Doc’s 800mg of Hopeium

[Doctor]

If you’re ready for some hype and hope you’ve come to the right place!

First let’s get passed the obvious. I get it, nothing will ever come close to 2020. We had a legit Super Team and it actually won- the rarest of rare. It was a great ride. But now we’re back to just normal football, but hey, normal football can be fun too! There are no super teams this year and I’m here to tell you why you should have hope for the Bucs this upcoming season.

You ready?

[Doctor]

The Secondary:
First off, this secondary is second to none. Sure, there may be a few better CB duos out there, but there’s no denying we have one of the top pairs in Davis and Dean, in no small part to Todd Bowles, a SB winning DB himself and 3 time champion. He knows how to spot them, draft them (Day 2 guys), and develop them. AWJ, already a fan favorite, will be full time FS and looks to lead the grave diggers in what they do best- getting picks. Yet one guy got more All Pro votes last year than all three of these studs put together- newcomer Ryan Neal. He encapsulated the gritty style of play this defense loves. But the hits don’t end with our starting four. The DB whisperer has been grooming freak athlete Zyon McCollum who is now entering his second year and who has been singled out by the coaching staff to be the most improved player on the team. Next in line to follow in the footsteps of Whitehead and Edwards as the unsung hero/rotation guy is rookie and Buc fan Josh Hayes. This is a passing league and we have pass stoppers… excuse me, grave diggers.

The Front Seven:
However, we all know that DBs are only as good as the guys in front of them. Lucky for us the front 7 is also just as stacked. Starting in the middle with possibly the best ILB duo in future HoF Lavonte David returning for another year and comically-controversial Devin White. Despite some blowing up some very typical contract talks by going full Nicholas Cage in National Treasure on his social media posts, he showed up for camp and is here to play. Go figure that it’s not even these two Pro Bowlers I’m most excited about, it’s actually rookie SirVocea Dennis. I love this kid. He just drips Buc LB legacy in waiting and not just because his measurables seems to copy LVD and Brooks. Ironically the best we can hope for his minimal playing time with healthy starters in front of him, but boy do I see a bright future with White-Dennis on the inside for many years to come. Either way he’ll give us some of our best depth we’ve had at ILB in a long time. But he’s not the only rookie I’m hyped about, I was doing backflips when we landed Jose Ramirez in the 6th. Again, another LB who hopefully does see not too many snaps his first year, but still a healthy amount. Another player that will fit this Bowles defense like a glove when the time comes. I say “when the time comes” because the Bowles defense comes with a good learning curve itself. Maybe not as bad as the Arians offense, but not far behind. There is a lot to process and process fast.

The Projects:
Which brings us two key developmental guys who are primed to bloom- JTS and Hall. Both guys checked a lot of physical boxes when drafted but clearly needed development. Luckily they had some great starters in front of them, so they had the ideal environment to do just that. Well the time is here. William Gholston is gone (hopefully re-signs late) so it’s time for Hall to step up. One thing coach Rodgers pointed out was how much musical chairs we had to play up front last year, but with the reinforcements this year there should be a lot more stability. Something he noted should help Hall in particular. Still only 23 and just coming into his adult body (looking for 300lb by preseason) he’ll see the field a lot more this year. JTS, aka Mister Almost, was repeatedly just a step shy from turning a good hustle into a great play last year. Like other defenders, he’s spoken to the importance of situational scheme awareness being key to making the leap. Knowing where your teammates are and trusting them to take care of their responsibilities. Knowing which situation calls for which pass rush move. Less thinking, more reacting. My expectations for former sack king Shaq Barrett are really limited, honestly anything at all from him is icing in my opinion. I really just wish him the best physically, mentally, and emotionally. Rotational players are nothing to sneeze at either with Nelson, Gill, and Yaya ready to do their parts. Back to front this is easily one of the deeper defenses we’ve ever fielded with one of the best defensive coaching staffs.

