Robert Ayers Has A New Mission
March 22nd, 2018
Booted Buc (right) on the prowl
One of the most entertaining Buccaneers of this decade, recently released defensive end Robert Ayers, will be on the prowl next week.
Ayers once described himself as “naturally pissed off person” and Joe suspects he’s got plenty of edge to him after Bucs officials didn’t think he could help the team with the worst edge rush in the NFL
Per the Twittering of NFL Network insider reporter Ian Rapoport, Ayers will be at the NFL Owners Meetings in Orlando next week looking for work and meeting with teams.
Wise move. Every NFL owner, general manager and head coach will be under one roof (many fans wouldn’t believe the elaborate security measures Joe has seen at this annual event).
In a league starved for defensive ends, Joe suspects Ayers will find work, though not at the $6 million he was set to earn in Tampa this year. The Broncos’ 2009, first-round pick has plenty of friends in the NFL.
In 2016, Joe had a memorable chat with Tom Coughlin about Ayers. Coughlin was in his retirement year and visiting Bucs-Jaguars practice in Jacksonville. Coughlin tried to brush Joe off but that wasn’t going to happen.
“Oh, he works. He’s an attitude guy,” Coughlin said of Ayers. “He works hard, you know, he’s a veteran player that knows how to get himself ready to go. Works hard in practice and plays well in games. What more could you want? What you see is what you get with him.”
It’ll be interesting to see if Coughlin gives Ayers shot to make his Jags team and be part of the NFL’s best pass rush, though Ayers probably wants a team with a greater need at defensive end. He turns 33 in September.
And if Ayers’ hunt ends in Cincinnati with his old friend and fellow just-dumped Buccaneer Chris “Swaggy” Baker, then Joe’s going to need a couple of strong shots to understand what’s going on in this league.
March 22nd, 2018 at 9:07 am
Damn…33… and playing in the trenches of the NFL….every snap is brutal Mano a mano …
March 22nd, 2018 at 9:09 am
tmax….”enter stage right”….
March 22nd, 2018 at 9:29 am
I liked him a lot, maybe not as a player overall, but as a character on the team.
March 22nd, 2018 at 9:34 am
Im sorry but this guy has to be finished in the NFL if the bucs are not letting him play DE, again signing of ayers has been lichts band aid approach to buidling this team…cant believe licht was given another year
March 22nd, 2018 at 9:41 am
It was all GMC’s fault…..the downfall of every player regardless of position….all coaches….GMs, owners, fans…..and challenging God or the devil with the power to influence……(According to Tmax)
March 22nd, 2018 at 9:51 am
First round pick- Take note Bucs fans!
-Slightly Concerned Bucs fan
March 22nd, 2018 at 9:56 am
Virgil….to be fair…Licht most certainly would have drafted D help last year had OJ Howard not been there….gotta go BPA with your 1st round pick …IMO….it’s is the proven long game when building a roster
March 22nd, 2018 at 9:56 am
Just another 2nd or 3rd tier free agent that Jason Licht signed.
March 22nd, 2018 at 10:08 am
Ayers is a good player. We should of found a way to keep him as depth but I know almost impossible with contract. He will have a good year somewhere else.
March 22nd, 2018 at 10:10 am
Buccs just landed another former Giant in Pierre-Paul
March 22nd, 2018 at 10:13 am
feelthepewterpower Says:
March 22nd, 2018 at 10:10 am
Buccs just landed another former Giant in Pierre-Paul
Awesome….now we can draft the UCF LB….and they can meet at the QB….
😉
March 22nd, 2018 at 10:14 am
Love love love the JPP trade!!
March 22nd, 2018 at 10:14 am
Who is saying we have JPP? Where are you seeing this?
March 22nd, 2018 at 10:15 am
Bucs just got jpp for two draft picks
March 22nd, 2018 at 10:16 am
ESPN is reporting JPP and a 4th to the Bucs for our 3rd and 4th in return.
March 22nd, 2018 at 10:17 am
Wtf for a third and fourth this year
March 22nd, 2018 at 10:17 am
Thank you Larry.
hmm, a 3rd for JPP.
March 22nd, 2018 at 10:18 am
JPP Dline lookin better now. I’d still draft one in the later rounds.
Focus on CB, RB, S
March 22nd, 2018 at 10:20 am
JPP!!
