A Pro Bowler On The Bucs?
December 10th, 2011
Connor Barth will smell the sweet smell of free agent cash this offseason
Pro Bowl?
Pro Bowl? (Insert your best Jim Mora “playoffs” voice)
Joe’s been remiss in not mentioning the “automatica” season turned in so far by Connor Barth. Barring a late season collapse, Barth could find his way to Hawaii.
To date, Barth has nailed 92 percent of his field goal tries (second in the NFL) and leads the NFL in kicks made from 40-to-49 yards out. (He even got to kick another one of those last week after a failed Arrelious Benn end-around on 3rd-and-2 lost 12 yards to set up another Barth bomb. Thanks, Greg Olson!)
Rockstar general manager Mark Dominik gave Barth a restricted free agent tender of $1.9 million for this season, so the St. Pete Times reported months ago.
Joe’s rather certain Barth is an unrestricted free agent come March, and surely he’ll command top cash. The Bucs consistently have said their top young players would be rewarded by getting to raid Team Glazer’s vault when they hit free agency. And it would seem Barth fits the mold, plus he’s surely a guy the Bucs can’t afford to lose.
December 10th, 2011 at 11:39 am
PETE, Joe will let this go. But Joe has asked repeatedly for readers not to stick unrelated takes under other posts. Joe understands you want to be heard, but this isn’t cool. ESPECIALLY, since it’s something normally Joe would respond to, which would further screwup this thread. — Joe
@Joe
I only just read your Tony Dungy post, and since it’s buried now, I want to respond here:
Actually you are very wrong there.
I like Raheem a lot, but if he were replaced with Dungy I would be delighted.
Dungy may not have taken this team to the Superbowl, but he brought character to the team…something we are missing right now for the most part.
Since his firing from Tampa, ESPN has been hating on the Bucs…this would be reversed if he were brought back.
Dungy was a huge fan favorite. HUGE. Every home game WOULD be sold out if he came back…to not think this is so is short-sighted.
Fans would be a lot more patient, because we all know Dungy can get the job done.
Also, Dungy has a huge improvement over when he was last here…he has successfully coached a team with a great offense…and he has nearly gone undefeated several times.
Tony Dungy may not be the only solution to this team, but he WOULD be an instant one. It’s short-sighted to think otherwise.
December 10th, 2011 at 11:40 am
Oh, and we would get playoff wins within 2 years under Dungy.
December 10th, 2011 at 11:52 am
LeGarrette Blount would’ve been a pro bowler this year if Olsen would’ve given him the DAMN carries he should’ve gotten.
Next to Blount and Clayborn, Barth has probably been one of our best players.
But they better not give a kicker, regardless of how clutch he may be, a huge contract. But that just sounds like a thing that Dominick would do.
VOTE BARTH TO THE PRO BOWL ON NFL.COM, EVERYBODY. As well as Joseph and Penn.
December 10th, 2011 at 11:56 am
Give Barth – the man with the golden leg – everything he asks. Money, drug, hookers, whatever it may be. Keep him on the team. He is kicking like the next Vinatieri.
December 10th, 2011 at 12:00 pm
Look, as long as they sign all our GOOD players, I’d have no problem with giving Barth the money he wants. He’s definitely earned it.
December 10th, 2011 at 12:00 pm
Heck, he has scored more points than other player on the team this year lol
December 10th, 2011 at 12:02 pm
People tend to forget how important kickers and punters are…Pay the man!
December 10th, 2011 at 12:04 pm
Sad that our only Pro Bowler is our kicker
December 10th, 2011 at 12:04 pm
He has proven himself on the field (meaning he will be expensive). So they will give Lumpkin a huge contract and let Barth go and pick up a kid(cheap) from the draft.
December 10th, 2011 at 12:38 pm
No love for the MVPunter?
December 10th, 2011 at 12:49 pm
rock star kicker signer.
awesome.
December 10th, 2011 at 1:37 pm
Both kickers, Penn and Joseph have a chance, but do not count on it…losing teams do not get the votes for their players.
December 10th, 2011 at 3:48 pm
Few people outside Tampa know who Connor Barth or even Davin Joseph are. I doubt they’ll get in for sole reason of a lack of media attention.
December 10th, 2011 at 5:32 pm
one highlight over the last so many years has been kickers, barth, bryant.
Mike Nugent sucked though.