Trade Deadline Looming
October 24th, 2017
Will Jason Licht be involved in high stakes poker in the coming days?
The NFL isn’t even remotely close to the NHL or, to a lesser degree, MLB, where teams make dozens of moves at the trade deadline to either hoard nuts for the future or find a player that might take them over the top in a stretch run.
And one week from today is the NFL trade deadline.
For reasons not fully clear, NFL teams don’t often swing deals at the trade deadline. Again, nowhere close to MLB or the NHL. But here the Bucs sit, with zero edge rush (what edge rush?), a shaky secondary outside of Brent Grimes (and who knows if he returns next year?) and a sputtering run game (what’s new?).
To add irony to the issue, the NFL trade deadline falls on Halloween.
(Column intermission: Joe found it both amusing and ironic that during the Bucs-Bills game, FOX broadcaster Chris Myers, who also works Bucs preseason games, consistently referred to Chuck Sims as a “receiving back,” not a “running back.” BUHAHAHAHA!)
The problem is, teams know the Bucs have major holes and as a result, likely will try to mug Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht for ransom.
Does Licht panic and start throwing away future draft picks in an effort to save the season? Does he try to pawn shy, belly shirt-wearing, practice-hating, kicker-heckling, tree-grinding , non-contact-football-loving, chicken-wings-grilling, playing-time squawking Swaggy Baker? Is Licht desperate enough to trade for St. Petersburg native Dante Fowler who has the third-most snaps of the four Jaguars’ defensive ends and who damn near has as many sacks as the entire Bucs squad?
Will the trade deadline be a treat for Bucs fans or will Licht be played with a very cruel trick?
October 24th, 2017 at 1:44 pm
Any player you’d like to see traded tmax?
October 24th, 2017 at 1:46 pm
^^^Too easy!
October 24th, 2017 at 1:48 pm
IMO..it is a player problem…not a scheme…coaching problem….53 elite athletes…only the coaching staff and GM know who the malcontent slackers are…so hell yeah…trade for picks or new blood….
October 24th, 2017 at 1:50 pm
Man , what a disappointing season this has quickly evolved into . Drafting has been inefficient , yes Licht has had some great hits but the same team cripppling needs remain . No pass rush , no running game , pourus secondary play ! All three a constant for to long . No trade will save this team at this point . What a sorry quandary for the Glazers to face this off season . They really had the Bay Area behind them finally after such horrible results and issues the last 5-7 years .
October 24th, 2017 at 1:55 pm
What do we trade FOR? Me, I’d look for d-line help A-S-A-P. But, you could make the argument for a DB also.
Who would we trade? My list is as follows:
TJ Ward (immediately!)
Baker (yesterday)
Sims (I can’t stand the dancing!)
DJax (As a last resort. I think he can be salvaged.)
If you think trading GMC is a good idea, look at the line that’s left if you trade him: Beastly blown up by a FB Ayers, GOAT run-stuffing Gholston, Over-running straw weight Spence, and Clinton McDonald. Good luck with that!
October 24th, 2017 at 1:57 pm
How about trade 2 malcontents (Swaggy and Ward) + a 3rd rd draft pick for another alleged malcontent in Seattle (Richard Sherman).
October 24th, 2017 at 2:00 pm
As bad as we need corners, we need a pash rush worse.
October 24th, 2017 at 2:00 pm
>>> How about trade 2 malcontents (Swaggy and Ward) + a 3rd rd draft pick for another alleged malcontent in Seattle (Richard Sherman). <<<
LOL Him and Miko would get along together just fine. 🙂
October 24th, 2017 at 2:00 pm
Now Pick, I could live with an “alleged malcontent” that can play. Best of all, he wouldn’t need a stool to get eye-to-eye with WRs!
October 24th, 2017 at 2:09 pm
Licht at the trade deadline……. That is the sound of crickets, I can’t even remember a trade outside of Logan Mankins which was early in the season. He’ll do nothing just like usual and I’m not going to expect
October 24th, 2017 at 2:09 pm
I’d like to trade LVD so that he can win a ring.
Sad that the Bucs never got him any help like a dominate DT, safety or cb.
If you look at his stats LVD is arguably as good if not better than (dare I say) my favorite player of all time Derrick Brooks. ( feels weird even typing this).
Brooks > LVD in the INT dept except for when LVD played under Schiano (hmm)
LVD > Brooks when it comes to tackles, sacks and TFLs.
Someone check me please but this is as accurate as I can recall.
Free LVD he’s way too good to play in Tampa fl home of the hillbilly meth heads and sons of the confederate.
October 24th, 2017 at 2:12 pm
Don’t mean to be a Debbie downer, but short of Calais Campbell and a Sherman both, and then some… we aren’t going to the SB this year. If we are players at all then it should be sending a couple guys to a contender if the ransom is high enough
October 24th, 2017 at 2:13 pm
I doubt any moves will be made. It is always fun to speculate tho.
