“You Can’t Be Gun-Shy”
January 22nd, 2015
Nobody thrives in the draft like Packers GM Ted Thompson, but even he nailed two expensive free agency signings last year.
As Joe wrote earlier this week, Jason Licht sounds like a guy ready to dive into the deep end of the free agency pool on March 10. That wasn’t the first time Licht talked about a Year 2 shopping outing with Team Glazer’s checkbook.
While Tampa Tribune voice Woody Cummings thinks otherwise, a former Buccaneer believes Lovie Smith and Licht have no choice.
“You can’t be gun-shy,” Booger McFarland said of the Bucs’ free agency approach on WDAE-AM 620 yesterday. “You know, Michael Jordan said that he’s great is because of all the shots that he missed. And so what does that mean? You got to keep shooting.
“I understand Lovie botched free agency. Anthony Collins was awful. Michael Johnson I think has potential but he wasn’t very good. Logan Mankins was a shell of himself, but that doesn’t mean you just say, ‘You know what, I’m never going to shoot the game-winner again.’ I think they gotta go out in free agency and get some key guys to help the team. But you gotta get some young guys in the draft because when you do go out in free agency and spend the big money on some of those contracts, you’re going to have to depend on some of those rookie deals.”
Booger went on to point out the salary cap will increase and the Bucs can improve their roster with a varied approach. “They can do it all, especially if they do it around Jameis Winston,” he said.
What do Donald Penn, Darrelle Revis and Michael Bennett have in common? They’re new teams all hit the jackpot on them in free agency.
Free agency is only the devil when you invest in the wrong players.
Joe’s got a suggestion for the Bucs: Pick the right guys, like Ted Thompson did last year with Julius Peppers and cornerback Sam Shields, who you’ll see in Sunday’s Pro Bowl.
January 22nd, 2015 at 11:08 am
“You Can’t Be Gun-Shy”
exactly !
January 22nd, 2015 at 11:11 am
Unless the intent is to give every young Buc a huge extension and front load it they literally have to spend in free agency as there is a cap floor place (Thank God). But yes, more Vincent Jackson-type professionals to supplement the core would be nice.
January 22nd, 2015 at 11:15 am
48 of the 53 players on the 2014 Packers have only ever played for the Packers. So yeah they can pursue a few expensive FAs when over 90% of their roster is home grown. We should strive for 75% at least. I think we’re maybe at 50%?
January 22nd, 2015 at 11:17 am
A new QB and a couple of early wins could tremendously boost the morale of whole roster and get everyone to overachieve. Most of the free agents we signed turned out bad, but if we managed to somehow win those close games early last season (Car, St.L, Min, NO etc) I think we would have seen better production from our free agents. Guys who have landed a big contract usually look for positives in a new organization to play with passion imo. Guys like Johnson and Collins were clearly lacking that passion. I believe that players who look good elsewhere, can look good here as well provided they invest their heart along with work.
January 22nd, 2015 at 11:17 am
I’m sure Dovie will mess up FA & the draft. Hell he can’t even pick the right coaches.(Warhop) When are the Glazer’s going to wake up & get rid of loser Lovie?
January 22nd, 2015 at 11:18 am
We trade down to Tennessee, then trade down again to the Jets at 6 (or Philly if they move up that far), take Scherff or Peat and move on. The no. 1 pick it too important to miss on and both of these kids have miss material.
January 22nd, 2015 at 11:27 am
On D FA – Give me Brandon Graham and Suh, or Knighton. Although Justin Houston at OLB would also be fun to see in a 4-3.
On O FA – Boling and/or Carpenter would be nice additions.
**other areas that might need a look – ILB and OLB (Foster FA and Lansanah RFA), Kick returner.
Draft – the QB, a beefy bruiser RB, the ILB, and Safety. Then draft OL & DL depth. Depth at DB wouldn’t hurt and I might even roll the dice via FA or draft on a better Punter
January 22nd, 2015 at 11:27 am
In a gun fight, gun shy will get you dead, so will continually missing the target and running out of ammo.
They need to pick just do it right and don’t expect 100% results but you should be close to that target.
January 22nd, 2015 at 11:38 am
They did miss on the free agents in general. But at least they evaluated the positions correctly that they needed upgrades. I would have been extremely upset if they had kept the same old bad players or the one player making an extremely overpaid contract playing average on this team.
