Falcons Sign Two Starting Guards
March 13th, 2019
It’s been a good start to free agency for Bucs guard Alex Cappa
Holy Benenoch!
The rival Falcons and their new offensive coordinator, ousted Bucs head coach Dirk Koetter, signed two starting guards in free agency yesterday.
This is interesting for a couple of reasons. First, the Bucs need a right guard fix. Caleb Benenoch, last year’s 16-game starter, officially has been booted from the guard position. Alex Cappa, the 2018 rookie, couldn’t beat out Benenoch. And Evan Smith, well, he is a capable backup, but not quite the Ryan Fitzpatrick of offensive linemen.
Second, for the past two years, Koetter insisted on rotating at one guard position throughout the Bucs’ season. It was highly unconventional because it screws up chemistry, and Koetter would not explain why publicly. Joe talked to players about it and they genuinely didn’t have a reason. Fired O-line coach George Warhop wouldn’t discuss it, either, neither would ex-Bucs and rotated guard Kevin Pamphile. But now it appears Koetter will have to play the same two guards all game.
How will he do it?
Numbers on two #Falcons deals from earlier today: ATL agreed to terms with G Jamon Brown on a 3-year, $18.75M deal with $12.75M guaranteed, while G James Carpenter is signing for 4 years and $21M, source said.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 13, 2019
Jamon Brown was a very interesting guard option. He had a two-game suspension to open this season, and that cost him his starting gig with the Rams. They cut him midway through the season and he latched on with the Giants. He’s made 38 starts in his four seasons and got strong money from the Falcons, as you can see in the Tweet above.
Carpenter, 30, was a key cog in Seattle’s Super Bowl offensive line, along with ex-Buc J.R. Sweezy, and left for a payday with Todd Bowles and the Jets, where he started for four seasons. He’s missed just nine games over the past six years.
March 13th, 2019 at 6:43 am
We’re not rebuilding.. we’re RELOADING…
what a joke. we can’t even keep our own losers.
1. JMC, LVD etc. should have been traded for picks long time ago. No use in JPP. good player but won’t be here when the team is relevant again. GET THE PICKS and make cap for the future. that’s the only way to turn things around.
2. What’s expensive now will be more expensive in the future. All people saying this team overpayed that guy etc. are clueless cause next year you’ll have to pay more for the same value. Prices are going up. You got to have cap to compete unless you strike gold in every draft pick.
3. All this JW is young b.s . What does it mean really? It means that instead of JW getting experience in college, for free, TB just payed for that in his salary, in lost time and all the talent and cap room wasted in those years. These days you got to get production (and Ws) from your players on rookie contract. especially the QB. If you pay your QB 20+ million dollars when you’re not sure he can handle the pressure from a 37 years old journyman backup, it means you’re doing something wrong.
March 13th, 2019 at 6:44 am
We’re not rebuilding.. we’re RELOADING…
what a joke. we can’t even keep our own losers.
1. JMC, LVD etc. should have been traded for picks long time ago. No use in JPP. good player but won’t be here when the team is relevant again. GET THE PICKS and make cap for the future. that’s the only way to turn things around.
2. What’s expensive now will be more expensive in the future. All people saying this team overpayed that guy etc. are clueless cause next year you’ll have to pay more for the same value. Prices are going up. You got to have cap to compete unless you strike gold in every draft pick.
3. All this JW is young thing. What does it mean really? It means that instead of JW getting experience in college, for free, TB just payed for that in his salary, in lost time and all the talent and cap room wasted in those years. These days you got to get production (and Ws) from your players on rookie contract. especially the QB. If you pay your QB 20+ million dollars when you’re not sure he can handle the pressure from a 37 years old journyman backup, it means you’re doing something wrong.
March 13th, 2019 at 6:45 am
We’re not rebuilding.. we’re RELOADING…
what a joke. we can’t even keep our own losers.
1. JMC, LVD etc. should have been traded for picks long time ago. No use in JPP. good player but won’t be here when the team is relevant again. GET THE PICKS and make cap for the future. that’s the only way to turn things around.
2. What’s expensive now will be more expensive in the future. All people saying this team overpayed that guy etc. are clueless cause next year you’ll have to pay more for the same value. Prices are going up. You got to have cap to compete unless you strike gold in every draft pick.
3. All this JW is young b.s . What does it mean really? It means that instead of JW getting experience in college, for free, TB just payed for that in his salary, in lost time and all the talent and cap room wasted in those years. These days you got to get production (and Ws) from your players on rookie contract. especially the QB. If you pay your QB 20+ million dollars when you’re not sure he can handle the pressure of a 37 years old journyman backup, it means you’re doing something wrong.
March 13th, 2019 at 6:45 am
Sad, hoped we can scoop up Jamon Brown
March 13th, 2019 at 6:53 am
I wouldn’t have even considered either one of them even for depth, let alone as starters.