The Real Deal:

But it’s time to get to the main event. The catalyst that will bring all these other players together, our elite interior line. I don’t think you guys are ready. I don’t think the league is ready. We’re about to field one of the most impressive interior duos in the league in Vita and Kancey. We were able to notch 45 sacks last year (7th in the league) while playing wack-a-mole with our leaks. If these two guys stay healthy, everyone else is going to play that much better for it. Don’t really need to speak on Vea too much, he eats up blockers and still pushes them back into the pocket. More than anything he leaves the guy next two him in constant 1-on-1’s. That guy this year will be Calijah Kancey. Size concerns are overblown, everything this kid can control is an A+ grade. He’s exactly the kind of player every coach dreams of coaching. Probably the most excited Bowles has been to draft a player since White, Kancey will unlock so much of the Bowles defense. When your inside guys can play at a high level all of the sudden the 80 grade guys behind them become 90 grade guys, and you’re 90 grade guys… well you get it. And if you don’t get it just wait until he destroys Ed Ingram week 1. It is both silly and unfair to make 1995 draft class comparisons… silly and unfair… right now. Last shout out has to go to Greg Gaines, smart big guy that will be a huge contributor for us inside.

This defense is going to be good. Hella fucking good. Buckle up.

[Doctor]

Now on to the other side of the ball. Let's take a similar approach, start outside and work our way in.

The WR Room:
Huge hype around Brady coming to Tampa was getting (arguably) the best weapons he’s ever had. Guess what? They are still here. Evans is going to land an extension here soon to lower his cap him and keep him in Pewter. Despite it feeling like he’s been here forever he’s actually just 29. Not to mention his game is one that should age very well. On the other side we have his partner in crime Chris Godwin, who was a rising star before a dirty Saint took out his ACL. Despite medical advances the reality is ACL remains a two year injury. He should be fully back to form this year as well as playing more on the outside. Behind them we have Gage who was hampered all year by an early hamstring injury he kept trying to return too early from and Deven Thompkins who seems to have won the staff over. Rounding out is Moore and rookies Warner and Palmer. While not as all-world as the days when we had would-be HoFer Antonio Brown as our 3rd option, we aren’t lacking weapons outside.

The TE’s and RBs:
Tight End is about as hopeful as any team not fielding one of the very few elite guys. Otton and Ko are going into their second year, one year closer to the average 3rd year where TEs break out. We also have rookie Payne Durham. One thing we aren’t lacking a size and talent, now it’s only a matter of who absorbs the playbook and steps up. Canales has a history of making use of JAG TEs in his passing attack. He’s also been good at incorporating a rotation of RBs. Rachaad White is getting a lot of love and hype from fans and well earned. Very capable pass catcher and a great fit for the offense. Behind him we have a proven “step up” veteran in Chase Edmonds who filled in very well for James Conner when he went down last year, but the secret play is rookie Sean Tucker. An elusive, compact, and balanced runner that would’ve gotten drafted if not for a heart condition. The real magic sauce was poaching the best RB coach in the league in Skip Pete. Where this guy goes RB production follows.

The Hog Mollies:
All these guys will be relying on our big hogs up front. Wirfs has moved over to the left side finally fulling the prophecy that was foretold since he was drafted. Jensen may have returned to the field last year but he’ll be returning to form this year. In between them we have the massive Matt Feiler. The left side has a whole lot of meat. On the right side we have a slew of RT turned OGs turned… well we’ll see who is the cream that rises to the top. And there is a whole lot of milk here with Stinnie, Hainsey, Leverett, Goedeke, and rookie Cody Mauch. Regardless of who wins out we’ll also be flushed with versatile depth throughout the line this year, which we know is ultimately what really decides how far you go. While there is plenty of sorting out to do here, do not confuse uncertain and unknown with untalented.

[Doctor]

The QB Competition
And we have finally arrived. The position everyone zeroes in on- the QB. As the league keeps pushing the offense and passing attack we keep hearing “You need an elite QB to win”… hog wash. Elite QB duels are great for ratings and the league, but don’t be fooled by this previous SB shootout. Our very own win saw the best QB in the league held to just 9 points. And while we did have the goat on our side, you don’t need a super star to beat 9 points. Before that Jimmy G was 3 minutes away from also beating that same God-mode QB and the SB before that was a 13-3 slugfest. Shoot outs are fun, but they don’t hold a monopoly on chips. Despite the marketing pitch.

However, your QB still needs to at least play well when the time comes. The beauty about our situation is that even IF our answer isn’t on the team, the rest of the team is well set up to welcome the answer when they arrive. See the Steelers when Ben arrived, the Seahawks when Wilson arrived, or our very own Bucs just 3 years ago when Brady arrived. These guys were all able to hit the ground running and have quick success because of what was ready for them. If nothing else we got that. But before we start looking for the next new thing, let’s take a closer look at what we have here.

