“It Was A Mistake”
July 20th, 2013
After news broke that Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik shipped trouble child, Adderall (?) -popping, (allegedly) driving-under-the-influence cornerback Eric Wright to the 49ers, Tampa Tribune Bucs beat writer and Pro Football Hall of Fame voter eye-RAH! Kaufman quickly pronounced the Wright Era with the Bucs a mistake by Dominik, when the great Kaufman appeared on the “Booger and Rich Show” heard locally on WHFS-FM 98.7.
“Eric Wright is not a Buccaneer Man. I don’t know if there is any other way to say it. Finally I think Mark Dominik had to yield. He couldn’t look Greg Schiano in the eye any more and say, you know this guy was worth picking up as a free agent in 2012. It just didn’t work. When it doesn’t work, you own up to your mistakes and you move on. And Eric Wright was a mistake,” Kaufman said.
“The sky is not falling over at One Buc. They have every reason to believe Darrelle Revis will be ready Day 1 of preseason and most importantly, Day 1 of the regular season. They wouldn’t have made the deal if there was any question about Darrelle Revis’ health. All signs point to he is ready to go.
“This move showed they couldn’t go on with Eric Wright. First, I thought he was a marginal player. He screwed up again. I think in their eyes, he is looked at as a negative influence on a young, impressionable secondary. So what does it mean? It means one of the kids, one of the Leonard Johnsons or the Gorrers – I will give you a name of a guy who I believe has caught the eye of the coaching staff. A kid named Rashaan Melvin. Big, ranging kid, undrafted. A lot to prove there. It wouldn’t surprise us if they go out and sign another veteran for the secondary at some point.”
Now, did Dominik sell himself short on cornerbacks? Maybe.
Look, Wright was a starting cornerback on a secondary that came 14 yards from setting an all-time NFL record for passing yards allowed. So just exactly what kind of depth is that? Wright, whose tackling prowess made Deion Sanders look like Jack Lambert, wasn’t that much better than Leonard Johnson or perhaps Danny Gorrer.
(No, Joe won’t kick a man when he is down by invoking Myron Lewis into the discussion. Let’s not get carried away.)
Then there is the little issue with Wright very likely facing an eight-game suspension as a repeat offender; half the season, provided his lawyer doesn’t somehow save him again and have the case tossed by a judge. Who knows when NFL warden commissioner Roger Goodell would bring the hammer down upon Wright?
Joe knows one thing: it’s kind of hard to provide depth in the NFL when you are vegging in a California spa on Sunday afternoons in the fall.
July 20th, 2013 at 8:27 am
Too bad Wright didn’t pull this stunt earlier….Ronde may have stuck it out for another year.
Joe”Not to mention Myron Lewis”….you mentioned him….
Here’s his big chance to shine…..again!!
For all the doom & gloom especially Buc Realist….
have some patience….its not over….there is a long way before the start of the season and lots of players will be available to us.
July 20th, 2013 at 8:28 am
Good riddance. I commend Dominik for getting ANY pick out of the deal, and the best news of all is that his 1.5 mil salary won’t count against the cap since he got traded instead of released.
Leonard Johnson or one of the other young guys will do just fine at a better price and will stick around in years to come too.
July 20th, 2013 at 8:28 am
Just as he was cut from the team, can we cut him from the Bucs’ news?
I’d rather read an articles about Gerald McCoy, Lavonte David, Mason Foster, Akeem Spence, William Gholston, Leonard Johnson, Danny Gorrer, Rashaan Melvin, or any of the players committed to this year’s mission (the post-season) any day. Anything but another bit of your web-server space wasted on an article about this part of the Bucs’ past. I know we need news sometimes when there is little to find but you as a high-profile provider of Bucs’ news can help keep the fans focused on the positive aspects of the team by what you focus on here. Go Bucs!
July 20th, 2013 at 8:43 am
I agree Tampabaybucfan. Very soon we will all stop the speculation, and get to talk real football. To tell you the truth, I hate having to root against the pop-star just to make this team better. I am sure he is a nice guy, he is just not an NFL gm. It was a no brainer to trade or cut Wright. But don’t forget that the trade is conditional. The 49ers could take a look at wright, cut him before the season and the bucs will get squat. Or the trade good get nix just because of the DUI if the bucs did not disclose this information.
