Make The Call, Jason!
May 15th, 2019
BY IRA KAUFMAN
Give him a call.
Jason Licht needs to remember that scene in “The Godfather.” When Michael Corleone arrives in Las Vegas, trying to set up a meeting with casino owner Moe Greene.
First, Michael clears the room of the waiters and the dancers. “Give him a call,” Michael then says to Fredo, who knows Al Pacino is in Sin City strictly on business.
Well, this is business, too. The business of winning.
There may be a rare opportunity to acquire a cornerback who has earned eight Pro Bowl berths in an 8-year career, a 3-time All-Pro who has never missed a game and has a long and distinguished history with Bruce Arians.
If Patrick Peterson is indeed available, the Bucs need to be interested. At the very least, this potential opportunity merits a phone call from Licht to one of his best friends in the business, Arizona GM Steve Keim.
Peterson is not a happy camper in the desert. He’s bent out of shape and nobody in Arizona seems to know why.
I don’t care why.
“Find A Way”
Eight-time Pro Bowler Patrick Peterson
He wants out — and Tampa Bay needs to show him the money and directions to One Buc Place.
With a new head coach, the Cardinals don’t want to part company with their best defensive player. That’s understood, so Licht needs to make Keim an offer he can’t refuse.
Peterson turns 29 in July and he’s slated to make a combined $23 million in the next two seasons. For each of the past four years, he has cracked the Top 20 in voting for the NFL’s Top 100 players.
Do you see anyone on the current Buc roster worthy of that kind of recognition?
Antonio Brown, arguably the best receiver in the league, just got dispatched to Oakland for picks in the third and fifth rounds. I’m offering at least a 2 and a 4 for perhaps the premier corner in the NFL.
This is not Darrelle Revis coming off knee surgery. This is a future Hall of Famer, healthy and in his prime.
What about Peterson’s salary? Find a way.
Peterson entered the league in 2011, two years before Arians put his stamp on the Cardinals. He saw the quarterback whisperer breathe new life into a dead franchise.
“You saw what he did in Arizona,” says Peterson. “He turned around things very quickly and only in five years was the winningest coach in franchise history. We should’ve went to the playoffs three of his five seasons. We won 10 games that first year (2013) and still didn’t get in. Coach knows how to win games, Coach knows how to put players in the best position possible to be successful.”
You’d have to think Peterson is playing mind games with Todd Bowles on a daily basis. Bowles is looking for someone to anchor a young secondary and unlike Brent Grimes, Peterson enjoys the challenge of shutting down elite receivers — no matter where Julio Jones or Michael Thomas might line up.
“My biggest strength is being able to play well with my back to the quarterback,” says Peterson. “I love to play up at the line of scrimmage, right in the wide receiver’s grill. To do that, I need to play really well with my back facing the quarterback. I need to be able to read the receiver’s body language and eyes to tell me what’s going on in the backfield — if the ball is coming, if the QB is scrambling, if he checks down to a back.”
A proven lock-down corner would give Bowles a lot of flexibility and confidence to install an aggressive scheme. And while there would be other potential suitors for Peterson’s services, the Bucs need to give this their best shot.
“When it comes to football,” Peterson says, “in my mind, Coach Arians is a genius.”
Make the call, Jason.
Ira Kaufman began covering the NFL as a New York Giants beat writer in 1979. He arrived on the Buccaneers beat in 1985, and the corporate leash finally was removed from his neck when he joined JoeBucsFan.com in July 2016. The award-winning Ira Kaufman Podcast fires twice per week, and Ira’s columns appear thrice weekly, except when Ira is on special assignment. Tampa Bay’s only Hall of Fame voter also is a popular guest on various national radio and on local TV. Don’t miss him weekly on TAMPA TWO with Derrick Brooks, a production of The Identity Tampa Bay and JoeBucsFan.
May 15th, 2019 at 12:41 pm
Make the call GM.
Send a couple picks and a DB.
