Silence Of The Line
February 14th, 2018
Former Bucs defensive line coach Jay Hayes was in the mix when Kwon Alexander (far left) and Robert Ayers barked at each other in the final seconds of the Bucs’ win over the Jets. (Image courtesy of CBS Sports.)
Joe gave it four days.
The silence hasn’t broken.
The Buccaneers fired veteran defensive line coach Jay Hayes on Friday, per multiple reports. Typically in this circumstance, you’d hear some sort of farewell response on social media from Bucs defensive players, even a simple, “Good luck, Coach Hayes.” But unless Joe missed something, there’s been nothing but a whole lot of silence from young players to classy veterans.
For a Bucs team that believes it put its division on notice in December, a team that believes it’s very close to winning more than it loses, that’s surprising.
The Bucs didn’t even put out an official release. Keep in mind general manager Jason Licht felt compelled to issue an official team release when DeSean Jackson’s friend allegedly stole his car and crashed it.
This tells Joe that Hayes wasn’t well liked by the guys he coached. And that could be, in part, why the Bucs defensive line didn’t respond this season — poor against the run and horrible against the pass.
Scapegoat or not, the Bucs should have moved on from Hayes. It’s a pass-fail league, says Licht, and Hayes failed miserably last year by any measurement.
February 14th, 2018 at 9:04 am
They don’t need to say anything…….Tmax will speak for them with his uplifting message.
February 14th, 2018 at 9:06 am
Speaking for Pablo
“Pablo isn’t afraid to speak about Hay Hayes……Pablo says Adios Hay”
February 14th, 2018 at 9:15 am
Who does this defensive line like?????? The only time I heard that they were happy was when they were allowed to have their dance parties after losses!!!!!!!!
Draft the man among boys Vitea Vea and trade gmc for draft picks!!!!! not only will you fix the line, but the vacuum of leadership as well!!!!!!!!
Go Bucs!!!!!!!!
February 14th, 2018 at 9:20 am
Cancer93 strikes again. Simple as that. Hayes is used to coaching men not doll loving pansy asses.
The bucs are the softest most mentally weak team in sports led by non other than captain blowout cancer93
You nuthuggers are running low on excuses and defense for you career losing super hero. How many more free agents and coaches need to regress before glazers address the core issue cancer93 the undisputed face of the basement years
February 14th, 2018 at 9:21 am
I still believe he called them out for drafting a kicker instead of another defensive lineman and they are sour about it because he hasn’t got over it, hell none of us has. He was coaching defensive linemen at the combine the year we drafted Roberto
February 14th, 2018 at 9:25 am
Hayes suggested 3-4 the crying clown stomped into glazers office with tears flowing and out with hayes…. got to keep big softee happy wins are irreverent
February 14th, 2018 at 9:35 am
that’s BS!!!!!…..smitty failed too!!!!!….dline performed well last year….so after 1 bad year he’s canned…..so why wasn’t smitty canned as well?….
this sounds like another case of the bucs getting rid of “mr meany” aka a coach trying to hold players accountable….
and since when do you have to like your superiors?….I played for multiple coaches that I couldn’t stand but I respected them because what they were teaching was making me better….
that’s 1 of the problems….everyone wants to be liked and be nice guys at one buc place…..nice guys come in last!!!!!!
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!
February 14th, 2018 at 9:35 am
Not well liked by his players. Thus they sucked.
A dubious connection IMO.
February 14th, 2018 at 9:36 am
813
Well said
February 14th, 2018 at 9:38 am
The season is over so go back and watch hard knocks because you will see things differently, it’s like this team is in cover up mode just to get ticket sales up and it feels like we will have another below average season. If players can sour on a guy like Hayes then who can you bring in that will demand respect or loyalty unless the new coach is doing things the way these players want to do it. Is like the coaching staff has no leverage over the players because they are on the hot seat. Watching hard knocks again after the season is over and watch what was said, just seems like mediocrity on the horizon but we’ll see next month
February 14th, 2018 at 9:40 am
wasn’t joe Cullen canned for being “mr. meany”?……
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!
