The Hidden Gem
June 8th, 2015
Joe expects a strong season from Johnthan Banks.
No, when you are 2-14, there is no such thing as a strength on your team. Oh, sure, the Bucs have arguably the NFL’s best one-two punch at wide receiver with Mike Evans and Vincent Jackson.
After that, there is a pretty huge drop off at receiver.
The spreadsheeters over at Pro Football Focus are doing their annual analysis of NFL team rosters and when it comes to the Bucs, they are not enamored by the secondary.
The defensive backfield remains a mixed bag, with new signing Sterling Moore joining Alterraun Verner as the only two players we have rated as anything above average. At safety Bradley McDougald had a solid enough season, but both Major Wright and Chris Conte graded negatively a year ago.
Notice a couple of names missing? Joe sure does, and the glaring one is Johnthan Banks.
Last year, the Bucs brought in Alterraun Verner who, in so many words, was supposed to replace Darrelle Revis. Verner struggled. Not a shock. How many ex-Bucs talk about how players need two years to grasp Lovie’s defense?
Guess who doesn’t need two years or even a full season to learn Lovie’s defense? That’s right, it was Banks. In Joe’s eyes, Banks played so well the second half of the season, Joe honestly thought Banks had an outside shot of being an alternate for the Pro Bowl. Seriously.
Here is another exciting thing for the Bucs and Banks: This is the first time since Banks was in high school that he has had the same defensive coordinator and system in two consecutive years. Joe thinks that is huge and will reflect in Banks’ play.
Just the thought of Mike Jenkins starting over Banks makes Joe want to gargle with Roundup.
June 8th, 2015 at 10:37 am
Come on Joseph! You have been hopping up and down on Banks’ wang for far too long! Why don’t you let someone else ride that thing!(Like his wife or g/f)
The fact of the matter is, if Jenkins beats out Banks, then Jenkins should start!
“It’s as simple as that” – Lovie Smith
June 8th, 2015 at 10:39 am
OneLove…Mike Jenkins was gifted a starting spot last season with no competition with Banks. He was signed and became the instant starter. He never beat out Banks last season. Which is what Joe’s getting at.
June 8th, 2015 at 10:39 am
Come on Joe, best one-two punch in the NFL. Don’t get me wrong they are good, But they are not even top 5 duo’s in the NFL!!!
June 8th, 2015 at 10:47 am
The Buc Realist:
You missed the qualifier “arguably.”
Two guys who each had 1,000-yard receiving seasons with Josh McClown as quarterback? That’s pretty damned impressive.
June 8th, 2015 at 10:48 am
I like Banks. He’s tall but looks skinny. Doesn’t really appear be a big hitter but he isn’t afraid to take on RBs coming downhill, he will tackle. He’s tough. Look at his pick six. At the goaline RG3 lays a shoulder right into his chin, but Banks shook it off an reached over and fell in. Pretty awesome. Plus the dude never misses a game. Face it, will be a stud.
June 8th, 2015 at 10:49 am
@admin aka Joe
you missed “they are not even top 5” which throws out the arguably angle!!!!!
June 8th, 2015 at 10:51 am
OneLove:
What exactly has Jenkins done in his NFL career that suggests he is better than Banks? Is it pulling up on tackles allowing guys to score? Is it getting roasted play after play after play by Vince Young — Vince Young!?!?!?
Or could it be Jenkins mastering the Tampa-2 (sarcasm) and getting dumped by Rod Marinelli in Dallas?
Or perhaps getting cut by the rotten Raiders?
June 8th, 2015 at 11:07 am
banks is the best player we have in the secondary. hands down period.
June 8th, 2015 at 11:08 am
I’m with the Joes 100%
Banks should have had an outside chance at eating pineapple. In fact, until Verner “gets it”, Banks is BY FAR our best corner. If you want Jenkins in the starting lineup, he should be pushing Verner, not Banks!
June 8th, 2015 at 11:08 am
The Buc Pessimist, can you please throw out five duo’s better than these two
June 8th, 2015 at 11:13 am
Bingo!
June 8th, 2015 at 11:14 am
Yea realist, who are you top 2 duos? I wanna see this.
June 8th, 2015 at 11:15 am
You might be giving Monsanto an idea for a new product, Roundup Gargle, a sure hit with FDA approval. The cowboys can be a sponser, and the Bucs as cowboys east can give an assist.
