Gerald McCoy Names Two Free Agency Targets
January 24th, 2018
Wants Bucs to spend big
Practicing at his sixth consecutive Pro Bowl today, Bucs stud defensive tackle Gerald McCoy says he wants free agents to come to Tampa, and he will be recruiting all week.
Joe asked McCoy to identify what he’s looking for in a free agent, but McCoy went right to the who.
“Mike Bennett, Aqib Talib,” McCoy said.
Both former Buccaneers and current Pro Bowlers are under contract with their teams, the Seahawks and Broncos, respectively. But Bennett and Talib have been talked about as possible salary cap casualties. Both will be 32 years old when the 2018 season kicks off.
About what McCoy is seeking in a free agent, he finally answered the question. No. 93 is looking for a gamer attitude.
“When you come into our building, whatever made you a champion or whatever made you who you are, bring that. Show us what it takes to be a champion,” McCoy said. “Show us what it takes to be successful, because my guys we’re going to bring in are playoff players, been in the playoffs. had success. A lot them have rings or have been to the Super Bowl, or been deep in the playoffs. Bring that! Show us what it takes to get there; we have to get there. And, you know, we’re working our best to. So I want to bring guys in like that, guys who are not [[makes gestures that implies stay away from guys who are all talk]], we need guys that’s going to show up on Sundays.”
Joe followed up and asked McCoy if he remembered Bennett and Talib as practice warriors.
McCoy said Bennett was never a kill-himself-in-practice kind of guy. “But he was a soldier, a warrior on Sundays, and that’s what you need. “Mike Bennett was never a “kill himself in practice [guy], but he would die on Sunday for his brothers. … Aqib practiced hard, though, and he brought it on Sunday, too.”
Yes, the 32nd-ranked Bucs defense needs some juice, and either Talib or Bennett would provide it in a hurry.
Would Team Glazer and general manager Jason Licht go there? That’s unclear, though Joe would love to see either wearing Bucs colors as part of a splash move.
McCoy says his recruiting is all on his own.
“I don’t know the business side or what the coaches are doing upstairs right now, but I’ll tell you what Gerald is doing. I’m out here recruiting. I’m walking through; I’m asking, ‘who’s a free agent?’ And if you’re a free agent, I don’t care what position you play. We’ll take you,” McCoy said.
No takers yet, McCoy added. “A lot of guys are following the money trail, so we have to drop some cash and make this thing happen. “
January 24th, 2018 at 12:53 pm
McCoy,hopefully your not on the team next year!
January 24th, 2018 at 12:58 pm
Yeah, whatever. The guy who plays next to you, Clinton McDonald, could show you what it takes to be a champion.
TJ Ward was supposed to show the team what it takes to be a champion. Off-season gum flapping is the worst.
January 24th, 2018 at 12:58 pm
Good lord…if they’re listening to McCoy, I’m outta here…the last straw. Trade the clown for a pick. He’s not part of the future, near or far…Those 2 are Bucs history items, let it go…Re-sign Rice and Barber would be the same thing…
January 24th, 2018 at 12:58 pm
Trade Gerald!!
January 24th, 2018 at 12:58 pm
our guys, playoff players etc…talking like their world champs.
thats the problem right there. these guys ACTUALLY think that. Until they get some with humility and a passion and fire to learn they will always be bums.
rich, yeah, so who am i to say lol. but they still suck on sundays.
January 24th, 2018 at 12:59 pm
Why would I spend millions of dollars to lure high priced free agents to come play for a defense that is coached to cover with a pair of binoculars. I don’t see Grimes coming back for that reason, he doesn’t want to play for Mike Smith and who the he’ll else out there would?
January 24th, 2018 at 1:00 pm
Lots of talkers…How bout Djax and McCoy in a package deal…Be way better off in the long run…Bucs wont win the Super Bowl next year, so setup for 2-3 years down the road…
January 24th, 2018 at 1:01 pm
Trade GMC? I mean, if we can get real good value for him via trade, then you might consider it. Take a look though. What do you have on the d-line?
As to Bennett and Talib, they are upgrades over every other player at their position on this team. Nothing else needs to be said.
