Red Ink In The Trenches
December 21st, 2017
“Could you raise some games around here, Gerald?”
Remember when former Buccaneers guard Ian Beckles accused Chris Baker of stealing from Team Glazer this season?
Well, a guy who works in the NFL laid out some unflattering cash numbers on Baker’s comrades.
It’s ugly. Somebody call Pam Bondi.
The Bucs have coughed up big bucks for the pass rush equivalent of a broken bicycle this season.
Ben Fennell detailed via Twitter that the Bucs have flushed gobs of loot down the toilet on their old and ineffective D-line in 2017. (Numbers below)
Buccaneers have the 3rd highest paid DL in the NFL (40.1 million cap this season, 26% of cap)
Sacks – 18 (32nd)
Run Defense – 119.5 YPG (23rd)— Ben Fennell (@BenFennell_NFL) December 21, 2017
Joe’s not sure when during the season Fennell extracted his data, but it’s ugly regardless. For those wondering, as of September, it was the Dolphins that invested the most in the league this year on the defensive line.
Joe wrote earlier about the roughly $19 million earmarked for Bucs linemen Will Gholston, Robert Ayers and Baker this season. As Ira Kaufman said Tuesday about that trio on the wildly popular Ira Kaufman Podcast, “Done, done and done.”
The Bucs can get out of all three contracts in March with out a problem. Yes, Gholston plays with heart and is good against the run, but Gholston has regressed greatly as a pass rusher and slightly against the run. So don’t beat up Ira on the Gholston call.
Man, 26 percent of the salary cap going to the worst unit on the team.
Ouch.
December 21st, 2017 at 6:13 pm
Ug-freakin’-lee…….who’s the Bozo who signed those guys???
December 21st, 2017 at 6:14 pm
So… Rather than pointing at Koetter, we should be pointing at the GM. The FA track record has been a tad spotty.
December 21st, 2017 at 6:15 pm
With damning reports like this, it’s a sure thing the coaching and front office staff will be out in January.
December 21st, 2017 at 6:17 pm
I should add that I’m not altogether sure how happy I am about that. I really wanted the ride to last a little longer than two years this time…. So much promise.
December 21st, 2017 at 6:17 pm
Gholston was never a good pass rusher, but sure he has missed his customary 2.5 sacks a year average. Which certainly explains why America’s GM Jason Licht gave him all of that money.
Of course Doug Martin has the 5th highest contract for a RB in the NFL (10th when you include the 3 game suspension), so you can see why Jason Licht is clearly the best ever at his job, and the Glazers love him for all of the many ways he uses their cash for good.
December 21st, 2017 at 6:17 pm
Cue the McCoy haters. Our lines on both sides stink but the O Line can be formidable. I haven’t seen a decent D Line since our glory days.
December 21st, 2017 at 6:19 pm
GMC must Really be Batman cuz no one in the media dares call him out.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1z6o1GIEsQE
December 21st, 2017 at 6:19 pm
The blame lies in the scouting department or the chain of command that has been finding these flunkies….is someone getting a kick back ?….Sure Licht makes the final call but I’d be surprised if he studies film all year looking for the next whatever….he is presented with cut up videos of players and pitched a story….
December 21st, 2017 at 6:19 pm
It’s the god dang defense!!!
These corners are playing so far back they need to send a postcard to let the wr’s know where they are. I don’t care who is on that line until they press more they would have to have the best line in the league to even breath on the qb with this DC running things.
Jason Licht hasn’t been great in Free Agency…but he has done well with the draft….and until the defense is coached properly I’m not reading into anything stats.
Even Hargreaves played on the line in college. Grimes won’t comeback next season with this coaching. Smith needs to go or we are going to waste the next four years of talent no matter who they sign in FA or draft….PERIOD!!!
December 21st, 2017 at 6:24 pm
This makes Howard very happy to know that team Glazer is at least spending the money, but the problem now is the lack of accountability. These players have no respect for the fans or the owners. Shameless paycheck cashers. They’re laughing in the Glazers faces.
December 21st, 2017 at 6:36 pm
Howard
Gmc in particular is skipping to the bank while singing https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3KaE3q3FYZI
December 21st, 2017 at 6:47 pm
Is there a president of operations/franchise that oversees the whole of the operation ? Above the GM ,staying out of player and coaching selection but holds those that are accountable ? Or is it just the grinning G’Boyz
December 21st, 2017 at 6:48 pm
I guess you don’t get what you pay for.
December 21st, 2017 at 7:01 pm
and the Bucs organization wants people to lay out their hard earned money to watch multimillionaire, part-time workers (for those in Ybor, that refers to the football team as they work a small portion of the week and of the year) stink up the joint…a joke
December 21st, 2017 at 7:06 pm
And here we go….. gmc the leader of the poorest unit today or in the NFL history gets a pass and passed blamed to Gholston and Baker. Gholston is being doubled on the run cuz of run stuffer ability. Baker was good and at times played better than gmc and Still GMC is blameless. GMC has no accountability or expectations. What pro bowls??? If so I see why this team sucks for years
December 21st, 2017 at 7:08 pm
If any questioning me about Baker being better Gmc at times Watch the Panthers game is a perfect example Baker held that line down or As game
December 21st, 2017 at 7:08 pm
Az game
December 21st, 2017 at 7:14 pm
And so we see split results with Licht. Overall his drafts have been excellent but his FA acquisitions with a couple of exceptions have been busts.
So let Licht keep drafting and find an FA guru.
