Mark Dominik Has Earned A Contract Extention
April 26th, 2013
Now Joe’s longtime readers know Joe has been a Mark Dominik-kinda guy. Dominik, like many long-standing elite NFL teams, often finds success building through the draft. Dominik wants to do this and Joe is absolutely on board with this concept, despite how it drives fans absolutely bananas.
We live in a fast food, Twitter, fantasy sports world and this is not the atmosphere in which teams like the Steelers and Packers reside. Given Joe’s traffic patterns over the years, Joe’s pretty convinced a number of fans would rather win the free agent war than win football games.
Has Dominik been Jack Vainisi or Art Rooney, Jr.? Of course not, but he’s getting better.
In the wake of Dominik (who rarely gets fleeced in a trade — how many NFL general managers can trade a walking corpse for a second round pick?) landing star cornerback Darrelle Revis for a first round pick and a cold beer, one member of the Bucs’ pen and mic club is taking a stand, all but demanding Team Glazer re-up Dominik’s contract.
PewterReport.com chieftain Scott Reynolds believes it would be a disaster to let Dominik go after his contract expires.
With a 24-40 record in four seasons, and plenty of blunders along the way, including overpaying for the likes of wide receiver Michael Clayton, running back Derrick Ward and cornerback Eric Wright, some Bucs fans want Dominik fired. Maybe those fans are still bitter over Dominik cutting some Tampa Bay legends like linebacker Derrick Brooks, running back Warrick Dunn and wide receiver Joey Galloway. Or maybe those fans are sick and tired of the Bucs losing, noting that the team hasn’t been to the playoffs since 2007 and hasn’t won a playoff game since winning Super Bowl XXXVII to culminate the 2002 season.
The reality is that Dominik shouldn’t be fired. He shouldn’t even have to even ride out his existing contract. Dominik deserved to have his contract extended right now. I’m advocating that the Glazers lock him up for the next four years through 2017, which is the same year Schiano’s contract is up.
What Dominik has done in transforming the Buccaneers from pretenders to contenders over the past two years is staggering when you think about it. It takes two things to win in the NFL – talent and coaching. The primary job of every general manager in the NFL is to acquire talent. While he had some personnel stumbles with Clayton, Ward and Wright, every general manager in the league has their share of gaffes. But Dominik’s hits have far outweighed his misses.
To reinforce Reynolds’ premise about needing players and coaching, just look back at Schiano’s first year with the Bucs. Quincy Black, whose career is over due to nerve damage in his shoulder, had his best year in the NFL, easily, as did Mason Foster. Gerald McCoy had his best year. It could be strongly argued Roy Miller had his best year.
Same goes for Mike Williams. And Jeremy Zuttah, among others. The Bucs were no less a laughing stock in 2011 and all of a sudden the Bucs got coached up and look what happened. The Bucs all of a sudden had the best rush defense in the NFL, Williams is one of the better receivers in the game and the Bucs offensive line played above the rim when you factor the M*A*S*H unit it became.
Dominik got off to a slow start in his first year. He was basically thrown into the job. But he has learned and grown.
If last year meant anything, it appears the Dominik-Schiano pairing is working. Barring a calamity this season, that should not be broken up.
April 26th, 2013 at 2:06 pm
I agree.
Pay that man his money.
April 26th, 2013 at 2:13 pm
Please stop, Dominick hasn’t had a decent anything until Schiano got here. No playoff appearance, terrible record, 4……FOUR starters in 4 drafts, of those, please tell me which has AVERAGED even a decent career. Clayborn has sat out a season and had 7 sacks, McCoy the same, Freeman is the next Vinny Testaverde, with Mike Williams being the only consistent Dominick pick. Let’s not forget McCoy was a top 3, its hard to miss at that spot. The guy is great at doing what exactly? I could play GM if you let me outbid everyone with the biggest contract or highest draft picks to exchange. We quickly forget Ward, Clayton, how Brooks was handled, Wright but what about the worst of all BLACK? Everyone in the Bucs locker room was wondering how the hell that contract was earned and now they are on the hook. PLEASE STOP covering for this guy, he’s a puppet.
