Kirwan: Miami Won’t Re-Sign Vernon
February 17th, 2016
Pat Kirwan expects Miami DE Oliver Vernon to hit the free agent market.
Yes, Joe is well aware that Bucs fans are thinking of defensive ends as the combine is days away and free agency is so close fans can hear the bells ringing.
No team has blown chunks on itself through the past decade trying to find (or keep) defensive ends who make opposing quarterbacks sweat in the middle of the night quite like the Bucs. It is truly shameful, and a main reason why the Bucs have been cellar dwellers in the NFC South five of the past six seasons.
So when Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht, a man who understands this massive roster hole must be fixed for the team to play meaningful games in January, invokes the name of Olivier Vernon of the Dolphins, it has Joe’s antennae up.
Thus, why Joe is paying rapt attention to Vernon’s free agent contract talks with Miami, or lack thereof.
A man Joe respects a lot, Pat Kirwan, a well-plugged in national voice on SiriusXM NFL Radio and a former Jets director of player personnel and Bucs coffee fetcher, took to his underrated site, RealFootballNetwork.com, and explained how he believes the Dolphins will wave goodbye to Vernon in the coming days.
Also interesting to this list is Olivier Vernon, who is essentially the first casualty of the Ndamukong Suh contract. Suh’s cap number for 2016 is more than $28 million! So while Vernon may be the first, he won’t be the last to be cut by the Dolphins. It will be interesting to see just how many players will lose their jobs so that the team can pay Suh.
As of Tuesday morning, Kirwan had Vernon ranked as his No. 7 overall free agent.
Whether this comes true and Vernon makes it to the open market remains to be seen. As you can expect, Joe is monitoring the goings-on in South Florida closely.
February 17th, 2016 at 9:03 am
So there gonna release Lamar Miller, O.Vernon, R.Matthews and possibly Jordan Cameron all over overated shmuck N.Suh??? Wow glad I’m not a fins fan. Lol but if it means O.Vernon being released and hopefully signing with our BucS I’M ALL FOR IT!!!
February 17th, 2016 at 9:17 am
@bucs4life86: MIAMI may have over-paid for N. Suh, but he damn sure ain’t over-rated! You call him a smuck……whatever that is and it may be so, but he ain’t over-rated!!
February 17th, 2016 at 9:20 am
So it comes out this morning that Kuechly is having shoulder surgery for a torn labrum that he tore against us in the last game of the year. I seem to remember him playing great in the playoffs despite said injury and is now getting it fixed. So what was wrong with McCoy again and is he having surgery to get it fixed? So Joe when you ask your open ended question about why people have an issue with McCoy’s production please look no further than this post as this is what we expect from our highest paid player who loves the spot light yet rarely deserves it. No excuses, gets the job done and MAKES PLAYS!
February 17th, 2016 at 9:22 am
@BigHogHaynes
Yes he is. He hasn’t even been playing that well for years. He makes the news by stomping on people…that’s about it.
He’ll never even make the HoF.
On Topic,
Olivier Vernon needs to come to Tampa. Period.
He won’t be a complete solution, but he’s the best option currently available in free agency. He’s young, he’s hungry, and he’s got skills. The only downside is he’s coming from the Dolphins…a team that, like the Bucs, has been losing a bit.
February 17th, 2016 at 9:24 am
@ndog
Quit being stupid. McCoy played for half the season through two individual injuries.
And one player doesn’t make the playoffs. You know that. You just like to hate on McCoy.
February 17th, 2016 at 9:26 am
The irony is that Williams isn’t even mentioned in Pat Kirwan’s article. Not even considered.
February 17th, 2016 at 9:30 am
ndog:
Only two or three defensive tackles “make more plays” last year than GMC, and comparing a linebacker who has a bum shoulder and a defensive tackle with a bum shoulder is a reach. A linebacker isn’t getting blasted each and every play in the shoulder.
If people want to run GMC, that tells Joe they actually want DaQuan Bowers. Reminds Joe of how Cubs fans used to whine about Sammy Sosa not getting enough RBIs.
February 17th, 2016 at 10:05 am
No one wants to run GMC, that is putting words in my mouth I am simply answering the question that you keep asking as to why people are all over him. And while LK does not play defensive tackle he has to bring down ball carriers, cover tight ends, get his hands up to make plays on the ball, and shed blockers to do his job. I do believe all of those things require the use of ones shoulder. Plus my point is he played and played well all while not making excuses unlike our “super star”, who bye the way has yet to require surgery that made his play drop off.
February 17th, 2016 at 10:09 am
Outside of QB I hate to see all that money in one player.
