Jeremy Zuttah Traded For Draft Pick
March 23rd, 2014
Jeremy Zuttah was traded today to the Baltimore Crows for a 2015 draft pick.
[UPDATE: 4:59 p.m. Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports Twittered the draft pick the Bucs will receive from the Crows is a fifth round pick.]
The wholesale house cleaning of last year’s offensive line is near complete. This afternoon, the Bucs announced they traded Jeremy Zuttah to the Baltimore Crows for an undetermined draft pick in 2015.
The lone remaining starting offensive lineman from 2013 is Demar Dotson at right tackle. Donald Penn and Davin Joseph were cut and the Bucs had no interest in bringing back free agent Ted Larsen. Part-time starter Jamon Meredith was retained. Of course, there is still the question mark of Carl Nicks.
Zuttah, a Rutgers man, was drafted by Tampa Bay in the third round (83rd overall) of the 2008 NFL Draft. In his six-year career with the Buccaneers, he has started 76-of-90 games played.
Per Rotoworld.com, Zuttah was scheduled to make $4.5 million this season, which is likely why the Bucs traded him. This, of course, could free up cash for more free agents, or does Joe dare suggest, perhaps the cancer known as DeSean Jackson?
March 23rd, 2014 at 4:34 pm
Aaaand there goes our best guard. This is a dumb trade IMO. Should’ve at least pushed for a 2014 pick, since we don’t have a 4th rounder. Zuttah was more than serviceable and versatile.
Here’s to hoping Carl Nicks comes back with a full recovery. Because right now McCown is a dead man walking behind this O-line.
March 23rd, 2014 at 4:37 pm
my only disappointment is the pick is not this year but good luck mr. zuttah…. and down goes flaco….
and joe thought he could hang in the recliner all day…
March 23rd, 2014 at 4:39 pm
Now cut koenen and get djax! Draft Jake matthews.
March 23rd, 2014 at 4:39 pm
We will receive a fifth-round pick
March 23rd, 2014 at 4:40 pm
TBH…. Dom was a heck of a lot better at making trades for picks.
March 23rd, 2014 at 4:40 pm
Maybe L&L haven’t heard of renogiating contracts. Zuttah for a pick in 2015. That’s great- Hey Joe- can you play guard in 2014? We STILL only have 5 picks this year and if we were to line up tomorrow we are short a starter on the OL and a number 3 WR.. Michael Jenkins as a third CB and Cassillas at SAM.. MUCHLESS any depth! I’m starting to get worried.
March 23rd, 2014 at 4:42 pm
I don’t get this one. They’ve thrown away both guards, and there is no quality in FA and limited quality in the draft… I don’t know what their plan is here…
March 23rd, 2014 at 4:42 pm
And people mock Joe for suggesting the Bucs may draft an OT at No. 7. smh
March 23rd, 2014 at 4:43 pm
this movie right here pretty much confirms that we are going off in Civ line with our first election in the draft. But hopefully we trade that next year’s pick that we got to move up this year in the draft. But I am very disappointed with this trade I really like this guy he was solid he was going to be a solid backup as well in case the center or the guard got injured. our offensive line is the biggest concern ri.ght now.
March 23rd, 2014 at 4:44 pm
Ammunition for a trade up this year.
March 23rd, 2014 at 4:45 pm
Wow, the depth and speed of this rebuild is breathtaking.
Chop Chop Chop.
March 23rd, 2014 at 4:45 pm
Woohoo. Josh McCown I will meet you in hell after you grt destroyed this year.
March 23rd, 2014 at 4:47 pm
i trust lovie and meathead they did not do this without having a plan and thinking it through. Zuttah was nothing special. look at his rankings middle to high 20’s in most rankings the highest that I saw was 22 but several had him 27 / 28. i am assuming he would not renegotiate so bye bye… it’s interesting for sure but i have faith in meathead.