April 26th, 2013 at 2:13 pm
Shaun King disagrees with all of this, just so you know.
April 26th, 2013 at 2:15 pm
Bobby you’re an idiot. Everything you said was forgotten was discussed in the article. Read the entire article next time before commenting.
April 26th, 2013 at 2:19 pm
Bobby:
Joe is OK that you want Dominik gone. But doesn’t it tell you something that the players he picked all of a sudden many of them had their best seasons when they were finally coached up?
Also,
One could make an argument Black came close to earning his pay last year, and since he is out of football, the Bucs paid him an injury settlement. So, no, the Bucs are not on the hook for him.
April 26th, 2013 at 2:23 pm
The greatness of Malloy believes that Rock-star
and Schiano work extremely well together as
a team and will only get better.
Go Bucs!
April 26th, 2013 at 2:28 pm
I don’t understand why people don’t look at the Morris era for what it was, it was a salary cap scrubbing, Gruden/Allen left us in such bad cap shape that cuts had to be made, the purging of dead weight and overblown contracts had to be done. You can see this scenario playing out in NY right now, the same exact thing we went thru from 09-11 is exactly what the Jets are going thru now. These teams also have to overpay for talent or perceived talent, so you will see some contracts that look out of whack, but they are done for a reason or sometimes multiple reasons. Dom did an incredible job steering the Bucs through those lean years, now with money to spend and talent that actually wants to play here, we have a team that should content for the foreseeable future. That’s why Dom deserves an extension.
April 26th, 2013 at 2:29 pm
Absolutely not. He’s put us in win now mode, and he needs to deliver results. I like the Revis move. His drafts and contracts have been improving. Still, it is time for results not extensions.
April 26th, 2013 at 2:31 pm
Keep it up Dominik! This Buc is a huge fan of our GM and looks forward to seeing this years draft additions!
April 26th, 2013 at 2:35 pm
Been saying for weeks that no matter what the stupid Dominik bashers have to say about it, that Dominik is going to get a contract extension sometime prior to the start of the 2014 season. You can take that to the bank.
April 26th, 2013 at 2:36 pm
Freeman is 24-32. Just sayin’
April 26th, 2013 at 2:36 pm
Dude!!!!!! You really referred to Gaines Adams as a walking corpse… whoaaaa… lol.
April 26th, 2013 at 2:38 pm
“how many NFL general managers can trade a walking corpse for a second round pick?”
WHAT THE HELL! Is that a Gaines Adams reference??? Shame on you Joe…
April 26th, 2013 at 2:40 pm
Dominik has done a good job. Not great, but good. The key is, he’s getting ng better every year. You can’t expect any first time GM to come in and be great. That’s completely unrealistic, but that’s the way so many fans are nowadays. We have 10 guys on our current roster that could very easily be in the Pro Bowl next year. Aside from SF, I can’t think of too many teams with more. The talent is clearly there, for the first time in about a decade.
April 26th, 2013 at 2:48 pm
Agree 100%, I have said on a previous thread that Dom has gotten better and better. He has truly found his way. It would be ashame to see him go in his prime!!
April 26th, 2013 at 2:50 pm
Joe, Black was still the “worst” starting LB on the team behind David and Foster. Dominik is in the same boat as Freeman — produce this year or get out of town. He chose to build around guys like Clayton and Black, and unceremoniously dumped some of the best Buccaneer Men of my lifetime in favor of the forgetable youngry movement. It didn’t work, so he is now building through FA with veteran leaders. I’m encoaraged by his willingness to learn from his mistakes though. Dominik is still a better GM than Bruce Allen.
April 26th, 2013 at 2:52 pm
“You are only as good as your last at bat.”- Ted Williams
Dominick has done a lot in the past 2 seasons for the benefit of this franchise, and he deserves to be signed to an extension.