July 20th, 2013 at 9:00 am
Eric Wright was indeed a mistake for and hindsight being 20/20, Hernandez was a mistake for the Pats. It is an imperfect science. Everybody does due diligence and still there are mistakes.
As much as we would like to think not, Revis is no guarantee to an absolute certainty albeit for vastly different reasons. That is why there are no guaranteed contracts in the NFL, guaranteed money, yes, but no guaranteed contracts.
Where this is far different is the reason for failure. Eric Wright had red flags from the beginning, as did Hernandez. Red flags that said this was a candidate for off-field problems. But that doesn’t always scare off NFL GMs. Balke at SF is aware of Wright’s latest DUI (see PFT),yet he is still willing to take a chance on a risky player even offering a potential draft pick – and that reason is – when Wright’s not drinking and driving or popping pills, he can play CB!
So let’s not demonize Mark Dominik, he wants to win to. It just that some gambles don’t pay off!
July 20th, 2013 at 9:02 am
Correct first sentence: mistake for Dominik
July 20th, 2013 at 9:10 am
This team is better without this guy. No E Wright= more time for developing guys who want to be in Tampa. Couldnt be happier.
July 20th, 2013 at 9:27 am
Dominick might of made a mistake but made the Wright move by letting trouble child, Adderall (?) -popping, (allegedly) driving-under-the-influence cornerback Eric Wright go.
July 20th, 2013 at 9:32 am
Dominick signed this guy to a 35m dollar deal last offseason. I remember Dom referring to Wright as “my guy”.
WHOOPS!
Sign a veteran FA CB, or convince Ronde to come out of retirement.
We still have Myron Lewis on this roster.
July 20th, 2013 at 9:44 am
I can’t knock Dominik for trying and attempting to stock the roster with players ready to win now.
Wright is a typical spoiled athlete with no sense of humility to appreciate the opportunity to be a professional football player. His ignorance is evident and its clear that his character is null.
He belong with the Lions and teams of that make up. San Fran won’t keep him around, the spots on a leopard dont change.
We’ve seen this before – Jeremy Stevens, Talib, and more
July 20th, 2013 at 9:45 am
This is the time of year where you don’t want any news regarding your team…because it is all bad…..pre-season injuries & arrests.
This week we lost Barth & Wright for totally different reasons. I will be very happy if these are the last shoes to drop….but realisticly….there’s probably more to come.
July 20th, 2013 at 10:05 am
This turd has left a long skid mark through this great nation, having systematically swirled its way from the beaches of the mighty Pacific, through the sands of the Mojave desert valley, barreling through the waters of the Great Lakes, bottoming its way out in the Gulf Bay, and darn near churning itself back up and around to the origin of first launch.
July 20th, 2013 at 10:07 am
@ Buc fan china
Pretty much nailed it. The young guys need snaps to develop.
My only issue is, would we have approached the offseason differently if Dom didn’t resign him? The answer is yes and it’s what Chris Landry was referring to…depth and experience.
The coaches need to get it done now. We already had better, albeit raw, talent than Wright on the roster.
July 20th, 2013 at 10:16 am
Update on Demps. He did make the cut on olympic team. So it looks like mid august for him reporting to the team.
July 20th, 2013 at 10:17 am
Eric Wright may have been better if he could control his behavior. I’m disappointed in him.
btw…Good Morning, Everyone!
July 20th, 2013 at 10:19 am
So much for second chances….Didn’t work with Talib or Wright. Somehow when you put some money into the pockets of those with bad characters, you can count on continued bad behavior.
How totally stupid is Eric Wright? Too stupid to play for us…for sure.
Someone on the roster now will step up and suprise us at CB.
I think we have some depth at all areas…as much as other teams. Depth is a luxury and a total unknown…you never know how well backups will perform until they are called on.
July 20th, 2013 at 10:23 am
Update : Demps made the Olympic cut. So it looks like mid August now.
