Only Two Bucs Named To Top 100

May 9th, 2011

Joe didn’t expect to hurl his remote control on a lazy Sunday night.

After all, the Rays had continued their dominance that afternoon and the Lakers were knocked out and humiliated on the wrong end of an epic shooting performance. Life seemed pretty good.

Then Joe stuffed his face and settled in for the lastest Man Channel feature, The Top 100 Players of 2011 on NFL Network. The new series highlights the results of a survey of 400 current NFL players. But as the show counted down Nos. 81-90 Sunday, it was revealed that only two Buccaneers made the entire list.

TWO!

Josh Freeman checked in at No. 86, four spots better than Joe Flacco. And Mike Williams was the top Buccaneer at No. 83.

No Donald Penn. No Aqib Talib. No Ronde Barber. No respect.

Williams showing up higher than Freeman leads Joe to believe the voting players based too much of their selections on highlights. One would figure that players who faced the Bucs would rank Freeman higher than Williams, which should have led to Freeman being ranked higher overall.

Regardless, Williams making the list along with only two other rookies, first-round picks Eric Berry and Ndamukong Suh, speaks volumes for his talent.

26 Responses to “Only Two Bucs Named To Top 100”

  1. Architek Says:

    I wouldn’t put too much stock into the top 100 list, hell the players as we can are just as tainted as the other side.

    Once the Bucs come out and put another season together then they will get more respect. Talib doesn’t deserve recognition, he was abused weekly until the last portion of the season. Penn does deserve respect but no one else.

  2. Travis Says:

    I lost alot of respect for the “player list” when Joe Thomas was 97th
    AHAHAHAHAHA

  3. Matt Says:

    On average, each team should only have three players on the list. Given that we are a young team with no Pro Bowlers and little league-wide exposure, two people seems about right.

    That being said, Freeman should be at least 20 spots higher.

  4. Matt Says:

    Wait, Joe Thomas as 97th?!? What the hell, this list is crap.

  5. Snook Says:

    I’ve got no problem with only 2 Bucs on the list. We’ve got the youngest team in the league. Time will add more.

  6. MichiganBucsFan Says:

    Not surprised with no Donald Penn, still don’t know why you thought that was a given Joe. A big contract does not equal respect from your peers

  7. WeNeedDefense Says:

    Time to PROVE it by WINNING against teams with winning records. Time to make the playoffs and win a game in the playoffs as a start.

    The Bucs need to win a lot more before they are crowned paper champions.

    Consistency with success is what gets these guys recognition.

    Right now, we gotta beat the Falcons and the Saints in order to win this division. Since the Bucs haven’t the jury is still out, and RIGHTLY SO.

  8. Joe Says:

    MichiganBucsFan:

    Joe never suggested Penn was a lock for Top 100. He’s deserving, sure.

  9. McBuc Says:

    Bucs have beat the Saint last year and the year before. I would like to see them sweap the Saints, but they have beaten them. I agree they need to finish games against ATL.

  10. Colby Says:

    Ronde definitely shouldn’t have made it at this point in his career and Penn is very close… I still think Aqib should definitely be in.

  11. Steve From Oregon Says:

    What no Barret Rudd…sorry, had to throw that out there.

    Two suprises for me….Blount and Ronde. I thought for sure that with Ronde’s reputation, he would get in…similar to McNabb getting in.

  12. Thomas 2.2 Says:

    So much for having a loaded roster. I guess that the failure to spend $ on big-time free agents does effect the configuration of talent on a roster. To have no players in the top 82 speaks volumes – much against the prior regime, much against the current regime but mostly against the Glazers.

    At the end of the day it is the Glazers responsibility to use all means necessary to acquire superior talent – they dont do that. If your roster is talent deficient it is time to add free agents. The Glazers won’t spend the money.

    Snook: the Packers have the youngest team in the league. The bucs are barely ahead of the Colts and Eagles. FYI- the difference between the oldest and youngest NFL teams is roughly 2 years so it isnt like any team is grossly old or young.

