Did McCown Play Hardball?
February 12th, 2015
Yes, Joe is still stunned by yesterday’s news that turnover-prone quarterback Josh McCown was turned loose by the Bucs.
Now Joe has already speculated what this means, but with Lovie Smith’s unpredictable history, the Bucs could go out and sign Roger Staubach out of mothballs and it wouldn’t surprise Joe.
Now the timing was interesting — stunning, actually — and no less an authority than Pat Kirwan weighed in. The co-host of arguably the best NFL show heard anywhere, “Movin’ the Chains,” heard exclusively on SiriusXM NFL Radio with Jim Miller, the former NFL linebackers coach and front office man believes the reason McCown was unleashed was that he played hardball with the Bucs and Jason Licht.
“It tells me [the Bucs] came to him and asked, ‘Can we cut your pay?’ And he said ‘No,'” Kirwan said. “Otherwise, they probably could have gotten a deal done for a lower-based salary for, say, $2 million or $3 million or something like that.”
Kirwan also said that with McCown’s salary off the books, the Bucs are “moving their way up into a very powerful position,” thanks to wads of cash to hit the free agent bars and clubs prowling for hook-ups next month.
To hear more of Kirwan and Miller’s reactions to the release of McCown, click on the orange button below. Audio courtesy of SiriusXM NFL Radio.
February 12th, 2015 at 11:41 am
It’s plausible, and Kirwan is one of the few whose opinion is worthwhile. But I still can’t see Koetter or the Buc’s staff wanting him.
Bad is bad. Simple as that!
February 12th, 2015 at 11:41 am
dumbest thing I have read in I don’t remember…
this was totally expected. he was not worth 200k, much less 2 million. even having him on the roster was an embarrassment.
February 12th, 2015 at 11:43 am
i’d rather have gradkowski back…and thats pretty darn bad.
February 12th, 2015 at 11:44 am
hey joe I just saw a deadline that read “josh mccown may be the best free agent” on profootballtalk
February 12th, 2015 at 11:45 am
No one was able to find the open linebacker like McCown.
February 12th, 2015 at 11:53 am
Joe
Why no trade? If mccown is now the best FA qb avail then why not trade for another player or a pick. Lord knows we need to fill holes so what’s up with that?
February 12th, 2015 at 11:55 am
Let him go fool someone else next year.
February 12th, 2015 at 11:58 am
@WS99,
because trading McCown means trading his $5m contract and nobody is gonna take that deal. Nobody!
February 12th, 2015 at 12:01 pm
Either that or Licht told the Glazers that if McCown is on the roster, Buc fans will think that there is a chance Lovie will play him, And no One will buy any tickets!
February 12th, 2015 at 12:03 pm
Good news, #TheCreepyCrab didn’t sexually assault anyone yesterday. #AgoodDay
February 12th, 2015 at 12:04 pm
Jthv
That’s what I figured. So basically we have to overpay EVERY FA bc either no one want to play here or no one wants to play here. Am I wrong?
February 12th, 2015 at 12:06 pm
As Mike Glennon is the ONLY legitimate QB on the Bucs roster, his stock just went up. Like him or hate him, it ups his trade value and his roster value as well.
February 12th, 2015 at 12:09 pm
Completely off topic, but is anybody else creeped out by the size of the knockers of the young kid in the sombrero for the “steroid alternative” ad? I’m a bodybuilder myself and also know a ton of them, and I have never seen such round juicy pectoral melons on a dude. It’s so freaking weird! Looks like somebody needs to hone their photoshop skills.
February 12th, 2015 at 12:17 pm
Brandon wins! Might be off topic, but sure was on the money.
February 12th, 2015 at 12:20 pm
Hey, Bucs fans. Just saw this on ProFootballTalk as the first sentence and it absolutely is the most ridiculous story EVER written………
“Here’s everything you need to know about how bad this year’s class of free-agent quarterbacks is: Josh McCown may be the best quarterback on the market.”
February 12th, 2015 at 12:21 pm
Signing McINT was probably just as bas as when they signed Leftwich. If he didn’t want to take a pay cut then he deserves to get his a$$$$ cut.
February 12th, 2015 at 12:29 pm
Come to think of it. Even if he didn’t want to take a pay cut. He deserves to get his a$$$$ cut!
February 12th, 2015 at 12:34 pm
I dont see ads
February 12th, 2015 at 12:41 pm
Yes, the Bucs will be in an excellent position to screw up free agency again. Mike Iupati, anyone?
February 12th, 2015 at 12:41 pm
Jake Locker is a free agent, so is Mark Sanchez, and a few others, Locker and Sanchez, and even Christian Ponder and Matt Cassel, have had better starting experience, there are better free agent QBs…no doubt…even Matt Hasselbeck is better than McCown.
February 12th, 2015 at 12:42 pm
NewTampaChris Says:
February 12th, 2015 at 12:41 pm
Yes, the Bucs will be in an excellent position to screw up free agency again. Mike Iupati, anyone?
—
If we go out and blow big money on one of the least important positions on the field, I’m going to have an aneurism.
