With Noah Chestnut seemingly going AWOL; I've decided to add one more blogger to the fray here at Buc 'Em, bringing the site's total to four bloggers (including yours truly). The new blogger is Adam and he submitted his two write-ups a while back and you can view them after the jump.
Adam is a huge Bucs Fan as you can tell by clicking through to his write-ups and taking a look at his office, nice work man. Hopefully with four strong we will now be able to bring you an unprecedented level of Bucs coverage here at Buc 'Em.
Please join me in welcoming Adam to the community...
Check out Adam's office:
Now check out Adam's write-ups:
JScott:
(A) Prior to the season starting, QB Jeff Garcia tears an acl, mcl, nhl, nbl you get the idea. QB Michael Vick has been released from jail and has looked good with one of those Canadian teams…. What's your argument for or against bringing Michael (Dog Lover) Vick to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers?
Adam:
You knew it was going to come. You just didn't know that it was going to come so soon.
Back in 2007, when former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick went behind the walls of Leavenworth Prison for his federal dogfighting conviction, everyone knew that there was going to be a day in future when Vick would have paid his debt to society and walked out of prison a free man; his debt to society paid in full.
Now, Vick is free. And Bucs General Manager Bruce Allen is considering bringing him to Tampa Bay.
The Bucs have had their share of head scratchers in recent history. They never shied away from steroid freaks (Todd Steussie, David Boston), alleged rapists (Jeramy Stevens, Darrell Russell), and spousal abusers (Michael Pittman), but none of them generated the fervor that Michael Vick's crimes generated.
Maybe it's because steroids, rape, and spousal abuse are so prevalent in today's society that we're all just numb to it. Every night on the news we see drugs, rapes, and abuse, so often that, sadly, we've just accepted it as part of society.
But there are two things in the United States that are pretty much unforgivable: messing with children and messing with animals.
Abusing children is the easy one to figure out. It's taking advantage of someone who doesn't have the capacity to fight back or understand what's happening to them.
And it's pretty much the same thing with animals.
Vick actually profited from organizing the death of an animal. Two animals slashed, thrashed, and attacked one another and Vick lined his pockets. And Vick isn't some back-woods hick who's running moonshine to keep the furnace lit. He had a multi-million dollar contract from the Falcons along with endorsements from Nike, Coke, and AirTran. He wasn't doing it for the money.
So if he doesn't need the bread, why do it?
Cause it's fun.
It's fun to kill animals.
Yes, that's right. If there is no monetary reason to do it, Vick organized dog fights on his property because he actually enjoyed it.
He is Hannibal Lechter. He is Jeffrey Dahmer.
And the terms "rape stand" and "fun" should never be associated with one another.
And now, with Jeff Garcia in traction, and a Bucs 4-0 start hanging in the balance, Allen is considering selling his soul to the devil and bringing in Vick to guide the team.
Vick put over $100 million dollars at risk because he enjoyed killing animals. And this is the Bucs' savior?
Vick's supporters (what happened to all those idiots who picketed in front of the courthouse with the signs saying they supported him?) will say it's unfair to "blacklist" Vick. The common phrase was, "He has the right to earn a living."
And they're right. He does have the right to earn a living. I am sure WalMart, Boston Market, and Best Buy will all accept his application. Federal felony convictions might turn off a potential employer, but I'm sure if the stores get busy enough they'll accept him.
But this is the NFL. This is the same organization that gives the fine money from late hits and personal fouls to charity. Giving Vick a job with the Bucs, or any NFL team for that matter, is basically saying we're okay with what you did. We can look past it.
I'm sure those dogs that were electrocuted or drowned for non-performance can forgive and forget too. And if Vick was okay with that course of action, can Jon Gruden waterboard him Guantanamo-style if he throws four picks? What's good for the pit bull should be good for the franchise, right?
There's a reason why Vick's crimes garnered national attention. They involved defenseless animals that were tortured for entertainment. No one will ever say a bad thing about letting Luke McCown take the reigns of the Bucs. He has all the physical tools, but the only issue McCown has ever had was his decision-making.
Given there are two quarterbacks to choose from with decision-making issues, it's fairly simple to see who is the right choice.
