“They’ve Gotta Address The Secondary”
April 5th, 2019
“Mark, stop going on TV and telling me what to do. Just because you had more wins than me in your first five years doesn’t give you that right.”
Former Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik is a huge Tampa Bay Buccaneers fan. He doesn’t hide it, which Joe loves about Dominik.
Dominik has maintained a high profile since leaving the Bucs via his gig at BSPN, where he got the boot, and his long run on SiriusXM NFL Radio, where Dominik is a fantastic analyst who gives varied and in-depth perspective.
This week Dominik was talking Bucs on NFL Network across from DeSean Jackson friend and three-time Super Bowl champ Willie McGinest. (Trust Joe: McGinest’s shot at Jameis in the video below is courtesy of D-Jack.)
Dominik says a quick fix for the Bucs is about getting America’s Quarterback, Jameis Winston, to be consistent and “they gotta address the secondary.” Repeated torching of Bucs defensive backs, especially within the division, has got to be an immediate priority, Dominik says.
Of course, that means drafting a defensive back early or a trade for one in a hurry.
Last spring on NFL Radio, Dominik expressed his tremendous surprise that the Bucs drafted cornerback M.J. Stewart so early. Last month, current GM Jason Licht declared Stewart a safety.
Joe can’t disagree with Dominik. The Bucs’ secondary was brutal last season. Their best cornerback, Brent Grimes (yes, he was their best), was bitter and disillusioned, while the team allowed about 72 percent of all passes to be completed. Their safeties were so bad Bucco Bruce Arians doesn’t even see a surefire returning starter.
Have the Bucs gotten better in the secondary? Joe’s not seeing it outside of new coaches.
How can the Tampa Bay Buccaneers go from worst to first? @MarkdominikNFL and @WillieMcGinest weigh in đ
đș: @NFLTotalAccess pic.twitter.com/IphWtqPt1x
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) April 5, 2019
April 5th, 2019 at 1:40 pm
D@&) manđdonât think Johnathan Abrams will make it to the second round..
April 5th, 2019 at 1:54 pm
Darnell Savage loooks like the truth too Macabee. Ball hawking skill remind you of Ed Reed. I telling these nice folks here in jbf-land this regime is Big on the safety position. I mean theyâve been spoiled by guys like Tyrin Mathiue and Jamal Adams. My belief is they want a little more hotsause back there,a little presence,a little more swagger. Not to say our young guys canât play Iâm just saying Honeybadger and Jamal tend to make you wanna find another one.
April 5th, 2019 at 1:56 pm
Yâall might wanna get to know Johnathan Abrams and Darnell Savage. One of whom may be joining the team real soon.
April 5th, 2019 at 2:06 pm
This a4shole has no right to criticize any draft pick of anyone IMO
April 5th, 2019 at 2:13 pm
Im optimistic that a scheme change will benefit the CBs, mainly VH3 and Davis. Safety is the question mark to me.
The rumors say LB, S, RB. 3 weeks to find out.
April 5th, 2019 at 2:25 pm
Pff had some pretty insane stats on Hargreaves:
Non press coverage (197 snaps) – 75 out of 78 corners in coverage grade
Press coverage (276 snaps) – 26 out of 109 CBs in coverage grade
Top 5 nickle CB in press.
Ideally he could be CHris Harris JR – (and he tested as a more athletic version of Chris Harris JR but the same size). That guy plays outside and then comes into the slot as well on certain situations.
However it sounds like they just want him strictly outside.
April 5th, 2019 at 2:28 pm
The Bucs do need to get better in the secondary, but no NFL team should listen to what this guy says.
My preference is the Bucs address both lines in the first three rounds of the draft.
April 5th, 2019 at 2:32 pm
Joeypoppems — Totally agree it is really tough to grade out what Smith asked our DB’s to do vs. what Bowles is going to do. We will be playing a ton of press/man coverage with all the blitzing Bowles does. VHIII & Davis both should benefit from this it has been obvious that playing off was not a fit for VHIII. Stewart in the 2nd round is looking more and more like just a flat out bad pick. No one seemed on board with it and now it’s not even working out with a position change. Either way, we need more than VHIII & Davis at CB. I doubt we take any DB at 5 but hey what do I know.
April 5th, 2019 at 2:42 pm
Love the pic!
Looks like a McDonaldâs-salad bar juxtaposition.
Never found Dominik to be the loathsome figure that hindsight posters so fervently admonished.
