About That Allegedly Soft Training Camp, Coach
March 27th, 2018
Irritating topic
Fair or unfair — and Joe leans toward unfair considering the Bucs have won their last two opening days — Dirk Koetter has been harshly criticized by some media and fans for running soft training camps.
No tackling to the ground, no ferocious goal-line periods, and a huge effort to protect players and have them fresh for opening day, it’s all part of the Koetter way.
The head coach has explained several times it’s an approach he pulled from Jack Del Rio when Koetter entered the NFL as Del Rio’s offensive coordinator in Jacksonville.
That led to poor performance on the field last season, per some fans and media.
Today at the NFL Owners Meetings in Orlando, Joe asked Koetter whether he found the critique of him running soft training camps “ridiculous.”
Koetter quipped that he didn’t know there are criticisms of his coaching, then suggested Joe talk to other Tampa media about that before saying, “I don’t have any comment on that.”
Joe’s takeaway was fans shouldn’t expect much different at Bucs training camp this year. Koetter believes in his system and isn’t about to launch a Jaguars-like 2017 camp, where sprints and loads of hitting were the norm for the Jags, who landed in the AFC Championship game and were known for toughness.
Koetter has a lot of veterans to manage on his defensive and offensive lines. Frankly, with the Bucs’ new indoor facility ready and a burning desire to see all that talent make it to opening day, expect the Bucs to save their game-like banging for preseason games and joint August practices with another team.
Koetter confirmed with Joe that the Bucs will again travel to practice against another team prior to a preseason game, but it will not be the Jaguars this year.
March 27th, 2018 at 2:07 pm
That firstpick.com site is ridiculous in terms of the trade down potential. Look at this:
1.19 – Denzel Ward CB
2.6 – Billy Price OG
2.18 – Sony Michel RB
2.21 – Ogbonnia Okoronkwo DE
2.27 – Nathan Sheperd DT
3.6 – Ronald Jones II RB
3.17 – Anthony Everett CB
3.32 – Geron Christian OT
4.2 Tim Settle DT
5.7 Deshon Elliot SS
6.6 Dorance Armstong Jr DE
6.28 Eddy Pineiro K
7.37 Tre Flowers SS
lmfao
March 27th, 2018 at 2:08 pm
Wow, what a sickening response from Koetter. I have have zero faith that this year will be any different than the last.
Arthur Blank was right.
March 27th, 2018 at 2:14 pm
Guess I shouldn’t be surprised really, considering he also dropped this pearl of wisdom.
“And right now, as we are sitting at this table today, J.R. played right guard last year, so that is how we would leave it.”
Leave it to Turd Koetter to want to bank on a below average starter from last year that still isn’t even medically cleared to participate in football activities.
March 27th, 2018 at 2:28 pm
soft organization and soft team. just bubble wrap everything and everyone 23 hours a day… this organization has NO concept of accountability or how to win.
March 27th, 2018 at 2:28 pm
In my opinion, the camps were too soft. That being said, there are plenty of successful teams that run soft camps like ours. Bottom line is it doesn’t matter how hard training camp is, there still wouldn’t be much of a pass rush or run game. That was a lack of talent, not football conditioning. Jameis still would have gotten hurt, so even though I’d like to see a more physical camp, the reality is it probably wouldn’t have made much of a difference (maybe would have made us 6-10 or 7-9, which still puts us out of the playoffs).
March 27th, 2018 at 2:36 pm
Great point Hawaiian Buc.
March 27th, 2018 at 2:38 pm
After regular season week 6 every team has had hard training. What’s the Bucs excuse from week 7-16? Great teams need great leaders.
March 27th, 2018 at 2:38 pm
I think this might be why the development of the younger talent is slow. If you practice at game speed, it’ll help the younger guys get better adjusted to the speed and hitting in the nfl. The games are won during the wk. If you have tougher practices and then there are injuries the next man up might be better prepared. Just a thought.
