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Bucs GM To Jenkins: “We’ll Take You”

Posted Apr 26, 2008 by Brett McMurphy

Updated Apr 27, 2008 at 12:15 AM

BRADENTON - Spent some time with University of South Florida cornerback Mike Jenkins Saturday after he become the Bulls’ first NFL first-round draft pick. And Jenkins confirmed a Tampa Tribune/TBO report earlier this afternoon that the Bucs said they would take him if he was available.

On Thursday, Bucs GM Bruce Allen and Jenkins sat together at a table, enjoying lunch at the Hip Hop Soda Shop on Fowler Avenue.

Allen did not mince his words.

“He said definitely if you’re there at No. 20, we’ll take you,” Jenkins said.

So when the Bucs’ pick came up Saturday and Jenkins was available, Jenkins was shocked when the Bucs opted for Kansas CB Aqib Talib.

“I was definitely surprised,” Jenkins said. “I was disappointed.”

Jenkins went five picks later to the Dallas Cowboys.

Reader Comments

Por (C Gallagher) on April 26, 2008 (Suggest removal)

Jenkins should be counting his lucky stars that Tampa passed on him and Dallas stole him at #25.  I love the bucs, but the management sux.  I love the cowboys even more and so will Mike! Best thing that could have happened to him.  America’s Team, max media coverage, and a guy like Anthony Henry to show him the ropes!

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Por (Mike) on April 26, 2008 (Suggest removal)

I’m a lifelong bucs fan but allen lying isnt a shocker. personally i cant wait til he is fired and we get a GM who has the cahoonas to spend money instead of stocking the roster with career backups

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Por (Tom Sabol) on April 26, 2008 (Suggest removal)

Aqib Talib will be off the roster in 3 years and maybe out of football. He is overrated and a bad character. Way to foster the esprit de corps with all the USF fans thinking you might pick Mike Jenkins. Rashard Mendenhall was available as was Devin Thomas. Mendenhall was the best remaining RB and some thought the second overall, while Thomas was considered the top WR.
I only hope that I’m wrong being that I’m still a diehard Bucs Fan. The USF grad in me is disgusted.

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Por (Jim) on April 26, 2008 (Suggest removal)

Allen - you outsmarted yourself once again. You could have taken Jenkins, arguably the top 2-3 rated DB in round 1 then the QB of the future in Brohm (rated #2) or Henne (rated #4). Instead you go get a 3rd down slot receiver which are a dime a dozen and a DB that had 3rd round written all over him. Every year the draft gets a grade - Allen & Gruden ... so far you are both pulling down a D-. I bet your saving your salary cap room for more over 30 year old players who are steps away from the junkyard. The RB’s are old; the qb’s are old. You need to clean house of all the QB’s and get serious about your future leader. I’m tired and very frustrated w/ the decision-making today. Good night!

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Por (Dan Shreve) on April 26, 2008 (Suggest removal)

We did not pick Jenkins because Aqib
Talib was available.They was expecting
Aqib would be gone before he got to us.
Our option would have been to take Jenkins there if Aqib wasn’t available.
Yes Jenkins was a great player for USF. And it would have been convinont for him to land here. But they seen something different about Aqib Talib
like playing Offence WR sometimes.That could throw a defence off sometimes.
  Now in the 3rd round I’d try and land FB Shmit from Ohio State or
FB Hester from LSU. I would forget about getting a QB now in this draft we can get one 1st round next year.

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Por (Fernando) on April 26, 2008 (Suggest removal)

Talib is better than Jenkins specially on run support.So I can live with that.

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Por (Jesse Henn) on April 26, 2008 (Suggest removal)

I’ve been a Buccaneers fan since 1979 and intentionally avoided posting comments here because there is so much negativity.  Tom, I respectfully disagree with your prediction that Talib will be off the roster in 3 years.  Mike, without Allen we would probably still be in cap trouble.  C Gallagher, just think what Barber can do for Talib, and I can think of a couple teams where the management is less than great.  As far as Jenkins and Allen, could Allen have rephrased his words to Jenkins (i.e. if you’re highest-rated on our board when we pick, we’ll take you.)?  Absolutely, but as a fan, I trust the management makes decisions that will help the team, not hurt it, even if I completely disagree with certain decisions.

