Earnest Graham Wants The Ball
February 5th, 2010
You remember Earnest Graham. He’s the punishing runner the Bucs pay a few million smackers a year to play special teams, part-time fullback and take a carry every other game.
He finished 2009 with 14 carries and 14 receptions in 13 games.
He wants the ball.
Now, of course, Graham didn’t pull a Keyshawn Johnson and say, ‘Gimme the damn ball.’ But for the soft-spoken, team-first Graham, coming on the Ron and Ian Show on 620 WDAE-AM and saying he wants more carries is a lot for him.
Former Bucs lineman and co-host Ian Beckles asked Graham if he “ever questions any of the [Bucs] coaches” about his lack of carries.
“At some point I would like to be able to run the ball, because I can and I’ve done it a high level,” Graham said. “I’d like to have a bigger role running the ball because I’m capable. ..I’ve never asked why. …I’m not here to question what you’re doing as a head coach. I’m here to make the coach’s job easier.”
Graham talked about the painful Bucs 2009 campaign and how it was so disappointing since the team was so confident entering the season.
After the final game, Graham said “Raheem was definitely confident. He and the players were more satisfied with the way we ended the season. …His focus was on the offseason and everybody being there for OTAs. …So it’s really on us as players to get ourselves in the building to fix what we did last year.”
As Joe has written before, Graham is a weapon the Bucs couldn’t find a way to use. That has to change.
In case you forgot what Graham looks like on the field …
February 5th, 2010 at 1:06 pm
“After the final game, Graham said “Raheem was definitely confident.” …Ah, they lost that final game at home to a beatable team.
February 5th, 2010 at 2:03 pm
ahhhhhhhhh the good ole days with Chuckie, when we were competititve, …………….but hey the Dream will pull us out of it…………….just wait and see……………
February 5th, 2010 at 2:46 pm
Eric,
I was thinking the same thing.
February 5th, 2010 at 3:11 pm
The good ol’ days with Chucky huh? In case you have forgotten, Graham got his Mr. August nickname while playing for Chucky and it took injuries to get Graham on the field. So don’t be giving Chucky credit for “discovering” Earnest Graham.
February 5th, 2010 at 3:33 pm
I think we had some pretty good running backs ahead of him at that time. Nick, are you enjoying the big improvements with the Dream regime? as far as my memory, I do recall a little something called the Vince Lambardi trophy during Mr. Gruden’s tenure.
February 5th, 2010 at 3:51 pm
Lambardi trophy? I know the Lombardi trophy. I really expected a Super Bowl this year. Theres no reason with a rookie QB that we couldn’t have won the Bowl! (sarcasm). There was no way Chucky was going have consistent sustained success with his shenanigans and duct tape philosophy. We’ve never in our 34 year history had a franchise QB or a QB stay longer than 5 years. Dungy tried it with Dildo, I mean Dilfer, Gruden didn’t know how to spell development, and at least Rah’s trying to get it done.
February 5th, 2010 at 4:15 pm
Nick, Who’s giving Gruden credit for discovering Graham(although he signed him undrafted and keep him on the roster for that to occur), we mentioned/agreed on the competetiveness Gruden brought to the team. Man, you should just post for us, cause you are always putting words in our mouthes.
Do you even know your Buc history? First off it wasn’t Dungy who drafted Dilfer, it was Wyche. Dungy tried the ol Shawn King thing. Second, “We’ve never in our 34 year history had a franchise QB or a QB stay longer than 5 years” Really? Cause both Dilfer and Vinny Testeverde played 6 years each for us. And don’t go and say Im saying they’re great or whatever spinning you have in mind.
February 5th, 2010 at 4:18 pm
Yeah what did Chucky know about the QB position.
Rich Gannon League MVP
Brad Johnson Super Bowl winner
Chris Simms and Jeff Garcia – NFC South Champs………………your right, Rah is wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy better.
February 5th, 2010 at 5:01 pm
Yeah Gruden did a hell of a job developing all of those Veterans and one spleen less Simms who couldn’t win a playoff game where his defense gave up 70 yards. And Gannon was MVP the year after Gruden left Oakland.
I don’t consider 6 years of terrible play being franchise QB material, and thats what I was getting at.
February 5th, 2010 at 5:04 pm
Nick, WHATEVER!
February 5th, 2010 at 5:06 pm
BTW You really don’t think that Oakland team was Gruden’s? Yeah Callahan even changed playbooks, LOL! Gruden turned Gannon’s career around and Brad’s.
February 5th, 2010 at 5:12 pm
That Oakland team was Art Shells all the way…LOL
February 5th, 2010 at 5:45 pm
Nick,
do you even know football history? Gruden was the third head coach after Shell and the Joe Bugel Raiders were 4-12 when Gruden took over. Imagine that turned a 4-12 team into a superbowl contender in three years.
