Ronde Barber Expects Bucs To Target Cornerback In The Draft
March 28th, 2018
Weighs in on corners
Just about two years ago, Bucs icon Ronde Barber painted a picture of himself as a Buccaneers scout working with the personnel department on evaluating potential draft picks.
Ronde openly professes his love for the Bucs, works on their preseason broadcasts, attends practices and certainly has the pulse of the team more than most.
So when Barber talks, Joe listens. And he was talking this afternoon on WDAE-AM 620.
After sharing that Vernon Hargreaves has flashed truly elite skills on film during his NFL career, Barber acknowledged that Hargreaves as a ways to go, needs the Bucs to keep believing in him, and the Bucs hierarchy probably is seeking a cornerback to start across from Brent Grimes.
“That they haven’t addressed [corner] probably means they weren’t able to get the guys that were free agents, or they really like somebody in the draft, like really draft somebody in the draft. I don’t know who that is. … I gotta imagine that they haven’t signed somebody in free agency in corner that they’ll go find somebody in the draft. You bring Brent Grimes back; he’s a great player, great football player. He’s 35 years old. He can still play. You go find somebody young. You have Ryan Smith there, who can probably be a good third corner, maybe fourth corner and you build from there. I think if you have four or five good corners you can compete in the NFL. Hopefully they find one in the draft. I think there’s a couple of guys they can target at No. 7 and get, if that’s what they’re thinking.”
Joe is comforted to hear Barber evaluates Smith as a No. 3 or No. 4 corner. That means the Bucs likely do, too, and they won’t count on him to start in 2018.
Stay tuned. Remember what Dirk Koetter said about corners yesterday.
Draft night is just days away!
Be there for Thursday’s Round 1, April 26. Arrive early. Return for Rounds 2 and 3 the following day.
March 28th, 2018 at 5:22 pm
No CB is worth the #7 pick in this draft imo. Trade back if that’s the plan.
March 28th, 2018 at 5:23 pm
I sure as hell hope so! Grimes will be 35 when the season starts. Grimes was injured last year. Grimes, while he was our best corner, still loafs and gets burned here and there. Ryan Smith gets eaten alive and we have to face Julio Jones twice a year. This team can’t afford to not get a CB in the draft.
March 28th, 2018 at 5:26 pm
Ward is the wurd…
March 28th, 2018 at 5:33 pm
I hope we sign Breeland
March 28th, 2018 at 5:33 pm
Maybe a CB is not worthy of #7, I don’t know.
But if you are Licht and you must win this year……What do you do if you think CB is the biggest position holding you back?
This is the tough part about this franchise. We always have GMs and HCs on the chopping block. It affects their decision making.
A GM planning for one season is not a recipe for sustained success especially when your team has a young core.
March 28th, 2018 at 5:35 pm
Forget Breeland he has a bum heel. Not a solid plan. If he was he would of been signed by now
March 28th, 2018 at 5:41 pm
The draft is subjective….guided my consensus ….
March 28th, 2018 at 5:49 pm
Very interesting that he didn’t mention Hargreaves. I’m not one of these Hargreaves bashers, I think the kid still has potential. But when one of the all time greats appears to gloss over his name, it doesn’t look good.
March 28th, 2018 at 5:50 pm
If Panthers decided not to sign Breeland…there’s a reason…
March 28th, 2018 at 5:56 pm
Breeland failed a physical with the Panthers. Logically we can assume the Bucs medical staff would pass him with flying colors like they did with Easy $weezy.
March 28th, 2018 at 5:57 pm
At 12, 2 outta 3 of Ward, James and Fitz will still be there. At 22, 3 of four of J. Jackson, Hughes, Davis and my favorite Donte Jackson will be there. In round two we’ll have some very good choices at corner as this draft is deep with starter quality corners.