If he is still a fan of the Bucs he is okay by me. We need all the fans we can get!
April 5th, 2019 at 2:47 pm
Jason Licht hasnât made us forget the days of Leonard Johnson and Danny gorrer as starters of the worst pass defense in nfl history, you have it in the record books so shut up
April 5th, 2019 at 2:52 pm
When you look at that picture…
Just stop and think for a minute…
How MUCH LOSING has occurred through the regimes of those 2 men???
April 5th, 2019 at 2:52 pm
You want to know why the Bucs got rid of Bennett “for no good reason”…..ask Mark Dominick, Joe. And, while you’re at it how about a question on Revis…..or Daquan or better yet Mylew and all the other losers he drafted……
Mark Dominick….one of the better “Monday morning GMs”
April 5th, 2019 at 3:03 pm
Demon that picture highlights a decade of 100 losses ……..Yep, that’s 100 Sundays wasted.
I hate you for reminding me.
April 5th, 2019 at 3:11 pm
It is not fair to only point to the secondary to blame for the passing defense.
Every time y’all do it you are just letting the the LBs off the hook.
They did noting last year to stop the pass. Nothing!!! And the middle was open all year long. Consistently open for 4 full quarters. Our LBs basically got eaten alive last season.
They are the reason for the 70% completion percentage ……Look at the % if you only look at plays to the middle. It’s downright sickening. They were the defenition of futile.
April 5th, 2019 at 3:13 pm
JJ,
I hear ya man, and sorry about that.
Hopefully many Sundays ahead that bring much more joy.
April 5th, 2019 at 3:17 pm
Thatâs why Iâm trying to prep them now Pop so they donât wet theyâre pants when another safety is selected in the 2nd round.
April 5th, 2019 at 3:22 pm
Joe Miko Grimes was the worst football player on the field man. He darn sure wasn’t our best last year.
Got a old Bucs game on in the background right now. Peeked up and saw Grimes try to tackle a Bengal receiver in open field and he got bounced like a child and thrown squarely on his ass.
This play would be funny if I wasnt a Buc fan. It would be exciting if I were a Bengal fan…..if that play can pump up a fan what do you think it does to a player Joe?
Sorry Joe your wrong. Plays like that hurt the team. That makes him a bad player. Not best of nothin.
April 5th, 2019 at 3:28 pm
Demon. Yes. That’s what we need. Joy!!
At least the other Tampa teams are spreading some happiness
April 5th, 2019 at 3:31 pm
“Do you know whats going to happen?
Kobe does
TEAR IT DOWN! TEAR IT DOWN
THE FOUNDATION IS CRACKED
MIAMI IS DOING IT THE RIGHT WAY
Miami doest want 4-7 wins
Miami is going to tank and get the top QB and start from scratch
The answer to Tampa bays future?
TEAR IT DOWN!”
Kobe Faker
April 5th, 2019 at 3:36 pm
A decade of dunce cappery between those two ballers. And yet Domâs 5 year record as GM is actually better. Zoiks!
April 5th, 2019 at 3:56 pm
@Kobe
We were in position if the front office listened to JBF and rebuilt the front 7 and emphasized O-line over the sh1t Licht drafted and emphasized. Also if we hired a good staff vs Lovie and then Koetter/Smitty.
Fan base wanted an OG in round 3 not Charles Simms.
Many wanted Aaron Donald but we wanted to build around Gerald McCoy – a guy the fan base probably trades away years ago for a high pick.
Fan base wanted Rankins or Tunsil not VHIII (even tho I will admit i was fine with VHIII).
NO ONE wanted Aguayo. We all defensive players with that pick. F8ck you Licht.
Fan base wanted Kareem Hunt or to trade up for a RB and we took Justin Evans.
Fan base wanted Derwin James & Derrius Guice last year.
Fan base wanted Donte Jackson over MJ Stewart.
Fan base of JBF >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Mark Dominik & Jason Licht.
IMO our only chance is to have the draft ran by a JBF poll or LUVMYBUCS
April 5th, 2019 at 4:15 pm
Miko Grimes has a better chance at being a decent CB than VH3BUST. She is far more intelligent and definitely not as fragile…. you can’t coach or fix short, slow and stupid…. vh3bust is a waste of time and energy.
April 5th, 2019 at 4:16 pm
So all we need is:
1. Better play at QB
2. Better run blocking
3. Better play from running backs
4. Better pass rush
5. Better play from defensive backs
Piece of cake.