January 24th, 2018 at 1:03 pm
I echo what McCoy is sayin, BUCS NEED EXPERIENCED WINNERS!!..
January 24th, 2018 at 1:07 pm
These short term fixes, if they work, are not part of the ‘build a champion’ picture. Hopefully the Bucs are looking ahead and not trying to put a bunch of old guys together for just next year…The Gruden/Allen way, yuck…
January 24th, 2018 at 1:10 pm
To my ears, McC sounds like Charlie Brown’s teacher.
January 24th, 2018 at 1:18 pm
Bucsfanman
get over the who will replace him argument. it does not matter his production is minimal and he is a total liability in the run game. It would be one thing if you were talking about a driven winner but you are trying to justify keeping a career loser who is not driven to be great or win. bucs are better without the crying clown. Other than the outstanding first step to nowhere mccoy brings nothing but a mentally weak soft approach to game days.
January 24th, 2018 at 1:19 pm
yeah, Gruden had 2 losing, and 5 winning seasons a SB and 3 playoff runs
to heck with his way. lol
January 24th, 2018 at 1:20 pm
Bucsfanman
i actually just took a mccoy soft and easy to drop.
January 24th, 2018 at 1:21 pm
Robert
gruden had one good year and failed miserably afterwards… winning a soft division and losing in the first round of playoffs is failure not success. if you do not contend in the playoffs your season is a failure regardless of meaningless regular season accomplishments. raise your standards. just being better than Cleveland is no longer the standard.
January 24th, 2018 at 1:24 pm
Show us what it takes to be successful
i have been saying for years the crying clown has no clue how to win. now he admits it with that pathetic aw shucks attitude. get that loser out of the locker room and raise the standards.
January 24th, 2018 at 1:25 pm
to change the mentallity of the team they need to ditch guys like GMC, no action jackson, MEETOO evans for starters.
focus on guys like oj howard, chris goodwin, humphries, L David, Kwon some DB’s and the trenches
WWBB do?
January 24th, 2018 at 1:25 pm
Well, if Bennett doesn’t want to practice hard, Tampa is the right place.
January 24th, 2018 at 1:26 pm
it is awesome that our coach’s big claim to fame is that he runs the softest camps, maybe ever.
January 24th, 2018 at 1:27 pm
@Robert…Gruden and Allen are the reason this team is in this state…When you miss on EVERY draft pick for 7 straight years this is what you get. A team constantly trying to catch up in talent. Free agency doesn’t fix draft disasters…
January 24th, 2018 at 1:27 pm
“if you do not contend in the playoffs your season is a failure”
huh?
at least they played ball competitively
vs. not seeing playoffs in how long?
January 24th, 2018 at 1:27 pm
Actually I just rethought this they should definitely bring Michael Bennett and Aqib Talib back at all costs because those guys will tell you what they think no matter who you are and maybe if they signed to leave he’ll go up to Mike Smith put them in a corner and tell him to quit running this soft zone defense so they can actually win some games
January 24th, 2018 at 1:28 pm
I remember when Gruden wanted “juice” and we got Charlie Garner.
January 24th, 2018 at 1:28 pm
OMFG……..9 years later it still Grudens fault.
ok, had my laugh for the day. have fun.
January 24th, 2018 at 1:31 pm
The most disturbing implication is a current lack of leadership. Not exactly what I wanted to hear from GMC. Won’t ever be thinking his name again when the topic comes up.
January 24th, 2018 at 1:32 pm
Robert
you are practicing selective memory at it’s finest. gruden and allan started the playoff drought with their failed attempt at keeping a team together. horrible drafting and horrible free agent signings started this drought. raise your standards getting beat in first round is not being competitive.
January 24th, 2018 at 1:33 pm
lol….you don’t ask players to teach you to be a winner…..
YOU BECOME A WINNER YOURSELF!!!!….
you lose and you fight to become winners….you don’t throw in the towel and ask for help….that’s for losers….GO BUCS!!!!
