Titans Eyeing Michael Bennett
March 10th, 2013
Joe predicted this Thursday. The Titans and their “pass rush specialist” coach Keith Millard, the Bucs’ defensive line coach in 2011, are eyeing soon-to-be free agent Michael Bennett, per NFL.com.
Bennett will be set free from the Bucs at 4 p.m. Tuesday, unless rockstar general manager Mark Dominik calls Team Glazer to fire off the fat check it will take to retain Bennett.
Joe keeps thinking back to the recent take of former Bucs defensive end Steve White. If the Bucs are going to continue to blitz repeatedly and have their D-linemen run a bunch of pass rush games, then it doesn’t make sense to invest big money on the defensive line and resources are better spent on blitzers and cover corners.
March 10th, 2013 at 4:23 pm
That’s where Jarvis Jones would come in handy
March 10th, 2013 at 4:37 pm
All I gotta say is you better have equal to better replacement for him.
March 10th, 2013 at 4:44 pm
and we should take a look at Jared Cook
March 10th, 2013 at 4:51 pm
@Joe
(I posted this on another article)
If we let Bennett walk don’t forget about the possible compensatory picks. If he was actually worth keeping around and plays well for another team we could very likely end up with a third round compensatory pick next year. If we pick up a stud DE/DT with the first pick in the draft, a strong possibility with Dom’s love of D-lineman, then we wouldn’t be much worse off than if we had kept Bennett. (Plus the rookie will come MUCH cheaper).
I think Dom knows what he is doing here.
March 10th, 2013 at 5:02 pm
He’s as good as gone….Titans will back up the Brinks truck to Bennett’s door.
March 10th, 2013 at 5:10 pm
I think the Bucs have a good grasp on what Bennetts actual worth should be compared to his talent level. As much as they would like to keep him, there is a limit on how much they are willing to spend. Te’o-Nesheim is already further along in his development than Bennett was in his starting career.
March 10th, 2013 at 5:21 pm
Wheres the Quincy Black loving, Eric Wright paying GM we all came to loathe? The first time in years we get a high priority FA developed on this team and Dom doesn’t want to pay the man. I’m just waiting to be outraged.
March 10th, 2013 at 5:30 pm
OLD MAN Abraham had more sacs than Bennett last year in 1/3rd the less amount of snaps. If not for the new CBA, Bennett would already be signed back with the Bucs. If Michael leaves Tampa, I’m afraid he will never live up to his contract. Not because of the lack of trying but that he lacks the actual physical talent to be one of the elite. He is a product of his environment.
March 10th, 2013 at 5:44 pm
Westcoastbuc,
That could be the case, but I hope not because I expect the Bucs to be quite active in FA this time.
Remember that compensatory picks are awarded to NFL teams that have lost more “qualifying” free agents than they have gained the previous year. Teams that gain and lose the same number of players, but lose higher-valued players versus players gained will be awarded a pick, but only in the 7th round after other comp picks are awarded.
The placement of the pick is determined by a proprietary formula based on the player’s salary, playing time, post season honors with his new team, with salary being the primary factor. Example: A team that lost a safety who signed for 1.5mil per year might get a 6 round pick, while a team that lost a wide receiver who signed for 5mil might get a 4th round pick.
And keep in mind that all comp picks are awarded the following year, in this case 2014, not the current year the player is lost.
Hope this helps!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Football_League_Draft#Compensatory_picks
March 10th, 2013 at 5:45 pm
Nice picture of “Oh no” Romo. I don’t usually cheer against teams, but I despise the Cowgirls.
I’m sure the Rock Star has a budgetary number in mind for Bennett. If the markets exceeds that amount, he leaves. So be it. Over paying for talent is not good management. As many other posters have noted, there are other good options out there that would be a good value.
March 10th, 2013 at 6:13 pm
Wow, very informative Macabee. There is a lot more compensatory picks than I thought! In that case, we do need to sign him with all the other impending free agents we are about to pick up. This kind of sucks now, I kind of thought there was a silver lining but I was wrong.
I do also agree with the sentiment that in the blitz crazy Sheridan defense DE’s are devalued. I would still like to see us resign him and steal his brother from the g-men!
March 10th, 2013 at 7:25 pm
DT Cullen Jenkins just sign with Giants for 2.6mil a year…..so, Roy Miller will get that or less. Bucs BETTER pay that
March 10th, 2013 at 7:29 pm
let me be the first to say bye bye Bennett. it was nice knowin ya.
