Jameis Still On Track As Starting QB
June 5th, 2015
Lovie Smih explains after Jameis Winston was a second-team QB yesterday. Photo courtesy of Buccaneers.com.
One thing Joe learned talking to a trusted Bucs source last week was that the days of gifting players starting gigs is over.
Oh, sure, the Bucs expect Donovan Smith to start at left tackle. And they hope, before the end of the season, Ali Marpet will start at right guard. But it doesn’t mean those two are locked in as starters.
Rookies, they understand, have a learning curve.
And while the Bucs fully expect “America’s Quarterback,” Jameis Winston, to start on opening day, they still want to make sure Jameis is progressing properly, which he has done all along. While Jameis was mostly working with the second team yesterday, Lovie Smith was quick to douse any flames of panic.
“Jameis and everybody else is going to earn their position, yeah,” Lovie said. “But Jameis is getting his first team reps. You guys are here on Thursday. There’s Wednesday and he was with the first group then. Don’t look too much into that. We just want the guys that we think can play to get reps and we want them to work with a lot of different combinations, not just the quarterback position, but throughout. Jameis is right on schedule. Like we said, I’m not disappointed or anything like that in him or our football team right now. So, on schedule.”
If Jameis was disappointed by not getting to throw much to Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans, then he was sure hiding it well. After practice, Jameis said working with the second team was a good way of learning everyone on the roster, not just Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Evans and Jackson.
“Never was given anything in my life, so the way I brought up I always have to earn everything,” Jameis said. “The main thing is to earn the respect of all these players out there.”
The way the Bucs rave about Jameis, Joe would be absolutely floored, barring an injury, if Jameis is not your Bucs starting quarterback come Week One.
So why are the Bucs now suddenly forcing players to earn their keep? You can thank Anthony Collins, Ghost Johnson and turnover-prone Josh McCown.
June 5th, 2015 at 6:46 am
Those bums you listed are not to blame for being gifted starting roster spots. The blame lies squarely with that incompetent Lovie Smith who makes ALL of the decisions over there since he was gifted full control when he was hired.
June 5th, 2015 at 7:03 am
And why exactly are you not coaching a professional franchise? Oh I get it you wouldn’t know what the hell you were doing. Internet assassin.
June 5th, 2015 at 7:22 am
you forgot Mike Jenkins as well who was gifted his job by “Lovie Claus” !!!!
June 5th, 2015 at 7:32 am
Nole- call me what you want but you know it’s true. If Morris or Schiano make these same huge mistakes Lovie did they would be roundly criticized by all the fans and rightly so. My point is that Joe was blame shifting in his piece. These bad football players are not to blame for being gifted starting roles. The blame clearly lies with the guy who hand-picked them, grossly overpaid them and made them starters in March all while taunting the virtues of competition.
I didn’t come to this understanding after the 2014 season. I complained about all of this bitterly this time last year on this very site and was criticized mercilessly then for not being positive enough and not giving them a chance, yada yada.
Facts are in. As the HC of the Buccaneers Lovie Smith is incompetent.
June 5th, 2015 at 7:49 am
it’s a shame you have to actually write an article about the obvious. your just bringing out the troll in the usual suspects you know who you are. this team is better than it’s ever been in the past 10 years and the sad part is it’s not even a playoff roster yet. you two just look pathetic at this point. you expect a veteran player to come in and beat out younger players and as far as mike Jenkins goes all your doing is guessing what would have happened based on history your not talking about the reality that he got hurt and couldn’t go.
you can mention all the players gifted a job combined and it doesn’t compare to schiano and Dominick letting Bennett walk in favor of daquan bowers and then have the nerve to try and justify it by talking about a shoulder injury is why they did it. then you bench bowers for teoneishim lol its too early in the morning turds
June 5th, 2015 at 7:50 am
Time for a Lovie confidence poll…..like him or not…I’m sure his numbers are up…..
Tanked for Jameis
Drafted Jameis
Brought in some scheme players
Drafted Oline
Hasn’t lost in months…..
June 5th, 2015 at 7:53 am
Warms Joe’s heart to see the passion on a Friday morning.
And good point. It wasn’t like Collins, Ghost and McClown were the ones setting the starting lineup.
June 5th, 2015 at 7:56 am
LOL “Lovie Claus”
June 5th, 2015 at 8:08 am
@Nole,
I can’t believe I am saying this, but I have to agree with DallasBuc. The Bucs debacle of an Oline last year is totally on Lovie, as are many of the crazy decisions that were made like getting fleeced by the Pats for Mankins, signing the Ghost, drafting Sims when we so desparetly needed Oline help (the Mankins flee sing soon followed). These were stupid decisions that Lovie IS responsible for, no one else.