June 8th, 2015 at 11:19 am
make that sponsor.
June 8th, 2015 at 11:40 am
Let them keep fueling the motivation for Bucs players to prove the nation wrong. Players do read their press clippings and this team is going to totally shock many people with their win loss record this season as their will be many more wins than expected.
June 8th, 2015 at 11:47 am
offseason is what creates crazy fans, everyone is doing a spin job and creating articles by saying that make it interesting enough to read and I thank them for proving that. how can you write an article about a teams defensive backs and seem to only mention free agents while forgetting to mention the highest drafted player at corner since aquib talib lol just pathetic
June 8th, 2015 at 11:47 am
Anyone who thinks Jenkins is a far better corner than banks is on crack point blank. Just remember Jenkins started kelvin Bejamin off to stardom and got fried and injured on the same play he gave up a touchdown and his season lol
June 8th, 2015 at 11:52 am
Don’t like your verbage OneLove but I agree with the content.
Joe has an unrequited love affair going on with Banks like a preteen girl at a Justin Bieber concert.
I don’t know for sure and neither does anyone else, but I think Lovie went with Jenkins over Banks is because like most coaches, Lovie felt more comfortable going with a proven veteran over a second year player who saw limited action the previous year.
But in order to justify all this love, Banks needs to make bigger plays instead of dropping game winning INT’s like he did against the Vikings.
June 8th, 2015 at 12:14 pm
@drdneast
I’m not sure I like your verbiage, but I agree with your content!
June 8th, 2015 at 12:16 pm
Calling Jenkins a Proven veteran is the second funniest thing posted on this site.. The first is obviously the fools that call Lovie a “Great Coach” even though history and stats proof his average to below average coach and a HORRENDOUS personnel man.
Oh and GOOD coaches play the most talented player who gives them the best chance to win. It is absolutely stupid to be so stubborn or conservative to let a veteran has been that never was take reps away from a young promising player with potential. Having Jenkins on the roster is a complete waste of time. With the new CBA reps are priceless. Why waste a rep on a proven failure like jenkins. just another one of lovie’s dumb decisions / choices. It’s one thing to support local talent but not at the expense of the team.
good coaches can also manage players and don’t ship talented players off over stupid petty off the filed issues. Manage it. The world is not perfect neither are the players. this jenkins crap is pathetic.
June 8th, 2015 at 12:34 pm
According to the win loss record which is all that matters at the end of the day. the duo has 31 duo’s that were better. rankings are meaningless. did your team win or did your team lose. the people that constantly bring up top ten defense this and top ten defense that would be happy with 8-8 no playoffs but the defense is top 10 so all is good.. I can not get that nor will I even try. That mindset already got a 10 win legendary head coach in lovie fired once. i don’t want to wait for the slow painful death Lovie will inflict on the fans / bucs with 8-8 and 9-7 being the norm. the useless free agents he signed on d are the reason every fan should be terrified of lovies future. Lovie is going to leave this defense with nothing but broken down system specific players and the new coach will have to rebuild all over again. Poor GMC and LVD are going to get Grubered….
June 8th, 2015 at 12:44 pm
What has Jenkins done? Pro Bowl. Banks an alternate to the Pro Bowl? Joe must have some purple. Banks had 63.5% of receptions thrown is way completed. Ranked 60th overall at CB by Po Football Focus. 15 missed tackles. Ranked 44th overall in coverage and as far as improving after the bye week? Banks improved to 29th in coverage by PFF. The last seven games of the season he was ranked 13th overall in coverage by PFF. Maybe Joe is on to something? Pass it.
June 8th, 2015 at 12:47 pm
The Hidden Gem = The Buc Realist
June 8th, 2015 at 12:50 pm
“Poor GMC and LVD are going to get Grubered….”
tmaxcon..that would be a terrrrible thing to happen…
Don’t put these bad thoughts in my head. I’m staying positive this offseason.
June 8th, 2015 at 1:03 pm
Buc1987
sorry 87 not my intention. i almost blew a blood vessel when they resigned Jenkins. It makes no sense…
I wish people would stop with the he went to the pro bowl accidents happen. Look at his entire body of work. Jenkins will not tackle and gets burned. gives up way to easy… just a waste of time and this is why Lovie is Lovie. Argggg…. I need meds…
June 8th, 2015 at 1:09 pm
off season and training camp reps are too valuable now. it’s not like the old days you have to target your “Hopefuls” and Prays… so know lovie has a d built on hope and prays.
