“I Really Do Miss Playing For New Orleans”
February 26th, 2014
Jonathan Casillas
Would you re-sign a player who misses playing for his old team?
The Bucs are facing that question.
Bucs beat writer Rick Stroud Twittered yesterday that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers want linebacker and almost free agent Jonathan Casillas to sign a new deal for 2014.
Casillas wants to come back, so he told The Inside Score on VoiceofAmerica.com this week.
“I think I did pretty well and I enjoyed it. Trying [not] to do too many more transitions like that now. I would like to stay where I’m at right now, to tell you the truth,” Casillas said.
But Casillas also painted a picture that his heart is somewhere else in the NFC South.
“I really do miss playing for New Orleans. I really do. You know I had great relationships with the people, … good friends on that team, and the coaching staff and the city itself.”
Casillas went on to rave about all things New Orleans.
Look, Joe likes Casillas, who spent 2009-2012 with the Saints. Joe has liked Casillas since his arrival in Tampa last year. Casillas gave Joe tremendous off-the-record perspective of Mike Sullivan’s offense, through the eyes of a 2012 Saints defender. But comfortably saying you miss playing for your old team, a hated division rival of the Bucs, is a little over the line for Joe.
Casillas is not a star or a big name, but that doesn’t mean his words are meaningless. Imagine if Darrelle Revis or Dashon Goldson or Vincent Jackson issued similar commentary.
Perhaps the work environment was nearly unbearable under Greg Schiano, but he’s ancient history. Joe would have expected more Bucs enthusiasm from Casillas during the interview, especially considering he was Twittering to legions of Bucs fans to listen to him on the show.
February 26th, 2014 at 11:31 am
Kick him off. Nothing against the guy but his comments reflects his mindset… I would have tolerated this type of comment before the new coaching staff arrives but now it’s a bad sign…
February 26th, 2014 at 11:37 am
I bet Peyton misses playing for Indy. Doesn’t mean he’s not invested in his current job and doesn’t mean the Broncos should care. If the playing situation was as bad as they say under Schiano then I would imagine that he thinks fondly of playing with a winner and a non-hostile work environment in New Orleans. Don’t hold it against the guy at all. I’m sure he’ll enjoy this year more if he’s still here
February 26th, 2014 at 11:46 am
I’d rather see us bring Dekota Watson back. Seems to have more natural instinct as an edge rusher/blitz LB, great speed. Needs to work on coverage and shedding blocks, but I still think he’s serviceable and will be relatively inexpensive for a position that we’ll only see about 40% of the defensive snaps.
February 26th, 2014 at 11:47 am
He misses New Orleans because he misses all of the bounty payments! He was making more $$$ there.
February 26th, 2014 at 11:47 am
Doesn’t mean a damn thing. Just more off-season fodder. Winning is the best deodorant. Win some of those division games, he’ll be plenty happy here.
February 26th, 2014 at 11:48 am
What he misses are the wins that New Orleans had. When you go from a great team to a mediocre one, it kind of brings you down a little.
February 26th, 2014 at 11:49 am
The Bucs are not in a position to be geting rid of good players for things like this.
Besides…who can blame him. He left a team that contends for the Super Bowl every year and came to the dumpster fire that we had here in Tampa.
I doubt he will be saying the same thing after meetng and playing under Lovie .
February 26th, 2014 at 11:50 am
I have no problem at all with him saying that. Warren Sapp, a few days after going to the Raiders, said that he will always be a Buccaneer.
No problem at all.
February 26th, 2014 at 11:53 am
None of this is odd. When a players leaves a team that they have been with for a few years, well of course they’re gonna miss them. You build friendships and such when you’re with the same people all the time. Why this is troubling is crazy too me
February 26th, 2014 at 11:55 am
The guy is like anybody trying to get a job and keeping options open. Goldson went back to the 49ers and spent time on-site during his suspension last year and his team mates were still in the trenches. Bennett has spoke fondly of Tampa Bay and wanting to play with his brother in Chicago. All FA hype trying to get your old team to move quickly. No harm, no foul!
February 26th, 2014 at 12:01 pm
What do you expect him to say during is negotiations….”I love playing for the Bucs and I wouldn’t want to play anywhere else”?
That’s like going in to buy a car and telling the salesman “I have to have that car and nothing else willl do”
This means squat….he is a good player & if his knee is ok….sign him!!!
February 26th, 2014 at 12:15 pm
He could have been the leaker in the Bucs locker room last year.
February 26th, 2014 at 12:16 pm
LOL, he probably misses that great New Orleans food that you just can’t get here in Tampa!
Sign him if he is healthy!
February 26th, 2014 at 12:17 pm
What kind of garbage is Stroud reporting on? This is a business so who cares that he expresses a poignant thought on missing the first team he played with? He had to deal with being a member of a subpar and dysfunctional team last year. This RAH RAH GO TEAM GO mentality is mularkey.
This is not college anymore.
February 26th, 2014 at 12:26 pm
Saints dont want him either…
February 26th, 2014 at 12:27 pm
Thunder Sack,
Stroud didn’t report on what Casillas said. He twittered the Bucs are in preliminary talks of re-signing him.
