Dee Delaney: Coaches Tell Bucs Defense Not To Intercept Tom Brady In Practice
May 14th, 2022
Joe wonders who gives this order and whether Tom Brady was/is aware of it.
Veteran Bucs backup cornerback Dee Delaney, who made two starts last season, says picking off Tom Brady in practice is often frowned upon by Tampa Bay coaches.
Yes, seriously.
Delaney dropped the news as a guest on the Saturday Morning Inspection YouTube show.
Delaney was asked if he ever intercepted Brady in practice.
“No. Hell, we don’t really (pause) I mean, you can be close to the ball but they really don’t want you to intercept the ball from the offense. You know, I guess they’re trying to get their timing down with the quarterback and the receivers,” Delaney said. “So it’s more about the offense than the defense [in practice]. … It’s more about Brady getting his groove and everything back. So you don’t really think too much about it.”
The surprised Joe, but perhaps its somewhat commonplace? Joe is curious to hear readers’ take. Maybe it’s a Tom Brady thing?
Obviously, there are times in training camp when players in coverage are trying to pick off passes if the opportunity is there.
Regardless, the edict sounded like something new to Delaney, who has been with the Jets, Dolphins, Jaguars and Washington when they were the Redskins.
May 14th, 2022 at 2:30 pm
Him saying it is one thing, you making an issue of it does nothing to help the team. As a Fan of the BUCS, I wouldn’t do anything to nurture discord. But obviously that’s just me. Whaatt?? How exactly does sharing this nurture discord? It’s interesting and perhaps Brady’s influence here — or someone’s — is fostering greatness with this decision. The Bucs have a fantastic offense.–Joe
May 14th, 2022 at 2:31 pm
That sounds like not coach AWJr to get 7 int against a dominating QB schedule.
May 14th, 2022 at 2:36 pm
Sounds pretty soft
May 14th, 2022 at 2:36 pm
I mean joe I’m kind of with you on this one, but honestly It’s plain and simple. You do whatever necessary to make Tom be the best Tom and if that’s what it takes then hell I’m down with it….(but how does the dbs get in rhythm of catching picks)hmmmm! Tom Brady it is lol
May 14th, 2022 at 2:38 pm
It’s new to me. I assume they are able to swat the ball, which save time versus a run back from interception and possible unnecessary injuries.
May 14th, 2022 at 2:39 pm
Huh? Part of the benefit of having 7-on-7s, and 11-on-11s during the preseason is to sharpen both the offense and defense. A DB getting his hand on a ball or intercepting it has a lot to do with timing between the QB, the receiver, the route, and the defender.
A DB, especially a rookie that could pick off Tommy Boy was a big deal during New England practices. A Brady INT helped a small school UDFA named Malcolm Butler open some eyes.
May 14th, 2022 at 2:42 pm
I can see it being a rhythm thing
May 14th, 2022 at 2:44 pm
I guess it’s called shadowing the WR? From what I’ve read over 20 years brady is a perfectionist and if you intercept him he will want to run the play 20 more times. They would never get off the practice field.
May 14th, 2022 at 2:51 pm
Haven’t we had reports of people picking Brady off in practice? Didn’t Mike Edwards? I’m confused.
May 14th, 2022 at 2:58 pm
Probably not well phrased by Delaney. I can recall football practices back in the day when on certain occasions there was an emphasis on “hold back a bit D – we are trying to get the rythm down on this play”…said Coach
May 14th, 2022 at 2:59 pm
OK I’ll accept this for what it is. The opinion and perception of ONE journeyman defensive back.
May 14th, 2022 at 3:00 pm
Joe,
Please come clean for the sake of finding or honoring your authentic self. Our integrity is all a man has at the end of the day, no?
Why do you hate Brady? The rest of your post was even more ludicrous than the first part, so Joe deleted it. This is beyond ridiculous. Tom Brady is the best quarterback in the history of the Buccaneers and is and has been a blessing for everyone who cares about the team. –Joe
May 14th, 2022 at 3:07 pm
Interesting! Either way if true keep it rolling! It’s led to Five playoff wins, a NFC championship, won a SB , 10k passing yards and 83 TD’s in just two years. I’d say whatever they’ve been doing is working.
Although this could finally explain why Jamel Dean & Carlton Davis have hands made out of stone during the season…
May 14th, 2022 at 3:08 pm
Ya’ll done got Joe riled up!
May 14th, 2022 at 3:10 pm
So you prove my point by not letting my full post stand. Your judgment of what is “ludicrous” may not reflect your readership. So let my comment stand. Why not? What do you have to worry about if I’m the only unreasonable fool who thinks like I think?