July 20th, 2013 at 10:29 am
Wright was a starting cornerback on a secondary that came 14 yards from setting an all-time NFL record for passing yards allowed. This coach was also in place along with this G.M. The payroll has almost triple in size since coach Morris, who won more games than this Coach with less. No one writes anything negative about this coach. Word is spreading among N.F.L. Player’s. about this team. This is the reason they have to overpay for players. They tried to obtain players but they refuse to come.
July 20th, 2013 at 10:48 am
@ doc…..good lord are you for real. Schiano has been here one season. One season that’s it. You expected a complete turn around in one season.
July 20th, 2013 at 10:52 am
They tried to obtain players but they won’t come.
Ignorance is at an all time high now. All the buc einsteins are coming out of woodwork.
July 20th, 2013 at 10:54 am
I hate these damn I pads…..
July 20th, 2013 at 10:55 am
@ Doc
Where is the “word” coming from?
I heard “word” that you’re just making things up.
July 20th, 2013 at 11:09 am
And how many games did wright actually play for us?
July 20th, 2013 at 11:11 am
Mark it down Raheem Morris will never again be an nfl head coach, anywhere.
July 20th, 2013 at 11:19 am
The payroll has almost triple in size since coach Morris, who won more games than this Coach with less. No one writes anything negative about this coach.
———————————————–
Lol are you really trying to compare a coach who was here for 4 years, to a 1st year coach going into his 2nd year? Wow…
News flash genius. Rah only won 3 games his first year. Schiano won twice as many.
July 20th, 2013 at 11:30 am
^ Blame the GM and QB, not the Coaching.
Freeman needs to show more, Dominick needs to get some CB depth on this team.
July 20th, 2013 at 11:30 am
Mark it down, The pop-star will never again be an NFL GM again, anywhere.
July 20th, 2013 at 11:55 am
This falls directly on the popstar. There were better options available other than Wright. Why they felt the need to overpay for such a mediocre player speaks volumes. Sean King is going to crucify the popstar for this one.
July 20th, 2013 at 12:02 pm
I give Dominik quite a bit of credit for the solid moves he makes, but he will take the heat for this one. Wright was a serial F’k up before he came to Tampa. Sadly, he has the skill set to be a pretty good #2 corner, but it will never come out of him because he doesn’t have the head or heart to dedicate either of those things to his job.
I understand that these guys are still relatively young in the grand scheme of life, I’m not that much older, but this guy has a family at home. Grow up and stop breaking the law, asshole.
July 20th, 2013 at 12:10 pm
Lol, This is actually funny to me. Yes Dom made a mistake in signing Wright. But the mistake turned out to be a very very minimal considering he fixed it this year by restructuring Wright’s contract to basically nothing. And then we got rid of him… which also cost us nothing.
Some of you fools make it sound like this was the worst acquistion in football history.
Aye, whatever you gotta say to continue your hate speeches and idiotic rants.
July 20th, 2013 at 12:11 pm
Have to disagree with you here Joe, Eric Wright was much better in coverage than Leonard Johnson or Gorer plus he could actually catch an interception (something Gorer is still learning). Tackling? Yes Johnson is better at tackling but when you are watching Julio Jones blow past you for an 80 yard touchdown you have to be in the same zip code to tackle. Wright had 4.4 speed coming out of college. Good riddance to the bum but to replace him we need more speed in the secondary. Revis is fast but Banks is not (4.59 time in the 40.) Hopefully that second receiver or slot receiver that Revis doesn’t have to cover doesn’t have blazing speed but I think hoping for the best.
July 20th, 2013 at 12:14 pm
Did anyone make a comment on Donald Penn Statement at NFl.com. This team has no kick off return guy, punt return guy, depth on def line, or the cornerback position. Tell me what player has resign with this team under this gm. They may not resign Mike William, the way they are playing around with the contract. He has already made some statement on twitter.
July 20th, 2013 at 12:29 pm
Hey Doc, I’m still waiting on your “word” proof. You’re just full of it.
And little do you know, those tweet remarks have been little of nothing. Penn re-tweeted praise of Dominik for getting a pick out of the Wright trade, and Williams was talking about the mother of his children, not his contract.
You should just keep quiet if you can’t back anything up.
