Demps Can’t Stop Wowing Lovie
May 21st, 2014
Lovie Smith has been talking up “The Fastest Man In The NFL” for months. The Bucs head coach said he couldn’t wait to get Olympian Jeff Demps on the practice field and, based on Lovie’s chatter yesterday, Demps has lived up to the hype.
Every day Demps impresses Lovie. What’s even more noteworthy was that Lovie referenced Demps when asked about Mike James.
Lovie talked about James needing to stay healthy in the competitive running backs mix and added out of the blue, “this is the first time Jeff Demps has had an offseason also, and every day he’s done something to catch my eye, it seems like.”
Demps had a heinous fumble in practice yesterday (detailed here), and Lovie was asked about it in a follow-up question.
Lovie brushed off the fumble and said, “I tend to look at that ceiling” of players. Lovie said he’s only focused on the great things he sees Demps do.
Joe’s not sold on Demps by any stretch. But Joe’s darn confident Demps is going to get all kinds of work in preseason to prove himself. That’s a good thing for fans because Demps is unique to watch.
It’ll be interesting to see how his Road Runner speed meshes with the “cannon” of Mike Glennon and the “speed-in-space” mentality of the offensive coordinator.
May 21st, 2014 at 10:02 am
Good compliments to our hulking and slower WRS in the faster Robert Herron, Tim Wright, and Charles Sims. If only we could have more players on the field.
May 21st, 2014 at 10:02 am
and Demps
May 21st, 2014 at 10:06 am
word and word. Speed in space, last time Bucs had that, Warrick Dunn
May 21st, 2014 at 10:08 am
Dunn wouldn’t be within ten yards of Demps at 100 yards.
That said, Dunn was a much, much, much better football player than Demps ever will be. Dunn was, in his own way, special. Demps will be lucky to make the team.
May 21st, 2014 at 10:21 am
I don’t see Demps making the final roster. Injury prone.
May 21st, 2014 at 10:26 am
Joe, the roadrunner picture made me laugh. I think of Demps running into an NFL Linebacker and I thought of the line from one of the Roadrunner episodes where the little kid says “Beep..Beep…BANG!!!”
May 21st, 2014 at 10:28 am
Straight away speed is a lot different than quickness. Warrick Dunn could sidestep a defender and move forward. Demps must have a straight shot ahead or he is going to get blown up.
May 21st, 2014 at 10:33 am
And Dunn ran for the Noles track team for four years.
May 21st, 2014 at 10:38 am
Demps, fastest man to to the IR.
May 21st, 2014 at 10:39 am
Demps wont make it out of preseason without heading to IR. He is a glass cannon.
May 21st, 2014 at 10:43 am
Can’t make the club in the tub! How long until the emphasis “hamstring” and/or groin injury rears its ugly head with these fast, “speed in space” guys. Think Joey Galloway.
May 21st, 2014 at 10:46 am
Talking Demps up
to up his Trade Value
May 21st, 2014 at 10:50 am
What Demps brings is the ability to draw defenders away from guys that you should double team. You simply have to account for him.
Love Bird covets this.
May 21st, 2014 at 10:55 am
I’m not sure how Demps is considered injured prone. He only played one year in the NFL when he was not in football shape. That shouldn’t suprise anyone seeing that whenever a player holds out during the offseason, they are quickly injured once they come back. Some of you guys are funny on here.
I am just glad lovie “looks at the ceiling” of players as opposed to what a player can’t do as some past coaches and fans on this board does. Its funny when a players leaves the bucs and does well, fans are quick to say he couldn’t do that for us yada yada yada. its about time we had a coach who coaches to a player’s strength.
May 21st, 2014 at 10:56 am
@Buc Neckid
We could always use one of those 7th rounders Jason Licht is so famous for. Blockbuster trades!!!!!
(although, I would be more than happy to get that for Demps)
btw…if Lovie only looks at the ceiling for players, this team is in BIG trouble.
May 21st, 2014 at 10:57 am
@tiny tim
If you only look at the ceiling you end up with bad players.
May 21st, 2014 at 11:04 am
Ceiling of a player is how good they can be. The point is Lovie believes he can get Demps to his ceiling.
