Price For Honey Badger Steep
March 9th, 2019
Cost too rich?
When you hear what “Honey Badger” is looking for, it might make you reach for a bottle of Crown Royal and pour a stiff drink.
Everyone seems to want the Honey Badger, free agent safety Tyrann Mathieu. The guy is a stud and a baller.
Joe knows one guy who wants Honey Badger, that’s his former coach in Arizona now the new Bucs coach, Bucco Bruce Arians. And it seems Honey Badger has his eye on the Bucs. But is it doable with the Bucs jammed against the salary cap? Jenna Laine of ESPN takes a look.
Safety Tyrann Mathieu, who played for coach Bruce Arians and defensive coordinator Todd Bowles in Arizona, is looking for more than $10 million annually, according to sources. Mathieu played on a one-year, $7 million deal last season with the Houston Texans, who are trying to re-sign him so he won’t even have a chance to hit the market.
Woof. If the Bucs spend $10 million on Honey Badger, that means Gerald McCoy is gone. Personally, Joe would prefer the Bucs spend that cash on a defensive end (trading for Dee Ford, signing Trey Flowers) before pouring that kind of Team Glazer loot in Honey Badger’s lap.
Additionally, it’s a buyer’s market for safeties. There are loads of safeties looking for work, virtually all of them are upgrades to what the Bucs have in inconsistent Justin Evans, green Jordan Whitehead and slow afoot, inexperienced M.J. Stewart.
March 9th, 2019 at 12:05 pm
🍯🦡
March 9th, 2019 at 12:08 pm
Reach for a Maker’s Mark rather, it’s got Crown beat for sure.
Another thing working against Honey Badger’s asking price is that Weddle just kinda set most of the market with his 2 year, $10.5 million deal ($12.5 mill w/incentives) with the Rams yesterday. Yes, Weddle is 6-7 years older, bit also much more accomplished, and more of a veteran leader to secondaries, than Mathieu is to this point.
I bet he doesn’t see north of $8 mill annually from anyone, given how many Safeties are on the market.
Go Bucs! Land Quinnen!
March 9th, 2019 at 12:22 pm
Pass on Mathiue. Too expensive and this defense needs size. Would rather have Landon Collins, Kareem Jackson or a big Linebacker. Hope Arians doesn’t pull a Lovie Smith or Dirk Koetter and just sign his washed former players. Not to say TM is washed but there are better options
March 9th, 2019 at 12:24 pm
Honey Badger would bring much more production than Geraldine. Licht is starting to look like a horrible general manager with an aging d line young amateurs in the backend of the defense in this division and in a league where passing yards are through the roof. Not afraid to go young in the secondary but afraid to move on from Geraldine is coward if not just plain stupid
March 9th, 2019 at 12:33 pm
Mathieu would be a HUGE boost to our secondary. He would become the new leader back there and bring a lot of confidence to the young players around him.
If the Bucs can trade McCoy for a 3rd or 4th rd pick and then sign the Honey Badger along with a starting quality RG in free agency with the $13M savings – then that would give the Bucs a better chance to win on Sundays than keeping GMC at $13M IMO…
March 9th, 2019 at 12:42 pm
Joe….you forgot our resigned Safety, Isaiah Johnson……so, we are loaded!!!
Every FA is priced too high when you have no money……now, that being said….BA & Bowles will get who they want…..if they think the Badger needs to be a Buc….they will make it happen……
Don’t forget…..we can always cut Caleb.
March 9th, 2019 at 12:48 pm
Luckily there are a ton of pro bowl safeties out there this year. Wonder how the market plays out. Someone may get 12-13 per. Collins May get that
We need one bad.
March 9th, 2019 at 12:57 pm
Hargreaves price is pretty steep this year too, what’s the chance of the team trading him and bringing in a cheaper nickel CB who can stay on the field more?
March 9th, 2019 at 1:03 pm
Badger will be worth a couple of extra million if he makes the entire defense better……
We need to add Devin White at MLB…..then we would have leadership from JPP….White & Badger….
That would leave us a hole at DT, however.
March 9th, 2019 at 1:05 pm
I agree with Joe. . The cap will maybe allow us one big signing in FA, and since that’s the case we could use another pass rusher instead. Although Tyrann Mathieu would make a great addition, his monetary demand put’s him out of reach. For the same money a DE would be the more logical approach.
March 9th, 2019 at 1:17 pm
$10M+ / yr for Honey Badger???
Great player, but pass!
Nasir Adderley
Juan Thornhill
Talor Rapp
Darnell Savage
Mike Edwards
Chauncey Gardner-Johnson
All quality S prospects available in the draft at Rookie Contract prices.
March 9th, 2019 at 1:18 pm
You let a cheap safety who played well with 4 ints walk out the door. Adams and Whitehead held it down but wtfdwk?
March 9th, 2019 at 1:23 pm
Must say i love the site and what it offers. You guys do a good job of covering the Bucs. Thanks. Now it is your site and you get to do whatever you want. However please cut back on making every article be an opportunity to let us know AGAIN what YOU would prefer the Bucs do. WE KNOW YOU WANt A DEFENSIVE END. WE KNOW YOU WOULD DRAFT ONE NUMBER ONE. WE KNOW IT WOULD BE YOUR PRIMARY FREE AGENT TARGET. WE KNOW THE REASONS YOU FEEL THIS WAY. We want to know your views, just not in every article. Let the articles stand on their own. This article is much better without the 2nd last paragraph. This is not the place to discuss the wisest way to spend their money. This article is fine in explaining one of the alternatives.
March 9th, 2019 at 1:25 pm
Joe, love your input and how to see what best suited the team. That case keep reporting the facts and then your opinion.