July 20th, 2013 at 12:29 pm
What a waste. This latest rockstar investment is another failure on the wrong side of the ledger for him. One good draft and multiple failed offseason acquisitions should not equal continued employment. This GM consistently leaves this team with no depth…think Kregg Lumpkin in 2011 and Myron Lewis throughout. Not to mention the countless other failures like Michael clayton, Derrick Ward, Brian Price, etc. Hoping we dont suffer any injuries and maybe Schiano can save his ass. I want dominik to succeed but the failures are too often and too severe
July 20th, 2013 at 12:43 pm
Doc is proof. That we need to put a sign outside of RJS that says The Tampa Buccaneers Home of the Most Fans that Talk Out of Their Ass.
July 20th, 2013 at 12:46 pm
MTM…Shaun King is a moron and closet Buc hater.
July 20th, 2013 at 12:47 pm
I agree with Dallasbuc, this gm has been a disaster starting in his first year with Brooks. Can anyone tell me who will line up at the corner back positions and who the second team corner backs will be.
July 20th, 2013 at 12:57 pm
Maybe we can get rid of Dom and hire someone worse…..and then you all can bitch about that guy too.
July 20th, 2013 at 1:45 pm
@Buc1987
There is someone worse??? When we look back years from now, this will be some of the darkest days in Buc history. so far 4 years of failure. 4th, 3rd, 4th and 4th in the division.
July 20th, 2013 at 2:23 pm
@the_buc_realist
Technically tied for 2nd in the division last year
July 20th, 2013 at 2:29 pm
@bucky23
Technically we got slotted in the draft before eveyone else in the NFC south. just like when team are tied in records to win the division, tie-breakers sort the teams. and we got sorted last.
not to mention that we played Atlanta who already was walking into the playoffs on the last game,,and handed the Bucs an extra victory while there team were already making playoff plans,
July 20th, 2013 at 2:56 pm
Tied for second.
July 20th, 2013 at 5:58 pm
Buc1987 Says:
“Update : Demps made the Olympic cut. So it looks like mid August now.”
That sucks. For us. Not for him.
July 20th, 2013 at 6:01 pm
Doc Says:
“Did anyone make a comment on Donald Penn Statement at NFl.com. This team has no kick off return guy, punt return guy, depth on def line, or the cornerback position. Tell me what player has resign with this team under this gm. They may not resign Mike William, the way they are playing around with the contract. He has already made some statement on twitter.”
At least know your stuff when you make accusations. Multiple players have resigned under this GM. We signed multiple kick return guys in this off season. And the Mike Williams thing was a rumor…which he discounted.
Don’t just throw around false facts. Back it up with accuracy.
July 20th, 2013 at 6:08 pm
gotbbucs Says:
“I give Dominik quite a bit of credit for the solid moves he makes, but he will take the heat for this one. Wright was a serial F**K up before he came to Tampa.”
The Jets talked him up big. His teammates talked him up big. He talked the talk. He seemed ready to reach his potential at the time.
And after last year, he had a baby on the way. He talked the talk again. Sometimes a baby is all it takes to wise these guys up. He was instrumental in getting Goldston here as well, who he wanted badly to play with.
It was worth the gamble, especially after getting a new contract done with him.
You can never predict how these players will behave on your team. That’s because every team is different. Moving a unhappy player to a new team, for example, could be all the motivation he needs.
I’m happy we don’t have to go into cap issues because of this. Give Dom credit for that at least.
July 20th, 2013 at 8:09 pm
We couldve easily afforded Brent Grimes!
We wasted time with Wright.
We let Ronde go.
I swear, our defense would be better if Ronde was our nickle back.
Fact.
Brent Grimes only got a one year deal for 5 million.
Maybe next year, he will be our last “piece.”
A true #2 CB.
I love Leonard Johnson. But lets face it. He gets burned deep cuz hes slow. He is a solid #4 CB plus a great special teams player. But he should never cover a #2 reciever.
Banks is slow too!
So do we really want a rookie opposite Darrellep Revis?
Doesnt sound good to me.
July 20th, 2013 at 8:14 pm
Glennon was a wasted pick!
We shouldve doubled up on corners in the 3rd round!
A 4.3 project.
