Ruud never makes splash plays...

[Feel Real Good]

I've never bought the criticism that Ruud doesn't make enough splash plays. He largely makes as many INT's and causes as many fumbles as your average 4-3 LB. His problem is the routine plays. I'd sacrifice every INT and fumble he is in on if we could get back every yard after contact he gives up.

[CBWx2]

WOAH!!! You found 6 plays from the whole year lol thats pretty bad.. The second video Ruud gets lucky and he was almost beat by Hasselback.. Third Video that INT was a gift from Hayes... You notice how Hayes laid a hit on the receiver that Ruud would never do? The 4th video was a complete collaspe by the OL. The 5th video he was left unblocked up the middle. Good job your really proving your case for Ruud.. smh

If plays don't count because a player was helped by their teammates or are unblocked, then take away almost every splash play anybody makes, ever. Lame excuses. Give the guy his deserved credit, hater.

hahah now this is an excuse.. Splash plays are created by players who are good enough to create nothing into a huge play. Like people have said a blind squirrel finds a nut every once in awhile. None of those plays were really impressive at all. The most impressive play in those highlights was from Geno Hayes laying the guy out and knocking the ball loose into Ruuds arm.

That was a 1st and 10 play. If Ruud doesn't make the INT then it's just a broken up pass and the Cardinals have a chance to convert on 2nd and 3rd down. A hard hit is not a splash play. It alone didn't change the game at all. And if you think that was an easy pick to make then you are shrooming.

[bullg8rdaddy]

A hard hit caused that INT. Therefore it is a SPLASH play, sir.

[CBWx2]

A hard hit caused that INT. Therefore it is a SPLASH play, sir.

Not if no one intercepts it. Ruud's pick made Hayes' hit significant. As I said, if Ruud doesn't make the play, then it's 2nd and 10 on the next play rather than 1st and 10 going the other way.

[bullg8rdaddy]

Comparing the ILB/MLBs from his draft class (2010 season):

Derrick Johnson (15th pick), Kansas City (16 games) 3-4 defense

121 total tackles (95 solo), 8 TFLs, 1 sack, 17 passes defensed, 1 INT, 1 TD, 4 FF and 1 FR

Note: Chiefs agreed to terms with ILB Derrick Johnson on a five-year, $34 million extension. The deal includes $15 million guaranteed. (Nov. 8th, 2010)

Barrett Ruud (36th pick), Tampa Bay (16 games)

120 Total tackles (80 solo), 4 TFLs, 2 sacks, 5 passes defensed, 1 INT, 0 TD, 2 FF and 0 FR


Kevin Burnett (42nd pick), San Diego (16 games) 3-4 defense

95 total tackles, (80 solo), 7 TFLs, 6 sacks, 7 passes defensed, 2 INTs, 1 TD, 2 FF, and 1 FR

Note: Burnett agreed to a two-year, $5.5 million deal that included $4 million in guarantees. (March 10, 2009)

Lofa Tatupu (45th pick), Seattle (16 games)

88 total tackles (58 solo),  2 TFLs, 1 sack, 9 passes defensed, 1 INT, 1 TD, 2 FF and 0 FR


Kirk Morrison (78th pick), Jacksonville (16 games)

89 total tackles (64 solo), 4 TFLs, 0 sack, 0 passes defensed, 0 INT, 0 TD, 0 FF and 0 FR

Note: Signed a one-year, $2.524 million contract. (April,14,2010)

[Biggs3535]

Who said Ruud never makes splash plays?

When you play over 1000 snaps, you better have some splash plays.

[bullg8rdaddy]

Tatupu rewarded with a six-year contract extension for $42 million which includes more than $18 million in guarantees. March 21, 2008

[lazoran]

WOAH!!! You found 6 plays from the whole year lol thats pretty bad.. The second video Ruud gets lucky and he was almost beat by Hasselback.. Third Video that INT was a gift from Hayes... You notice how Hayes laid a hit on the receiver that Ruud would never do? The 4th video was a complete collaspe by the OL. The 5th video he was left unblocked up the middle. Good job your really proving your case for Ruud.. smh

If plays don't count because a player was helped by their teammates or are unblocked, then take away almost every splash play anybody makes, ever. Lame excuses. Give the guy his deserved credit, hater.

hahah now this is an excuse.. Splash plays are created by players who are good enough to create nothing into a huge play. Like people have said a blind squirrel finds a nut every once in awhile. None of those plays were really impressive at all. The most impressive play in those highlights was from Geno Hayes laying the guy out and knocking the ball loose into Ruuds arm.

That was a 1st and 10 play. If Ruud doesn't make the INT then it's just a broken up pass and the Cardinals have a chance to convert on 2nd and 3rd down. A hard hit is not a splash play. It alone didn't change the game at all. And if you think that was an easy pick to make then you are shrooming.