Even more telling is that Freeman has not received a contract extension, and he should not, as he has not put anything together worth noting in his career, including a “franchise best” season. Our “franchise best” season for a Buc QB isn’t saying much, in fact it is mediocre as it did not lead to playoffs.
Freeman needs to “love” football, and figure out what he needs to do this year, no moe screwing around.
April 26th, 2013 at 2:54 pm
What is this guy smoking?
“What Dominik has done in transforming the Buccaneers from pretenders to contenders over the past two years is staggering”.
You mean transforming them from a team that went 10-6 in 2010 to a team that went 4-12 in 2011 and 7-9 in 2012? That transformation over the past two years?
If it’s “staggering”, it’s only because it’s about to keel over and vomit.
April 26th, 2013 at 2:56 pm
Oh, and I like Dominik, I think we should keep him around and give him another couple shots. But that level of praise was absurd.
April 26th, 2013 at 3:00 pm
Mark deserves it! Please get it done Glazers….
April 26th, 2013 at 3:01 pm
I will say that the raiders have taken much longer to turn the corner after Chucky ruined them with bad drafts and signing old players. The bucs should turn the corner this year. Dom is a main reason. As the article points out, HE has made some mistakes but he has also made some smooth moves. I was unsure even critical of him trading the bucs first rounder in this years draft for Revis but after watching the first round, I have to say it was the right thing. Nobody in this draft class is standing out and if Revis plays, he will have won this trade easily. Still don’t love Dom sort of overpaying for players but you got to hand it to him. when he wants a player, he goes and gets that player. Thank God Haynesworth said no though. lol.
April 26th, 2013 at 3:06 pm
Dominik is the man. I see a 2013 GM of the year award in his immediate future.
April 26th, 2013 at 3:08 pm
But coaches have nothing to do with the win/loss record Joe. The GM is responsible for the wins and losses. We only suck because he hasn’t done his job! He picked up the best corner and safety in the league you say? But, but, but, we lost last year. He is terrible. (Sarcasm)
Now bring on the guys that point out the mistakes from his first year or two and ignore the fact he has gotten better. (Or somehow say that his recent success is because a rookie college coach came in.)
April 26th, 2013 at 3:08 pm
His record sucks, but it appears the Dominik-Schiano pairing is working.
Last years draft was awesome, but we must wait and see what we really have in Bowers and Claiborne.
I say, wait and see what we do this year, and how this draft class, and some players he has drafted do, before we do anything.
Anyone can spend the Glazers money, especially with tons of it to spend.
The Revis trade is not enough IMHO to extend the contract of a GM with a losing record either.
The Jets were desperate to unload Revis this year, or watch him walk next year, and they get nothing.
I do give Dom credit for a great contract he got Revis to sign though!
Let’s see what Dominik pulls off tonight in the draft ?
I am more interested in that, to be totally honest.
April 26th, 2013 at 3:16 pm
@stevek
Our “franchise best” season for a Buc QB isn’t saying much, in fact it is mediocre as it did not lead to playoffs.
__________________________________
By that token, then Drew Brees is the reason that the Saints didn’t make it to the playoffs…
and Eli,
and Romo,
and Cutler,
and Big Ben,
and Rivers,
and Stafford.
Football is the ultimate team sport. One great player does not a team make.
It doesn’t matter if your QB can put up 40pts/game if your defense gives up 41.
April 26th, 2013 at 3:17 pm
What is staggering is the level of veteran talent he’s brought in in the last two years. Nicks, Jackson, Goldson and Revis. That’s level of quality is as good or better than any other team in the NFL has brought in. What made it possible? Savvy cap management for one. The mess he inherited took years to work through. Now this franchise has a bright future.
And last years draft alone, while maybe not quite staggering, was damned impressive. Three high quality starters. Likely future pro bowlers. Goodness, that was sweet. And the way he moved through the draft making trades up and back to make it possible was pro-bowl quality itself. I agree. Extend him to match Schiano.
