Byron Leftwich And The Draft
April 11th, 2019
Back at the NFL Owners Meetings in Phoenix, Joe cornered various big names in the NFL to try and extract information about the Buccaneers’ draft plans.
And for those who saw Mike Tomlin getting extremely loud with Joe in the courtyard of the Arizona Biltmore resort, it had nothing to do with the Tampa Bay draft board.
One AFC executive played along with Joe and opened up with insight about the Bucs draft. His thoughts revolved around playcalling and the new head coach turning it over to Byron Leftwich.
“There’s no way [Arians] doesn’t go after one of the better, versatile running backs in the draft,” the executive told Joe. “Forget about for Jameis Winston, the last thing he wants to do is leave Byron with no running game. There might not be a bigger stress on a new playcaller than no run game and then defenses playing more pass-first.”
It was an intriguing take and one Joe has been mulling over for a couple of weeks, as Joe waited to see if the Bucs made a move in the market for a back. They have not.
Joe wrote a month ago about how the Bucs are hot on Browns running back Duke Johnson and adding a true third-down back is a major priority inside the walls of One Buc Palace.
With the draft two weeks away, Joe is more convinced than ever that the Bucs will grab a running back in the first four rounds, with no hesitation for selecting one in Round 2 if the right guy is there.
April 11th, 2019 at 9:16 am
BA & BL…will look back and wished they’d had taken a QB @ 5
April 11th, 2019 at 9:27 am
Then when the new rb gets tackled in backfield , we can read about the latest “bust”.
Fix the trenches!
April 11th, 2019 at 9:28 am
man i really hope we dont use a 2nd on RB. the opportunity to double up on defense OR filling the massive hole at RG with a quality long term starter is way more valuable then taking a RB right now. Can get by fine with Barber and some later round guy or a late FA signing, along with the possibility of Jones getting some confidence and running better.
April 11th, 2019 at 9:28 am
Makes sense
April 11th, 2019 at 9:36 am
I don’t care who they choose in the 2nd round as long as Licht has nothing to do with it!
April 11th, 2019 at 9:38 am
I’m hoping we go with a RG in round 2……then a RB in round 4 would have more chance of success….
I am also not convinced that Rojo is a bust…or that Andre Ellington is worthless.
April 11th, 2019 at 9:51 am
No RB can be consistently successful getting hit in the backfield
Bucs overpaid o line can’t run block
April 11th, 2019 at 9:55 am
After the first round Mr. Gump needs to focused on drafting a RG and RT before he even thinks of drafting a RB. Then again our GM never learns from past mistakes….
April 11th, 2019 at 10:02 am
“There might not be a bigger stress on a new playcaller than no run game and then defenses playing more pass-first.” Wow sounds like the entire Dirk Koetter era to me.
April 11th, 2019 at 10:07 am
An RB or a Safety..
April 11th, 2019 at 10:10 am
This article’s headline should have been, “What The Realist told the sheep weeks ago”!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
thx for remembering this Joe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OMG!!!!!!!!!!!! Its another, Famous, much Requested!!!! “Realist Repost”!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Buc Realist Says:
March 20th, 2019 at 4:44 pm
The Bucs will be choosing a D-line man in the first, or the pass rushing outside lb!!!!!!!!! but it will be someone that adds to the pass rush, not a inside lb which has been found later in the draft!!!!! In the second the Bucs will target a RB!!!!!!! nothing but a smoke screen of all the talk of how much the like Barber!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2019 will reveal answers to the sheep, that the “real” fans already know!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GO Bucs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And Go Realist starting his 3 week vacation today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
April 11th, 2019 at 10:22 am
@Jilted Ego, why so jealous of Jameis? He likes girls, get over it. Get out of the basement, look around. I’m sure there’s a boy out there for you. C’mon, you can do it.
April 11th, 2019 at 10:41 am
Hmm,see y’all jump all on Marqeuse’s case about bosa in the other thread but I’m listening to Skip and Shannon talk about those comment on Undisputed. Forget about the Colin Kap and trump comments let’s focus on his belief the film “Black Panther” was trash and Beyoncé ain’t really that good.. 🤔 hmmm,makes me (A Black man) wonder just a little. See I was accused of race baiting a week or so ago. I wonder what my accuser feels about bosa??? This coming from a guy that didn’t take a single snap last season but was able to attend the combine. Where he wasn’t stellar.