Heres’s my full post again. You have the choice of letting it be posted. If nothing to worry about, why not let it be visible?
There are many forums where you can insult and ascribe inaccurate motives to Joe and mislead Bucs fans. That’s not ok here. Joe is not “worried” but Joe is disinterested in condoning misperceptions about what Joe presents here daily. –Joe
May 14th, 2022 at 3:21 pm
Joe, some days you must ask yourself, “why the hell do I do this?”
Just keep on doing what you do. You can’t save the dumb from the stupid.
May 14th, 2022 at 3:23 pm
^^ I’ve seen nothing to indicate Joe hates Brady. In fact, I think Brady gets God-like treatment on this site… to the point of nausea.
May 14th, 2022 at 3:24 pm
@Pete
As a fellow reader who also sometimes disagrees with the Joes I’m not sure where you get their “Brady hate”. I simply do not see that. They were damn near suicidal when he retired and almost climaxed on this blog when he returned.
Nobody is perfect…not even the GOAT.
May 14th, 2022 at 3:26 pm
And calling a qb a prima donna is like calling a dog a canine
😂
May 14th, 2022 at 3:28 pm
“It’s more about Brady getting his groove and everything back.”
The answer is in the quote already!
May 14th, 2022 at 3:28 pm
I think Logan Ryan himself has talked about how he used to pick Brady off in practice with the Pats. And if you parse Delaney’s words closely he doesn’t really state it outright. Perhaps implies it? Matter of opinion. And given the success of our offense since he’s been here pretty much a non-issue regardless.
May 14th, 2022 at 3:30 pm
Pete, if you plan on posting here with any type of frequency, and I say that as I don’t recognize your moniker, it’s best not to try to have a pi$$ing contest with the Joe’s. You’ll never win that one. Which is as it should be since they run this place.
May 14th, 2022 at 3:36 pm
Shoot the defense needs practicing their INT timing as well… At least they’ll get plenty of INT opportunities vs Jameis and the Aints.
May 14th, 2022 at 3:40 pm
Perhaps it has something to do with avoiding injuries to two specific groups (WR and CB) who have had injury issues the past few seasons…
They are probably just telling the defense to chill out a little in order to allow the offense to get in sync while also avoiding a major injury to a WR or CB due to players legs getting tangled as they both go up for a ball thrown.
This makes more sense to me than the rest of the BS I read up top.
May 14th, 2022 at 3:52 pm
Asinine comment. Nobody hates Brady. He’s been the best thing that ever happened to this miserable franchise, that I’ve loved all my life, and im sure he has had a tremendous effect on this websites traffic to.
May 14th, 2022 at 4:00 pm
I wonder if it ain’t more what they are working on. If they are doing timing routes or option routes, they wouldn’t want a defensive back who sees the routes 20 times a day and knows what’s coming screwing things up. As far as worrying about Brady, he use to offer 20 bucks to anybody who could pick him off in New England.
May 14th, 2022 at 4:12 pm
I recall a few articles with coaches commenting how AWJ, Dean, SMB and Edward’s need ints to be great. Now, I finally see the value in Gabbert; I’m sure he is more than accommodating in this regard.
Re: Pete. Welcome, pull up a chair and listen a bit before spewing nonsense. Joe is a woodchuck who would chuck wood for TB if he could.
May 14th, 2022 at 4:13 pm
I don’t see how not intercepting TB helps the offense get in rhythm. If you get intercepted, the timing was not right. If the timing is right, you shouldn’t get intercepted. Simple as that. As a coach, I’d want both sides of the ball giving it their best shot. This really sounds stupid!
May 14th, 2022 at 4:14 pm
He’s on the scout team in practice. It’s not the same thing. Don’t read too much into what the scout team players are told to do from a competitive standpoint.
May 14th, 2022 at 4:15 pm
He never said the defence isn’t allowed to intercept Brady.
It sounded like an awkwardly worded jumble about trying to let the offence find the proper timing on certain throws.
I doubt it’s an ego thing.
I well remember reading about Brady inerceptions during training camp open practices.
May 14th, 2022 at 4:18 pm
Why should Brady and the offense be coddled? The defense needs their timing honed even more, if anything. I don’t recall this happening in NE. Brady was picked all the time in practice. Competitive practices, even in early non-contact. How else can you field a mentally and physically tough team?
