Walterfootball's Season Preview - Tampa Bay Buccaneers

[nybuccguy]

My issues with this article.....


-  "Josh Freeman, LeGarette Blount, Mike Williams and others had undisclosed personal issues that can't be discussed"   Undisclosed? Cant be discussed? WTF?

- "Freeman had his personal demons last year, but his touchdown-to-interception ratio falling from 25:6 to 16:22 occurred for a myriad of other reasons, one of which was lack of pocket awareness. Another was that none of his receivers could get open."     What about the awfull play calling that was predictable and did not play to our players strengths?

- "HE (Vincent Jackson) was the 61st pick in the 2005 NFL Draft, so it's not like he was really highly regarded when he came into the league."   A second round draft pick isnt considered highly regarded? How many other players from Northern Coloroda have been taken that early in the past?

- "Blount really frustrated the coaching staff with his inability to receive the ball or protect effectively, so Martin will likely be on the field more often despite having no professional experience"    Blount frustrated what coaching staff? The ones that got FIRED?

-Aqib Talib has poor character? While hes clearly made a few bad decisions off the football field (and the Torry Cox incident on the field), Talib is not the same poor character type player as Winslow, Haynesworth and Jackson. Those three are lazy malcontents.... Talib is anything but that.

- Barber losing a step and struggling in 2011 at Corner in no way implies he will get torched at safety. The safety position does not require the same amount of speed, or the need to backpedal or jam receivers often.

- "On the opposite end of the spectrum, strong safety Mark Barron has no NFL experience. He was chosen No. 7 overall in the 2012 NFL Draft. There's no question that he was a reach; he was pushed up because of the alarming lack of safety prospects"    Theres no question he was a reach? Many analysts would disagree. If the author believes Barron was a reach......perhaps he can elaborate on the flaws in his game and WHY he was a reach.

-"McCoy will start next to Brian Price, a 2010 second-round pick who has flopped thus far in the NFL"  You sure about that Walterfootball? PR is reporting Price may not even make the team.

-"Punter Michael Koenen was awarded a 6-year, $19.5 million contract last offseason for some strange reason"     For some strange reason?  He was considered to be in the top 3 at his position when signed. He also has a huge leg for kickoffs, which increades his value greatly with the 5 yard move on kickoffs. Koenen got paid a lot because he is doing two jobs.

-"There's little doubt that Tampa Bay will be the last-place team in the NFC South"       The Panthers Defense is terrible, the Saints organization is in turmoil, and the Falcons are old as dirt...... how does that leave little doubt? Many analysts have predicted us as a playoff team. It appears that this statement is not the conclusion of subjective analysis as much as its a slanted viewpoint that the author attempts to support with skewed facts and vague impressions.

[youngone]

Crap crap crap! I could see if this was written with an unbiased opinion but this sounds like it was put together by a woman scorned.

[Doc Sparticus]

I know as fans we can be a bit sensitive at times, but it does seem like charlie is going out of his way to bash the bucs after their dismal season. Kind of reminds me of the bandwagonin sapp who talks about how great and promising "his bucs" are when things are going well but as soon as they aren't he panders to national audiences by throwing the team under the bus and talking about how bad the bucs are yata yata. Hope One Buc has enough sense to wait a LONG time before inducting that two-faced jerk into the ring of honor (his production pretty much guarantees it).

[TampaBucks05]

Funny how Vincent Jackson is going to suck because he came here for the huge contract. But Carl Nicks is going to be one of the two best aquisitions because he came here for the huge contract. Don't quite follow your train of thought there, Charlie.

[Feel Real Good]

I don't disagree with too many of his individual assessments. After all, everything looks rosy in the summer but then during the season many decisions that seemed like they would work don't end up working. That said, I don't see how you could look at everything that went wrong last year and everything that was done to try and fix them and think this team is only going to win one more game.

[ryan24]

Another example of why I have my doubts regarding anything CC writes or wrote with PR.

[snicker24]

The strongest statistical fact is regression to the mean. If the Bucs won 10 in 2010, and 4 in 2011, then they would have almost certainly won at least 7 games next year even if Raheem and company had stayed. With big free agent acquisitions and a noticeably more discipline-focused coaching staff I'd say it's downright statistically illogical to predict anything less than 7 wins next year. It's near impossible to predict actual records for every team, but its not hard to predict which way the arrow is pointing for any given team. The Eagles, Bucs, and Chiefs will be significantly improved and the Saints, Packers, and 49ers will have their records go down. 

[tog]

I don't disagree with too many of his individual assessments. After all, everything looks rosy in the summer but then during the season many decisions that seemed like they would work don't end up working. That said, I don't see how you could look at everything that went wrong last year and everything that was done to try and fix them and think this team is only going to win one more game.

I agree.  And to address some of the points raised by others:

1) First, I think you're all forgetting how bad the Bucs were last year.  By the second half of the season, they were undoubtedly the worst team in the league!  They set records for points allowed!  This team WAS that dismal, I don't see how anyone can argue CC is being too harsh.  It was paper bag bad last year don't forget.

