Bucs Out On Big-Fish Guard; T.J. Lang Might Quit Football
March 12th, 2019
The Bucs’ first 28 hours into free agency has been about as boring as watching Kyle Moore hunt quarterbacks during his days as a Bucs defensive end.
Names that could help keep finding teams outside Tampa.
Joe was surprised to see the Tennessee Titans bag another big fish for their back-to-back 9-7 football team led by Bucs general manager Jason Licht’s former right-hand man.
Accomplished Rams guard Roger Saffold got top guard money and left the Rams, where he had wanted to stay. Per Adam Schefter of ESPN, Rodger Saffold got Ali Marpet money, about $11 million per year with $22.5 million guaranteed. Saffold will join Adam Humphries.
In case you took a year off from Bucs football, Tampa Bay needs a guard, which brings Joe to T.J. Lang, the two-time Pro Bowler who won’t return to the Lions. Unfortunately, he told SiriusXM NFL Radio this week that he is considering life after football. So scratch him off the list of potential upgrades.
Joe can’t vouch for the Bucs’ plan, other than their 2019 idea of offseason splash might be a collection of no-name signings followed by a flurry of draft-day deals that could land them an additional first-round pick.
March 12th, 2019 at 4:32 pm
At the very least we should be able to sign a safety. It’s a pretty deep position this year so we should be able to find one even we can afford.
March 12th, 2019 at 4:39 pm
Jam on Brown, Jakes Carpenter mediocrity also off the board.
March 12th, 2019 at 4:42 pm
We already have 3 big contracts on the O line. 4 if you count Dot.
You can’t dump 5 huge contracts into an O-line and build a complete roster.
In Licht’s tenure we’ve only spent 2 picks on O-line top 2 rounds. Both those panned out.
There should be multiple OG/C type interior lineman available top of R2 that have pro bowl upside in this draft. Or guys at the top of R3 who should be able to plug in and start immediately as a big upgrade to Benecoch.
That’s the move IMO. RG/RT of the future needs to come from the draft – not more band-aids.
Same with DL – time to rebuild the front 7 so we can offload the older expensive guys. By that point if we’ve developed our secondary they will be due for new contracts and that $$ will go there. And then you keep drafting / developing / on and on and on.
Bottom line is if you don’t draft well / develop well you can have the most awesome Madden like FA spends of any team in the NFL and still wallow in sh1t.
March 12th, 2019 at 4:42 pm
Guys, relax. We’re prohibited to tap the AAL until the Apollos win the participation trophy. Therein you’ll find our treasure trove.
March 12th, 2019 at 4:42 pm
Sorry…AAFL
March 12th, 2019 at 4:45 pm
Swaggy Baker is available maybe Licht can bring him back.
March 12th, 2019 at 4:48 pm
As the saying goes: Money talks, BS walks. We all know the Bucs are up against the cap, so BS is all they have left and it ain’t buying free agents.
March 12th, 2019 at 4:49 pm
I would still pursue Lang. Maybe we could get him in here on a one year deal. He’s only 31 and is a starting caliber guard.
March 12th, 2019 at 4:49 pm
Every day guys don’t sign they get cheaper. I like waiting for the right deals.
March 12th, 2019 at 4:58 pm
Would the last guy out of the locker please turn out the lights
March 12th, 2019 at 5:00 pm
Well done Jason Licht for leaving this team with salary cap space.
March 12th, 2019 at 5:01 pm
Ummm…
Thats not TJ Lang in the picture; he is white. Thats Saffold…. lol
All good free agency madness continues.
March 12th, 2019 at 5:04 pm
So the rumors of a resurgent Evan Smith are completely false???????
March 12th, 2019 at 5:04 pm
Deone Buchanon in the house…
March 12th, 2019 at 5:06 pm
bring back sawaggy Jason
March 12th, 2019 at 5:10 pm
Yes, Jason Licht has done a masterful job with leaving the 5-11 Bucs with virtually no cap space. All of those JR Sweezy, Michael “Ghost” Johnson and Robert Ayers big money deals have really built this team to back prominence in year 6 of Licht’s master plan.
Anyone remember what happened to TJ Ward after he took the 5 million Licht gave him and ran? I wonder if the Glazers do.
March 12th, 2019 at 5:11 pm
Bruce Irwin instead of Ghoston.
March 12th, 2019 at 5:15 pm
3/5 of our line are locked up on contracts that all end when they are 30 and have us covered for a few years while they should be in their prime. They are all 25-27 right now.
That’s one thing that makes our contracts look good. They are making less than a lot of these 30 year old lineman are getting on average. And they literally have graded out about as well for the most part, or our guys are actually better.
So I have no idea wtf anyone is upset about or why you would want to field a team with 5 huge bloated O-line contracts vs building a full roster.
Get a pure RG in the 2019 draft in R2 or R3. If Cappa/Liedkei/Wester don’t look like legit potential RTs then you draft that in the 2020 draft. This is not this huge desperate position group people make it out to be.
That would be our entire defense that has been bottom 3-5 now for over a decade.