March 23rd, 2014 at 4:48 pm
Not a fan of this one, Zuttah gave versatility, though not spectacular, solid. With the uncertainty of Nicks, this could be an issue. I’m sure they have a plan and you are only as good as your last play, but this same line they are breaking up led Doug Martin and Legarette Blount to 1000 yard seasons, not to mention a couple of back ups didn’t do to bad and Josh Freeman was usually upright unless he held the ball too long, imo.
March 23rd, 2014 at 4:48 pm
During halftime of the Wichita State-Kentucky game, Joe was watching NFL Network’s “America’s Game” of the 1974 Steelers. Andy Russell talked about how Chuck Noll, in his first practice, told the team that most of the players would not be around for the turnaround because they weren’t good enough.
Reminded Joe of what L&L are doing. How many times, when Lovie was talking about players on the old roster, did he add, “But we were 4-12 last year.”
Housecleaning indeed.
March 23rd, 2014 at 4:49 pm
Even more likely when the rule changes to only block from the front
March 23rd, 2014 at 4:49 pm
Are the dummies saying to cut our punter and our best WRs the same guy under different names??
Remember when the Bucs tried moving Zuttah back to guard and Larsen sucked so bad the had to move Zuttah back?
We just went from a center who only missed 2 games in 3 years to a center who cannot go a season without an injury…and we have no backup!
I don’t like this one bit. Seems like a bonehead move. And good luck selling out games when the ticket buyers have no one familiar to root for and our new starting QB sucks out loud.
March 23rd, 2014 at 4:50 pm
Zuttah was “dead man walking” with Lovie….just wanted to get something for him…they wanted the $$$ for someone…who…I don’t have a clue.
March 23rd, 2014 at 4:51 pm
Deacon Smith is purging all of our past sins .
March 23rd, 2014 at 4:52 pm
Rrsrq, Blount did not reach 1,000 rushing yards here.
March 23rd, 2014 at 4:52 pm
Now I really hope Robinson falls to the Bucs at 7.
March 23rd, 2014 at 4:53 pm
bonzi
it’s not like the mediocre players that are recognizable were selling out. lot’s of blackouts last few years so I disagree with your take. name recognition does no equal wins and wins are all that matter
March 23rd, 2014 at 4:55 pm
carl nicks better be playing at a pro bowl level next year thats all i gotta say. trading is zuttah is dumb. i know we dont have a chance on watching the bucs film. but the oline mustve been awful last year with lovie kicking all these guys out of town.
March 23rd, 2014 at 4:55 pm
Bonzai,
I posted on another thread to you. I think the poster was saying after cutting Zuttah, if they cut Koenen too, then they could afford DeSean Jackson. don’t think they were saying to cut Vincent Jackson.
March 23rd, 2014 at 4:56 pm
surprise!, surprise!, surprise!
via rotoworld:
Ravens acquired C Jeremy Zuttah from the Buccaneers in exchange for a fifth-round pick in the 2015 NFL draft.
They’re also signing him to a long-term deal. Zuttah, 28 in June, is a Rutgers alum who was on the outs in Tampa after Greg Schiano’s departure. He ranked 22nd among 35 qualifying centers in Pro Football Focus’ 2013 ratings, while incumbent Ravens C Gino Gradkowski came in dead last at 35th. Zuttah isn’t an All Pro, but he’s a stable addition to a Baltimore line that got rag-dolled last season. Zuttah also ran a sub-5.00 forty time coming out and is a big athletic upgrade. He’s a strong fit for new OC Gary Kubiak’s zone-blocking scheme.
March 23rd, 2014 at 4:56 pm
At this rate, all five draft picks have to be O-linemen just to fill in complete roster. Holy crap.
March 23rd, 2014 at 4:56 pm
I’m seeing reports that part of the trade was a restructuring of Zuttah’s contract and an extension. If this is true, then we could be looking at a pick much earlier than the 5th round.
