What To Do With Tanard Jackson?
September 19th, 2011
So two games into the season the Bucs defense isn’t exactly reminding anyone of the 1976 Pittsburgh Steelers much less the 2002 Bucs.
Two weeks ago Matthew Stafford sliced up the Bucs defense like a butcher at Publix and yesterday Adrian Peterson, for one half, looked as though he was playing against a college team.
Granted, the Bucs were able to right the ship in the second half of both games, which has been a trademark of the squad under Raheem Morris. But stopping a team in the first half would sure be nice once in a while.
Enter Tanard Jackson, perhaps. The gifted Bucs safety, who can’t seem to put the bong down (allegedly) despite sacrificing tens of millions of dollars, is serving a one-year suspension for getting busted a fourth time for a banned substance (under the old CBA the NFL did nothing to punish a player for a first offense, other than to warn the player). Jackson’s sentence ends this week.
This does not mean Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik won’t cut Jackson. Let’s be blunt: It’s hard to count on a guy who thinks so much of his teammates that he risked being suspended three times (that we know of). “Dependable” and “Tanard Jackson” do not belong in the same sentence.
But former Pewter Report Bucs beat writer Charlie Campbell, who continues to work in football and monitors the Bucs closely, Twittered that he believes not only will Dominik keep Jackson, Campbell is of the mind that Morris should start Jackson in place of Cody Grimm in due time.
@DraftCampbell: Bucs safety Cody Grimm has been struggling all year. If Tanard Jackson gets reinstated, its a matter of time before the Bucs start him.
It’s an interesting thought. Now the first question Joe would ask is whether Jackson is physically fit enough to start? He hasn’t practiced with the team in a year, not counting Josh Freeman’s minicamp in Bradenton this summer.
Joe would be shocked if Jackson started against the Falcons, the Bucs next opponent. Jackson first must be reinstated by the NFL. But Joe could perhaps see Jackson getting some reps.
Whatever it takes to get the Bucs to play some defense in a first half of games, Joe will accept right now.
September 19th, 2011 at 11:14 am
play tanard in the nickel or dime …
September 19th, 2011 at 11:18 am
Joe, would you agree that if the first half offense stayed on the field for as long as they do in the second half we would see an immediate improvement in the first half defense? I think they get winded when almost every series has the Bucs going 3 and out. In my mind the offense is the problem for the slow starts. Oh, and Blount only getting 5 carries does not help. He needs to touch the ball 25 plus times a game, and that needs to start in the first quarter.
September 19th, 2011 at 11:34 am
Play him (after he gets to a respectable level of fitness). The defense can take all the help it can get.
September 19th, 2011 at 11:39 am
IT might take several games but eventually I think the best safety combo is TJax (good against run and pass) and Lynch (good cover and ballhwak). Jones & Grimm have been average at best.
September 19th, 2011 at 11:44 am
You have to treat TJax like a mid-season signing, bring him in, see what kind of shape he is in and then decide. If he is in shape or somewhere near I’m sure he’ll put on the PS until he gets into Game shape. He’s got to much talent to not give one last shot.
September 19th, 2011 at 11:51 am
If reinstated and healthy, he should be able to come in by the time we play the Colts in week 4. If (and its a bif IF) he is able to keep his head on straight, I think the best Safety combo would be potentailly Larry Asante and T-Jack.
September 19th, 2011 at 12:04 pm
flmike, he hasnt been eligable for the practice squad since his rookie year. he’s started way too many games. jackson is a welcme addition as far as im concerned. a guy on his last chance in a contract year. sounds like good motivation to me.
September 19th, 2011 at 12:08 pm
@Dave: Jones has been one of our best defensive players so far, what are you talking about?
September 19th, 2011 at 12:12 pm
@hunter, jones is the same guy who gave up the megatron touchdown because of blown coverage. a game we lost by a touchdown. talk about a liability.
September 19th, 2011 at 12:20 pm
I disagree about Grimm. He was the only thing that kept the game close yesterday in teh first half. He must have had 5 solo tackles in the first half alone. He is certainly not as good against the pass but he is excellent at playing the run. We saw what happened last year when we lost him.
September 19th, 2011 at 12:34 pm
“Bucs safety Cody Grimm has been struggling all year”
Oh you, mean BOTH WEEKS?? SMH
September 19th, 2011 at 12:47 pm
“Let’s be blunt: It’s hard to count on a guy who thinks so much of his teammates…”
Let’s be blunt. Nice word play…LOL
September 19th, 2011 at 12:48 pm
Tanard is easily the most talented safety on the roster. If he is available, you use him. But they do need to see what type of shape he is in. May take a few weeks to work him in.
I think Asante loses out here, as he has been the safety inactive on game days.
September 19th, 2011 at 12:50 pm
Bring TJax in and see what he’s made of, get him some reps, we need the help. That said, look to replace him next draft.
September 19th, 2011 at 12:51 pm
Clay:
🙂
September 19th, 2011 at 12:58 pm
Grimm has not been nearly as solid against the run as he was last year. He looked pretty weak yesterday.
September 19th, 2011 at 1:03 pm
I’d give him another shot, his last. He’s got to know better by now and if not, he’s dead by thirty.