December 21st, 2017 at 8:06 pm
@StPete … “So let Licht keep drafting and find an FA guru.” StPete, everyone seems to believe that Licht is doing a great job drafting but a not-so-great job in FA. Personally think his draft acumen is way over-rated … he’s had 11 picks in the 1st & 2nd rounds, and any GM who misses there deserves to be fired. The 1st round is a no-brainer for all 32 teams, and if you’re drafting high (like the Bucs do) you should also hit in the 2nd round. Take a close look at Licht’s 1st & 2nd round picks and check how many he’s missed on. Then do the same thing for his free agent signings (and BTW, several of our FAs, like Brent Grimes, came here not because of Licht, but because of their relationships with either Koetter or Smitty). Licht is the one responsible for this personnel disaster, not Koetter and not Smitty. In too many cases they’ve been hung out to dry, trying to fit square pegs in round holes.
December 21st, 2017 at 8:23 pm
Lolli pop. LMAO. Well done DB.
@Buc4eva
Even if the Glazers are gutsy (think foolish) enough to keep Koetter in charge, there’s no farging way that Mike Smith stays. If fans are subjected to that blowhard know-nothing sitting in the booth watching his corners lined up at Mons Venus against opposing WR’s while the D Line layeth on the ground right after the snap, there will be nothing but opposing fans in attendance at Ray Jay.
@D Rules,
I don’t know about that. Licht gets credit for all FA studs and FA duds or none. You don’t get to pick and choose which ones were his fault and which ones were because of someone else. His FA signings have been boo-boo. He needed to go all in on Calais and we balked when we had even more dinero than Jax. We will be watching while Jax easily coasted into the playoffs. D-Jax has been so-so but it’s been all downhill after he and Grimes. His draft picks minus the ridiculous Aguayo pick have been solid. There’s really no denying OJ, Godwin, Evans and Beckwith look like great picks.
December 21st, 2017 at 8:38 pm
Tom S
So you are the one Bucs fan that had the foresight after the 2015 season to tell Martin after a 1400 yard seaaon that he wasnt worth the resign? You would have been thesmart looking guy to tell the fans that Martins awesome season was a fluke? I suppose Licht got him hooked on all the illegal substances too?
Get outta here you joker.
December 21st, 2017 at 9:06 pm
There was absolutely no reason to keep Martin this year at his salary. Licht’s FA misses should get him fired it has been unbelievable bad. If Koetter was the reason Martin was retained for this year he should also go. I actually believe if you fire a coach the GM who hired him should be fired too.
December 21st, 2017 at 9:16 pm
cmurda, I hear ya & I get why folks praise Licht’s drafting. I was focusing on the 1st & 2nd rounders, of which we’ve had 10 since 2014. I’m guessing that ASJ & Aguayo aren’t on your Bucs’ All-Pro list. Neither is VHIII right now I’d surmise, and for some, the verdict’s still out on Donovan Smith & Noah Spence. That’s 5 right there … 50% of the Rnd 1 & 2 picks. Lots of other teams have done better drafting since 2014.
IMO, the GM & ownership are the ones who set the vision for the organization. Atlanta had a vision, and has aggressively pursued it. So have the Saints, and to a somewhat lesser degree the Panthers. All 3 have methodically improved their teams, and most likely all 3 will be in the playoffs this year. How about our Bucs? What’s our vision? Build an offense that scores 21 points a game while we create a patchwork defense that can’t stop the pass or the run? Again IMO, we have a competent coaching staff (for the most part), but the lack of vision & talent is condemning us to the basement of the NFC South. How long do you think it’ll be before we start losing some of our better players to other more competitive teams?
December 21st, 2017 at 9:17 pm
Baker doesn’t fit the scheme. He’s more of a 3 technique than a nose. Ayers has lost 2 father time and Gholston should have never got that contract.
December 21st, 2017 at 9:20 pm
Fair points D Rules. I don’t disagree.
December 21st, 2017 at 10:04 pm
Sorry, but this is all on Jason Licht
December 21st, 2017 at 10:36 pm
Ouch. That’s unacceptable
December 21st, 2017 at 10:38 pm
McCoy is far and away the most paid Buc ever…Ayers is a tough talker but little else these days and ol’ Saggy Donut Baker…what a misappropriation of funds! Golston is who we thought he was ( solid run stuffer ) …and we paid him above “book”. ( RIP Denny Green )…
December 21st, 2017 at 11:24 pm
Look no further than the Glazers as far as who is responsible for the mess in Tampa. They let Licht run this team into the ground by selecting poorly in FA and having too many misses in the draft. Our trench push is bad on both sides of the ball. Missing on Campbell to put next to GMC in the off season and you have the formula that got us to 4 wins – 10 losses. I wish Glazers would sell but they wont until after the SB in 2021.
December 21st, 2017 at 11:27 pm
there is an uber fine line between –
the guys around GMC are the problem are the entire problem…….
and…
GMC is part of the problem…
this is a real issue and emotional fans have trouble with this…it really has to be figured out…because GMC’s stats are good, but like carmelo anthony, he seems to not make the people around him any better…and let’s make believe he is actually making them better, then wtf is going on with this line!!!…
this needs to really be figured out – as it is the base problem of the defense…
is GMC some happy go lucky comic nerd or is it just me?…i do not see “true beasts” running around at comic con to get the latest telly tubby
December 21st, 2017 at 11:51 pm
We really do not know if we have good players or bad players because the coaching is terrible. You fellows are beating the wrong horse.