Rondé Barber: If You’re Not Forcing Turnovers At Cornerback, You’re Not Special.
August 29th, 2022
Dissed in-house?
Todd Bowles has issued the goal/order in a big way, and legendary Bucs cornerback Rondé Barber had hard words to back him up.
Barber does some analyst work these days for The33rdTeam.com, a site that has a ton of big names but less traffic than the Courtney Campbell Causeway at midnight. Joe hopes all these NFL outfits succeed, but sadly lots of ventures led by big football names (Cris Collinsworth, Pat Kirwan, the late John Clayton and many more) implode relatively quickly.
Regardless, in a video feature for The33rdTeam, Barber named his top ballhawk cornerbacks: Trevon Diggs (Cowboys), J.C. Jackson (Chargers) and Xavien Howard (Dolphins).
Barber went on to explain that if you’re not hauling in interceptions as a cornerback, you’re just a regular corner in his book.
“I think what signifies great corners in this league is the ability to take the ball away,” Barber said. “Having good cover skills and being, you know, to take away one side of the field or whatever, really means nothing to me if you’re not taking the ball away. Turnovers are what dictate outcomes in almost every football game.”
And that brings Joe to Carlton Davis, who has six interceptions in 56 NFL starts with Tampa Bay, including the playoffs. That’s a sad total for a No. 1 cornerback.
Is Barber saying Davis is just a middle-of-the-pack guy among No. 1 corners? Richard Sherman seems to think he is as does David Carr.
Despite Barber being a future Hall of Fame cornerback, Joe can’t buy in to Barber’s firm take on the supreme importance of interceptions for corners (as crazy as that sounds).
Still, Barber has a point and Bowles probably would lean more toward Barber’s line of thinking. The head coach wants 30 turnovers this season and it’s been drilled into the Bucs defense in a big way.
During Bowles’ first season with the Jets in 2015, his only winning season, a Bucs castoff named “Revis” pulled in five interceptions and the Jets ranked third in the NFL in turnovers en route to a 10-6 record.
Through the next three Bowles seasons the Jets struggled to force turnovers.
August 29th, 2022 at 7:11 pm
Carlton Davis is pretty inconsistent. Hopefully this year he shines.
August 29th, 2022 at 7:14 pm
Ronde’s taking a shot at the Revis Nutt Huggers lol.
August 29th, 2022 at 7:18 pm
Bingo! Ronde hit the nail on the head!
August 29th, 2022 at 7:18 pm
Great Corners Bait QB’s Into Thinking A WR’s Open.
August 29th, 2022 at 7:21 pm
Thank you👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾I’m happy to have him but he average.
You won’t win the bowl unless that secondary gets right.
August 29th, 2022 at 7:22 pm
That’s why they’re called IMPACT PLAYS men!
August 29th, 2022 at 7:28 pm
That’s a tricky call. One of the best ever (Daryl Green) had 54 it’s, which is a lot, but he did it over a 20 year career. That’s less than 3 it’s per year. He was great and is a HOFer, but didn’t produce more than 5 it’s in one year.
August 29th, 2022 at 7:32 pm
Well Davis I guarantee has dropped at least 10-12 interceptions in his career.
August 29th, 2022 at 7:40 pm
I wonder how many CB’s in the Hall of Fame – have Less than (40) interceptions? 🤔
August 29th, 2022 at 7:42 pm
Real talk from #20
August 29th, 2022 at 7:47 pm
Davis is a very good CB. To be in the top 10 amongst CBs he needs to have minimum 4 (preferably 5+ INTs).
August 29th, 2022 at 7:48 pm
If you’re removing a team’s #1 wide receiver and you’re doing that consistently, I’m not sure how you’re just an average player or nothing special. I mean, yes, he should have way more but as long as he does his job in coverage, who’s complaining.
August 29th, 2022 at 7:57 pm
If the greatest CB in NFL history says it, then it is so.
August 29th, 2022 at 8:00 pm
Len Barney had a lot of interceptions early in his career for The Lions back in the 60s and 70s. Eventually opposing teams stopped throwing in his direction and at Dick LeBeau who ended up making so many interceptions he made it into the NFL Hall of Fame
Davis needs to make some more interceptions
August 29th, 2022 at 8:00 pm
Accurate.
August 29th, 2022 at 8:02 pm
We had trouble last year with guys trying to cause fumbles by punching at the ball instead of wrapping up the runners. I want turnovers too, but not if it leads to bad tackling again.
August 29th, 2022 at 8:05 pm
Look at him.
He high as f$@k!
He ain’t picking off no passes.
