Enhanced Neck-Up Importance
February 22nd, 2019
Bucs GM Jason Licht.
With a new report on coaching longevity and the NFL Scouting Combine firing up next week in Indianapolis, Joe is reminded of a take by former Bucs Pro Bowl right guard Davin Joseph.
(Fun fact, Joseph is the last Bucs offensive lineman selected by the team in the first round of the draft — 2006.)
Joseph said it took him more than a full year to completely grasp all aspects of Chucky’s playbook and be able to play truly instinctively within it. Joseph marveled at how in 2008, then-rookie O-lineman Jeremy Zuttah mastered multiple positions in the same playbook in a matter of weeks.
Yes, Chucky’s offense was notoriously complex. And some guys are smarter than others in certain areas — a lot smarter. That’s life in all professions.
This brings Joe to a new data-based report on how 75 percent of NFL coordinators on both sides of the football last just two seasons. The quick trigger across the league is escalating.
And you know what that means? More than ever you need to draft players who can learn a playbook quickly.
In the past two drafts, general manager Jason Licht and friends managed to draft two running backs who struggled mightily with football learning. That’s how Jeremy McNichols earned the nickname SnoopDogg McPlaybook, and it’s a big reason Ronald Jones was a shell of his college-star self last season. Keep in mind many consider the running back position the easiest position to transition to out of college.
Those failures were an unknown combination of Dirk Koetter’s extra-high demands on running backs in pass protection, and Licht picking guys who failed from the neck up. Ironically, Licht is quick to say most players who fail do so because of above-the-neck issues.
This year, Jones has to learn a new playbook — and the Bucs should be drafting a running back again.
Damn, the Dirk Koetter offense was in place for four freakin’ seasons and the Bucs couldn’t capitalize on stability that should have been an advantage. Sad.
February 22nd, 2019 at 9:34 am
Jason Licht should have his running back and kicker duties stripped from him.
February 22nd, 2019 at 9:38 am
Benny Snell
February 22nd, 2019 at 9:38 am
Maybe the wonderlic test is there for a reason?
February 22nd, 2019 at 9:45 am
Stability is meaningless when you have ZERO leadership in the building and the wrong people consistently in key positions. 1 good year in 42 proves the bucs simply just can’t compete.
February 22nd, 2019 at 9:47 am
^ Not sure, Dewey, that would be the answer here. Davin Joseph was an extremely intelligent young man. Some people (no matter the intelligence level) just learn on different paces than others.
February 22nd, 2019 at 9:54 am
You have a valid point Fire.
February 22nd, 2019 at 9:55 am
Rojo should surprise alot of naysayers this year.
He has a former USC backs coach , better offensive coaching all around, and a 100 pct better to head coach.
The guy was 20 yrs old last year,, c’mon
February 22nd, 2019 at 10:05 am
Good year to draft a RB in Rds 2-4.
February 22nd, 2019 at 10:06 am
RoJo will be 21 next year and still suck
February 22nd, 2019 at 10:06 am
Licht’s two goofs in a row on RBs should convince him to also study their wonderlict scores before taking another RB. But we also need a do it all back like Benny Snell, Jr., who is a power house who can break tackles, can block, has good hands, and looked as good as Cook used to look in College, but has been overlooked by the expert’s top ten RBs list on the NFL channel. We may be able to get him at the top of the third round. Otherwise we have no backup for Barber.
February 22nd, 2019 at 10:07 am
Bottom line is bucs need to make the playoffs and all this Drama will go away we need to look ahead not in the past its all blah blah blah white noise move forward past this that’s how you change it and I do not care what happen last year or 5 years ago this draft is what is important / free agents /finding out if jones can play and figuring out what to do with McCoy
February 22nd, 2019 at 10:09 am
Licht should’ve been fired when he moved up to draft a kicker!
Talk about lacking “from the neck up”!
February 22nd, 2019 at 10:16 am
Bucsfanman Says:
February 22nd, 2019 at 10:09 am
Licht should’ve been fired when he moved up to draft a kicker!
Talk about lacking “from the neck up”!
you know that the kicker draft has Glazer’s fingerprints all over it…. remember they have been screwing things up in Tampa far longer than licht has.
February 22nd, 2019 at 10:16 am
Last year we lost games because our defense lost it in the fourth quarter. However, had we had a great running game we could have just run out the game in the fourth quarter by slowing down our last scoring drive leaving the other side to burn up all their time outs trying to save time and then scoring with less than 50 seconds left. Then you don’t give up the game with your defense. Of course it also helps to have an accurate 60 yard field goal specialist too, which we also lacked last year.
