Bridges And Sinkholes
March 21st, 2016
Bucs general manager Jason Licht is buzzing around the NFL Owners meetings in Boca Raton today.
And Licht is enjoying his free agent haul, on the heels of the grand slam of the century.
Joe sees the Custodian of Canton, eye-RAH! Kaufman of The Tampa Tribune, referencing that Licht has been talking about “bridges,” the term Licht uses for old NFL veterans who can be effective players and teachers while the Bucs build through the draft.
Guys like Gosder Cherilus and Logan Mankins were critical in that role last year. And now the Bucs welcome linebacker Daryl Smith, defensive end Robert Ayers and cornerback Brent Grimes, who have played a combined 29 seasons.
It’s a great concept, if you pick the right guys with the proper mindset.
Guys like Michael “Ghost” Johnson and Anthony Collins, for example, weren’t bridges. They were more like sinkholes.
With the Bucs absolutely certain to draft a defensive end — or two, or three? — Ayers really must be a top-shelf character to have been signed for big bucks and dropped into that defensive line meeting room as the senior member.
Yes, mentoring and leadership is a bit overrated, but guys like Johnson and Collins dragging down entire position groups and the team is very serious.
March 21st, 2016 at 1:24 pm
We could use a bridge safety mr. Licht go get Reggie Nelson, plus we need an explosive kick returner that can contribute and provide explosive plays at WR hello mr. Percy Harvin welcome back to Florida, all those cold weather cities (minn Seattle buffalo) have frozen his brain causing migraines, come thaw out in the sun end zones at ray jay thanks
March 21st, 2016 at 1:36 pm
Hi character vets are so very important to teach the young team the ropes. These guys play for the love of the game first and the paycheck once the business side is completed is secondary.
Perhaps Mr Licht learned this from his trade for Logan Mankins. High character vets are the key for not breaking team chemistry, and developing a band of brothers to venture forth to do battle!
March 21st, 2016 at 1:44 pm
Guzzie
Agreed! Harvin and Boldin for that matter.
Joe,
You were talking about grabbing a WR “now” on the twitterverse a few days ago but never mentioned who you like. You said Percy was a headache. So who do you like?
March 21st, 2016 at 1:56 pm
Based on S. White’s analysis, A. Robinson of Alabama sounds like an attractive prospect. But he would have to have strong mentoring to bring out the ridiculous potential. Where and the rest of the locker room would have to bring real focus on such a character.
March 21st, 2016 at 1:57 pm
Ayers, that is. Thanks spell checker.
March 21st, 2016 at 2:06 pm
This is certainly a better group of free agents….grimes and smith are tough guys….
March 21st, 2016 at 2:14 pm
All this talk about drafting all these DE’s and a DT. Please refer to the 2010 and 2011 drafts. Gerald McCoy and Brian Price in 2010 then Adrian Clayborn and Da’quan Bowers. Tell me how well that has worked out! Here’s a novel idea, draft the best player available, chances are, it will fill a hole.
March 21st, 2016 at 3:19 pm
“Guys like Michael “Ghost” Johnson and Anthony Collins, for example, weren’t bridges. They were more like sinkholes.”
Good one Joe.
March 21st, 2016 at 3:28 pm
Gotta get a wr and de out of this draft before you go bpa. Vjax is coming off an injury riddled season and will be 32. Me is good but showed he wasn’t ready for prime time. Nobody else after those 2 distinguished themselves. Therefore I think we gotta go in early on a wr. The best player on our team is at qb and he’s gonna be handcuffed without any targets. Also were weak at de. Dt isn’t necessary. McCoy and McDonald are good. We just need depth. Why licht let everybody go I don’t know?
March 21st, 2016 at 3:44 pm
mentoring and leadership might be overrated, but helping ensure that at least some minority of your players know “the right way” to be pros so you don’t have to babysit 53 men to get a win is not. at the very least, these are a bunch of guys who have proven they know how to do their job, while the majority of players the bucs have developed under raheem, schiano, and lovie have learned to either continue to let college coaches think for them (schiano) or how to be less prepared than the other team (the other two)
March 21st, 2016 at 4:00 pm
@Louis…I agree…im a gator fan but I want no part of percy regardless if he’s healthy….GO BUCS!!!
March 21st, 2016 at 4:06 pm
“Guys like Michael “Ghost” Johnson and Anthony Collins, for example, weren’t bridges. They were more like sinkholes.”
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Sinkholes? You’re giving them a little too much credit. Those MF’S were more like San Andreas. Catastrophic!
March 22nd, 2016 at 12:14 am
Harvin has been a sinkhole for the past 3 or 4 seasons. Keep that cancer away.
Boldin is a bridge through and through.
March 22nd, 2016 at 12:17 am
Nelson would be a good acquisition
March 22nd, 2016 at 2:24 am
The negative effect Anthony Collins had on the offensive line that year is difficult to measure but I guarantee you he had a huge impact o the line and the offense that year. I really don’t think two DE in the draft is necessary and one could argue spending the draft picks on other needs than DE. We have Robert Ayers, William Gholston, Jacquies Smith, Howard Jones and George Johnson at the moment. So we are actually loaded at that position. If we do draft a DE in the first it should either be Leonard Floyd or Shaq Lawson. In the second Carl Nassib. In the third or possibly fourth Shawn Oakman. For those against drafting a DT in the early rounds I have a question for you? How many sacks did Clinton McDonald and Akeem Spence combine for? Can anyone say crispy crème. I agree we need a playmaker at WR. We could go with Laquon Treadwell in the first or Josh Doctson, Braxton Miller or Sterling Shepard in the second or Tyler Boyd in the third. All have potential, good hands and playmaking skills. In FA I still can not get any feedback why we would not sign James Jones, Packers for depth? Or Roddy White? Makes no sense. I don’t like Donteea Dye. Jones would fit perfectly into our depth chart and would be a massive playmaker for Jameis Winston. If the Buccaneers are serious about getting back into contention in the near future, Jones would be an excellent veteran pickup. There won’t be a terribly high price tag on Jones, which would help us especially if Vincent Jacksons knee does not hold up. We simply cannot afford to go into the 2016 season without bringing in more depth at receiver.