O-Line Made For Dalvin Cook
April 15th, 2017
Groomed for Bucs’ OL.
Somewhere, the PFF tribe, after reading this, will be rapping their knuckles together and hollering for their moms.
Folks who have played in the NFL or who make a living in the NFL have little to no use for the PFF tribe, short of Cris Collinsworth who bought the outfit. So when a former NFL offensive lineman talks about the Bucs’ offensive line, Joe pays attention.
Brian Baldinger, analyst for NFL Network, lauded the much-maligned offensive line (the nerds at PFF go bananas over the offensive line and want to rip the modem out of the socket they despise left tackle Donovan Smith so). In fact, Baldinger thinks it’s been tailor-made for a running back like Dalvin Cook.
“It’s a good fit,” Baldinger said of the prospect of Cook playing for the Bucs. “He’s just a great player. I think he fits in any system, but if you look at what [the Bucs] are up against with Doug Martin suspended for the first three games [and] Charles Sims coming off an injury a year ago. [Cook] is an every-down back. You never have to take him off the field.
“I mean, he is a great receiver. He runs great routes. And he is elusive. He gives you unbelievable juice. And I think there is part of that [Bucs] offense. You can have DeSean Jackson on the outside and Mike Evans.
“The other part is, this is a good offensive line. They have built it. Donovan Smith does a good job at left tackle. Demar Dotson – they are built right now up front. It’s a good group. Dalvin Cook would really benefit and the offense would benefit [from Cook].”
Again, Joe will listen to a man who worked in trenches over wannabes who work in their dorm rooms for part-time cash.
And when it comes to Cook, Joe just has three words:
Go get him.
April 15th, 2017 at 1:05 am
His.
April 15th, 2017 at 1:06 am
Yes.*
April 15th, 2017 at 1:43 am
No.
April 15th, 2017 at 1:52 am
No.
April 15th, 2017 at 2:31 am
If Cook is there at 19 then u take him. If you have to trade up more than 3 spots then I am uncomfortable with it. It would roughly cost a 4th to move up 3 spots, and this draft may be too deep to give up a 4th this year. Idk
In Licht I Trust
April 15th, 2017 at 3:04 am
Cook’s skills look amazing.
Shoulder and Character issues are worth addressing.
If they are behind him- then lets plug him in and let hi
April 15th, 2017 at 4:08 am
Cook, Godwin, and bucky hodges #weaponsforwinston
April 15th, 2017 at 4:08 am
I want COOK!!! It’s too right to be wrong. I have no doubt in my mind he will be there at 19 for us.
1st- Dalvin Cook, RB
2nd- Budda Baker, S
3rd- Cooper Kupp, WR
4th- Sidney Jones, CB
5th- Michael Roberts, TE
6th- Jylan Ware, OT
7th- Chad Kelly, QB
April 15th, 2017 at 4:10 am
Baldy lost cred when he mentioned Demar Dotson.
April 15th, 2017 at 4:33 am
NO! Do NOT pay extra to draft a RB in the 1st rd. I think Cook would be great with the Bucs and would be happy to see him last till 19. But trading up in the 1st round for a RB is just a bad idea. Very bad idea. Especially in this particular draft. We need to be trading back – not up. Drafting a RB in the mid 1st rd in itself is normally a bad idea – but I believe Cook is a top 10 talent – a dynamic playmaker and getting him at 19 would represent acceptable value.
Short of Cook or Davis falling to 19 – I actually believe this team would be better off if we go Safety or TE in the 1st, WR in the 2nd and RB in the 3rd. That hits the strengths of the draft perfectly.
1. Njoku/Baker/Obi (trade down preferred)
2. Zay Jones/Chris Godwin
3. Hunt/Perine/Mack/Mixon
4. BPA TE/DL/CB
April 15th, 2017 at 4:40 am
meant to say –
That hits the strengths of this draft along with our needs perfectly.
WR is not a strength in this draft but we need a pretty good prospect this year so thus need to get one in the 2nd.
RB, Safety and TE are major strengths in this draft. There will be pretty good prospects available at all those positions well into the 3rd and 4th rounds.
April 15th, 2017 at 5:12 am
Agree Pickgrin, that RB & TE appear to be major strengths in this draft; Safety, WR & CB depth still good, but a tad less so it looks like. Top-3 rnds are critical I think … Bucs definitely need to hit on RB & Safety as a minimum in there. IF Cook lasts to #19, I’m pretty sure Licht will grab him; other than that, Perine, Mack & Mixon are excellent options. At Safety I still like Obi over Baker … probably not as NFL-ready, but his long-term potential is higher I think.