Now? I do not like the idea of teams tearing apart our virgin #2 CB. We will get toasted by one guy if we arent careful.
Banks is a good #3. Leonard a good #4.
But a #2?
Anybody missing Grimes right now? Or Antoine Winfield? Or Ronde?
July 20th, 2013 at 9:07 pm
Mark Dominick has done some amazing things in his time here.
The Revis deal is one of the greatest heist in history. Bringing Vincent Jackson here was brilliant!
But no way does he get a bye on Eric Wright!!
We had the worst secondary in the league last year by miles!! Damn near the worst in history!!
And it all in laid at Dom’s feet. It is entirely his fault!!
He has bet the farm on such obvious Pieces of S, that he has set our secondary back years in development
He refused to see that Talibum was little more than a poorly trained animal. Dom continued to try and build the secondary around him- when he showed in every way possible that he didn’t give a damn about anything other than appeasing his baser needs. He regressed every year he was here
He kept bringing retard Jackson back- even though he repeatedly proved that drugs were the only thing he was committed to! Regressed every year- because he had no interest in improving!
Eric Wright was an addict in school, in Cleveland, in Detroit, and here.
Yet Dom signed him to a rediculous lay large deal. Thank The Lord we aren’t stuck paying it. But it was foolish to expect him to be anything other than what he has always been. A disappointment and a drug addict
And Dom passed on young players. Passed on Vets. Passed on Mortis Claibourne. Passed on a hundred options, that were all better ideas than continually setting our secondary back, because he continued to foolishly bet our teams success on some of the stupidest, most self centered “people” to ever embarrass a Buc uniform.
He had tons of options- yet he chose to bet on that garbage
Our secondary STILL is missing a starter. L. Johnson is too slow( sadly). Gorrer has stiff in his back pedal. We STILL need help in the secondary.
And it’s because Dom bet on losers!
July 21st, 2013 at 6:54 am
There is no question that Dominik’s choices have not always been the best ones. But we are all looking in the rear view mirror. When he made those personnel decisions he didn’t have the benefit of knowing how they would turn out. Think back now about the choices of his predecessors, Bruce Allen and Richie McKay and virtually every other GM in the NFL and you’ll find similar regrets. It’s “Unrealistic” to think every path chosen will lead to Utopia. That said, when the pile of trash gets too high, even the most respected GM’s have had to leave the debris in their wake. Just ask Mike Lombardi, Scott Pioli, Bill Tobin, our own Bruce Allen, Richie McKay (in Atlanta) and my favorite Phil Krueger. The only one safe is that guy always on camera in Dallas. How’s he doing with his GM gig?
July 21st, 2013 at 3:14 pm
While that logic has some truth, I don’t think it’s applicable for our 3 “waste of Space”. Their downfall was obvious to even the most naive and gullible. Posters here were about 30/70 for the debris 3. Sadly about what I’d expect.
My post on this site three years ago predicted exactly what occurred with Talibum and Retard Jackson.
My post about Eric wright, the week we traded for him- said he would be a failure here, and would never be a starter for a whole season.
This were extremely easy to see coming. It was based entirely on what they have ALWAYS done! Failed.
I was called a hater( I’m not), and told I wasn’t a Buc Fan( I am). But if Dom had drafted/ signed a couple young DEDICATED cbs 3 years ago, they would be a solid unit now- and we would have made the playoffs last year.
Talibum,Retard, and coke Wright’s problems didn’t start here. They were losers in college- with drug/ stupidity/Maturity issues. And they continued being crap here.
If they really practiced the” BUC man”concept, instead of just saying it for cheap press- this team wouldn’t have had the worst secondary in modern history. This is Dom’s fault. He bet on trash- and set the team back 2 years.
I knew those guys were worthless. And I’m not a genius by any means. Many other people here knew this would happen also
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
Dom was fooled 4 or 5 times by each of the debris brothers.
That’s miles of shame. And a secondary that has been reduced to high school level. No team could win last year- with such a pathetic pass defense.
And once again, we are scrambling to replace a P.O.S, that should never have been here to begin with!
July 21st, 2013 at 7:28 pm
Deveron Carr will give it his all….keep your eye on him too.