Melton = hope he stays healthy and can recapture his form…
Jenkins = hope that he can tackle and not get burned not to mention stay healthy.
Carter – hope / pray he can play MLB
Hoping the entire stable of mediocre to bad safteies can field 2 starters…
Hoping the future insurance salesman and camp counselors at de can rise up…
see the pattern with Lovie… Lotta hoping and praying going on here… sure is a lot of gambling for a so-called conservative coach.
Yeah, that Lovie is so darn great…
June 8th, 2015 at 1:49 pm
Realist
Im with everyone else. Would really like to here your top 5 duos
June 8th, 2015 at 1:54 pm
tmaxcon
you have issues. every team in the league has hopefuls and prays. everyone talks about logan mankins trade but ummm he was the only one that was proven so the wright was the hopeful in that trade. im sure with all the injuries dallas cowbowys had last year that they have way more hopefuls than us specifically sean lee. I don’t get your point captain obvious.
Melton = hope he stays healthy and can recapture his form…
Jenkins = hope that he can tackle and not get burned not to mention stay healthy.
Carter – hope / pray he can play MLB
Hoping the entire stable of mediocre to bad safteies can field 2 starters…
I bet you were one begging lovie to bring over devin hester too. all those players were brought in to help with the learning curve of the defense. I love these guys on blog sites hating on successful people it’s kinda stupid so save your pointless rants about the coach that aint going nowhere for an article about the coach, banks wasn’t even drafted by this regime. he may not be a superbowl winning coach but he aint greg schiano or raheem morris either.
June 8th, 2015 at 2:03 pm
tmaXCON; I think you might be on to something. I have seen many posts from you about your undeniable HATE for Lovie. I have even read where you said Lovie is not Great like Pete Carroll. Haha look at the records my man after nine years they were almost identical. Yeah, Pete got his team a ring but look at the blunder he caused last year because he put the ball in a game managers hands instead of the only offensive weapon they have hands. It amazes me that Joe allows simple minded people like you post. Now as I have said before, I don’t think Love is elite, but he simply not an average or much less a below average coach. He has PROVEN to be a GOOD coach. He has PROVEN that he build a very stout D. Yeas he has struggled with QBs. But that is about it. I so hate to rain on your parade. But maybe all of this will open your eyes since you must have just gotten back from doing time in prison.
June 8th, 2015 at 2:05 pm
bucs4lyfe
you are right Lovie is no Schiano nor is he Raheem they one more games with less for the bucs… could you imagine raheem just getting to spend the money lovie threw down the toilet last year. raheem is not perfect but he was setup to fail. Schiano got way more out this defense than lovie did.
I have no issues. I want my team to win. you like lovie I don’t simple as that. I think he has done a horrendous job and will continue to do so. until he proves me wrong by winning games he is nothing more than a 2-14 joke… it is what it is. no matter how you slice it love has to win 11 games this year to tie Raheem win totals and raheem had far less talent. that has got to sting a bit when it sinks in….
No I did not want hester. I did want Loive and drank the kool aid until it became very apparent that he had not learned anything the year in the basement. he is still lovie smith stubborn and rigid system man who does not get the best out of his players. see LVD….
your admiration for lovie is admirable but stop acting like he is a great coach or even a competent coach until he strings together some wins and playoff appearances this decade…
June 8th, 2015 at 2:13 pm
WhatDaBuc? never been to prison pal but I did put my fair share there when I was younger. remember you have no clue who is on the other end when you play keyboard tough guy… all lovie has to do is prove me wrong by winning… simple is right wins matter everything is an excuse.
And no Lovies record is not identical to Carroll’s. Carroll has been to 13 playoff games compared to lovies 6 and lovie has a year on him. how is that identical. whens the last time lovie did back to back playoffs 10 years ago… yeah let’s keep giving free passes and settling for less hell it’s only been 13 years since a playoff one we must be patient.
