“I’m Hoping To Come Back”
January 5th, 2018
Yes, there are free agent victories for general manager Jason Licht to celebrate.
Back in my, when the Bucs signed veteran cornerback Robert McClain off his couch, raise you hand if you thought he’d have three interceptions and prove to be a versatile performer.
Yes, “Bobby Mac,” as Dirk Koetter calls him, was one of the head coach’s favorite players during their time together in Atlanta. Still, that wasn’t enough to pull him off the street sooner.
Regardless, it paid off.
McClain, 29, battled through injuries and a concussion to play in 14 games and make nine starts. He was a willing tackler, and his 50 combined tackles were seventh-best on the Bucs. Those three picks tied for the team lead.
“I felt good for what I put on film and for what I did for the team and for myself this season,” McClain told Joe during a private chat. “As a competitor and an NFL player, I desire to get better and believe I can. Overall, though, I feel I did well to help the team in the different things I was asked to do.
“Yeah, I’m hoping to come back. Whatever happens, I’m not going to try to control it. You know, I’ve learned I can’t control that in the NFL. So whatever happens, happens. I love this team. I love the players. It’s a great team environment.”
In March, McClain will be an unrestricted free agent. Sign the man. Simple as that, as Lovie Smith liked to say.
The Bucs are in no position to let effective defensive players walk. McClain is a solid No. 3 or No. 4 corner, and he’s got playoff experience and the right attitude.
January 5th, 2018 at 11:44 am
I hope he will
January 5th, 2018 at 11:45 am
“effective defensive players”… debatable.
January 5th, 2018 at 11:46 am
This one is easy…We should bring him back.
January 5th, 2018 at 11:51 am
If we signed both Grimes and Talib and then bring back McClain wouldn’t our Defensive backfield become a position of strength and depth?
January 5th, 2018 at 11:51 am
And he plays with heart…not just to get a paycheck..
And I have to add, the man is such a talented artist..saw his work on Twitter and his own website..and I am not one to be impressed with artwork at all..but his is amazing…
Pay the man..simple…
January 5th, 2018 at 11:55 am
Seemed likable on Hard Knocks and played pretty well ( sans the Tyrod Taylor drive of his life )…hopefully not as a full time starter, however.
January 5th, 2018 at 12:04 pm
@Joe … “The Bucs are in no position to let effective defensive players walk. McClain is a solid No. 3 or No. 4 corner, and he’s got playoff experience and the right attitude.”
Agree 100% Joe. Our secondary needs a significant infusion of talent, but McClain was a decent addition last year. Ryan Smith, McClain, VHIII, Jude plus Grimes (assuming we can re-sign him) and 1-2 others (hopefully this time with some speed AND height who can play outside) would set us up nicely for 2018. Add 2 new safeties (to go with Evans & Conte) and we could be OK there too.
January 5th, 2018 at 12:05 pm
It would be stupid to even have a conversation about this.
Depth and Backup players need to be more reliable than a liability.
I could care less about a single bad play or even an entire bad game.
We need these players on our team because you cannot have Hall of Famers at every position.
Pay the man.
January 5th, 2018 at 12:08 pm
Koetter calls him Bobby Mac. I always say “Mcclane” in an evil German accent referencing Die Hard lol.
January 5th, 2018 at 12:16 pm
He got flagged a bit this year but I think he’s a solid slot corner, I say bring him back.
January 5th, 2018 at 12:18 pm
When ATlanta’s castoffs are as good or better than our starters,it shows how Licht has neglected the defense. Sign him up!
January 5th, 2018 at 12:32 pm
Licht strikes again, not drafting adequate DB starters or backups in 4 years as a GM, shows how much a failure licht is as a gm, 4 years he hasnt drafted either a starter or backup, i guess hargreaves is a backup as a top 12 pick well done licht keep building a 6 win franchise
January 5th, 2018 at 12:36 pm
More like a solid #5 CB – but your point is still valid Joe.
January 5th, 2018 at 12:45 pm
Give the Licht hate a rest Dusthy
“4 years he hasnt drafted either a starter or backup”
Um actually he’s drafted 3 DBs in the last 2 years (VH3 1st, J. Evans 2nd, R Smith 4th) and all 3 have started quite a few games.
Hargreaves was almost certainly overdrafted (which is what happens when you have desperate “needs”) but is still IMO more likely than not to be a serviceable NFL CB once he gets another year or 2 of experience and development under his belt.
January 5th, 2018 at 12:46 pm
sign him to a 2 year deal…..decent player….good depth….but I would still like us to develop ryan smith and VHG….GO BUCS!!!