February 14th, 2018 at 9:42 am
Have they even confirmed that they fired him? This could all be bad reporting, couldn’t it?
February 14th, 2018 at 9:43 am
tmaxcon Says
“Hayes suggested 3-4…”
Then he was an idiot and deserved to be fired, because he lacked the personnel.
February 14th, 2018 at 9:44 am
I wonder how those players in cinci played well for the man?
Perhaps they were just better?
Whatever happened to professional pride? You just suck it up cause you don’t like the coach?
Not buying a word of it.
February 14th, 2018 at 9:44 am
Personally, I think he was fired because of all the ‘Accountability’ articles Joe posted…
😉
February 14th, 2018 at 9:46 am
Are you serious? The defensive line sucked because they didn’t like their coach? That’s shameful.
February 14th, 2018 at 9:48 am
Eric
I wonder how those players in cinci played well for the man?
He was coaching men in cincy not heartless career losers that have no desire to be great or how to win
Every coach and player that comes to tampa regresses. History proves it. Bucs are the black hole of the nfl. Won’t change with glazers in charge.
February 14th, 2018 at 9:57 am
TMAX
I have to be honest….years ago remember you dissing GMC and I fought hard for him…..after going back and forth with you I began to watch GMC closely….I started to see the light…..that was in 2014….
I agree with 1000% about GMC…..he is the cancer and we wont win until he is gone….I’ve heard people talk about how Joe Thomas hasn’t won anything so he must be a cancer….BS…JT’s job is protection not disruption….and the browns problem has been everything except the oline mainly front office and QB issues….since GMC has been here we’ve won nothing and we’ve fired good coach after good coach while trying to please or satisfy him…..
enough is enough!!!!!…..we have new leaders leading this team in kwon and Winston…..send GMC and martin packing….president and vice president of the loser club….
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!
February 14th, 2018 at 10:01 am
AMEN!
February 14th, 2018 at 10:02 am
813
Unfortunately the glazers are more concerned with feelings than wins. I wish they would sell so I could go back to my positive sunny disposition.
February 14th, 2018 at 10:07 am
Buccaneer Bonzai Says:
February 14th, 2018 at 9:44 am
Personally, I think he was fired because of all the ‘Accountability’ articles Joe posted…
if that were true, smitty would be canned too!!!!!…..it wasn’t like we were top 5 in pass defense and last against the run….the entire defense was trash this year….
smitty is not being held accountable…..hayes was made out to be a scapegoat….simple as that!!!!
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!…GO BUCS!!!!
February 14th, 2018 at 10:14 am
TMAX
your right…..they only care about the “likables”…they want to be liked as owners…..they want people to like their players…..
the last thing they want to be is an winner that no one likes….(i.e. pats..packers)
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!….GO BUCS!!!!
February 14th, 2018 at 10:14 am
All I’m seeing Joe is a BUNCH of speculation. Hayes gets fired, no one says ANYTHING. Let’s rally round our 5-11 record boys!
Your best line yet Joe: “It’s a pass-fail league, says Licht, and Hayes failed miserably last year by any measurement.” Let’s see, did Hayes fail when the Bucs went 9-7 in 2016 & the defense led the way in the 2nd half of the season? Did he fail when management brought in ZERO new DEs of any significance & instead bet it all on Jack Smith AND Noah Spence staying healthy all year? Did he fail when Akeem Spence was sent packing & Swaggy Baker of the Tree-Humping Tribe was paid MUCH more to take his place?
Personally agree with Licht: It’s a ‘pass-fail league’. Licht’s into his 5th year here, and his record is 22-42 (less than 35%). Bucs are mired in the NFC South cellar & have more holes than a block of Swiss cheese. And oh ya, we now have a HC who should be the OC (and only the OC) and a DC who should be a HC. Good job of management there Jason. Your time is coming.