May 14th, 2022 at 4:27 pm
Joes,
Please tell me at the pro level, there aren’t “sessions” to emphasize the defense, as well as the offense. Then, in straight-up intra-squad scrimmages, everybody gives their all. It’s what I went through as a low-level player. Offense gets their turn, then the D gets to showcase what they can do. I cannot imagine that ALL times, the Bucs D was told “never INT Brady – it’s not good form.” Hogwash. Not sure Delaney is giving the full story here, based on intuition. Am I wrong? Media is not permitted to attend in-season practices beyond the first 30 minutes or so of stretching, warmup and a few drills. Also, most Bucs coaches (including Todd Bowles) will not allow media to attend all OTA practices. So Joe can’t speak to what goes on behind the curtain. Delaney is a veteran, not a green rookie. So his comments are more interesting than if they came from a first-year guy that hasn’t played anywhere else. –Joe
May 14th, 2022 at 4:35 pm
Back in the old, old days, like Shiano days, Joe used to interject a hell of a lot more than he does now.
One articlet about Josh Freeman’s mortgage forclosure raised a complete nuclear meltdown. I think half the site got banned. LOL. Its in the archives for 2014 if you want a good chuckle. Josh supporters were a lot like Jamis supporters in that they either worshipped him or loathed him. Very heated arguments all around.
May 14th, 2022 at 4:37 pm
Kudos to Sparky, “nail on head” award. If the offense is endeavoring to get timing and rhythm down, and DB’s are seeing the same set up and formation a dozen times…how impressive is it to get a pick. Give it a break. Geesh.
May 14th, 2022 at 4:38 pm
Supporters and detracters
May 14th, 2022 at 4:42 pm
Who cares……Brady is the GOAT. If this works for him and the rest of the team, then I am all for it.
May 14th, 2022 at 4:48 pm
I think it depends if it’s a real scrimmage or for getting guys on the same page.
Last year we had a lot of receivers out. Being a Tom Brady fan and a Pats fan since Brady was taken in NE. Mini Camp is for learning and getting the timing down. Heck most people believe belichick uses the month of september to keep installing his concepts. I’m sure they have times where they are competing as well, but it was savage in the early 2000’s at NE especially when Rodney Harrison came over in 2003. There is no one that competes more than Brady. That whole team competed, but you also have to learn the concepts of the offense and defense too. I think it’s nothing. And no offense to Dee Delaney, but Tom has been pretty successful doing it for over 20 years.
May 14th, 2022 at 4:56 pm
How weak and yea I agree this is soft AF. Imagine if this was said about Winston that one year, dude would be getting killed still. Guess we know another reason they can’t perform against teams like saints and rams.
May 14th, 2022 at 5:07 pm
Thanks for the reply, Joe. It was helpful in understanding this story. TY!! 🙂
May 14th, 2022 at 5:08 pm
I would think it’s because he’s not a starter and would normally play on the scout team on defense. So, its probably mainly about the offense getting their rhythm in that situation. My guess would be that the starting defense, who would play versus the scout offense, would focus more on the defense and picks are probably more encouraged so the defense can get their rhythm.
May 14th, 2022 at 5:14 pm
Pewter Power Says:
May 14th, 2022 at 4:56 pm
How weak and yea I agree this is soft AF. Imagine if this was said about Winston that one year, dude would be getting killed still. Guess we know another reason they can’t perform against teams like saints and rams.
^^^^^^^^
Well, they won the Super Bowl recently. I guess that blows your theory out of the water.
May 14th, 2022 at 5:23 pm
OK Joe, so to delve a bit deeper here, as a fan…we all see the Sunday product. We can see it and then review it with rewind. What us fans DO NOT see, is what leads up to the Sunday product; mainly, the Tues-Sat practices and what goes into each game. You have the unique and enviable position to have more insight into the prep for each week – and it’s your insight that keeps me coming back each day to read your awesome blog. Straight up mad love, homie, Joes, for what you do. I was a 49ers fan back in the day when Montana was the king, and I never got ANY insight back then into that team the way your stories and insight come across. Super thanks! And keep doing you. This fan loves this blog.
May 14th, 2022 at 5:26 pm
PS: Ya’ll need to appreciate this blog. It’s unprecedented in sports history.
May 14th, 2022 at 5:26 pm
Tom HATES TO LOSE even in practice but I don’t think it came from him. He’s competitive even in practice and he wants the best from the defense so I call this BS
May 14th, 2022 at 5:27 pm
Pewter Power Says:
May 14th, 2022 at 4:56 pm
How weak and yea I agree this is soft AF. Imagine if this was said about Winston that one year, dude would be getting killed still. Guess we know another reason they can’t perform against teams like saints and rams.
^^^^^^^^^^
The Bucs got outcoached by Payton and McVay. This is not another reason, unless you’re looking into weak excuses, which I’m not.