    (I dont think I mentioned Rah, or Gerald McCoy at all with this comment)

  13. Joe Says:

    Colby:

    Ronde definitely shouldn’t have made it at this point in his career

    Valid point, but then why in the name of Jack Lambert was Terrell Owens on the list?

  14. Snook Says:

    Nope. Bucs were youngest last year. Look it up. Carolina was #2.

  15. DreadedBuc Says:

    Ronde should have made the list, he was a difference maker all last season and even managed to get into the record books, otherwise we wouldn’t be asking him to come back. I am happy Williams made the list, but I would not have him ranked higher than Freeman. Aqib not making the list is some damn B.S. especially when he was named Defensive Back of the Year by NFL Alumni. However, I knew this list was joke when McNabb made it in as the only redskin over a player like London Fletcher who has consistently been good for the skins. C’mon Son!! That being said the only list I care about is the “How many Superbowl rings does your team have?” I have a feeling we are going to add a few more with this team we are building.

  16. DCBUCSFAN Says:

    This list is a popularity contest. The Network’s hosts stress it’s for the player’s body of work in 2011, NOT their career. Ok, the facts that Josh puts together a season of 25 TD’s on 6 Int’s and he is only in the 80’s, and McNaab is on the list period is a joke in and of itself!

    Blount, Winslow, and Penn should be on this list as well!

    I’m dying to see where Romo lands for his body of work in 2011! Geez!

  17. Steve From Oregon Says:

    Thomas 2.2 – Interesting points, but something that has been debated over and over again.

    Buying a team has been shown not to work….spending money on the high priced free agents doesnt work….adding a player here or there, maybe…but spending money just to spend money is not the way to build a team.

    The lack of players on this list has more to do with lack of exposure then lack of talent, with more televised “national” games, we will get more exposure which will lead to our team getting players voted to the Pro Bowl (Popularity Contest).

    I’m sure that if they make a list like this again next year, you will see the number of Bucs on it increase regardless of money spent on free agents.

  18. Mauha Deeb Says:

    Quite frankly, I’m surprised Williams made it. I figured only Freeman would go, albeit I had him in the 60s.

  19. Jonny Says:

    Joe Thomas was 97th in FAN’s list, not players list. Make no mistake about it, FANS ARE DUMBER THAN PLAYERS at least in the case of rankings.

  20. OB Says:

    The rankings are meaningless. Any list that has McNabb and TO on it has got to be a joke. If the list had to have every position on it, then there would only be 3 or 4 people per position and most of our guys would not make it, in fact may be all of them would not. If it were based on the top 100 regardless of position, then we should have had more on it. But to be quite honest, I ‘d rather win the SB. Trying to pick all star teams is always imperfect and will always cause aguements on who and why. Green Bay was the best team last year, we should be this coming year.

  21. Pete Dutcher Says:

    I’m fine with this. I don’t want the OTHER players respecting us…because then they will underestimate us and regret it later.

    Under the radar…works for the Bucs!

  22. New Era Bucs Says:

    If you wanna have a couple laughs, go check out some Raven fan sites. Heads are about to explode with Freeman ranking higher then Flacco.

  23. Joke Says:

    “Joe suspects Aqib Talib, Josh Freeman and Donald Penn are locks.”
    https://www.joebucsfan.com/?p=47003

  24. Joe Says:

    Joke:

    Gotta remember there are two Joes. “This” Joe didn’t write that. 🙂

  25. Brad Says:

    Not only should Freeman have been higher and no disrespect to Williams but he should have been higher than Williams by far. I mean every week the talk was how many receivers Freeman got involved. In addition, how could Blount be left off? After he started our offense exploded. Another name I would have included besides Penn would have been Winslow but whatever as stated above it’s just a dumb popularity contest.

  26. jamie Says:

    If you think about it, 100 players is only a little more than three players per team. Considering some teams have five or more elite players, and the Bucs don’t exactly have many elite guys. They’re well coached. I’d rather have a well-coached team of young nobodies than a team like the Jets – overpriced, over-aged, and under-coached.