April 11th, 2019 at 10:56 am
trade down if possible then pick the BPA (with consideration towards position need) and then DL. . . OL and maybe 2 of each if possible before RB in R4
April 11th, 2019 at 11:09 am
realist
we will draft a RB, but it wont be 2nd round…..lol….
like @joe said, we’ll draft 1 within the 1st 4rounds….meaning round 4!!!!
#REALISTKNOWSNOTHING!!!!…GO BUCS!!!!
April 11th, 2019 at 11:15 am
At least Kobe is entertaining.
Realist is just an 4shole at this point.
Who cares who predicts what picks. What a weird thing to take pride in. The Bucs themselsves shouldn’t know until they see how the draft plays out… It’d be stupid to lock into “we are going RB round 2 no matter what” or whatever mindset
Pretty safe bet to say we’re going defense and pass rush in R1… maybe OL or ILB but most likely front 7 pass rusher
pretty safe bet to say we’re going to draft a RB at some point and could be as high as R2…
woopady f*cking do. Just draft good players and for once actually develop a defensive player that we draft via adequate coaching
But please link me to all the JBF posters that said “licht did his job”
We had enough talent on defense to not be the worst defense of all time. Far from it. But tHat’st he point REalist will never address
April 11th, 2019 at 11:44 am
Thank you Joe. Didn’t think you would let me slide that one inn.
April 11th, 2019 at 11:48 am
Will Grier in the fourth round !!
April 11th, 2019 at 12:08 pm
Alanbucsfan Says:
Then when the new rb gets tackled in backfield , we can read about the latest “bust”.
Fix the trenches!
LOL! Agreed.
Please Fix the Trenches!
April 11th, 2019 at 12:31 pm
It is simple…we need to address the trenches, and alleviate the salary cap. We have a couple options. First there have been rumors that belacheat would want McCoy. Trade our 2nd and Mc93 for their #32 pick and grab Lindstrom so you can sign him for 5 years. We already have to much money invested in the O-line. We need to pick an O-lineman in the bottom of the 1st rnd. to spread out the money. That would allow us to grab Bosa, Williams, Allen or (Joe’s favorite White) with the #5 pick. Then a DB or DL in the 3rd, Rb in the 4th and DB or DL in the 5th, OBVIOUSLY TAKE BPA OFF BA’s LIST. But based on projections that is my best guess for those rnds. I realize it takes 2 to trade. Other options drop down in the 1st to get an extra pick ( and grab a Clemson DL) or use some draft collateral from next year if need be. BUT ADDRESS THE TRENCHES THIS YEAR!!!
April 11th, 2019 at 12:37 pm
Boston College’s guard Chris Lindstrom would be a great pick in the 2nd round.
My favorite RB, Darrell Henderson from Memphis should be there in the 3rd.
Darrell ran a 4.49 40 at the combine. He had 2200 combined yards with 25 TD’s for a 1st team All American spot.
As far as a 3rd down back to complement Barber, this guy is the ticket.
April 11th, 2019 at 12:44 pm
Wait a Minute JOE
what did Tomblin say
That’s got to be a story
April 11th, 2019 at 12:51 pm
Arian Foster, Legarret Blount, Fred Jackson, Philip Lindsey, and Joe bucfan favorite CJ Anderson. What do they all have in common? Each was undrafted. Don’t reach on a back in the second round out of need (Ronald Jones). Say what you will about Snoop Dogg mcplaybook but at least he wasn’t a premium pick that was wasted. A first or second round running back has to be a sure thing in this draft full of defensive line talent.
April 11th, 2019 at 7:07 pm
FIX THE DEFENSE…PLEASE!!!!
April 11th, 2019 at 8:03 pm
Fix the lines. Everything starts from there !
April 11th, 2019 at 8:28 pm
I’ve bin saying for years we need to fix the trenches. Winston need time maybe a lot of time back there and running backs need holes to run thru. If we could put pressure actual pressure on the QB not just wave at him like it’s a ice cream truck going by that would help out our below average secondary that now will be better than average secondary with better coaching too