Eyeing Akeem Ayers
March 6th, 2015
Newsflash: The Bucs’ pass rush was to football what Rosie O’Donnell is to beauty.
Watching opposing quarterbacks clip their fingernails before throwing a pass made Joe want to toss his lunch just as much as when that thing O’Donnell accidentally happens upon Joe’s TV screen (until Joe rapidly grabs the remote).
The Bucs must address this now. They’ve been almost as irresponsible as not having a decent quarterback.
Yesterday, Greg Bedard of theMMQB.com decided to break out his No. 2 pencil and see if he could figure out the best bargain free agent at each position.
For an edge rusher, Bedard believes Patriots outside linebacker Akeem Ayers is a helluva buy.
Edge rusher: Akeem Ayers, New England (Age 26)
Flashed early in his Titans career but got caught up in scheme/coaching changes. Showed enough after trade to Patriots that he can play smart as an edge player in just about any scheme with the right coaching staff.
Neither Lovie Smith nor defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier were able to work their magic on ghostly defensive end Michael Johnson. They may have finally gotten through to Da’Quan Bowers at the end of the season, but perhaps too late to do any good or save the kid.
Might Lovie and Leslie be able to get the most out of Ayers?
March 6th, 2015 at 8:12 am
Showed enough after trade to Patriots that he can play smart as an edge player in just about any scheme with the right coaching staff. But we have to remember this is the same coaching staff that couldn’t figure out how to use the best cornerback in the league and cut him.
March 6th, 2015 at 8:22 am
Still trying to recover from the Mike Jenkins re-signing…….
Kept reading comments about adding to the “depth” but shouldn’t the Bucs be striving for “quality depth”?
March 6th, 2015 at 8:22 am
They cut Revis because of his salary and scheme fit. I didn’t like it, but it wasn’t because they ‘didn’t know how to use him’. Furthermore, Verner has done pretty well. He’s not Revis, but he was a definite FA win for us.
March 6th, 2015 at 8:40 am
“…with the right coaching staff…”
That was the Patriots, this is Lovie:
* wanted to start Jenkins
* traded away Zuttah for a bag of peanuts
* got fleeced for ProBowler, in the prime of his career Mankins (*sarcasm*)
* hand picked his star of FA M Johnson
* on and on, this list is depressing and endless
March 6th, 2015 at 9:09 am
Repost
(February 20th, 2015)
(Good Defensive Optons)
(Defensive Tackle)
• Ndamukong Suh, Detroit Lions
• Henry Melton, Dallas Cowboys
• Stephen Paea, Chicago Bears
• Karl Klug, Tennessee Titans || *High Motor backup Tackle
((Defensive Ends)
• Greg Hardy, Carolina Panthers || *On Commissioner’s Exempt List
• George Johnson, Detroit Lions
• Derrick Morgan, Tennessee Titans
(SLB/MLB-Linebackers)
• Bruce Carter, Dallas Cowboys
• Akeem Ayers, New England Patriots
• Colin McCarthy, Tennessee Titans
• Ramon Humber, New Orleans
(Slot Corner)
• Shareece Wright , San Diego Chargers || *Cheap slot competition
(Boundary Corner)
• Tramon Williams , Green Bay Packers
Safety
• Da’Norris Searcy , Buffalo Bills
March 6th, 2015 at 9:26 am
Luv,
I’m pretty sure a boundary CB and DE are strictly college terms. Also, I don’t see Ayers as being an OLB for us… he’s more of a DE… of course maybe he gets used like Bruce Irvin of Seattle and does both depending on the package and down and distance.
March 6th, 2015 at 9:45 am
GREAT topic. Other than QB everyone wants to talk about OL(and rightly so) I believe we will sign one starter in FA. BUT>>>> everyone seems to forget about our big need at MIKE. DannyL is still better outside..use that 2nd rd pick on a new MIKE (Kendrick?) to shore up the middle or Brees/Graham and Cam/Olsen will rip us apart for 4 losses again next year!
March 6th, 2015 at 9:48 am
Should we expect Lance Briggs in a bucs uniform, joe?
March 6th, 2015 at 9:57 am
these are the types we need. mid career, with upside.
March 6th, 2015 at 9:59 am
<“For an edge rusher, Bedard believes Patriots outside linebacker Akeem Ayers…” – JOE
NFL.com lists him as a Middle Linebacker, Joe. Is it a typo on their part or a mistake on yours?
While I am glad you finally suggested a player under the age of 30, I’m sorry you had to go with a crappy player to do it.
Ayers is not a good player. First, he hasn’t had a complete season in 2 years. Second, He doesn’t produce. His tackle numbers are low, except for one year, and he’s only started one complete season…his first…because he proved he wasn’t good enough.
Last year alone, in 9 games (in which he started 4), he only had 20 combined tackles…an average of only 2.2 Tackles per game.
He Sucks. So turn your eyes away.
March 6th, 2015 at 10:00 am
@Ryan M Rich
Lance Briggs is too old.
March 6th, 2015 at 10:00 am
But since Lance is a Bears player, it might happen anyway.