In the Blue Corner
The already dismissed Kyle Trask. The irony here is that if he would’ve taken over for Brady last year as planned he’d have all the hype of other “groomed transition QB”, yet for some reason a year delay has caused that all to evaporate. And while super athletes are all the rage right now, we have a long list of QBs from Brady to Cousins to Purdy having success in the right systems. Trask has Bull energy, which makes some cringe. I don’t care. We’re winning on defense. Bowles holds the Chiefs to 9 points, we can Brad Johnson another chip. His career thus far is a cliché of “waiting for my shot”. Well this is it for him now. Remember this guy was hand picked for intangibles by the QB whisperer to take over for Brady. He was a Heisman finalist that had 5 losses in college, 77 TDs to 15 INTs, and broke the single season TD record at UF. He really just hasn’t done anything lately is all. But this could be the where all that changes.

In the Red Corner
I’m so glad we aren’t just handing the job out. The irony is that the ideal QB for this kind of situation would be a Jameis Winston- someone who still has believers in NOLA. We got someone else’s Winston. A first overall pick with all the talent and moxy in the world at the feet of a series of unfortunate events. After leading the hapless Browns to their first playoff win in forever they couldn’t help but trade up for Watson. Off field issues outside, no one can disagree this was just a good football move. He went to an equally hapless Panthers team before finally landing with a good staff in McVay. Hopefully this is another good staff. An ideal spot to reclaim a career. We were talking Brad Johnson earlier, remember he had 3 teams before us as well. With all the talent of a rookie savior you can ask for, Baker Mayfield is here to win this job.

I’m not sure who wins but I know I’m excited for this battle. Whoever wins will be far from a lock. Both player have scripts that seem ripe for a “won the job but got hurt and the other guy ran away with it” storyline. Who know who will play which role.

My guess? Trask. I like the kid. More than anything I like how he protects the ball. I think Baker will come in with a chip a bit too big and try to force a bit too much. Though like I said earlier, that hardly means anything is settled. A season is a rollercoaster. Who knows what we look like is January. All I can say is like I like this teams make up. I like the defense. I like Canales. I like the direction we’re headed. And I’m excited for the season.

[MJW]

I'm not going to read any of this but here's a picture that gives me hope

[Snake]

I'm not going to read any of this but here's a picture that gives me hope

/thread

[Bootz]

So much fiction, I don't know where to begin. This was my favorite I think.

Canales has a history of making use of JAG TEs in his passing attack. He’s also been good at incorporating a rotation of RBs.

Like....what? Canales spent 8 years as a WR coach. Another 3 as QB coach. This is literally his 1st crack at being an OC beyond a high school level. Where is this history of coaching TEs or RBs, let alone making use of their talents?

[Central_Buc]

My crazy hopeium prediction is we finish #1 Defense overall statistically at the end of the year.

[Doctor]

My crazy hopeium prediction is we finish #1 Defense overall statistically at the end of the year.

We're on the verge of a new Legion of Boom.

This is a great window.

[Doctor]

So much fiction, I don't know where to begin. This was my favorite I think.

Canales has a history of making use of JAG TEs in his passing attack. He’s also been good at incorporating a rotation of RBs.

Like....what? Canales spent 8 years as a WR coach. Another 3 as QB coach. This is literally his 1st crack at being an OC beyond a high school level. Where is this history of coaching TEs or RBs, let alone making use of their talents?

He was the passing game coordinator for the Seahawks. During that time they went through a lot of JAG TEs and RBs, but one thing you could count on is that the workload and production remained pretty consistent. Dudes like Collins, Dallas, and Homer would each have their good games. Olson, Dissly, Hollister.

I feel pretty good about what he'll get out of guys like White and Otton.

[Bootz]

So much fiction, I don't know where to begin. This was my favorite I think.



Like....what? Canales spent 8 years as a WR coach. Another 3 as QB coach. This is literally his 1st crack at being an OC beyond a high school level. Where is this history of coaching TEs or RBs, let alone making use of their talents?

He was the passing game coordinator for the Seahawks. During that time they went through a lot of JAG TEs and RBs, but one thing you could count on is that the workload and production remained pretty consistent. Dudes like Collins, Dallas, and Homer would each have their good games. Olson, Dissly, Hollister.

I feel pretty good about what he'll get out of guys like White and Otton.

In a year?? Okay....