My feeling on corners is similar to running back. You’ll be able to get a really good corner well into round two and might still find a gold nugget much later. For running back, you can find a really good one well into Round 4 and might find a gem even later. If you draft a corner or running back at 7, it’s got to be a really great one. Barkley probably qualifies, but I don’t see a Ramsey in this draft.
March 28th, 2018 at 6:05 pm
If we could trade back and get an extra 2nd round pick we should target Harold Landry in the first and Jaire Alexander in the 2nd round if the decide not to draft Ward.
March 28th, 2018 at 6:05 pm
Trade back and we can get 2 CBs….
March 28th, 2018 at 6:06 pm
He did mention hargreaves, Big Marlon B. Read it again.
March 28th, 2018 at 6:08 pm
Ronde’s really going out on a limb here.
March 28th, 2018 at 6:08 pm
” Jaire Alexander in the 2nd round “….I don’t recall ever seeing if mocked in the 2nd round….
March 28th, 2018 at 6:12 pm
Other thoughts on corner. A lot of teams are only drafting tall corners, so Ward might still be there at 12 or 15 (Buffalo or Arizona trade down respectively). Ronde Jackson will be there at 22, 29 (Jacksonville tradedown) and may fall to 38. I like fast corners. Everything else being equal, I’ll take a 5’ 10” 4.35 guy over a 6’ 1” 4.55 guy every day of the week.
My corner has got to be able and willing (pretend “willing” is italicized) to tackle. A lot of people here wanted Patrick Robinson in free agency. The guy literally ran away from tackles in college and got booted from New Orleans for poor tackling. The scout team needs to carefully evaluate the college tape before making a decision on a corner in the draft.
March 28th, 2018 at 6:23 pm
No nope …
Vea in the first period if the big 3 are gone.
FIX THE TRENCHES
#TRENCHWARFARE
March 28th, 2018 at 6:35 pm
Draft Nelson in 1st round take Guice in the 2nd and sign drc as your 2nd cornerback
March 28th, 2018 at 6:35 pm
I hope this wasn’t a mystery that needs forensic science. I mean like:
Was the pass rush so bad that corners got burnt or
Was the corners bad and could not hold up so pass rush was bad??
Every it was I think it’s the scheme as a whole
March 28th, 2018 at 6:43 pm
Minkah Fitzpatrick is worth it at 7. In fact, he’s a bargain at 7!! Can play both safety AND corner, so depending upon how the draft calls, we can draft another safety or corner and have major flexibility. A lot of mock drafts have him going as high as #4 (but some have him as low as #12). No way he falls out of the top 10, so at 7 he’s perfect value IMHO.
March 28th, 2018 at 6:44 pm
@ Jr
Indeed, I stand corrected.
That’s what I get for being lazy and only reading the quote, instead of the whole post.
I deserve to look like a schmuck for that lol
March 28th, 2018 at 6:57 pm
Fact of the matter, is we don’t have to be at #7 especially since we gave away our #3. We can get extra picks in the 1st or 2nd round and move forward, just as long as we get one of the top 5 RB’s and I truly believe that’s possible.
March 28th, 2018 at 7:02 pm
Ward is definitely worthy of a 7th pick. If we can trade back and get one of Ward, James or Minkah I’m all fornit. Daniel Jeremiah has Ward as his 4th best prospect. Not saying his opinion is all that matters or anything like that, but history shows he’s a lot more accurate than most scouts.
March 28th, 2018 at 7:10 pm
We have the #2 pick on day 3. Someone is going to fall to us.
March 28th, 2018 at 7:17 pm
Dewey….love the top of each new round…especially when it is the next day…top of the 2nd is the sweet spot in the whole draft
March 28th, 2018 at 7:39 pm
Lol, Big Marion it’s funny that you read that and didn’t think he mentioned VHIII!
March 28th, 2018 at 7:45 pm
Derwin James 1st round
Mike Hughes 2nd round
March 28th, 2018 at 7:55 pm
Ronde needs to be in the organization
March 28th, 2018 at 8:01 pm
Please sign Bennie Logan please!