JScott:
(B) The Bucs are and have been lacking in the Wide Receiving department for some time. If you had the opportunity to trade for –Insert your Favorite WR here- AND you have to give up a 1st Round Draft Pick and one of the following: LB Barrett Ruud, RB Cadillac Williams, or CB Ronde Barber, make a case for the Bucs to acquire –your favorite WR-
Adam:
If you've been a Bucs fan for any length of time, you've seen this scenario before.
Warren Sapp, John Lynch, Chris Simms, even Doug Williams. All were jettisoned from the franchise under less than luxurious circumstances.
And such is football in the NFL. It's not always the most popular choice or decision that has to be made by a franchise, but they are necessary. Fans aren't supposed to like it, or even understand it. It just happens to be the chess move that furthers the organization.
Right now, it's time to further the organization. Again.
The Arizona Cardinals are said to be asking for a first round pick and Ronde Barber, one of the final links to the Bucs' Super Bowl team of 2002, in exchange for wide receiver Anquan Boldin.
Barber is a staple of the Buccaneer defense. Like many of his Tampa Bay defensive counterparts, he doesn't get the national recognition that other corners in the league get, but anyone outside of Florida would be hard-pressed to pick any other corner to put out on an island for their team.
I cannot remember a game since Barber was drafted out of Virginia where I said, "If he would have done this-or-that, the Bucs would have won." It never happened. Ever. And no one is saying that Barber has lost a step. He hasn't. And if he has, it hasn't been noticeable.
The Bucs did nothing to address their needs at wide receiver this off-season with the exception of drafting Dexter Jackson out of Appalachian State. Jackson is a kick returner first and a receiver second due to his small stature. Joey Galloway missed all of training camp with a groin injury – or so it has been reported. There are some rumors circulating that the groin was just a farce to protect Galloway from injury. And rightly so. Galloway is basically the Bucs’ only playmaker at receiver. Ike Hilliard is serviceable as a third-down receiver, but that's all. Free agent acquisition Antonio Bryant is a question mark having been out of football last season. First round draft pick Michael Clayton was a one-hit-wonder with a great rookie season in 2004 and a fat-lot-of-nothing since which makes him a certified A1 first-round bust. Finally, despite being given every chance to take the number two receiver spot from Clayton, Maurice Stovall hasn’t been able to crack the starting line-up. The Bucs absolutely NEED a player like Boldin to, not only run the field with Galloway, but to step up to the number one spot in the event of an injury. Defenses can’t double-cover both of these guys.
It's time.
Pull the trigger and send Barber to the Cardinals.
Boldin was born in Pahokee, FL. He was Mr. Football in Florida in 1998. He attended Florida State University where he played quarterback (that alone should have Jon Gruden on the phone) and wide receiver. Coming back to Florida would be a fantastic homecoming for him.
And as the Bucs have learned with Michael Clayton (and Reidel Anthony, Jaquez Green, Larry Brackins, JR Russell, Mark Jones, Marquise Walker) drafting wide receivers who pan out in any round is tough. Since 2000, the Bucs have drafted eight wide receivers. Two are on the roster – Clayton and Stovall. Neither are starters. Giving up a first round pick and Barber for Boldin would be a steal. The Bucs have wasted EIGHT draft picks on receivers who didn’t pan out. What’s one more for a bona fide star with real ability and an NFL resume to back it up?
The Bucs have just picked up Aqib Talib in the draft as Barber's heir apparent and he has performed admirably. The Tampa 2 defense does not call for a lot of man-to-man coverage, and Barber's detractors will say that he is not a shut-down corner for that reason. Assuming that is true, playing corner in the Tampa 2 shouldn't be as difficult as playing in another defense.
I'm not saying Barber is easily replaceable. He leads all corners in career sacks and saying his name in Philadelphia will get you duct taped to a lamp post. But Barber is closer to the end of his career than the beginning. He has value.
The Bucs have next to NO ONE on offense to help take the heat off the running game. If the opposition takes out the run, that's it and that's all.
Rather than cutting Barber and getting nothing, a trade would give them a legitimate receiving threat. Sure the defense might give up a few points, but the offense is going to be scoring more points.
It's time to make the move.
It's time to move forward.