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Por (Bill) on April 26, 2008 (Suggest removal)

Say all you want about Talib being better than Jenkins, but you just don’t know.  Countless times in his college career Jenkins has run down a “faster” runner. I’ve watched highlights of Talib being run away from by an opposing receiver.  The Jenkins kickoff return last year showed an unbelievable burst that not a lot of players, including Talib, have.  Whether or not Jenkins was the right pick for the Bucs or not is debatable, but saying Talib is better than Jenkins is not.  Talib is a good player, but as a Buc fan, his past drug issues concern me.  Three failed marijuana tests would have been enough for me to go the other way.  Buc fans will be disappointed in three years when evaluating these two players.

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Por (Kip) on April 27, 2008 (Suggest removal)

Bruce Allen and Andy Friedman are the two wortst GM’s in pro sports, and the Bucs and the Rays are stuck with them.

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Por (Mark Stys) on April 27, 2008 (Suggest removal)

All I hear is crying about what a horrible GM Allen is. Why last year did our “Backup draft picks” start and thrive on the team, helping us get into the playoffs? Tanard Jackson, Aaron Sears, Barrett Ruud, Davin Joseph, Ernest Graham, and Jermaine Phillips are all products of The Draft.

Sure The Bucs have had some draft flops but ALL teams do. All teams period. Buc Fans need toquit crying and support the team. It is a business and like all businesses Allen cannot tip his hand as to which way The Bucs will draft so telling Jenkins he would draft him was not wrong, it’s business, and I’m sure he’d do it again.

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Por (ken gibbons) on April 27, 2008 (Suggest removal)

What a let down. Michael Jenkins was still there late; WTF!All about speed?The dynamic duo are patting themselves on the back for another “We got away with making another dumb decision, because as long as we keep talking about each others’ dads being great football minds, we can do whatever we want with those picks,dude!”“I know!”
“Hey, instead of taking Quentin, lets trade down and get some late round picks!”
“Yeah dude, and then we can pass on Ray Rice. Is that cool?”
“Totally”

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Por (ken gibbons) on April 27, 2008 (Suggest removal)

forget the draft, let’s go to county jail, bail out some old, never used to be good players, and sign them to contracts. shoot…raise ticket prices too!

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Por (ken gibbons) on April 27, 2008 (Suggest removal)

it is unacceptable!

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Por (tony west) on April 27, 2008 (Suggest removal)

Talib over Jenkins is an absolute no-brainer.  Talib was projected in most early mock drafts as a top ten pick.  He was the highest rated corner on Mayock and Kiper’s draft board.  A fantastic talent.  I love the fact that half of you on this board are probably high (judging by your comments) as you criticize the Bucs for drafting a college athlete who used marijuana.  Stop the presses.  Someone using marijuana in college - unheard of!!!  You guys like Jenkins because he’s a local product.  He’s also very good.  But Talib is a bigger talent.  remember the last time we drafted a great defensive talent who fell because of marijuana use - his name was Warren Sapp.

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Por (tony west) on April 27, 2008 (Suggest removal)

Ken gibbons - you might be the most negative and ignorant poster I’ve ever read.  And for those who criticize Allen and even Friedman.  Last time I checked we were defending nfc south champs with a great cap situation who are currently in the process of addressing our most important needs.  as for the Rays - uhhh 13-11 and just wrapping up their most successfull opening month in history.  The bucs are in great hands.

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Por (andrew farhadi) on April 27, 2008 (Suggest removal)

Aqib Talib is a way better corner back than Mike Jenkins. period. i think he will be a perfect fit for our defense and team as a whole. Great poker face, Bruce, in disguising what player you where really after. Go Bucs!

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Por (billyd) on April 27, 2008 (Suggest removal)

Bruce Allen officially just checked off the last box I needed to officially declare him a scumbag.  Yes, the USF grad in me is disgusted and the guy just keeps proving himself more shark than a man.  Way to go bruce, is that your breath or jon’s poop on your nose I am smelling?.

