Draft Ranks 15th; Marpet Was The Drag
May 14th, 2015
The Godfather of modern NFL Scouting, legendary Cowboys architect Gil Brandt, has weighed in on the Buccaneers draft — in a way that would make the stats geeks proud.
NFL.com compiled Brandt’s pre-draft power rankings of potential picks and used that standard to rank how teams fared in this year’s draft.
The Bucs were middle of the pack.
15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers:
Overview: The Bucs nabbed three Hot 100 players in the first two rounds. While QB Jameis Winston and OT Donovan Smith were drafted close to their rankings (in fact, Smith was taken 34th overall — and ranked 34th on Brandt’s list), OL Ali Marpet might have been overdrafted. The Bucs traded up to take him at No. 61 overall; he was 96th on Brandt’s list.
The players (points)
No. 5 QB Jameis Winston, Florida State (96)
No. 34 OT Donovan Smith, Penn State (67)
No. 96 OL Ali Marpet, Hobart (5)
You mean a guy with the pedigree of Brandt wasn’t terribly high on a Division III lineman like Marpet? Imagine that.
Joe’s not rooting against Marpet, the pride of Hobart College. In fact, Joe’s hoping the kid breaks the mold and shocks the NFL this season, making the jump from dominating against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute to handling the Panthers’ front-7.
It’s a gamble, though. As Joe’s written, Jason Licht has put big footballs on the table expecting/hoping Marpet is a quality starter this season.
May 14th, 2015 at 3:48 pm
Big chance coming from a gm who constructed a 2-14 roster…
Hope Licht is better than our last gm who left this team with very little talent
May 14th, 2015 at 3:54 pm
I know we need content but his story is a big meh
Brandt is an old dude who is perhaps over the hill anyway.
But with all due respect…it would take JC himself to accurately grade this draft.
NOBODY knows how ANY team’s draft really turned out. We can all speculate but the proof is in the performance.
Because a SINGLE player got drafted 31 spots higher than Brandt thinks proper that makes our draft mediocre. Bwaaahaaahaaa.
Does anybody here suppose that Brandt or any other NFL genius will be back next year if Marpet makes the all rookie team to say…hey I really screwed that one up didn’t I.
Jim Rome spent six months making fun of Peyton Manning…calling him instead of using his first name by using the last name of every draft bust..E.G.
Pisacaric Manning. He pimped as hard for Ryan Leaf as JBF did for Johnny Football or Fameis this year. I’ve yet here Rome say…wow was I totally WRONG on those two assessments.
Same for Kiper or any of them.
May 14th, 2015 at 3:58 pm
Oh God another one of you talking about last season’s record. Ali will a star,book it. Why? Something about having doubters that bring out all of what a prideful man has. I’ve listen to him speak,he has the same confidence juice Jamies possesses.
May 14th, 2015 at 4:02 pm
What is the word on Edwards? Has he gained strength?
A real point this year will come from the progress of last year’s two fifth rounders.
May 14th, 2015 at 4:15 pm
Yea but Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute are all beasts!!!!
May 14th, 2015 at 4:22 pm
this will be a red shirt year for marpet
May 14th, 2015 at 4:24 pm
will be interesting to see the career paths of
jw vs mm
smith vs fisher
marpet vs aj cann
May 14th, 2015 at 4:57 pm
Get on the Bucs Ship it is sailing into a winning season.
Or stay on land and pet the jag cat or fish for the deadfins.
The Bucs only lost several games by one or two points .
That was with no OC and a bad QB. O line put together a week before season.
This year will be a winner . Mark my word.
Winston will learn to win in NFL with some Veteran help. Mankind will step up this year and run the OLine. VJax and Evans better pick them in fantasy because they have someone who can throw. MasterBlaster runs for 900 + this season.
May 14th, 2015 at 5:00 pm
Meh. Seahawks one of the better drafting teams the last few years and ranked last lol.
May 14th, 2015 at 5:15 pm
I am so sick of people talking down about the Ali Marpet pick.
If he ends up being a pro bowler, was it still reaching? No. The whole “reaching” premise is bull. You take guys that will be good no matter where you pick.
Period.
Ali Marpet is going to be our best offensive lineman. Watch and see. There was a reason I had him on my wishlist.
Can’t wait for him to cram peoples words down their throats.
May 14th, 2015 at 5:21 pm
Big Marpet fan here!
May 14th, 2015 at 5:22 pm
I’m prejudiced!!! I grew up in Cincinnati as a Bengals fan. Don’t tell Bengals fans of a certain age that DIII football means the player is doomed.
Ken Anderson took us to the Superbowl after a great career at the DIII football factory Augustana College. Anybody here know where that is? I had to google myself. If a QB can make it a physically gifted OL should have no insurmountable obstacles.