March 10th, 2013 at 8:00 pm
Bennett is not the kind of DE that is worth $9-$11 million per year. VJax makes $11 million per year…do you honestly believe that Bennett is the DE equivalent of a Vincent Jackson? Seriously? If the Titans are willing to pay that much then Dominik is right in letting him walk.
The Bucs have high draft picks invested in Clayborn and Bowers so there’s no solid argument for overpaying a guy at the same position. Now if they were devoid of talent, as they are at the CB spot, then yes it’s necessary and even wise to somewhat overpay to get top talent. That isn’t the case with the Bucs, though.
Clayborn and Bowers are up-and-comers who have all the talent in the world to become even better than Bennett in a year or two, or perhaps even during the 2013 season at some point. The Bucs can sign some talented depth like Abraham or someone else and be completely stocked at the DE position. Bennett at top ten DE money is NOT necessary and I respect Dominik for allowing him to walk if indeed that is how much he’s being offered by other teams.
March 10th, 2013 at 8:02 pm
4everBucsFan , I am getting a strong sense in this free agency market that ”the grass is greener.” Teams are willing to let players walk & other teams are salivating over getting them. It is not beyond the realm of possibility that Atlanta winds up with Bennett, & the Bucs with Abraham.
March 10th, 2013 at 8:17 pm
What FLBoyInDallas said.
Oh, and if the brothers are trying to squeeze a team into signing both of them I’ll pass. The TE Bennett isn’t worth anywhere close to what I’m sure he thinks he’s worth either, and I would trust Jerry Reese to know that as well.
March 10th, 2013 at 8:21 pm
I am OK with letting MB walk in free agency to join another ball club, only if we are going to use that money to better our team in other areas. I would like the bucs to sign two good FA corners with some of that money and also sign a offensive tackle or another DE (abraham). Bowers and Clayborn are good enough at DE.
March 10th, 2013 at 8:40 pm
We finally found an effective D-end and now we’re just letting him go like it was nothing……….
Typical Bucs! Bowers hasn’t proven himself/brought a gun to an airport and Clayborn is injured! Add in the fact that we have no other depth aside from Te’m (however you spell his name).
March 10th, 2013 at 8:50 pm
@Patrick
No other depth at the moment, yes, but that won’t be the case by the end of free agency and the draft. Count on it.
March 10th, 2013 at 8:51 pm
Bennett said he’d let the Bucs match the highest offer. Still risky though. The MUST have a plan A, B & C…..or they’re imbeciles
March 10th, 2013 at 9:15 pm
I agree with FLBoyInDallas,
I don’t mind letting Bowers and Clayborn start on the edge. But if Bennett does leave a new pass rusher is needed. Where I see us missing Bennett most is against the run.
March 10th, 2013 at 9:25 pm
Unload Eric Wright and Quincy Black and then BOOM, you have money for Bennett!
March 10th, 2013 at 10:20 pm
@ Patrick
There problem is not getting money to sign Bennett, the problem is determining whether or not he is worth the HUGE contract that he is assuredly going to be offered in free agency. IMO he is not.
March 10th, 2013 at 10:30 pm
either way you look at it, its a gamble. If the bucs let him walk their gambling that he wont live up to the huge contract that he is going to get, and if they sign him their gambling he is going to be great. its not an easy decision. it will be interesting to see if the right decision was made in the next year or two. one things for sure though, bucs fans will most likely hold it against Dom if its turns out it was the wrong decision.
March 10th, 2013 at 11:09 pm
I believe in Spin and the wheels are turning fast. I woul not be surprised if Bennett has a package deal on the table from Dom that allows Martellus to make more and Michael not so outrageous so they can both be Bucs. Since everyone says Bennett is gone I wouldn’t be surprised if the opposite is true.
March 10th, 2013 at 11:13 pm
Are we not looking for a TE as well? 2 Bennetts and less to worry about when it comes to focusing on the secondary!
March 11th, 2013 at 2:04 am
@Patrick : Do you read what you wright before you post? Please, try not to imbarase yourself. Dom knows what he’s doing and if he screws up, it’s his ass that will be hung out to dry. Can’t wait till Tuesday morning.
March 11th, 2013 at 2:06 am
Write My screw up! Should take my own medicine.
March 11th, 2013 at 8:04 am
Vic – “imbarase” – surely you can’t be serious.