March 22nd, 2018 at 10:20 am
Gave up a third for JPP and moved up in the fourth
March 22nd, 2018 at 10:20 am
I don’t like TWO draft picks for JPP
March 22nd, 2018 at 10:20 am
Rotoworld reporting Bucs get JPP and Giants 4th, Giants get our 3rd and 4th.
March 22nd, 2018 at 10:21 am
HATE IT HATE IT HATE IT!!!!! WTF IS GOING ON HERE????
March 22nd, 2018 at 10:21 am
Bucs swapped picks with the Giants for the 4th so it’s really only 1 pick given up for JPP and he fills a massive need for Tampa.
March 22nd, 2018 at 10:22 am
awesomepick up and now bucs go get nelson and guice
March 22nd, 2018 at 10:22 am
Its all about a RB and secondary now………Like what is happening guys, come on!!!!
March 22nd, 2018 at 10:22 am
Need players like JPP. Intense on every down and can collapse the pocket.
What say ye, LUV?
March 22nd, 2018 at 10:22 am
So Jegan are you saying we swapped 4ths with the Giants and gave them our third?:?? If so that is much better than losing both picks
March 22nd, 2018 at 10:22 am
We now have an edge rush
March 22nd, 2018 at 10:23 am
29 yo JPP for our 3rd round pick…….
I guess I can accept that, but Quinn was cheaper.
Complaining complete, welcome to the bucs JPP
March 22nd, 2018 at 10:23 am
Love the signing – have rebuilt the DLine and used 1 3rd round pick, we may finally have a pass rush!!!!!
March 22nd, 2018 at 10:23 am
licht putting in some work now
March 22nd, 2018 at 10:24 am
its JPP for a third and a swap in fourth…….Love the trade!!!!
March 22nd, 2018 at 10:24 am
Well we can Completely give up our Chubb dreams now.
March 22nd, 2018 at 10:24 am
Welcome back to Tampa JPP!
March 22nd, 2018 at 10:25 am
There you go Licht!!
March 22nd, 2018 at 10:26 am
The giants were happy to unload his contract.
I am laughing and intrigued at how this an change the draft
March 22nd, 2018 at 10:26 am
Get JPP! Send away a third! And swap fourths! Golden!
March 22nd, 2018 at 10:28 am
Have to believe Buckner came into the meeting room and circled a bunch of names on the roster to upgrade. Question, now what about Gholston? Will he survive this?
March 22nd, 2018 at 10:29 am
Bucs got jason pierre-paul !!!!!
March 22nd, 2018 at 10:29 am
hate it, trading away the future for short term fix
March 22nd, 2018 at 10:30 am
JPP hasn’t been as productive as his earlier years, but I’ll take it.
Interesting that the Giants are happy to unload him because of his contract.
March 22nd, 2018 at 10:30 am
So we basically get JPP for a 3rd round pick (the 2 teams swap 4th rounders). Looks like since we now have JPP and Curry at DE, maybe we go Nelson (Guard) or Ward (CB) in round 1? Would love if there was a way to get Barkley, but I’d settle for Nelson in 1 and Sony Michel in Round 2!
March 22nd, 2018 at 10:32 am
@joe please erase my post from 10 minutes ago about wishing we could find a way to keep Ayers.
March 22nd, 2018 at 11:53 am
Guess the Giants could use a DE now as well as needing a successor to Eli. We gave up our third round pick and moved up to the first pick in the 4th if i read this right. As for JPP, if i was told my 3rd round pick could start immediately, and play like JPP for a couple years before getting hurt and falling out of the league, i would take that. Third rounds picks are not always starters. This is a guaranteed starter with a great track record, and we have the cap room. Because NY is on the hook for bonus money, we should be able to cut him with no financial penalties if he sucks down the line. With our third pick we get a needed DE who will probably get double digit sacks. he instantly becomes our top DE who can hopefully mentor Spence and show Spence how to be a top DE. At the very least, he can give firework safety classes to the rest of the team so we dont loose any more young CB because of firework accidents.
March 22nd, 2018 at 9:41 pm
Ayers seemed like a real competative player.
But
Watch the 2nd half of games last season
A DEs usually try to go to a Tackles outside. Around the corner.
A tackle”slides his feet, and pushes the DE wide- away from the pocket.
Other than the occasional inside rush, this is the dance a DE and OT do all game long- especially on passing downs.
By the second half, OTs stopped “Mirroring” or Sliding with Ayers.
Once he started his move- tackles would move towards him- and just knock him down with an Arm jolt.
When an OT can do that with consistency- you are pretty well done as a DE