Honestly doesnt matter what DB they want. They can have their pick IMO.
May 15th, 2019 at 12:45 pm
this would definitely breathe some fresh hope into the Bucs fans!
May 15th, 2019 at 12:45 pm
glazers will say no because they’re idiots…or maybe they want the Bucs to suck for some surreptitious reason
May 15th, 2019 at 12:45 pm
I would have loved the idea of this if we drafted differently but there is just no way man. No way you give up 2 MORE draft picks and $$ after you’ve just spent a 1st, 4 2nds, and and 2 3rds on the secondary the last few years… with 4 of those being CBs… We’d be at 7 premium picks spent on corners basically in just a few years at that point. I mean my god.
It’d mean a bunch of highly drafted dudes sitting and not developing. Just a huge waste of resources with no vision to building a team if they do this.
If they drafted mostly all front 7 disruptors, with 1/2 of the ammo spent on secondary, then yeah this makes a ton of sense. Not with the current team make up.
May 15th, 2019 at 12:46 pm
The Jets want to turn the corner so they fired their TURRIBLE GM, why cant the bucs cut bait as well
May 15th, 2019 at 12:47 pm
Because he is an all pro and been to the pro bowl and never missed a game he DEFINITELY is NOT Jason Gumps type of player. Gump needs to look and feel like a hero finding the zero players and give them gobs and gobs of Glazer loot so if it ever works out (which it never does) he can say”look at me! I’m not as big of a dumb arse as you think!”
May 15th, 2019 at 12:48 pm
If jason licht and BA go after peterson now they are bigger morons than they are given credit for. They draft in 2 years 20 DBs and now want to waste the future on one? Poor planning by the bucs AGAIN
May 15th, 2019 at 12:56 pm
At least he wouldn’t object to covering the other teams best receiver like Grimes did.
May 15th, 2019 at 12:58 pm
Gump should send them this years 2nd and next year’s 2nd.
Good call, Ira.
May 15th, 2019 at 1:02 pm
“LOL Bucsheep 101
dig yourself deeper and deeper
Don’t you fools know that Gump has fvkin DESTROYED this franchise and immediate 5 year future???
This franchise is rotten in its foundation.
REMEMBER ONE THING FROM KOBE!
“YOU CAN NOT REBUILD SLOWLY FROM THE BOTTOM”
You can add and rebuild when your 15th best/talented team to the next level BUT
When you are the 25th ranked/talented team …you just cant add pieces or 2 rookies per year and overspend where you have no money!
When you are a bottom dweller 5-11 team. You are what your record says you are
ONLY KOBE IS STATING THIS AND IT WILL SURELY COME TRUE
ONLY with a total purge and absolutely complete reconstruction from the top will we ever change this franchise around…and Gump he is locking up overpaying bums to long time contracts WHEN WE ARE NOT READY
DO YOU SHEEP KNOW ABOUT WINDOWS? TIMING? WE ARE FLAWED AND ROTTEN TO THE CORE
We have to unload every big contract…EVERY FVKIN ONE…We need draft picks and that one talented draft evaluator!
that man is
JOE DOUGLAS”
Kobe Faker
May 15th, 2019 at 1:03 pm
Ira … Since Peterson makes about $12 mil per year for the next 2 years, any chance the Cardinals might swap Peterson for GMC & say one of our CBs drafted last year? The pay’s roughly the same, and it looks to me like the Cards have a VERY mediocre cast of DTs: Brown, Gunter, Valentine & Peters, plus Turner who can play inside. Against the run they were worse than us: they came in #32 in rushing yardage allowed (a whopping 2,479 yards) AND #32 in rushing TDs allowed (a whopping 25).