March 23rd, 2014 at 4:56 pm
Got your wish…. Rutgers players jettisoned…..Zuttah, Underwood, Leonard…..gone bye-bye!!!
Be careful, Marvin Booker & Demaso Munoz……
March 23rd, 2014 at 4:58 pm
Out off ALL the moves we’ve made this off season, this one I dislike the most. there are a couple of positive to take away from this move though- we freed up some more money, and this tells me the coaching thinks Nick will be able to play and are anticipating his return next season. If that’s true then we are not as bad off as you might think, because we would only be Down 1 guard.
March 23rd, 2014 at 4:58 pm
A 5th round pick in next year’s draft is like a low 7th round pick in this year’s draft. At least we got something.
March 23rd, 2014 at 4:59 pm
Bonzai, he did his rookie year, with Penn, Zuttah and Joseph
March 23rd, 2014 at 4:59 pm
It an unconditional 5th rounder. So it won’t get better.
March 23rd, 2014 at 5:03 pm
The only logical guess is that Zuttah either wasn’t willing to re-negotiate contract with BUCS or we were not interested enough to pay him anywhere near a reasonable salary near his demands. If neither are the case, Im not feeling giddy about this one. If the confidence is that high on Nicks, then this move makes sense. I haven’t felt that high optimism surrounding 1BPalace. More in the recnt past but not any sort of certainty. Im a little perplexed on this one. At least it gets us another pick. Could also help offset any sacrifice we might give up if we decide to trade for DeSean J. Preferably right before eventual release at a discount. I dont know. Im grasping for straws. I liked Zuttah. Dammit.
March 23rd, 2014 at 5:03 pm
Yeah, I’m sure they are worried about all the Zuttah and Penn fans not showing up. 4-12 sold a lot of tickets.
March 23rd, 2014 at 5:05 pm
Licht better have one heck of a master plan. And I sure hope betting on Nicks isn’t it. They could’ve dumped his massive salary and kept Zuttah. Right now it’s Meredith and Nicks. I’msure we are going to draft O-line, but Zuttah was the wrong man to chop. With Nicks mysterious, persisting injury Zuttah was the best guard on the team.
March 23rd, 2014 at 5:05 pm
With half a year of prep, it would be difficult to imagine that this isn’t planned. Lovie doesn’t seem like the type to go willy nilly and see what happens. He likely has a plan amd a contingency. But I still don’t like it.
March 23rd, 2014 at 5:06 pm
lightningbuc, gotcha.
Rrsrq, I stand corrected. I thought he just came up short but it was 1007.
March 23rd, 2014 at 5:08 pm
At the end of the day the Bucs got better and cheaper at the position (Dietrich-Smith is #8 center on PFF at $3.5 mil vs Zuttah #22 center on PFF at $4.5 mil), and we got an extra pick for next years draft to boot. But hooboy, they must know something about Nicks the rest of us dont!
March 23rd, 2014 at 5:09 pm
JBuc Says
“Yeah, I’m sure they are worried about all the Zuttah and Penn fans not showing up. 4-12 sold a lot of tickets.”
It actually did. That’s why people were able to watch the games at home. Ironic, I know.
March 23rd, 2014 at 5:09 pm
@ walkdaplank
Nick’s status may be a mystery to us, but it’s not our regime. My gut tells me he’s going to play.
March 23rd, 2014 at 5:10 pm
But it’s not to our regime
March 23rd, 2014 at 5:10 pm
WalkdaPlank
nicks could NOT be dumped his cap value is brutal… Next year they can dump him but not this year.
March 23rd, 2014 at 5:11 pm
Relax!! It’s only March!! Our line was horrible, this should shock no one. Revis fans still crying.
March 23rd, 2014 at 5:11 pm
Seems like a questionable move with so little O-line depth…Lord help McCown, Glennon, or whoever is behind center this upcoming season. Bucs might want to think about keeping 3 QB’s on the roster this year just in case they lead the league in sacks allowed/QB’s pancaked on the turf.