March 27th, 2018 at 3:02 pm
That was a tough question Joe, Well done at least you brought up what Koetter should be aware of if he isn’t. Its one thing to save players strength for later in the year but another to have them manhandled early on. Hopefully our line purges on both offense and defensive sides solved this problem all on its own.
March 27th, 2018 at 3:06 pm
Yea… cuz why would we want to achieve that instead of sitting in the basement?
Man I really like Koetter as OC and mostly his 1st year as HC, but watching someone repeatedly do the same thing over and over, and expect different results in the definition of…
March 27th, 2018 at 3:13 pm
I had high hopes for this guy but he’s soft. I just hole Jason Licht sticks around but this coaching staff is clearly gone after this season
March 27th, 2018 at 3:30 pm
“Koetter quipped that he didn’t know there are criticisms of his coaching.”
That is the biggest BS I have ever heard. This town was about to burn down OBP when everyone figured out they were bringing back the entire coaching staff from last year.
March 27th, 2018 at 3:43 pm
Hey credit to Joe for asking tough questions that most reports don’t have the balls to ask.
As far as training camp the physical approach doesn’t matter nearly as much as the mental approach. They don’t have to batter each other in order to be successful and prepared. But they can’t be humping trees…….One would think that goes without saying.
Just put a professional team on the field please? I feel like I shouldn’t have to ask that.
March 27th, 2018 at 3:46 pm
BucEmUp
There is 0 chance Licht is still around to see another coaching staff overhaul. It’s rare to see a GM make it through two hand selected coaches let alone three. If Koetter goes, Licht goes.
March 27th, 2018 at 3:59 pm
Hawaiian Buc Says:
March 27th, 2018 at 2:28 pm
In my opinion, the camps were too soft. That being said, there are plenty of successful teams that run soft camps like ours.
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That’s the point…..we are NOT successful…..we haven’t earned the right to have a soft TC….they need to be going full speed ahead much like the Jags…..
Ptwalk Says:
March 27th, 2018 at 2:38 pm
I think this might be why the development of the younger talent is slow. If you practice at game speed, it’ll help the younger guys get better adjusted to the speed and hitting in the nfl.
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BINGO!!!!!!!….you practice how you play!!!!!!…..
-you loaf in practice, you’ll loaf on the games……
-don’t tackle to the ground in practice, you’ll miss tackles in the game…..
-have a lack of urgency in practice, you’ll lack of urgency in the game……
-fail to establish an identity in TC, you wont have one in the regular season…..
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!
March 27th, 2018 at 4:31 pm
First Down Tampa Bay……Jason Licht was not in control of personal his first two seasons. He has only had control of the team for 2 seasons and only hired one coach(Dirk)……I also wonder if Licht made the decision to hire Dirk on his own. Koetter was rumoured to be in play for several HC vacancy’s and many speculated that, and his report with Winston, was why he got the job.
It would not be the first time the Glazers got involved in a HC hire. They got involved with the Raheem hire for the same reason.
Personally, I judge Licht more on his last two seasons because he was working under Lovie Smith before. Obvisously, this season matters a lot….But I would like to see him get one more coaching hire. I believe he has built a roster that can win in the league….at least be more competitive th3n we saw last year.
March 27th, 2018 at 4:35 pm
I also blame Dirks influence for some of the decisions that make Licht look bad…..Mainly with Martin(and for continuing to use him over Barber) and with DJax. Both moves have been terrible failures. Another bad move that’s linked to Dirk is the Mike Smith hire.
You can also look at the flipflopping of our offensive line. And I personally think Chuck Sims was wasted.
March 27th, 2018 at 4:41 pm
Everyone complaining about soft camps would be the first complaining when someone gets hurt during a full practice and crying DKs practice was too physical. Spare us all your BS, and let the season play out.
March 27th, 2018 at 4:51 pm
I’m not sure that it’s soft practices or even that we are that soft.