May 14th, 2022 at 6:17 pm
Fake news, and a non story. Once practices get ramped up, I can’t believe they tell the defense to not intercept the ball. If it is true, it’s really weak. Brady would go at it tooth and nail with his Patriots defense. The defensive backs took great pride in picking off the goat. Maybe it’s a bucs mini camp thing, but it shouldn’t be
May 14th, 2022 at 7:26 pm
Marine Buc … Concur 100%. Seems like it’s pretty much a non-issue; whatever ‘rules’ coaches set up in practice seem to have worked pretty darned well in terms of getting us game-ready. Brady’s been with us 2 years. In that time we’ve gone 11-5 and won a Super Bowl, then went 13-4 and made it to the 2nd round of the playoffs. Seems to me that’s the best we’ve done in the last 20 years.
May 14th, 2022 at 8:09 pm
From what I’ve saw last year the majority of the DBs would drop a pass if Brady threw it straight into their hands lol but seriously it’s probably what Sparky said. That makes the most sense
May 14th, 2022 at 9:12 pm
You heard him it’s Shady bradys thing he is a sissy lol
May 14th, 2022 at 9:14 pm
See y’all the Monday night game
May 14th, 2022 at 9:14 pm
This Guy is a back up defender, in a practice squad which is serving for the offense. The real defensive squad is different, you can this question to differ players, Joe.
May 14th, 2022 at 9:16 pm
I reading all these Thomas Brady reasons for not intercepting him well I my opinion a bruised ego and I’ll just take my ball because you guy’s don’t play fair
May 14th, 2022 at 9:21 pm
Everyone doubts the Saints but we already looking good so be ready I know I will be already am
May 14th, 2022 at 10:58 pm
Dee who? Is that somebody’s little sister? Maybe she need to shut her hole and make the team.
May 15th, 2022 at 4:25 am
CSR: I think it’s Dee Jabroney.
May 15th, 2022 at 5:01 am
I think Deebo Delaney is gonna get picked on in practice now.
May 15th, 2022 at 11:28 am
This D back has been with how many teams ? He is so good he can’t make a team except as a sub and you bozo prints quotes from him !!@
May 15th, 2022 at 12:13 pm
What difference does it make what the Bucs do in practice if it makes their team better!!
May 15th, 2022 at 12:52 pm
Please save your outrage and Google: Tom Brady Interception Practice. This post is clearly misleading. You guys do realize that Joe has access to coaches? He surely could ask the coaches if this was true, but he won’t because he would get his press badge revoked for asking such a ridiculous question. Just use your common sense, people.
May 15th, 2022 at 2:03 pm
Sometime Joe to avoid sounding like a shmo you should just shut up
May 15th, 2022 at 2:04 pm
If we stop reading this garbage maybe Joe will stop with this negative BS
May 15th, 2022 at 3:21 pm
Pete – Your a blowhard and I really don’t think you’re a Bucs fan.. Your just trying to start problems with @joe to get your 10 seconds in the spotlight. But I guess you are used to the 10 seconds cuz your wife DM me and said she needs a real man. Get a life and get off our site .. Go Bucs and go Joe
May 15th, 2022 at 3:24 pm
Don g – Wow you really told him ! I’m sure Joe is going to base ALL his post off the garbage you like to read. I’ve never seen your name one time on this site so please make it your last. Idiot. Go Bucs
May 15th, 2022 at 3:48 pm
I agree with Pete that the Joe’s don’t seem to like Brady. Same for IRA. They respect him, I think. But they don’t seem to like him. From the snide and little sarcastic remarks they make in Brady articles to always seem to be fishing for something negative about him. Even the IRA podcast they don’t seem to like him on there either. Joes just do your best to tolerate Tommy for probably one more year. Then you can go back to irrelevancy just like pre-2020. And you can go back to worshipping your boys jameis and Bruce arians.
May 15th, 2022 at 7:21 pm
This doesn’t make sense. Not intercepting him, will not get timing right. If anything, picking TB off will make him better, showing him timing is off and needs to be corrected.
May 16th, 2022 at 6:15 pm
TampabayDJ82 Look girl I met the Bucs at one Buc place after the first win against the Saints Stood on the back of John Mkays convertible caddy as he gave a speech Been going to games since before you were born Im guessing If you haven’t seen any posts from me here Thats on you for not scrolling enough Dont you ever question me or my loyalty to my Bucs You are the Idiot And a jerk to boot Lots of people didnt care for that article If you knew how to read you would know this So you can shove it you know where You fake azz fan