January 24th, 2018 at 1:34 pm
Honest question..Help me with this. Does Talib prefer press or off man coverage? To my recollection, I believe he is a press cover corner. I’m too lazy to go watch his film. Smith prefers off man, from my understanding. Not sure this would be a fit if that is the case. Yeh he’s an upgrade versus what we have, especially if Grimes doesn’t re-sign. Denver will be shopping him before he is released. He will likely fetch something of value.
January 24th, 2018 at 1:38 pm
He was awful for at least the first six games of this season.
Dude did not play at a Pro-Bowl level. Pure name recognition. Then he has the gall to even say a word about not getting any all-pro votes.
Show up for more then half a season if you wanna think your all-pro. Sorry Gerald I support you sometimes but you are full of it on this one dude.
You get what you earn in this league and if you don’t like it that means you didnt work hard enough.
January 24th, 2018 at 1:40 pm
Get what you can for McCoy. D line won’t improve until post McCoy era.
January 24th, 2018 at 1:42 pm
Bruce Allen was so terrible Mark Dominik was an upgrade. Licht is doing better then both could ever do.
January 24th, 2018 at 1:45 pm
No to Bennett, No to Talib and I agree trade McCoy while the getting is good. His play will only drop as he gets older so if we are rebuilding the defense now is the time to trade him. Take a lesson from the Patriots, move a player a year early and get value not a year late and get next to nothing. That’s why they have been on top for the last 20 years.
January 24th, 2018 at 1:55 pm
How did I know before scrolling down that tmax and a nice contingent of the McCoy sucks trolling crew would be all over this thread in short order?
Yea – he’s a real cancer alright – actively trying to talk pro bowl level players into coming to play for the Bucs if the opportunity arises.
January 24th, 2018 at 1:56 pm
Considering what I said tmax is still wrong. It’s not McCoys job to be a leader. Leadership is a quality only a rare few posess. It’s scapegoating to blame him for other players failing. McCoy is a born follower….and you need those too.
Hey you can expect McCoy to be live up to his C jersey or his ESPN hype or his picture on the Suvinier beer cup. Some people have to let media and consensus views dictate how they see the world.
Or you can join those of us that saw a good player that wasn’t all that special close to a decade against and lowered our expectations. The dude is a follower and he will never be what ESPN hypes him to be. If you think he’s a leader just read his quote…..if you still don’t get it read it again then repeat
January 24th, 2018 at 1:56 pm
To all the know it alls that keep saying/writing mike smith plays soft coverage, you need to educate yourselves. Mike smith said and joe posted an article about this that he gives his corners the flexibility to line up where they feel comfortable. That goes back to the coaching staff telling hargraves to be more aggressive. Most dcordinators do this depending. Its up to the players to execute and if they cant, then they will be replaced. Educate yourself.
January 24th, 2018 at 2:13 pm
Lol first thing he’s said that I’ve ever agreed with. Yes he’d get along well with aquib, he’d have backup when he challenges fans to come to the stadium. When a player starts talking about free agents they want at his age that’s a sign the end is near
January 24th, 2018 at 2:15 pm
Now we got to go try and grab people we already had.
What’s the next complete embarrassment.
January 24th, 2018 at 2:18 pm
Living in a failed past is called optimism on these pages
January 24th, 2018 at 2:34 pm
***************
Well, if the Bucs trade the #7 to the Bills for the #21 and #22 they could draft BOTH Viti Vea AND Da’Ron Payne which would free them up to TRADE GMC for a late 1st and maybe a 4th and use that late 1st on a DE like Sam Hubbard and that 4th on a needed CB … just saying …
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January 24th, 2018 at 2:37 pm
tmax- I’ve got cereal boxes that can contribute more than the rest of this d-line outside of McDonald(injured again!) and GMC. Only if you get good value should you consider moving him.
January 24th, 2018 at 2:37 pm
We are lacking talent because of high draft misses…….mainly from the Dominick years…
Bowers, Price, ASJ, Martin, Revis (1st rd loss)…Aguayo, Barron….Banks
That’s 8 1st & 2nd round picks that are essentially all gone…..
Imagine if we had 8 starters added to our talent.
And FYI, Tmax….if GMC is a career loser, then so is LVD.
The career loser in my book is Mark Dominick….
