D.J. Fluker And The Bucs
April 20th, 2013
Don’t worry folks, only a few more days before the NFL draft hits and we won’t have to worry about who rock star general manager Mark Dominik might select.
Joe knows Gil Brandt, the famed retired player personnel director, thought the Bucs would select Alabama offensive tackle D.J. Fluker at No. 13. It seems others do as well, which prompted a question to Pat Yasinskas of ESPN in a recent NFC South chat.
Tyler (Toronto)
Hey Pat, do you think the Bucs could go with Fluker in the 1st round instead of Austin or the best available corner? The addition of Fluker would really solidify the OL.
Pat Yasinskas
Think that’s at least a possibility. Fluker would be upgrade at RT. But let’s wait and see what happens on the Revis front.
Yes, the Bucs could use a right tackle. But drafting a guy at No. 13 to fill a hole that isn’t a need position is equally as silly as this notion some try to peddle that the Bucs should draft a slot receiver at No. 13, Tavon Austin. The Bucs have many, many bucks tied up already on the offensive line. A general manager has only so much cash to play with. Using too much of a budget on one area all but forces a team to have another unit filled by lesser players, or in slang terms, slugs.
The Bucs desperately need a corner, and just behind that is depth on the defensive line. Drafting a right tackle at No. 13 is just as reckless as drafting Austin at No. 13.
A more sensible draft at right tackle, as Woody Cummings of The Tampa Tribune suggested, and as Joe wrote about from the NFL Scouting Combine, would be Wisconsin right tackle Ricky Wagner in, say, the fifth round.
April 20th, 2013 at 8:07 am
Take the kid from Wisconsin!
April 20th, 2013 at 9:17 am
Always been told by the powers to be, that drafting for “need” is a recipe for disaster…draft BPA. Vote Tavon Austin.
April 20th, 2013 at 9:19 am
Joe,
Are you absolutely off your rocker, buddy? 🙂
Tavon Austin is that good, I am saying it, just like I did about Trent Richardson >Mo Claibourne last year.
The best player available should be the 13th pick.
I hope Star, Ansah, Floyd, orRichardson are there.
Lane Johnson too.
Tavon Austin is a better prospect and has a much higher ceiling than the Notre Damn TE.
Do you still believe the world is flat, and 3 WR sets can’t win in this league? Wakey wakey, eggs and bacon!
April 20th, 2013 at 9:21 am
Joe,
It is “silly to pedal the notion” of REACHING on a player with the 13th pick.
How does 4th place in the NFC South taste?
Get real dude(s)!
April 20th, 2013 at 9:26 am
And this is the dilemma when you draft poorly.
Plugging holes, paying twice if you will for past transgressions. CB and Safety needs because of Talib, Tanard, Lewis.
DT a huge need because of Price, Miller and Kyle Moore. Talking WR because of Benn and Briscoe.
To pass up a road grader tackle with all pro potential really hurts.
April 20th, 2013 at 9:29 am
If we wanted line help Clabo and Winston could be had cheap.Wagner is a great way to go late.With the $$ our wr corp will make after MW gets his extension and the signings in the offseason no way we get the lil overated punt returner from West Virginia.I like Dom alot and think he is doing great,but the min he neglects the pass rush /DL any longer is when he runs risk of loosing his job.If we have a first it will be a DL pick.
April 20th, 2013 at 9:31 am
Fluker is a bum who isn’t worth a 1st round pick, let alone #13. If he goes in the first round, he will be the worst pass protection tackle Ive ever seen go in the first. Hes horrible. His pass protection would label him as a late round prospect. He’s only going this high because he is a great run blocker.
He may even be better suited for guard at this level.
STAY AWAY FROM DJ “THE FLUKE” FLUKER
April 20th, 2013 at 9:37 am
@andrew
Sounds like you just described Trueblood.
April 20th, 2013 at 9:38 am
Historically, ROTs are not drafted in the 1st round and Fluker grades out as a ROT only. However Fluker may be an exceptional ROT that based on need could go in the 1st. If Dallas doesn’t do something with Winston or Clabo, then Fluker has a good shot at being selected in the 1st. Otherwise, I think he’s a tradeback late 1st or early 2nd round pick.
For the Bucs, I think Brennan Williams/UNC in the early 4th would be able to compete with Dotson. Butch Davis will know this guy. Good bloodlines, nasty disposition, and a stout run blocker. He could be gone in the late 3rd too.