That could be a WIN-WIN … Bucs can really use an experienced CB in our Secondary, and the Cards can really use a DT who can put some pressure upfront. Plus Arizona & Oklahoma are real close, so GMC could go home on the weekends. Oh wait …
May 15th, 2019 at 1:05 pm
+++++ STOP +++++
May 15th, 2019 at 1:08 pm
.We are in cap hell!!!!!!!!!!……I generally agree with Ira, but not on this one……. I would do something crazy but in some other position, not in CB, I agree Peterson is an extraordinary player, but if we do something crazy should be on the DL or OL, not in CB position……… If JPP and GMC are gone, and looks like, we need money to cover those positions, and 13 mm probably will not be enough…..we aren´t going anywhere with the players left………So not a CB…….please……
May 15th, 2019 at 1:09 pm
Don’t disagree with Ira on anything very much, but this is not doable. They’ve invested heavily in DBs the past 2 years and have to stick with that plan and let it play out. Help is needed more for the front 7 and O-Line. Also, to pay this guy puts the Bucs in a continued cap Hell….
May 15th, 2019 at 1:29 pm
Don’t do it. If we were talking about an edge rushing sack master…then yes. However, our salary cap alright limits flexibility. I don’t want to give away draft picks or money and certainly not both.
May 15th, 2019 at 1:32 pm
I agree with Bruce Blahak. Besides, Peterson’s best days are likely behind him.
May 15th, 2019 at 1:41 pm
Terrible take Ira!!!!!! next you will be wanting to have a theme of the “no fly zone” splashed around RJS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2019 will reveal answers to the sheep, that the “real” fans already know!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Go Bucs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
May 15th, 2019 at 1:45 pm
Would be a pricey player we can’t afford. Any infusion of talent is good but the money is better spent elsewhere on this roster.
May 15th, 2019 at 1:47 pm
I’m all for it. Give me something to consider buying Sunday Ticket again for.
May 15th, 2019 at 1:52 pm
If you sign him chances are Lavonte David becomes a cap casualty next year. He might still without Peterson coming here.
May 15th, 2019 at 1:57 pm
Do it now. A lock down corner is a game changer.
May 15th, 2019 at 2:05 pm
Even with a lock down CB Arizona ended up with the number one overall pick.
While talented CB would be nice our cap situation would require a fundamental shift to using prorated bonus to fit players under the cap. In other words CHARGE IT.
May 15th, 2019 at 2:07 pm
Jets fired their GM, bucs need to do the same make the call Glazer.
May 15th, 2019 at 2:11 pm
Since we don’t have anyone on the DL who can consistently rush the passer, why the hell not? Blitz away and have Petersen and the rookies press-man all game long.
May 15th, 2019 at 2:13 pm
“Show me the money!”
May 15th, 2019 at 2:18 pm
Gotta be in the decent camp on this one. The D-line is a bigger need with O-line and RB right behind. We have a lot of draft capital already invested at DB and we are up against the salary cap. We are not one player away, certainly not one DB away.
May 15th, 2019 at 2:22 pm
JPPs gone, Mccoy on the way out, yes IRA all we need is a 11.5 million dollar defensive back. You do not create cap space by adding another high priced player. If they could recoup all of JPPs 14.9 salary and Mccoys 13 then maybe but I would not give up a #1 because we will need that for a new quarterback.
May 15th, 2019 at 2:22 pm
Tell the Cardinals they can have GMC.
May 15th, 2019 at 2:27 pm
Like some other posters have pointed out, there has been way too much draft capital thrown at DB’s the last three years to throw more capital and salary at an almost 30 year old defensive back.
This move would have been made before thus draft if it were going to happen.
May 15th, 2019 at 2:32 pm
Ira…jets need anew GM. Maybe you can convince them trades like this are good.
May 15th, 2019 at 2:48 pm
No thanks….don’t we ever learn ?…no reflection on his ability and career….but this is a team building from within…maybe the Cap Hell is the best thing happening to the Bucs right now…in a strange Buc Life way….
May 15th, 2019 at 3:03 pm
Send Hargreaves and McCoy…..they can cut McCoy instantly for cap relief, doubt they can do that for Peterson.