April 26th, 2013 at 3:33 pm
Scott Reynolds is an idiot either way. Let’s see this team in action before we crown Dominik. If Revis isn’t healthy or the same guy he was in NY… Dominik is as good as gone. I think we owe it to everybody to see how it plays out.
I like Dominik, I believe in Dominik, but Reynolds is just a dude with a blog that some people are stupid enough to pay for.
In cases like football, where the fan bases are even more passionate and knowledgeable than the people paid to write about their teams, writers need to know when to hold them, know when to fold them. This goes for Scott Reynolds and the NFL draft. He needs to shut the hell up if he doesn’t have a clue what he’s talking about.
He’s pushing Margus Hunt, a 26 year old, unproductive, completely unskilled and entirely too tall, player for early 2nd round. He’s useless. Wasting a 2nd rounder on a kick blocker? This dude stood out for his ineptness at the Senior Bowl, worst performer of all the DL prospects there… and yet because Hunt blew up the Combine, suddenly Jane became Tarzan? The guy didn’t even dominate C-USA. Reynolds has lost any and all credibility with his fascination with Hunt.
Quick question… what happend to the last 2 overaged (26 and older) prospects that were taken in round 1? Brandon Weeden and Danny Watkins? Here’s the answer: They were terrible… and less than two seasons after they were overdrafted, both their coaches and GMs were fired.
Anybody that drafts Hunt before the end of round 3 should be given the Andy Reid/Mike Holmgren treatment…fired on the spot.
It’s a waste of a pick and a near crime to fill the casual fans’ minds with such garbage.
April 26th, 2013 at 3:36 pm
Brandon is on FIRE today! 🙂
April 26th, 2013 at 3:36 pm
how do we know that dominick didn’t get stuck with morris? he probably had no choice who the coach was at the time…the raheem years are probably wiped out record-wise. talent-wise we are stacked.
also, he has glazer money to spend because he got us out of cap hell. his contracts are written well to not push us to the cap ceiling year after year. hell, he had the get out of jail free card put into wright’s contract….smart.
what did mr. brooks do after the bucs didn’t sign him? not a dayam thing. most of the bucs of the past did nothing if they even got signed. also his trades of kellen winslow, brian price, aquib talib, gaines adams were smart moves. he signed antonio bryant to a franchise then let him walk after others wanted him signed long term. ask the bengals how that worked out.
he has made mistakes but seems to have learned from them, seems to be improving, and has rectified some mistakes and made good trades.
April 26th, 2013 at 3:37 pm
lurker:
This is exactly what happened.
April 26th, 2013 at 3:41 pm
ps i think the pewter report site is garbage too…i am so glad jbf came around
April 26th, 2013 at 3:46 pm
Joe Says:
April 26th, 2013 at 3:36 pm
Brandon is on FIRE today!
+++++++++++++++
Sorry Joe. But being a lifelong Bucs fan in VA means that my Super Bowl is the NFL Draft…and being I watch no other sports, this is the Superest of Super Bowls… unlike the 2003 Super Bowl… which was far beyond anything before or after. I get a little passionate this time of year. I love the draft but I hate it when people toss out their opinions after not having done an ounce of research.
April 26th, 2013 at 3:46 pm
Thanks for the kind words Lurker, but Joe knows Scott and Mark et al put in a lot of hours
April 26th, 2013 at 3:47 pm
Brandon:
NEVER lose the passion, man!
April 26th, 2013 at 3:48 pm
@brandon
i don’t know that if revis doesn’t pan out that dominick is gone. i do not know how much influence the glazers had on the deal. he didn’t give up much and the contract is unbelievable and another safety valve if he doesn’t pan out. $16- 32 million guaranteed, basically, but it will not be dead money after 2 years if it doesn’t work.
April 26th, 2013 at 3:50 pm
Transformed the Buccaneers into contenders?
