Steal No. 1A
April 28th, 2017
Strong opinion
The early draft grades are flowing, and Joe will now take you behind a BSPN paywall to reveal what helmet hair Mel Kiper is saying about the Buccaneers’ draft last night.
Kiper thinks the Bucs pulled off a grand heist with tight end O.J. Howard, even one bigger than J.R. Sweezy’s pocketing of Team Glazer loot.
In evaluating steals of Round 1, Kiper thinks the Bucs could have done it better than anyone.
The Redskins got Jonathan Allen, the No. 2 player on my board, at 17. That could be the steal of the draft, as clearly teams were concerned about his shoulder injury. Great value for Washington, which must improve its front seven.
If Allen isn’t the steal of the draft, it could be his former teammate O.J. Howard, who dropped to the Bucs at No. 19. Howard is the best tight end in the class, a complete player who is already a good blocker. That’s rare coming out of college, and he also has elite athleticism.
Ahhh, “complete player.” That’s what Joe likes to hear for a Bucs team built to win now. Right now.
April 28th, 2017 at 1:29 pm
Buh buh but, the Bucs had the guy who “led the league in touchdowns at his position” as Lee was keen on telling us 50,000 times. How could Howard be a steal if “Tight end is not a need”?
… Oh wait, IT ABSOLUTELY WAS A NEED AND WE GOT THE STEAL OF THE DRAFT BABY!!!
GO BUC! FIRE THE CANNONS! CARRY THAT BIG MUFUGGIN STICK!
P.s. I still hate Mel Kiper.
April 28th, 2017 at 1:30 pm
I can’t stand helmet hair
April 28th, 2017 at 1:34 pm
Looks like the Draft McCaffrey crowd outsmarted the Cook fanboys. OJ gonna be a stud
April 28th, 2017 at 1:38 pm
Love kiper and love the pick. I’m sick of the Whiners like Tampa Tony saying “we still need blah blah blah” dude so does every team in football. So damn annoying. Enjoy the pick like 95% of the fan base. Guys close to a sure thing. He’s a steal and he’s a freak show. One I never thought would be available. Just can’t envision him busting. We’re clearly going to grab a running back or wideout tonight maybe a safety or d lineman.
April 28th, 2017 at 1:38 pm
People have to remember we can only draft one player
April 28th, 2017 at 1:44 pm
Broy34: … at a time. The RB depth this year is insane. Round 3, or trade back into round 2 for Samaje Perine. Or D’onte Foreman if he falls or one of half a dozen guys. Kamara for example. There are gonna be good backs available in the 3rd. Take either Sidney Jones in round 2 or my guy Chris Godwin. God I’m pumped for tonight. More so than the first round in which we crushed it.
April 28th, 2017 at 1:47 pm
Mel has gotten progressively more goofy and cranky…not to mention the struggling “hairpiece”. He may be the new crazy uncle Berman at ESPN now. I think Gruden goats him a bit with comments and funny looks. Anywho…Mel is right in both instances if you ask me. Those talents at 17 & 19…stunning. I was certain Jon Robinson was going to snag Howard. Thought he would also snag Davis at 18…not 5.
April 28th, 2017 at 1:50 pm
Just no trading up. This draft is so stinking deep. I would even be willing to trade next years 2 and a 5 this year to get another 2nd this year.
April 28th, 2017 at 2:03 pm
Great patience by Licht to sit and wait for the picks to come to us. OJ Howard is a tremendous fit for this team and I hadn’t even considered him as a possibility. Let’s grab a safety at 50 or BPA, and we will still get a top player in round 3. Very excited at how this is playing out.
April 28th, 2017 at 2:06 pm
This is a grest oj story
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kkPJlOzNbQU
April 28th, 2017 at 2:17 pm
Cool clip destinjohnny, thanks.
McShay said the same thing last night, steal / best value pick / however you want to describe it.
This is who I hoped would somehow fall to us, but didn’t think there was any real chance of it happening. Stoked for tonight!
April 28th, 2017 at 2:18 pm
He is not perfect, but definitely a class ahead in blocking. Watch him neutralize Miles Garret on a few occasions vs A&M and you’ll see why. Garrett only got the best of him once that game in maybe 6-7 matchups.
April 28th, 2017 at 2:20 pm
What happened to all the “experts” that said we were going to draft a o-lineman? hell yeah we got a steal, great value and great player.
April 28th, 2017 at 2:28 pm
They called Eric ebron and sefarian-Jenkins elite talent prospects they have been below average. I’m excited about this pick but I want to see elite play on the field not on practice and ota videos.
