Power Structure Muted Logan Mankins
August 10th, 2015
Here’s a big ol’ shining light on the mess of the 2014 Bucs. And it might explain why Josh McCown got excommunicated so quickly after the season ended.
In a chat with veteran Tampa Tribune beat writer Woody Cummings, barbecue-yearning Logan Mankins revealed that he didn’t like what he saw in Tampa when he arrived from New England nearly a year ago, but he didn’t feel right about taking a sledgehammer to the hot mess that was the Bucs’ offense.
Here’s an excerpt:
This year will be better, he says, for Mankins and the Bucs. Mankins is sure of it because he says he’s taken control of a locker room and a positon group that all too often last year didn’t measure up to the standards he’d become accustomed to in New England.
“By the time I got here last year, the leaders were all pretty much established, and I didn’t want to step on anybody’s toes, even though I didn’t agree with some of the things that were happening,’’ Mankins said. “So I was more of a leader by example last year. But I wasn’t enough of a leader vocally.
“This year, after being here for the whole offseason and being an established guy, I’ve got the tempo the way I want it when we practice, the way it should be when we condition, the way it should be in the weight room. And everyone is buying in. No one’s trying to drag us down. It’s just a different level.’’
Feel free to read the whole Tribune piece.
So Mankins didn’t want to “step on anybody’s toes” to fix the culture of the offense? Fair enough. He did get here just before opening day and had a lot on his plate. (However, Joe still doesn’t get the barbecue excuse.) But based on these words, Joe believes Mankins did not respect the leadership of Josh McCown and the way McCown was directing the troops.
This is very intriguing, considering Lovie Smith handpicked McCown for three reasons: the trust the two shared, his leadership ability, and his playing ability. Obviously, McCown’s leadership was abysmal, only slightly worse than his playing ability, which thinking Bucs fans knew was subpar before he arrived.
Kudos to Lovie for embracing Mankins and a new approach to the offense and leadership. It can only get better from here.
August 10th, 2015 at 4:07 pm
That’s not at what I took from the article. I felt he was more referring to his Oline specifically. Where you come up with “Obviously, McCown’s leadership was abysmal” is beyond me. IMO I would have guessed the issues he was referring to had to do more with that thief A. Collins than anyone else.
August 10th, 2015 at 4:27 pm
Hes talking about the Oline not the entire offense
August 10th, 2015 at 4:29 pm
Brian,
That’s what I got too, it was the other O-lineboys that got that payday and didn’t show up or lacked the talent, it was George Warhop who had to get out of the way too
August 10th, 2015 at 4:31 pm
Brian, I agree. That’s not what I took from the article either. Mankins was definitely referring to his relationship with the OLine guys. Loved the bottom line that “Right now, it’s night and day from what it was last year.” Great year ahead.
August 10th, 2015 at 4:31 pm
I got to agree with you Brian. I don’t get the impression at all from the article. Maybe ‘Joe’ spoke to Cummings off the record and has more info than the article states. I really wish our only problem last season was McCown, unfortunately it clearly wasn’t.
August 10th, 2015 at 4:33 pm
Joe, you have to produce to be a leader. I don’t think it was McCowns leadership style, it was most likely that he turtled in that responsability. How on earth can you demand excellence when you stink out loud. I believe it was a ‘going through the motions’ attitude once we lost out OC and McCown was exposed as a fraud.
August 10th, 2015 at 4:33 pm
Joe has heard from a trusted Bucs source this summer a whole lot more about Mankins/Bucs locker room than what Cummings typed. But the conversation was totally off the record. There is substance to Woody’s article.
Feel free to believe what you wish but Cummings isn’t a muckraker.
August 10th, 2015 at 4:38 pm
Agree with the other commenters and really don’t see this as a McCown reference at all.
My take from the article was the timing of that trade was horrible and he was in a bad place personally because of it. He wasn’t in position to be a leader because he came in as the season was starting; and played badly due personal struggles with trade/with losing/with conditioning/with injury/etc.