May 15th, 2019 at 3:06 pm
Joe is SOOOOOO Correct here! Make that call and if they say no, call again the next day and the next…
May 15th, 2019 at 3:07 pm
Kobe … Looks like you’ve gone over to the Dark Side too. Tell Realist & tmax & the others in the Chicken Little Coup hello for us.
This IS as REBUILDING YEAR. It’s Year 1 actually, regardless of what BA & Joe say. To do away with ALL of your experienced veterans is akin to committing suicide as an NFL team. It’d be like putting a college team on the field against mature teams like the Patriots, Rams, Chiefs, Saints, etc. Our youngsters NEED a certain number of quality experienced veterans to learn from & to show the way ON THE FIELD. Coaches can only do so much. Bucs have some decent starters, just not enough of them. We NEED some better LEADERS, and someone like Patrick Peterson has demonstrated that he can lead. And no, we can’t afford Peterson without gaining GMC’s salary in exchange (via a trade preferably). But yes, we do NEED other holes filled, but a FA starting-caliber CB was a priority BEFORE the draft … nothing’s changed. We’ve gained a lot of rookies, which is great, but they lack experienced leadership.
May 15th, 2019 at 3:08 pm
Considering the cost of acquiring Peterson AND a huge salary for a guy who will be on the wrong side of 30 in just 1 year?
No chance.
Bucs have drafted 5 CBs with high picks since 2016 (6 if you count MJ Stewart).
Coach em up Bowles!
May 15th, 2019 at 3:14 pm
how do we pay the guy? monopoly dollars?
May 15th, 2019 at 3:16 pm
“Kobe went to Family Dollar to return some items…
Why did Kobe feel like he was in Gumps Office?”
Kobe Faker
May 15th, 2019 at 3:16 pm
That’s a crack pipe dream on several levels. One, the Bucs cannot afford him. Two, it would require too much draft capital for a player at or near the end of his prime. And three, why on God’s green earth would he want to finish out his career here. Odds are he winds up in K.C. or another team knocking on a Super Bowl.
May 15th, 2019 at 3:24 pm
We’re fine at CB now, Ira…
We need that money spent elsewhere.
May 15th, 2019 at 3:31 pm
No. Having him would rock. But we’re already talking about cutting guys to sign draft picks. Plus ging up more picks next year?
Hes a great player, but we can’t afford him
May 15th, 2019 at 3:34 pm
C’mon Ira,
What’s next? A LeVeon Bell trade proposal?
May 15th, 2019 at 3:37 pm
Jason Licht has to know about the Gump thing by now lol
May 15th, 2019 at 4:18 pm
“Def Rules
This years draft told Kobe we still don’t have a plan and going nowhere
We should have cut Brate, Dsmith, GMC…etc
im fine with Devin White because we drafted not only a Lb but a leader
but the rest of the draft was garbage and with no direction. should have picked up 2 oline and rb/dline
we have young corners already!!! needed a veteran corner to SOLIDIFY the back
Why do we have to be the only team to draft 3 out of 4 db/saftey rookies to start. Where is the past history of success in this method? Most succesful teams and GMs have 1 drafted rookie corner and to learn and mess with the veteran players. This method not only makes sense but has been used successfully for decades
we had 2 past years and drafted 6 defensive backs and…
we are talking about trading for a corner that will be expensive, cost us draft picks and lock us for many years of deciding play
think about what we are saying?”