April 15th, 2017 at 5:22 am
Yes please
Go get him
April 15th, 2017 at 5:38 am
Draft best player on draft board at 19
April 15th, 2017 at 5:58 am
Trading down would be the ideal situation, this draft is especially deep at safety, RB, WR and TE, any combination of those positions the rounds 1-4 should create a future starter type player, probably not all, but hopefully we hit at least 2 studs
April 15th, 2017 at 5:59 am
What I get out of Baldinger’s comments worthwhile is “I think he fits in any system.” Any point made that the Bucs need a RB who can both catch and run because of Martin being unreliable and Sims not being able to run inside the tackles speaks to a supposed void at RB, not about whether the O-Line is made for Cook. If Cook is there and the Bucs grab him at 19th overall and get a Safety in Round 2, I can understand that, though I’d not agree, and I don’t buy the logic of this article. I’m pretty concerned about grabbing a RB in the first round who has had all the shoulder problems. Empahsis: ESPECIALLY a RB. My two cents.
April 15th, 2017 at 6:02 am
Pickgrin…I’m in total agreement with your order and picks, short of Mixon. We don’t need the baggage in Tampa right now, and I don’t see when a so called small market team like the Bucs would.
April 15th, 2017 at 7:07 am
I can almost guarantee that Baldinger never watched a Bucs game in 2016 and certainly not in the last six weeks of the season. The Bucs oline was knocked back, knocked around and knocked up savagely on run downs – don’t get me started on pass downs with Winston running for his life on every play that wasn’t a 3 step drop/release. This is typical of these national talking heads whose job right now is to say something about every potential top player and team they could go to. He doesn’t exhibit any working knowledge of how this oline has really performed and why it is somehow a perfect fit for Cook. He named our two tackles. There’s some high powered perception and in depth analysis at work.
Give me a break with all this hyperbole (aka making sht up) to fit the lousy agenda being crammed into every piece.
April 15th, 2017 at 7:16 am
DallasBuc….thank you. You saved me alot of typing. It wasn’t built well enough for any of our running backs last year, but it’s match perfect for Dalvin Cook? Get the hell out.
April 15th, 2017 at 7:18 am
Safe bet the “PFF tribe” is not rapping their knuckles together and hollering for their moms after reading this soft serve JoeLichtFan agenda piece featuring a talking head with a rogue pinky that likely never watched a single Bucs game in 2016. I’ll take the analysis of Bucs fans that actually watch the games over some guy paid to utter “Bucs” and “Dalvin Cook” in the same sentence on national tv broadcast.
April 15th, 2017 at 7:18 am
Only if Cook is there at 19! RB is too deep to waste a pick to move up! HOWEVER if Cook is there at 19, I wouldn’t be upset if something like this happened….Cook-1, Evan Engram(TE)-2, Pat Elfein(C/G)-3, Robert Davis(WR)-4……
Cook would certainly bring some juice to the running game. Engram has been compared to Jordan Reed and would form a dynamic TE duo with Cam Brate. Elfein would give us a future 10 yr starter at Center. And Robert Davis is a small school stud who has drawn comparisons to Julio Jones. I could get behind that draft!
April 15th, 2017 at 7:30 am
Not going to get him.. let the draft come to you. This draft is deep. Don’t give up another prime pick or 2.
April 15th, 2017 at 7:35 am
In other news, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have altered the fertilizer and herbicide mixture that is to be used on the field at Raymond James Stadium this year to make the field surface a perfect match for the type of cleats that Dalvin Cook likes to where. It will allow a running back with Cooks exact abilities to gain leverage on would be tacklers two to three yard in the offensive backfield, and magically kick it to the outside.
An unnamed grounds keeper said, “blah blah blah Dalvin Cook…Buccaneers blah blah!” and we took that to mean that Dalvin Cook will indeed be a Tamp Bay Buccaneer in 2017 with the use of this new concoction.
April 15th, 2017 at 7:37 am
Pleaase not cook!!!!!
Yes go get a RB just not cook or any Rb in rd 1
April 15th, 2017 at 7:42 am
gotbbucs- now that is some crack reporting! You working for JBF now?
April 15th, 2017 at 7:45 am
I get the whole no 1st round runningback crowd, but really how can one be upset if we get a player like Cook. I mean he’s a grade A bada** and would make our offense basically unstoppable, but who would want that? You people will never be happy.
April 15th, 2017 at 7:47 am
I am going to die laughing at you Cook jock straps when we pass on him at 19!
