Grades!
May 29th, 2019
You know, as we approach the third decade of the 21st century, you just cannot have robust football discussion without slapping a damn number or letter to a subject.
And so we approach a grade that BSPN levied on the Bucs for the offseason work of Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht and coach Bucco Bruce Arians. Mike Sando, after consulting with several NFL sources analyzing each team, admits he has some “nits to pick” with the Bucs’ moves.
Like Joe, Sando shakes his head at why the Bucs thought an inside linebacker was more valuable than an edge rusher in a passing league. But Sando found the logic (?) behind that move was shared by more NFL folks than he anticipated.
I expected more resistance to the Buccaneers using the fifth overall pick for an inside linebacker [Devin White] over an outside pass-rusher [Josh Allen]. Multiple evaluators liked White enough to justify the decision, although Jason Pierre-Paul’s injury created an even bigger pass-rush void.
The way Tampa Bay handled the signings of outside linebacker Shaquil Barrett and receiver Breshad Perriman did raise objections. Committing a combined $5 million in guaranteed money to them suggests both will be on the Week 1 roster, and if that is the case, those signings stand to cost Tampa Bay third- and fourth-round compensatory choices in 2020.
Joe can understand why Arians decided to burn potential 2020 draft picks in 2019 for free agents. Do we expect Arians to be coaching at 69? That’s what he will turn during the 2021 season. That’s when you hope 2020 draft make a big impact.
And if the Bucs aren’t winning by 2021 (man, it feels weird to type that date), it’s a good bet Arians and Licht are gone. So it is very much a short-term focus for the Bucs’ hierarchy.
(Column intermission: In connection with the photo Joe used for this post, did the manufacturers of wooden rulers and pointers get kickbacks from the Catholic church, allowing them to arm nuns at a steep discount, enabling them to assault innocent children? Yeah, Joe has nun issues.)
Oh, Sando gave the Bucs’ offseason a “B-” grade.
May 29th, 2019 at 11:33 am
In 2121….. None of us will be here Joe
May 29th, 2019 at 11:34 am
All of us who were whacked with a paddle by a nun have nun issues Joe. Wish i had none issues instead.
May 29th, 2019 at 11:38 am
We went LB because BA/TB knew they would end up with Suh.
Long ball.
May 29th, 2019 at 11:45 am
short-term focus indeed, one year contracts a plenty!
May 29th, 2019 at 11:47 am
There was a really hot nun at my school when I was growing up. Sister Molly. She lived down the block from me and I saw her at the pool one time in a bathing suit. Big jabos. Like really big jabohungas. Needless to say, 13 year old dirks Great Granpappy spent many nights in his bed kellen winslowing wishing she wasn’t a nun.
May 29th, 2019 at 11:53 am
Joe’s pretty sure you watched that awful Three Stooges movie way too many times hammered.
May 29th, 2019 at 12:07 pm
Gradpappy was thinking more Porky’s or Fast times at Ridgemont high.
May 29th, 2019 at 12:18 pm
Joe
Glad the pic effected you the same as me. My first grade nun was diabolical. She would have us hold out our hands so she could crack us over the knuckles. And yes Joe for SOME of those nuns it was child abuse.
Before my Catholic friends rip me…I went 8 years..elementary school with nuns. Several were awesome human beings and one of them is the reason I’m writing to this day.
Sadly a few had “issues”. I remember that first grade nun smiling in self satisfaction if she could break a little boy and make him cry with that ruler. Hey nothing better for a first grade boy than having an old lady expose his weaknesses in front of his classmates when he’s five or six years old.
Do I sound bitter? LMAO….not really because you have to take the bad with the good and several of the “good” nuns helped transform my life.
May 29th, 2019 at 12:21 pm
We wouldn’t know what a compensatory pick was if it bit us in the a$$…..
Also…..Jason should have known that JPP would break his neck…..what an incompetent GM.
May 29th, 2019 at 12:29 pm
Hahaha!!! good one stanglassman “Doesn’t anyone knock on the door anymore!”
May 29th, 2019 at 1:39 pm
The world needs more nun teachers
May 29th, 2019 at 3:04 pm
Joe….could be worse. You could’ve had Priest issues instead.
May 29th, 2019 at 5:41 pm
Signing Barrett and Periman will not offset the compensatory picks. The NFL factors in the quality of the players lost versus those got in return. Players that garner large multi year contracts are weighted higher than low level one year contract players.
May 29th, 2019 at 5:58 pm
Joe
“Like Joe, Sando shakes his head at why the Bucs thought an inside linebacker was more valuable than an edge rusher in a passing league.”
Quit the Josh Allen crying.
We had JPP healthy with 12 sacks in 2018 during the draft. Now we have two beast on the inside line with Vea and Suh with two very fast ILB with very much proven vet LVD and White who won the Butkus award and people think is going to be an All-Star in the league. Both are very good at dropping into coverage. You think this is going to be a Smitty defense where LVD never gets to use his great blitzing skills? Or maybe Noah Spence returns to his healthy (or even unhealthy) rookie year play if he starts OLB.
Mastermind secondary coach Todd Bowels didn’t say he’s going to have a bunch of DBs on the field for them all to drop back in some Smitty zone coverage to have all of them dropping back into coverage.
Gonna be serious blitzing from all around this speedy defense and don’t think Vea and Suh can easily get to the QB when opponent decides which one they need to double team.
May 29th, 2019 at 6:03 pm
*don’t think Vea and Suh CAN’T easily get to the QB when opponent decides which one they need to double team.
May 29th, 2019 at 6:36 pm
My business partner lives in MD – word on the airwaves is GMC was a great player on a sorry team – having him with their group of stars will allow him to blossom
I warned him the pillow is soft and that Ravens D doesn’t match the profile of GMC
Oh, I can’t wait to see it
Yeah, and a B- is being nice compared to most
I am on the fence, but the loyalty makes me want to buy in so badddddddddddd!!!!!!!
May 29th, 2019 at 8:47 pm
Clw
Don’t worry. A great August and preseason will knock you off the fence. Jump on in the water’s fine.
May 29th, 2019 at 10:10 pm
And with the first pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers select Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson.