Ruud never makes splash plays...

[CBWx2]

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.

Actually, there are probably about a dozen or so MLB's that currently play or have played in a Tampa 2 scheme in the NFL during that span. None of them have accumulated the tackle numbers that Ruud has, because the Tampa 2 isn't designed for the MLB to be the leading tackler. It's built around the OLB's, which is why Derrick Brooks regularly beat out Hardy Nickerson and Shelton Quarles in tackles every year. Bogus argument that holds no weight.

[Boid Fink]

Usually the WLB has  big plays funneled to him.  Ruud is another strong safety out there.  He is getting run at because the interior of the Bucs defensive line is weak.  So he is now the guy in position to shed a block and make a play...five yards after the fact usually.  Watching him play is like watching a vagina trying to fight a penis.  Just a losing situation.

He sucks.

[ryan24]

Put Ruud in there, and he is Tatupu light.

While not comparing the two....since we saw the Seahawks in a number of games over the last few weeks I can't say I was overwhelmed by Tatupu's play. He's aggressive however he was beaten in coverage too often for my taste and he had some problems with getting run over as well. The guy I like in a Tampa 2 type defense who you don't hear a ton about is Brackett.

[lazoran]

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.

Watch the videoo... He took two steps when he had the ball and definitly had the ball tucked awway. I thought when it happend it was FF and was very surprised when I found out it was an interception. Not diminishing anything he did on the play he was in good position on that play and came up with a pick if you look at the stats, I just strongly believe it was fumble.

Your either Barrett Ruud yourself and are trying to defend yourself or you are his boyfriend and need to get off his di_ck...

[Boid Fink]

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.

Watch the videoo... He took two steps when he had the ball and definitly had the ball tucked awway. I thought when it happend it was FF and was very surprised when I found out it was an interception. Not diminishing anything he did on the play he was in good position on that play and came up with a pick if you look at the stats, I just strongly believe it was fumble.

Your either Barrett Ruud yourself and are trying to defend yourself or you are his boyfriend and need to get off his di_ck...

+1.

He is arguing to argue.  I have not seena single soul who buys into his crap.

Bye bye Ruud.  Won't miss you.  Some other guy is going to be better, because he plays football...not for longevity.  Gotta roll the dice.

[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.

Watch the videoo... He took two steps when he had the ball and definitly had the ball tucked awway. I thought when it happend it was FF and was very surprised when I found out it was an interception. Not diminishing anything he did on the play he was in good position on that play and came up with a pick if you look at the stats, I just strongly believe it was fumble.

Your either Barrett Ruud yourself and are trying to defend yourself or you are his boyfriend and need to get off his di_ck...

+1.

He is arguing to argue.  I have not seena single soul who buys into his crap.

Bye bye Ruud.  Won't miss you.  Some other guy is going to be better, because he plays football...not for longevity.  Gotta roll the dice.

Yeah and the Tampa 2 is designed around the MLB. Don't get mad because your arguments lack in truth or validity.

[Boid Fink]

Keep on buying into your argument.

The Dline is weak in the guts.  And well, when you run plays into the a gap...and Ruud knows it is coming (position right?), and he still fails to make big plays...

And then you have the goofiness to call out his "impact plays", like he does it all the time...welllll....

Not buying your brand genius.  Watch more football.  Pay less attention to the voice in your head, and the failing argument that comes out of your mouth.

Spin away...Rumplestilstkin is coming!

[Feel Real Good]

If you want to be a strict constructionist with the Tampa 2 and make the WLB the playmaker, that's fine, but part of the deal is you don't allocate too much to your MLB to just be a stop gap. You need to save all your resources for your WLB. The Bucs paid Nickerson big money to play in the Wyche defense, but once he got a little older and once Brooks really asserted himself as a pro, he was gone just like that. Once Duncan's rookie contract was over, he was gone, too. Yeah, they kept Quarles, but that was right after they won a championship and half the team got extensions they didn't need. It's been widely reported Ruud is looking for Bart Scott money, which is 6 years $48 million. If the Bucs want to be a strict Tampa 2 team, why pay a player $8 million per year to be a stop gap when you're likely going to be paying your playmaking WLB 1/4 of that?

[Boid Fink]

Ruud sucks.  He is not worth the headache.

He may come back.  But he is not all that good, and he is not a force to be dealt with.  Pay the younger guy with some hot sauce...

Ruud is scared to get hurt.