Sad but true.
I’m thinking he’s worth a final shot though.
September 19th, 2011 at 1:03 pm
If it was me, I’d turn On” redemption song” by Marley. Then I’d fire up some class A Tampa Ganja. Then I’d tell Tanard” Man, three times they caught you? THREE? And two times you knew they were gonna test you? Man, we just don’t need to waste any more time on trusting you. Damn, Bob Marley is the MAN! And I’d bide adeu to Mr. Jackson!
Sorry Mrs. Jackson, the Bucs are for REAL! Didnt mean to break Lil Tanards heart!
September 19th, 2011 at 1:27 pm
Dead by 30? From weed? Come on now LMAO.
September 19th, 2011 at 1:38 pm
GET T-JACK ON THE FIELD AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!!!!! Having him available picks up the whole secondary!!!!! Improved coverage forces the QB to hold the ball longer, and gives the D-lineman more time to get him on the ground!!!! He helps the run defense as well! Give him one more chance to prove he wants to be a Buccaneer!!!!!!! He will want to be there when we raise the next Lombardi trophy!!!!!!!
September 19th, 2011 at 1:48 pm
I personally would love to see him back. I believe he has been taking the off time to STAY in shape. I seen him at Bradenton. He still “looks” the part.
Sean Jones this year has played ALOT better, but also has blown some plays too. Starting to seem like Geno Hayes. Makes splashes but not consistent.
Cody Grimm is NOT the same player he was last year. Either that healing leg is STILL giving him problems… or he is mentally hesitant now. He needs to shake off the cob webs and get back to being that hard hitting safety we grew to love last year. But at the same time it took him a couple weeks to turn that ON.
If Tjax is ready to go .. i would plug him in with Jones ( for now) till Cody can show the true signs he is 100%. Then i would move Tjax to the FS ( seeing as he has been becoming more of a ball hawk recently) and stick Grimm at SS.
I believe in giving people a chance to redeem them selves. Ray Lewis, Mike Vick, Plaxico Burress, Big Ben, etc etc… all have done some things they are not proud of …. but all had a chance to redeem themselves and go on to have good careers thus far.
Stop hating on Tjax. Cuz just like Aqib. Everyone of you fans would HATE to see them 2 going against us every year and end up having great careers. Right now u guys are already whining we don’t have enough play makers. But you call for the heads of 2 of our BEST D players. SMH
September 19th, 2011 at 2:02 pm
I say play him. My season tickets are too expensive to be worrying about moral ambiguities. I want wins. You can push your granmother down the steps for all I care. Show up on Sunday, finish the season with 6 picks, help the D stop the darn run.
September 19th, 2011 at 2:14 pm
I agree with Adam 100%?
September 19th, 2011 at 2:15 pm
Srqbucfan- lmao! Oh, now Retard Jackson is “elite” too??
God, kid- get yer friggin head outta” grand theft auto” and drift toward reality! Neither of those guys are very good. They both are
more trouble than they are worth, and a smart GM would have moved on without them.
I’m all for giving people a second chance. We gave retard a second, then third, now Fourth chance.
Sorry Mrs Jackson!
September 19th, 2011 at 2:18 pm
Same here… i Totally agree with Adam all the way.. Sometimes as fans we get wrapped up in the politics of Football… when it ALL comes down to it… These guys are professional athlete’s and USUALLY from bad up bringings.
Bottom Line. All anyone TRULEY cares about is WINS and Championships.. So put ur best player on the field and let them play. Off the field… i could careless what these people do in their personal lives!.
September 19th, 2011 at 3:18 pm
Srqbucfan- no accountability, no morale center. Don’t care if he’s a scumbag, as long as yer team wins. You’ll cheer for any dirtbag
No mystery to me what’s going wrong with the country. It’s full of self absorbed losers with no moral center.
September 19th, 2011 at 3:32 pm
OK, for those saying Grimm is playing better than Jones…
Grimm has 7 tackles and 0 assists
Jones has 13 tackles and 2 assists 1 sack and 1 fumble
6 of Grimms tackles came yesterday. Jones had 5 solo and 2 assists, but he also had that nice sack. I like Grimm, but he is not playing at 100%. The best safety right now is Jones, he may not be the best talent wise, but he is playing well.
The leading tackler is everybody’s fav LB…Foster! Jones is number two followed by Geno.
September 19th, 2011 at 3:37 pm
Guys, this is not the 2002 Bucs defense. If the offense can not pull it together it iss going to be a long stressful season. These come back wins will get hard if they have to keep it up every week. No one should be surprised that the defense struggles at times, we all knew they would. The Offense is a bigger problem right now. They should be playing better in the first half. Whatever these coaches say at half time, say it before kick off too.
September 19th, 2011 at 4:08 pm
whats the big deal we’re already playing someone whos being chargede with aggravated assault but we cant play a pothead?? hahahahah watch em both make the probowl
September 19th, 2011 at 4:47 pm
I don’t get the Sean Jones hate. He had a great game yesterday, and looked fantastic on the two safety blitzes that I caught.