February 14th, 2018 at 10:21 am
The DL is a chain of players who all play better when surrounded by other good or even great players.
The Bengals not only have Geno Atkins…who is one of the very best…but several other very talented players. This is how they can lift Ghost Johnson’s play.
A prime example of this phenomenon occurred for us long before Ghost Johnson.
Remember Alvin Harper? He starred in Dallas because of Michael Irvin and Jay Novacek…oh and a h/t to Troy Aikman. Bring him to Tampa and meh.
February 14th, 2018 at 10:24 am
813
What’s going to be funny is when Cleveland hangs 40 on mccoys girls next season and win 10 games while the bucs finish 4-12 in thier safespace the nfc south basement. But fear not instead of accepting reality bucs optimists will still be in denial thinking and crying we are close this will be the year…
February 14th, 2018 at 10:28 am
Joe – did any players give shout outs to Cullen when he was let go?
Its an interesting point – but how often does it actually happen that a fired coach gets bid farewell by players on social media?
Also an interesting point about the Bucs never actually acknowledging publicly that they DID fire Hayes. Not directly anyway. There was an article published on buccaneers.com Monday – written by some girl named Carmen who is listed by title as “Buccaneers.com contributor”. The 1st line of which says that the Bucs “will have a new defensive line coach in 2018 after the departure of incumbent Jay Hayes”.
That’s an interesting word choice – “departure of incumbent”.
Did the Bucs actually FIRE Hayes? Has that word ever been used by a Buccaneer representative? This is actually somewhat interesting. It was blatantly obvious to all that the timing was “weird” from the very getgo.
Is it possible that 6 weeks after the season ended – some chit went down between Hayes and upper management or perhaps even ownership? Maybe some words were said that couldn’t be taken back or something?
Or maybe Jay Hayes found out the master plan this year is to draft Nelson in the 1st and Sony in the 2nd and he said – “F yall – I am OUT of here…” LOL
February 14th, 2018 at 10:29 am
StPeteBucsFan
Ghost Johnson is a successful nfl player he was not the problem the pathetic bucs orgaization is the problem. WAKE UP….. every single coach and free agernt that has come to tampa for ovee a DECADE has regressed and failed. Thst is undeniable… stop blaming the players and coaches its a complete and total organizational problem that will never be resolved thus no hope and a permanent residency in nfl south basement aka buccaneers safespace
February 14th, 2018 at 10:34 am
Would love nothing more than a draft day trade of GMC, For all those critics that say Buc fans are clueless wanting to trade GMC, what do we have to lose? All the Bucs have done with him here is suck! It would be a “bold” message, much bolder than drafting Aguayo and show the players no one is untouchable. Bucs will probably clean house anyway after another disappointing 2018 season.
February 14th, 2018 at 10:35 am
Once again Sapp is right. The dumbest fans in the NFL are Bucs fans.
If anyone is paying attention, Koetter is thoughtful, methodical and loyal. This Hayes wouldn’t be gone because “players didn’t like him.” The played like crap for him, this much is true. The reasons Hayes was dismissed may never be revealed, but no one should make a case that the dude should have been retained, after all but 5 or 6 games out of the last 32 have been fraught with poor DL play.
Oh and this. All the goobers who are labeling McCoy a cancer need to swallow a big cup of STFU, you are fargin’ stupid.
February 14th, 2018 at 10:42 am
STPETE
is GMC a great player?…..I thought great players make those around him better?…..ayers, spence, gholston, a.spence, g.johnson never got better playing next to GMC…..they either stayed the same or regressed…..simple as that….
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!…GO BUCS!!!
February 14th, 2018 at 10:50 am
PICKGRIN
you may be on to something…..
something went down….only time will tell….
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!
February 14th, 2018 at 10:51 am
Jay Hayes tweets after firing:
“If there is no struggles, there is no progress. Those who profess to favor freedom and yet deprecate agitation are men who want crops without plowing the ground. They want rain without thunder and lightning. They want ocean without the roar of its mighty waters.” – Frederick Douglas
https://www.google.com/amp/s/bucswire.usatoday.com/2018/02/11/tampa-bay-buccaneers-jay-hayes-nfl-buccaneers-bucs/amp/
Translation = Hayes is used to coaching men not doll loving pansy asses.