The point of article is that he is now embracing being a Buc and is building chemistry with his linemates and has had an offseason to show them how to practice right. He’s also in better condition than last year and hopefully doesn’t get nicked up week 1 again lol. I really like Logan Mankins for his attitude this year and am hoping he can get another pro bowl
August 10th, 2015 at 4:39 pm
It’s seem like every chance Joe gets, he throws McCown under the bus, yea he was pretty bad but so was the whole team, the guy had no offensive coordinator no running game and no Oline. Cmon Joe. How many quarterbacks could have a good year with no offensive coordinator? Maybe manning and Brady?
August 10th, 2015 at 4:40 pm
I agree with with Brian. This is about the O-line. Not the rest of the team.
August 10th, 2015 at 4:46 pm
McClown threw himself under the bus. As Lovie would say, “Simple as that.”
Why do you think he was cut?
Now the Browns All Pro left tackle says Johnny Football should get a shot at starting. Hhhmmm?
August 10th, 2015 at 4:50 pm
Mankins is all about the paycheck and exudes the attitude of this is how it should be done. Any player coming from a successful program of many years into what he saw as a joke of a mess would be thinking he is better. If he can be the leader to straighten out that mess, more power to him.
August 10th, 2015 at 4:54 pm
Yes Joe, I was giving you the benefit of the doubt that there was more to the story.
I think I just felt for McCown because I’m not sure anyone could have produced that much better without an OC, running game or OL. Not to mention the beating he took in the games.
August 10th, 2015 at 5:06 pm
@Joe,
I was in your corner rooting for Johnny Football. I don’t care what anyone says that kid has talent and the ability to just make plays. His partying and off field behavior got the best of him but I don’t think for a second that Johnny Football is a bust. I think he’s going to take the Browns job and run with it before half the season is over. He put some time into his work this offseason and all of a sudden, it’s starting to come together. Like you said, even Joe Thomas (Top 3 Tackles in the league without dispute) is talking Manziel.
August 10th, 2015 at 5:30 pm
Read the whole article, and I think some of his references could have been towards mccown, and certainly towards arroyo. However, it seemed he was talking about the oline position group most specifically.
It’s obvious E(D)S is not a leader, Dotson is just starting to come into his own and the other guys were all scrubs. everything we’ve heard so far about Mankins suggests his head in the right place and he’s in better shape. Let’s hope it is having an effect on the rest of the lineman. Maybe we’ll stop hearing about the bbq pit now too if he plays better.
August 10th, 2015 at 5:40 pm
Can’t wait to see what this group can do now that we have an offensive coordinator and Mankins has his BBQ right. Plus I love Brother Ali. It’s funny how Ali played D-3 and Smith played D-1 yet Marpet is worlds ahead of Smith at this point
August 10th, 2015 at 5:51 pm
McCown WAS the tank!
August 10th, 2015 at 6:01 pm
McCown took a huge, Mansized beating last year.
He had a stoogecalling plays( insult meant inly due to his inexperience- not his personality), a theif pretending to guard his blind side, and ” hard work isnt always enough” Oneil Cousins getting left behind flatfooted by every speed rusher.
At one point, I thought they had killed him.
Speaking strictly for me, I respected the Guy! Still threw 2 WR’s into thousand yard seasons.
And i dont believe his marching orders were to win, Anyway( Jameis! Jameis)
August 10th, 2015 at 6:01 pm
@Joe
Off topic. How often do the bucs scrimmage ( not 11 on 11s) but an actual scrimmage??
August 10th, 2015 at 6:04 pm
Sounds like he was alluding to Theif Collins when he says nobody to “drag us down”. McCown sucks but never malicious.
August 10th, 2015 at 6:29 pm
Hopefully Lovie doesn’t take out Rainey or someone that is doing good out of the game like he did last year, or play safe with the lead, I want bucs to keep attacking and score us 50 points damn it.
August 10th, 2015 at 6:33 pm
Say what you want about McCown, but the beating he took in Detrioit was insane. Some of the shots Suh gave him were darn right dispickable, if it were Rodgers or Brady, Suh would’ve been fined and suspended.
August 10th, 2015 at 6:38 pm
Depends on Lovie. Bucs don’t announce before hand the breakdown of practices.
Not sure Joe has seen the Bucs in an actual scrimmage yet this training camp, other than 11 on 11, which is basically, a scrimmage.