August 29th, 2022 at 8:08 pm
Nobody would accuse the Bucs of having great corners rn. We have “good enough if everything else is good” corners.
August 29th, 2022 at 8:12 pm
Great corners are so good at coverage, they have time to bait a QB while they’re covering.
August 29th, 2022 at 8:35 pm
I’ll agree with Ronde to an extent……but it sure is nice to have a CB that nobody wants to challenge…..Carlton Davis isn’t there yet but he’s closer than anyone else…..
He simply isn’t very good at catching the ball…..
August 29th, 2022 at 8:38 pm
Lol LaRue. He always looks like that
August 29th, 2022 at 8:39 pm
It may sound obsurd, but I remember Mike Evans attributed his catching ability to his juggling hobby. I was really into it myself as a teenager and I cant begin to explain how much it has improved my hands exponentially. Maybe the defensive backs should try it with their free time. Boring yes, but anything to get an edge and be a better player is worth it. Just a thought.
August 29th, 2022 at 9:02 pm
TBBF, the bucs had a chance to get Steph Gilmore. For the life of GOB, I can’t understand why they didn’t extend. You see how he played Evans on that play? It was a horrific call. If that’s PI, then you may as well draft a bunch of recievers who can’t catch, and turn em into DBs.
August 29th, 2022 at 9:04 pm
If you’re talking to yourself 3rd person, you’re a fuc$!@g and you always will be.
Rhonda speaks truth.
August 29th, 2022 at 9:20 pm
David Carr is certainly an authority on being middle of the road .
August 29th, 2022 at 9:39 pm
If you’re name is Jerry Jones, you are and always will be a fuc@#$.
August 29th, 2022 at 9:40 pm
Your
August 29th, 2022 at 9:43 pm
Ronde had the benefit of Sapp and Rice causing QB’s to run around like Stuart McClown.
Much easier to get the int when the QB is throwing off his back foot.
August 29th, 2022 at 9:44 pm
Sorry,
Howard thinks that Ronde had the benefit of Sapp and Rice causing QB’s to run around like Stuart McClown.
Much easier to get the int when the QB is throwing off his back foot.
August 29th, 2022 at 10:12 pm
Seems to me you make a huge difference as a cornerback if you shut down your opposing receiver regardless if you create a turnover.
August 29th, 2022 at 11:28 pm
LUVMYBUCS Says:
“Great Corners Bait QB’s Into Thinking A WR’s Open.”
_________________
Don’t you instantly think of the Ronde Barber interception of Donovan McNabb up in Philly that took us to the 2002 Super Bowl? — Ronde completely baited Donovan into that throw.
August 29th, 2022 at 11:30 pm
All of you speaking of yourself in third person, please go eat a D!CK
August 30th, 2022 at 12:30 am
Julius Ceasar and Joe speak in the 3rd person.
Howard wonders y u mad bro?
Howard knows there’s lots of other Bucs sites where no one uses the epic 3rd person
August 30th, 2022 at 12:37 am
The Joe’s do it to disguise themselves. Julius Ceasar was a legend. Try being original, dude. What a freaking dork.
August 30th, 2022 at 12:56 am
It never takes long for the Buccaneer so-called Fanbase to prove why they are the bottom of the barrel in the NFL. Ronde Barber, the greatest cornerback in the history of the team, and some of you are just trashing him for no reason. So pathetic
August 30th, 2022 at 6:29 am
CD can cover. All our DBs especially dean would have more ints if they could catch lol
August 30th, 2022 at 1:57 pm
Davis has dropped many interceptions. He has good coverage skills but isn’t that adept at playing the ball. I would say he is the best corner on a team with mostly average corners.
With what should be an improved Bucs pass rush with addition of Hicks and Hall, there should be more contested balls pushed into the secondary. They have to start intercepting some.
When I was at training camp a few weeks ago, Antoine Winfield was signing for the kids. I yelled out, “how about getting some picks from Stafford this year”. Winfield eyed me and smiled saying “they are coming”. Hope he’s right.
August 30th, 2022 at 7:24 pm
Howard loves your energy and will take your suggestion under advisement.
Howard has been speaking of Howard in the 3rd person on Bucs sites since before JBF. Maybe Joe got it from Howard?
Regardless, Howard feels your pain.
Howard thinks Ronde should speak int the 3rd person too.
August 30th, 2022 at 7:29 pm
Howard also suggests that you stop using multiple screen names. (This is in poor taste in Howards mind), but Howard respects your choices and will support you regardless.
Howard hopes for a great pass rush to generate turnovers.