And Tony Romo’s alma mater Eastern Ill may be up at notch in DIAA but not exactly a football factory either. Again a QB…tougher than OL.
The reason most lower level linemen don’t make it is because they are typically way to small.
I used to cover East Tennessee State, Tennessee, Va Tech, Emory and Henry, Carson Newman in my area once upon a time. The major difference was size.
No matter how powerful or talented a 6-1 250 lb tackle might be he’s not going to compete well at D1 or the NFL.
May 14th, 2015 at 5:28 pm
Can anyone tell me why Marpet was in D3 to begin with? That’s story I want to hear.
May 14th, 2015 at 5:30 pm
Kurt Warner was a stock boy at a grocery store.
May 14th, 2015 at 5:31 pm
SPBF
If I’m not mistaken jimmy garapolo went to the same school as Romo so that’s 2 starting Qbs.
May 14th, 2015 at 5:36 pm
Jerry Rice – Mississippi Valley State Div 1AA.
May 14th, 2015 at 5:46 pm
@Bill,
He was only 230 lbs. coming out of high school.
Fordham, Marist and Holy Cross had interest in him as a walk on.
Hobart offered him a scholarship.
May 14th, 2015 at 5:53 pm
Off topic…wasn’t Joe supposed to feel the wrath of Gator Buc?
When’s that happening? I’m a little bored.
May 14th, 2015 at 6:04 pm
WS99
I think you are correct about Garapolo. Some small schools find lightning in the bottle more than once I guess. Kind of like when Marshall had that run with players like Moss and Chad Pennington and Byron Leftwich.
May 14th, 2015 at 6:08 pm
SPBF,
Moss was kicked out of Notre Dame and FSU before he went to Marshall.
Can you imagine the horror if we would have thought about drafting him today in this new social media age?
I’d be willing to bet he would not have been a first round pick.
May 14th, 2015 at 6:16 pm
Tampa Tony Says:
May 14th, 2015 at 3:48 pm
Big chance coming from a gm who constructed a 2-14 roster…
Hope Licht is better than our last gm who left this team with very little talent
Why do so many people call this team a 2-14 roster. You could have taken the entire Dallas Cowboys Roster…not including Romo because McCown was horrible, and put them on this team with the same staff last year and it would not have been pretty. Yes they are a team with MUCH needed work but the number of close games they were in last year realistically should tell you with a top NFL OC it’s easy to see we would have won at least half of those games. Than you add it was a transition year back to the Tampa 2. So many variables that so many fans just disregard as being relevant when looking at the roster or team record.
Dirk Koetter will do what Jeff Tedford should have had a chance to do last season. Yes I agree 100% that this team has holes that need filled but I do not think they were a 2-14 team based on talent. They were a 2-14 team due to a dump truck full of problems….not just the guys on the roster. That’s why I am so freakin excited about this year being a lot of fun to watch. Not saying we will make the playoffs but it should be the first year to a hell of a turnaround.
May 14th, 2015 at 6:34 pm
I played first string OT at Rensselaer and I’m here telling you they and Hobart are not even NFL practice squad camp meat! Close. NO? Still, I’ll root like hell for Marpet to break the mold beyond repair!
May 14th, 2015 at 6:56 pm
Tampaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
May 14th, 2015 at 6:57 pm
After ND Randy Moss was going to go to FSU but then he smoked a joint and impregnated a white girl in WV. Hence fourth Marshall U.
May 14th, 2015 at 6:57 pm
Baaaaaaaaaeeeeeeeeee
May 14th, 2015 at 7:00 pm
I seriously think we need a Kate upton type cheerleader to ride into Raymond Jameis Stadium on horseback and plant the skulls n bones at mid-field ala FSU.
Must have “Kate upton like features”. 😉
May 14th, 2015 at 7:06 pm
WS99,
I like your thinking.
What a great new tradition.
May 14th, 2015 at 7:15 pm
Walter Payton -Jackson State Univ. ,Michael Strahan – Texas Southern Univ., Doug Williams – Grambling State University, big Nate Newtown – Florida A & M University. All D I-AA schools
May 14th, 2015 at 7:22 pm
Thank you Kevin you are the first I’ve seen to make mention of it. I’ve felt that way for quite some time. 2-14 record yes,but way better than 2 and 14 from a talent stand point. You brought light to something I’ve neglected to say for some time now.
May 14th, 2015 at 7:27 pm
Randy Moss Was Red shirted while at FSU his freshman year.
He ended up at a Division III school because he was undersized in high school. … Not one Division I school offered him a scholarship.
May 14th, 2015 at 7:37 pm
Standlassman,
Wrong.