March 28th, 2018 at 8:04 pm
I say if chub. Barkley nelson and ward gone we trade down demand both first round picks from the bills and a 3rd round pick. If it’s Arizona or another quarter back team a first this year and 2nd plus a 1st for next year. I would prefer to trade up to 4 with Cleveland only if Barkely was still there. What do you guys think?
If none of this happens Nelson Chubb Barkley and ward gone.
1st round derwin James
2nd round corner
3rd round best running back available
Licht has killed us with picks like hardgraves bust for 9th over all and drafting aguayo in the 2nd round. Drafting the running back that we cut during hard knocks he needs to have an A+ draft or I say we fire him
March 28th, 2018 at 8:20 pm
@ TouchdownTampaBay
yea i’m a moron lmao. i was half asleep on my way home from work, and i lazily read only the part that quoted Ronde….i didn’t read Joe’s entire post.
and usually i’m pretty quick to call someone out for things like that. i guess we all have our moments
March 28th, 2018 at 8:22 pm
When you really look at this team right now they have spent the offseason and done nothing(except resign Grimes) to adress the secondary or backfield.
It’s very tough to say from a fans prospective because it depends who they like with their fourth round pick…….But it seems like they have forced themselves into drafting for need with the first two picks. RB&DB
I’m starting to think they pass on Nelson if he drops. If Barkley drops they obvisously draft him. Chubb they have to draft because of the position, and the riots that would pursue.
A trade down does look like the best scenario. But we have no control over that. Will be a fun draft.
March 28th, 2018 at 8:44 pm
….like really draft somebody in the draft
Like really?
March 28th, 2018 at 8:51 pm
Alan- Glad to see you came to your senses regarding James.
Bucs don’t have a 3rd and top 5 Rbs will most likely be gone by 4th rd pick.
March 28th, 2018 at 8:55 pm
Oh Yeah JPP… well maybe going RB in the 2nd and trade the 4th and a 7th round for 3rd to get a corner?
March 28th, 2018 at 8:56 pm
I hope we get Nelson Chubb or Barkley but for some reason it sounds good to be true
March 28th, 2018 at 8:57 pm
I listened to Barber live on 620 today and he was extremely high on VH111 saying he has some of the most talented potential for CB’s in Bucs history comparing him to Donnie Abraham but he just needs to show it on the field.
March 28th, 2018 at 8:58 pm
I feel like only handful of people are talking about minkah fitz honestly I’ve wanted him this whole time if we couldn’t get Chubb now we have JPP? honestly I’m all for minkah ward or Derwin James I’m not a scout I just want the best one of those 3 and i feel like it’s minkah or James but who knows it’s so hard to tell who’s gunna work and who doesn’t everyone’s right and wrong every year lol
March 28th, 2018 at 9:11 pm
Alot of people are saying Minkah isn’t a safety and he isn’t a corner so what is he in the NFL?
March 28th, 2018 at 9:18 pm
Luke Easterling IMO is one of the best mock draft guys. Check out his latest Bucs 7 round mock.
1. Q. Nelson G
2. Sony Michel Rb
4. Quenton Meeks Cb Stanford
5. Deadrin Senat DT USF
6. Marvez Carter Rb Grambling (fast definitely worth checking out his hilights).
6. Jeremy Reaves S S. Alabama
7. Quenton Flowers Qb USF
March 28th, 2018 at 9:31 pm
I am still curious why Eric Reed is still unsigned. There are many players that nelt and have contracts????/
March 28th, 2018 at 9:35 pm
Eric Reid is a cancer to locker rooms like kaepernick. Plus he is injury prone a younger version of Chris conte. Who also sucks I’d rather have vacarro
March 28th, 2018 at 9:38 pm
I hope we trade down at this point. We could land ward and Davenport in the first.
March 28th, 2018 at 11:31 pm
@Alan
What you just said is so untrue on so many levels. Never once has Reid been accused of being a bad presence in the locker room.