June 5th, 2015 at 8:15 am
Going through the bad times will make the good times much better. Growing up with the Bucs in the 80’s made the Super Bowl run just unbeliveable!!!!!
June 5th, 2015 at 8:18 am
@The Bucs debacle of an Oline last year is totally on Lovie
it’s really easy to blame the head coach for players brought in, players cut and so forth but it’s kinda weird to give lovie credit for signing those free agents last year and licht credit for the successes. it was a joint effort and the way it was explained I finally get it. it was the first year, the team was losing so they went into free agency swung for the fence and missed. with only 5 draft picks I kind of understood it although they could have simply left the o line in tact. we’re fans so all will be forgiven with a great record this year go bucs
June 5th, 2015 at 8:25 am
Harry:
It was a cluster, not just the (bad) signings, but letting Penn walk and trading Zuttah totally blew up in their faces. Not sure how you take what was a very underperforming line, gut it, and make it even worse. You actually have to try to do something like that.
Joe was never a Ted Larsen guy, but hey, he started for a playoff team. Can’t tell Joe he couldn’t have started for the 2-14 Bucs.
June 5th, 2015 at 8:28 am
Correct me if I am wrong Joe, But the way I was told (just recently) is that Lovie has reduced his “GM” role and control, and will focus more on coaching, mainly the “defense”. I even just heard that Lovie might call some plays on defense! “rick stroud” .
Lovie was very involved in GM duties last year and did not have a lot of time for “coaching”
If this is true, Lovie is directly responsible for the disaster of last year!!!
June 5th, 2015 at 8:33 am
Agree bucs4lyfe, I didn’t like tearing up the oline but after the MRSA incidents and any other issues with the last regime I really don’t know how much of that was the team decision makers or the players themselves. I don’t get upset about things like the team bringing in free agents I understand some will be a bust. I just wish they would make these guys prove they are worth the money. I also understand Tampa HAS to overpay guys because we are not a large market. Tough spot we are in and hopefully we say a drastic turn around (I fully expect it).
June 5th, 2015 at 8:35 am
head coach didn’t have time for coaching because of gm duties so what was the gm doing!!! that’s the dumbest thing ever repeated. the lengths some people go to just to smear someone’s name….just say you don’t like the guy and be done with it. it doesn’t matter because as soon as you utter the words lovie is the worst coach in the history of the nfl you’ll realize he’s still our coach, ima need you to get it together bro
June 5th, 2015 at 8:37 am
Year one of L & L plan – tank for Jameis, you already heard Licht talk about how long he had been watching Jameis. They had to sell the public but the Glazers already knew. Those FA’s signed last year were unproven to be game changers, we just took the bait as optimistic fans. What was the line last year, we only won four games, we were not very good. Anyway, year two plan in effect, you can bet they are watching the draft and free agency for 2016 already.
June 5th, 2015 at 8:45 am
The only way we get back to respectability is through the draft and trades. Teams that live by free agents, die by free agents.! The only free agents we should be signing now are O Line. Only dive in the free agent pool if we’re a contender.
June 5th, 2015 at 8:48 am
I’d like to reference the lizards again, disagreements by commenters are much like the male battles in that species. Hunched up with ridges down their backs, like mini dragons, they jump at each other with their mouths wide open protecting their territory much like opinions.
June 5th, 2015 at 8:58 am
He sure didn’t put his foot down on any of the moves.
Did the Bucs royaly screw up the line? There is no question. Even the Bucs, in private, will admit they made some grievous errors. But hey, it helped the Bucs get Jameis. So all is good.
June 5th, 2015 at 9:04 am
@Joe
I disagree with the last sentence! (surprise) We will not know if it was all worth it and “all is good” until 3 years from now. I am a Winston fan, but he needs to become the best QB since Luck and the Bucs need to see the playoffs in order for ” all is good!” To forgive the architect the worst year in Buccaneer history!
June 5th, 2015 at 9:10 am
Last year was the worst in History? Your history must not go back as far as mine……..
June 5th, 2015 at 9:16 am
@WhatDaBuc?
yes, I think so, The record may not be the worst. But with all the Expectations and all the Rhetoric that was said before the season started. After all the talk of how Coach Schiano and his ” terrible scheme’s” that was holding back all the scary talents and “beast” of players back. And to have a superbowl coach come in that has had a top 5 defense for multiple years. The top secret offense that they even ask the media to keep quiet on! Yes this was the worst Buccaneer season in history!!!
June 5th, 2015 at 9:22 am
Everything was fantastic before Lovie got here. That fabulous oline took us to great heights.
Obviously, all Lovie Smith’s fault.
