Your Bucs questions answered

You wanted to know why the Bucs' rebuilding effort has been so drastic. Whether Raheem Morris, Cadillac Williams or Jeremy Trueblood will return next season. And more. Times beat reporter Rick Stroud took your questions for more than an hour duirng a live chat this afternoon. Click below to replay the chat.

Comments

[Mark Urbo]

No rebuilding was necessary – period. The rest is pure lunacy!

Gruden had a 7-9 team achieve 9-7 two years ago and a 10-6 team unfortunately turn in a 9-7 season last year. Why is the hell would you fire him and upset the chemistry of a winning team ???

[Vincent]

He also had a 5-11 and a 4-12 that you aren't mentioning. What's worse was that Gruden had ZERO play off wins in the six years that followed his incredible Super Bowl run. Many believe that it was the ZERO play off wins that sealed his fate. But you already knew that, and so does everyone else who's reading this post.

[Joe]

So how many playoff wins do you expect under Raheem Morris? Oh, just how many wins? Oh, any wins?

[Joe]

So how many playoff wins do you expect under Raheem Morris? Oh, just how many wins? Oh, any wins?

[Joe]

So how many playoff wins do you expect under Raheem Morris? Oh, just how many wins? Oh, any wins?

[Vincent]

Clearly, you can not judge a coach in his first season with a team. Otherwise, Gruden would have likely won his 3rd or 4th Super Bowl by now in Tampa(based on his inaugural season with Tampa) and We would not be having discussions about Morris! Jimmy Johnson (1-15) would never have won his two Super Bowls in Dallas. Assuming Morris goes 1-15 he's still in company with Jimmy Johnson, and will still have equaled Gruden's "Apres 2002" Play off victories.In fact, I have as many play off Victories after 2002 as Gruden, and so do you! Next season is when the changes have got to be witnessed. That's when the great one's start to shape their teams into champions. Next season, if Morris doesn't achieve to put a competitive team on the field, his detractors will begin to have merit, but not before!

[clark kent]

Vincent, have you heard Morris speak? I don't know about you, but I don't see much that reminds me of Jimmy Johnson. Comparing Morris to Johnson just makes me want to laugh. Just look at Johnson when he's on Fox every Sunday. He's meticulous, detail oriented, and is very disciplined. Not to mention he can form a complete sentance. Communication might help you be a good coach or leader. Morris is what a chest bumping, players coach? How can't mold a sentance, let alone a championship team.

[Vincent]

Clark, your comment is completely subjective and without facts. It's biased and yet another emotionally based comment on this site. It's not worthy of response. It's not without merit, that's just the way you feel about Morris. You don't find Morris to be articulate and it sounds like you don't think he to be .... intelligent. Those are your thoughts, and I can't argue against your own subjective opinion. You have the right to think he's a dolt. He may be? I just choose to allow the evidence to present itself before I deem him to be a success or failure.

[jjbjeff]

Vincent, have you ever read the hard copy of his pressers. ClarkKent's comments are factual.

Try reading Raheem's comments, dude. Fifth graders sit around and critique his grammar. His sentences are incomplete and his cliches are off.

He obviously wasn't a Rhodes scholar.

[Aaron Shaw]

To be honest, i kinda like the theory that the Tampa franchise has taken as of now when the suggestion of rebuilding and regrowth are made. I feel as though we have been robbed f the luxuraies that come with being a franchise that has won a superbowl as the spending habits and assumption of salary cap room are made into a visual conception about the team thus far. This is a move that seemingly needs to be made amongst to organization to improve on player repsonse and team growth. Hopefully the Bucs are learning and improving as the season progresses.

Can't wait to see what becoms of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the years to come.

[OAR]

Vincent, I'm by no means a Dallass Cowgirl fan, but I remember watching some of those Dallass games when Johnson's rookie year(did like him what he did in UM and was curious with his speed defense theory) and there was at least improvement showing every week in that 1-15 year. We have not shown that.

[jjbjeff]

If Raheem was a poster, he would be Aaron Shaw.

[Brandon]

Raheem might not be very intelligent but he can probably spell "sentence" eh, Clark?

