Practicing After Practice
May 8th, 2013
Joe must admit he’s intrigued by defensive end Steven Means, the surprising Bucs’ fifth-round pick last month out of the mighty State University of New York at Buffalo.
Means had 6.5 sacks in the MAC last year, hardly impressive, and he wasn’t invited to the NFL Scouting Combine. But at an undersized 257 pounds, he managed to be a fifth-round pick and is looking to score sacks for the Bucs and play special teams.
This Buccaneers.com video reveals Means sitting down with Bucs video guru Scott Smith to talk about life and football. Means explained that he wanted to be a professional football player when he was a toddler and his father promised to help him. Dad would work him out hard after high school football practices.
“Later that night I’d put the parachute on, I’d run, and you know, it kind of like grew on me so after a while I was doing it on my own and I’d let [my dad] know how many I did when I came in,” Means said. “He’d let me know whether or not to go outside and do some more. He kept me definitely focused on that aspect and my mom kept me focused on the books, which was why I was able to get through college.”
Means and fourth-round pick, defensive end Williams Gholston, clearly are project players, both in their own unique ways.
Can Bryan Cox and Randy Melvin develop these guys? Means already mentioned the fiery Cox’s teachings in the video.
Joe must keep a close eye on Means and Gholston, given that rockstar general manager Mark Dominik seems content relying on DaQuan Bowers and Adrian Clayborn with little depth behind them. One of these kids is likely to get a primetime shot.
May 8th, 2013 at 12:16 pm
Hey Joe, is Means fast enough to be a LB, could this be the plan?
May 8th, 2013 at 12:25 pm
he just seems on the small side. tough to imagine him bull rushing a big Tackle. Penn would throw him to the ground in a millisecond. must be one of those guys for stunts and blitzes…I just don’t see him lining up against a good tackle and beating the guy head 2 head.
May 8th, 2013 at 12:48 pm
I like the video on this guy – and the one on Banks too. The bucs have drafted some quality persons, it seems. I like what they bring, besides obvious football skills.
May 8th, 2013 at 1:06 pm
What about MLB.
May 8th, 2013 at 1:08 pm
Damn!!!! These people won’t stop trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. Let’s try this one last time. HE’S NOT A 4-3 LINEBACKER!!!!!!! HE NEVER WAS A LINEBACKER!!!!! HE’S TOO BIG TO BE A 4-3 LINEBACKER(6’4 260)!!!!!!!!!! TEAMS WHO RUN A 3-4 DEFENSE WOULD HAVE DRAFTED HIM AS A RUSHING LINEBACKER!!!! HE’S BIGGER THEN DEMARCUS WARE,WHO’S PLAYING DE FOR MONTE KIFFIN!!!!!! If you won’t him to play linebacker, pull out your Madden game ABC place him at linebacker. Geez!!!!!!!
May 8th, 2013 at 1:43 pm
Agreed Buqsfan. The guy’s a defensive end. If the Bucs decide to experiment with some 3 – 4 alignments maybe he gets a look, but that’s not his primary role. More likely they get him in the weight room and on the right diet to bulk him up to 270.
May 8th, 2013 at 3:22 pm
Simeon Rice was smaller than Means.
May 8th, 2013 at 3:35 pm
The biggest transition will be the level of talent he’ll be going up against. It’s a big leap from the University of buffalo to the nfl, I hope he makes it, seems like a great kid.
May 8th, 2013 at 10:45 pm
there were soooomany playesr they could have drafted at his slot. they also could have signed him as a free agent. I hope they know what they are doing.