In another sport here in town the Stamkos saga plays out. 8.5 million is more than enough. If he wants to leave then let him.
He’s disappeared over this current slump…he disappeared during a long part of last year’s Stanley Cup playoffs..thank heaven’s for Tyler Johnson.
Dude can’t carry this team and he’s not even contributing that much right now.
The ONLY guy I won’t balk at getting the big bucks is back here on the Bucs.
If #3 continues to develop at his current pace he’s going to be able to back up the Brink’s truck to One Buc Place. And I’m OK with that…his skill set..leadership..at the most important position on the field will make him worth it.
But Suh getting that kind of money…naaa. And I think Suh is an excellent player…his position and contribution are just not worth that kind of $$$.
February 17th, 2016 at 10:41 am
I hope we do snatch Vernon that way my dream of drafting a dominant DT first overall will be realized. Lets go Bunkner or Nkemdiche.
February 17th, 2016 at 10:45 am
@ndog,
I have a torn labrum, had it for years, it’s painful but doesn’t really stop you from operating, lifting weights etc., what its good for is getting out of painting the house, it’s not good for baseball players because of the throwing motion, but I play basketball with it, I think GMC had a torn rotator cuff, much more difficult when it comes to banging that shoulder
February 17th, 2016 at 10:49 am
But the subject at hand, Vernon will be a great compliment to GMC and whoever we draft at #9, D-lineman
February 17th, 2016 at 10:53 am
I don’t hate, nor want to run McCoy either.
But due to the injuries over his career, he’s really never lived up to his contract. Durability matters.
“If people want to run GMC, that tells Joe they actually want DaQuan Bowers”
Joe, thanks for the laugh. Grab a late round prospect or a UDFA to replace Bowers. At least there would be some hope.
February 17th, 2016 at 11:44 am
Let me run some stats past you guys from ESPN. For those of you who hate statistics, take a look … then take some Imodium.
GMC 2 Yr Summary:
2014
Tackles/Assists NFL for DT: 35
Sacks: 8.5
2015
Tackles/Assists NFL for DT: 34 (25th in NFL for DTs), (12th on Bucs), (371st in NFL)
Sacks: 8.5 (4th in NFL for DTs)
GMC Comparison with other DTs
#1 Tackles/Assists NFL for DT: 72 (Damon Harrison) Sacks: .5
#2 Tackles/Assists NFL for DT: 69 (Arron Donald) Sacks: 11
#3 Tackles/Assists NFL for DT: 61 (Ndamukong Suh) Sacks: 6
#7 Tackles/Assists NFL for DT: 55 (Kawaan Short) Sacks: 11
#25 Tackles/Assists NFL for DT: 34 (Gerald McCoy) Sacks: 8.5
Stats are never a complete picture, but they sure seem to point at an
average player overall with decent sack totals. His tackle/assit production is far below the best in the NFL for the last two years. Was he hurt last year? His production in 2013 was better. 50 tackles/Assists with 9.5 sacks. Is the last two year drop off due to Lovie’s defense? Maybe.
February 17th, 2016 at 11:48 am
Further comparison on Bucs DL
W. Gholston Tackles/Assists: 67 Sacks: 3
February 17th, 2016 at 11:51 am
LVD Tackles/Assists: 147 (3rd in NFL) 3 sacks
Kwon Tackles/Assists: 93 (44th in NFL) 3 sacks
February 17th, 2016 at 1:16 pm
Quality DE’s like Olivier Vernon are not easy to come by. He is still young and has his best years ahead of him. The Dolphins will not let him walk. They will let RB Lamar Miller go because they have a decent RB to back him up in Jay Ajayi. Rishard Matthews will probably be allowed to test the open market being their 3rd receiver. Watch for Miami to give Vernon the Transition Tag (not franchise) and match the highest offer. To make additional cap space the Dolphins will more than likely let Mitchell, Taylor, Dion Jordan, Matt Moore, Dallas Thomas, Greg Jennings, and Jordan Cameron go. The Bucs should sign WR Rishard Matthews and WR Jermaine Kearse, then release Vincent Jackson.
February 17th, 2016 at 5:30 pm
You can’t pay a player like Suh all that money and expect to be able to sign all your other stars when the time comes.
Vernon will probably be a Buc next season.
February 18th, 2016 at 2:07 am
@biff
I would argue that GMC did the best with what he was dealt. The rest of the DL has always been subpar for him. Teams know he’s the biggest threat. They target him.
And yet…he has consistently still gotten 8+ sacks per year. Imagine if he had a good DL around him.