Jon "Chucky" Gruden, he of the comical facial gestures, remains a hard-core Caste System proponent. Gruden has waived and otherwise discarded a host of talented white wide receivers while coaching the Raiders and Buccaneers, and one of his first moves after coming over from Oakland to Tampa was to greatly reduce Mike Alstott's role.
This year the Bucs have really gone Caste on offense, replete even with a sumo-dominated line. There are but two white starters on offense, and two on defense.
Gruden does like his white quarterbacks, sometimes juggling a half-dozen or more on his training camp rosters. It's just every other position where Chucky believes whites need not apply.
Out of the mad scientist's latest quarterback laboratory emerged Jeff Garcia as the starter, only to be given the boot after one week of play in 2008. Into his place steps well-traveled Brian Griese, who has his moments but not Garcia's track record of leading teams into the playoffs. Luke McCown is currently third on the totem pole but could well be starting at some point this campaign as the Bucs try to defend their surprising NFC divisional title from last year.
6-8 Jeremy Trueblood, in his third season out of Boston College, starts at right tackle.
Notre Dame grad Sean Mahan is a backup center.
There are no white tight ends and of course no white WRs.
Byron Storer out of Cal is a backup blocking back.
It's not quite as bleak on defense. Starting linebacker Barrett Ruud was tearing it up for most of '07 in his first year as a starter, leading the NFL in tackles before slowing down the last month. But overall he's picked up in the NFL where he left off as a tackling machine for Nebraska.
Chris Hovan starts at one of the tackle spots in Tampa's 4-3 D. The former first round draft pick of the Vikings is now in his 9th season.
Oregon State's Sabby Piscatelli was drafted in the second round in '07 before ending up on IR with a knee injury after three games. He's a backup to begin '08 but has too much talent for his "apprenticeship" to last much longer. Piscatelli is big (6-3 and 225 lbs.) and fast (sub 4.50 40) and hits real hard, similar to long-time Bucs safety John Lynch but faster. Mark him down as an eventual star.
Matt McCoy, who started some with Philadelphia before being released mid-season last year, is a backup middle linebacker with excellent speed and instincts. But with Ruud firmly entrenched as the starter, McCoy doesn't look to be starting again any time soon.
NUMBER OF WHITE STARTERS: 4
APPROXIMATE NUMBER OF WHITE PLAYERS ON 53 MAN ROSTER: 13
GRADE: F
This year the Bucs have really gone Caste on offense, replete even with a sumo-dominated line. There are but two white starters on offense, and two on defense.
Gruden does like his white quarterbacks, sometimes juggling a half-dozen or more on his training camp rosters. It's just every other position where Chucky believes whites need not apply.
Out of the mad scientist's latest quarterback laboratory emerged Jeff Garcia as the starter, only to be given the boot after one week of play in 2008. Into his place steps well-traveled Brian Griese, who has his moments but not Garcia's track record of leading teams into the playoffs. Luke McCown is currently third on the totem pole but could well be starting at some point this campaign as the Bucs try to defend their surprising NFC divisional title from last year.
6-8 Jeremy Trueblood, in his third season out of Boston College, starts at right tackle.
Notre Dame grad Sean Mahan is a backup center.
There are no white tight ends and of course no white WRs.
Byron Storer out of Cal is a backup blocking back.
It's not quite as bleak on defense. Starting linebacker Barrett Ruud was tearing it up for most of '07 in his first year as a starter, leading the NFL in tackles before slowing down the last month. But overall he's picked up in the NFL where he left off as a tackling machine for Nebraska.
Chris Hovan starts at one of the tackle spots in Tampa's 4-3 D. The former first round draft pick of the Vikings is now in his 9th season.
Oregon State's Sabby Piscatelli was drafted in the second round in '07 before ending up on IR with a knee injury after three games. He's a backup to begin '08 but has too much talent for his "apprenticeship" to last much longer. Piscatelli is big (6-3 and 225 lbs.) and fast (sub 4.50 40) and hits real hard, similar to long-time Bucs safety John Lynch but faster. Mark him down as an eventual star.
Matt McCoy, who started some with Philadelphia before being released mid-season last year, is a backup middle linebacker with excellent speed and instincts. But with Ruud firmly entrenched as the starter, McCoy doesn't look to be starting again any time soon.
NUMBER OF WHITE STARTERS: 4
APPROXIMATE NUMBER OF WHITE PLAYERS ON 53 MAN ROSTER: 13
GRADE: F