March 13th, 2019 at 6:55 am
Cappa is a top 5 guard to go along with our top 5 RB. We just signed our top5 kicker! 15 and 1 guys Licht has put together a pro bowl roster….. just ask him!
March 13th, 2019 at 7:20 am
Hey man the bucs have a plan, licht has a plan its just stay the course and know that licht is the jedi master to the nfl. Sure john dorsey flipped an entire roster in cleveland in 2 years, but jason licht has a 10-15-20 year plan to fool everyone and then and only then will the bucs be competive in the south, just be patient everyone RELAX
March 13th, 2019 at 7:36 am
We didn’t want anyone from that dumpster fire Giants OLine anyway.
Keep banging down the proverbial door to TJ Lang’s agent to see if he’s made up his mind or not on continuing to play/retire…
Then see if Fluker’s hamstring is good to go now with rest, I’m sure he could be coached up.
Or small prove-it deal for Iupati as last case scenario, with his MASH unit body…
All since my Paradis pick a month ago is now locked down in Carolina.
Go Bucs! Land Quinnen!
March 13th, 2019 at 7:38 am
Cappa is not a guard! Hes 6 ft 6 and 300 lbs.
His center of gravity is too high to be a good gusrd. And his legs are too weak to get good push.
Cappa and Benenoch are both backup RT’s. Thsts their ceiling.
I called for a 2nd round guard to be drafted last geR!!
I called for a trade down to get an additional 2nd round pick. Licht brilliantly got TWO additional 2nd round picks.
And he went on to draft a 180 pound RB that cant break tackles, catch, or block. And he ran a 4.5. (not blazing for a small RB)
And he drafted MJ Stewart who ran a 4.56 to be a backup nickle?
WTF!!!?????
March 13th, 2019 at 7:40 am
At almost 6’7″, Cappa is built more like a tackle than a lower center of gravity of a guard. He seems at better fit to replace Dotson at Right Tackle.
March 13th, 2019 at 7:48 am
@Licht sucks
Man that was funny. You win best comment of the morning.
@AlabamaBF
Quenton Nelson is 6’5. Height ain’t what makes or breaks a guard. If you can play you can play. Whether or not Cappa can play remains to be seen. But being 6’6 wont be what determines that for him.
The few snaps he got last year he was at the very least better than Benenoch.
March 13th, 2019 at 7:48 am
Lol all you idiots saying “be calm” “stay the course”
“Be patient”
Ok holla at me at the end of a 6-10 season.
Losing quality players while adding zero and counting on draft picks to play at pro bowl levels and telling us “it’s gonna be ok”
Lmao ok.
Last place again guaranteed. I’ll bet anyone anything this team won’t win more than 7 games at best.
March 13th, 2019 at 8:00 am
There will be some good guards at 2nd round pick.
However, I think they should wing it with older guard that is familiar with arians like iupati or Larsen
So they can draft defense with first 3 picks
March 13th, 2019 at 8:02 am
Irony may be lost on some…
March 13th, 2019 at 8:19 am
Licht spent all he was allowed on the coaching staff. Frankly its good business by the Glazers, particularly if Licht sold them on the team was talented and just needed good coaching. He’s had 5 yrs of premium picks and countless dollars in free agency, its time for his team to show something. He got the coach he wanted and got to keep his job….that’s all he’s getting this year unless he can wheel and deal some draft picks.
March 13th, 2019 at 8:26 am
ncbucsfan Says:
March 13th, 2019 at 6:53 am
I wouldn’t have even considered either one of them even for depth, let alone as starters.
————-
I agree ncbucsfan. Seems like there have been a lot of bizarre signings.
March 13th, 2019 at 8:27 am
Bucs signed a nobody WR named Breshad Perriman…but hey, they’re paying him $4,000,000 for one year!
March 13th, 2019 at 8:33 am
Really, basically except for JPP, when did JL’s FA high cost, big splash signings win games for this franchise?
Not spending big in FA is the first sensible thing he’s done.
Let’s get FA’s that are hungry, low cost and want to prove themselves.
Sick of the high profile, big cash sucking FA’s that come to suck off the pork of Glazer money and do NOTHING for this team.
March 13th, 2019 at 8:43 am
I think Brucie is gonna unleash the CAPPA ON DA NFL BABY!!!!!!!!!
March 13th, 2019 at 8:48 am
Smart move by Licht avoiding the big signings and keeping the picks. Its the correct thing to to. Sure next season will be harsh and this forum will become as cheery as an Auschwitz reunion but I give Licht credit, with his job on the line, not making the mistake of cutting multiple players to sign high prices players to lead us to 6-10.
March 13th, 2019 at 8:52 am
I am sure the Jason Licht continued success in acquiring talent will be rewarded at the box office
March 13th, 2019 at 8:54 am
There will be competition at Right Guard between Alex Cappa and Mike Liedtke.
