10:17 am
The draft is a crapshoot. Free agency is a crapshoot. Why else would bottom dweller teams like Oakland, St. Louis, Jacksonville, etc. continue to be at the bottom of the totem pole after all those top draft picks the last few years.
And while we’re at it, can anybody explain to me why the top rated player in college (Heisman winner) is almost always a big fat bust?
January 31st, 2015 at 10:21 am
Yea there was a time where brian price was sought to be a better dt than mccoy
January 31st, 2015 at 10:25 am
Joe,
I am going to hate on Dominick. Specifiscally the 2010 draft: we passed on Gronk, for Price and Benn. Then, we passed on Jimmy graham for Myron Lewis.
Mike Williams was a great pick.
The rock star must roast, Joe, for he also traded up for Freeman among numerous other crappy moves
30-70 is no accident, and it would be utterly foolish and irresponsible to think the rock star didn’t have a hand in the crash and burn.
January 31st, 2015 at 10:30 am
I am just glad that Joe is keeping track of all the training camp goat’s that the bucs have had, and how that has helped us during the regular season.
Everyone needs to remember that tomorrow is the Superbowl and that the Bucs are the FARTHEREST team from it!
January 31st, 2015 at 10:31 am
This should be obvious that when a really good/great player is drafted by a bad team, he has not support around him because they are usually substandard, see GMC and rest of DL at start of season, and so they are double and triple teamed, they get hurt.
QBs with a bad OL, see Bucs all year, get smashed all year and backs have no holes up the middle.
For defense backs that have no or very little help, see Bucs last two years, they just go to the other side or flood the zone.
For LBs with a bad OL and mostly subpar DBs, they are blocked out of the play or the team goes away from them, see Bucs last year.
So here we are at the intersection of good and bad today, we have the nuclease of a great but we need a QB, OL, some defensive players for the DL, LB, aand DBs. I think we have a kicker but something must be done about the punter. I would keep my eye on, I believe it was the Oregon punter and draft him when he is eligible if he continues to punt like he does.
All this was free by the way, thanks to Joe
January 31st, 2015 at 10:45 am
@Dean:
From nfl.com:
“Winning in the NFL is rare for Heisman QBs
Since 1950, 27 quarterbacks have been selected as the Heisman Trophy winner. Of those 27, only 20 started at quarterback in at least one NFL game. Among those 20, only four quarterbacks have a winning record in the NFL (regular season). Robert Griffin III is the only Heisman winner with a career passer rating over 90 in the NFL (90.8). Since 1950, the combined NFL winning percentage for quarterbacks who won the Heisman Trophy is under .500 (480-501-4, .489). Vinny Testaverde leads all NFL Heisman QBs with 46,233 yds over his career.”
St.Pete Bucs Fan posted yesterday about the difference in the number of “NFL-caliber” players that play for the powerhouse programs, compared to some of the “also-rans”. While even the lesser football programs produce some stars at the NFL level, some of these players benefit greatly by being surrounded throughout their college career by potential NFL draft picks at multiple positions.
This is the main reason that I don’t like watching college football, because it seems there are so many games that are total mismatches with scores like 62-10! It is frequently also the reason that so many college stars and “can’t miss” prospects fail miserably at the next level, where the talent level matches their own. Even for national champions, and Heisman trophy winners.
tickrdr
January 31st, 2015 at 11:09 am
Mark Dominik is such a great GM he is still sitting unemployed and to my knowledge has not even been mentioned or interviewed for ANY other jobs in the NFL…
Not even a scouting or player personnel position…
Let’s face it… He should have never been our GM… He was given the job by our idiot owners and it was a joke from day one…
A total joke!!!
January 31st, 2015 at 11:10 am
OMG, an invisible ad is playing music. This just sucks. Especially if I open more than one window.
