I have to say its probably a good thing that I couldn't write this post when I first heard the news of Tanard Jackson being suspended indefinitely. To say I was pissed off wouldn't come close to doing justice to my mood in that moment. I have come down some now but I won't lie, I'm still pretty angry.
I will never understand guys who pull this kind of shit. At least with performance enhancing drugs while you know its wrong and illegal you can kind of get that guys were looking for a physical edge so they could perform better. Maybe for a new contract or maybe to help the team win, either way that kind of cheating is centered around a guy trying to make himself better.
But by all outward appearances Jackson was popped for some form of recreational drug. And this would have to be at least his third time getting caught. I sincerely thought that after he lost four games last year to start off the season that he would have learned his lesson. Not only did he embarrass himself and his family, he also put his teammates in a helluva jam. For whatever reason I thought his pride wouldn't allow him to make the same mistake again.
Boy was I wrong.
And while its obvious that he was popped for this infraction sometime ago and is just now being punished, the timing couldn't be any worse. Right at the point where folks are starting to believe in the Bucs again he just ruined ALL of that.
And for what?
This guy has every tool you would want if you were building the prototype for a free safety. And the truth of the matter is with another strong season this year he likely would have set himself up for a substantial pay day. Now all that is gone because he couldn't find it in himself to lay off his drug of choice.
In my opinion he should never wear a Buccaneers uniform again. Somebody that stupid, selfish, and foolish can not be counted on to be there when the team needs him. If he has a legitimate addiction then I hope and pray that he gets help to free himself from those demons. But he doesn't deserve the privilege of playing for this team ever again. Especially after they stood by him last year only to be repaid in this fashion.
Am I judging him? You're got damn right I am. Because his actions affected not just him but also his teammates and his coaches who were counting on him to help them turn around the team. This isn't a case of just making a mistake, the guy is messing with people's jobs and livelihoods.
I am getting pissed off all over again so I'll let that be the end of my diatribe towards him.
On another hand a radical thought occurred to me. I don't know about you but the last thing in the world I want to see is Sabby Piscitelli out starting again. And honestly the thought of having rookie Cody Grim starting is scary as hell also. But then I got to thinking, maybe there is a third option.
I honestly don't think this will happen in a million years but my proposal would be moving Ronde Barber from corner to free safety and then plugging in E.J. Biggers and Myron Lewis in his spot. I don't know if Ronde would even be open to the move, especially since he has played so well the first two games. But after being in the defense for over 10 years its pretty much a given that he would know all of the plays and responsibilities. Also it would allow him to use his ball skills more all over the field. He wouldn't have to play in the box all that much but then again its not like he hasn't played there a lot before as a nickel back.
It also gets one of the two young talented corners that we have on the field in spots where they probably won't hurt us too bad. In the first game E.J. definitely looked like he was ready to start if necessary and you gotta think that Lewis has gotten over his injury bug and is ready to contribute now as well.
Then if need be we could bring Grim in on third downs and let Ronde go back to his regular nickle back slot or maybe even start grooming Biggers or Lewis to take over for him. And think about it, after this game we have an off week where Ronde could really work on the switch and the other guys could get comfortable with starting also.
Again I know a snowball probably has a better chance lasting in hell than this change happening but I think if people think it through it doesn't really suck. In fact it has the potential of allowing one of our playmakers (Ronde) to be put into position to make even more plays. And its not like its unprecedented. Rod Woodson, one of the all time great corners, ended his career as a hell of a safety in Pittsburgh. I know it wasn't planned this way but maybe Ronde could mirror the same kind of success.
Just a thought.
I gotta say I'm sick as hell over this situation with T Jax. But it boils down to this, he had already been warned and punished prior to this and he is a grown ass man. He had every opportunity to keep his nose clean and he was an utter failure at that. He has to live with that and with the chaos he has brought to this team and his family, but for everyone else its time to move on.