August 10th, 2015 at 7:03 pm
Supersam- I agree with you! McCown is one tough SOB and they would have been penalized & fined for sure. I don’t often agree with you esp re: Jameis so I thought I’d take this opportunity to agree.
August 10th, 2015 at 7:10 pm
Very cool!!! Just read on PFT that our Bucs signed Tony McDaniel:
“…The Seahawks couldn’t afford defensive tackle Tony McDaniel. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers can.”.
August 10th, 2015 at 7:19 pm
Haha thanks STANGLASSMAN:)
August 10th, 2015 at 7:34 pm
All of you McTrash apologists making excuses and sticking up for arguably the worst signal caller in Bucaneers history. Sheesh, just let that sink in. After Incompetent Lovie Smith forced us to endure that display of gross ineptitude you people still somehow feel obligated to stick up for that guy. Hard to understand.
August 10th, 2015 at 8:11 pm
Capt.Tim Says:
August 10th, 2015 at 6:01 pm
McCown took a huge, Mansized beating last year.
He had a stoogecalling plays( insult meant inly due to his inexperience- not his personality), a theif pretending to guard his blind side, and ” hard work isnt always enough” Oneil Cousins getting left behind flatfooted by every speed rusher.
At one point, I thought they had killed him.
Speaking strictly for me, I respected the Guy! Still threw 2 WR’s into thousand yard seasons.
And i dont believe his marching orders were to win, Anyway( Jameis! Jameis)
Totally agree. McCown had his orders and followed it perfectly.
August 10th, 2015 at 8:20 pm
This is why we traded for mankins. It wasnt because hes in the last few years of his career, its because he is an amazing locker room guy. He is the back bone of this o line. As they say, great players make the players around them better. I truly believe that is the case with Mankins. I also believe he same of Winston. Our offense is going to click this year. We fixed all the problems we had last year. OC, QB, and OLINE.
August 10th, 2015 at 8:43 pm
Nothing has changed here. Same old axe grinding and hate comments. Always so negative.
August 10th, 2015 at 8:46 pm
Just curious if Joe considers himself (themselves) journalists? If so, I cannot see how you would refer to McCown as Mclown and still think so. Listen, the guy played horrible there is no doubt about it but your personal insults are ridiculous as the guy gave all he had and by all acounts worked his ass off.
August 10th, 2015 at 10:29 pm
I don’t believe that Lovie trusted Josh McCown that much, he only played him for a few games in Chicago. I believe that Lovie thought that McCown was the best QB availabe at the time for Bucs. Lovie has Zero confidence in Mike Glennon, and Seth Lobato will probably end up as the Bucs backup QB. I’m glad that Logan Mankins has taken on a leadership role for the Bucs offense. Last season he came into a bad situation with the Bucs, after being in an ideal situation with the Patriots for 9 seasons. Logan Mankins, EDS and Demar Dotson should contribute to the success of our young O-Linemen.
August 11th, 2015 at 12:07 am
Would Mccown have done better with Tedford healthy. Maybe. But when you look at his career, he has had one above average season since his rookie year in ’02. One. He has been mediocre at the NFL level. So I dont give Mccown the benefit of the doubt.
The abysmal play under center is the biggest reason we finished with two wins. His play affected everything. The o line. The running game. The defense. Yes, our o line was bad last year. But a little competence under center can ease the burden to a degree. Good quarterbacks can make their line look a little better than they are. A great quarterback can even make them look good. Knowing what plays to run when a defense gives you a certain look can counter the defenses strategy.
Collins and Ghost certainly didnt help, but Mccowns play was just the worst.
August 11th, 2015 at 1:07 am
@Joe
The reason why I asked was because I watch ITC daily on NFL network and every team they spotlight that day is having a scrimmage. And I just think back to week 1 the last couple of years the bucs had delay of games after timeouts etc. You know stuff that’s inexcusable. Kinks that should be worked out. It seems like we are unprepared.
Its like our qbs were expecting our coaches to be standing behind them calling plays like they would be during 11 on 11s.
August 11th, 2015 at 6:32 am
I could just imagine this thought in Mankins head regarding McClowns infamous “leadership”-after-game-press-conference…
“Are you Crying?!?! There’s not Crying in Football!!!”
(I know, I know it is supposed to be baseball…but the quote still works the same)