You can see everyone in the league is desperate when journeyman 30 year old OL are getting massive deals / topping the market.
March 12th, 2019 at 5:19 pm
DB a buc…..
REALISTKNOWSNOTHING!!!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!!
March 12th, 2019 at 5:21 pm
Lord Cornelius- they are making less because they suck
March 12th, 2019 at 5:25 pm
“Mike Says: ”
Donavon Smith would have gotten way more on the open market. Every single football mind/opinion out there that puts any time into this would agree.
Ali Marpet in this FA market would be destroying all these deals.
PFF graded Jensen as the #8 Center when he signed to us for less than what their #13 Center just signed for
But whatever you don’t care and you made up your mind. Objectively worse 30 year olds on more expensive deals is what we should have done.
March 12th, 2019 at 5:27 pm
Tampa bay to sign Deone Bucanno reunite with Todd and Bruce
March 12th, 2019 at 5:31 pm
Bryan Anger cut. Frees up $3M
March 12th, 2019 at 5:34 pm
Got are kwon replacement. And he will probaly make all season what kwons will make in one game check.
March 12th, 2019 at 5:37 pm
Adrnagy- just saw on the network. Good inexpensive signing. One year prove it deal.
March 12th, 2019 at 5:40 pm
Look on the bright side. At least we overpaid Donovan Smith and half of the underachievers on the team. “We ain’t good but we sure get paid like we is”.
March 12th, 2019 at 5:44 pm
Jason Licht is at The Ale House on Fowler buying pitchers of Bud if anyone is interested.
March 12th, 2019 at 5:48 pm
We’ve “won” free agency before – I’m willing to try a different approach. Let’s wait till June and reevaluate.
Go Bucs!
March 12th, 2019 at 5:49 pm
Forget it! The bucs arent in any position to pick up a quality free agent of any position.Bubba must be waiting on the bargain basement FAs.You know,guys that just draw a check and eat up what little cap space that will be left.Swaggy baker types on a vacation compliments J.L
Soooo tired of looking up the basement steps.Smh!
March 12th, 2019 at 5:49 pm
Id bring Lietdke back and give him a shot at guard. Cant be worse than Benenoch or Cappa
March 12th, 2019 at 5:50 pm
The perfect Bucs name. Buccannon..
March 12th, 2019 at 5:52 pm
Bad 2018 for Bucannon on a bad team. 1 year prove it deal but doesn’t seem like the solution for the position more of a depth signing
March 12th, 2019 at 5:58 pm
Bucs it Anger and sign a new punter that also does kick off duties, i.e., former 49ers kicker for Kwon, that will show you John Lynch.
March 12th, 2019 at 6:05 pm
QUESTION FOR OTHER BUCS FANS…
Who else thinks the Bucs should bring back the Bucco Bruce logo and dump the silly skull and swords and football (the little football makes it very weak looking)?
Like in the tshirt Godwin is wearing in the earlier post made today… Bucco Bruce just looks so good in a pewter/red/and tiny amount of orange color scheme.
I had an awesome red tshirt with the old Bucs logo and it looks amazing.
I really think the Bucs should dump the current logo and simply replace it with Bucco Bruce, yet keep the current unis and color scheme; i.e. don’t get back to the creamsicles or start making the unis with a lot of orange.
March 12th, 2019 at 6:07 pm
CORRECTION: To my above post. I meant the Bucco Bruce tshirt Djax is wearing in the post about Godwin. (Not Godwin himself.)
March 12th, 2019 at 6:10 pm
The team has been the free agency winners and draft winners a few times over the years. Hasn’t translated into winning seasons. I am.a little upset about them releasing Anger though. He was one of the best punters in the league. Although I remember his.contract was a little pricey. I belive Rockstar signed him.
Still many moves to be made and players can be traded for pics. I think arians is going to have licht clear house with brate and mccoy for ectra picks and go yhe uoung youthful route. Im excited
March 12th, 2019 at 6:11 pm
@Fair-minded…..Bucannon will be playing…..a lot!! His skillset and strengths are tailor-made for our division opponents. He allows flexibility for Bowles blitzing style to cover tight-ends and RBs in underneath coverage (Greg Olsen kills us yearly, Christian McCaffrey, Alvin Kamara, and Devontae Freeman). Screens and checkdowns to these guys have been killing us and sustainijg drives against us. Now Bowles will blitz and make that ball come out quickly!! Great and strategic signing!
March 12th, 2019 at 6:31 pm
Did trading MeSean not free up any cap space?
March 12th, 2019 at 6:43 pm
It did but I don’t think the DJAX cap space is provided until the trade is complete on Wednesday.
March 12th, 2019 at 6:56 pm
We actually do not need a guard. We have him on the roster. Which is evidenced by the offensive coaches saying they like the players they’ve got.
March 12th, 2019 at 7:41 pm
All y’all folks are forgetting about Mike Iupati!! I think we will grab him cheap and start him….Draft RG in round 2 or 3…Hell maybe not.
Maybe Leidke is our new backup RG ???