Maxed Out
March 23rd, 2019
Yes, the Bucs wanted to add quality players in free agency. Who didn’t?
The problem for the Bucs was they had to watch from the parking lot while other teams shopped at Saks. Why? Because the team had maxed out Team Glazer’s plastic.
But how can such a bad team — sorry folks, a team that loses 29 games in the past three seasons is bad — run up the credit card? Generally, you do this to add/keep good players. What happened?
Jenna Laine of ESPN takes a look.
How did the Bucs go from having the third-most salary-cap space in the league with $74.15 million in 2018 to the least most in the league at $3 million in 2019? The Bucs picked up quarterback Jameis Winston’s fifth-year option, taking his cap figure from $7.9 million last season to $20.9 million in 2019. The Bucs extended wide receiver Mike Evans ($20 million cap hit
in 2019), tight end Cameron Brate ($7 million) and offensive guard Ali Marpet ($11.02 million) last offseason.
They also traded last year for defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul ($14.9 million cap hit in 2019) and signed center Ryan Jensen ($10 million) and defensive tackle Beau Allen ($5 million) — although they just restructured him. That’s roughly $75 million right there.
And this is why team officials seem to be sending out smoke signals they believe coaching, not personnel, was the problem.
Now Joe, on the record last month in Indianapolis at the combine, point blank asked Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht if the Bucs coaching was that bad. Licht wouldn’t disparage the previous coaching staff in any way saying he had too much respect for them.
Sometimes actions speak louder than words. Instead of having a housecleaning, the Bucs have chosen to keep their core players, some who got raises that led Bucs fans to develop acid reflux because some of these players are unpopular.
To be fair, Joe doesn’t think any sane, sober fan thought the defensive coaching the past couple of years was remotely competent.
We’re all going to find in a few months if it was coaching or the players that has this team in the pickle it currently is in.
March 23rd, 2019 at 1:14 pm
Don’t just stop at the defensive coaches sucking. Nearly all the coaches on staff were hot garbage.
March 23rd, 2019 at 1:19 pm
Yea, and we could little afford the Honey Badger, Dee Ford, Bell, Landon Collins, Mosley, AB and others….. or any high-priced FA
Good thing I knew that before I read all about them here…..or I would surely be depressed.
March 23rd, 2019 at 1:26 pm
So did BA know before taking the job how bad jason licht has mucked this all up from poor drafting to missing on every FA signing? The bucs are 3 years away from being a contender & thats if jameis ends up being the franchise QB
March 23rd, 2019 at 1:31 pm
Bucs vs Bears last year was a poor coaching classic for the ages.
Bucco Bruce and Todd Bowles could do better blind folded.
March 23rd, 2019 at 1:39 pm
Hopefully we will never experience another:
“TENESSEE READY DEFENSE”
EVER!!!!!!!!
Go Bucs!!!
March 23rd, 2019 at 1:42 pm
The real question is how do you spend that much money on an offensive line yet your quarterback is out there practicing to fight Cobra Kai with Mr. Miagi, sack on sack off.
Yeah he’s out there practicing how to throw accurately while getting hit broken and beat. Yet Jameis the only QB, I know of, who is expected to be 80% accurate while getting hit 20x a game and taking 6 sacks but hey wtfdik
Joe can you refresh my memory which game did he take 20-22 hits?
March 23rd, 2019 at 1:42 pm
“The after effects of free spending Jason AOC Gump ”
Kobe Faker
March 23rd, 2019 at 1:42 pm
Rumors of the bucs talking to Morris Claiborne?
March 23rd, 2019 at 1:49 pm
Haven’t heard any but seems like a no-brainer if so.
March 23rd, 2019 at 1:52 pm
TBBF……….did you find that Ramada inn that is supposedly in Vero Beach yet?
March 23rd, 2019 at 2:00 pm
Nope…..Informed Joe 2 years ago….no such place…..but he likes the sound of Vero Beach & Ramada Inn together……
I think Cocoa Beach Comfort Inn works….
