“Weakest”
June 8th, 2015
Gregg Rosenthal is not impressed
One could point to the safety positions and frown. One could point to the (lack of) edge rushers and scratch your head. Others might consider the Bucs couldn’t even muster a 500-yard rusher last year and scratch something else.
Based on feedback Joe gets from fans on Twitter, without question, the thinnest position on the Bucs is offensive line. It’s not even close. And Gregg Rosenthal would agree with these like-minded Bucs fans. In a column on NFL.com, Rosenthal sort of goes Bucky Brooks, his comrade at the league site.
Brooks recently posted what he thought were the strongest position units in the NFL. Rosenthal followed with the weakest position units in the NFL, and he included the offensive line of the Bucs.
The Bucs are hoping that rookies Donovan Smith and Ali Marpet save them. This group can only get better with improved coaching, but they struggled to run block and pass protect last year. It’s a recipe for trouble for Jameis Winston.
Joe senses a troubling pattern here in the second year of the Lovie Smith Administration. Last year, there was a whole lot of hope. The Bucs hoped Carl Nicks could recover from the MRSA. The Bucs hoped a guy who never started for half a season as a starter could get it done all year at left tackle. The Bucs hoped Evan (nee: Dietrich) Smith could provide solid play at center. The Bucs hoped someone — anyone — could step up and play right guard.
This year, the Bucs hope a rookie left tackle can play average ball. The Bucs hope Logan Mankins, with his newfound energy and physique, can play like the old Logan Mankins at left guard. The Bucs hope Smith can get over his irritation with rookies. The Bucs hope a Division-III rookie can transform into an adequate right guard.
What was it Bob Knight said about “hope?”
June 8th, 2015 at 8:12 am
Momma always told me to hope in one hand and do something in the other and see which fills up first.
June 8th, 2015 at 8:18 am
I really “hope” that Lovie either Bombs out completely or makes the playoffs. The worst thing for this team is if Lovie gets 5-6 wins and the sheep will call that “improvement”. Especially if that last game is a win because Carolina is resting its starters as they have locked up another playoff slot!
June 8th, 2015 at 8:22 am
I guess the bucs are the only ones hoping their trades and draft picks work out! no other franchise other than the bucs are hoping their rookies come in a fill a role lol. no other offensive line has depth issues. no one can speak to who is backing up starters on the cowboys roster but media throws out the depth thing just to have something to talk about. Joe i bet if you were coaching the cowboys offensive line it would look something similar to what we looked like last year. yep you need talent but doesnt matter what kind of talent you have if you dont have a plan, i doubt marcus arroyo knew anything about what players did what the best on this team, all he knew is this is the play we can run this. who was scouting the other teams to know who was the weak link on a particular defensive line from week to week? we werent dead last in the league last year and with al the issues i just dont see how we wont be significantly better. you dont have to have the best o line in the league to get the W baby
June 8th, 2015 at 8:31 am
Yeah I just don’t care about the OL either we got a QB!!! He will get those men to block for him bet on it. Dirk going to make sure they do too.
June 8th, 2015 at 8:33 am
Old Wall St. saying:
“Hope is your worst enemy in the marketplace”
June 8th, 2015 at 8:55 am
@ Tom Edrington
Yeah, and speaking of Wall St., Ut seems like things are mostly going down! Two negative Bucs articles on JBF and my companies stocks have fallen over $2.00 in one week. Great day so far. :-/
June 8th, 2015 at 9:35 am
Everybody has some hope, It’s not dreaming and it’s not wishing. It’s looking forward into the future and the possibilities that make one happy. Hope may not be realistic, but don’t discount it’s positive effect in the here and now. I did like when Knight threw that chair some time ago. I hope the Bucs make all the sour grape pundits eat them.
June 8th, 2015 at 9:44 am
I guess my hope comment disappeared into a black hole, I tried to put it on the Bob Knight “hope” archive reference by mistake. Oh well.
