Bucs Will Spend Later, Not Sooner
June 22nd, 2011
Yearning for uplifiting news about the possible demise of the asinine lockout, Joe was glued to The Steve Duemig Show yesterday on WDAE-AM 620, as “The Big Dog” interviewed Mike Florio, the curator and creator of ProFootballTalk.com and arguably the nation’s premier lockout guru/reporter.
Florio stood behind his prediction that lockout would be history by June 30. But, more interestingly, Florio spoke passionately about how he believes that regardless of how much cash the Bucs would be required to spend under a sparkling new salary cap, the Bucs won’t spend the bulk of it during the upcoming (hopefully) free agency period.
Florio made a case that Team Glazer hasn’t shown interest in doling out signing bonuses in recent years, only guaranteed salary, and Florio doesn’t expect that to change during a potential July free agency period.
Instead, Florio said he sees a scenario in which Team Glazer watches its emerging young stars, such as Mike Williams and Josh Freeman, play half of the 2011 season and then make a call on extending/restructuring the contracts of various young players in order to meet the team’s required cash outlay.
Of course, Joe knows so much will come down to whether the Bucs are able to retain their current free agents.
If Bucs like Davin Joseph, Barrett Ruud, Quincy Black and Cadillac Williams are wearing new jerseys, for example, it’s going to be hard to not pay market prices to replace one or more of those guys.
June 22nd, 2011 at 10:34 am
Florio is a smart, smart man. That’s exactly what I expect to happen.
June 22nd, 2011 at 10:56 am
Shocker!
When the CBA is settled what is the time frame for each team to reach the salary floor?
Prediction; that is when team Glazer will spend some money ( when they are forced to).
June 22nd, 2011 at 11:17 am
I agree with Florio and will add:
I see the Bucs doing this:
1. Signing most their free agents back.
2. Davin Joseph gets a big deal
3. Ruud OR Black is gone
4. Signing some B-list free agents depending on who they think they lose.
5. Signing alot of the young guys to extensions that prove worth it
I also would not be surprised if the new deal gives teams 2 years to comply. Maybe be within 80% this year then the mandatory 90-93% next year
June 22nd, 2011 at 11:21 am
ERIC
I know many here always bash the Glazers but from a business standpoint the entire NFL would be better off if
1. They did not overspend
2. They spent in salary not bonuses (ie. pay as you go, pay the players who earn it big money, but during the season whent here is revenue, not in a signing bonus that you eat if they bust)
I, as much as the next guy, would love the Glazers to land 1 or 2 real good free agents but it makes MUCH MORE sense to sign their own guys and continue to grow them together.
Plus, if alot of teams are scrambling to get to the salary floor then there will be some FA waaaaay overpriced…. again.
The owners never learn
June 22nd, 2011 at 11:38 am
Resign our own, restructure contracts, then look to fill holes with b-level FA’s. Dom and Rah have proven time and again they are master talent evaluators, , we will seek out young under the radar talent to sign and grow within “Our” system.
June 22nd, 2011 at 4:13 pm
Florio was great and he called out the Glazers gracefully for not spending. It was hilarious to hear try to dance around Florio’s assertions so not to get a nasty gram from the bucs.
Florio said, i paraphrase, that i dont know the glazers cashflow situation but I do know that they havent paid a big upfront bonus in a long time electing instead to guarantee salaries. This gives the bucs the ability to pay the guaranteed money out over years of time – a cashpoor team
practice.
Florio cited the Winslow deal as an example: it was reported as a fairly big guaranteed contract but it was spread over the life of the deal. This is exactly why the Haynesworth offer was not competitive, the total value of the contract sounded good but there was little upfront money and the guaranteed portion wasnt competitive.
This is further circumstantial evidence of cheap operating philosophy that hurts the quality of the team.
June 22nd, 2011 at 4:19 pm
Me wonders if the Rock star can defeat Detroit at home…………..
June 22nd, 2011 at 7:32 pm
Nnamdi, Nnamdi, Nnamdi …..
Ruuuuuuuuuuuuuuud Suxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ……..
Cadi, Cadi, Cadi …..
I’d try to keep Hayward & Black too.
Davin would be nice too, but he has been a disappointment the last few years.
June 22nd, 2011 at 9:46 pm
BigmacAttack- agreed!
That’s not what Raheem Morris has said in recent interviews. He says it will be like The plateau before the SuperBowl, when we signed Simeon Rice, Brad Johnson, Keenan MacCardell, Joe Jurivious, Cato June, Ken Dilger, etc. Raheem said that in an April interview.
Florio is like an “Insde Edition”” kinda football guy. He’ll fawn all over Tom Brady, still thinks T O is “fun” and a great receiver, lovers Brett Farve.
But I honestly don’t think he even watches the games. It’s all about celebrity. Remember his sad lil predictions last year. We win 4 games, and Fallas in the SuperBowl! Yeah, ok. Florio, go mancrush elsewhere
June 23rd, 2011 at 1:11 am
I say we trade for a LB! and sign NNAMDI with all the money were have to spend ANYWAYS!! Rudd Is good but its time to move on alot of teams like him so how about a sign and trade?
June 23rd, 2011 at 8:50 am
Since Malcom’s demise, the Glazer boys haven’t doled out one cent that they were not forced to spend. So this Florio article, while factually correct, is saying nothing more than what these tight *##$# are famous for doing. Their Dad knew what it took to win the Super Bowl, and spent the money to do it.
June 23rd, 2011 at 1:53 pm
Dominik is not a master talent evaluator when it comes to free agency. Derrick Ward was proof of that.