January 31st, 2015 at 11:22 am
@Bonzai, Im on a computer and can normally get by this stuff, but they’ve hacked their way through lol. Hmmm, time to break out the big guns, well no, the air strike, and target that IP 😉
January 31st, 2015 at 11:23 am
Saw the prior article, regarding Brooks endorsing Winston. Most likely he would have also endorsed the other Heisman teammate too…Mr. Ward…too bad he opted for NBA. Ward at this time is the only Heisman that never played in NFL.
Also, side note, the 2010 QBS in that 1st round was Bradford & Tebow. How about signing Tebow?
January 31st, 2015 at 11:37 am
Dominik told me that they traded Price not because of his injury but because Price no longer wanted to be a Buccaneer and requested a trade.
January 31st, 2015 at 11:45 am
@hunter
Dominick lied. it was because Mark Barron knocked him out in the film room when Price told Barron that he was in “his seat”.
January 31st, 2015 at 11:49 am
JOE GET RID OF THIS DAMN MUSIC THAT COMES ON WHEN IM ON THIS PAGE OR YOU ARE GONNA LOSE ALOT OF PEOPLE
WE SHOULDNT HAVE MUSIC ON THIS DAM PAGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
January 31st, 2015 at 11:52 am
The Bucs seemed to get a bargain with wide receiver Mike Williams in the fourth round.
Ah such short memories. And WHY did the Bucs get that fourth round bargain?
Because Williams had MAJOR off field issues!!! There was never any real questions about his talent. He missed the ENTIRE 2008 season at Syracuse because he flunked out. Later he QUIT the team! There were red flags all over the Williams selection.
And so how did that pan out for the Bucs?
One great season and then the head case surfaced!!!
When you see someone with tons of talent but serious off field issues it should raise some serious red flags! This is why people are concerned with Jameis.
But Brooks says he’s going to be OK and if Brooks puts his rep on the line and the Bucs Brass concur after all their research then I’m OK with rolling the dice.
But lets at least be honest about it. It will be a real crap shoot. In addition to the normal gamble…INJURIES…failure to convert college talent to the pros (I’m not really worried about this with Jameis I think his skill set is fine)…you have to add the additional Mike Williams/Aquib Talib/Legarrette Blount off field concerns.
January 31st, 2015 at 12:02 pm
@BucBonzai and Mad Max
RE technical issues. What do you call the phenomenon of typing and then having to wait several seconds before the letters finally appear on the screen?
I’ve signed in and out several times and cannot seem to get that to stop today.
I’ve grown so exasperated with that delay that I simply type my posts and then cut and paste into JBF. That also necessitates a long wait, but only once and not for each and e v e r y l e t t e r! ! !
January 31st, 2015 at 12:03 pm
Another Dominick apologist article? Child- PLEASE.
Give it up Joe. Dom sucked as a GM!
30-70 speaks for itself – and Dom is the primary reason for that abysmal record over the last 100 games. Trying to convince any semi-knowledgeable Bucs fan otherwise is futile – so you should just give up Joe. Clinging to a position like that just serves to make you look silly.
January 31st, 2015 at 12:18 pm
Ohhhhh brother, what some people will revert to to defend their pals and buddies. The only player who might get a pass out of this entire lot is Price.
Benn was just a bust. Even before his knee injury. Lorig was drafted to be a DE, not a fullback. If you draft a guy like Williams who quit on his team in college, he will and did quit on his team in the pros.
And let’s not forget the Bucs biggest bust, with the No. 1 pick, the Bucs draft Josh Williams, aka party boy.
C’mon Joe.
January 31st, 2015 at 12:22 pm
Is that a promise Gatrbuc. Keep the tunes a comin, Joe.
January 31st, 2015 at 12:51 pm
@SPBF, I responded but now its awaiting moder a t i o n….
January 31st, 2015 at 12:59 pm
Man, these guys have Mariota going 18th, ouch!
….and an endorsement for Winston.
http://www.nfl.com/draft/2015/mock-drafts/bucky-brooks/215607
January 31st, 2015 at 1:15 pm
Music is gone now. Thanks Joes 🙂
January 31st, 2015 at 1:41 pm
@joe
So what killed the 2009 draft and the 2011 draft?
