The Bucs And Honey Badger
March 7th, 2019
“Serious interest.”
Could the “Honey Badger,” Tyrann Mathieu, playing safety for the Bucs be a thing? One uber-NFL insider writes, don’t be shocked.
Heavy metal headbanging Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports has really been working his sources and what his sources tell him is very interesting regarding Mathieu, a free agent who once played for new head coach Bucco Bruce Arians, and potentially Mathieu’s new team, the Bucs.
Chatter he hears is the Bucs have targeted Mathieu but the price tag could be too rich.
The Texans badly want to keep Tyrann Mathieu, but the Bucs and Ravens have serious interest, I’m told, among others, and he could land $24M in the first two years of a deal.
If the Bucs cough up $12 million a year for Honey Badger, that almost surely means one of two starters is gone: Gerald McCoy and/or Kwon Alexander. The Bucs certainly wouldn’t be able to keep all three.
Could it be that the Bucs think they can get Alexander back cheap because of the uncertainty of his knee surgery? And perhaps have a defensive tackle targeted at No. 5 in the draft, which would make GMC expendable?
March 7th, 2019 at 5:15 am
Too many safeties available to overpay – lots of draft capital invested already at the position- would love to have him but not at 12 mil
March 7th, 2019 at 5:35 am
This will be interesting …
March 7th, 2019 at 5:48 am
Why does BA get paid the big Bucs?
Call in his chips.
I scratched your back, young man…you scratch mine.
March 7th, 2019 at 5:55 am
Good thing we drafted Mark Barron over Luke keuchly!
Good thing we drafted J Evans in round two- not!
March 7th, 2019 at 6:01 am
Thanks for whetting our appetite (yet again) Joe, but us signing Honey Badger is highly unlikely. Latest numbers show the Bucs with $1.7 mil in CAP space after re-signing Donovan Smith & Devante Bond. Even if we release DJax ($10 mil), Unrein ($3.75 mil), Dotson ($4.8 mil), Anger ($3 mil) and replace them with quality draft picks we’d only be at about $24 mil (of which $9 mil goes to the rookies leaving us with $15 mil for FAs). Reduce GMC from $13 mil to $8 mil and we get all the way up to a whopping $20 mil … to cover a bunch of ‘holes’ in our current roster, including fixing our LB group & Secondary.
Given a choice between signing a quality veteran CB to start outside or signing a quality veteran Safety, I’ll take the CB. And for heaven’s sake Jason, RE-SIGN ANDREW ADAMS. And oh ya, DRAFT DEVIN WHITE.
March 7th, 2019 at 6:09 am
Bucs can create a lot I mean a lot of cap room if they want to GMC Djax is 23 add Gholston that’s 29 mill add anger 32 add Unrein that’s 35.5 Dotson there at 40 those are 6 players we can live without I like GMC as much as the next guy but rather finally get rid of players year early then year late thanks for they time GMC but unless he takes massive pay cut it’s time
March 7th, 2019 at 6:32 am
Honey badger would look good in buc uniform 12 is high.
All the best safeties are hitting free agency this year : Collins , Thomas , Mathieu and now Stewart from the Broncos. These guys are all pro. Maybe it will saturate the market and bring down price someone will get 12 to 13. Not the honey badger though. Regardless , there will be other good options for buc s to pounce on
Starting to think brate could be gone for additional 7. Think they were hoping brate would keep hump here for discount as best friend and roommate. We need talent to win now
March 7th, 2019 at 6:51 am
As farfetched as it may seem….there are OTHER people in NFL reporting circles that talk about, and source Bucs’ information other than La-Can’tfor-ya. He’s only been used in like 6 outta the last 7 “articles”.
Quinnen at #5. Have to decide to make it happen, not hope.
GMC gone.
Za’Darius Smith at LB. Maybe Sam Acho too for depth, former Cardinal.
Someone reasonable at Safety, there’s 40 of them available basically, no more than $8 mill annually over 3 years. Gilchrist cheaper?
Gostkowski at K, $11mill over 3 years, first 2 years fully guaranteed.
AJ Cole III at punter in round 7 of draft. Cut Anger $3 mill crap.
Go Bucs! Gotta land Quinnen!
March 7th, 2019 at 6:58 am
Get rid of Jax, Gholston, Dotson, Rodgers, Fitz, Brate, Allen, and Conte. Keep Kwon, Hump
March 7th, 2019 at 6:59 am
They’re probably not going after Hiney Badger, but if they really wanted to there are still other ways to other than the ways previously posted. Guarantees can be converted to roster bonuses. Restructures of course (GMC). They can extend Jameis and backload his contract. I wouldn’t suggest doing these things but all of the bellyaching about their cap situation is ridiculous and premature. I promise if they wanted to pay Leveon Bell $17M’s/yr as a free.agent contract they could and guarantee a huge amount with his 2019 cap number being less than Desean Jacksons. Who would you rsther have? Leveon Bell or Desean Jackson? Obvious answer but I’m just saying.