February 5th, 2010 at 5:46 pm
Nick, Gannon was a carrear back up before coming to Oakland in 1999, and under Gruden he went to three straight pro-bowls. Johnson won the Super Bowl under Gruden, after being run out of Washington for Jeff George. Now, by contrast, what are Rah’s accomplishments?
February 5th, 2010 at 5:49 pm
Funny I thought this post was about Graham.
I am a little shaky on the details but if i remember correctly, last year BJ Askew went down due to injury and Graham stepped up and said he could play the fullback position. So Gruden put him there and he did well. This year Askew was not playing so they needed a fullback. So what did the bucs do the put someone they knew could play the position in. Ernest Graham. I did not like seeing him there but I can understand why they did it.
So those people who want to heap praises on Gruden for playing Graham remember he moved him to the Fullback position first.
For those of you who are Raheem supporters, he went out and got another runningback in Ward instead of trying to get depth elsewhere. Like the Fullback position.
And when all is said and done I am more confident in this team than I was with most of the teams we fielded in the 80’s and early 90’s
February 5th, 2010 at 6:58 pm
@ Eric
“…what are Rah’s accomplishments?”
It’s kind of hard to accomplish anything in your first year as a head coach genius. Unless you are Jim Caldwell and have Peyton Manning running your team. For god sakes, at least give him a chance to see what Freeman turns out to be. If Freeman is a bust and this team continues to suck then you would have an argument. But if Freeman turns into a Pro bowler what will you say then? Let me guess, “Gruden taught Raheem how to groom a QB.”
Move on from Gruden, he’s gone.
February 5th, 2010 at 6:59 pm
BTW give EG the damn ball! He’s the best RB on this team and is exciting to watch!
February 5th, 2010 at 8:20 pm
That was awesome fiim, brings back memories. Gruden rode that horse once he realized what he had. That is a helluva lot more than I can say for Raheem right now. When Chucky was Coach, the Bucs always had a chance to win, every week. This year they always had a chance to lose. When I hear fans bash Gruden, it just lets me know how little they really know about the game. I’m not talking about liking him, if he was mean or told an occasional fib. I’m talking about football players, schemes and opportunities for plays to be made. Greg Olson isn’t a pimple on Chucky’s ass, and he never will be either.
February 5th, 2010 at 8:22 pm
That was awesome fiim, brings back memories. Gruden rode that horse once he realized what he had. That is a helluva lot more than I can say for Raheem right now. When Chucky was Coach, the Bucs always had a chance to win, every week. This year they always had a chance to lose. When I hear fans bash Gruden, it just lets me know how little they really know about the game. I’m not talking about liking him, if he was mean or told an occasional fib. I’m talking about football players, schemes and opportunities for plays to be made. Greg Olson isn’t a pimple on Chucky’s @$$, and he never will be either.
February 5th, 2010 at 8:25 pm
What the hell is “Your comment is awaiting moderation”?
Is this the TBO Censor police in action.
I said ASS, as in Kiss my ASS!!!
February 5th, 2010 at 11:15 pm
Easy BigMacAttack. You know Joe’s not a censor. You are a long time poster. Joe would never Pearl Harbor you.
February 6th, 2010 at 12:06 am
graham is a terrific running back…he’s sort of like a “little alstott”……..and actually one if his best atributes which creates these big runs is he hits the hole a little slower than most but still hits it hard…and in that process he is able to see openings develop later for him…thats why a slower back like earnest is able to break long runs…he is a capable back who actually gets more long runs than anyone on the team…he really should be the feature back…trade ward…..and use caddy less….graham has the capability of being a 1300 to 1400 yard back…he’s getting old but he has relatively low tread on his tires….he’s my favorite buccaneer…..all hail “lil alstott” —EARNEST GRAHAM…………..adam from ny
February 6th, 2010 at 12:22 am
BigMac,
Chucky doesnt have any ass left, he laughed it off watching this crew take over the team after getting run out of town on a rail…………………………
February 6th, 2010 at 3:03 am
I wouldn’t mind seeing Graham get 5-10 carries a game. He’s a good back. His YPC the last few years have been impressive and he is a good receiver out of the backfield. I personally would keep Graham and Caddy around. Get rid of Ward. Waste of money and get his sullen attitude out of here.
Let’s not get too carried away with Gruden. The Bucs teams with him were very up and down. A bit like Wyche in Cincy. Go to playoffs one year and then drop to 6-7 wins the next. Not the most consistent coach. But if they were going to fire Gruden, they should have hired someone much better than Rah. I think Rah blew several games for the Bucs with his moves. Still wish they would have gone after Cowher in ’09 and kept Rah as DC. But that chance is over.
February 6th, 2010 at 9:39 am
Sorry Joe. I like to call it getting “Obama’d” instead of “Pearl Harbor’d”
Go Colts! I hate the Saints!!!