Bucs Free Agency Extraordinarily Complex
July 9th, 2011
"You see Dominik's post-lockout scenarios? I like No. 41c"
Joe had an unexpectedly great Bucs free agency conversation with a grumpy old dude/stranger at Target last night.
Forgetting about the guy’s bad breath and misguided rage, it got Joe focused on how much the Bucs will have to spend to meet — at minimum — the new salary cap floor, whenever it’s revealed following the end of the asinine lockout.
NFC South blogger Pat Yasinskas, of ESPN.com, tapped his team of stat geeks weeks ago and came up with the Bucs needing to spend $50 million over what’s already committed for 2011, in order to reach what could be the new real-cash salary cap floor (not capology funny money).
A lot of Bucs fans, Joe NOT included, seem to think the Bucs could and should sign Nnamdi Asoumgha for around $19 million a year and still re-sign all their free agents and leave themselves in good position for future years.
The Bucs could probably do it. Here’s the expected Bucs free agents, per eye-RAH! Kaufman of The Tampa Tribune:
LB Quincy Black
DL Tim Crowder
TE John Gilmore
LB Adam Hayward
G Davin Joseph
LB Niko Koutouvides
LB Barrett Ruud
WR Micheal Spurlock
WR Maurice Stovall
T Jeremy Trueblood
DE Stylez G. White
RB Cadillac Williams
If the Bucs signed Joseph and Ruud and half the other guys, that probably leaves more than enough dough to break the bank on one “outsider.” But would the Bucs want to sign a big-name guy from outside the organization? Joe’s not seeeing it, unles they’re really forced into it if Joseph and Ruud are gone.
It seems more Dominik-like, if the rules allow, to heavily frontload some of the homegrown free agency deals in 2011, in order to free up plenty of cap room next year when the team can be assessed all over again.
Speaking on the usually rancid Dan Patrick Show this week, rockstar general manager Mark Dominik again stressed he wants to re-sign the homegrown Bucs and build through the draft. But Dominik added he’s “gone through all the scenarios” at it relates to the salary cap.
Surely Dominik is prepared, but the number of scenarios for the Bucs has got to be beyond extraordinary because of the fat wad the team will be forced to spend — and it’s probably going to be extremely complex in a tight time window. Joe suspects the Bucs’ 2011 free agency/salary playbook looks as complicated as anything Chucky ever produced.
July 9th, 2011 at 1:12 pm
Joe said: “Joe had an unexpectedly great Bucs free agency conversation with a grumpy old dude/stranger at Target last night.”
What’s the matter, was Bed Bath & Beyond closed?
July 9th, 2011 at 1:37 pm
target became bad breath and beyond, it sounds like.
July 9th, 2011 at 1:49 pm
Figuring out which guys in the list to resign seems pretty straight forward. I’d keep davin, black, Hayward, spurlock, crowder, and caddy. The rest can be let go. Ruud too if tue price is right.
July 9th, 2011 at 1:58 pm
Zero chance Nnamdi Asoumgha comes in. It would be nice, but $19 million is too much when the Bucs are so good at drafting guys with talent.
July 9th, 2011 at 2:13 pm
For what Nnamdi would cost we could get possibly get one of the DEs (Kiwanuka, Edwards, Johnson), one of the RBs (Sproles, M. Bush, or maybe R. Bush,) and a solid CB like Jonathan Joseph.
The idea of NA coming to play is great, but in practice I think re-signing our guys (Ruud, Hayes, and Davin primarily) and bringing in some solid FAs is the prudent course of action. Dominik has done well so far.
July 9th, 2011 at 3:30 pm
Joe here,
@CreamsicleBananaHammock — Bed Bath & Beyond?? If you must know Joe was shopping for an air conditioning filter, a toothbrush, an umbrella and a candy bar. Don’t think they sell those at the chick store.
July 9th, 2011 at 6:03 pm
isnt it the bottom of the salary cap we have 50 million to get to? that means if we want to spend more, we can?
July 9th, 2011 at 9:38 pm
My guess is that the Bucs avoid Asoumagha but give a guy like Richard Marshall from Carolina a nice pay raise and plug lots of holes they never would’ve done if the CBA didn’t force them into it.
Enough good signings and we might see this team go far into the playoffs this year. Let’s hope that Dominik learned from his Clayton debacle of a contract. One of the most underrated “worst signings in history” out there.
July 10th, 2011 at 1:54 am
I’d like to see them Bring Jonathan Joseph in due to the uncertainty of our cb position this year (and its always nice to have cb depth, lets be serious) and perhaps a top notch offensive lineman if there are any to bolster the run game and protect Josh of course.
I’d also like to see us make a serious push for noel devine when they can do that as a possible change of chase back and return man. It’s not like they will have to invest much, so the risk to reward would be quite low.
July 10th, 2011 at 2:49 am
yes but the bottom of the salary floor is 90 percent of the TOP of the *proposed* salary cap. so there is not a lot of wiggle room (alot for us but 20 mill isnt that much in the nfl)
July 10th, 2011 at 11:11 am
i like the thought of signig our guys 1st, then try and spend in other areas if we can, NA would be amazing but if you can get a veteran player to teach these young kids then that will pay for itself. i kno NA is a vet but he was also a Raider and that team had alot of leadership issues. LETS GO BUCS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!