“With The Third Pick Tampa Bay Selects… “
January 28th, 2010
“… Eric Berry,”
That’s the consensus from FoxSports.com’s NFL Pete Schrager who has produced his first mock draft of the offseason.
Schrager is convinced the Bucs will indeed go against conventional thought and burn a high first round draft choice on a safety.
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers — Eric Berry, S, Tennessee: A safety drafted third overall? It’s rare, but it’s been done before. The Browns drafted Eric Turner No. 2 overall in 1991 and Detroit took Bennie Blades No. 3 overall in 1988. Add Eric Berry to that esteemed and exclusive list of safeties taken in the top three. He’s that good. In Tampa, look for Berry to play the safety position like a centerfielder … who also happens to play shortstop, second base, catcher and first base. He’ll be everywhere. With bone-breaking tackling ability and an uncanny ability to turn interceptions into six points, he’s a little bit Troy Polamalu mixed with some Ed Reed. Not a bad cocktail, huh?
Joe doesn’t mind the Bucs acquiring Berry one bit. But for a bit of perspective, Reed was the 24th pick in the 2002 draft and Polamalu was the 16th selection in the 2003 draft.
Maybe if would behoove Bucs general manager Mark Dominik to try to find a willing dance partner and trade down, if that is possible?
January 28th, 2010 at 3:25 pm
He already looks good in Creamsickle
January 28th, 2010 at 3:38 pm
Glazerhouse’s won’t pay a top 3 pick. Count on the Bucs trading down.
January 28th, 2010 at 4:23 pm
As long as we go defense with our pick I don’t care. Can anyone honestly say that there isn’t a position of need on the defense? If we pass on Berry and he turns out to be a stud then a few years from now there will be people saying “oh those idiot Bucs passed on him when they had the chance to draft him”. Just like we hear about Adrian Peterson. We need to take the player that will help this team from day 1. Berry seems to be one of those guys. Who cares if it is not the norm to take a safety that high. Nobody will second guess it if he performs well. Our other option is Shabby Suckatelli starting again….
January 28th, 2010 at 4:42 pm
If you re-entered Ed Reed or Troy Palomaulo into this year’s draft , they would be picked 1st overall….facts.
Do it , why not ??
January 28th, 2010 at 4:54 pm
All we can hope for is Detroit or St.Louis to pass on a DT. Otherwise maybe we can snag Mr.Berry a bit later if a deal is struck.
January 28th, 2010 at 7:18 pm
Oh yes a safety!!! That’s what we need. Make him very fast. Roadrunner fast so he can catch any back that blows by our defensive line. Please!Give me a break!! I feel our defensive backfield is adequate except for Sabby. No offense but he has no business starting in the NFL despite his catchy name. By no means should we spend a #1 pick on a safety. In my humble opinion we need someone at nose tackle that will plug the middle against the run. No offense Hovan but your not getting it done.
January 28th, 2010 at 8:11 pm
If McCoy and Suh are gone when we pick….
I’m really torn between Berry & Okung…..plug Okung in at RT and our Oline is looking stout. Freeman would have all day in the pocket.
That being said, we NEED a big time safety……there’s no way around it. Talib, Jackson, Berry would have our secondary pretty much set for the next 8 years.
It’s going to be an interesting draft….let’s hope the Rams take Claussen and make our decision easy
January 28th, 2010 at 9:29 pm
Polamalu and Reed are the only two game changing safeties in the last twenty years, Dawkins, Lynch were solid starters but not even close to game changing. There is a talent like Berry who is showing the athleticism of Reed and versatility of Polamalu, what is wrong with selecting him at #3? If every decade of NFL had game changing safeties like Polamalu and Reed, many of the safeties WOULD have been selected in top #5, so to say Troy and Reed were selected in middle and late 1st rounds and comparing that situation with Berry is BS.
January 28th, 2010 at 9:31 pm
We are currently witnessing what Troy and Reed are capable of and understand that even Safety position has a lot of value unlike many think.
January 28th, 2010 at 9:47 pm
We got so many holes it wont matter. Berry looks like agood prospect. If we would get a DL in free agency, and a good coach………….sighhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
January 28th, 2010 at 9:49 pm
But we already have Sabby Piscatelli, right?
😉
AH HA! Gothcha!
January 29th, 2010 at 3:20 am
if he is the next reed or palomaolu then its worth it…but if he’s not and is average or a bust the bucs fans will never stop talking about the disasterous pick…..the bucs, management, and glazers are well aware about not screwing up the draft with busts…they actually fear it a bit after the whole gaines adams debacle…he didnt exactly scoot off into the night quietly either…we traded him for a steal of a second rounder, then he died in a very public death, once again making his bust stature a huge focal point…the bucs really cant afford to screw up their early picks this year for an abundance of reasons as fans have already had it up to here for a number of reasons….adam from ny
January 29th, 2010 at 11:59 am
Don’t buy him at 3. Trade down, get a lower round 1 pick and another pick. He’ll still be there. We need as many picks as we can get based on the percentages of Bucs draftees that don’t actually make the team.
January 29th, 2010 at 1:06 pm
I think the Glazerhouses will trade down just not to pay top 5 money. I also think that the D-line needs it more than the 2ndary. Shabby might be a little better if he wasn’t required to do more than what his abilities offer. A better D-line might be the thing he needs to get better. We need to find the next Warren Sapp with a cast of players alongside that are better because of him. Look at Culpepper. He looked awfully good while working with Sapp and while he was above average Sapp elevated his play. Roy Miller should start to develop into a beast this year. D-Line. Defense will bring the Bucs back to prominence.
January 29th, 2010 at 3:08 pm
Sgt Mike:
Which is exactly why trading down is so difficult. Few teams want to pay that cash. So for a team to trade down, they almost have to load the trade in favor of the team that is trading up.
January 29th, 2010 at 4:42 pm
I am not sold on Berry at #3 is this not a good year for safeties? Get a “good”one with one of our 2nd round picks. Get a good DL player at #3, you know someone who can come in and play NOW not 1-2 years from now. With Push up front the QB has to throw it out a second or two faster, making all the DB job a bit easier. Pay 3rd over all money to a 5’11” safety? not sure that makes $$ sense to me. If we can trade down and get him 10-17 sure but not #3 overall no. remember Polamalu and Reed both have what our safeties don’t have…. good DL’s in front of them. If we draft a S in first round at # 3 then we still will have what we have now fair at best DL play and a good safety. Jackson is good we will al agree on that right?
just the way i see it from out here in AZ
January 30th, 2010 at 11:30 am
I agree with Tommy.
Just draft Defense and get the best Player on the Board, be it DT, DE, Safety, LB or CB. I think that pretty well covers it.
Barrett Ruud is not the MLB of the future.