January 24th, 2018 at 2:40 pm
Gmc……. WTH??? Are u talking about??? Koetter and msmith are best buds and how that work for us?? Last thing we need to have friends hired here to do a job.
January 24th, 2018 at 2:42 pm
Mr. Showboat “practices” every year for the pro bowl in front of his bathroom mirror. Dude is such a fraud.
January 24th, 2018 at 2:53 pm
TBBF…..I gotta disagree with you on a few of those names.
1st MARtin……He did have some really good productive years and even in some of his down years(not 2017) he was able to draw defenses in which is valuable. He would of put up more yards if not for injury’s but injury’s hardly make it a draft miss since the talent was true.
2nd Barron…….Maybe not the stud we hoped for but he’s making a nice career for himself. Again, the talent was there and is a shame our coaching couldn’t see it.
3rd ASJ…….I know everybody hates the dude but he has talent. You might put him in the miss category if he starts to fizzle our this year but I don’t see that happening.
Barron and ASJ were coaching blunders IMO. They couldn’t coach these guys and it’s hard to blame the GM when he provided real NFL talent.
Overall I do agree with your point though. Our past drafts have provided very little.
January 24th, 2018 at 3:02 pm
It’s still a team sport!!!! Our DB’s had to playoff WR’s because if you commit to press and cover your guy like a blanket for three seconds it’s not enough. With the Bucs rush QB’s had FOREVER to pick out their targets. NO db can cover an NFL quality WR for 5 seconds…hence they struggle playing off hoping to keep the play in front of them instead of behind them for a TD.
I like GM’s idea. Again if we resign Grimes and land Talib our defensive backfield woes are over…PROVIDED we get a pass rush. Again Seattle’s back four would struggle playing behind our non existent pass rush.
So if we get Bennett and draft a starter and Noah’s shoulder works out we improve significantly.
IF we had a pass rush I think a Grimes/Talib/VHG defensive backfield would be excellent.
If we don’t fix the pass rush I do not care who they sign for the Defensive backfield.
January 24th, 2018 at 3:14 pm
The window to trade McCoy for anything valuable has already passed.
Sorry haters, you’re just stuck with a top 5 DT for another season…
January 24th, 2018 at 3:16 pm
@Jimmyjack
I will concede that Barron eventually made a good LB….but he was selected #7 by Dominick to be a Safety…..so, yes there was an opportunity missed by Dominick & a couple of coaches to turn him into a productive LB. But you have to admit….even that wouldn’t make him a good 7th pick.
As for ASJ….you can review his stats for this year and see that he was very average or less than average…..both Brate & Howard far exceeded his production…
To call ASJ handling a coaching error is a stretch….he showed some off-field problems in college.
Yes, Martin had a couple of good years…but he was a first round pick and wasn’t really worthy of an extended contract.
Just compare these players with ones who were successful for us….they are essentially failures….and they were not worthy of their selections.
I think this has put us in a hole that we are just now digging out of.
January 24th, 2018 at 3:27 pm
This guy is incredible!! He’s looking for someone to show him the attitude while still being the self imposed leader. What a joke! You could get both of those guys and keep grimes if you shed his 18 mill.
January 24th, 2018 at 3:30 pm
NO!!! What the hell do you know about recruiting players GMC? Being on a team that hasn’t made the playoffs in over a decade, that also included the two players you just mentioned. And even though these are two pro bowl players, they are both 32 years old and only are worth a 1-3 year contract and both will want more money from us than other teams.
January 24th, 2018 at 3:32 pm
TBBF……I think it’s just a matter of perception.
I really don’t hold much into draft stock that many others do. Take a guy like Brate for example. I honestly don’t care if he was drafted in round one or undrafted. At the end of the day they got a productive player.
If we get a GM that can draft legitimate NFL starters we are ahead of the curve. Once the games begin I hold no draft stock into it. I don’t expect Kwon to play like a 4th rounder and I don’t expect Hargreaves to play like a first. I just expect them to do their jobs if they earned one.
