“Part Of The Mentality Of Our Front Office”
May 25th, 2025
Was the 2025 Buccaneers draft about more than bringing in fresh talent?
Rondé Barber is confident it was. The Hall of Fame cornerback is a true extreme Bucs insider, a guy who confessed recently to watching film of rookie minicamp practice.
Tampa Bay drafted (in order) a receiver, two cornerbacks and an edge rusher. Barber noted they have starters in place at all of those positions.
Speaking on The Rondé Barber Show via WFLA-TV streaming platforms, Barber said the Bucs’ draft hearkened him back to his playing days. When the Bucs selected cornerback Aqib Talib (2008) and others, that ignited a fire in him.
“All it did was make me sharper, make me more hungry and make me want to compete,” Barber said. “So I think that was part of the mentality of our front office when they went out and drafted some of these guys. Yeah, you’re looking for succession planning. Obviously, at wide receiver, you certainly are. Jamel Dean gets challenged this year; you’re looking for who could be next. You’re certainly looking for some edge talent.”
Intriguing perspective from Barber. How will the Bucs’ draft motivate Dean? Will the same concept apply to Zyon McCollum and the Bucs’ receivers and outside linebackers rooms?
Dean hasn’t had competition for his position since the 2022 season.
Barber also noted Bucs’ rookies are in an ideal situation because none need to be a savior — a sign of a good team. “It does take some pressure off them when they’re not expected to play right away,” he said.
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May 25th, 2025 at 1:33 pm
If we get injuries at the CB position at the rate we’ve been getting in recent years, our rookies will be playing very soon. (I hope I’m wrong, though)
We seem to have some decent depth at the OLB position. Can any of those guys be moved inside?
May 25th, 2025 at 1:44 pm
>>> Barber noted they have starters in place at all of those positions. <<<
Talk about misleading and just saying crap to fill time. Name a team that didn't have a starter at the position a player was drafted at? Outside of Notre Dame trying to stop Ohio State at the goal line, can't remember a team that purposely played with 10 or 9 guys on the field. Do better Ronde!
(It didn't work for Notre Dame, by the way.)
May 25th, 2025 at 1:48 pm
It’s a great concept right. You have starters but then draft good talent/starters at the same position so that they push the starters who are already there. This doesn’t work for everyone but it’s good business model. Not all but most athletes want to be the best and best m order to do that they need to be pushed aka bring in competition. Iron sharpens iron.
May 25th, 2025 at 1:49 pm
If we can get a guy not scared to cover a receiver that would be a huge step in the right direction. Not only is Dean peanut brittle he plays scared and that’s worse.
May 25th, 2025 at 2:03 pm
@jimmy: I think he means starters that no one expects the rookies to unseat. Of course there are starters at every position, but if you read the rest of the article, it goes on to say that it’s about succession planning … new guys to challenge the existing starters.
May 25th, 2025 at 2:15 pm
@jimmy, you’re a moron or a brand new NFL fan. Lots of teams don’t have starters in place and fill slots with rookies as a plan. Players leave in free agency or get cut. New coaches clean house. Players retire or have season ending injuries.
May 25th, 2025 at 2:49 pm
If Bryce Hall is healthy, I think we’ll see that he’s pretty darn good too. Averaged four Solo tackles his first two years, then he was passed on depth chart and rarely played in NY. Had 19 passes defended over just 25 games those years.
May 25th, 2025 at 2:51 pm
Jmmy – they could have retired or been traded or released or elected free agency or gotten hurt or tested positive or prolly a bunch of other things. maybe they meant ‘bonafide starters’ or ‘projected’
May 25th, 2025 at 5:18 pm
An awful lot of Ronde filled opinion pieces lately.