April 15th, 2017 at 7:50 am
Ndog….History is why. You go look at the list of 1st round RBs since about 2000 and tell me what you find. It’s not a pretty list if the goal is playoffs and Super Bowl.
I quit fantasy football years ago, my concern is winning, not watching some running back put up decent fantasy stats while the team struggles to get over the hump.
April 15th, 2017 at 7:54 am
Hey Joe what are the chances Licht trades up for Cook and if so how many spots do you believe he will?I say yes and up into the 10-14th spot.this year’s 5th,2018 3rd,2018 6th,2019 4th and you have a deal and Thor in Doug Martin to seal the deal.
April 15th, 2017 at 7:58 am
I don’t think there is a chance that baker makes it to 19 in the second but would be very happy for the Bucs if he does. Baker is prob top ten in the overall football player column , kinda like a Rickey Reynolds but with a lil more versatility , the guy is one of the top tacklers in the draft.
April 15th, 2017 at 8:10 am
I’d say well done Joe. You will get at least 150 comments on this post.
I’m going to give my one. First round picks should be centered around choosing future core players. Core players meaning allotting salary cap dollars in that direction. Given the nature of this position, I believe it is NOT a winning formula to divert huge allotments of salary cap money to this position, so I also believe that running backs should NOT be given salary extensions. So why then spend a first round pick on a guy that strategically it would be best if he was let go after his rookie contract. This is because of the evolution of the league (which will continue) towards a passing league. More finesse blocking schemes, less power football. The die has been cast and we won’t return.
April 15th, 2017 at 8:25 am
1. Dalvin Cook, FSU.
2. Ju Ju Smith-Schuster, USC.
3. Corn Elder, Miami
4. Eddie Jackson, ALA.
5. Jalen Reeves-Maybin, Tennessee.
6. Gerald Everett, South Alabama.
7. Jarod Evans, Virginia Tech.
Jameis play is substantially better when the run game is functioning well. We need to make suse we have that
April 15th, 2017 at 8:35 am
Baldinger has that matt millen aura about him
April 15th, 2017 at 8:41 am
So funny, BucsNation does a great write up and uses a ton of data to show that Martin was getting caught at the line repeatedly and actually had more YAC than Rodgers. It was very detailed and made it very clear that Martin, somehow, actually made the line look better than it really was yesterday. I almost feel sorry for these national guys. They cover 32 teams and often times don’t know much about the teams they’re talking about.
April 15th, 2017 at 8:41 am
Last season not yesterday
April 15th, 2017 at 8:47 am
And yes doosh I agree. I saw that last night and almost fell out of my chair when he mentioned Dotson.
April 15th, 2017 at 8:55 am
FutureBucsGM….that’s a h3ll of a mock, I’m more of draft RB later, but I wouldn’t be upset if we got Cook, the Jerod Evans pick I’d go as high as 5th round, he has a really high ceiling, 6’2 232 and great mobility, another year in college he would be a round 2-3 type pick
April 15th, 2017 at 9:23 am
5’10 200 pounds 4.5 forty
Great college back.
He bounces runs outside but in the bigs that won’t happen.
Average pro
April 15th, 2017 at 9:26 am
Ugh. No, do NOT go get him. Good teams don’t chase running backs in a draft pool deep with good running backs. Let another team overpay with a first rounder, that just pushes good players down to us.
April 15th, 2017 at 9:51 am
Wow futurebucsgm I would love that draft and it all looks like it could happen like that to get all those players in one draft hellava draft hope it turns out like that
April 15th, 2017 at 10:05 am
I find it amusing when gators fans claim fsu fans overhype cook when the biggest overhype of a player in the history of not just the nfl but all of sports was tebow. That being said talked to an older hurricane fan and he had goosebumps when I mentioned David njoku
April 15th, 2017 at 10:45 am
I am fine with Cook at #19 or even trading back if they think they can still get him. His shoulder surgeries should be deeply evaluated by the medical staff. As far a character concerns, I am thinking that Jaboo can mentor him and be an example of being a model citizen and proving the doubters wrong. I think Cook likes and respects Winston and will follow his example.
April 15th, 2017 at 11:03 am
Anyone with eyes can see the Bucs offensive line, especially the tackles, was mediocre at best last season. Jameis’ ability to evade pressure made them look so much better than they deserved.
Jameis deserves better.
The idea that a RB fixes the offensive line is archaic and wishful thinking at best. Ezekiel Elliott was an outlier last season… good teams simply do not draft running backs in the first round, especially over the last 6-7 years.
The shelf life is short and they are one of the most easily replaceable positions there is.