April 28th, 2017 at 2:30 pm
I’m still confuse as why 5 Alabama studs fell during the draft. I have never seen anything like this before.
April 28th, 2017 at 2:30 pm
BEST PLAYER AVAILABLE…when Brate went down last year, we were toast in our short to intermediate passing game. Great pick!
April 28th, 2017 at 2:32 pm
I think a lot of teams was reaching in this draft. That’s the only explanation I have.
April 28th, 2017 at 2:32 pm
How can it be a steal when everybody passed him and he fell to us? If no one knew about him I’d understand calling him a steal, but errbody and their mommas knew about The Juice so that’s a bit of a stretch there buddie!
April 28th, 2017 at 2:36 pm
So long as the glove doesn’t fit, I’m good with the pick.
April 28th, 2017 at 2:37 pm
Davidbigbucfan99, by your definition only unknown players can be steals, OKAY cool story bro.
Budda or Obi and Perine or Foreman would be a perfect second day.
April 28th, 2017 at 2:37 pm
David by that logic no pick ever is a steal basically lol
We made out like bandits last night
April 28th, 2017 at 2:39 pm
Well well The Juices mom ain’t half bad lookin. Too bad for the Bucs he likes baseaball like Fameis does. Team gonna have to keep that mess in check!
April 28th, 2017 at 2:40 pm
Because the draft isn’t a simple ranking of players, better players get passed up all the time in the draft because team assets (or needs) vary from team to team. OJ fell farther than he should have because teams needed other positions more. We didn’t (because Licht has done a great job) and we were free to pick BPA, which is what every teams wants to do, but not all can.
April 28th, 2017 at 2:40 pm
Allen dropped for a reason. His career may be impacted due to shoulder injuries. OJ Howard is a totally clean player with elite talent and high character. That’s the steal of the draft at 19. Better than Allen.
April 28th, 2017 at 2:42 pm
I see what you did there bonzai. 😁
April 28th, 2017 at 2:42 pm
LakeLandBuc – I agree, that fall of all the Bama players was odd – I think it was just team needs and with Allen an injury concern – at least I hope that is all it was. I never thought OJ would fall that far so I didn’t even bother reading up on the guy in any detail.
April 28th, 2017 at 2:45 pm
A steal is someone everybody slept on but got to the pros and lit it up like Tom Brady. You gotta give Juice time to become great before calling him a steal. Tru story broham
April 28th, 2017 at 2:45 pm
People talk about Jackson going down and what it did to the wr’s and no one talks about humphries and brate when they went down depth equals points on the board. What happened at running back for us last year could happen at either said position group.
April 28th, 2017 at 2:53 pm
Just keep in mind that rarely, almost never, do rookie TE’s come in and make a huge difference. I think OJ will be a big time TE but that might take until year 2 or even year 3. TE is one of thoughest transitions to make so don’t everyone panic if OJ isn’t starting in week 2. I hope he is that good, that he forces Brate to the bench – and that’s not a knock on Brate but if OJ is better than Brate early on, that’s a huge plus for the team.
April 28th, 2017 at 2:55 pm
Howard should pan out, but I take the “steal” stuff with a grain of salt until he plays great on Sundays.
“i never expected that guy to be there” is such a broken record.
Every GM in the league will be having press conferences proclaiming their draft was better than expected.
blah blah blah
April 28th, 2017 at 2:59 pm
YO!!!!
TE Gary Barnidge (31) will be released by Browns later today!!
If I was Licht – I would call Cleveland and at least offer a conditional (2017 or 2018) draft pick. Dude would be an ideal mentor for O.J Howard.
Plus give us some insane depth – at the postion.
Possible Depth
O.J Howard | Gary Barnidge
Cameron Brate | Jeremy Sprinkle (5th Round) ???
April 28th, 2017 at 3:01 pm
#94: Gary Barnidge (TE, Browns) | Top 100 NFL Players of 2016
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sd4Z7JVgBsQ
April 28th, 2017 at 3:01 pm
^ he was literally projected as a top 10 pick from the combine onward.
It’s a miracle he was there.
April 28th, 2017 at 3:18 pm
Not in this case Evil Eric.
The fact that OJ dropped to 19 is mind blowing.
This is in fact better than expected.
April 28th, 2017 at 3:20 pm
DestinJohnny … thanks for the video link about OJ Howard growing up (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kkPJlOzNbQU ). It was awesome.
April 28th, 2017 at 3:22 pm
I’m beyond ecstatic. They got a top 10 player and they didn’t even have to move to get him. It couldn’t have worked out much better than this. Thank goodness for bad teams overdrafting QBs.