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Por (Scott Himes) on April 27, 2008 (Suggest removal)

ok..Now you all know why after 10 years of season tickets we let them go this year. If you can’t trust a coaches words how can you trust the GM puppet Allens. Just ask Lynch,Macardell,Jerovicous,Sapp,Alstott,Simms and yes even Keyshawn..Gruden is 51 and 50 after taking Tony Ds team to the Super Bowl. So why are we all surprised at a 50% Draft performance. It all starts from the top and works it’s way down. Thanks Bucs Management for giving me Sundays off and re discovering fishing,golf,yardwork, family and real life things.

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Por (Michael West-Dominguez) on April 27, 2008 (Suggest removal)

Anyone know Gruden’s / Allen’s address so I can send them a copy of “Drafting For Dummies”, this is a shame that we can’t get this right, we basically settled for injury prone veterans and little known draft picks. Are we becoming an arena football team. What happened to Jenkins? He was there, a bigger wide reciever was there. What is really going on in the front office? Are we not willing to pay the dollars so we can raise ticket prices and give the front office pat raises. I bet regardless of what happens, the management goes home and sleeps well at night in their 6 figure home. Just remember, it is the fan that makes you what you are, and you are losing them.

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Por (Steve Hair) on April 27, 2008 (Suggest removal)

If I had the crystal ball some of you guys have, I’d be buying lottery tickets, not griping about which good player is better.  Truth is, no way in the world to know who will be the better corner, Jenkins or Talib, for a few years, but they both look good to me.  Very glad we did not waste a top pick on a QB who would not help us for 3 or 4 years.  Really, dudes, the wide receiver choices were not exactly Calvin Johnson, an the guy we got #2 has as much upside as any of the others.  Check backc in about 4 years so we can see if this draft was any good or not.  And for Mike Jenkins?  Guys, he got picked by America’s Team!  I think he is over the disappointment of not being a Buc.

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Por (Jim) on April 27, 2008 (Suggest removal)

Who gives a darn about catering to what usf brahman fans wanted?  This kid Talib is a real talent that can help the Bucs in several ways. This is a business, not a popularity contest! Let all the fans of the commuter school out in suitecase city get mad and threaten not to show up at games. Give this kid Talib a chance to do something before you run your mouths.

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Por (James R. Kinzer) on April 27, 2008 (Suggest removal)

Live with it guys, you only have 4 more years of this “GOOFY PAIR” !!!!!!!

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Por (Larry Siegel) on April 27, 2008 (Suggest removal)

IF Talib overcomes his past issues and is coachable he will be a steal at #20. He’s an elite athlete capable of dominating for many years and landing in the Hall of Fame….....that’s my prediction; you saw it here first.  We never would of drafted Sapp if we weren’t willing to take a risk.  Besides, some other these other guys also have issues -  they just haven’t come to light yet.

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Por (Mitch R) on April 27, 2008 (Suggest removal)

To all you crybabies, wake up!  Talib is a better talent than Jenkins who played against better talent and is probably ready to step in right away and start.  If Jenkins wasn’t a USF product, none of you would have even heard about him.  All of you crybabies are just mad because you fall in love with player X and Allen drafts player Y.  Allen is ruthless and makes false promises, this is true, I don’t dispute that.  But this does not make him a bad GM.  Face it, the players he drafted and signed as Free Agents won the South last year and we have the potential to defend it this year.  Stop being crybabies.

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Por (Tom Sabol) on April 27, 2008 (Suggest removal)

Jim in Nashville, Ignorance definitely must be bliss for you. I’m saying that I hope I’m wrong about Talib. Someone said there is something about him… I know what it is, he gets beat by average to below average WR’s. They always say to trade you need a trading partner and alot of other teams were finding trading partners. We could have gotten Talib later and added picks or even gotten Jenkins. I’m not so concerned with getting Jenkins as I am with getting better value at that pick. With the questions at RB, we had one in front of us.  I applaud the Bucs for getting Dexter Jackson and aquiring more picks he could be a real nice fit.

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