In the summer practice we held up very well against this same Jacksonville team with a D full of savages.
We certainly were not run off the field by the bad Buffalo Bills…that’s a game we should have won…but the Jags struggled putting the hapless Bills away in the first round of the playoffs. What a horrible game by BOTH teams.
It gives us something to talk and beotch about. I’m not sure it’s about toughness or meanness as much as playing to the whistle and protecting your teammates backs.
ME13 certainly protected his QB’s back. People still debate the merits of that move. I consider it a wash…didn’t help that much but didn’t really hurt either.
I like that Ryan Jensen planted the defender that cheap head shotted Joe Flacco.
There’s two we know about…ME and Jensen…It also seems Marpet plays to the whistle…Jameis certainly plays to the whistle…maybe it’ll get contagious.
March 27th, 2018 at 4:58 pm
@R.O., the evidence of a slow camp hasn’t prevented any injuries. As a matter of fact it might hv contributed, thus the rash of injuries last year. While other teams are in regular season mode we’re trying to get up to speed. As far as injuries go, you can’t coach scared of injuries, they are gonna happen.
March 27th, 2018 at 5:05 pm
@StPete
They were indeed soft. Mystery solved. You can cherry pick whatever moments you want from last season to try and bolster your claim, but the training camp was memory foam soft.
March 27th, 2018 at 5:19 pm
Great articles today, Joe. I think you should reconsider your stance of judging an entire training camp on the result of week one. Nobody did that here. Gross exaggeration. –Joe
obviously means that Koetter does a great job getting the team ready for one game with time to prepare, but the goal of training camp isnt to just prepare for week one, it is to prepare for the entire season.
The Bucs have been a non-physical, poor tackling, and injury prone team the two years with Dirk at the helm, and it is because our team is not prepared for sustained battle- their physicality and tackling and bodies are not where they need to be and it brakes down by the time they have played a few games.
I played football for 12 years and the only way to prepare your body for contact is with contact. If you are not ready for it, you break down faster.
JOE PLEASE READ (long withstanding take needs reconsideration)
March 27th, 2018 at 5:19 pm
Klueless koetter was soft when Sean Payton punked him regarding the lattimore, evans, winston incident on the sidelines. He backed down and claimed he didnt see the play.. no wonder the bucs are soft… this azz clown will be fired in jan 19.
March 27th, 2018 at 5:35 pm
Joe, with all do respect, on many occasions you have said you can’t fault Dirk’s training camp because he wins week 1. So i would not consider my post a gross exaggeration, but thank you for reading and your comment.
March 27th, 2018 at 5:45 pm
move beyond game 1 and look at the first half of those seasons, and then tell me the bucs are strong starters
March 27th, 2018 at 5:57 pm
Winning on opening day probably had more to do with our opponent.
March 27th, 2018 at 6:18 pm
I pray Koetter is giving us a smokescreen. It would be great to see them practicing balls to the wall in TC. Also “saying that Marpet is going to play LG” might be BS as well here. That comment might be true, FOR NOW.
Wait til the draft, and see Nelson fall to us at 7. Then it will be Marpet back to RG. Honestly, right now, I don’t believe anything that DK is telling us, haha!
March 27th, 2018 at 9:13 pm
Ray Perkins ran the toughest camps – three a days. What happened was the team started off like a rocket but then by halfway through the season, they wore out, with many losses. Leave the man alone, let him run camp the way he wants to.
March 27th, 2018 at 9:48 pm
LMBO hahahahahahhaa –
March 27th, 2018 at 11:21 pm
Training camps for vets are mostly pointless these days. These days players are expected to be in shape all year, study during the offseason, workout with your qb on route chemistry.
The idea of hard camps were because players in the offseason were working second jobs and coming in out of shape. They also used to put training camps at UT and keep them in dorms…
The only thing hard camps do are wear out players and risk injury.