[MJW]

Update: I just actually read the OP and nearly every point amounts to either "Here's an insane misrepresentation of our known commodities!" or "Perhaps unknown commodities are Hall Of Famers, you can't prove they're not!"

[Bootz]

Update: I just actually read the OP and nearly every point amounts to either "Here's an insane misrepresentation of our known commodities!" or "Perhaps unknown commodities are Hall Of Famers, you can't prove they're not!"

I enjoyed reading about the "grave diggers", the stacked Front 7 and the exciting 5th & 6th round picks that will play major roles.

[Xandtar]

It's silly season right now.

Every fanbase in the league is allowed to dream about winning it all, sometimes the chemistry all clicks.

Then the first game begins and 90% of the fanbases retreat to reality.

I for one hope we go 20-0, and watch our team enter the realm of football immortality, with episodes on our Season of Destiny for decades to come.

Will it happen? No way, but maybe I took a little extra Hopeium for the silly season.

So lemme see, TLDR on OP: We have a great defense, a GREAT defense, you will see, and enough on O to Bull our way to a title.

Okay. Sure, I'd take it.

[13F11B]

So much fiction, I don't know where to begin. This was my favorite I think.

Canales has a history of making use of JAG TEs in his passing attack. He’s also been good at incorporating a rotation of RBs.

Like....what? Canales spent 8 years as a WR coach. Another 3 as QB coach. This is literally his 1st crack at being an OC beyond a high school level. Where is this history of coaching TEs or RBs, let alone making use of their talents?

So he was not the OC or HC... but he was part of the offensive staff that has a history of that. I guess you think that does not count, right?

[Bootz]

So much fiction, I don't know where to begin. This was my favorite I think.



Like....what? Canales spent 8 years as a WR coach. Another 3 as QB coach. This is literally his 1st crack at being an OC beyond a high school level. Where is this history of coaching TEs or RBs, let alone making use of their talents?

So he was not the OC or HC... but he was part of the offensive staff that has a history of that. I guess you think that does not count, right?

Explain to me how a WRs coach "makes use" of the talents of TEs or RBs. I'm intrigued.

[13F11B]

So he was not the OC or HC... but he was part of the offensive staff that has a history of that. I guess you think that does not count, right?

Explain to me how a WRs coach "makes use" of the talents of TEs or RBs. I'm intrigued.

You are not a person who normally likes to discuss things rationally, but I will try none the less.

1) Some teams have their RBs and TEs work with the WR coach on routes and pass catching drills.
2) Canales was part of an offensive coaching staff. That staff likely met and discussed strategy and gameplans. This is why coaches are considered part of coaching trees. They have experience with the systems they were part of the coaching staff on, not because they designed the system.

Certainly, you can pick apart the words and nit pick what the meaning is. However, that is not you. That is why you responded to my saying he was part of the staff and directly asked you if that did not count by asking me to explain something.

[Bootz]

Explain to me how a WRs coach "makes use" of the talents of TEs or RBs. I'm intrigued.

You are not a person who normally likes to discuss things rationally, but I will try none the less.

1) Some teams have their RBs and TEs work with the WR coach on routes and pass catching drills.

So you have proof this was the case while Canales was in Seattle? That he worked so extensively with other position groups that he deserves credit for developing RBs & TEs? I'd love to see that.

2) Canales was part of an offensive coaching staff. That staff likely met and discussed strategy and gameplans. This is why coaches are considered part of coaching trees. They have experience with the systems they were part of the coaching staff on, not because they designed the system.

Certainly, you can pick apart the words and nit pick what the meaning is. However, that is not you. That is why you responded to my saying he was part of the staff and directly asked you if that did not count by asking me to explain something.

This is a whole lot of creating your own narrative. Your hypothesis here MIGHT be true but even you don't know if what you're saying has any shred of credibility to it. It actually sounds ridiculous.

"Hey, that teams QBs performed so well! Who's their Oline coach, we should bring him in for an interview because he was part of the staff that had great QBs".


That doesn't fly, kiddo.

[13F11B]

This is a whole lot of creating your own narrative. Your hypothesis here MIGHT be true but even you don't know if what you're saying has any shred of credibility to it. It actually sounds ridiculous.

"Hey, that teams QBs performed so well! Who's their Oline coach, we should bring him in for an interview because he was part of the staff that had great QBs".


That doesn't fly, kiddo.