He signed a letter of intent to play for Nortre Dame,
Got into a racially motivated fight his senior year and Lou Holtz rescinded his scholarship.
He called Booby Bowden and told him about this kid and Bowden offered him a scholarship.
Moss had to spend 30 days in a work release program as part of his sentence and tested positive for marijuana.
Thus having him kicked out of FSU.
What part of this says no DI schools offered him a scholarship?
May 14th, 2015 at 7:38 pm
Stan
You sure about that? The 30 for 30 documentary said otherwise. At least I’m pretty sure it did. It said everything fell apart when they threw him in jail for a joint n his girlfriend situation irked the powers that be.
May 14th, 2015 at 7:40 pm
Dave
That’s exactly how I remember the situation.
May 14th, 2015 at 7:42 pm
WS99,
Probably because that’s the way it went down.
May 14th, 2015 at 7:44 pm
Lol. Yup probably.
May 14th, 2015 at 7:46 pm
WS99,
If my memory serves me correctly. That kid he got into a fight with in high school, he almost killed. I remember reading that he was already unconscious and he was still kicking him repeatedly in the head.
And Bowden says Jameis is an embarrassment to FSU?
He wanted Moss knowing these facts.
May 14th, 2015 at 7:46 pm
Undersized in high school was the clue he didn’t know bc Moss was a beast in HS on the FB n BB courts.
May 14th, 2015 at 7:49 pm
Yea you already know how it goes. Everything and anything for the media. I forgot about Bowden comment about 3 seconds after I heard it. But the media is funny they quote one word in his entire sentence to take it out of context. Same thing they’re doing with the countersuit etc.
They have to get clicks, whatchagonnado
May 14th, 2015 at 7:50 pm
He ran a 4.25 forty.
He’d have been the second fastest player on the team.
Deion ran a 4.23.
Can you say dynasty?
May 14th, 2015 at 7:54 pm
I know it sounds sad to pin your hopes on a Div III rook but that is only because it actually is.
May 14th, 2015 at 7:59 pm
Dy-nasty
May 14th, 2015 at 8:02 pm
🙂
May 14th, 2015 at 8:03 pm
He enrolls at Florida State and is a freshman teammate of Peter Warrick. He’s forced to redshirt his freshman year, but when he tests positive for marijuana in 1996, he’s kicked off the team without ever playing a down. The probation violation gets him a one-year jail sentence, which is reduced to about one month of time served.
DavePear (BTW My 1st Jersey was 76 Dave Pear) if you read his Wiki page you read he was red shirted at FSU.
May 14th, 2015 at 8:06 pm
No scholarship offer?
May 14th, 2015 at 8:08 pm
You said no DI school offered him a scholarship.
May 14th, 2015 at 8:08 pm
I named 2.
May 14th, 2015 at 8:12 pm
I watched the Moss on the practice field during the summer of ’95 at FSU. Carlos huerta, janikowski and I were kicking on the same field. Carlos was are unofficial kicking coach and Wyatt Sexton use to shag the balls.
May 14th, 2015 at 8:18 pm
DavePear.
2nd paragraph about not being offered a scholarship and undersized was Re: the Ali Marpet question someone ask not Randy Moss.
May 14th, 2015 at 8:20 pm
So are you saying that you were on the same team as Moss and didn’t know he was on scholarship?
That just confirms my belief that a lot of people at FSU are clueless.
May 14th, 2015 at 8:23 pm
Oops,
I thought you were talking about Moss.
My aplogies.
May 14th, 2015 at 8:25 pm
^^^
Apologies
May 14th, 2015 at 8:28 pm
Take it easy DavePear we are all Buc fans here. I thought the question was if Randy was Red shirted at FSU or not. I said yes. I was talking about Marpet not offered one out of high school and was undersized. That’s why I used a new paragraph and two spaces. I was trying to stay on topic. Randy Moss was not undersized and of course he was offered a scholarship. I could have been more clear.
May 14th, 2015 at 8:32 pm
Yeah,
I didn’t read it that way.
Luckily for me WS99 didn’t read it that way either.
Sorry for the misunderstanding.
May 14th, 2015 at 8:32 pm
I was wondering cuz Stan the man is usually on point. What we had here was a failure to communicate.
May 14th, 2015 at 8:32 pm
No Worries.
Go Bucs!
May 14th, 2015 at 8:34 pm
I’m Shakin the Bush boss, I’m shakin the Bush.
May 14th, 2015 at 8:39 pm
Go Bucs!
May 14th, 2015 at 9:00 pm
This is funny cause the whole time I’m reading this I’m thinking ” No!!! he’s talking about Marpet, not Moss!!” Lol I love you guys!!!!