Miami Beach Marriott would be a huge step up for Freddie Martino.
March 23rd, 2019 at 2:09 pm
Dirk is an excellent oc, monken is a good oc, Smith WAS a good head coach, Buckner is a good dl coach. The rest were average or worse.
This staff is light years better.
March 23rd, 2019 at 2:17 pm
So choosing to keep Evan Smith wouldn’t make sense at all, that’s an easy 2 mil. Our front office is always behind the 8-ball and is too emotional with the glazers money. I’m sure he cried over losing Kwon. I now hope they go edge. The draft hasn’t even happened yet and d white is talking about wanting to go in the top 5 to get a 100 million contract which will take him off licht board. Mosley just got 85 million so I don’t think you can pay edge rushers, a quarterback and a linebacker that kind of money plus left tackle
March 23rd, 2019 at 2:37 pm
Trade back and draft the lb from Michigan. Get a corner with the acquired pick un round 2
March 23rd, 2019 at 2:43 pm
Ahh my bad then. I thought you were saying that I was spewing Fake News. Now I realize you were pointing to Joe!
March 23rd, 2019 at 2:48 pm
Bucs have 3 offensive linemen making top 10 salaries at their position and the results just don’t justify their pay. Winston has a high cap hit but his pay is middle of the pack for QB’s which is about right for his production. Gerald McCoy is making top 10 DT money which may be debatable whether he’s worth that or not.
March 23rd, 2019 at 2:52 pm
🙂
March 23rd, 2019 at 3:09 pm
@ joes. Can we not have a screw name like Arian nation. Bit disrespectful. This coming from a pale white redneck.
March 23rd, 2019 at 3:12 pm
And the clown face was weird enough.
March 23rd, 2019 at 3:26 pm
Let’s not forget the Licht is hardly objective. He drafted and traded for all of these expensive guys. MAYBE it i is coaching, MAYBE not. We’ll soon find out.
March 23rd, 2019 at 3:34 pm
Whats the over/under for how many times Licht admits his mistake with this year’s free agency class?
March 23rd, 2019 at 3:37 pm
It’s become a great Bucs tradition along with Jason Licht jumping in his pool 4 times a season.
March 23rd, 2019 at 3:54 pm
Dougyballs
arian and aryan are spelled differently. So maybe an offended milky white boy like yourself thinks Bruce should change his last name or Ariana Grande should change her first name too.. You are the racist to even make the connection then comment about it. So sick of race-baiting @zzhats
This coming from a blue skinned Haitian American.
March 23rd, 2019 at 3:57 pm
Any word on GMC’s contract being re-negotiated?
March 23rd, 2019 at 3:58 pm
Just laughable to see us coming off of 5-11 twice, have no cap space- but it’s 100% on the coaching.
Yeah- we shall see! 2019 is the year of reckoning for Licht and Winston!
Can Jameis blossom into a top QB- worth paying?
Can Licht make sone good picks- second round?- or will be continue to be worse than Dominik?
I just think it’s effing hilarious that we had the best passing offense in the game, and we only fired the coaching staff.
What do Licht and Jameis do “best”?
I see a top 13-16 QB and a below average GM. Please prove me wrong! I’d love to see us in the playoffs in 2019.
Now or never! No cap space- no winning- new GM/QB.
Please don’t blame the coaching anymore. Look at the damn players and the dumb SOB that acquires them!
March 23rd, 2019 at 4:00 pm
Completely imbecilic way of running the 2019 Bucs’ payroll. Just because you’re not sure of paying Jameis in full till some prove it crap in 2019, doesn’t mean you don’t commit to Evans long term, or JPP by adding a year, Jensen cause we’d just have to look for another veteran center young and healthy which would cost as much or more, Marpet same, LVD same ti some degree. Imbecilic not pulling all those salaries down to the floor, signing bonuses, commitments in short term, freeing up a world of cap space for 2019-2021.