[Grs]

Rebuilding is not an acceptable concept in this day and age of free agency it's all about how resourceful your staff is (scouts, GM, coaches, trainers, etc...) and how committed your ownership group is plain and simple. Everything else is just BS to feed the media.

[Vincent]

I have to agree with you OAR, as rarely as that happens! Yet Morris' performance thus far is not without worthiness, and that's why this second half of the season is going to be so important.

Morris trimmed the fat. I was abashed in their decision to release such key players as Galloway, Dunn, June, and of course the heralded Derrick Brooks. Bryant was my favorite Buc as he demonstrated such loyalty when faced with the passing of his child, and yet he still played on Sundays. Morris released him too. As you well know, most of them aren't playing in the league at this time, and Morris and company felt the current starters were a better combination of potential, actual talent, and youth, otherwise they would not have released them so quickly. This may have been a mistake in over estimating their talent, but it wasn't a mistake on behalf of the players released because as I understand it currently, those players aren't even BACK UP'S FOR OTHER TEAMS, yet they were out STARTERS! Morris traded Gaines Adams and received a second round pick. That's one of the best moves he's made, and that's even considering Adams to become a star in Chicago! Morris released Dexter Jackson, another great move. Morris is consistently giving players a chance to "Step up"! Things aren't working and he's scrambling to find out who on the team is ready to answer the challenge. The players that aren't performing are winding up on the bench, and he's giving second and third string players the opportunity to become starters. That's my favorite part about Morris. I believe every team has at least two pro bowl caliber players that are just sitting on the bench and wasting away. Dallas has discovered Miles Austin, The Jaguars may have one in Sims-Walker. Morris is going to find the Bucs'!

The downside to Morris is still more than glaring! The players have yet to respond. The players have yet to embrace his system and excel. This all goes back to he (Morris) of course, but that's why we let the season progress. That's why we watch and evaluate the WHOLE body of work. In the world of "exercising and getting in shape", sometimes before you can get "six pack abs", you've got to just focus on weight loss and dieting, getting rid of the fat, you have no strength. Once the fat is gone, then you can begin to build the body, and hit the weight room. Morris and company have "rid the fat", now let's see if they can "develop the body"? It takes time! If he doesn't, the good news is, they can replace him! The Glazers weren't afraid to court Bill Parcell's (who left them at the altar), and they were aggressive and went out and got John Gruden. They can do it again if necessary.

[jjbjeff]

Good points, Vincent. I'm just wary of the fact that the team isn't showing any improvement week to week. We will see how the second half of the season turns out. I just need a reason to believe Ra is the man.

Does Morris get credit for trading Gaines? I think the GM is the facilitator of that deal. Regardless, he wasn't working here (although nobody is) and it was a great move getting a second rounder.

[OAR]

Vincent, I agree on most of your points, but the benching players, specifically Clayton. He needs to be. I think Stroughter and Stoval have both outperformed Clayton. BTW I hope Stroughter can keep it up and not hit any walls and prove to be an awesome 7th round pick.
I do believe Brooks and Hiliard are the ones they miss most.

[OAR]

jjbjeff, I agree on the Adams/Morris/GM connection and that it was an awesome trade for us. I do believe, however Adams will be better under Marinelli and in the D he's familiar with.

[Brandon]

OAR,

I think Gruden and Kiffin are the ones missed most.

[jjbjeff]

I felt like the Bucs were going nowhere with Gruden and Allen in charge. Yet, the moves we have made make me wonder if we wouldn't have been ALOT better off letting them finish out their contracts.

They had finally built the O-line into a good group, on paper anyway. They would have at least cut Clayton and brought in another WR who can catch the football.

I never imagined that I would actually miss Gruden. I was looking for a more stable HC when we got rid of Gruden, and what we get is less stability. Three QB's and three kickers through seven games? We are laughingstocks again.

I don't care if we lose every game, I just want to see a competitive football game every week. We Bucs fans have been embarrassed enough during the Culverhouse era.

Kiffin is really the one I miss the most. Perhaps the Glazers should have offered Kif the HC job. At least our defense wouldn't suck. A good defense would have earned us a few wins already.

[juam55]

we would have a real good team if the bucs would draft some of the ND quarter backs and recievers.