The bucs can absolutely find a terrific upgrade in rounds 2 or 3 while addressing a premium position in round 1.
Mixon in round 2 and drafting a premium position played in round 1 is still the best case scenario for the bucs.
April 15th, 2017 at 11:13 am
Coin flip, heads the Bucs take Cook, tails they don’t. It landed on its edge. It remains a mystery.
April 15th, 2017 at 11:39 am
This full out joebucsfan assault reminds me of the push for manziel a few years ago. It has become a daily article on cook. I like cook, i think he will be a good pro. But i do not want any rb in the first round. And baldinger mentioning dotson and not marpet makes me think he isnt really paying attention yo whats going on in tampa.
April 15th, 2017 at 11:46 am
Lol his analysis is empty. Any WR would excel with the middle of the field opened up behind our WRs. And did we not forget how Martin blew out his shoulder… funny we’re now saying Cook is great out of the backfield.
He throws around a bunch of positive generalizations followed by “smith does a good job at LT and Dotson Dotson (crickets)…”
Smith should NOT be at LT, and every other Olineman is replaceable except for Marpet.
April 15th, 2017 at 11:47 am
Mojiska, were on the exact same page
April 15th, 2017 at 12:02 pm
Youth along the o-line… might flourish this season. I’m not as concerned with the o-line as much as some of you, but I do know it’s the most important part of a football team. I also realize it takes time to make one play as a unit. WE don’t know how well the youth along that line will come out this season. Lot’s were worried two seasons ago about Warhop and it turned out okay. WE don’t know. Sure RT needs to be addressed, but outside of that…I’m chill. Center will work itself out.
Baldinger is filling time. Cause he doesn’t watch us play and WE don’t know.
April 15th, 2017 at 12:24 pm
Tom Coughlin is absolutely enamored with Leonard Fournette. I’ve been saying it for a month and a half. Leo goes @ 4, Dalvin goes top 10.
All this sliding down the board is just silly season bs of teams trying to get a desired player to drop.
Cook will not be there. And anyone who really wants to trade away picks in one of the deepest drafts in recent memory is nothing but a Dalvin Cook fanboy.
April 15th, 2017 at 1:06 pm
Possible Lower Round Gem
Aviante Collins – T/G
• Height: 6-4 Weight: 295
• 225 Lb. Bench Reps: 34
• 40 Time: 4.81
• 3-Cone Drill: 4.94
Licht/Warhop favor the Measurables & Aviante Collins fits that Mold
Review
• Ali Marpet – 40 YD DASH: 4.98 | REPS: 30
• J.R. Sweezy – – 40 YD DASH: 5.01 | REPS: 21
• Kevin Pamphile – 40 YD DASH: 4.94 | REPS: 25
• Caleb Benenoch – 40 YD DASH: 4.98 | REPS: 25
Possible Young Line-Up
• Donovan Smith | Leonard Wester
• Aviante Collins | Evan Smith
• Ali Marpet | Joe Hawley
• J.R. Sweezy | Caleb Benenoch
• Kevin Pamphile | Demar Dotson
April 15th, 2017 at 1:09 pm
What, no tacos??
April 15th, 2017 at 1:18 pm
My Bad
Possible Young Line-Up
• Donovan Smith | Leonard Wester
• Caleb Benenoch | *Aviante Collins
• Ali Marpet | Joe Hawley
• J.R. Sweezy | Evan Smith
• Kevin Pamphile | Demar Dotson
April 15th, 2017 at 2:18 pm
His explination is very general and can be said for pretty much any of the backs…
April 15th, 2017 at 8:21 pm
Wanna bet Blake. Mocks are never 100% right but they are usually spot on with ranges. He will be there at 19 and if the Bucs don’t take him mid to late 20s.
April 16th, 2017 at 9:53 am
Wrong WRONG WRONG! We need a safety and another tight end to complement Brate more than we need an RB, there are plenty of decent RBs in this draft, taking one in the first, unless he is a can’t miss prospect is a recipe for disaster
April 16th, 2017 at 11:56 am
Joe, at this point your trying to hard with the dalvin cook articles
April 16th, 2017 at 9:08 pm
This line is tailor made for him because he always bounces to the outside. Being always met in the backfield by 2 dlinemen he’ll have no choice but to bounce it outside. Hopefully at this level he’ll have the speed to make it there before being gang tackled. Joe you got double cataracts in one eye and double vision in the other when it comes to this line. Our backs were constantly being met in the backfield and Fameis was constantly running for his life. He was sacked 12 more times more than his rookie year so this line deserves the malignment it receives. You should really get your eyes fixed!