What they’ve accomplished by doing nothing, and waiting to see on Jameis, is ensured that NOTHING happens for the Bucs in 2019. Deliberately hamstring-ing your fullest potential of playing 2019 to its fullest. EVEN if the Glazers want to cut bait on Jameis in 2020 via trade and not pay him, whatever QB is still going to need people to throw to, block for them, play LB and DE regardless of rookie draft pool in 2019 and 2020.
Such a p**sy way to go about trying to sell a product to your “fanbase”, or give it all you got supposedly. Nevermind how all the playoff competitive teams are operating in 2019, which are in stark contrast to the feeble mindset here in 2019.
March 23rd, 2019 at 4:00 pm
For those who are interested, Spotrac does some great analysis on positional spending by team versus their Cap. It’s at https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/positional/offensive-line/ . Bucs rank #4 in the NFL on OLine spending, and #2 on DLine spending thus far for 2019 (the number of players is up right now & the $$$ will probably pare down for all teams once cuts happen). We also rank #8 on TE spending and #9 on WR spending (despite ‘trading’ DJax).
Bucs rank middle of the pack on QB spending, LB spending and S/Ts spending. However, we rank well below average on RB spending, CB spending & Safety spending. Aah yes, the benefits of youth. Oh wait, those are also some of our biggest weaknesses due to lack of experienced leadership. Oh well, can’t have everything … especially if your GM is named Jason Licht.
March 23rd, 2019 at 4:10 pm
Dougyballs is far more offensive to me.
March 23rd, 2019 at 4:21 pm
Why would they restructure GMC now? If they restructure now they lose the ability to move on from his contract completely. They should keep that option open as long as they can.
March 23rd, 2019 at 4:24 pm
Plus players have to agree to restructure their contracts right? Lol.
Its easy for us to be angry at Licht for not reworking deals, but the players could just be not willing to do it, and I dont blame them.
March 23rd, 2019 at 4:27 pm
DooshLaRue Says:
Dougyballs is far more offensive to me.
LOL
March 23rd, 2019 at 4:27 pm
YOU GET RID OF PLAYERS THAT DON’T PRODUCE ON THE FIELD , SIMPLE AS THAT , BYE-BYE…..
March 23rd, 2019 at 4:38 pm
DooshLaRue Says:
March 23rd, 2019 at 4:10 pm
Dougyballs is far more offensive to me.
Says a lot about you
March 23rd, 2019 at 4:53 pm
Joeypoppems … You’re right in that the players could always refuse to restructure their contracts, but if done properly, why would they not jump at it? They get the same, possibly more, money UPFRONT … AND because of the dead money involved in future years they’re pretty much getting a guarantee of not getting cut BEFORE their contract expires. Sounds like a double-win situation for the players with no downside … IF the contract is restructured properly.
March 23rd, 2019 at 4:58 pm
If Jameis plays as Jameis has played in his 1st 4 years….he’ll be gone in 2020 and Mike Evans traded…
March 23rd, 2019 at 5:27 pm
It’s easy to figure out. They won’t want to make big cuts until they find out if they can replace certain players cheaply in the draft.
March 23rd, 2019 at 5:30 pm
Restructuring is not always the solution. It pushes a balloon payment back…but it builds up. Just look at the Saints for an example. Drew Brees is in his second to last year of his contract. They’ve restructured him every year, including this year.
As a result…they can no longer do it because it all comes due next year…$40 million for one year. Guaranteed.
This is the last year the Saints will be a threat. They’ll be dumping their best players next year…because they have to.
March 23rd, 2019 at 5:44 pm
Even if we agree Arians is a better coach than Koetter, how many more wins are you expecting him to get? 1? 2? And remember the team really didn’t suffer major injuries overall. The offensive line remained intact all year. The defensive line had some missed weeks by Vea and a largely invisible Curry. The DBs just aren’t any good and VHIII has yet to prove anything so far.
So is this team expected to get better now? Hard to see how much better it’s going to get.
March 23rd, 2019 at 6:17 pm
@Stevek name one Buccaneer QB in the past 30 years better than Jameis… I don’t think he’s the answer per se but he is definitely not the problem.