March 7th, 2019 at 7:06 am
Justin Evans, Jordan Whitehead, and MJ Stewart are 3 guaranteed safeties to be on the roster in 2019. They do need one more. Adams wasn’t tendered, but is rumored they want to bring him back at a lower salary than the $2M mark (sounds like camp meat salary). So they are, based on roster moves, positioned to add another safety, which they can.
March 7th, 2019 at 7:11 am
Mathieu would be one hell of an addition. Instant upgrade at SS and the new leader of our secondary. Hope we can afford him.
Honey Badger’s presence would help this team win more than having GMC on the team would I believe…..
March 7th, 2019 at 7:15 am
Which would I rather have – Leveon or DJAX? Who would I rather have of 2 self-centered individuals that only care about themselves, their brand and their pocketbook?
Neither.
There are less expensive FAs just as good as DJAX that cost less and aren’t going to create problems. I don’t believe there’s anyone else as good as Leveon who’s available. However IMO he’s not worth the money for the headaches and drana he’ll create.
March 7th, 2019 at 7:21 am
Why we haven’t traded McCoy if beyond me.
March 7th, 2019 at 7:31 am
Buyer’s market…way too many top tier safeties out on the FA market to overspend unless you’re talking final piece of the puzzle and we ain’t there
March 7th, 2019 at 7:40 am
@Bucs Guy: Leveon refused to play under a one-year deal….AGAIN….for a team that wouldn’t pay him his worth and now he’s self-centered? It’s funny how it seems only certain people should just take what the team is offering but others NEVER have that same scrutiny. As a RB, a position that has such a short shelf-life and used the way Leveon was, he’d be a fool to play under market value!! Watch what he gets paid now lol! MARKET VALUE!!! He earned the right to sit out. If he didn’t nobody would sign him but we both know that won’t happen. Some of his teammates didn’t like it because w/o him they knew they weren’t as good. The media ALWAYS embellishes a story for ratings! If I were Licht I’d make 2 offensive moves this offseason: Drafting a starting RG in the 2nd rd and signing Leveon Bell. If trading Djax were necessary to do so then fine, but I’d try to keep him too!!
March 7th, 2019 at 7:41 am
I don’t see it….Arians is the easy connection for driving up his price. Common sense says we don’t have the cap space and have higher priorities then safety.
March 7th, 2019 at 7:49 am
Do you guys even check your facts, fellow commenters? Cutting Gholston doesn’t save us six million and cutting unrein doesn’t save us 3.75. While I’m at it, Beau Allen doesn’t save us five mill either. You have to factor in dead money on these guys too. Except gholston, where I have no idea how you got six million bucks. It’s 3.75.
March 7th, 2019 at 7:55 am
Good thing dominik selected jonathan banks in the 2013 draft and passed on the honey badger and even better trading a #1 pick who is an all pro DT for a broken down revis…how can the bucs go from a horrible GM to an even worse one in licht
March 7th, 2019 at 7:59 am
I love GMC but his production isn’t there for $13M a year. He needs to restructure or be traded/cut. The Bucs are not a good enough team to keep him on the roster at that price.
March 7th, 2019 at 8:15 am
We used a second round pick on MJ Stewart last year to play corner. He was such a failure at corner that he’ll be playing safety this year. We drafted whitehead last year to play safety, and we used a second round pick on Evans to play safety. That’s three high draft choices by Licht to play safety, and we’re going to pay a FA safety? That doesn’t say much for your draft choices.
March 7th, 2019 at 8:15 am
We need to sign a kicker…..and while we are at it a LS…..and 3 LBs, S, 2CBs, 2RBs, 2 QBs, 2 Backup Olinemen, a WR, TE…
And $9 mill for Draftees.
23 FA players remaining from last year’s roster
For all of you who think we have the cap space to sign a high-priced FA…..think again. We have many, many players to sign…..we will need the Djax money and likely GMC money to accomplish signing the above players.
March 7th, 2019 at 8:23 am
Big fat NOPE
March 7th, 2019 at 8:35 am
Maybe this is when McCoy restructures….same number split over 2 years …or 6.5 per year guaranteed
March 7th, 2019 at 8:56 am
Over Alvin Kamara.