October 24th, 2017 at 2:19 pm
@DB55- He may become a casualty anyway. Your sarcasm is not lost on me. I simply think that we’re not nearly as talented as people think we are. We’ve got average-above average players, some who play really good sometimes. Kwon gets a lot of attention but he is no Ray Lewis. You can’t even say he’s a Hardy Nickerson. Safety? DB?
There just ain’t much there.
October 24th, 2017 at 2:20 pm
I thought it’d be impossible to have a worse GM than Dominik, but Licht is sure trying.
October 24th, 2017 at 2:23 pm
What about DeSean for JPP and Rodgers-Cromartie
October 24th, 2017 at 2:30 pm
Glazers: Jason why weren’t these needs addressed in the off season? “I thought we needed 5 or 6 safeties and few more old DT’s, Turns out we have a few more needs! Good news though, I found a kicker!
October 24th, 2017 at 2:35 pm
Lol denjoe
October 24th, 2017 at 2:57 pm
denjoe….GM’s draft was turned inside out when OJ was on the board…
October 24th, 2017 at 3:32 pm
Fans still trust Jason Licht? that’s strange
October 24th, 2017 at 3:47 pm
Licht & Koetter gambled BIG TIME this past spring … and so far they’ve lost. We had plenty of chances (and money) to pick up DE help in both FA & the draft. Nada … zip, zero, zilch. We had plenty of chances to pick up several quality CBs in both FA & the draft. Again nada. (Oops, forgot about bringing in McClain as a depth player). Plenty of chances to pick up quality RBs especially in the draft. Nothing. (Oops, forgot about McDuff who’s now on someone else’s PS out on the West Coast). Instead of getting the DE/CB/RB help we all knew was needed, they held fast, betting that the Bucs defense could replicate their 2nd half of the season performance. And probably betting that Doug Martin would not only get his act together (which he has), but that he’d return to his 2015 production (jury’s still out on that one).
The REAL bet I’d contend however is that both of them were convinced that this Bucs offense would play lights-out this year. That they knew full well it’d take several drafts to ‘fix’ this defense that had no real pass rush & a shaky secondary. But they were convinced I think that this offense could put up oodles of points in the meantime & allow the Bucs to contend in the NFC South. When they drafted Evans in the 2nd rnd & Beckwith in the 4th rnd they were BOTH dinged up as I recall. No way they knew when either one of them would be ready to contribute (especially as rookies who could well have missed training camp).
And yet, we are where we are. I’m personally not counting on any DE or CB saviors to show up before the trade deadline. Most of these guys are healthy, but several are dinged up, and that may be contributing to some of the shaky play (hamstrings & ankles & shoulders & hips don’t heal overnight, and we’ve had a bunch of that thus far on defense). Remain convinced that our only hope for a ‘decent’ season is if our offense starts putting up 30-35 pts/game, controls the clock, and we win the turnover battles. IOW, I hope Licht & Koetter win their REAL bet for this season.
October 24th, 2017 at 3:58 pm
I say trade Jason Licht for a bag of pork skins and a 40 ounce of Colt-45. That would be a great trade if we can get that much for him.
October 24th, 2017 at 4:28 pm
Desperation trades mean giving up more than you ought to. We need ALL our draft picks (and more, if possible) to rebuild this defense in the offseason.
October 24th, 2017 at 5:17 pm
Hmmmm pork rinds and mickeys now your talking my language. WEPA!!
October 24th, 2017 at 7:25 pm
WHAT A BIG BUILD UP BY THE BUC’S THE FIRST OF EVERY SEASON’S JUST TO LET ALL THE FANS DOWN , EVERY SENCE GURDEN GOT FIRED ( FOR NO REASON ) THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON, WHAT REALLY IS GOING ON WITH THE BUC’S , IT’S THE SAME THING EVERY YEAR, WAIT TILL NEXT YEAR , SOUNDS LIKE I HEARD THAT STORY TOO MANY TIMES BEFORE, THEY WILL JUST CHOKE NEXT YEAR TOO………………..
October 24th, 2017 at 9:11 pm
I’m on the..GRUDEN EXPRESS. Been there ever since he got fired. Add Tony Dungy for the Defense. Bring The Tampa Bay Bucs back to prominance. Both Gruden and Dungy take pride in residing in Tampa Bay. The have both said they want us to be champions. I say, give’em a chance as a duo.
October 24th, 2017 at 10:12 pm
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I wish the NFL trade deadline was like the other three major sports … but it’s sooo boring usually.
I’d love to see some MEGA TRADES like Luck to the Cardinals for a boatload of picks, Cousins to the Jaguars for Bortles and a bunch of picks, Rivers to the Broncos for Paxton Lynch and picks, etc.
I’d like to see Swaggy & Ward traded for as high a pick(s) as possible, even if it’s a 7th rounder.
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October 25th, 2017 at 12:31 pm
Nobody would dare trade for Chris Baker. His play and what he gets paid to play, are a joke. Why would Fowler be available? The Jaguars are doing well. They actually have a shot at being good unlike us. We stink… if we could dump Mike Smith and his inability to do anything remotely effective on defense, that would be a step in the right direction. It’s time for Jay Hayes to take over.