February 14th, 2018 at 10:55 am
*firing = resigning
February 14th, 2018 at 11:01 am
813
Is Joe Thomas a legitimate HOF tackle? Has he made the Browns around him better.
You can’t make chicken salad out of chicken spit.
Is Leroy Selmon in the HOF? The Bucs had two good seasons with Selmon a ten win and a nine win season and the rest were losing seasons except for the 5-4 strike season. Why didn’t Selmon make the rest of the Bucs reach their “potential”? I guess Selmon wasn’t great because he was just too darned nice.
Heck for all we know he might have like ice cream.
February 14th, 2018 at 11:24 am
If Chubb and Minkah are both gone at 7, trade back to about 11th, draft Vita, then move back into about the 29th spot for Arden Key. Draft GMC’s replacement next year…..or trade back a little further and go ahead for Payne (BRING THE PAYNE!!!!), then get Arden Key.
First 2 picks D line please if Minkah is gone! I love Nelson too but dmn we hurting on D line!
February 14th, 2018 at 11:58 am
HAH! Just saw where Charley Casserly has Marcus Davenport going at #5 above Chubb and Chubb coming to us…which is wonderful if that plays out….but WTF is that guy SMOKING smdh lol….i need some of that 😉
February 14th, 2018 at 11:59 am
If these guys were inflicting terror upon offenses lines before Jay Hayes came to the Bucs. Then I would consider this as an significant firing. But the fact is, these guys are bums, loafers. Outside of GMC, none of these guys has ever received any recognition for their play.
February 14th, 2018 at 12:06 pm
They are not speaking because they know the entire defense is a lost cause with Mike Smith.
What is there to say?
February 14th, 2018 at 12:27 pm
@DB55 BINGO!
Licht, get this dmn D line revamped!! WTF MAN!?
February 14th, 2018 at 12:29 pm
Good luck Mr. Hayes! Now watch him go take a D line to a SB in a few years….smdh!
February 14th, 2018 at 12:36 pm
@ DB55
great find, in other words he had a different philosophy on football and life and the Bucs brass couldn’t see it. Funny how even though Jameis did not have the same kind of year with his receiver (and a better crop of receivers), Skylar gets a promotion, but the defensive line who down right offensive who actually had less than last year, fires the defensive line coach, mmmm, idk, something fishy in the bay
February 14th, 2018 at 12:37 pm
Glazers have done their financial homework. This Buc franchise makes millions for them. Another losing season though and the cries will have to be answered. In a strange sorta twisted way? Maybe this needs to happen to clean house completely and bring in a new Mngt scale from top to bottom wth a couple of Know how, been there organizational VP’s with new coaches. I’m just not convinced this organization really wants to be a sustained Winner.
February 14th, 2018 at 12:51 pm
stpete
again….the browns and the bucs back then were an organizational mess…..the front office has a lot to do with the lack of success in Cleveland and that was the case back when LS played for the bucs…..
those were organizational/management problems…..
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!…GO BUCS!!!!
February 14th, 2018 at 1:16 pm
813bucboi Says:
“if that were true, smitty would be canned too!!!!!”
I should have been clear. I think they canned Hayes to create the illusion of accountability. 😉
February 14th, 2018 at 1:22 pm
Mike Johnson Says
“I’m just not convinced this organization really wants to be a sustained Winner.”
I am. I believe that’s why the Glazers have gone through so many coaches over the last decade.
I think it took a while, but they finally realized that would not work. Continuity does. You can’t expect a coach/gm to take a team from the bottom to the top within two years. Cannot be done. Not and keep them consistently at the top.
Bucs fans don’t want one good year, and then several bad years again, right? We got that with Raheem.