January 22nd, 2015 at 11:39 am
Sam Shields is a free agent re-signng. He’s only played for the Packers so I wouldn’t really call that a free agent signing.
January 22nd, 2015 at 12:04 pm
I would hardly consider landing Penn hitting the lottery. A scratch off winner @ best.
January 22nd, 2015 at 12:06 pm
Why are you still a “fan” if you hate everything the organization is doing?
And tell me why Tennessee would move up ONE spot?
This isn’t Madden.
I’m willing to bet money that the guy Tenn wants is not the guy we want.
January 22nd, 2015 at 12:23 pm
I’m thankful.
January 22nd, 2015 at 12:52 pm
i think when you go big in free agency, you are bringing frontrunners into your team. unless they really wanted to play for a particular coach or in a particular city, chances are they settled for you when the franchise they’ve grown up in won’t give them the money they want. if a couple things go the wrong way early in the year, it’s rare for the guys who got there 2 months ago to step up and rally the troops. things like your new HC being shamed for blowing up a victory formation after his secondary gives up 500+ yards passing, or a MRSA breakout plus AWOL QB, or an OC bailing the week before the season and leaving the offense to a 34 year old QB coach & 37 year old journeyman QB will derail a team and it’s established core leadership that can get it back on track. free agents succeed more often where that core exists, and i think we lost that around the time Warren Sapp was not welcomed back to Tampa. Brooks and Barber were absolutely respected and were leaders, but without somebody replacing sapp’s fire and desire, the leadership in the locker room felt incomplete and the team seemed to lose all consistency and ability to recover from a tailspin. remember when every season started 3-4 but ended with a playoff appearance. you’d like to start better than that, but the bucs of the last 10 years have been incapable of shaking off a start like that
January 22nd, 2015 at 2:11 pm
Can’t say they botched any FAs yet.
January 22nd, 2015 at 3:01 pm
“What do Donald Penn, Darrelle Revis and Michael Bennett have in common? They’re new teams all hit the jackpot on them in free agency.”
Too soon Joe… too soon.
January 22nd, 2015 at 3:41 pm
At a 2-14 record, if you don’t hate everything the team is doing, then you’re not a fan. The team plays on Sunday right?
January 22nd, 2015 at 6:47 pm
@JoeMamma
I certainly don’t hate the two wins. I certainly don’t hate Lansannah, Smith and some other diamonds in the rough.
How many games did they lose in the last minutes? That’s not a talent problem that’s a coaching problem. Are the Bucs stout and loaded with talent. Nah but they don’t suck nearly as badly as we wish to make out.
Every NFL team in every city is different year in and year out. The 2014 Bucs were not the 2013 Bucs nor the 2012 Bucs. The 2015 Bucs are 0-0 at the moment. Whatever they will not be the same as the 2014 Bucs.
Team chemistry has a lot to do with it. Not just talent. Somebody already pointed out the approach of many F.A’s. Occasionally you can find an F.A. who improves that chemistry. But rare is the FA who can turn it around by himself. The “culture” is critical. That’s how Belicheat wins year in and year out regardless of talent level. Lovie needs to get the culture turned around.
He still has time. LD and GMC are good dudes as is VJax and a few others. Let’s hope they draft wisely and bring in guys who can help build a winning culture.
January 22nd, 2015 at 8:27 pm
Everyone is missing the point here. The reason the Bucs are having to go so heavy in free agency is because their drafting has just been horrible for the past ten years.
Last years may have been a bit better depending on how Jenkins and Sims progress. Everyone knew the guard and tackle we took would be projects and the same with the WR.
But overall, under Dominick and Allen the drafts have just been terrible.
This is the major reason this team was 2-14 last year.
January 23rd, 2015 at 5:48 pm
So, when Schiano lost games in the last minutes, it was a talent problem, but now that Lovie is doing it, it’s a coaching problem?
I’m confused.
January 23rd, 2015 at 9:26 pm
Some FAs played well, others were injured and didn’t play well, some FAs just quit, a lot of moving pieces in 2014, no offensive coordinator, predictable offense each week……and now for 2015. Has to be better, right?