Playing 70 out of 80 games over a 5 year span does not an injury prone player make.
And as far as the type of safety his is, he is basically the exact opposite of Chris Conte. Reid is an in the box strong safety who can fill in at linebacker in a pinch, where as Conte is pretty much strictly a free safety.
Maybe actually try to base your stance on fact before you come on here and start spouting nonsense.
March 28th, 2018 at 11:38 pm
Also no one is saying Minkah isn’t a safety you doofus. People have said that he’s not an outside corner which may be true, and people have said that he is not a strong safety which is certainly true.
What he does project as is a very good free safety/ slot corner back.
We are not in need of another free safety, we have Justin Evans coming off of a pretty solid rookie season at that position. And we don’t need a slot corner considering that is the only spot Vernon Hargreaves seems to be able to play effectively.
March 28th, 2018 at 11:41 pm
Also no one is saying Minkah isn’t a safety you doofus. People have said that he’s not an outside corner which may be true, and people have said that he is not a strong safety which is certainly true.
This is what Joe has heard from NFL people on Fitzpatrick. And Joe will use a quote he hears most often.
March 28th, 2018 at 11:49 pm
I would tend to agree with your sources on this matter Joe.
March 29th, 2018 at 12:21 am
I think with the Hargraves video that came out today, the Bucs will have some concerns and a lot of questions for him. I think it also insured that the Bucs will take a corner early
March 29th, 2018 at 12:39 am
I’m still miffed as to why they didn’t sign EJ Gaines as he only got about what Katanzaro got … seems strange as Gaines can play.
Now, I’d like to see them sign Breeland AND draft someone, but not at #7 … more like the 4th round.
March 29th, 2018 at 6:34 am
Minkah Fitz can be a lockdown corner, abd even more importantly, a dominant free safety..we upgrade both positions with one pick. I know we hve justin evans at free but like
Mike smith says you can never have enough safeties/corners with teams routinely playing 3-4 wr sets.
March 29th, 2018 at 7:16 am
Hope they get Ward out of OSU.
March 29th, 2018 at 12:28 pm
Fitzpatrick… fast, His football IQ is off the charts, he locked down Renfro….. On 2 national championship to eens he was a stand out his stats are unbelievable he was in the back field all day long I think he has 11 career sacks in in the last 2 years over a 197 tackles
http://www.nfl.com/draft/2018/profiles/minkah-fitzpatrick?id=2559944
March 29th, 2018 at 1:11 pm
to quote that breakdown you just posted JDR.
“Plays with some hip tightness that limits lateral agility in coverage. May not have pure cover talent to play full-time cornerback. Allows some separation out of breaks. Feet are more quick than explosive when chasing receivers from the top of the route.”
Does that sound like the makings of a future lockdown Corner? I didn’t read a single breakdown of Marshon Lattimore that said anything close to that last season.
March 29th, 2018 at 3:59 pm
@ NFLNUT
100% in agreement
why the hell didnt we get Gaines or any other FA corner. we need legit experienced Corners to compete against the saints and ATL pass offense
this is the downfall of Licht in 2018
Forrest light cant do 2 things ay once. JPP was his major signing and he shuts down….
Do we even have 5 cornerbacks in our roster???
*I Really hate to say it but i agree with Blake
I would rather convert Fitz to corner than draft 5’10 183 lb densel Ward. We need a physical #1 cornerback
March 31st, 2018 at 8:48 am
You fix in free agency what you cannot find in the draft. This draft is weak at DE so they used free agency to address it. That still leaves us weak at CB, RB and strong safety. I would also like to see a true left guard brought in so we could stop messing with Marpet and get him back to right guard. Luckily, this draft is deepest at, wait for it…, CB, RB, strong safety and guard. Those free agents still out there at CB and safety will still be there after the draft if we need them. The draft will likely free up better players as teams draft replacements for aging starters. As I see it we could play tomorrow with only our #2 CB embarrassingly worse than last year. Not a bad place to be in.