June 8th, 2015 at 9:56 am
I’m sorry, but being a sports fan is all about hope. If your team is good, you hope they can stay healthy, if they’re average, you hope they’ll improve and be good, if they stink, you hope they can improve. All teams in all sports rely on hope, not just the crappy ones. The Broncos hope Peyton Manning can defy age and stay healthy, the Saints hope Brees can continue playing at the same level, the Packers hope that Rodgers and company can start fast for a change. Hope is universal.
June 8th, 2015 at 9:57 am
Anthony Collins, Oniel Cousins, Patrick Omemah and Garrett Gilkey in any combination or as a singular spell disaster. They were and are who we say they are. When comparing any of the fantastic four with Donovan Smith or Ali Marpet this is why the rookies are who we say they are. If the OL is who they were last year then and only then must we look deeper. By George by George.
June 8th, 2015 at 10:03 am
Well it appears all of a sudden every one including they’re gram ma ma has an objective opinion about the Buccs. I wonder why? Maybe they can see what’s coming and wanna throw a little shade while they can. All this cynical charter has a exploration date on it though.
June 8th, 2015 at 10:06 am
Fantastic point Brandon.. Man,now that’s insight bro. Salute to you my dude.
June 8th, 2015 at 10:07 am
…and now Dotson wants to holdout and frig it up worse…I say give him some short term money and replace his a** next year…Are you with us Dotson? Get to work!
June 8th, 2015 at 10:23 am
I wouldn’t give Dotson anything but walking papers. Ok so you’re the best lineman on the worst line in all of football and you want to hold out for more money? Paaaaleeeeesssseee. Get outta here. Just because you sucked less than everyone else doesn’t cover up the fact that you still suck. Get over yourself Dotson. Just who do you think you are? Idiot.
June 8th, 2015 at 10:35 am
Oh great, The Kevin is back with his dramatic outrage and obligatory “idiot”
name calling.
A true gift JBF!
June 8th, 2015 at 10:38 am
To be fair Dotson is paid below the league average for starting right tackle. regardless of what you think he is worth.
when the organization is as bad as the the bucs, you have to overpay. You can’t be stupid overpaying but you have to give players a reason to come to a bad team with a bad head coach. no state tax does not offset a buffoon for a head coach. That’s exactly why lovie could only sign has been – prove it deal – injury prone players from the 28th ranked Cowboys D’s garbage heap and Chicago throwaways this off-season .
June 8th, 2015 at 10:41 am
Wow, Bucanew, your mom was a real homesy, folksy philosopher wasn’t she.
Did she tell you that while she was taking a trash can full of empty Pabst cans to the curb while scratching her crotch at the trailer park you lived in.
June 8th, 2015 at 10:52 am
Tmaxcon, as usual, you overlook the fact that the overwhelming large majority of players like and admire Lovie as a coach and a leader.
I do agree with you however that they could throw a few more dollars Dotson’s way. They have plenty of cap space to do so.
I am always amused when fans get outraged by a player asking for more money.
The NFL is one of the purest capitalistic models in existence. It exists monetarily on a true performance and supply and demand principal.
If you don’t like the system, then you better pack your bags because it is pure American.
This is a business to these players. Unlike Michael Johnson, if a number of these players get cut, that’s it. No more money. No more contract.
Adios and don’t the door hit you on the way out.
June 8th, 2015 at 10:54 am
players ultimately want to win and lovie is not a winner.
June 8th, 2015 at 12:01 pm
OMG Dallas you talking about Kevin and his remarks. But you refer to my head coach as incompetent every day. Wow.
June 8th, 2015 at 2:22 pm
Seemed to have done well in Chicago and left with an overall winning record, despite not having a “franchise QB.”
People like you also complained Lovie would never change and draft a “franchise QB.”
Well I guess he made the folks who complained about that look stupid as well.
June 8th, 2015 at 8:11 pm
Yea dallsbuc acts like he’s the voice of reason lol
June 9th, 2015 at 2:47 am
Dude Joe, don’t bring the great Bobby Knight into this. No writer knows, no scout knows, no coach knows if this line will play well. It’s up to the players. STOP WITH THE NEGATIVE CRAP.