“We’re Going To Do It Responsibly”
February 23rd, 2012
The free agency bell rings in less than three weeks and Bucs fans everywhere are salivating.
However you believe in building the Bucs, the thought of adding pieces is exciting, especially when management isn’t doing much to downplay the buzz that it’s gearing up to shop like a Black Friday freak camping out at Best Buy. Heck, the Bucs’ official website even says there’s a “clear mandate” to spend.
But Greg Schiano might have sprayed a little cold water on the fantasies of many fans last night on NBC Sports Network.
Asked by reporter Gregg Rosenthal about the Bucs’ expected spending in free agency, Schiano said, “We’re going to do it responsibly.” And Schiano repeated the familiar refrain that he hopes to fulfill his dream of drafting great players, re-signing them, and having them be career Buccaneers like Ronde Barber.
Now Joe gets that Schiano is a clear-thinking, level-headed, measured speaker, and Joe knows that there’s nothing wrong with being responsible. So Joe surely can’t read too much into what “responsibly” really means.
Joe just hopes it means at least filling the Bucs’ glaring holes at linebacker. The Bucs drafted Quincy Black and Geno Hayes, who proved to be subpar players after three years of starting. Joe thinks it would be responsible to replace them with superior talent.
February 23rd, 2012 at 9:44 pm
Already toting the company line. That didn’t take long. Here we go.
February 23rd, 2012 at 9:56 pm
couple games of film review by Brian Cox, and he will recommend replacing all linebackers…
February 23rd, 2012 at 9:56 pm
Do people really want the Bucs to spend irresponsibly? Didn’t we already do that with Black and Trueblood?
Spending responsibly in no way means cheap.
February 23rd, 2012 at 10:09 pm
Uh oh! Dom got to him already
Guess we get another season of Hayes and Black watching RBs go by!
While Talib, jones, and Jackson do their” to cool to get their hands dirty”routine
I hope not, but tone starting to sound like last year already
Of course, with great draft picks like Quincy, why not throw the bank at’em? Trueblood too!
Right, Dom?
February 23rd, 2012 at 10:20 pm
Imo they should spend responsibly. Doesn’t mean they shouldn’t spend…….just spend the right way.
February 23rd, 2012 at 10:44 pm
This sounds like the morris system all over again we need some solid vets to get into these rooms and help get these guys on track i am liking this coaching staff but if we aren’t going to spend money then being a bucs fan is gonna be all too familiar
February 23rd, 2012 at 10:54 pm
How can anyone with an IQ over 90 look at the Bucs roster since 2002 and NOT immediately think their owners are just cheap as hell….
….that is unless your a shill…and the Glazer shills are everywhere.
Here we go
*sigh*
February 23rd, 2012 at 11:02 pm
Don’t you guys know the plan.
They have to be careful in order to be able to re-sign all the hall of famers Dominik has already drafted.
The list is endless!
February 23rd, 2012 at 11:04 pm
Well, looks like some of us so far know the meaning of the word responsibly. Sure glad the rest are NOT running the team.
February 23rd, 2012 at 11:05 pm
I’m ok with this statement. “Responsibly” > Eagles/Redskins approach to free agency. Lots of successful franchises (GB, Pats, G-Men, Ravens, Pittsburgh) spend “responsibly” in free agency.
February 23rd, 2012 at 11:10 pm
A few Pac-Man power pellets and getting coached up should turn Quincy and Trueblood into pure freaks of nature.
February 23rd, 2012 at 11:10 pm
Don’t think for one second the Glazers are not going to give the new coaching staff a chance to or a mandate to coach up the guys they’ve already spent money on. If the old staff was that bad, then this staff should be able to get more out of Quincy Black…just sayin. They will, however, sprinkle the roster with vets here and there. As they should.
February 23rd, 2012 at 11:10 pm
Im beginning to think this Schiano thing was just a distracting novelty so they could proceed with the same ole same ole.
How long is it gonna take rockstar to build the lasting contender? His fourth year at bat right?
Half as long as Dungy was here already.
Not quite the same results.
February 23rd, 2012 at 11:14 pm
Responsible = lowest in the league yet again.
With a corresponding purely coincidental 50 mil in profit for the Glazer boys.
February 23rd, 2012 at 11:19 pm
I’ve liked just about everything we’ve done since firing all of our coaches(I’m not completely sold on our choice for DC but…). We’ve taken time to select who they think are the right coaches for right now with a mix of nfl experience at the highest level with SB rings, etc. I’m optimistic we’ll make some very good decisions in the coming weeks. 😉 Go Bucs!
February 23rd, 2012 at 11:22 pm
LMAO.
Hey Glazers/Dom/Coach…show me.
The fact that we showed no interest in the imminently affordable and startable Stanford Routt makes me all the more skeptical that we’re even going to consider top tier free agents. If we didn’t want to take a look at a guy who’s ultimately making a paltry 2 million a year guaranteed then I’m not holding my breath waiting for a big splash. It FEELS like we’re going to try to find more diamonds in the rough.