IMO the Hayes hit was a fumble and was never an interception. If Ruud doesn't intercept that the Bucs challenge it and it goes down as a fumble. The only reason it was never challenged was because he intercepted it and there was no point in questioning the call. Ruud made a great catch on that but even if he doesn't Hayes still knocked the ball loose. The receiver took two steps with the ball in his hands.

[Nicodemus]

Quarles in 10 seasons:

Total tackles 581
Sacks 13 (with 1 safety)
pass defended 12
INTs 4
TD's 2
FF 7

Ruud in 6 seasons

Total tackles 587
sacks 5
pass defended 20
INTs 6
TDs 0
FF 6

Hardy Nickerson 7 seasons

total tackles 680
sacks 9
Pass defended 0 (could be wrong can't find a stat for when at Tampa)
INTs 7
TDs 0
FF 13

So it seems Ruud is on target to make about as many splash plays that Quarles and Nickerson made in thier times here. A lot of you are hating for the sake of hating. TB has not had a "dominating" LB here in a long long time and that is because the schemes don't rely on the MLB. It's not the MLB thats the problem, get some decent OLBs and watch the LB play improve.

[CBWx2]

IMO the Hayes hit was a fumble and was never an interception. If Ruud doesn't intercept that the Bucs challenge it and it goes down as a fumble. The only reason it was never challenged was because he intercepted it and there was no point in questioning the call. Ruud made a great catch on that but even if he doesn't Hayes still knocked the ball loose. The receiver took two steps with the ball in his hands.

You are entitled to your opinion, but no way does that get called a completed pass. He took one step, hadn't even tucked the ball away yet, and hadn't even started upfield by the time Hayes hit him. That's an incomplete pass, as ruled on the field. Even on a challenge, there's no way that gets overturned. Is it really that important to diminish what Ruud did on the play that you now have to say it was a FF for Geno Hayes? Come on man. You're better than that.

[Boid Fink]

please.  this horse is dead.  ruud is a decent player.  he doesnt make mistakes.  he does make a splash play from time to time.  he doesnt lose games.  but he doesnt do anything to win games either.  he's a great fit to cover the deep middle.  but not  (forcibly) stop the run up the middle.

Have said as much on the insider forum...Ruud is replaceable.

Next.

[ryan24]

WOAH!!! You found 6 plays from the whole year lol thats pretty bad.. The second video Ruud gets lucky and he was almost beat by Hasselback.. Third Video that INT was a gift from Hayes... You notice how Hayes laid a hit on the receiver that Ruud would never do? The 4th video was a complete collaspe by the OL. The 5th video he was left unblocked up the middle. Good job your really proving your case for Ruud.. smh

If plays don't count because a player was helped by their teammates or are unblocked, then take away almost every splash play anybody makes, ever. Lame excuses. Give the guy his deserved credit, hater.

The more important point really isn't how many splash plays the guy has or hasn't made, it's do you give him the extension he's likely looking for or just want to replace him next season.

[CBWx2]

please.  this horse is dead.  ruud is a decent player.  he doesnt make mistakes.  he does make a splash play from time to time.  he doesnt lose games.  but he doesnt do anything to win games either.  he's a great fit to cover the deep middle.  but not  (forcibly) stop the run up the middle.

Have said as much on the insider forum...Ruud is replaceable.

Next.

Everybody is replaceable. Some are smarter to replace than others, like maybe the weed smoking FS, or the bar brawling ROLB, or the underachieving LOLB, the overrated RG and RT, the overpaid Center, or perhaps finding a long-term replacement for our 35 year old cornerback, maybe a DE that can actually play the pass, or the run for that matter. All of those things should take precedence over replacing a LB that trails only Patrick Willis, Jon Beason, and London Fletcher in overall tackles over the last 4 NFL seasons.

[Boid Fink]

I laugh in the face of overall tackles in the Tampa cover 2, designed to create as much.

Ruud sucks.

Next.  Arguing to argue.  He is replaceable.  Everyone is certainly so.  Excpet Freeman.  And williams.  And Benn.  And Talib.

Ruud gets punked, and a handful of splash plays, in a season filled with tackles only proves the point further.

RUUD SUCKS.  Put Beason in the tampa 2, and he would be destroying fools.  Putt Willis in this system, and he would be first ballot HOF.  Put Ruud in there, and he is Tatupu light.

[Biggs3535]

Everybody is replaceable. Some are smarter to replace than others, like maybe the weed smoking FS, or the bar brawling ROLB, or the underachieving LOLB, the overrated RG and RT, the overpaid Center, or perhaps finding a long-term replacement for our 35 year old cornerback, maybe a DE that can actually play the pass, or the run for that matter.

Let's do all of the above, and lets start with the guys who are no longer under contract with the Buccaneers.