Bucs Teammates Have Donald Penn’s Back
May 19th, 2010
Missing from OTAs due to frustration with his contract, Donald Penn has been nowhere to be found this week at One Buc Palace.
Arguably the Bucs best player, Penn wants more money he feels someone of his talent deserves. Not an outrageous request.
Despite Penn’s absence, it doesn’t seem his teammates are irritated, so writes Joe’s good friend, stylish Rick Brown, aka Backwards Hat, (Hey Rick, Joe and your fans pine for more video). Brown notes that Penn’s brethren on the offensive side of the ball aren’t holding any grudges with Penn not reporting for OTAs.
“Penn is a professional,” said Joseph. “He is going to handle his business the way he has too. This is his job and I believe he will be here.”
The Bucs can’t even threaten to play hardball with Penn. If he doesn’t sign his tender before June 15, the Bucs could reduce their offer to 10 percent higher than last year’s base salary. That would still be around $3.07 million, which Penn would have until the day before the start of the regular season to sign. Tampa Bay could rescind its tender, meaning he would become an unrestricted free agent, which is unlikely because it would receive no compensation. So there is a stalemate.
“Donald is one of my good friends,” said quarterback Josh Freeman. “I talked to him the other day. He wants to be here but he feels he has to work it out and do what’s best for his family.”
Penn’s not exactly out of hand in asking for a fair market salary. Sad thing for Penn is, he’s not going to get another dime unless or until a new CBA is reached. Joe understands that as well.
May 19th, 2010 at 12:33 pm
No Joe, sad thing for the Bucs, Josh Freeman’s back side and the fans if they don’t sign Penn.
Penn has ALL the leverage. The Bucs, if they go with Fulton, then Freeman will have YET ANOTHER excuse to regress.
You know… the Glazers deserve everything they leave themselves exposed to. They put a young, GM in place that is probably preaching to them how it all works, and how the Bucs are in the driver’s seat… something the Glazers want to hear anyway because they don’t want to spend any money.
But if anyone is in the driver’s seat, it’s Donald Penn.
So Joe, feel sorry not for Penn, but for the Bucs.
May 19th, 2010 at 12:49 pm
This guy needs to get paid, if the bucs let him go then finally i will side with all the haters and say they arent really interested in winning at all.
My only concern is that both sides have valid arguments (bucs side being CBA uncertainty and his motivation once he gets paid) and if the bucs drag this on too long and piss him off, and then offer a nice contract he might just go somewhere else out of spite if the money’s close.
If that happens then the bucs will HAVE TO be the highest bidder. I hope they just wait until mid season, make sure he is a legit top-10 LT with his performance again this year and then give him a contract.
May 19th, 2010 at 12:53 pm
Penn has shut down DeMarcus Ware two years in a row…he needs to be signed…even if he can’t fight a regular guy in an Ihop at 3 a.m.
May 19th, 2010 at 1:13 pm
Until a new CBA is signed, nothing is going to happen. Both sides agreed to the current CBA so finger pointing is moot. He still needs to be paid, but…
May 19th, 2010 at 2:04 pm
There really is no value in Penn ‘doing what’s right by his family’ by not attending the OTA’s.
If I am in that position, I am ‘doing what’s right by MY family’ by showing up and being the absolute best left tackle in the league.
He’s going to get paid once a CBA is in place, I wouldn’t downgrade my value by doing what he’s doing…
I think there is little chance what-so-ever they pick a LT in next years draft. We are going to need a DE and an RB as 1a and 1b next year.
He’ll get paid, make himself and his family some money by showing up and doing what he does best.
Quit listening to the freakin’ agent Don.
May 19th, 2010 at 2:13 pm
Wrong… the Bucs are a profitable organization. Why feel sorry for an organization that profits of of these young men to puttheir bodies on the line for just a few years? Time is not on these player’s sides.
If the Bucs try to make an example of Penn, then they lost again.
Farm Team Baby!
May 19th, 2010 at 4:15 pm
If my franchise QB’s future was on the line, I might forget about the damn CBA excuse and sign him.
I mean we are already lowest in the league, what the hell.
May 19th, 2010 at 9:03 pm
extend him ruud and tanard!!!
May 19th, 2010 at 10:55 pm
Gotta love this misinformed statement:
“Penn has ALL the leverage”
LOL. Nothing could be further from the truth.
May 20th, 2010 at 12:04 am
Not many players are getting extensions or new contracts anywhere in the league this year with the uncertainty of the CBA. It sucks, but that’s the situation that every team and player is in right now.
The one thing I do know is that holding out rarely works with this organization. Penn would be doing himself a huge favor I think by showing up, but I can absolutely understand his frustration. The problem is he’s not a top 10 Left tackle, I’m not even sure he’s in the top half of the league, but he’s all we’ve got right now. I would guess that he’ll probably show up for the mandatory camps and whenever this CBA bull sh!t gets hashed out he’ll get his contract.
May 20th, 2010 at 12:29 am
He can just hold out until next season’s FA… then the bucs would have to draft a LT.
May 20th, 2010 at 12:30 am
Bottom line… if they don’t re-sign him he will test FA and the first team who offers him a job, he’ll be gone!
May 20th, 2010 at 1:11 am
I can’t remember where I saw it (it may have been at Walter Football), but I recall an article there before last season showing all the left tackles in the league, and Penn (in 2008) was listed as giving up the most sacks at that position. Last year he was overweight and out of shape.
Now, I’m not against Penn. I like the guy, and wouldn’t be upset if he’s given a new contract at some point…. but he’s NOT a great LT. He’s good, not great. Is he better than anyone else on the roster? Of course, but that’s not saying much when Fulton may be the #2.
Donald Penn holds NO leverage in this situation. In business, the only one holding any leverage is the man signing the check. Unless there is a league wide strike on behalf of Donald Penn and his wage, Penn has no leverage. The Union has leverage vs the NFL, as they can set in motion a league wide walk out (as is possible next year). But no player has any leverage over ANY team.
May 20th, 2010 at 1:29 am
RahDom — Penn is only in his 5th year, Absent a new CBA, he will be an RFA next year as well.
BamBam — the union has very little leverage. No signs of a strike next year. Chance of a lockout
May 20th, 2010 at 12:43 pm
So the Bucs not having a LT to block for Freeman and proving the rookie WRs are worth a darn means nothing to the Bucs?
The Bucs not having a LT, when most teams draft LT’s with their first pick means nothing? So the Bucs will risk a season with X. Fulton?
Since there are no LTs available in free agency that are better that Penn, means nothing?
Donald Penn has leverage. The fans that Bucs have been targeting will go apesh!t if Tampa doesn’t bring back a LT for Freeman. and the Bucs will have been proven to be cheaper than cheap.
Donald Penn has all sorts of leverage.
X Fulton huh?