I know exactly what “responsibly” means: “Bring in young talent that fits OUR scheme at OUR price.” Unfortunately, that doesn’t work in free agency especially with us. The perception throughout the league is that we’re a cheap organization so we’re going to have to overpay players to come here.
Does the Brain Trust realize that? I guess we’ll see.
February 23rd, 2012 at 11:25 pm
“The perception throughout the league is that we’re a cheap organization so we’re going to have to overpay players to come here.”
What are your sources for this info? I haven’t read anything from any other team about this at all.
February 23rd, 2012 at 11:27 pm
First things first, get Connor Barth tied down to a nice contract.
Capt. Tim, you know as well as I do that they’re not going to role into next year with the same LB group. This is a new coaching staff with absolutely no emotional connection to any of these players, that was I think the whole reason for firing the entire prevous staff and bringing in all new blood.
I fully expect at least one, maybe two new starters at LB, at least one of which will be a FA. I also expect at least two new starters in the secondary. I know people won’t like this, but Biggers won’t be getting cut either. If nothing else, he’s a more than capable 3rd Corner. I think in a solid scheme, he could be pretty damn good.
February 23rd, 2012 at 11:32 pm
That worst defense in the history of the franchise last season was an illusion.
We got GREAT players.
February 23rd, 2012 at 11:39 pm
A new coach is going to say all the right things at first. I don’t think anybody thought he would say they are going to spend irresponsibly! He’s not going to have any control over how much is spent. At best, he will have some say as to who it will be spent on and that’s progress.
I don’t have any expectation that the Bucs will approach FA as the Eagles did last year or as they say go all Snyder in FA. I’m mildly impressed with the new coaching staff and believe they will follow through on their commitment to go to FA this year. But I never ever thought that meant spending 60mil in FA. I expect to be mildly impressed with the talent we get in FA, but not overwhelmed.
Remember, it’s the coaching staff that changed, the Front Office remains the same!
February 23rd, 2012 at 11:45 pm
Spending “responsibly”?
Responsible $=
MLB: Stephen Tulloch
CB: Cortland Finnegan
CB: Brandon Carr
CB: Ronde Barber
C: Jeremy Zuttah
WR: Vincent Jackson
February 23rd, 2012 at 11:55 pm
@ Stevek. Looks good. But then again you know most will cry as usual wrong players or they would not cost enough to sho spending BIG money. Same ones are going to cry no matter what the team does.
February 23rd, 2012 at 11:56 pm
show.
February 23rd, 2012 at 11:59 pm
In absolute seriousness these mother truckers better drop some dime on some top tier free agents.
Cut the London Silly Nanny Bull $h!t and put some pride and money into this franchise. It should be a crime to be operating like this.
The Glazers effort in spending is in question of being compared to Albert Hayneswurf’s effort on the field.
Please just sell the team if you are going to continue to implement a cheap azz po dunk franchise.
Thank you for our Super Bowl, no $h!t or get off the pot.
February 24th, 2012 at 12:04 am
@ Buc Fan 20,
Time to do your duty as an owner, fund 85-90% of the cap, and sit back and watch it happen.
February 24th, 2012 at 12:08 am
@usepro – multiple sources are reporting that the Bucs will have to overpay to attract talented FA’s. Why? because we are coming off a 4 win season, complete coaching (and roster soon) overhaul, Ownership that has the lowest payroll in the league over the past 6 yrs and a less than convinced fanbase.
Or, as i like to call it…. common sense. Buc’s better overpay for a couple of talented FA’s (LB, WR, CB) to prove ownership/organization wants to compete.
February 24th, 2012 at 12:13 am
As I said, the same ones CRY no matter what.
February 24th, 2012 at 12:13 am
Fans everywhere have their right to belly ache about this situation. We question the Glazer’s “interest” in this franchise.
If they would win games, then we would have nothing to bitch about. However, a 10 win ACCIDENT sandwiched around 25 losses, including 10 straight sounds like a sh!t sandwich to me, huh CaptTim2.2.
February 24th, 2012 at 12:15 am
Agree Stevek, but biggers is goof enough for 4 th
February 24th, 2012 at 12:16 am
Goof is what I meant, lol
February 24th, 2012 at 12:19 am
BucFan20,
You must not be able to taste, bc the Glazers have served the fans a sh!t sandwich over the last 3 years in their Rah campaign.
Heck yeah I am pissed, you only live once and we are stuck with cheap skate owners that could care less about having a TALENTED franchise.
I would not “cry” about it if the Glazers at least did their part and maximized the amount of “interest” ($$$) as mandated by NFL rule.
February 24th, 2012 at 12:25 am
Give a crap, spend some cap!
February 24th, 2012 at 12:28 am
Worst NFL team in FL. Way to go Glazers.
You’re also the 3rd best football team in Tampa, behind the Tampa Bay Storm and the Tampa Branch of the lingerie football league.