March 23rd, 2014 at 5:13 pm
9.3 cap minus 1.5 for Jenkins and 3 million for draft picks = 4.8 million left. Cutting Koennen and trading Zuttah would put us at 12.55 which is still not enough to cover Desean Jackson’s cap hit. The Bucs will probably need to wait until Jackson is cut in order to acquire him.
March 23rd, 2014 at 5:15 pm
McCown could have the best oline in the nfl and still lose games. He is a classic example of falling for an overhyped player.
March 23rd, 2014 at 5:16 pm
Jordan, are you assuming the draft picks will play for free? Even Lovie isn’t that charismatic.
March 23rd, 2014 at 5:16 pm
Joe, correct me if I’m mistaken but the Glazers were responsible for most of the home games being on TV this past season. Don’t believe I’ve ever seen a Zuttah or Penn jersey on a fan at RayJ. Just rust that these guys have a plan.
March 23rd, 2014 at 5:18 pm
all this talk about trading for desean is pointless until the bucs resolve the qb issue in the draft and trade big bird for a 6 or 7th round pick if they can fleece someone that is.
March 23rd, 2014 at 5:18 pm
Grabbing MeSean Jackson would be a huge mistake. We could easily pick up a capable WR in the draft at a fraction of the cost and less headache.
March 23rd, 2014 at 5:18 pm
so this means we are gonna draft manziel, right? his escapability will be essential, now.
March 23rd, 2014 at 5:19 pm
Still getting redirected Joe. Can’t wait for this surprise for mobile users.
March 23rd, 2014 at 5:20 pm
Maybe I don’t understand the worth of a pick. But I just can’t agree with this. How do you draft a guy in the third rd, that becomes above average and you don’t at least get the equivalent pick. It says to me, that u take the chance on him at a high pick, he pans out, and we get penalized two rounds back for a developed talent….
March 23rd, 2014 at 5:21 pm
mike10 please go review the player rankings. nowhere is zuttah ranked above average. he is at the bottom half of the rankings. the only disappointment is the pick is next year
March 23rd, 2014 at 5:22 pm
Strange! Didn’t ask our opinion or our permission. Those guys evidently don’t know we’re here. I’m aghast!
March 23rd, 2014 at 5:22 pm
BuccaneerBonzi
Copied from wiki
Blount had played in 13 games and accumulated 1,007 rushing yards, which was the most by a rookie in the 2010 NFL season.[67] Blount became the second undrafted running back in NFL history to accumulate 1000 yards in his rookie year (Dominic Rhodes was the first).
March 23rd, 2014 at 5:24 pm
@Mike10 Because maybe it isnt about the pick as much as it is paying a merely good player $4.5 mil to play out of position. Which pick you originally used for the player is a sunk cost, and it appears Licht dont give a damn what the Bucs spent to acquire Zuttah.
March 23rd, 2014 at 5:24 pm
because he was going to leave next year anyways. we got something for him. this will be a 2 year process before we become relevant…hopefully not 3 years.
that is why it is essential to take a first round qb this year so he has time to learn the most important position on the team.
March 23rd, 2014 at 5:25 pm
Agreed Mike10, not sure how getting rid of a versatile and productive guy still in his prime for a pick 2 rounds later than what he was picked at is sound. Kind of like trading/giving away the 2013 QB rookie of the year for a 6th or 7th round pick would be completely asinine.
March 23rd, 2014 at 5:27 pm
Joe Says:
March 23rd, 2014 at 4:48 pm
During halftime of the Wichita State-Kentucky game, Joe was watching NFL Network’s “America’s Game” of the 1974 Steelers. Andy Russell talked about how Chuck Noll, in his first practice, told the team that most of the players would not be around for the turnaround because they weren’t good enough.
Reminded Joe of what L&L are doing. How many times, when Lovie was talking about players on the old roster, did he add, “But we were 4-12 last year.”
Housecleaning indeed.
