Humphries, Brate, Elliott… Bullough?
August 10th, 2017
Dirk Koetter explains. (Photo courtesy of Buccaneers.com)
Are we watching the transformation of a camp meat linebacker into a legitimate NFL player?
That’s what winning Bucs coach Dirk Koetter seemed to suggest Wednesday.
One thing “Hard Knocks” is fantastic at is finding a guy nobody knows about and quickly turning him into a star of some repute. Enter Bucs free agent rookie Riley Bullough.
Only the absolute diehards knew anything about this guy, Bullough, and “Hard Knocks” picked up on Koetter singling him out for being a leader, and a guy with a prayer of making the team. Now the world knows about Bullough, his Fabio hair and his habit of cussing out blocking sleds.
“The guy has been well-schooled,” Koetter said of Bullough. “He’s facing an uphill climb, but there’s guys like that every year. Adam Humphries is a guy like that, Cameron Brate is a guy like that. There’s guys that show up: Javien Elliot. There’s going to be guys that show up, whether he’s one of them or not, that’s what the preseason is for.
“He’s a competitive dude. He played at Michigan State, that’s big time football. He’s going to take another step up Friday night.”
Whether or not Bullough makes it or not remains to be seen. But in a span of an hour Tuesday night, Bullough went from unknown to a major storyline in a TV reality series.
‘Merica!
August 10th, 2017 at 1:12 pm
if he can at least play WLB and MLB and all ST’s he definitely has a shot. If he’s only a backup MLB/ST then probably practice squad. Need to have positional flexibility to have value at the bottom of the roster.
August 10th, 2017 at 1:20 pm
I hear he’s a heady player…should make the practice squad…Go BUCS!
August 10th, 2017 at 1:33 pm
I remember him when he played for Michigan State. He was all over the field. If he doesn’t make it with Tampa rest assured some team will give him a chance and be better for it. For those old timers out there he sort of reminds me of Jack Lambert.
August 10th, 2017 at 1:33 pm
Thank you Hard Knocks!!! What a treat to watch our team behind the scenes.
This guy is a Stick Carrier. I doubt he gets offended by the referees.
Definitely one to watch.
Go Job Licht!!!
Go Bucs!!!
August 10th, 2017 at 1:35 pm
Riley needs to beast out on special teams to have a chance of making this team. Roster spots are at a real premium this year because of all the added talent.
Practice Squad is more likely – but then being featured on HK will certainly raise his visibility and increase the chance he gets picked up off wavers if cut.
We spent extra to move up for Beckwith at the end of the 3rd rd with the specific idea that he would back up Kwon at MLB while he competes for a starting SLB spot.
Just not sure how Bullough squeezes in there as a 3rd MLB when there are at most 6 LB spots available and possibly only 5. LaVonte, Kwon, Beckwith and Bond are locks probably. Glanton is pretty good on ST and has been the primary WLB back-up.
Love Joe Dirt’s energy and demeanor though. Will be cool to watch it play out. Bullough’s cut scene will be one of the harder ones to watch and will not be an easy one for coach Koetter to deliver.
August 10th, 2017 at 1:48 pm
I’m not sure he makes the team – the good has good depth there already, but hey the WWE training center is only like a 90 mile drive and he already looks like a professional wrestler, he can head over and join Sabby and create a tag team or something.
But yeah who isn’t pulling for him- I hope he sticks around somehow since you need more personalities and this is an entertainment business, and it might take years but if this guy is good enough and starts playing he’ll sell a done of Joe Dirt merch.
August 10th, 2017 at 1:50 pm
He is the only guy my wife is still talking about. Even this morning. She loves this guy after the show
August 10th, 2017 at 2:13 pm
There is a little trick to hiding and keeping talented practice squad players and it has to do with the Practice Squad Player Salary.
The 2017 minimum PS salary is $122,400 ($7,200 x 17 weeks)
To ensure talented Practice Squad players stay put, teams can pay more than that to entice PS players to stay and not sign with another team.
Exampe: In 2015 the Bucs paid Howard Jones the minimum salary to stay on the PS. (roughly 450k)
So if they want to keep Bullough on the PS then they can pay him extra to stay.
August 10th, 2017 at 2:18 pm
I really hope this guy finds a way to make the team. Love his attitude we need more of that.
