“There Is No Benefit”
April 21st, 2015
Yes, the Bucs know who they are going to pick.
No, the Bucs weren’t giving out hints yesterday (though you are free to read what you will into the fact Marcus Mariota has not been seen playing cornhole on Clearwater Beach or hanging with current and ex-Bucs).
Weeks ago, impatient Bucs fans wanted Tampa Bay to begin contract negotiations with Jameis Winston so he can learn to be a Bucs quarterback at the earliest possible moment.
Joe wrote that would be a dumb move by any team, not necessarily the Bucs. Yesterday, during his annual pre-draft dodgeball session, Bucs general manager Jason Licht explained in detail this silly notion of signing a player before the draft.
“There’s no benefit for a team to engage in contract negations right now or to get a player signed,” Licht said. “There’s no benefit at all. You can’t get the player in here any earlier; he can’t start working out here any earlier; you can’t talk to him anymore than you can right now; and because of the new CBA, it’s not as difficult as it once was to sign a player, so the parameters are already pretty much there. We’re just going to wait and we’re going to use all of our allotted time.”
As Joe wrote previously, what if Licht signs the No. 1 pick, and he runs afoul of the law — or blows a knee or breaks a leg — before April 30? Or some general manager losses his mind and wants to trade draft picks and a Pro Bowl quarterback to Licht?
So it sounds like the Bucs won’t tell anyone who they are picking until the clock runs out on April 30 to start the draft.
April 21st, 2015 at 7:28 am
Neither Winston or Mariota plan to be at the dreaft….likely because they don’t want the same treatment that Manziel got last year…..cameras covering his every move while teams passed on him.
I don’t blame them….it is possible that the one who is not picked will drop.
That being said, I do think signing Winston a day early and getting an agrement for him to attend is a good idea. It is important for Winston to come into the NFL as normal as possible.
April 21st, 2015 at 7:28 am
I blame goodell for my impatience…what was the point of moving the draft back a month, theres no news at all just rumor talk and people saying the same thing over and over except joe of course which is why I come here. if the draft had been left the way it was then my teams draft picks would be at one buc place with the rest of the players who voluntarily show up right?
April 21st, 2015 at 7:29 am
Neither Winston or Mariota plan to be at the draft….likely because they don’t want the same treatment that Manziel got last year…..cameras covering his every move while teams passed on him.
I don’t blame them….it is possible that the one who is not picked will drop.
That being said, I do think signing Winston a day early and getting an agrement for him to attend is a good idea. It is important for Winston to come into the NFL as normal as possible.
April 21st, 2015 at 7:33 am
As long as they wait too long and forget to turn in their card. Synchronize your watches, L&L!!
April 21st, 2015 at 7:37 am
so not to set myself up for disappointment I have come to terms with the idea that bucs will either draft any player they want or trade down, im in the Winston camp so im set with first overall pick but I think what L&L do with the rest of their picks is what will have just as big an impact as the first pick. you get no credit for having success with the first pick you need to hit on atleast 3 players that can make it to a 2nd contract, we cant keep hitting on 1 player a year hoping to compete for playoffs
April 21st, 2015 at 7:39 am
9 more days and JW is all ours…
Ahhhhhhh
April 21st, 2015 at 7:46 am
“As Joe wrote previously, what if Licht signs the No. 1 pick, and he runs afoul of the law —Before April 30?” Winston??? Run afoul of the law??? The Glazers are MUCH more concerned with him running afoul of the law AFTER April 30th, Joe!!! And again, they can’t afford to absolutely alienate half their meager fan base, and trust me, it WILL continue to be meager with either QB, because this is not a playoff contender.
April 21st, 2015 at 7:48 am
It doesn’t make sense for the Bucs to sign Winston early. However, if he didn’t plan on attending the draft, it would be an awesome surprise if he was in attendance at the Bucs draft party to accept his jersey and hat from L&L. How cool would that be!?! The place would go nuts! The only thing with that is they would have to be 1,000% sure they were drafting Winston no matter what.