January 5th, 2018 at 12:55 pm
Licht is a garbage GM following in the allen, dominik tree of crappy GMs, ZERO faith licht can stop the dumpster fire with his FA track record and yes he has drafted evans who looks promising, but he also dealt swearinger and baron who are starters and one is a pro bowler, this team esp the defense needs a reset or at the minimum a direction
January 5th, 2018 at 1:07 pm
Garbage GMs don’t have multi starter drafts Dusthy.
Dom drafted exactly 3 good players in 5 years (and that’s only if you include Doug Martin as a “good” player which he was only 2 out of his 6 years). Allen was just as bad – maybe worse…. Nahh impossible
I bet you can’t name even ONE other GM in the whole league other than Jason Licht who has drafted 4 talented starters with his 1st 4 picks in 2 out of the last 3 drafts.
January 5th, 2018 at 1:13 pm
Bring him back since he wants to be here, plays hard and wants to get better. That can’t be said for some of our other defensive players.
January 5th, 2018 at 1:14 pm
as a starting nickel until hargraves comes BACK TO LIFE
or until a draft pick does
January 5th, 2018 at 1:26 pm
Bring back Grimes on a 2 year deal.
Sign Bashaud Breeland – who is supposed to hit FA.
Retain McClain for depth.
CB1-Grimes / Ryan Smith
CB2-Breeland / McClain
Nickle CB – VHIII
McClain can also play nickle. If we did this we don’t even need to draft a CB necessarily. VHIII is the biggest “?” though. I want to believe. I think Ryan Smith did enough to show some promise – it was basically his rookie season and it’s big learning curve position.
January 5th, 2018 at 1:35 pm
LC
Breeland????….I saw him get beat like a drum for the pass 2 years….lol
I say sign Malcolm butler…give him the red carpet treatment….let grimes walk and play more man press defense….NO MORE SOFT COVERAGE!!!!…we have to make the throwing windows smaller somehow if we cant get any pressure…
sign ziggy or lawerence along with aaron lynch or another lower tier DE while drafting chubb and another DE in the mid rounds….GO BUCS!!!!
January 5th, 2018 at 1:38 pm
He was easily our second best corner behind Grimes. He can come back on a veteran deal
January 5th, 2018 at 1:50 pm
No matter what happens in FA or the Draft…we can still use him…..Josh Robinson is essentially a ST player……
We would have hopefully
Grimes, Hargreaves, Draft Pick, FA, McClain & Ryan Smith…..if you need an extra, we have Hey Jude and Elliott.
January 5th, 2018 at 2:00 pm
813
I just saw some article from the Redskins saying he’s been solid – and he’s only 25 – but I’ll take your word for it lol. Butler sounds good to me!
My biggest fear is a premiere DE not even being available in FA (i.e. ziggy or lawrence not being a choice)
January 5th, 2018 at 2:47 pm
3 picks is great, but how many huge plays and touchdowns did he also give up this year?
If only we had a pass rush…
January 5th, 2018 at 2:48 pm
Pickgrin, ya new orleans atlanta and carolina have done way better and new orleans first 4 picks this year gonna be all pros
January 5th, 2018 at 2:57 pm
LC
that’s my biggest fear too!!!!…..either they’ll resign or licht waits til the second week of FA to strike a deal with a second tier player like he did last year….
I feel like when need to make a big splash like JAX did last year when they signed Campbell and AJ last year….
maybe he did play solid this year….I didn’t see too many of their games this year but ive seen him get benched in the past for quentin dunbar(a former wr) and k.fuller….
I just feel like this staff is not the staff that will develop young player like breeland especially on defense…..seems like they have to come here proven all pros….lol….but if we sign him, he’ll be great depth…no worse than what we have now….GO BUCS!!!!
January 5th, 2018 at 3:18 pm
@Bob in Valrico … “When ATlanta’s castoffs are as good or better than our starters, it shows how Licht has neglected the defense.” I’ll second that one Bob. Panthers defense ranked #21 in 2014 in Points Allowed, but they improved it in 2015 to a #6 ranking through some smart drafting & FA signings. Stumbled a bit in 2016 (fell to #26) because they lost a big part of their secondary, but improved significantly this year again to #11 defensive ranking thanks to … tada … smart drafting & good FA signings.