1) You don't know crap either. You created your own narrative.
2) This is why no HC has ever coached another position. You start in Pee Wee as a HC and then move up through high school, college, and then the NFL. Right?
3) Ad-Hominem attacks do not help you make a point. They just make you look petty and small minded.
4) The thread was headlined with Hopeium, not Bootzium (nattering nabob of negativism)

[Kress]

We have a great defense, a GREAT defense, you will see, and enough on O to Bull our way to a title.

Brad Johnson sees what you did there.

[BuccaNOLEer]

Mahomes is as good as anyone in the league. Holding him to 9 points and keeping him out of the end zone was something that nobody ever does, and I mean ever. It was a product of his offensive line being not very good to begin with and banged up going into the game. That is a recipe for complete disaster. He was sacked three times, and was constantly running for his life back there. Had it been a less mobile QB, that Bucs D would've come up with at least seven sacks.

The Chiefs did the smart thing and locked Mahomes into a deal that will probably keep him in KC for the rest of his career. And their draft focused on rebuilding that line. The end result? A second Super Bowl trophy for Mahomes.

[Selmon Rules]

The thread title is "hopeium". I took that to mean an overly optimistic view of what "could" happen and read it with that in mind.

Anyone assuming this is an actual prediction about what @Doctor thinks "will" happen has read it wrong.

Just my opinion

[Kress]

The thread title is "hopeium". I took that to mean an overly optimistic view of what "could" happen and read it with that in mind.

Anyone assuming this is an actual prediction about what @Doctor thinks "will" happen has read it wrong.

Just my opinion

If he had gone with somewhere in the range of 3400 mg, I could see that. But not with 800. No way.

[GreatTimes]

Mahomes is as good as anyone in the league. Holding him to 9 points and keeping him out of the end zone was something that nobody ever does, and I mean ever. It was a product of his offensive line being not very good to begin with and banged up going into the game. That is a recipe for complete disaster. He was sacked three times, and was constantly running for his life back there. Had it been a less mobile QB, that Bucs D would've come up with at least seven sacks.

The Chiefs did the smart thing and locked Mahomes into a deal that will probably keep him in KC for the rest of his career. And their draft focused on rebuilding that line. The end result? A second Super Bowl trophy for Mahomes.

You forgot to mention that Mahomes was running around on a bad foot. He was unable to change direction as quickly as he had before the foot injury. You are right about HC Reid knowing the value of an offensive line and quickly upgrading the offensive line in the next off season. That is something that I wish the Bucs would learn.

[Rocker]

Fun read. Looking forward to the live action on Friday.

[Grahamburn]

Mahomes is as good as anyone in the league. Holding him to 9 points and keeping him out of the end zone was something that nobody ever does, and I mean ever. It was a product of his offensive line being not very good to begin with and banged up going into the game. That is a recipe for complete disaster. He was sacked three times, and was constantly running for his life back there. Had it been a less mobile QB, that Bucs D would've come up with at least seven sacks.

The Chiefs did the smart thing and locked Mahomes into a deal that will probably keep him in KC for the rest of his career. And their draft focused on rebuilding that line. The end result? A second Super Bowl trophy for Mahomes.

You forgot to mention that Mahomes was running around on a bad foot. He was unable to change direction as quickly as he had before the foot injury. You are right about HC Reid knowing the value of an offensive line and quickly upgrading the offensive line in the next off season. That is something that I wish the Bucs would learn.

The Bucs (Licht) continue to invest heavily in the offensive line with multiple early picks and free agent contracts.

They had the best line in the game in 2020-2021.

The line was a mess in 2022 because Jensen got hurt. Cappa signed with the Bengals. Marpet retired. Donovan Smith subsequently regressed back to bad Donovan. And Goedeke was overwhelmed trying to make a small school jump and position change to replace Marpet.

[Doctor]

Imagine trying to argue JL doesn't value linemen

[Doctor]

[Central_Buc]

Really pumped up for the season, can't wait for it to start.

[Snake]

I mean, he threw the ball to a wide open guy who was his first/only read. What am I supposed to get from this?

[MJW]

I mean, he threw the ball to a wide open guy who was his first/only read. What am I supposed to get from this?

Agreed. He never even glanced at anyone else. Receiver got wide open. Trask, under zero pressure, frankly threw a lousy ball that cost 6 points. I'm not kidding when I say my HS quarterback son could hit that throw, and probably keep the wideout on his feet when he does.

[Doctor]

Make sure to finish the full course of your prescription.