And yeah of course you need a few studs on your team and in a perfect world they all come from the first round. But if your getting different talent levels at different rounds that’s fine by me. You just can’t constantly whiff on most of your picks like Dominick was doing. Other then that just get legitimate talent and you find some studs.
Imo Doug MARtin was a legit starter. Not a bad pick cause he had the talent. Same with ASJ. The guy is starting and producing in the league last I checked. Maybe the guy was unfixable but I personally don’t think it’s a coincidence that unfixable player and poor coaching has been a constant theme in this town……..Only to see us dump players and they start producing elsewhere. Do these cities have magic in their water? If not then what’s the deal?
January 24th, 2018 at 3:37 pm
And yeah maybe I should give more credit to 1st rounders but I think a GM is going to find a quick exit from the league is they constant bust on first round choices.
But those picks are pretty easy evaluations. You could just pick based on Mel Kipers draft sheet and hit at least 50% and find a few stud.
These guys earn their keep beyond round one IMO.
January 24th, 2018 at 4:06 pm
@ Jimmyjack
I don’t necessarily blame the coaches with players….especially young ones…sometimes it’s simply immaturity. I guess some folks need to be fired from a job before they see the light.
ASJ may have gone anywhere else and produced, no matter who the coaches.
This may happen to Aguayo….maybe not. That pick was a mistake from the beginning because kickers aren’t worth 2nd round picks…..maybe 5th.
My concern on 1st and 2nd round is to eliminate the gambles…..we took one with Sapp and it worked out…but there are many instances where it doesn’t.
This year….I’m hopeful we pick Chubb, Barkley, Nelson or Minkah….in that order if any are available….if none are it is likely there will be a couple of teams wanting to move up for one of the 2 or 3 QB prospects.
If we move down, then Davenport or Key would be worth it.
And…..Licht & the coaching staff have done a good job of spotting UDFA….I remember us having Brate….letting him go, then getting him back.
Getting good UDFAs averages out some of the draft busts.
January 24th, 2018 at 4:15 pm
That piece of trash Bennett isn’t coming back to Tampa and he needs to stay out west with the rest of the leftist anti-American pro-cop killer trash.
January 24th, 2018 at 4:23 pm
We wasted his career.
He made a pile of money so that’s good I suppose
Getting rid of Bennett then not take luke k.
Our front office is awful
January 24th, 2018 at 4:43 pm
Your not getting a good corner in free agency on the cheap not in this division, there’s big time recovers in the NFC South, I’m sure the Panthers will go get another and upgrade their d line. We aren’t the only team that will improve our roster, friends or not we need vets and we need long corner that can get physical with but receivers or we can continue to get the little guys, play off and still get beat up field
January 24th, 2018 at 4:49 pm
tnew Says:
January 24th, 2018 at 1:25 pm
Well, if Bennett doesn’t want to practice hard, Tampa is the right place.
LOL!!!!! Swaggy Baker, prime example
January 24th, 2018 at 5:15 pm
Ira said -” I’m convinced more than ever that character is an indispensable ingredient for success”.
https://www.joebucsfan.com/2018/01/counting-character/
Tell me how these two fit that bill ?
January 24th, 2018 at 5:39 pm
@Rod
Have you seen ALL the videos of cops shooting unarmed black people….in the back in SC. A highway patrolman shot a kid in S.C. when he asked for ID and the kid went to produce it he was shot for pulling out his wallet…the incidents are far too numerous to document here.
Black people are kind of peoed that they are getting randomly shot. Protesting that is not the same as being anti American or pro cop killer. That’s just stooopid hyperbole!
I’m against it as well and I support BLM and the rest. I’m an old white dude I hrdly consider myself anti American…having put my butt on the line in Vietnam while our fearless President boasts of beating the draft and facing real danger in the Manhattan of the 70’s. So Cadet bone spurs is the real American?
January 24th, 2018 at 5:40 pm
I’ll give you that TBBF. About ASJ
But only if Dirk proves he is a good coach. If lays an egg this year and gets axed I’m holding him responsible for failing to discipline ASJ.
Maybe that’s not fair with this one particular player but if you bring up all the players who had to be released here due to causing problems it is a staggering amount. Very hard to believe better coaching couldn’t have found a way to get these players to work out more.
