Fundamentals! Fundamentals! Fundamentals!And More Fundamentals!

Fundamentals!Fundamentals! Fundamentals! And More Fundamentals.

Since Day one, the moment Greg Schiano stepped into One Buc Palace he stressed that he and his coaching staff are all about teaching the fundamentals. And it has been evident in practice in each position group on the field. players are noticing as well.

 “This coaching staff, they treat you like it’s your first time playing football, but I mean that in a good way, because I think it’s a great thing we’re doing,” six-year veteran defensive tackle Amobi Okoye said. “Not only do they teach you these things, but they do it in situations that help you to understand why you’re doing it. I like it, and we’ll obviously have to wait and see what the end result is, but I think the impact is going to be great.’’

Starting with the offensive line, nearly everyday they are either practicing staying low by blocking each other underneath chutes. Or either smashing and driving the sled, which was not utilized as much under Raheem Morris. The running backs and quarter backs constantly taking snaps and just handing the football off which are very small unnoticed things. But such small things make such big differences when the lights are on.

“We’ve set a high standard here as far as football IQ is concerned, because it’s not good enough just to be able to go out there and run fast and play hard,” right guard Davin Joseph said. “So this camp is really about learning football, and it may seem very elementary, but learning the fundamentals of football is a very important part of playing at a high level, and that’s what we’re trying to achieve.”

Another thing you will see everyday when you walk out on the practice fields at One Buc palace is the ball security drill with running backs receivers, everyone. One thing that will make Greg Schiano blow a gasket is fumbles and penalties as well, but focusing on ball fumbles  which in his words are just unexpectable, with ball security.

 "No one who touches the football will get touches if they don't protect the football. That is one of our core covenants -- the ball. It's so important they named the game after it. We make a big deal about it."  Greg Schaino said.

Defensively they practice the technique, and fundamentals  of tackling everyday. Which some players were not accustom to such a s Gerald McCoy.

“We do a tackling circuit before every practice, and I’ve never done anything like that before,” McCoy said. “I realize now that, before, I was just playing football. Now, I’m really learning how to tackle and I think it’s going to help me a lot.”

Yes Greg Schiano has many different drills that the offense, defense, and special teams go through on a daily basis. Not one phase of the game is left out. And with the focus on all the small things, such as josh Freeman taking bad shotgun snaps. Special teams on blocking punts and scooping them and scoring. Defense working techniques of tackling situations. Schiano believes is critical to developing how his team operates his team.

As you can tell Schiano is a very detailed head football coach. He wants teachers on his staff that he has assembled, to teach what he believes, techniques and fundamentals of the game. And he believes that focusing oncall of the small detailed things lead to big picture success.

Written By: Chris Anderson

Why Bucs Need Blount

Why Bucs need Blount

LeGarrette Blount just ripping another defender off of him as he rumbles for another touchdown.

   




  I want to start by saying that LeGarrette Blount did make his fair share of mistakes and had his share of problems under Raheem Morris. But Blount was a revelation for the Bucs as an undrafted rookie free agent picked up on the waiver wire after being released in the preseason by the Titans. He assumed the starting role at midseason for an ineffective Cadillac Williams and finished the season with 1,007 rushing yards and six touchdowns while averaging an impressive 5.0 yards per carry. 

 As was reported by Rick Stroud, Staff Writer for Tampa Bay Times,

 "His lack of commitment was startling to coaches from the day he was claimed off waivers from the Titans an undrafted rookie in 2010. For the first two weeks after being acquired by Tampa Bay, Blount, who was suspended at Oregon for punching a Boise State player, never made it to work on time and compiled fines of more than $15,000. Exasperated, then-coach Raheem Morris and general manager Mark Dominik ordered him to hire a car service with a driver to wake him up in the morning and transport him less than 3 miles from his apartment to One Buc Place. After a few weeks, they canceled the car service for one day. And Blount was late. He continued to need a driver to get to work in 2011. But his poor preparation habits also spread to the meeting room, where coaches said he would sometimes fall asleep. On the field, Blount struggled to hold onto the football. He has fumbled nine times in two years, losing six, and rarely played on passing downs. A knee injury at San Francisco prevented Blount from playing in two games last season, and he finished with 781 yards (4.2 per rush average) and five touchdowns."

Yes as much as everyone else wants to absolutely vomit from even hearing any kind of report like that. The kid was young and did make horrible mistakes but  it seems to be Blount has changed his ways. Even coach Schinao thinks Blount is now more of a professional 

“I think that probably got blown out of proportion a little bit,” Schiano said. “He probably had some troubles — I’m not really familiar with the facts — but that’s all behind us. LeGarrette has been great. We’ve had workouts here, we’ve had OTAs, minicamps, and he’s been on time for everything. It hasn’t been an issue at all and I don’t foresee that being an issue.”

  And it has been noticed around everyone in Tampa a change in Blount's demeanor  Ever since the Great Schaino Era Blount seems much more dedicated and driven now; and  two things that are must to even survive to be on this guy's team. He is an extreme talent and after he is still an undrafted free agent and for some reason he is is still getting overly disrespected for what he has done on the field. The kid has out played his worth, but however everyone see's the potential for so much more.

    My belief is that we all see his potential  in 2012 with this new coach and coaching staff to help him grow up and be more consistent on a weekly basis on and off the field. Also he will have the the rookie Doug Martin nipping at his heals. This will all make him the player he should be, and that we all expect.


Written By: Chris Anderson