March 7th, 2019 at 9:01 am
I hope Mathieu doesnt price himself out from us….im counting on us landing him.
sign TM
trade our 2nd for Dee Ford if we can or draft G/C Bradbury
G (if we take a DE or trade for one with our 2nd) or DE in the 3rd (Nassib was a 3rd)
CB 4th
WR Hunter Renfrow 5th
March 7th, 2019 at 9:19 am
if he can get 12mil with his injury history, i wonder what l.collins can get, 14mil?……
secondary aint as bad as folks think….it was the coaching and scheme that made them look horrible….the talent is there…..we can sign a vet at safety but it doesnt have to be one that cost 12mil….
#REALISTKNOWSNOTHING!!!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!!
March 7th, 2019 at 9:43 am
I would like the Badger here, but it is not going to happen.
Best to just keep on the path we have, draft to fill the hole.
In fact, I really don’t see any free agents (outside of our own) I care enough about to see spending big bucks justified.
I’m all for skipping the big name market altogether this year.
March 7th, 2019 at 9:45 am
SteveK Says
“Good thing we drafted J Evans in round two- not!”
I’m with you on the whole Luke thing.
But Justin Evans was not a bad pick, or at least its just a smudge too early to decide. Ryan Smith? Horrible pick. Justin Evans? Well, we’ll find out this year I think…good or bad.
March 7th, 2019 at 9:50 am
Mort Says
Do you guys even check your facts, fellow commenters? Cutting Gholston doesn’t save us six million and cutting unrein doesn’t save us 3.75. While I’m at it, Beau Allen doesn’t save us five mill either. You have to factor in dead money on these guys too. Except gholston, where I have no idea how you got six million bucks. It’s 3.75.
Here are the numbers we save by making the cuts:
• DE William Gholston. SAVED: $3,750,000
• DE Mitch Unrein. SAVED: $3,750,000
• DE Noah Spence. SAVED: $1,273,132
• DT Beau Allen. SAVED: $5,000,000
• RT Demar Dotson. SAVED: $4,803,125
March 7th, 2019 at 9:53 am
@Mort
If you are looking at Spotrac, the main page is showing the 2018 numbers. Click a name to see the 2019 numbers.
March 7th, 2019 at 9:58 am
CURRRENT CAP TOTALS
• Total Available Cap: $192,700,00
• Total Team Cap $: $194,938,551
Cap Space: $-2,238,551 ←
Released/Saved
• Evan Smith: $2,000,000
• Caleb Benenoch: $2,025,000
• Mitch Unrein: $3,750,000
• William Gholston: $3,750,000
• Beau Allen: $5,000,000
Total Saved:$16,525,000
Cap Space: $14,286,449←
Relinquish/Received
• Traded DeSean Jackson for Michael Brockers: $-250,000
• Traded Cameron Brate for Whitney Mercilus: $+750,000
• Traded Jason Pierre-Paul to OAK: $+14,900,000 (+2nd & 5th)
• Traded Gerald McCoy to CLEV:$+13,000,000 (+4th Rd)
Total Cap Space: $42,686,449←
2019 Free Agents
• NT – Steve McLendon (Age:33) 2.5M
• RUSH – Preston Smith (Age:26) $10M
• SAM – Jeremiah Attaochu (Age:26) $1.5M
• WLB – Deone Bucannon (Age:27) $3.5M
• CB – Rashaan Melvin (Age:27) $4M
• S- Tyrann Mathieu (Age:27) $9M
Total Spent: $30.5M
Total Cap Space: $12,186,449←
Use the additional draft capital to fill in the blanks.
Note: This does not include a potential trade down (assets) or contract restructuring
March 7th, 2019 at 10:09 am
Potential Draft Picks
• 1st 5
• 2nd 35 (OAK)
• 2nd 39
• 3nd 70
• 4th 108
• 4th 120 (CLE)
• 5th 142 (OAK)
• 5th 146
• 7th 217 (ARIZ)
March 7th, 2019 at 11:56 am
Luv. why trade JPP?
March 7th, 2019 at 6:01 pm
As so frequently happens I agree with D.R.
Draft White! Put a very fast, BIG MLB on the field instead of the small, now injured..Kwon. Great attitude and heart but White has those same qualities plus the tools to back it up.
When the MLB is a wrecking ball it makes the ENTIRE D look better including the safeties. White not only represents a possible game changing talent…he’s affordable!
If one of the big three drop to five I understand if we draft them, but I’m not sure we still shouldn’t draft White. He has the potential to be the HEART of a mean, fast defense.
March 7th, 2019 at 9:06 pm
ncbucsfan Says:
“They’re probably not going after Hiney Badger.”
ROTFLMFAO!!! HINEY Badger! Hahahahahahahaha
That’s the first thing I thought, too, when I saw that fancy hair do!! Hahahahahaha