January 24th, 2018 at 5:57 pm
St Pete while I love a good back and forth about the team. The political rants that spark here get really annoying to me. But I will just say one thing then let you and the others argue about it.
While there have been some bad cases involving the police and black people. It’s a shame it has Get muddied by outrage ensuing from incidents that were very questionable and where you could see legit reasoning why a officer would feel fatally threatened. There have been plenty of those as well. On top of that you get a career journalist who never has to worry about anybody she ever works with talking like they understand how a cop should be “feeling”. Some of what gets reported deserves to be under a public microscope and some of it is just extremely unclear and does not deserve to be reported as a racial issue. It completely distorts the clear statistics and facts and creates disdain from each way of thinking.
While some of these stories are relevant and accurate the whole process of trying to microscope everything does way more harm then good.
That’s just my two cents. Have fun debating on that. My guess, just like the Bucs, neither side wins haha
January 24th, 2018 at 6:01 pm
Ok… fellow Joe’s please help me out with this… is this a Tampa area thing or a Bucs’ fan thing? Why does it always seem that we as a fan base and organization are trying recreate the “good old days” rather than moving the F_€k forward… like for real first bring Gruden back and now bring back Talib and Bennett? Dude is it 2009 again? Jeez!!!
You really want to shake this thing up? Trade McCoy, get a second and a fourth. Trade Lavonte for the same… draft McCoy replacement and coach up one of the young stud lb’s already on the roster!!! That’s four picks and an option to trade down at 7…
Honestly I don’t give 2 s-its about y’all nostalgic feelings I want a physical football team that can compete in the best damn division in football… memories don’t get no sacks and they damn sure don’t score no motherf-ckin touchdowns!!!
Welcome to 2018 in the nfl!!!
January 24th, 2018 at 6:05 pm
This is tired and McCoy needs a nap bro…
We need to get the B!tch out of this team this year for real!!! Make some bold moves… what kind of coward carries a big MFN stick and don’t use it???
January 24th, 2018 at 6:42 pm
Cant trade McCoy no one would give anything for him
His salary is way to high a team would draft for a young player
Instead if taking a beating on their salary cap for McCoy
Good player yes
But not for the hit on salary cap for his age
January 24th, 2018 at 7:23 pm
Bennett never should have left the Bucs!
His disrespectful kneeling during the National anthem makes him unacceptable to me.
It may be time to give up my over 40 year old 4 season tickets. We’ll see.
January 24th, 2018 at 7:53 pm
McCoy is wrong.
January 24th, 2018 at 9:29 pm
Listen… Rod Munch and the daily corner… please please please shut the entire F-k up about the kneeling. Like for real it’s enough. People have the right to protest and disagree with you. Plus the president is out here getting spanked by pornstars… with that Cheeto in office there is no dignity left on that flag… it means as much or as Little as any other piece of fabric.
If JOE(Lee or Steve) won’t say it I will, if you ain’t going to talk football shut the F UP!
That’s the real. Tired of you keyboard revolutionary’s… take your tired narrative of passive aggressive racism and eat a d!ck or two
January 24th, 2018 at 9:32 pm
The daily corner… yo nobody cares if you stop coming to the game… you are ineffectual to the bottom line of the nfl…
Don’t want to renew? Don’t the billion dollar industry won’t grind to a halt cuz a few racists feelings are hurt
Kick rocks homie…
January 24th, 2018 at 11:21 pm
Great bring Bennet back and he can show take the place of swaggy not practicing hard.
Newsflash- you’re supposed to be the leader showing people how it’s done Gerald. You shouldn’t need Talib and Bennet to come in and lead the team.
January 25th, 2018 at 6:08 am
Harlem
Question
How do you know they are Racist?
Have you meet them?
You are assuming from their post Which states nothing of Race or lends to the facts their are racist Yet you call them such
Kinda Racist on your part
January 25th, 2018 at 9:22 am
Here you go. This is what Gerald has been needing to do. Be the man who brings all of it together for this team off of the field and let Jameis and Kwon do it on the field! Leaders! This team needs real true leaders! Love my Bucs!