No, we want a team that can be a lasting contender. That means continuity at head coach, because it takes time. And yes, there might be a bad year here and there, but mostly things will get better.
And things will get better here. The offense will be better this year.
And if the defense does not improve enough, Mike Smith WILL be toast. And if it is much improved, he will get a head coaching job and we’ll get a new DC.
February 14th, 2018 at 1:25 pm
Lol really? You’re starting to think maybe?
To me it’s been a blazing neon sign since 2013 that
the soccer brats could give 2 spits about anything
Buc related (other than the profit margin…which they obsess over)
They run this team like a sterile corporation (the Walmart model)
not like a labor of love the way Rooneys and Krafts do.
February 14th, 2018 at 1:28 pm
*2003 (not 2013)….my how suck-time flies…
February 14th, 2018 at 1:30 pm
One small step.
A long way to go.
Fix the trenches, fix the Bucs!!
February 14th, 2018 at 1:30 pm
…and the way their influence (or lack thereof) is left out of the conversations here still amazes me. They must really intimidate the media.
February 14th, 2018 at 1:33 pm
I think I just post here anymore to fight ignorance…not because I’m a fan…that died years ago. I rarely watched a game last season.
GREAT JOB KIDS! DAD WOULD BE PROUD!
/sarcasm
February 14th, 2018 at 2:05 pm
My man, How-ard Co-Sell!
Leadership always starts at the top. Whether GMC is a leader or not (he’s not) is completely irrelevant when ownership is AWOL. Good organizations EXPECT to win. Do you think Pittsburgh and the Rooneys would tolerate the losing we’ve had here? It wouldn’t be JUST Hayes with a pink slip. Licht, Koetter, Smitty, the whole kit and caboodle would be a-goner, bye Felicia!
Jay Hayes is not a victim of GMC, he’s a victim of the Glazers.
HC- your WalMart analogy is so spot-on. There’s no passion, it’s all business. SAD!
February 14th, 2018 at 4:19 pm
Smutty is basically the C.E.O of the defensive side of the ball. If there was an issue with the defensive line he should have addressed it, given Hayes orders on fixing it. So why is Smutty not FIRED too? This tells me smitty is not fulfilling his responsibility of over seeing all aspects of the defense.
February 14th, 2018 at 4:39 pm
They’re not necessarily AWOL…they put in a lot of office time recently,
but you were spot-on when you said this:
That’s the reason the Bucs have sucked arse since the kids took over.
February 14th, 2018 at 6:02 pm
A public statement would end the baseless speculation. Those who think he was fired because mccoy didn’t like his demands for accountability are quite frankly talking out of their @ss. Your bias against arguably our best defensive player, even when you are just making stuff up is funny. Sad.
February 14th, 2018 at 6:34 pm
Wow thats interesting. Maybe Hayes quit. This would make A LOT more sense than him being fired. I would walk out if I were forced to coach for Mike Smith as well.
Koetter is a dead man walking. Sucks to say it I had really high hopes for him but he is as good as gone. No chance for success in 2018 unless Jameis throws for 40 tads and 6 int’s
February 14th, 2018 at 7:47 pm
Yep. Doesn’t take much of a stretch or a high IQ to figure out that Hayes quit.
That also explains why there’s been no official statements.
February 14th, 2018 at 7:50 pm
Like I said before: Back in 2015, when everyone assumed the Bucs D would dominate, it was assumed that Mike Smith would get a head coaching gig out of it and Hayes would be the heir apparent to Defensive coordinator. Now Smith is hanging onto the DC job for dear life and Hayes finally said “**** this” and quit.
February 15th, 2018 at 4:59 pm
@Howard C,
If you suggesting that the Glazers love soccer and run the bucs strictly as a business then I don’t believe you really follow the other franchise. The fact is the cash cow is man u and if reports are correct the Glazers have pulled out of man u over 1 billion dollars. That’s a lot of bucs and it’s unprecedented in the history of the premiership. I don’t believe that it’s that they love soccer. More likely, they love the opportunity for profit from soccer.