Blake gets tryout with the Bucs

Tommy Blake, a former preseason All America defensive end from Texas Christian, will visit the Bucs for a workout this week and could participate in the rookie minicamp.

Blake, 23, suffered from clinical depression and social anxiety disorder that kept him out of five games numerous practices his senior year and likely prevented him from being drafted. The 6-foot-3 Blake weighed 281 pounds at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis in February -- 26 pounds more than his standout junior season. But it was seven pounds less than he weighed at the East-West Shrine game a month earlier.

"He's battled it,'' one scout said.

As a junior, Blake recorded 54 tackles, including seven sacks and 16.5 tackles for a loss. He will be someone to watch closely if he makes to the weekend.

 

 

Comments

[doug e love]

If any core group would know how to handle this kid, it's Allen and Gruden. They spent all that time dealing with Barret Robbins.
In fact, Gruden was already in Tampa when Robbins went AWOL at the Superbowl... However, Allen was still with Oakland.

So, really, if any two guys would know how to help this kid as a person first, these are the men to do it.

[DR]

How exactly did Allen help Robbins when Robbins disappeared before the Super Bowl and went straight down the drain from there? He gets shot a few times after trying to kill a cop. What did Allen do to help him out?

[Dwayne]

Who else did they pick up, the Houston Rb, or the wr from Purdue. What other street free agents get a shot.

[Bill Justafan]

This just in: Bruce Allen has suggested that in honor of such a successful '08 draft and savvy free agent signings, the team training center will be renamed from One Buc Place to Gangland!

[John P]

Regardless of whether or not he lands in the NFL, it's nice to see he made it back enough to try.

[Eric Cullison]

Tommy Blake will make our roster. He is younger with the potential to be better than greg white. Hopefully he has gotten through all of his demons to truly focus on football. On an article i read he was. He seems to be trying to get back into shape. I think we keep him. 1st round talent but character issues. We dont have a problem taking character issued people.

[Eric Cullison]

Tommy Blake will make our roster. He is younger with the potential to be better than greg white. Hopefully he has gotten through all of his demons to truly focus on football. On an article i read he was. He seems to be trying to get back into shape. I think we keep him. 1st round talent but character issues. We dont have a problem taking character issued people.

[aaron]

I just read in the Oregonian, the portland newspaper, that Derrick Doggett has signed with the Bucs. Is this true?
If it is, it is a fantastic signing. Doggett played outside LB at OSU, but due to his lack of size, 6'3" 213lbs, he has moved to safety. He was a tackleing machine at OSU. He is also lightning quick and runs a 4.5 40yrd dash. this would be a great signing. i know we already have Flip, Jackson and Sabby back there but a fourth safety would be good and Doggett would be a great special teamer with his speed to get down field and the ability to deliver a blow like a LB. It would also allow us to drop some dead weight in Will Allen.

[Michael]

Bill, SHUT UP!! THe guy is depressed, not a criminal. You may know something I dont know, or missed about him, but under your theory, Warren Sapp wouldnt have been given a chance with the Bucs. After all, he did drugs. Give the bucs a chance.

[BTKSTA]

Blake will make the team if he shows the skills he had his first 2-3 years at TCU. Regarding the Buc's draft, would anyone else feel better if it looked more like this:
1. Talib-good pick
2. Brohm true future QB
3. Andre Caldwell(or Mario Manningham)
4. Moore-good pick there
5. Barry Richardson-huge guard
6. Hayes-he will surprise some people
7. Boyd-good pick at 7

That looks better to me, and was possible in this draft.

[Kurt]

I love the armchair GM's of the world. The burgers are burning; get back to work. I certainly don't have a problem giving someone who had a bona-fide medical condition a chance to redeem himself; it's much better than giving "second" chances for supposed once in a lifetime opportunities.

[Skylar]

I actually think the Bucs did a better job of drafting than you BTKSTA! We drafted for need, not best available and wrangled an extra 2 picks in the process. It was a very good draft I felt.

[Dr. Peter Ripterhymen]

I love how CASUAL fans jump in and get excited about some free agent off the street who didn't get a sniff in the draft and they are now the 2nd coming of Dick Butkus.

[BTKSTA]

Hey Skylar-"need". Did we really need another guard or linebacker more than a future QB or wide receiver??

[Skylar]

Hey BTKSTA - didn't we draft a QB and WR? So, since they didn't draft who you want, when you want, they screwed up? They still addressed the positions and drafted for need. I think they covered all of our need areas nicely and got a lot of value picks in the process. I mean really, did we need to pick up a QB in the second round? You don't think we have more pressing needs? Your logic confuses me...

[jb]

BTKSTA...If you draft Brohm in the second round that means that he needs to be playing soon - and it means that Luke McCown does not make the team. McCown did enough last year to at least be a 3rd qb. With Johnson you have the luxury of waiting for him to develop instead of arbitrarily speeding things up.

Also, Caldwell is not a good receiver. Florida receivers are busts in the nfl, and caldwell wasn't even all that productive at UF. And Gruden classifies all Michigan receivers as "a-holes" so that means Manningham is out too.

I love the draft. Go bucs

[Tim S.]

Aaah, jb,,,,Where did Ike Hillard go to school?

Thought so...

[Duane]

Depression is not caused by "demons." It is caused from a lack of seretonin in the brain which helps and aids your brain cells to work. It is an illness that can be corrected through the use of anti-depressants. The same is true for a social-anxiety disorder. They often go hand and hand. It is a medical illness that an individual can not control, much like diabetes. Would you tell a diabetic to go work out his "demons." Get an education. Also, contrary to what Tom Cruise may believe, it can not be cured through the belief of Scientology. The only thing the belief of Scientolofy can cure - like most religions - is a healthy bank account.