June 8th, 2015 at 2:14 pm
obvioulsy it’s won not one… autocorrect
June 8th, 2015 at 2:50 pm
Yeah but your burning a guy at the stake for a laundry list of things that were done before him. Did he make decisions? Yes, and he got rid of some those and obviously couldn’t fix every single one. But don’t for one second sit here and act like this was a championship team before he got here and he messed it up. As for the keyboard tough guy comment, got no problem having face to face conversations with you or anyone else. I will make the same comments on here and in person. I was referring to your name as you see how I posted it tmaXCON
June 8th, 2015 at 2:56 pm
WhatDaBuc?
fair enough. TMAX Consulting, LLC. it is our parent company….. I have used the tmaxcon username everywhere for over 20 years. First time ever got the CON part so kudos to you sir that’s pretty funny… I like it.
June 8th, 2015 at 3:02 pm
@whatdaBuc
you must not have been around here in 2013 and all last season, cause that was most of the talk! How Schiano was holding all the talent back, How a real coach would have this team in the playoffs! It was so bad even some of the national media had jumped on that band wagon last offseason, picking the Bucs to take the division! Was it a bad team, yes. then Lovie made it worse!
June 8th, 2015 at 3:02 pm
Haha it is nice to see people not get so easily offended. So maybe I have to explain my humor a little bit still worth it.
June 8th, 2015 at 3:06 pm
oh no not offended quit the opposite awesome laugh. I am very opinionated and always right of course, just like everyone else here but I am not easily offended. you can’t toss stones and not expect to get a couple of incoming now and then… and obviously, i have no problem lobbing some stones. in the end if the team wins all is good and I will be happy. Just want one more superbowl before I am worm dirt.
June 8th, 2015 at 3:09 pm
Yes I understand that the 2-14 record in your eyes is the worst ever, even worse than not winning at all. And yes Lovie had a worse record his first year that either Raheem or Schiano. Here is the big question, how much of a part in all of this is the fact that we keep changing coaches and schemes? That is why I am excited for this year. That is why people bring the results from the second half of the season up. Everyone seen improvement towards the end of the year. Hey, by all means I will join you and your pessimistic friends at the end of the year if we go 2-14 again. I will be the first to stand and say Lovie is an average to below average coach. It’s just right now he is not. Not after his worst season out of ten. Sorry don’t see it.
June 8th, 2015 at 3:28 pm
that’s the 50 million dollar question… you can’t keep changing coaches yet on the flip side people want to give lovie credit for admitting his mistakes by getting rid of the dead weight. I’d like to turn the same exact argument around on the glazers… should they just admit they made a mistake by giving Lovie full control and cut bait. Its a fair question. people on this site who blindly defend lovie get butt hurt over every little fact or criticism that does not fit their man crush. I would like the think the 2-14 debacle and the 31 million in dead money lovie pissed away was a wake up call and that the glazer boys pulled in some of lovies authority. let him be head coach and defense guy that’s fine but he needs the same marching orders dungy received in indy stay away from offense.
unlike some of the other lovie detractors I like Licht and believe he can be a good gm if allowed to do his thing. I hate lovie having final say on everything. To me that was a sign of desperation by the glazer boys to give that up when Lovies resume clearly does not warrant such power. . Let me be clear also, I am ok with Lovie being the coach if he allows his coaches to do their job. Lovie has always had a good defense but people are acting like it was Bears or Ravens Dominate or even bucs hey day dominate not even close. he was in a weak division and struggled to make playoffs his last 5-6 years.
again still no answer to the 50 million dollar question because I don’t think it can be answered as each situation is different.
June 8th, 2015 at 5:18 pm
The Hidden Gem= Ranell Hall #16
June 8th, 2015 at 6:16 pm
The Buc Realist Says:
June 8th, 2015 at 3:02 pm
“@whatdaBuc
you must not have been around here in 2013 and all last season, cause that was most of the talk! How Schiano was holding all the talent back, How a real coach would have this team in the playoffs! It was so bad even some of the national media had jumped on that band wagon last offseason, picking the Bucs to take the division! Was it a bad team, yes. then Lovie made it worse!”
1000% true!
June 9th, 2015 at 1:57 pm
hey joe I don’t know about all of you but im kinda high on Maryjane right now and im thinking that rookie safety wears #2 I think what have you seen from him?
June 17th, 2015 at 12:50 am
You are all missing the point! Lovie & Licht didn’t want to stop passes. They wanted a porous secondary. Let the other teams score and we get Jameis!
All part of a brilliant master plan.
I suspect this year will be different. They will be choosing players with the win in mind.