There have been suggestions that the Bucs will carry only two QBs and 3 RBs this year in order to create extra roster space. It would not be the first time. For years, the Bucs did have only 3 RBs, and we all know they’ve carried 2 QB in the past.
So if this happens, the question is why?
MY THEORY:
I am hoping they will have two kickers. Matt Bryant, who only missed one field goal last year, and Santos as his backup.
It adds up, because Matt Bryant does not handle kickoffs, and Pinion, the new Punter, does do them.
March 13th, 2019 at 8:56 am
AKickInTheBucNuts Says
“Really, basically except for JPP, when did JL’s FA high cost, big splash signings win games for this franchise?”
JPP was not a free agent acquisition.
March 13th, 2019 at 8:58 am
Cappa … not sure he’s ready. BA will have to look but we need depth on Tackle and guard. Hope we trade down from 5th pick. I’m sure the draft will be full of trades in the 1 and 2 round.there will be good value for oline. Heck I wouldn’t be surprise if the raiders trade all there 1’s to move up to number 1 and trade carr.
March 13th, 2019 at 9:00 am
BB please explain the logic in carrying a backup kicker.
March 13th, 2019 at 9:05 am
Licht is finally getting it. Stop signing overpriced free agents. You build a solid foundation through the draft. Start getting some compensatory picks. That is where the diamonds in the rough are. Young guys hungry to make a name for themselves.
March 13th, 2019 at 9:14 am
Weak minded buc fans have taken on the personalities of the team mainly Geraldine. Go create your own madden roster if you don’t like this one
March 13th, 2019 at 9:28 am
@ Buccaneer Bonzai
You are correct.
That makes me wrong once.
JL has been wrong on FA’s multiple times.
I win.
March 13th, 2019 at 9:41 am
Must be trying the Robert Gallery route…seems odd but I defer to former
o-lineman Jason Licht-Weight.
March 13th, 2019 at 10:21 am
Don’t beat yourself up @AKickInTheBucNuts.
Bonzai is wrong about nearly everything. He was 100 percent certain Kwon and Hump were coming back. And now he thinks we are going to sign Matt Bryant and have Santos be the back up kicker.
The dude is a literal R word. Pay him no mind.
March 13th, 2019 at 10:45 am
I am fine not “winning” free agency.
In Bruce I trust.
March 13th, 2019 at 11:52 am
tell VV and Ed Oliver the bag is secured for 3 years….
#REALISTKNOWSNOTHING!!!!…GO BUCS!!!!!
March 13th, 2019 at 12:51 pm
teacherman777@gmail.com
Absolutely correct to say Cappa is a tackle. He played tackle in college. He’s too long and lean to play the hands in the dirt guard position. Same thing with Benenoch. Liedtke, and E Smith have more the proto typical body sizes to play guard.
March 13th, 2019 at 1:04 pm
Holy Bonzai GM….
I sense you may have been reviewing the Zapruder (JFK shot) film excessively? If the Bucs carry 2 kickers, I will put my Dolphin gear back on from ’87. This is almost as bat sh*t cra-cray as me saying L Bell was coming to the Bucs yesterday. I think I took too many FA ludes.
Bucs Life rolls on….
March 13th, 2019 at 1:04 pm
Holy Bonzai GM….
I sense you may have been reviewing the Zapruder (JFK shot) film excessively? If the Bucs carry 2 kickers, I will put my Dolphin gear back on from ’87. This is almost as bat sh*t cra-cray as me saying L Bell was coming to the Bucs yesterday. I think I took too many FA ludes.
Bucs Life rolls on….
March 13th, 2019 at 1:46 pm
For those who continue to think that Jason Licht is calling the shots, look at our recent signings. Bucannon, Minter, Ellington – relationships with BA & Bowles at Arizona. Donovan Smith, Dotson, Griffin, Johnson, Liedtke, Bond, Santos – with Bucs last year. Perriman, Pinion … ?????. Looks to me like BA’s influence is all over these signings.
March 13th, 2019 at 2:03 pm
FA is a bigger crap shoot than even the draft. How has it ever worked out for us? Not just Licht but Dominick and Chucky/Allen as well.
This year has perhaps been the extreme but there are a lot of guys who are absurdly overpriced. They are available for reasons and not always because their former team had cap problems. Lots of times it’s because of attitude issues or their former teams see they’re beginning to lose it. Injuries. Buy low and sell high. FA’s are almost always buy high and keep your freaking fingers crossed
March 13th, 2019 at 3:57 pm
Buccaneer Bonzai = Buccaneer Kamikaze
March 13th, 2019 at 5:41 pm
Like I’ve said, I will wave no Pom=Poms before its time. Big talk is
cheap. Lets see this new Buc product on the Field. In order to maintain
confidence, Arians needs to finish 8-8 or better.