June 5th, 2015 at 9:24 am
Uh……. nope, still don’t see it. Even with all that said I still think (I never was a math guru) that 2 wins is better than 0. But, to each their own. If you are one of the people that just sit back and let the media and other people form your opinion for you than so be it.
June 5th, 2015 at 9:29 am
Just a little FYI for The Buc Pessimist, I googled it, and I was correct 2 is greater than 0. Huh…. who would’ve thought.
June 5th, 2015 at 9:34 am
I am the biggest anti-lovie guy on this site. I don’t get why he gets a free pass and is treated like a coaching great or legend without the resume to justify it. If all you have to hang your hat on is he went (LOST) a super bowl with Rex Grossman and his teams have top 10 defenses well that’s not legendary by any stretch. I’ll say it again, until they start giving out Lombardi trophy’s and throwing super bowl parades for super bowl losers and top 10 defenses nothing else matters but WINS…
Now to the positive… Lovie indeed had full control last year and needed to take full responsibility for the disaster he caused. If during the course of the self evaluation lovie determined that he needed to leave the personnel decisions to the experts like Licht who has assisted in the building of consistent playoff teams in the past unlike Mr. Smith than I tip my hat to Lovie. Although his history proves that he rarely adjusts or changes, I will give him the benefit of the doubt that he will stay out of the way of Licht and Koetter and let them do their jobs. Lovie has never done this in the past so I am very cautious.
I do think this draft was more of Licht draft than last year that produced 1 starter. I think Bell and Smith will be just fine.
some of you people get so butt hurt when someone points out short comings in Lovie. Get over it. He is human being and makes tons of mistakes and when you demand full control like he did last year than you must accept FULL responsibility for you mistakes and dumb decisions. It’s commendable he is a nice guy but he is paid to win games not win the nobel peace prize.
Lovie made a lot of the same type of bad personnel moves in chicago which got a 10 win coach fired
June 5th, 2015 at 9:51 am
It might not have been the worst season record wise, but it was more dissapointing. 0-14 as an expansion team isn’t as dissapointing as 2-14 when the head coach said we shouldn’t be patient.
June 5th, 2015 at 10:02 am
But he is right…… WE SHOULDN’T BE PATIENT!!! There are 32 teams out there that are paid and expected to win a SB EVERY YEAR! News flash, they don’t give out 32 Trophies at the end of the game. As a fan you should expect to contend every year, at the same time you have to understand that it is no ONE person’s fault. If I remember correctly Lovie makes decisions about who is on the field and the 53 players play the game. They are in the NFL, that means they are some of the best in the game. OUR PLAYERS need to play like that and if they don’t………. get rid of them and get somebody that will. I see the team doing that.
June 5th, 2015 at 10:40 am
@WhatDaBuc?
That right, I knew you would start to come around,
Yes! let the hate flow thru you! “You want this, don’t you? The hate is swelling in you now. Take your Jedi weapon. Use it. I am unarmed. Strike me down with it. Give in to your anger. With each passing moment you make yourself more my servant.”
Become the WhatDaBuc-Realist!!!!!
June 5th, 2015 at 10:48 am
WhatDaBuc?
I agree with the majority of your above take it is the players responsibility to prepare and perform their best that being said it’s the coaches job to put the players in the best position to succeed. One of my many issues with Loive is his stubbornness and refusal to adjust “his system” to accommodate players strengths. LVD is a perfect example of skills / talents not being maximized. Players win championships not systems.
Here is why I feel it’s justified to put all or majority of the blame on Lovie.
It’s Lovie’s philosophy the organization embraced. It’s his defense system that is being forced and it’s lovies players he picked in the last 2 off-seasons. so yes in my opinion lovie deserves a tremendous amount of criticism. he blew up the oline without a plan. he did not find help or support arroyo
i just don’t have confidence he is the right guy to lead the bucs and Americas quaterback to the promise land which is the super bowl win not a top ten defense.
June 5th, 2015 at 10:54 am
LMAO! No hate here my man. All I am saying is….. From what I see the decision makers ARE doing the job they are paid to do. Is it going to pay off (I expect it to) who knows. It is asinine to blame Lovie for this. I am not a die hard Lovie fan. However, I will defend him because he does not play the games. Look every team runs “pretty much” the same plays. The difference is the execution of those plays by the teams players. Having said all of that, if that makes you feel like you and I are on the same page then maybe there is still a glimmer of hope for you. I will continue to haunt you and rebute your comments. Eventually we as Bucs fans will live in a world of unicorns and rainbows and you will be the most positive person on this site.