September 19th, 2011 at 4:48 pm
I dont know what will happen but mark is high on cody… I say bring him in if he is really sorry about his past and earns game time in practice then give it to him!!
September 19th, 2011 at 4:51 pm
Its not like Sapp didnt smoke out….or beat up on some of his girlfreinds. May be TJ will be a HOF too…
September 19th, 2011 at 5:03 pm
Sean and Cody both played well. Some of these guys think being an undependable P.O.S makes for a great player. You can tell they don’t own a business, or supervise People at any level. Otherwise they would know that guys like that are a distraction, and that’s about it.
September 19th, 2011 at 5:17 pm
I think the position is in trouble. Grimm hasn’t played well (only 2 games) and I don’t think TJax will return to his former self after a year off. Stick with Grimm for now. TJax flat out does not deserve it. Not yet anyways.
September 19th, 2011 at 6:22 pm
Your outrageous personal attack on another poster was deleted. –Joe
September 19th, 2011 at 8:09 pm
September 19th, 2011 at 8:18 pm
We need Tanard back!! With the way our defense has played the first two weeks, we need him back because he’s always been a playmaker
September 19th, 2011 at 8:45 pm
@AdamL thank you. Play the man I want to win. Not cry about a burnt dubbie.
September 19th, 2011 at 9:01 pm
Gtfo Capt hes our most talented safety. I dont care what he does to pass the time as long as he shows up on the field. Its football for crying out loud. You would be the first to complain if our safeties get toasted if we cut him
September 19th, 2011 at 10:23 pm
Grimm is better than T-Jack, straight-up, for what he brings in the run-stop dept. T-Jack had some big lapses in pass coverage his last 10 or so games and he has never been excellent against the run; I think these things are overlooked by many due to his splash plays (a la DeAngelo Hall…) I’d rather see him rotate with Sean Jones, and have Grimm holding down his spot, and Lynch or Asante occasionally supplanting Grimm.
September 20th, 2011 at 6:39 am
If you get drafted by the Bucs, the first thing you wanna do is get suspended for a year or more. Then, before you are allowed to
Play again- demand to renegociate your contract. Public outcry will get you resigned at top dollar- because the fans in Tampa know – the elite Players in the league get suspended- alot!!! There is no better way to become a great player in Tampa than to be kicked of the team . Talib is an ” Elite “player here. He’s played like crap the last two weeks, and even worse two years ago, but he’s elite. Tanard hasn’t played Football in over a year- but he’s elite now too! We were all bitching about his lack of focus when he got suspended- he was about to be benched- but now- after sitting home and not playing- Elite!!
I wonder why Peyton Manning, Walter Payton, Derrick Brooks, and all the guys in hall of Fame didn’t try this technique. Screw getting voted to the proBowl! Just be a self centered dumb ass , and your fame is assured!
September 20th, 2011 at 9:25 am
Capt Tim- There are morally questionable guys on every roster. Sorry but I don’t feel like watching my team suck just so they can claim the roster is full of nothing but choir boys. Get over your self you self righteous jackass. If you have ever done wrong or made mistakes in life then you should shut the hell up. Let he who is without sin cast the first stone you holier than thou, judgemental clown.
September 20th, 2011 at 12:40 pm
Beckleslovesruud- Beckles, you ignorant Slut! I didn’t say kick them off the team. I didn’t say not to play them. You are as illiterate as you are uneducated about football! I said I wouldn’t trust Tard, because he has broken team trust 4 times. If that’s not a big deal to you, let me know. I got a bridge I want to sell you 4 times.
My complaint was that the kbucleheads here are claiming Tard is a great player. Some of these guys think any idiot who gets suspended is asuddenly an” Elite player” neither Tard or Taliban has a SINGLE proBowl VOTE for them by anyone but fans. Neither have ever been to the ProBowl, but some of these knotheads- your dumbass, for instance, suddenly thing they Are great. And worse, want to replace guys who are hard working, dependable, and playing great.
Like I said- it’s obvious you don’t own a business, and you aren’t a supervisor. Or in charge of people at even the lowest level. Or you’d realize that being irresponsible and undependable doesn’t make you “great” at anything- except a great big pain in the ass
I don’t care if Tanard returns or not. Smoking Dope isn’t that big if a deal. It’s his letting the team down 4 times that is the problem- we can’t trust him
If you ever become any kind of boss, you’ll understand that.
September 21st, 2011 at 4:19 pm
Capt. Tim- The bucs dont need to “trust” him. Its not like they are considering whether to sign the man to some big free agent contract. He’s under contract and they lose nothing if they put him on the field and he eventually gets suspended again. They simply stick Cody Grimm or Sean Jones back in there(whoever sits when he comes back). There is no risk involved only potential gain. If you want to deny that the man is clearly more talented than Jones or Grimm then your the one smoking something. T-jax is the only safety under contract with this team with even the slightest playmaking ability in pass coverage. Not sure what your big issue with people excited at the prospect of an actual playmaking safety back on the team is. BTW our secondary has been shredded quite a bit through two games and I haven’t once seen a safety in place to help prevent a big completion. T-Jax return could have a HUGE impact on this defense and if he fouls up again that simply leaves back where we are now with Grimm\Jones.