[ryan24]

If you want to be a strict constructionist with the Tampa 2 and make the WLB the playmaker, that's fine, but part of the deal is you don't allocate too much to your MLB to just be a stop gap. You need to save all your resources for your WLB. The Bucs paid Nickerson big money to play in the Wyche defense, but once he got a little older and once Brooks really asserted himself as a pro, he was gone just like that. Once Duncan's rookie contract was over, he was gone, too. Yeah, they kept Quarles, but that was right after they won a championship and half the team got extensions they didn't need. It's been widely reported Ruud is looking for Bart Scott money, which is 6 years $48 million. If the Bucs want to be a strict Tampa 2 team, why pay a player $8 million per year to be a stop gap when you're likely going to be paying your playmaking WLB 1/4 of that?

Right now the Bucs have no one worth paying that kind of money anyway. It'll be interesting to see what the Bucs do this offseason as far as LBers. May be an indication that they are moving more away from Tampa 2 style or maybe not. We'll see.

[Feel Real Good]

Right now the Bucs have no one worth paying that kind of money anyway. It'll be interesting to see what the Bucs do this offseason as far as LBers. May be an indication that they are moving more away from Tampa 2 style or maybe not. We'll see.

Obviously signing Ruud isn't a cap issue. It's just opportunity cost. Let's you go under the assumption you need 3 dominating players in your front 7 to have a championship defense like the Bucs used to have. If you're playing a 4-3, you already know it's not going to be your SLB because he's only a two-down player. That leaves 6 positions. It's increasingly not likely to be your NT because he is intended to draw a double team from the offensive linemen on every play. That leaves 5 positions. It's also not very likely to be your LDE because he takes a chip block from a TE, FB, or RB on just about every play and he also rushes right into a QB's vision so there's no element of surprise. That leaves 4 positions.

So if you're in a position where you still need 3 dominating players, why limit yourself to have to go 3-for-3 with the RDE, UT, and WLB when you could at least give yourself one more opportunity to find a dominator at MLB?

[Chaos]

I'd like to keep Ruud, but I don't know for $5 million +

what would it matter what the price was, you dont have to pay it, and it wont hurt our cap space since we're something like 50 million beneath it....

[ryan24]

Right now the Bucs have no one worth paying that kind of money anyway. It'll be interesting to see what the Bucs do this offseason as far as LBers. May be an indication that they are moving more away from Tampa 2 style or maybe not. We'll see.

Obviously signing Ruud isn't a cap issue. It's just opportunity cost. Let's you go under the assumption you need 3 dominating players in your front 7 to have a championship defense like the Bucs used to have. If you're playing a 4-3, you already know it's not going to be your SLB because he's only a two-down player. That leaves 6 positions. It's increasingly not likely to be your NT because he is intended to draw a double team from the offensive linemen on every play. That leaves 5 positions. It's also not very likely to be your LDE because he takes a chip block from a TE, FB, or RB on just about every play and he also rushes right into a QB's vision so there's no element of surprise. That leaves 4 positions.

So if you're in a position where you still need 3 dominating players, why limit yourself to have to go 3-for-3 with the RDE, UT, and WLB when you could at least give yourself one more opportunity to find a dominator at MLB?

I don't disagree at all. I think you also point out what position the Bucs are likely to draft in the first round this year and that it's unlikely...for cost reasons.....that it won't be one of those positions. RDE, Will or Mike.

[bullg8rdaddy]

So if you lead your team in tackles you are worth Bart Scott money? Got it.

[CBWx2]

If you want to be a strict constructionist with the Tampa 2 and make the WLB the playmaker, that's fine, but part of the deal is you don't allocate too much to your MLB to just be a stop gap. You need to save all your resources for your WLB. The Bucs paid Nickerson big money to play in the Wyche defense, but once he got a little older and once Brooks really asserted himself as a pro, he was gone just like that. Once Duncan's rookie contract was over, he was gone, too. Yeah, they kept Quarles, but that was right after they won a championship and half the team got extensions they didn't need. It's been widely reported Ruud is looking for Bart Scott money, which is 6 years $48 million. If the Bucs want to be a strict Tampa 2 team, why pay a player $8 million per year to be a stop gap when you're likely going to be paying your playmaking WLB 1/4 of that?

While it's true that Nickerson was not brought in to be a Tampa 2 LB, he actually turned out to be a good one. The reason we moved on from Nickerson wasn't to save money. It's because the guy was 34 years old with not much left in the tank. He played 3 more seasons after he left the Bucs, and only one of them was even remotely productive. Fast forward to Shelton Quarles, who received a 5 year, 19.5 million dollar contract extension in 2003. That was a pretty rich contract for 2003, and is more per year than Ruud has ever made as a Buccaneer. So the "you don't need to pay the MLB in a Tampa 2 scheme" doesn't hold weight, because the Bucs have shelled out top dollar for two since the scheme was introduced.