————————————————————————————
Joe:
Former Bears fan here, became a Bucs fan the last year of the Creamsicles after moving to Bradenton. Following their Super Bowl win in 1985, Mike Ditka wrote the obligatory book regarding that accomplishment. I believe it was Dan Hampton (H of F defensive tackle) who wrote the preface for that book. He was a young player on that team, and said that when Ditka met the team for the first time, that his very first words were that the Bears’ goal was to win the Super Bowl. Well, the Bears were terrible, and so Hampton was shocked to hear this, but when he looked around, many of the players were actually laughing at Ditka, for making such an outrageous statement. Reminiscing after the win in the SB, Hampton seemed to remember that not a single person he saw laughing was on the winning team, not even the ones who had received good “grades from the previous staff!
You’ve got to believe in the goal!, at the very least.
tickrdr
March 23rd, 2014 at 5:27 pm
what be asinine is for lovie to bet his future on 2013 QB rookie of the year that had ZERO competition and failed miserably down the stretch.
March 23rd, 2014 at 5:31 pm
BuccaneerBonzai Says:
March 23rd, 2014 at 4:52 pm
Rrsrq, Blount did not reach 1,000 rushing yards here.
========================
Seriously, it was 2010…that was NOT that long ago.
March 23rd, 2014 at 5:33 pm
What the hell was the point of this trade? Zuttah was not a weak link on our line and was very versatile. He played far better than his 4th round status. Nope we gotta have that valuable 5th rounder I guess.
March 23rd, 2014 at 5:35 pm
dang people. bonzai already stated he was wrong and you all just jump on the mistake after the fact. lame.
March 23rd, 2014 at 5:47 pm
The OL stunk up the joint. Overpaid, under delivered. I think the housecleaning may have more to do with fresh blood than anything else.
March 23rd, 2014 at 5:47 pm
Boy they really hated last year’s line!
March 23rd, 2014 at 5:50 pm
Great now we may end up wasting a top 7 pick on OL the dumbest of dumb places to draft them. Go look up all the teams putting high picks into their OL & I’ll show you perennial losers (dolphins, browns, jets, raiders). The Parcells model is dead but don’t let that get in the way of cliches about “trenches”; trading a proven cheap commodity for an unknown one always wise wait no its not. An even if we dodge the dumb bullet and don’t draft OL in the 1st round, we’ll still have a dealt a valuable jack of all trades PRO O-lineman for a mediocre 5th rounder. Cue the benny hill music.
March 23rd, 2014 at 5:53 pm
Everyone was hoping, me included, that we could have gotten picks from this year… BUT this year is loaded with talent and its obvious teams dont want to give up their picks for it, at least not yet…
It could be ok however, for the future. I wont lose any sleep over it.
March 23rd, 2014 at 6:01 pm
So negative here. I actually see this as a sign that Nicks may be ready to go.
March 23rd, 2014 at 6:11 pm
Being healthy shouldn’t be the only thing that guarantees you a roster spot. Zuttah got traded cause he was average making above average money. Litch says it all the time, they want good football players. Not average, durable ones. This team needs the combination of durability and high performance. Same reason Revis had to go, he didn’t play like 16 million in 2013, we’re not talking about those years before the injury. They’re sending a message that if you don’t play good, you can’t play for this team.
March 23rd, 2014 at 6:21 pm
We are not getting Johnny Manziel joe. I see a lot of signs pointing to trading down for Derek Carr.
March 23rd, 2014 at 6:28 pm
Think they could have gotten more for him but so be it. Now we need a backup center as well as a guard. I guess we’ll find out if this was all about money, i.e. he wouldn’t renegotiate. This just clouds our draft strategy a little more as to who we pick at 7.
March 23rd, 2014 at 6:30 pm
I still hold out hope the Bucs can re-sign (not resign, that’s very different) Joseph. Nobody else has bought his services yet so he might come relatively cheaply and would fill the massive hole that he himself left when the Bucs determined he wasn’t worth what they were slated to pay him.