Atlanta & New Orleans have also improved significantly since 2014, thanks to … tada … smart drafting & solid FA pickups & a trade or two. Bucs on the other hand continue to flounder (defensive rankings in Points Allowed from 2014 to 2017 … #25, #26, #15 and #22. Licht has done OK in drafting (although I still maintain his priorities are backwards AND over the 4 years he’s been GM he hasn’t allocated enough high draft picks to the defense). But when it comes to free agency and trading, he gets an ‘F’ in my book. Folks need to stop focusing on his drafting and start looking at his FULL body of work. And that’s reflected in our record.
January 5th, 2018 at 3:29 pm
This guy is a lower tier NFL player that is on the bubble to make teams most years because he simply lacks true NFL talent. Sign him as depth maybe, but my hope is we upgrade at his position so that he never plays outside of special teams. Heart and hustle is all well and good, but we won’t be making the playoffs anytime soon if guys like him are starting for us.
January 5th, 2018 at 3:53 pm
they’ll be getting that corner in the draft if Chubb and Barkley are gone is my guess. Need Grimes back to pair with him or another free agent. The end position is gonna be tough to adress. Wouldn’t mind to see us trade up for Chubb.
January 5th, 2018 at 4:33 pm
Dusthty Rhothdes Says:
“Pickgrin, ya new orleans atlanta and carolina have done way better”
—————————————————————————-
BS dude – you are full of it.
Here’s the Facts as opposed to mis-informed speculation based on apparently faulty memories.
New Orleans has done very well of late – I will give you that. They have drafted 9 starters (Peat(1), Davison(5)2015 – Rankins(1), Thomas(2). Bell(2)2016 – Lattimore(1), Ramczyk(1), Williams(2), Kamara(3)2017) in the last 3 years (4 this year just like Jason). But that was also working with FIVE 1st rd picks, Four 2nd rd picks and Five 3rd round picks during that 3 year period.
Bucs by comparison have drafted 10 starters with 4 fewer high picks than the Saints in the last 3 years. (Winston(1), Smith(2), Marpet(2), Kwon(4)2015 – VH3(1)/or Ryan Smith(4) one of them is starting, Spence (2) 2016 – Howard(1), J. Evans(2), Godwin(3), Beckwith(3) 2017.
Falcons? – They have done OK but not compared to Licht. 6 starters drafted in the last 3 years (Beasley(1), Coleman(3), Jarrett(5) 2015 – Neal(1), Jones(2) 2016 – McKinnley(1)2017) 7 starters if you want to count 2016 3rd rd pick Hooper who started 8 games this year.
Carolina? Not nearly as well as Licht either. 6 starters drafted in the last 3 years (Thompson(1), Funchess(2) Williams(4)2015 – Bradberry(2), Worley(3) 2016 – McCaffrey(1) 2017. Thompson may be a starter but is not much of a player, 1st rd pick Butler from 2016 can’t get on the field and 2014 1st rd pick Benjamin didn’t do much thus was traded. Also spending a #8 overall for a really good glorified 3rd down running back is just plain STUPID. So no – Carolina is not doing that well at all in the draft of late – 3 starters from 2015 is the only recent draft that was any “good” for the stinkin Panthers.
Besides Dusthty – the original challenge was – “you can’t name even ONE other GM in the whole league other than Jason Licht who has drafted 4 talented starters with his 1st 4 picks in 2 out of the last 3 drafts”.
New Orleans did it once – this year. Good for them I guess.
Licht has done it TWICE in the last 3 years.
January 5th, 2018 at 4:58 pm
Humm… his numbers look OK but he was only a notch better than Ryan Smith at corner. Those tackles, much like with Ryan Smith, came from him getting thrown on so much as teams avoided throwing at Grimes. He shouldn’t be a starter by any means – and I wouldn’t want him as a #3 either, he’s more of a #4 or #5 guy, and I’m not even sure I’d want him as #4 since he’s one injury away from being #3 again – and at #5 I think you go with a young guy.
The more I talk about it the less sold I am. I mean it could be worse, the Bucs could have Ryan Smith back as the #3 guy next year. If the Bucs do that and bring back Conte, then Licht has to be fired.
January 5th, 2018 at 11:43 pm
Even if we re-sign Brent Grimes we still need another tall fast CB. There is slim pickings in the FA market this year. Which means if Denver does release Talib, we should pay the man and bolster our secondary. If not, 1st or 2nd round CB in the draft.
January 6th, 2018 at 1:14 am
can never have enough DB’s everyone knows that.
January 6th, 2018 at 3:00 pm
We should definitely resign him. The 2 guys I want gone the most on our D are Baker and Conte. Both guys are terrible at their jobs and don’t deserve another year here. Throw in DJax on the offensive side as well