January 31st, 2015 at 1:59 pm
Apparently Joe doesn’t think wins and losses matter, so tell me Joe, what makes Dom this great GM that you still think he is?
What moron gives Michael Clayton a 5 yr contract? Only Dom!
January 31st, 2015 at 2:58 pm
Joe you mean to tell me this site has not made you guys millionaires yet
January 31st, 2015 at 3:20 pm
Price was an absolute beast. I read where in addition to this groin injury he had to have both hamstrings re-attached / sewn back together after pulling both. For him to be able to play after that injury…he has my utmost respect.
January 31st, 2015 at 3:27 pm
@JOE, the Brian Price injury was worse than I thought – http://articles.latimes.com/2011/sep/14/sports/la-sp-farmer-brian-price-20110915
You mentioned the groin injury, the pelvic-hamstring injury was worse.
January 31st, 2015 at 3:45 pm
you know what was worse? Giving Michal Clayton, Mike Williams and Quincy Black big monied contracts for doing very little.
Brilliant! Imaginative! Einsteinish!
If he was so brilliant, why is he making so little trying to get on every sports talk show he can get on.
This guy will be lucky if he ever gets hired by any NFL team as any type of executive other than executive coffee schlepping boy.
You need more than pretty boy looks and an expensive haircut and clothes to keep a job in the NFL.
January 31st, 2015 at 5:57 pm
Don’t get the constant defending of Dominik. Guy drafted horribly, signed free agents to bad contracts and put together a roster that had one winning season in 5 years.
Maybe Dom gave Joe some good info or inside access but to defend a bad GM so adamantly is confusing.
January 31st, 2015 at 7:50 pm
Joe straight up you have a cool site and all but man you are killing ur cred backing dom.
January 31st, 2015 at 11:31 pm
Bowden was the pick and Greg Hardy, a preaseason projected 1st round pick was still available…. I don’t care what happened to Hardy, the dude can play…he should’ve been a Buc.
February 1st, 2015 at 4:42 am
Dominicks incompetence hamstrung this franchise for years. After his years of franchise building, our team was a 2-14 disaster. Once Lovie ( a real NFL coach), got here- he immediately recognised how Horrible this talent level was- and spend year one flushing Doms talentless losers off the team.
It will take him another yesr of purging Doms debris, before he can get enough Real NFL talent in here to compete.
Dom was horrible. He passed over talent to draft bad character players. He loved players that were huge risk due to their immaturity/stupidy
Our players that had no talent.
Its rediculous to defend him. He set this team back years with his horrible drafts snd personel decisions.
Watching Michael Benett, Darrelle Revis, Legarette Blount, etc play in the Super Bowl makes me wanna puke. Thats great talent that Dom idiotically let walk out of one Buc place.
Guys we still havent replacef
What an idiot. How can anyone possibly defend this guy? He was horrible
February 2nd, 2015 at 12:42 am
In the early 2nd round of 2010 both WR’s Benn and this guy named Golden Tate were available. Golden Tate was considered a borderline 1st round pick. Won the Bilitnikoff award, 1st team unanimous all-american. 1496 yards and 15 TDs as a Jr at ND. Benn meanwhile was coming off 490 yards and 2 TDs at ILL. Now numbers aren’t everything, but you can understand while people saw Tate as fairly equal to Benn as a prospect, if not better.
So Dumbinik trades a 5th round pick to move up in the 2nd round and grab Benn. Tate falls near the bottom of the 2nd round. In the draft PC Dumbinik is specifically asked why he traded up when he could have taken either player where he was at. He lectured the reporter that because Tate fell it was clear to the rest of the NFL that Tate wasn’t what the dumb reporter thought he was. Well now that Tate is a Pro Bowler while Benn is barely in the NFL. So who is stupid now? Obviously the unemployed GM. And before we excuse Benn’s failed career due to his knee injuries, he was nowhere near the player Mike Williams was throughout his rookie year. The was not the same situation as Brian Price. It was taking a gamble on a project over a more established WR and coming up snakeyes, which happened often with Dumbinik.