August 10th, 2017 at 2:22 pm
He does have a great attitude. I wish him the best. Work Hard. Yeah he is a stick carrier.
August 10th, 2017 at 2:26 pm
Love this guy!!
Joe Dirt!
lol
August 10th, 2017 at 2:43 pm
He looks like a headhunter to me. Perhaps he can latch on with a special teams spot…
August 10th, 2017 at 3:23 pm
Pa Privateer Says:
“if they want to keep Bullough on the PS then they can pay him extra to stay.”
Bullough or any cut player has to clear waivers in order to even be eligible to sign to the practice squad. If any of the other 31 teams claims him off waivers – then he is theirs to control for up to 3 or 4 years if desired.
If a player is signed to the practice squad after clearing waivers – he can still be snatched at any time by another team by adding him to their active 53 man roster.
This is how we got Brate back from the Saints year before last.
August 10th, 2017 at 3:33 pm
I think it was two years ago…he would have been a sophomore than…that I remember watching a couple of MSU games and thinking…dang their defense is as good as any I’ve seen in college including Bama or FSU.
I thought we should check out that roster back then. Don’t know if Joe Dirt had cracked that starting lineup but the point is that MSU has fielded some really good defensive squads over the past few years! He comes from a great program and I doubt the NFL intimidates him. Plus I suspect anybody who tries to intimidate him gets a loud F U! LOL
August 10th, 2017 at 3:39 pm
If Lovie was here, he would have put a stop to the flock yous, no bad words allowed!!!
August 10th, 2017 at 3:44 pm
I think he does make the team. It’s hard to say that only seeing a teeny percent of his work but he just has that attitude where he’s just not going to be denyed. If the guy has enough pure talent the Bucs would be foolish to let a guy with his attitude go.
He’ll make the team, has too much heart and passion.
August 10th, 2017 at 3:44 pm
Well, I guess he will get his chance to shine in game action tomorrow evening.
August 10th, 2017 at 4:03 pm
Could be Koetter is using Joe Dirt to light a fire under the ass of someone more likely to make the final 53. This D is not lacking in leadership on the field. Is Joe Dirt actually making plays or just a cheerleader in uniform? Has anyone seen him making an impact in practice? I wasn’t aware he was on the roster before Tuesday night. Not trying to throw a turd in the punch bowl here. I’m just lacking information on this guy, and a thousand miles away from the practice facility. BTW, I haven’t lived in Tampa in decades, but I will be a Buc fan till the day I die. No way could I ever be rooting for the fleagles. Their fans are stuck with me. I ain’t going nowhere.
August 10th, 2017 at 4:42 pm
With that hair he will be easy to see his movement’s and play in the preseason.
August 10th, 2017 at 5:09 pm
His biggest problem is named Randy Brown- who is having a great camp.
August 10th, 2017 at 6:49 pm
I don’t see how anyone can say he will or won’t make the team. I think it will come down to game performance. If he does well Friday, he might survive the first cuts.
I liked him on HK though. Enough to want to see more.
August 10th, 2017 at 7:28 pm
If nothing else I wish him luck for himself, as well as depth for the Bucs. But he reminds me of Tyler Starr, locks and all. LB drafted 12th from last by ATL; Hard Knocks featured him as he was on the bubble all camp for obvious reasons. I remember he was pinging so much that on final cut down day when most were told to wait by the phone for Coach Smith to call that Smitty called him just to say “you made it; relax.” Tyler is not on any team now, likely done. Don’t know if Bullough is good enough to make it with his play, but he sure is a rabble rouser out there.
August 10th, 2017 at 8:06 pm
@martinii
Jack Freakin Lambert r u serious? That’s high high praise right there. If he has the potential to be even half the player Lambert was, there’s no way the Bucs should risk losing him on the practice squad.
August 10th, 2017 at 8:11 pm
I watched his film on draftbreakdown.com and he was usually impressive. I actually watched his, Beckwith’s, Richie Brown’s, and Paul Magloire’s and I actually liked Bullough on film more than all of them even though Beckwith got all the publicity and Brown is the better athlete.
The top 4 spots are already wrapped up for the most part so he has a good a shot as any to be the 5th or 6th LB provided he can be effective on ST.