February 12th, 2015 at 12:46 pm
MadMax Says:
February 12th, 2015 at 12:34 pm
I dont see ads
———-
Lucky, the entire right and left sides of every page is cluttered with them, mostly ads to meet Russian, Philipino, and over 50 single women…as well as the steroid alternative ads, 620WDAE, and others.
February 12th, 2015 at 1:21 pm
does he really seem like the type of guy to play hardball? a career backup? especially after having that kind of awful season who would play hardball. he did more coaching than arroyo did so maybe it’s true but I doubt it because no one would even take him seriously
February 12th, 2015 at 1:32 pm
He’s going to the Ravens. Mark my words.
February 12th, 2015 at 1:37 pm
doesn’t matter where he’s going since he’s gonna be a backup. glennon is garbage and it matters more where he would get traded because atleast we know he would compete for a job. who cares what he does from this point, there is a reason he never moved his family here to tampa….cant very much say thanks for the memories josh mccown so I’ll just say thanks for number one overall pick
February 12th, 2015 at 1:41 pm
Joe what were the contractural implications of Josh’s contract? Was there a certain point we needed to get rid of him by to avoid any additional money?? Because I though he was getting 5mil per year regardless..
February 12th, 2015 at 1:42 pm
Not sure but the end result is, the Bucs don’t owe him a dime. His salary is off the books.
February 12th, 2015 at 2:07 pm
Love likes McCown, Releasing him now gives him options and the possibility of finding another team that is searching for a lousy quarterback.
February 12th, 2015 at 2:28 pm
I think this was smart to cut him this early. Shows everyone they’re likely to draft a QB if someone wants to do a big trade. Makes Glennon “the future” for now so it gets his trade numbers up if they want to. And it shows all the free agents the bucs just added more dough to their huge pocketbook. And it made fans a little more excited knowing Mccown isn’t starting in 2015 (I hope not but u know lovie)
February 12th, 2015 at 3:34 pm
You really are a moron WS99. yesterdY you thought he was the worst QB in the league (actually he was rated second to the worst) and today because of one story you think he is worth draft picks.
I mean really. There is just no end to your foolishness is there.
February 12th, 2015 at 4:40 pm
They let Josh go, so he could get another gig.
Koetter has determined there are better options.
February 12th, 2015 at 4:59 pm
Nonsense. McTrash is 100% worthless in this league taking up a roster spot. I doubt he honestly had an ounce of professional self-worth after showing last in the league as a QB. Where’s the leverage? I have never been so humiliated as a Bucs fan as I was with him starting. Thanks for the shame Lovie.
February 12th, 2015 at 5:33 pm
Listen guys and gals, don’t trash on McCown ‘aka’ Sir Int too much. He’s a tender, emotional, fragile, being, with thoughts and feelings. For God’s sake he gave his blood sweat and TEARS for us. Oh, and Josh we received those TEARS loud and clear. Now go cry us a river while riding on the pine at your next stop.
February 12th, 2015 at 5:40 pm
I’m tired of assumptions not backed up by facts. These guys say stuff they think, and then some other media guy quotes it, then next thing you know, people think it is true.
This is nothor more than theory. And absolutely no foundational facts to back it up.
February 12th, 2015 at 5:42 pm
@DallasBuc
So, if we end up with a long term solution at quarterback, it still would not be worth it?
Would you rather be stuck in the middle of the draft again?
February 12th, 2015 at 5:53 pm
WS99 Says
“So basically we have to overpay EVERY FA bc either no one want to play here or no one wants to play here. Am I wrong?”
I believe you are wrong.first, we overpay because that’s what happens when you go after starters in free agency…guys looking for big checks. Anyone that complaining that the Bucs did not spend enough money in the past has no right to complain (not saying that’s you).
Also, the idea that people do not want to play for the Bucs is a complete myth. For example, both Mariota and Winston knew before they declared that the each had a 50% chance to be taken by the Bucs. Yet they still declared.
And players love playing for Lovie. How many complaints have you heard from actual Bucs players? None.
February 12th, 2015 at 7:27 pm
Bonzai
I read that MJ and his agent regret coming to Tampa and should have stayed in cinn for less money. That’s lovies high price FA star with regrets, so there’s that.
http://www.cincyjungle.com/2015/1/20/7855387/agent-michael-johnson-bengals
February 12th, 2015 at 7:35 pm
Ddneast
Someone posted last night that there is already a market for mccown. If that’s the case then why no trade? Mccown is by far the worst qb in the league the number prove that I’m just curious why we would just cut someone that other teams value. If anything I would have traded him to the raven for a scrub player that is not good enough to start like a Jeremy zuttah or oh wait my bad.
Truth is no one in the league is going to pay mccown 5m except the bucs which bring my back to my other point that no one wants to play here. Did you not see Logan mankins face all year.
February 13th, 2015 at 1:06 am
Other teams know that the Bucs have misused McCown, and that they don’t HAVE to trade ANYTHING to get him.
The Bucs hoped he might take less to stay with Lovie, so they went low. McCown knows he can make MUCH more for either teams that are close to being good, teams with mobile QB’s looking to sign a quality back-up, or rotten teams that have been so poorly mainained that they’re trolling for a STARTING QB in Free Agency…
We made sure we had NO impact if we decided to cut him in a year. We signed away McCown’s trade value for the zero salary cap impact if we cut him.
everybody wins.