April 21st, 2015 at 7:49 am
…new scenario > trade for P.Rivers ….playoffs baby! 🙂
April 21st, 2015 at 7:49 am
Not to mention $20 million up in smoke. And did you see the session with Jim Harbaugh? Not JW’s finest moment, to be sure (and there’s a lot of those).
April 21st, 2015 at 7:55 am
@Joe…. Hope you are not on the Rivers wagon. We are not going to be in contention for several years. He’s going to be 32 next month. Why would we give up a chance at a franchise QB for the next 10-15 years for any Veteran that has but a few years left? Rivers, cutler and the rest have never been to a SB… And the have been on some good teams. Don’t trade period!
April 21st, 2015 at 7:59 am
@Mariota Joe
dummy’s like you are complaining about Winston as if the same 4 issues he was involved in keeps happening every month and that’s why Winston fans keep talking about character assassination.
The Glazers are MUCH more concerned with him running afoul of the law AFTER April 30th….what does that even mean? I wonder why is it dallas cowboys running back Joseph Randle is caught shoplifting stealing cologne and underwear and he gets an NFL paycheck and people are still talking about a college player stealing crablegs as if millionaires do that? you seem kinda stupid and bitter as if you have a criminal record and your mad he doesn’t
April 21st, 2015 at 8:01 am
@bucs4lyfe I think Goodell pushed the draft back because of school. I think those players trying to graduate do not finish their academic obligations until the first week in May (finals, etc.). Those players are not allowed to be a camps until they finish out their school obligations. I think it happened to Luck a couple years ago. I’m guessing maybe that’s why it was moved back a little bit, but I could be completely wrong.
April 21st, 2015 at 8:15 am
@ Nate – lol, that is funny. Not a chance in hell that is the case. Everything they do is strategic and money related. If I had to guess I would say it is to keep the NFL a hot topic of conversation and in the news longer.
Besides, any “student/athlete” that has declared for the draft is focused on football and I would guess that 95% or more haven’t stepped foot in a class room since December.
April 21st, 2015 at 8:15 am
Mariota Joe
April 21st, 2015 at 8:19 am
mariota joe
you might as well accept winston.
speaking of money, it’s only 20mil or so. I don’t think Lovie has any concern for Glazer money has he wasted over 30 million of it last year with ZERO return on investment. Lovie created more dead money in 30 days than the entire(4 yr plus option year) value of Winstons first contract will be. I know facts and reason mean nothing here and the Lovie apologists and nut-huggers will come out with all this bs but facts are the same.
April 21st, 2015 at 8:20 am
Licht is keeping the door open for a trade down. Winston will likely be the pick, but Lovie and Licht probably have some worry in the back of their minds. They’ve spent more time and resources investigating Winston than probably any other player in team history. They’ve publicly stated how comfortable they are with Winston. But they could still have some hesitation and might be enticed to trade down for the right deal. I still think the pick will be Winston but I wouldn’t be shocked if they traded down.
April 21st, 2015 at 8:22 am
@bucco brice
Yessiirr
I would also check to see if they would be—- willing to throw Antonio Gates in the deal as well.
Philip Rivers
• Mike Evans
• Dorial Green-Beckham ( 3rd Corner Can’t Match Up with this Dude)
• Vincent Jackson
Antonio Gates
(Following players might be released or traded)
• Evan Mathis
• Kraig Urbik
• Alex Boone
April 21st, 2015 at 8:24 am
@tmaxcon
cant argue with that at all but if you win in 2015 who the hell is going to think about 2014, the season is in the books and winning cures all…..FACT
April 21st, 2015 at 8:26 am
bucs4lyfe………..I’m not the issue here dummy (only throwing back the name calling, since you so sweetly initiated the incivilities). Focus on “your man crush”…..Got a jock with the number 5 on it yet? You seem kinda stupid. (I guess I just wrestled with pigs…..lol).