April 28th, 2017 at 3:25 pm
If your not stoked with this pick your insane. Anytime both GM and HC are downright giddy about it that should speak volumes. Licht has hit on every 1st rounder he’s picked and has never been this excited with who he got.
If you don’t think TE is a key part of this offense and not a need your flat wrong. Those saying we didn’t need TE cause of Brate need to re watch the games. Brate is a good player but has limited abilities. Cameron should be a good role player but he will never be a guy that can take this offense to another level like OJ can. And don’t throw Brates TD totals at me as if it’s some kind of end all stat. Brate does not add any explosiveness and you can go back and look at each precious TD he had as proof.
Above all, what I love most about this pick is it shows that Licht knows how to build a team the right way. Most of you dreamers are salivating about OJs fantasy point projections but i could argue thats not the main reason we drafted him. Licht drafted him for his blocking ability. The highlights of this kid blocking got me on cloud nine guys, if he works hard he will be a devastating force for our team for some time. I’m so jerked up to see D.Smith rollout down field with Mar pet and OJ ready to crack some skulls alongide.
They drafted a big ole 250lb blocker. It got me fired up today.
You guys can(and do) debate whether offense or defense wins championships…….IMO blocking and tackling wins championships.
April 28th, 2017 at 3:26 pm
If Mr. Gary Barnidge is released by Browns then we do not need to offer any compensation. Very good video of him. Thanks.
Glad we were lucky enough to get the chance to draft Mr. Howard! A great fit to Coach K’s Offense. Should be Fun to watch.
April 28th, 2017 at 3:26 pm
I agree he is a prospect ranked much higher than he was drafted, which is a good thing of course.
GM totally did the right thing.
Just saying there are no guarantees.
April 28th, 2017 at 3:32 pm
Helmet’s hair was looking pretty rough last night
April 28th, 2017 at 3:58 pm
Rod Munch , don’t be so pessimistic. He will be on tbd field week 1 and excel in his role.
April 28th, 2017 at 3:58 pm
*the
April 28th, 2017 at 4:03 pm
seriously one of the weirdest haircuts in human history
April 28th, 2017 at 4:10 pm
He’s a vampire lmao !!!!!!
April 28th, 2017 at 4:13 pm
A steal is someone who, based on skill and ability, should have gone much earlier than he did. Getting someone who is a better player than many of those who went in front and at a much lower cost is what the Bucs did. Time will tell if he was indeed a steal but it looks to be so.
April 28th, 2017 at 4:22 pm
a steal can be whatever we define it as
it was a steal in the sense that he shouldn’t have been available at 19
Eric Ebron went 10th overall and can’t even block at all. Howard is bigger/faster/stronger
April 28th, 2017 at 4:24 pm
He is a steal and for those that don’t believe so, they will be proven wrong.
April 28th, 2017 at 4:33 pm
Rhino
I’m sure Gary Barnidge will be – a much sought-after commodity on the open market.
So to avoid a biding war. In these types of situation.
Interested parties will call – before a player is released – to offer compensation.
April 28th, 2017 at 4:51 pm
As Bill Tobin once famously said, “Who in the h#ll is Mel Kiper?”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Tobin_(American_football)
April 28th, 2017 at 5:02 pm
None of us expected Howard to be there. To me that makes him a steal.
April 28th, 2017 at 5:56 pm
Everyone I have seen reveal Howard’s position on their big board is saying – 7,8,5,9. One person said 12 and was the only opinion I’ve heard outside the top 10. .
OJ Howard was an absolute STEAL at 19. Teams normally have to either suck the previous year – or pay multiple draft picks for a chance to draft a talent like this TE we just got.
This draft is already a success. The cake is baked. We have it. But before we eat it. Lets completely smother that F’n kick a$$ cake with more icing and gravy than would seem reasonable or possible on day 2 of this important for the future draft.
How bout Cook/Mixon as the icing and WR Josh Reynolds/ S Marcus Maye/ S Josh Johnson as the gravy – mmmmm
Or how about WR – Zay Jones/ Chris Godwin as the icing and RB – Kareem Hunt/ Samaje Perine as the gravy.
Wait – One more because I want us to draft the Budda pretty badly. Trade our 2nd and next years 3rd to move up to 35 and grab Budda Baker – then take Hunt/Perine/Mack/Foreman in the 3rd.
So we’d get Howard, Budda Baker and a talented RB 1,2,3 OMG – that would be unbelievable….