March 23rd, 2019 at 6:31 pm
The bucs need to set a new precedence. By Pioneering a new use for the cap , using it to break up a bad team, the ownership can claim that they’re innovative and forward thinking. Add that honor to best customer service and high speed wi fi service …and it’s easier to forget 20 years of bottom feeding futility and nearly a thousand wasted Sunday afternoons.
March 23rd, 2019 at 6:54 pm
Know how we can get 13 million back in the cap
March 23rd, 2019 at 6:55 pm
@Bonzai
I agree completely with both posts. There is no reason for anybody to get cut before the draft.
And yes restructures just delay the inevitable. Brees is a great example. Its amazing the Saints owe him $40M when Michael Thomas and Kamara are in contract seasons.
March 23rd, 2019 at 7:02 pm
5-11 talent
I think we win 7
March 23rd, 2019 at 7:25 pm
I actually think the 49ers signing Kwon to a big contract was big. I think due to Mike Smith screwing up this Bucs defense not only will he look like a far better signing but also the players that are still here will all see a great improvement compared to the last year. Mike Smith was that bad.
March 23rd, 2019 at 8:02 pm
Listen up folks! Here’s the plan. Lol. Spring forward 33 days until draft night. Arizona takes QB Kyler Murray at #1. San Fran takes DE Nick Bosa with the 2nd pick. Bucs trade DT Gerald McCoy to the Jets and a 2020 3rd round pick for DE/OLB Josh Allen. McCoy agrees to restructure with the Jets. Jets get McCoy, Bucs 5th and a 2020 3rd round pick. Bucs get Josh Allen (next Chandler Jones), 13mil in cap space, and replace next year’s 3rd pick with comp pick from loss of Kwon Alexander (need one more free agent to sign, Grimes or Conte, to cement comp pick). DC Todd Bowles was at Josh Allen pro day yesterday, Allen has been invited for on-site visit.
Then we restructure WR Mike Evans by giving 8mil roster bonus, avg. salary now 12mil, spread 8mil over remainder of the contract, put 8 mil in cap space. Bucs now have 21mil in cap space, game changer in Josh Allen and cap space relief from JPP contract in 2020.
Now the Bucs have 23.7mil in cap space (21 plus 2.7 current) to cover 9mil rookie pool, get experienced CB (Mo Clairborne) and get experienced RB (Isaiah Crowell) in 3rd free agency following the draft. There are more cuts coming too that I didn’t count, but trust me they’re coming. Go Bucs!
March 23rd, 2019 at 8:30 pm
macabee
very interesting
March 23rd, 2019 at 10:23 pm
GMC needs to step up and re- structure for the teams sake, wtf is taking so long? I want the guy to stay but holy crap- put the team first and get your cash up front, no brainer. Cmon Licht!!
March 24th, 2019 at 5:01 am
jjbucfan, what if they draft GMCs replacement? If they restructure now, it will include guarantees. By not doingso, the Bucs keep their options open.
And there is no salary cap until the season starts.
March 24th, 2019 at 9:14 am
Good solid coaching will probably get us to seven or eight wins.We will not keep up this weak minded approach til the start of the season.Dramatic cuts, trades and signings must happen.Ba will go to attack mode when he feels the time is right.
March 24th, 2019 at 10:52 am
D.R. and TBBF wisely point out there was NEVER enough money to sign all the high priced guys we talked about.
I would simply add this. There will certainly be a few of these FA’s who make an impact…but how many will really make an impact commensurate to their mega deals. Virtually all of them including the good ones were totally overpriced.
There are usually some “value” picks. I think Perriman represents a shot at that…a former first round pick..with something you can’t coach…blazing speed and a contract if he sticks that is less than half the money we spent on the player he is replacing.
I’m not sure why we are all gripping on this year’s FA. Read NFL.com’s analysis and you’ll see that FA is at best a mixed bag and NEVER works for desperate teams. Do many of our posters sound desperate?