I like the direction of this team as much as any one, but they won 7 games last year after a 4-12 season. They’ve added some great players here, but they need to prove it before anyone should be considering them contenders.
April 26th, 2013 at 3:53 pm
lets make it that simple: put results on the board (one playoff win) and then you can have a new contract.
April 26th, 2013 at 3:53 pm
Let’s all meet back here the evening of December 29th, and discuss who actually knows what.
Right now, talk is cheap.
April 26th, 2013 at 4:01 pm
this board is all about talk. also, what is a discussion, but more talk. lol
April 26th, 2013 at 4:06 pm
@lurker
Floyd, Star, and Richardson were all available @13.
So, giving up a talented long term anchor on the d-line for the risk of having a guy 2 years, yeah, that’s significant to me.
We won’t know for several years if that deal was a huge success or a bust.
April 26th, 2013 at 4:11 pm
@odb
i will take revis’s injury over star’s. also, any of those players can get injured, but at least revis has proven it on the field and was/is considered the best at his position. none of those 3 you mentioned have a higher percent chance of being a pro-bowler than revis. and revis will have a bigger impact if healthy than any of those others.
April 26th, 2013 at 4:35 pm
Again, we will see in about 4 years. A 1st round pick for 2-3 years of service is a waste, IMO. 1st rounders are meant to be the backbone of your team for long term future.
Star doesn’t have an injury. He has a medical condition. One cleared by medical professionals. And, at the second DT off the board, it sounds like the GMs felt good about it.
April 26th, 2013 at 4:35 pm
“walking corpse for a second round pick?”
poor choice of words Joe.
April 26th, 2013 at 4:53 pm
so you think revis will only be around for 2-3 years?
also, doctors checked out revis’ knee. it comes down to serious medical condition vs common injury. so you feel that a dt was a bigger, pressing need than cb? if so, ok. if not, do you think any of the cb’s in the draft are better than revis?
April 26th, 2013 at 5:00 pm
ODB,
C’mon brova scotia, Revis is a HOF CB in his PRIME.
I’d rather roll the dice, considering modern medicine, and make this trade for Revis.
Any of those DTs is not a sure thing, why not go after the “sure thing” HOF player with a torn ACL?
Jamaal Charles, Adrian Peterson, Wes Welker, Willis McGahee, and Jerry Rice all think your argument is bologna.
Where there is a will, there is a way, Revis has the skills and the prowess to be the BEST in the land, so let’s give the man the benefit of the doubt on coming back from his injury.
Revis had the work ethic, desire, and capabilities to be the best CB in football, I am sure he wants to get back there and will get back there.
No guaranteed money, One draft pick this year, and the 3rd rounder next yea, paid regardless of trade or FA acquisition,you gotta be kidding me.
Dominick made a damn fine trade, the trade that will bring Tampa Bay back to playoffs.
April 26th, 2013 at 5:06 pm
Unless any of you can see into the future, you are all full of crap. It may be the best trade of all time. It might be horrendous. If you think you know it’s a good trade right now, then you are talking out your arse.
It’s unknown. Is this really that hard to comprehend?
You guys should be buying lottery tickets since you can predict the future.
I am saying a first round pick is worth more that a couple of years. Whether its for Revis or for who could have been taken. History will tell whether the trade was a positive or a negative. Right now, no one knows.
April 26th, 2013 at 5:11 pm
odb,
First round picks get 5 year contracts.
Revis signed a 6 year contract.
5<6.
+ Revis is the best cornerback in the league.
April 26th, 2013 at 5:11 pm
Agreed…. So easy to see how he is quickly becoming one of the very best GM’s in the NFL.
April 26th, 2013 at 5:17 pm
@BFF
sigh. For one, I was responding to Stevek’s “16- 32 million guaranteed, basically, but it will not be dead money after 2 years if it doesn’t work.”
What I said, is if it doesn’t work out after 2 years, that’s a wasted 1st round pick.
