On #GMCPlaybook we ask @SBNation Who’s hiding something? Let’s talk crafty veterans and what gives them the edge. http://t.co/Fm84ekOka0
— Marshall Faulk (@marshallfaulk) November 26, 2014
Crafty veterans? Do the Bucs even have those?
I could talk about Vincent Jackson here. Highlight his route-running and his experience in the NFL, but he doesn't have any real veteran moves. No sneaky push-offs -- those aren't necessary with his physical frame -- and no well-hidden illegal contact. He just plays the game competently.
Perhaps Gerald McCoy anticipating the snap count is a good example? He's better at this than anyone in the NFL, to the extent that he regularly gets called for offside when he's simply moving at the same time as the snap. He's so fast and so good that the refs can't even keep up. Of course, the fact that he gets penalized means he's not exactly being sneaky about this stuff.
And that's about it, right? Who else could qualify as having "veteran savvy"? I can't think of a cornerback who gets away with pinning a receiver's arms, the way Aqib Talib used to. Or an offensive lineman who can get that sneaky hold off -- Not even Logan Mankins can do that, despite all of his experience. He just gets beat, instead.
That lack of veteran craftmanship is probably just another example of one of the many, many things the Bucs can't get right.
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