Kobe Faker
May 15th, 2019 at 4:19 pm
we spend 6 picks in two years on dbs and now we are going to trade picks for a db…. that sounds like jason
May 15th, 2019 at 4:31 pm
Give Keim GMC and call it good-even trade
May 15th, 2019 at 4:42 pm
send mccoy, hargreavances and a pick………lol……just do it
May 15th, 2019 at 4:43 pm
yes send mccoy there to fin out his career as a 2 time loser…bucs and cards career
May 15th, 2019 at 4:46 pm
we have a boatload of sheet heads in the secondary right now…somethings gotta give…unload a few to arizona…i can see evans, hargreavances and a draft pick or 2…throw in mccoy just to piss off cleveland…lol
May 15th, 2019 at 4:48 pm
werald mctoy the arizona cardinal …omg lol…he can keep the red hair there as well !…he looks good in red…i hear bruce is ordering him an xxxl kangol so he can wear it and tuck in all those red dreads correctly…bruce says “werald ya gotta come correct when sporting the kangol my sonn”
May 15th, 2019 at 4:55 pm
gerald mccoy and ian beckles spotted having breakfast this morning in clearwater at frog pond…
#WhenAyeGoodBreakfastTrumpsBadFootball
May 15th, 2019 at 4:59 pm
The time to sign Peterson was one or two years ago,IMO. The question I have is did they draft some really good players with Bowles involved. I was looking forward to seeing if they could contribute early rather than later in their career.
Signing Peterson will set their development back and most probably add to our cap woes. We have had very little success with bridge players so far. A trade where our salary cap changes little would be the only feasible way to get this done.
But a part of me wants to see if BA and company can turn this team around with the young players they drafted.
May 15th, 2019 at 5:01 pm
Kobe? Kobe Faker? Is that you it is me Lionel Joeseph from the African Educationan conference. Yeah Mon it Is I Kobe Faker from the Joebucsfan Pavilion. I remember the pavilion we had great fun there. Oh the memories!
May 15th, 2019 at 5:03 pm
A fun reference to trading places once out of moderation
May 15th, 2019 at 5:28 pm
Dont think Licht needs to remember any movie lines for a business deal. I also think he has already made at least one call on the matter, probably a few. The cappeth is a tricky beast. Need to find someone to get McShafted for McCoy and get out of JPPs deal. These coaches aren’t Klueless staff. Surprise cuts will be made and plenty more additions. Plenty of time left to evaluate and add. If ya aint a grown up breathing ball youll be elsewhere. Refreshing.
May 15th, 2019 at 5:44 pm
I’m still confused by this article…it appears you believe that the Bucs missed on all their draft picks and now they should hire a CB that can do the job. If Peterson was the answer to all our problems why didn’t we make this “can’t” miss trade before the draft. Then select an edge rusher and o-line. It appears that you think the coaches and GM should be fired (it’s clear that many feel that way). I believe going after an older high price CB is clearly 180 degrees from where this club is heading. You are telling them they total messed up and they need to fix it now.
May 15th, 2019 at 7:04 pm
Can he play defensive end or right guard?
May 15th, 2019 at 7:24 pm
Unless they want both Gerald McCoy and JPP as a swap where would the money come from? This won’t happen.
May 15th, 2019 at 8:48 pm
This is just a horrible idea for so many reasons.
May 15th, 2019 at 11:13 pm
A couple of cocktails and cold beers between buddies Stevie Kiem and Licht Weight ( not when it comes to drinking, however ) could seal this deal. Just as Parcells brought “his guys” to new teams he coached…Peterson clearly is a Bucco Bruce guy and it would infuse both talent and chemistry into the moribund franchise. Brate ( for the rookie WB ) and a pick outta do it. Or Brate, McCoy and multiple picks 😉
May 15th, 2019 at 11:41 pm
If we were one player away I’d say yes
We go 5-11 with or without him
May 16th, 2019 at 7:22 am
If he wants out of Arizona why would he want to come to Tampa? This is a recipe made for disaster
May 16th, 2019 at 12:54 pm
Suspended 6 games for PED use
May 16th, 2019 at 1:18 pm
Popped for PEDs, 6 game suspension
Sorry Ira, but you can file this one under “F” for Freezing Cold Take
May 16th, 2019 at 1:45 pm
lol good thing he didnt make the call
May 16th, 2019 at 9:50 pm
Another solid Ira call.
May 17th, 2019 at 10:56 am
He was just SUSPENDED for PED use.
Read and Weep https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2836579-nfl-rumors-patrick-peterson-reportedly-suspended-6-games-for-positive-ped-test?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=nfl