April 21st, 2015 at 8:29 am
“Buc1987 Says:
April 21st, 2015 at 7:39 am
9 more days and JW is all ours…
Ahhhhhhh”
Single digits!!! January feels like a year ago.
April 21st, 2015 at 8:30 am
bucs4lyfe
oh I agree winning is the fastest cure to anything. I just don’t share the same confidence in Lovie that others do based on research of his record. I can’t get passed the inconsistency in his tenure in chicago and the fact he only went to playoffs 1 time back to back in 10 years. he can’t beat teams with winning records and he has never once fielded a respectable oline so I just don’t think he will magically get it after 10 years and turn it all around. i just don’t think it’s possible. I hope I am wrong and I’ll eat a public crap sandwich but I have faith lovie will screw it up.
April 21st, 2015 at 8:51 am
Um bucco Brice you should be shot on sight for that comment. Ya the worst team in the league trading a 21 year old qb for a 33 year old one with no offensive line to drive him to the playoffs. Thank god there aren’t any of these opinions ruining teams
April 21st, 2015 at 9:01 am
@ tmaxcon
yep I get that..i have faith that lovie can turn it around but that’s a bandwagon faith so if he doesn’t prove me right im off that bandwagon and i’ll start the head coaching search myself
April 21st, 2015 at 9:02 am
The prevailing “wisdom” is that the Bucs are taking Fameis. Rick Stroud got the top of the front page of the St. Pete er Tampa Bay Times reporting that the Bucs are all in agreement it’s Fameis.
I’m assuming that Stroud is a LOT more connected to the inner workings of the Bucs than me or any other poster here. And so I accept that insider tidbit.
But again the Bucs would be saying they are OK with Fameis off field transgressions no matter what their plans might be. Just as they aren’t revealing their choice they do not wish to tip their hands. In addition why would they p!ss off the FSU fanbase by saying they think Fameis “character issues” bother them.
I do not believe the Bucs have given a single clue as to what they’re going to do on draft night. And as has been pointed out repeatedly here why would they?
I can only say that I’m going to accept the conventional wisdom and believe that it’s Fameis. If it isn’t I’m going to email Stroud and tell him he has less than zero credibility
The Joes are not far behind him in their assertion but in fairness to them they are at least smart enough to toss in the occasional disclaimer that Lovie has been known to do some strange things.
I get 87 and others thinking the Famies pick is a slam dunk, the power of positive thinking, but for “journalists” to report it it had better be true!
April 21st, 2015 at 9:31 am
it should be interesting to see how far Winston falls in the draft . on espn tv, profootball talk on tv and nfl network on tv it has been said over the past couple weeks many times that most teams will not touch him because of character issues.
the bucs didn’t sign Richie incognito over character issues it is going make them look bad if they sign Winston.
also I agree with many other comments posted he could not take sitting at the nfl draft while everyone stares at him as he keeps not getting picked by other teams.
April 21st, 2015 at 9:42 am
“port richey george Says:
April 21st, 2015 at 9:31 am
it should be interesting to see how far Winston falls in the draft ”
He will fall all the way to #1 overall.
April 21st, 2015 at 10:41 am
I still think Winston is the top overall pick. The Bucs need him to light a fire under the team. That would be a big spark indeed. This phone is making me angry, it comes up “unable to connect to the network at this moment, repeatedly. I have to turn it off and try again.
April 22nd, 2015 at 9:15 am
” on espn tv, profootball talk on tv and nfl network on tv it has been said over the past couple weeks many times that most teams will not touch him because of character issues.”
i’ve missed those reports. can you find me just one? shouldn’t be hard if it’s been said many times over the past couple weeks.
what i did see was an article yesterday on profootballtalk that if winston dropped to #2 the titans would be interested (assuming they aren’t too busy putting out the fire in their draft room from the phone lines burning up with trade offers)