Thanks
March 9th, 2019 at 1:26 pm
I agree I wouldn’t pay 10 mil for a safety but doesn’t he also play nickel? He may be worth 8 mil if they can push him down to nickel in the nickel package. That’ll allow them to clear Hargreaves 4.5 million off the cap.
March 9th, 2019 at 1:32 pm
Get rid of Jax, allen
March 9th, 2019 at 1:36 pm
PASS!!!!!!! and another freaking Trey Flowers reference! THE PATS LET HIM GO 4 A REASON!! Stop it cause we ARE NOT gonna sign this dude. He is not worth it. Also there is the fact we cannot PAY HIM 17 million!!
March 9th, 2019 at 1:36 pm
@phattitudes
Well said sir
March 9th, 2019 at 1:37 pm
I would rather pay CJ Mosley to be the MLB in our new defense instead of paying a S that kind of cash.
March 9th, 2019 at 1:37 pm
@Sammy Rebel
?????
March 9th, 2019 at 1:39 pm
Overrated
March 9th, 2019 at 1:51 pm
@Dubcity06
Agreed Sir
March 9th, 2019 at 2:24 pm
Catcard202 Says:
March 9th, 2019 at 1:17 pm
$10M+ / yr for Honey Badger???
Great player, but pass!
Nasir Adderley
Juan Thornhill
Talor Rapp
Darnell Savage
Mike Edwards
Chauncey Gardner-Johnson
I don’t disagree with you to a point, just wonder if the draft is going to play out for the Bucs to get a safety. For instance, IMO not taking a safety in the 1st or 2nd if I am the Bucs. I could see Adderly and Gardner-Johnson as value in the 2nd round. I think there may better value with Risner or Little as an OT in the 2nd. Before the combine, Thornhill probably would have been available in the 3rd but since the combine, I think he goes before the bucs pick in the 3rd. As does Rapp.
Just have to see how that plays out. If the Buc’s get a safety in free agency at good value, it is one less position that they have to look to fill during the draft. The talent really drops off by the 3rd round and it seems like there are just a bunch of guys left at that point. Don’t expect any hits from the Buc’s 4th, 5th or 7th round picks. Maybe get RB Anderson from Oklahoma in the 5th round – big injury risk but Eddie Jackson was supposed to be when picked by Da Bears in the 4th round in 2017.
I kinda like the idea of the bucs getting a bargain value veteran free agent at safety before the draft. Then save the lower contract for another position.
March 9th, 2019 at 2:56 pm
nahhh, Pass on’em! Who is to say how long he’s got. Coming off of surgery. ACL’s never heal permanently. I like him. But not 10 mil like.
March 9th, 2019 at 3:14 pm
We are becoming the federal government. just spending with no long term thought process
March 9th, 2019 at 3:17 pm
Cut DJax and use his 10 M on the Honey Badger
March 9th, 2019 at 3:17 pm
“Think positive.
We are so broke and have no money to get any FAs…
Gump cant screwup”
Kobe “The glass is half full” Faker
March 9th, 2019 at 3:37 pm
I would take Honey Badger all day every day over McCoy. Slowly but surely we are changing us to a base 3-4. Honestly, I’m not a McCoy hater but I just don’t see him being as effective in a 3-4. In the end, I feel McCoy’s big salary is the most efficient way of getting us in a better cap position.
March 9th, 2019 at 3:52 pm
Market has devalued the safety position so no thanks to paying Honey Badger his asking price. I still believe improving pass rush thru improved talent in the front seven and better scheme will make secondary look much improved.
March 9th, 2019 at 4:05 pm
Adrian Amos may be one of the best FA Safeties out there. Yall sleep
March 9th, 2019 at 4:15 pm
@joe
If your a rye drinker you must try 40 creek.
March 9th, 2019 at 4:21 pm
When u can’t draft this is what you have to deal with.
Found out today the Bucs have only 1 scout for all of the Southeast.
That’s sec acc and all the small schools in those regions.
You wonder why we are the worst franchise in pro sports history.
March 9th, 2019 at 6:50 pm
Just curious…but how much did he want to make last year, when he signed that 7 mill deal?
$10m?
March 10th, 2019 at 12:41 am
Dont sign a safety until right before mandatory traiming camp unless the price is right. Would love honey badger, but like you said Joe,its a buyers market. Tbh i cant believe we didnt resign Andrew Adams and Gipson, Joyner,Collins, Haha, so many Premier safties we can land 1 for no more than 8 mil. We need a veteran corner worse than a safety.
March 10th, 2019 at 12:51 am
@Destinjohnny
Eat ah snickers guy, youre not yourself. Theres teams tbat havent even won a Superbowl so chill out and welcome new fan. (Obviously new talking like that) Licht takes too many risks but if we drafted soo terribly BA wouldn’t be resigning all our own players. We are a RG, CB, DE, and LB(Due to more 3-4 looks now) away from easily being a 10 wim team. We have the offense now we have a competent DC and HC. Not to mention the HC is known for taking 5-11 less talented teams to winners the next year. Licht is horrible I agree but if theres anything he is actually ok in is drafting. I believe with BA’s guidance tho he willbe better. Go Bucs!!
March 10th, 2019 at 10:24 am
What the what? Ok TM, come down a little or its a no.
March 10th, 2019 at 10:55 am
Did any of you ever consider that Honey Badger put out that inflated figure because he wanted the Texans to let him go and scare off all the other teams to get to BA where he will take a reduced salary knowing BA is a winner and will give him a shot at a Super Bowl Ring before he retires? That is what I suspect. He knows BA needs him and he would be playing for a familiar Asst. Coach in a scheme he excels at. So chill.