May 14th, 2015 at 9:08 pm
As far as guys from small schools making it big in the NFL; look no further than our University of Tampa. John Mutuszac and Freddie Solomons both played for the Spartans back in the early ’70s before the program was terminated after the 1974 season with the coming of the Bucs… Matuszac was the #1 overall pick in the 1973 draft by the Oilers before he went onto the Raiders and won a ring… Solomons was a 2nd round pick of Miami and then became a favorite target of Joe Montana and won 2 rings.. Solomons was also quite the man out of football and done a lot for the community after he retired in Hillsborough County. Like LeeRoy Selmon, Solomons died too young, a victim of liver cancer…..
May 14th, 2015 at 9:32 pm
A lot of times when guys from small schools get to a place they were always told they could never get to, the NFL, they get complacent if they make the team. Something about Marpet tells me that “complacency” is not in his vocabulary
May 14th, 2015 at 9:35 pm
Rick Brackins from ‘Ricks on the river’ was roommates with John Mutuszac at UT. I’m friends with Rick’s his son and our fathers were friends so I grew up hearing some great stories about those two in college. A lot of people don’t know that the ‘ol sombrero was the UT football stadium. The 1st game I went to that stadium (4 years old) was a ’74 preseason Dolphins vs Jets game before they put the end zone side on. I think it was to find out if Tampa could support a NFL team.
May 14th, 2015 at 9:46 pm
So what you are saying is that Licht’s balls are not DEFLATED??
May 14th, 2015 at 10:04 pm
Stanglassman. Yes I was at that game as well, I think the old Tampa Stadium (built in ’67) held like 46K for the UT Spartan football games and was expanded to 70+K for the Bucs in 1975. I was pretty young back then too, attending elementary school in Temple Terrace but remember reading and hearing from my dad how much Tampa Tribune sports guru Tom McEwan was instrumental in getting that exhibition game set up. I read later that it was one of the lynch pins that got Tampa over the top and one of the 2 expansion franchises in 1975….
May 14th, 2015 at 10:25 pm
haha how great i live across the street from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. anyway i don’t think marpet will be a reach if he turns out we’ll. he has to be better than the garbage cans that played oline for the bucs last year. i mean at the combine and senior bowl marpet was lights out. so why not pick him
May 14th, 2015 at 10:43 pm
Our draft went against the Dungy credo of drafting the best available player no matter what the position and not to fall in love with a particular guy. The strategy provided us with depth a and a full compliment of draft picks.
May 14th, 2015 at 10:57 pm
This could work out well despite the “reach”. Marpet accomplished 30 reps at 225 pounds, 30 in the vertical, and 30 in the Wonderlic. He has an excellent work ethic, a high ceiling and is very coachable. Give him one year to spruce up his technique and used to the NFL strength and speed and there is a great chance we have a solid lineman for the next 10 years.
May 14th, 2015 at 11:46 pm
I kind of wish people would quit referring to Marpet as a reach. A couple of the mock drafts had him going at the end of the 2nd round to seatttle and New england and I am sure if the Bucs did not trade up there would be a good chance he’d be on one of their rosters and a lot of the guys who are now calling Marpet a risky reach would probably be praising the Pat or seahawk draft savvy instead…. Dexter Jackson out of Appalachian state was a reach by Chuckie and Dominick and its a bit of a stretch to put Marpet in the same category as he graded so high at the combines and Senior Bowl….
May 15th, 2015 at 12:17 am
Marpet has the physical tools, and the brains, he just needs coaching!
May 15th, 2015 at 12:23 am
Ali’s combine was amazing…so if he stays focused and determined…he should be legit. O line is all about physicality, toughness and determination.
May 15th, 2015 at 12:25 am
We probably got Ali Marpet 15-20 picks early but I am ok with that!
May 15th, 2015 at 1:08 am
Count me as one of those guys skeptical about Marpet. I’m rooting for him, but in the end I just think it’s going to prove to much of a jump. You’ve got o lineman who went in the first round and played D1 ball that won’t even make it, so the odds are stacked heavily against this guy. But hey, if it works out it was a brilliant move.
May 15th, 2015 at 2:09 am
He absolutely looked like be belonged at the senior bowl, so that’s a good sign. Its clear that he’s got tremendous strength, and I really liked the hustle he showed staying with his block 20 yards down the field at 0:20.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wr8ilBxvoIE
But, that’s probably the best video you’re going to find of him, and you only get to see him for like 5 or 6 plays. Wish there was more in game video of the guy.
May 15th, 2015 at 11:06 am
both Marpet and Smith feature in this OL vs DL drills video from the Senior Bowl
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtzsgEgPhcs
Both do a good job
May 15th, 2015 at 5:05 pm
I echo what Buccaneer Bonzai said! Stop hating and let’s see what this team is made of this year!