February 24th, 2012 at 1:05 am
Man, I hope not! No way am I gonna watch that same back 7 again
February 24th, 2012 at 1:18 am
@K1ngAdroc What sources? Who?
February 24th, 2012 at 1:47 am
@ ProsUseAdvoCare
http://msn.foxsports.com/topics/m/video/24269863/marvez-buc-nasty.htm
February 24th, 2012 at 1:47 am
@ProsUse
http://www.thepigskinreport.com/2011/12/tampa-bay-buccaneers-ownership-can-make-a-statement-with-next-coaching-hire/
February 24th, 2012 at 1:49 am
@ProsUse
I can’t post all the links but if you google “Tampa Bay Buccaneers + payroll + cheap + frugal” you’re going to get alot of hits.
February 24th, 2012 at 2:00 am
Plenty out there, but Florio says it all:
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/02/16/pft-live-to-do-list-for-the-buccaneers/
February 24th, 2012 at 2:04 am
thx Sensible… But I’m a Buc through and through. This coaching staff, players and ownership get a clean slate to move forward but i think we all agree that they MUST bring in some key FA for leadership and competition.
We will all know know within a few weeks if the Glazers are really trying to win a championship or really trying to placate us and milk money from the league….
I hope we get our players coached up and play some good football here ASAP… GO BUCS!
February 24th, 2012 at 5:37 am
What does everyone expect him to say? “We are going to buy every free agent we can possibly get, no matter what the cost”. This statement is not him saying the company line, but more so just a typical response that every coach in the league would also say. Don’t look too far into nothing.
None of us know what we are going to do in free agency. I would guess we are going to get several mid-level free agents, and one top-level (Vincent Jackson maybe). I don’t think they can get nobody, since they’ve already come out and said they will be active. If they weren’t going to be active, they would have either said nothing or have a repeat of last year. Then again, you just never know until free agency starts (not soon enough I might add).
February 24th, 2012 at 10:47 am
Boy, Joe, you sure know how to excite the idiot masses, lol.
Okay, listen up, dweebs…what he means they are not going to be kids in a candy store like the Redskins, Eagles and Jets tend to be lately.
They are going to spend wisely, not recklessly. You know…like smart people do. Not go hog-wild like idiots do.
And by dweebs, I mean those of you who use things like this to promote your own agenda toward the Glazers and Dominick.
February 24th, 2012 at 11:41 am
@Pete….exactly! My gosh, the kiddies just love it when they get an opportunity to bitch over anything Bucs related. “Be responsible??!? Oh my God!! Here we go again!!!” I just think it’s hilarious to read being cheap into that statement. LOL!
February 24th, 2012 at 12:45 pm
People realize that teams don’t win anymore by signing free agents. Its about building through the draft. Ask Pittsburg, Baltimore, Patriots, Green Bay, and many more. The teams that are good year in and year out are never really major players in free agency. We should be only filling holes not trying to add “superstars” we have a lot of holes, but they do not need to be all filled all at once. You can’t name on team in the NFL that doesn’t have holes that they need to fill. It’s the nature of the sport. Everyone is expecting us to not have any weaknesses by the end of training camp. Thats absolutely insane. Every team in the NFL has a weakness that could get exploited every single week. Its about how you gameplan and scheme around the weaknesses you have.
February 24th, 2012 at 12:52 pm
Vincent Jackson will look good in a Tampa Uniform, and so will some upgraded O Linemen.
No one seems to talk much about our terrible O Line play last year.
freeman was running for his life much of the time, and few holes were made so we could run the ball.
February 24th, 2012 at 1:34 pm
GotBucs- why would I know that? I said exactly the same things about our LBers and secondary last spring, as I’m saying this spring. They did absolutely nothing. Absolutely nothing.
Why would you think they are gonna do something?? They haven’t for 6 years- why do you think this is the magic moment??
February 24th, 2012 at 2:44 pm
JR Rickert @JRRickert
San Diego Chargers and Houston Texans elected not to carry over 2011 salary cap room to 2012.
Thought this was interesting.
February 24th, 2012 at 4:48 pm
I hope you all do realize the packers won the super bowl with the third youngest team in the league. Old vets dont win super bowls. We keep saying this team needs a leader, well thats the coaches responsibility to add leadership.
February 24th, 2012 at 10:03 pm
neither black or hayes was a high pick so alot was not lost. I can see black kinda filling the bust profile given he was a 3rd rounder but hayes being like a 6th round pick hes been pretty good
February 24th, 2012 at 10:23 pm
Pretty good at what? Not Playing football! Coaches don’t bench players that are”pretty good” during a 10 game losing streak. They bench players that , um, Suck, and are partially to Blame for a ten game losing streak. Raheem didnt have enough players to bench all the ones that sucked last year( thanks Dom)
Hayes isn’t an NFL caliber player- but we only wasted a 6th round pick on him. Hayes sucks worse, and was a third- definitely a bust. And resigning him to a big contract- when we knew he sucked- is how you get to be a 4-22 team( thanks Dom)