March 6th, 2015 at 10:01 am
Any word on the Cole visit Joe
March 6th, 2015 at 10:06 am
Who is this man Mr. O’Donnell you speak of?Isnt he the terrorist guy that helped Osama?
March 6th, 2015 at 10:06 am
@Ryan
Also, he has moved into the injury years (Lance)…as evidenced by his last 2 seasons.
Although, if he is willing to play in a backup role year to year…
@LUVMYBUCS
George Johnson took 6 years to get his first sack. At this point, he is no longer worth even looking at. He was surrounded by playmakers with the Lions. He had 3 years to prove himself with the Bucs, and failed.
March 6th, 2015 at 10:08 am
Not a big fan of Ayers in our scheme.
March 6th, 2015 at 10:08 am
@Brandon
He a MLB.
March 6th, 2015 at 10:15 am
@BMAN
Before Ray Horton arrived in Tennessee. Ayers play SLB & WLB in their wide nine defense front (4-3 over alignment).
March 6th, 2015 at 10:15 am
for billionaires is it really always a matter of money? free agency is a crapshoot much like the draft so what if they get rid of Michael Johnson hoping one of these free agency pass rushers come along but they don’t get one? then who is the savior steven means?
March 6th, 2015 at 10:23 am
@BuccaneerBonzai
Players are human, we all learn at different rates. Some blossom early, while others late. Shelton Quarles, Kyle Vanden Bosch and plenty of others come to mind.
George Johnson 1st came in the league as a practice squad player in 2011. And sure he has bounced around a little.
But no matter how you look at it —after watching his play last season, you can walk away impressed.
March 6th, 2015 at 10:29 am
@LUVMYBUCS
I was hopeful of Johnson when he was here, and maybe I felt he wasn’t given a fair shot at the time…but I would hardly consider him a worthwhile risk at this point.
He’s the Josh McCown of 2015…a few good appearances last year, but the team that gambles on him will probably regret it.
btw, I like your posts, even if I don’t always agree with the options you present. For example:
(Defensive Tackle)
• Ndamukong Suh, Detroit Lions Not going to happen, would mortgage the future cap
• Henry Melton, Dallas Cowboys
• Stephen Paea, Chicago Bears
• Karl Klug, Tennessee Titans || *High Motor backup Tackle
((Defensive Ends)
• Greg Hardy, Carolina Panthers || *On Commissioner’s Exempt List
• George Johnson, Detroit Lions Already made my case against this
• Derrick Morgan, Tennessee Titans
(SLB/MLB-Linebackers)
• Bruce Carter, Dallas Cowboys
• Akeem Ayers, New England Patriots Simply is not a good player. At. All.
• Colin McCarthy, Tennessee Titans
• Ramon Humber, New Orleans
March 6th, 2015 at 10:58 am
it’s always a matter of money, ESPECIALLY for millionaires and billionaires. they did not get that way by not making it about money
March 6th, 2015 at 10:58 am
study some history
March 6th, 2015 at 11:19 am
No love for Rosie huh? Doing a Donald Trump on her. She is quite the odd one.
March 6th, 2015 at 11:19 am
Patriots.com — a site Joe believes may know a little about Ayers — has him listed as an outside linebacker.
OH NO! WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO!?!?
March 6th, 2015 at 11:24 am
glazers have 2 professional franchises and they were billionaires long before they bought the bucs….winning for them brings much more money than the 7 million that Michael Johnson is making
March 6th, 2015 at 11:25 am
“was successful with patriots” is a fact about a player that has proven completely irrelevent in predicting how that player will do as a buc. the list of lousy bucs\solid patriots is simply astounding.
March 6th, 2015 at 11:31 am
@Bonzai
I always enjoy your post brotha-sure a little bunkers sometime. But a always a good insightful-reading.
March 6th, 2015 at 11:34 am
*you can walk away unimpressed
March 6th, 2015 at 1:16 pm
Watched a ton of Ayers at UCLA. Guys a stud, I actually think his athleticism would be perfect for our scheme. Tons of upside here
March 6th, 2015 at 1:35 pm
That’s pretty rude. what did rosie ever do to you?
This site has become a pretty negative place over the past few years. Cant believe it.
March 6th, 2015 at 1:36 pm
Brian Orakpo anyone?
March 6th, 2015 at 3:01 pm
In FA there are some positions with no value players for Lovie’s scheme. Let them focus on the good value player options that fit. I want Free and Franklin and Cole. That would be a winning FA. Not great but serviceable.
March 6th, 2015 at 5:25 pm
So you want to turn a 4-3 OLB into a 4-3 RDE. What is his height and weight.
C’mon Joe!
March 6th, 2015 at 6:18 pm
Chubby Chasers ignore the first stanza
March 6th, 2015 at 6:21 pm
How about going back after Revis?…. at least makes that lost first round pick easier to swallow
March 6th, 2015 at 11:04 pm
Buccfan37 Says:
Doing a Donald Trump on her. She is quite the odd one.
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As is Donald Trump.