May 21st, 2014 at 11:05 am
Demps could be a good option to use a few plays a game. Get him the ball in space, especially at the end of games when the defense is worn out. He could do some damage. The team needs speed options to go along with the big WRs.
May 21st, 2014 at 11:13 am
He will make this team and grow – he needs to develop a bit more.
May 21st, 2014 at 11:47 am
@buc Bonzai
“If you only look at the ceiling you end up with bad players.”
No, you end up like the patriots who are known for taking other team’s “scraps” and turning them into stars. In the words of the great bill Walsh on the drafting of Montana, I did not look at what his limitation were, I looked at his strength. That philosophy worked for walsh and belichick so there is no reason it will not work for Lovie. Again, way to go lovie!!
May 21st, 2014 at 11:55 am
Tiny Tim- exactly. A good coach looks at what the player CAN be- then coars him up, and gets the best out of him
You get a bad team, when the coach only looks at their toes- to make sure they are on the line
May 21st, 2014 at 11:56 am
” then COACHES him up”
Damn phone, damn auto check
May 21st, 2014 at 11:56 am
Let Demps stretch the field on go routes to make space underneath to VJ, ME, TW and ASJ. Safeties will need to account for his speed and cheat to avoid getting burned each single time.
May 21st, 2014 at 12:08 pm
“If you only look at the ceiling you end up with bad players.”
Bonzai…quick call Lovie up at One Buc an inform him that he’s wrong about many many things so far.
May 21st, 2014 at 12:21 pm
I made mention of the potential Demps brings to the table last year when we acquired him; & Joe “scoffed at him contributing at all” whether it was cause he was unfamiliar with Demps or let his Anti-SEC bias creep in to his analysis no matter. The kid just has too much natural speed/talent to ignore if he can stay healthy. Go watch some of his highlights at Florida, he’s just on another planet for speed when he gets the ball in space. He did it in the toughest defensive conference in college and has shown bursts of it in the NFL when he’s been on the field. If he’s truly dedicated to football now I think he makes this team in some capacity and adds the element of being a live electrical wire on the field for us capable of going the distance any play.
May 21st, 2014 at 12:22 pm
I’m not sold on Demps either. Sure he’s fast but can he catch? Can he stay healthy? Etc..
Right now, he’s like a lot of players taking the field; He’s got to prove it to make the roster.
@Bonzai- You may want to up your anti-depressant dosage. There’s a long way to go my friend!
May 21st, 2014 at 12:36 pm
how would dunn get blown away by demps? dunn ran a 4.29 demps ran a 4.26 thats neck on neck, and dunn has the cut back quickness
May 21st, 2014 at 12:37 pm
He can catch screens/wheel routes/pitches/Kick-offs (as he did all this in college) basically all you need out of a return man/3rd down back.
For those unfamiliar a sampling of all his highlights:
youtube.com/watch?v=a9z2VwlgbeQ
Or in a single play showing his blinding speed:
youtube.com/watch?v=bW4X664GRt0
Or in the NFL:
nfl.com/videos/nfl-game-highlights/0ap2000000054644/Demps-29-yard-run
May 21st, 2014 at 12:45 pm
“…Lovie said, “I tend to look at that ceiling” of players…”
This is how Luke “IR” Stocker has stayed on year, after year, after year.
May 21st, 2014 at 3:38 pm
Sorry, Tiny Tim, but you are wrong.
I said: “If you only look at the ceiling you end up with bad players.”
Bill at patriots looks at every aspect of the players. And they have an established group of players for support.
A good coach see’s both limitations AND potential, and makes a judgement as to whether he can help that player overcome the limitations and reach the potential.
May 22nd, 2014 at 8:45 am
Demps was used a lot between the tackles at FL and was tough enough to handle it. He is not injury prone when he is in football shape. Last year he was in sprinter shape only. This year will be different and he will make the team!
May 22nd, 2014 at 11:04 am
Sorry Buc Bonzai, but you are wrong. Lovie is doing what a real coach does and what fans like you seem to miss. He sees a player in Demps as an asset to this club and instead of calling him injury prone or saying he can’t catch. He is seeing how he can utilize his talents. The same thing belichick consistently does. Alot of people on here and I bet you are one of them was all for trading a player like blount because he could not “block” or “catch.” It didn’t stop belichick from using him. No sir, you are wrong.