February 26th, 2014 at 12:30 pm
I know some of you have touched upon this but if you notice Casillas has been caught in his grass is greener dream. When N.O. had there bad year in 2012 Casillas was a FA. He seen the Bucs as a team that had been retooling and were probably on the verge of a breakout. So he signed with the Bucs. But we stunk it up and N.O. had a winning season again one year after they had just stunk it up. Hence the reason Casillas wants back in N.O., and why he probably feels that he should have never left.
February 26th, 2014 at 12:34 pm
From the way it’s worded, it sounds like he was asked… and if he was asked then I have no problems with his answer.
February 26th, 2014 at 12:36 pm
We just won’t put up with it.
February 26th, 2014 at 12:52 pm
Winning is a lot more fun than losing.
He missis that more than anything, I’ll bet…
February 26th, 2014 at 1:02 pm
What a butthurt post this is.
Move along, nothing to see here.
February 26th, 2014 at 1:05 pm
At first it did kind of rub me the wrong way, but Bonzai is right, when Sapp went to the Raiders, he did say he’d always be a Buccaneer, and so many other players, even after leaving Tampa Bay, they always seem to come back to live, which is the ultimate compliment/testament to this great area. Casillas never said anything bad about his current situation with the Bucs or the area, and it’s true, give him a chance to be coached by a Dungy disciple in Lovie Smith and his views of playing here will likely strengthen. All good.
February 26th, 2014 at 1:06 pm
So someone who says they miss playing for their old team because of the friends he made while playing there is bad…. But a certain receiver who causes property damage to someone’s house, catches a charge and also causes 42k in damage to a house he rents is ok… Gotcha
February 26th, 2014 at 1:19 pm
Thanks for the clarity, Lightningbuc!
February 26th, 2014 at 1:20 pm
For the guy who mentioned Sapp, he was despised by Oakland fans, where they’re still in shock he is a Hall of Famer.
Also, remember that Casillas isn’t a free agent yet. Most guys in his shoes talk about how much they love their teammates and situation.
February 26th, 2014 at 1:24 pm
Both Casillas and Watson are part time, bit players on defense. Neither has been exceptional, but their position (SLB) doesn’t require them to be. Statistically, they’re about the same. I understand Casillas having friends in N.O. where he spent 3 seasons as a backup, and have no problem with that. Watson has always been a Buc and his loyalties are here. Watson has also been a key special teamer on punt block teams and coverage units. Casillas was also on special teams and did well in coverage. What I like better about Watson is his speed on blitzes and punt blocks. If they are going to cost the same, I’d pick Watson. I simply think he has more special teams value than Casillas.
February 26th, 2014 at 1:31 pm
“Perhaps the work environment was nearly unbearable under Greg Schiano, but he’s ancient history. Joe would have expected more Bucs enthusiasm from Casillas during the interview, especially considering he was Twittering to legions of Bucs fans to listen to him on the show.”
Completely understandable!
When you spend your 1st year with the Bucs and is with Laughingstock II, Schiano’s BS is till fresh in his mind. If he signs which I hope he does, his mindset will be completely different a year from now.
Is easy to criticize looking from the outside in.
February 26th, 2014 at 1:33 pm
JOE, I just wanna let you know you are the best f****** site on the planet.thank you and keep up the good work I love reading about my bucs every day good or bad whether I agree or disagree with you.I love Glennon but I would love Johnny football even more.
February 26th, 2014 at 1:44 pm
Sub 230 lb LBs don’t play for 3-4 teams. New Orleans didn’t want him. It’s not the first time that somebody that was jilted misses their former girlfriend, boyfriend, or previous team in this case. You want most what you can’t have.
February 26th, 2014 at 1:51 pm
The only thing I have a problem with is that he couldn’t beat out the guy who was a backup at SAM LB. Time to move on.
February 26th, 2014 at 1:55 pm
Macabee Says
“Bennett has spoke fondly of Tampa Bay…”
Right after he left he talked a lot of smack about Tampa though. He will never be brought back.
February 26th, 2014 at 3:17 pm
I miss drinking in New Orleans. And eating. And motorboating strippers.
February 26th, 2014 at 4:22 pm
Watson and Lorig are the two guys we must not let go in FA. Both are versatile smart players that we won’t realize how much they do until we don’t have them.
February 26th, 2014 at 6:12 pm
I won’t say this is a non-story out of respect for Joe, ahem, but it is a non-issue. Like Mike said, he built friendships and shoot, won games when with the Saints. Winning is a lot more fun then going 4-12 under a dictator. Win some games, and make no mistake, I have full confidence in Lovie, and you will find far less of these side stories from our players. Rightfully so.
February 26th, 2014 at 6:19 pm
those bounty checks mustve been pretty good then.
February 26th, 2014 at 6:39 pm
The guy misses winning. I can’t blame him.
February 26th, 2014 at 8:37 pm
Great fan base probobly the best in nfl – superfun city great music scene and of course southern women. New Orleans ladies strut and sway from dusk till dawn
February 27th, 2014 at 5:19 am
Don’t let the door hit you in the ass.
February 27th, 2014 at 10:35 am
Who let the damn Saints’ fan in here? Take a hike Dbag.