June 5th, 2015 at 11:01 am
TMAXCON;
I bet you loved Dungy though (as most Bucs fans did/do) but he didn’t get us a SB either. It was the SCHEME he brought to us the players he picked up and the offense that Gruden brought that won it. However, mediocre that offense was. No one sent Dungy a ring. I am not saying there weren’t bad decisions on his part I’m saying that the players deserve more than anyone. “MOST” of the bad decisions Lovie made have since been sent packing. But, there were many, many more mistakes made before Lovie got here. The Tampa 2 is still a VERY effective scheme and the fact that he doesn’t play strictly shows that he is changing with the league. Maybe not at the pace you would like but he is still changing.
June 5th, 2015 at 11:05 am
WhatDaBuc?
I agree the tampa 2 can still be effective. However, lovie has always called games “Not to Lose” which makes his version of tampa 2 so passive. again, i hope he learned from his mistakes last year and after the draft I have been a little more upbeat that the draft class has more of a licht fingerprint than a lovie fingerprint.
June 5th, 2015 at 11:18 am
I support Lovie. I think he will rebound this year. But seriously. To bring in Josh Mccown and hand him a starting job… I was not sold that Mccown would work out, and a year later, im just disgusted at the result. And Lovie is 100 percent to blame. Regardless how I feel or anyone else, it dosent make it any less true. Mccown was the biggest reason we lost 14 games last year and that falls directly on Lovie for handing him w job. That was stupid. That was incompetent. It dosent make Lovie any of those, buy boy that was bad last year.
But unlike Raheem and Schiano, Lovie has been therr done that. He has ran a pro orginization for nine seasons. Its not that Lovie gets a pass, its just that he gets a chance that maybe an inexperienced coach wouldnt.
June 5th, 2015 at 2:48 pm
I support Lovie fully, wasn’t his fault his coordinator had health issues. I believe that more than anything doomed this team. And all you guys that are laying the blame on him, give him the credit when they start winning. If you’re being fair.
June 5th, 2015 at 3:41 pm
The problem here is EXPECTATIONS. You have to build a winning franchise, and guess what, there are going to be bumps in the road especially in the beginning.
The Bucs have been a 3-wheeled wagon driving around in circles since the “glory years”. It starts at the top when it comes to winning.
June 5th, 2015 at 4:02 pm
@Joe says,
“…It was a cluster, not just the (bad) signings, but letting Penn walk and trading Zuttah totally blew up in their faces. Not sure how you take what was a very underperforming line, gut it, and make it even worse. You actually have to try to do something like that….”
I am so with you. CLUSTER is the perfect word (that is why you get paid the big bucks my friend). Maybe they were trying? Licht said he has been eyeing Jameis for years. Maybe Realist, WhatDaBuc and I and the many others are wrong about their ineptness and L&L are much smarter than we all give them credit for. There is certainly evidence. Goodell might want to send Wells to look at of the Bucs tanking from the beginning, such as ALL the Oline decisions. #TankforJameisGate? No. No way. They just arent that smart. And they will likely prove it again this year wher they leave us scratching our heads in frustration, lol
June 5th, 2015 at 4:19 pm
@ptwalk says,
“…I support Lovie fully, wasn’t his fault his coordinator had health issues. I believe that more than anything doomed this team. And all you guys that are laying the blame on him, give him the credit when they start winning…”
I won’t disagree that it wasn’t Lovie’s fault Tedford got sick. BUT, LOVIE is responsible for leaving Aaroyo in charge as OC, with NO NFL experience, NONE. That is like Bill Gates getting sick and someone lets Pablo be in charge of Microsoft while Gates recuperates. I have read this lame excuse before and it infuriates me.
Lovie, and ONLY Lovie IS RESPONSIBLE for the handling of the Tedford situation, for the cluster Fuk (thank you Joe) that was the joke of an Oline, for the use of a 3rd rd pick on a RB when even my dead mother knew we needed Oline help. These aren’t “accidents” like the horrible decisions to sign The Ghost DE and A “Turnstyle” Collins. These are just piss poor, badly evaluated decisions that the Glazers are paying Lovie $Million$ to make.
Lovie is responsible! Breath Harry, breath…
June 5th, 2015 at 4:20 pm
Crap, my posts are getting so long they look like Bonzai’s, lol love u brother…
June 5th, 2015 at 6:12 pm
I’m excited about Winston but you Winston groupies are delusional.
Again: I’m sure that Winston will be better than Glennon,
but what if Glennon is obviously better in camp?
The SMART thing to do would be to play the Cannon to start the season.
If the line is a jailbreak then at least Cannon will have seen it before.
You Winston groupies are going to cry like women if he gets hurt
in the first game because the O-line is getting mauled.
If Cannon struggles then we can put in your idol but at least he’ll have
had a chance to watch at least one NFL game from the sideline before
he gets thrown in there.
Don’t be surprised if LL&K do exactly that.
You Winston groupies are like Scientologists.