April 5th, 2019 at 4:49 pm
Neither Dominik not McGinest REALLY answered the question that was asked … “How can the Buccaneers go from worst to first in the NFC South?” Dom’s answer was more consistent play & fewer turnovers from Jameis and to upgrade the Secondary. McGinest’s answer was for Jameis to stop locking on to select receivers & go through his progressions and for the Bucs to run the ball better.
Sorry, but even if the Bucs did all 4 of those things, we still wouldn’t win the NFC South this year. Our LBs are one big question-mark IMO. Our DLine last year couldn’t effectively stop the run. We have no money to ‘buy’ veteran experience at select positions, and the odds of winning the NFC South with a bunch of rookies & 1st year guys is probably pretty low. Nope, don’t see that happening. I’d be happy if the Bucs fielded a competitive TEAM for a change.
April 5th, 2019 at 4:49 pm
LC
i agree….
DOM dont know sh!t…thats why he’s still unemployed by the NFL….
#REALISTKNOWSNOTHING!!!!…GO BUCS!!!!!
April 5th, 2019 at 5:01 pm
The captions with your photos are the best!
April 5th, 2019 at 5:04 pm
Lord Cornelius is spot on here. However, fan base don’t matter to Licht or the coaches. I remember when we passed on Donald. I knew then,,,,Most teams have stuck with the winning cards that made them great. Our calling card use to be Defense. We lost those cards yrs ago. I’m waitin as always to see how different this draft will be. Optimistic? Yes. Completely sold our Bucs will start doing the right thing? Nope..Not yet. I’ll wait and see.
April 5th, 2019 at 5:12 pm
This from a guy who on his way out the door spent 1st,2nd and 3rd rd picks for Jonthan Banks and an injured/grossly overpaid Revis…
Thanks DOM!!!
April 5th, 2019 at 5:15 pm
May be your best caption yet, Joe.
LordCorn, Dilly Dilly!
April 5th, 2019 at 5:19 pm
So sick of hearing the Bucs secondary sucks and needs attention. I believe this all comes from a surface analysis of the stats. Issue number one is the defensive scheme was 180 degrees out of phase with skill set of the players. This has been documented over and over throughout the off season. The coaching was atrocious. Issue number two is that the injury bug hit the secondary particularly hard last year. Hopefully that will have less impact this year. These talking heads talk as if the Bucs have ignored the position in recent drafts. Not the case. They have added 1 1st-round, 3 2nd-round, and 2 4th-round picks to the secondary in the last 3 years. It is not as unaddressed as they claim. Nickel Corner is the one open need at the moment. As for Safety, I believe the aggressive styles of a Bowles Defense showcases hard hitting safeties. When it comes to the secondary, I do believe the coaching change and resultant scheme change will yield a huge improvement in performance.
April 5th, 2019 at 5:20 pm
Latest NFLPA salary-cap report has Bucs with $1.78 million, smallest available space of all 32 teams. Seven teams still have $30m+, Colts leading the way at $59.8 million.
Secondary help could be right under our noses. CB Jamar Summers/UConn 6-0 190, formerly of the Birmingham Iron, should get a look see. The Bucs in need of some depth in their secondary should bring him in and let him compete for the starting job at nickel cornerback. Summers signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent last offseason.
In his brief existence in the AAF, Summers recorded 3 INTs, and had 10 passes defended. He also tallied 14 tackles and 1 TFL. With needs in their secondary, the Bucs have enough in cap space to add Summers for a 1 year contract at the rookie minimum 630k and see if he can make the team. Nothing fails but a try. No harm, no fault. You know where to view his UConn highlight tape. Go Bucs!
April 5th, 2019 at 5:27 pm
“LC
With those core players we should have had , we should be in superbowl contention every year
Plugging holes and making the team better year after year (draft after draft)
WE DONT HAVE ENOUGH CORE YOUNG PLAYERS
NOT EVEN CLOSE
WE NEED DRAFT PICKS!
There is no fixing or doctoring. We are destined to be 4-6 wins year after year
The Buc Realist Says:
April 5th, 2017 at 4:49 pm
TEAR THE BIATCH DOWN!!!!!!!
GO BUCS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
April 5th, 2019 at 5:34 pm
Lol…@TackleBlockWin. Nice!
April 5th, 2019 at 6:00 pm
LC just proved why Licht wears the “Dunce Cap”
Stop trying to be cute or smarty pants and clever with the draft picks and pick the guy EVERYONE knows is a killer player.