February 22nd, 2019 at 10:18 am
Alanbucsfan
Remember when hiring the Titans DB coach was supposed to help Alteran Verner?
February 22nd, 2019 at 10:19 am
Anything less than a 9 win season will be unacceptable. In two years we hopefully will be a playoff contender, not just competitive.
Go bucks! Draft best player available first round for the trenches in the first two rounds, then work on the other slots. By releasing Grimes, meshawn, not resigning Evan Smith, Conte, cutting Bennonock, Unrine, moving Spence to rush linebacker in a 3-4, should free up monies needed for the cap, we should be ok
February 22nd, 2019 at 10:24 am
joe, if neck up is so important to licht why has lvd been retained? given the fact he has made numerous public statements that he can not recover from bad calls or big plays. it makes no sense to retain him and flush another 9 million down the toilet for a part-time player who has not played a complete season since schiano…
February 22nd, 2019 at 10:40 am
hum… Is Licht the worst gm that is still employed after years of failure ?
February 22nd, 2019 at 10:57 am
no doubt we have to draft another RB again….b.snell, d.herderson, d.singletary would all work for me….
imo, rojo and others have been a victim of poor coaching….its the players responsibility to learn the playbook but the coaches have to develop them and put them in position to be successful…..
happy to hear BA talking about switching up the way they’ve been practicing….obviously dirk had too much standing around “taking mental reps” instead of practicing with coaches….
#REALISTKNOWSNOTHING!!!!!…GO BUCS!!!!
February 22nd, 2019 at 10:57 am
tmax- Sad but true!
LVD will end up staying because we are probably (and should!) going to upgrade MLB. LVD would be an average LB on any other roster. We can and should improve at this position.
February 22nd, 2019 at 11:05 am
“The Dirk Koetter offense was in place for four freakin’ seasons”.
Yes. That was the problem right there.
February 22nd, 2019 at 12:45 pm
Wow you guys are talking the same old tired talk man move on
February 22nd, 2019 at 2:46 pm
Holy EeFfff, tmax. How do YOU not get tired of spewing the same crap day after day, week after week, post after post. It must just be a cut and paste for you by this point. Everyone gets your point, weather they agree or not…We get it. You’ve said the same thing 7 billion times now. Guess what, your broken record is not being heard by anyone. The glazer don’t care, the bucs don’t care, Joe doesn’t care, the rest of us don’t care. Tuned out due to repetition. You’re like that really annoying commercial on the radio, always worming your way into every open bit of air time. Give it a rest, or find some new material. I even agree with a lot of your takes, it’s just become too much. Every effin post, there you are repeating your usual diatribe. Pause for the cause homie.
February 22nd, 2019 at 3:45 pm
Well said BUCLUV!
Beotch de maxi_pad has a one track mind – its sole purpose is to continually talk sh!t about the team he allegedly is a “fan” of.
Most every good or great player – past or present – not named Sapp or Winston – is a loser – a fraud – a cancer or a nobody who never does nuthin… in the mind of a Beotch.
And the Beotch just relishes its computer time. Where it gets to spew its negativity all over the internet – and troll + annoy (synonym?) the holy fluck out of every Buccaneer fan who reads JBF comments….
Too bad we can’t have a one time JBF tribal counsel and collectively vote someone off the island…
February 22nd, 2019 at 3:55 pm
On topic –
I just found this write up on Ronald Jones from before the draft last year (4-7-18) – and it was not a very good one. At all!
Based on what we’ve seen from ROJO so far – the Dude that wrote this is pretty much dead on with his analysis and critique of Jones game and prospects as an NFL player.
I wish Licht had seen and read and really analysed this report before spending such a high pick on Jones.
Please allow this link Joe – its a GREAT read – and like I said – almost uncanny how accurate its specifics and overall conclusions are regarding what we have (or more accurately haven’t) seen from Jones thus far in the NFL.
https://uploads-ssl.webflow.com/597aa9559fe64000016dc6f3/5adce49f10eb11ae25a9f814_CFM18_RBs_Jones_Ronald_PDF.pdf
February 22nd, 2019 at 8:58 pm
Tbbucs3
Everyone but one of the Joes knows our OLine couldn’t create a running game.
Rojo didn’t tear it up his 1st year at USC either.
The guy has speed and last year was adjustment for him.
If he stinks this year, then bust might apply, but I don’t think so with Ariens in charge.
Most don’t realize what a BAD head coach Koetter was and the assistants he picked for the most part all sucked except maybe Monken.
And Verner was a free agent, not a draft pick – most free agents disappoint