I hope he plays great. I hope Freeman plays great. I hope Dominik makes the good moves he has made and not the boneheaded ones. But, as far as that trade goes, it’s way too early to put a grade on it. There’s a lot of working parts.
April 26th, 2013 at 5:22 pm
Extend his contract right now? Before we even see how this gamble of trading for an injured Revis pans out? NO FREAKING WAY! The Glazers haven’t made their millions of $$ by throwing $$ at someone that has the possibility of being great. Dom has a bit more proving to do before you extend him. We’re 24-40 since he took over. How in Holy Hell does that warrant an extension? Because we MIGHT get better and MIGHT get in the playoffs? Child……..PUHLEASE!!!!!!!!
April 26th, 2013 at 5:30 pm
most people are now saying that we are going to draft TE Zach Ertz with our second round pick. if thats the case I wouldn’t have a problem with it though Id much rather prefer a DT.
April 26th, 2013 at 5:33 pm
odb,
you treat as if your idea of a 13th rookie pick is the glass half full idea when others see it as half glass empty.
The most we would of gotten is a BACKUP position. So we should of used our 13th pick for a BACKUP Dline that would be part of the rotation. In which we would pray for a miracle JJ Watt or Mathews. And that’s when we say Mark deserves an extension.
You also can’t see in the future and your idea just invest in a backup Dline that would soon be a full timer later. When we got a full timer now, Revis. We still going to pray the same hoping Revis turns out to be a Revis. It’s the same risk in both directions.
April 26th, 2013 at 5:41 pm
Revis is 27, not 33. I have NO problem with giving up the 1st rounder for him. It’s a plus in Dom’s book as far as I’m concerned that they managed to steal Revis for so little.
April 26th, 2013 at 5:45 pm
@odb
i said the “$16-32 million”. again, that is a worst case scenario. no pick in the first round is guaranteed to succeed either. star or any of the others could be a “wasted first round pick”. heck, first round picks are given longer time to make the team so it could be a bigger hindrance than an injured revis. nothing you mentioned is a sure thing.
as yugojoe said: “you treat as if your idea of a 13th rookie pick is the glass half full idea when others see it as half glass empty.”
we will see in 3-4 years, or hopefully sooner. i am stating that using the first and third rounder is not as dire as you seem to make it seem. either use is a risk, but the revis use has a potentially bigger impact since we were starved for cb’s.
April 26th, 2013 at 6:10 pm
If the Bucs make the play-offs in 2013, OK; if not, adios.
April 26th, 2013 at 8:01 pm
Well of course Scott Reynolds will suck the golden teat of his meal ticket. Why not nominate Dominik for the Nobel Prize while we’re at it?
He should have been fired for extending Mochael Clayton ALONE!!!!
Lousy.
Judge.
Of.
Talent.
April 26th, 2013 at 9:14 pm
YGJ,
Backup? To who? Gary Gibson? Miller was a starter. Derek Landri? Or who else is replacing Roy Miller? Dominik thought so much of Miller that he let him walk for 2.25 mil a year. Landri, that signed at 1.6 mil a year is starting? Is Dominik so savvy that he actually improved a starting position by signing someone for even less money than Miller (Landri)?
Otherwise, I don’t see a starter at DT on the roster. Let’s assume that the Rockstar would nail the DT pick (of course, right?). So, you would have a stud DT to pair with McCoy for not just his rookie contract, but the lucrative second contract. And that first contract, you would have a starter at a very cap friendly rate.
I’m confused about the backup comment. I think Floyd could have started next to McCoy.
Again, it could be the best trade ever. But, if something goes wrong, whether it be injury, or the 16m becomes unmanageable, etc. I just can’t say, yes, this trade was a slam dunk right now.
Freaking love the Glennon pick.
April 26th, 2013 at 10:42 pm
odb,
look at it this way: if the bucs didn’t make the trade and drafted latulelei or floyd, then they would get banks in the second and another cb in the third, and glennon would not have been the pick. 😉
April 26th, 2013 at 11:44 pm
Ha, True.