April 20th, 2013 at 9:39 am
Also anyone who thinks that players like Tavon Austin are merely slot receivers are clearly not seeing the full potential. Players like Austin can be used all over the field to create mismatches that lead to big plays. Tavon may not be built as thickly as Percy Harvin, but they are somewhat comparable players. Used all over the field to gain yards and scores. Over Harvin’s last 25 games hes averaged 127 all purpose yards, and 3.36 points per game. If Austin can replicate that kind of performance he is worth the 13th pick.
April 20th, 2013 at 9:42 am
NO!
DON’T DRAFT FLUKER
I think he’s going to have a solid NFL career, but not with us. I don’t even see him as a RT, hes too slow and has sluggish footwork. He would be a really solid guard IMO, and we already have Nicks and Joseph..
DOMINIK! TRADE DOWN IN FIRST TO GET EIFERT, TRADE BACK UP TO GET INTO FIRST AND TAKE THE BEST AVAILABLE CB!!!!!!
April 20th, 2013 at 9:44 am
Fluker doesnt fit Domink’s MO at all. He doesnt like drafting Oline at all.
The best value @13 is probably one of the DLine: Werner, Richardson, Star. Richardson makes the least sense because of GMC but is probably the BPA at that point.
April 20th, 2013 at 9:45 am
Drafting OL makes little sense for where the Bucs are right now. Drafting BPA makes sense but still needs to be factored in with what your areas of greatest need are. It makes zerro sense to draft a BPA player at a postion that you are set in when you have glaring needs at other postions that can be filled with one of the top atheletes in their class at the position you need, unless the BPA player available is a rare special player (Tavon Austin may be that kind of guy). Drafting BPA should be viewed the same as the Pirates Code of Parley. More of a guideline than an actual rule!
April 20th, 2013 at 9:47 am
Too many other needs. We’re not going O line in the 1st with what we have now….it would just be stupid. I was on that wagon before FA started, but we didnt sign CB, TE, or DT (major players that is). So now Im off that wagon.
April 20th, 2013 at 10:06 am
Ok Joe, I am with you that Drafting Fluker would be silly, but not quite so fast on Austin. The funny thing is about this whole leverage thing between the Bucs and Jets …. A week from Monday after the draft is done, if the Bucs don’t make a trade with the Jets, they use all their draft picks from this year, and guess what? The Jets still are in the exact same place they are today. They still need to trade Revis. So if the Bucs pick up Austin, which would give them a very, very scary offense, they could still pick up a good DT and CB in the draft and still have the opportunity to trade for Revis after the draft. Maybe all that is crazy talk but can you imagine an opposeing defense having to deal with V. Jackson, Williams, Martin, and Austin? Holy cow that would make for some fun football! Particularly if Dom could be the Rockstar and still address the defense.
April 20th, 2013 at 10:25 am
Whoever said that sounds like the definition of Trueblood is spot on haha. A run blocking RT would be nice but id rather just to get Eric Winston n use the pick for d. N If we draft Austin n not solidify corner, d line then it’s just gonna be a shoot out every game. I like free, not love, but I dunno if I would trust him game in and game out to put up 35 points. But then again Austin would give us good field position (if we actually stop somebody n make em punt that is… I guess they’ll be scoring alot so there will be a number of kickoff opportunities) Id like to have Austin. But we got 2 starting receivers. Is Our number one pick coming off the field when we run power? I’d like my number one pick out there for a high percentage of snaps. I’m good with Ogletree actually as our slot really. Happy Holidays
April 20th, 2013 at 10:45 am
Northend, I am with you. Draft defense and pick up Clabo or Winston after the draft. Also remember posters, according to Pft this morning we are going to have 8-10 UDFA’s in camp. Can anyone say Donald Penn???
April 20th, 2013 at 1:16 pm
Signing Eric Winston would be much more intelligent than drafting the loafer- D.J.Fluker.
Ricky Wagner is a talent I like. Needs strength, but has the feet to be a U
April 20th, 2013 at 1:18 pm
Damn Phone”to be a left tackle!”
April 20th, 2013 at 3:54 pm
Don’t know, but the way Travon Auston ran all over
Rutgers and Shiano for two years, if his name is still
on the board when Buc’s pick? Just saying..
April 20th, 2013 at 4:05 pm
Gentleman, I
I believe it’s more of a fear of the Buc’s drafting Flucker than actually consciously and or subconsciously believing it…I know the fowl odor for
Falseblood! I I’m not mistaken, don’t the Buc’s have the Giants philosophy
of Drafting BPA? If so, don’t worry about it then.