But that’s just too much optimism for one day.
March 23rd, 2014 at 6:49 pm
This is the only move I dont agree with. I wasnt happy when they released revis but sighning the burner helped. I see zutah as worth more than a 5th rounder. But maybe they will find a way to make it better. Thought he was a tremendous depth guy. Dont know what his contract was but he was good at center I know that much.
March 23rd, 2014 at 7:28 pm
mort there is a reason no one else has purchased Joesph’s service is that not a red flag to you.
March 23rd, 2014 at 7:36 pm
Nicks will be good to go (why tell anybody), get o-line in the draft, no worries– trust!
March 23rd, 2014 at 7:48 pm
If this allows us to get DeSean Jackson and Nix can start this year, that is the only way this trade of Zutah will make sense to me. We did pick up a backup Guard from the Browns that nobody except our DL Coach knows just how good he is or whether he can also backup at center. I am hoping he is starting quality and very versatile, because then we could get a backup Guard in the 5th round from LSU and we would be OK with our OL. Everyone on this roster now know that they have to earn their keep by excellent production every time they step on the field or they won’t be here–that message is now loud and clear!!!
March 23rd, 2014 at 8:03 pm
Dotson was the only bright spot on that line last year. He graded out at a pro-bowl level season. Dotson did not play a single bad game, and graded green in over half the season. I am VERY happen that the new regime has the wisdom to see what Dotson did.
March 23rd, 2014 at 8:09 pm
Let’s not get carried away. He is not a good run blocker. Average at best because of his leverage. He gets bull-rushed way too much. If he was any good, he wouldn’t be making a backup’s salary.
March 23rd, 2014 at 8:11 pm
I don’t like this at all. Zuttah was durable, could play several positions on the line. Was he really that overpaid?
March 23rd, 2014 at 9:31 pm
I guess everybody forgot the good job Meredith did at Guard. He’s a decent back up at tackle. I don’t like this still. We have a big Body named Jace Daniels look out.
March 23rd, 2014 at 10:39 pm
Zuttah was as average an OL as exists in the NFL.
I’d rather have his $4 million than his average skills.
I LOVE how L&L are seriously overhauling this bad team.
March 24th, 2014 at 12:13 am
I can’t believe how many low football I.Qs there are whining and crying over losing Zuttah. I’m glad he’s gone. He wasn’t just mediocre, he was below average and a product of dum-dum Dom’s overpaying because of his classic lack of evaluation skills (like Freeman, Benn, Clayton, Black, Price, Lewis; the list goes on and on). Like Penn, it won’t be that difficult to replace lesser skilled Zuttah with a better player, and for a cheaper price. Take that 4.5 million and turn it into 3 better players. And it won’t be in the first round either. They won’t be replacing a guard with the 7th pick, so perish that thought. Free agency or the 5th round will replace him with a better player at a cheaper price, so forget about your Zuttah bromance. And it’s about time the people who said they were all excited to have Lovie running things to get on board. This was his decision and it makes me sick to see how many closet 2nd guessers think they know more about building a championship level team than he does. Talk about self-inflated arrogance! I believe he knows what he’s doing and would like to see more of you showing a little more confidence in him. He did it with Penn, then Zuttah and as much as some of you may not want to face it, Glennon is obviously not his guy either. Get used to it. He wants a higher caliber of player at a more reasonable price, and to that I say, “Rah!”
March 24th, 2014 at 8:12 am
this to me makes my mind up. the bucs will draft o line first. it will be Robinson, Lewan, or Mathews. I am beginning to believe the bucs may not even draft a quarterback this year in the draft. it is looking more and more like they will go with McCown and try to develop Glennon. I hope that it works out. but if by chance it does not, I think we go into the draft looking for a qb next year. I agree with the strategy.
March 24th, 2014 at 10:59 am
williethewonder Said:
Blah blah blah. And what makes you so fricken cool?