DUNCE CAP LICHT. YOU ARE NOT THE SMARTEST GM IN THE NFL!
April 5th, 2019 at 6:01 pm
We have to come to grips with the fact we may have wife on 2 2nd round picks ( an thats just last year)
You can keep missing like that and field a competitive team
You just can’t
April 5th, 2019 at 6:02 pm
wiffed
April 5th, 2019 at 6:45 pm
A move that might wind up going under the radar is M.J. going to Safety.
Bruce/Todd have invented new hybrid positions before. I’ve heard they invented one for Bucannon called money backer. Bucanon has been a basic stiff in any other position.
When I first heard Bruce say that his players are his scheme I kinda blew it off as coach speak. But when you hear about this Bucannon guy and plans for some of our current roster I don’t think Bruce was BSing.
April 5th, 2019 at 7:00 pm
Kobe calm yourself………You are right we do need core players.
The offense has the core they are building with. Let’s Bruce mold that before we judge it.
Defense is where we need to find a core and, basically, start over.
But don’t worry Bruce is on it……..I can guarantee you without knowing that Bruce knew he was getting rid of McCoy the second he took the job.
He is no dummy. He knows McCoy is the face of this franchise and lockerroom leader. He knows he has to get rid of that if he wants to make a significant change.
The đ on top is that Bruce has a number 5 pick at his disposal. Perfect scenario and when Q drops it’ll be the easiest pick in franchise history. #5 is the start of our new core…..No matter the position.
April 5th, 2019 at 7:29 pm
Jags signed Leonard Wester. Bummer. Was hoping he would resign with us.
April 5th, 2019 at 7:34 pm
Lord Cornelius Says
“Pff had some pretty insane stats on Hargreaves:
Non press coverage (197 snaps) â 75 out of 78 corners in coverage grade
Press coverage (276 snaps) â 26 out of 109 CBs in coverage grade
Top 5 nickle CB in press.”
I’ve been saying he was a press corner for years.
So is MJ Stewart…who seemed slow because he was acclimating to the NFL.
April 5th, 2019 at 8:16 pm
We have the worst secondary in the nfl
After 5 drafts you shouldnât be able to say that
April 5th, 2019 at 8:30 pm
Getting out of soft zone coverage every play will do wonders. Arians basically called out the old coaching by saying they aint gonna play that read and react crap. They will attack which was never done under either of tge Smiths. Vh3, davis and smith will be fine. Need another corner though. Not sure why they didnt cut mccoy ages ago and sign claiborn
April 5th, 2019 at 8:31 pm
Ya think??? How many years has it been when we allowed less than 70%?
April 5th, 2019 at 8:38 pm
Bonzai Hargreaves gave us about 3 snaps last year.
Most of what your looking at is from his rookie season when he wasn’t on IR. Since then he’s been nothing but bust.
His position needs to be addressed.
April 5th, 2019 at 8:47 pm
I like Ryan Smith on this team. His coverage skills have slowly but steadily improved. I like having him back there and adding some nice plays on Special Teams.
If Smith can keep working hard and refine his skill he will be a great depth guy always fighting for playing time and creating competition.
April 5th, 2019 at 8:51 pm
If the front office listened to JBF they would still be wasting draft picks because JBF would try to sign every free agent that hits the market old and young, weâd basically be in the same position we were in when Gruden was here
April 5th, 2019 at 9:57 pm
#blamejameis
April 5th, 2019 at 10:48 pm
Well we were offered 3 first rounds picks by philly to trade up
o ya and 2nds
But we took jameis
April 6th, 2019 at 12:16 am
Iâve heard the comment over and over again that weâve used too many high draft picks on the secondary so we have to go another direction. I couldnât care less about that. We still donât have any great corners. Carlton has upside for sure but thatâs it. The rest of them have shown skwadoosh!!! We still need help at corner. Iâm not saying draft a corner at 5 but I still see it as our biggest need!
April 6th, 2019 at 6:50 am
Probably, but we’ve all seen that from Jay-Miss far too often.
April 6th, 2019 at 7:20 am
If you watch the All 22 or the games from the stadium you can tell McGinest is speaking the truth
And every time Joe shares a Mark Dominik quote or opinion I just laugh as he is the same guy who cut Matt Bryant, drafted Mark Barron to cover TEâs, traded a 1st round pick for Revis when he was bidding against himself, let Michael Bennett walk away and many many other mistakes.
Canât take his opinion seriously