2) He's criticized BOTH Jackson and Nicks for signing with as bad a team as the Bucs.  Given that, it seems in this article he sees Nicks as a safer pick up - which is correct.  If one of these players is going to flop, in all likelihood its Jackson.

3) The article raises legitimate concerns about Jackson.  While its nice to pretend that Jackson will be great here, there's a very real possibility that he will be a bust or be mediocre.  Go look at the history of WR free agent signings - its a minefield of duds.  As Bucs fans we're all very positive, but if you're not aware that Jackson never posting more than 70 catches is a concern - that's low for a No. 1 wideout.  Its also a concern that he's coming from such a great QB.  Does everyone here not believe that Jackson's play was greatly improved by playing with Rivers?

4) Barber's converting to a new position at 37.  While we're all hoping he locks it down and plays another 20 years, realistically he's being asked to play a more physical position and make different reads, breaks, etc.  Without seeing Barber play we have no idea how he'll do but the guys 37 and has missed quite a few tackles the last couple years - not something you want in your safety.  That being said, I do believe that Walterfootbal is too harsh on his performance last year.

5) While again as Bucs fans we'll disagree, there is a strong argument that Barron was a reach at 7 because of the position he plays and the skill set he has.  Not everyone agrees, I'm a big Mayock fan and he thought it was a great pick, but that doesn't change that its a legitimate point of view that we'll see played out on the field.  An illegitimate point of view?  Say that Lavonte David was a reach, or Andrew Luck.

6) Based on current information, the Bucs WILL place last in the NFC South.  Why?  We have the worst QB and defence (right there - last place).  We are an undisciplined, fundamentally poor football team.  Our greatest strength last year, our O-line, couldn't play better than okay.  Now, absolutely this can change and a lot of it will.   The point is though that as things stand we are a weak link.  And as much as us fans want to buy into the free agent signings, the Buccaneer Way, etc. this is a team that was beyond embarrassing last year and has only "won" the offseason (for problems with this - see Redskins, Washington).

While I can quibble with some minor points, the jist of the article is absolutely correct. 

[tog]

The strongest statistical fact is regression to the mean. If the Bucs won 10 in 2010, and 4 in 2011, then they would have almost certainly won at least 7 games next year even if Raheem and company had stayed. With big free agent acquisitions and a noticeably more discipline-focused coaching staff I'd say it's downright statistically illogical to predict anything less than 7 wins next year. It's near impossible to predict actual records for every team, but its not hard to predict which way the arrow is pointing for any given team. The Eagles, Bucs, and Chiefs will be significantly improved and the Saints, Packers, and 49ers will have their records go down.

You don't understand statistics.

[Uncle Stan]

IMO, A lot of what CC wrote is correct, but it's just something we don't want to read, so he gets bashed.

Goes with the territory.

[dbucfan]

I don't disagree with too many of his individual assessments. After all, everything looks rosy in the summer but then during the season many decisions that seemed like they would work don't end up working. That said, I don't see how you could look at everything that went wrong last year and everything that was done to try and fix them and think this team is only going to win one more game.

He bent over backwards to show no favoritism that's for sure... 

[Boid Fink]

Funny how Vincent Jackson is going to suck because he came here for the huge contract. But Carl Nicks is going to be one of the two best aquisitions because he came here for the huge contract. Don't quite follow your train of thought there, Charlie.

Nicks can control his own level of play, to a large extent.

Jackson is relying on Freeman to make his production nice and juicy...can Franchi5e do that for Vincent Jackson?  We will have to wait and see.  I am saying yes he can.

And Clark is on his last legs.  Stone Hands better be productive this year!

[chace1986]

Funny how Vincent Jackson is going to suck because he came here for the huge contract. But Carl Nicks is going to be one of the two best aquisitions because he came here for the huge contract. Don't quite follow your train of thought there, Charlie.

Nicks can control his own level of play, to a large extent.

Jackson is relying on Freeman to make his production nice and juicy...can Franchi5e do that for Vincent Jackson?  We will have to wait and see.  I am saying yes he can.

And Clark is on his last legs.  Stone Hands better be productive this year!

Not that I'm arguing that Clark had a bad year in 2011...cause he did...

..but why is he "stone hands" for having one bad year out a pretty decent career..a year in which his QB was hurt...I mean couldn't bad ball placement help Clark's case just a tad?

I dunno...I'm not expecting much out of Clark to be honest...but I wonder if the departure of K2 still has you slightly butt hurt....if it's not that....then I'm sure laxitives could help to ease things. 

[1sparkybuc]

I'm positive Charlie Campbell was bullied as a child.

I suspect he's been bullied as an adult.

People with an agenda tend to skew facts with their opinion.

My agenda is bigger than his agenda, and a lot more positive too.

[Bayfisher]

 The Bucs are the worst team in the league until proven otherwise.