Mike Evans Talks About His Shaq Barrett Surprise
December 24th, 2019
Yes, Mike Evans keeps a close eye on all Buccaneers players, and yesterday he shared a something that stunned him about Shaq Barrett.
Joe had forgotten about this nugget but it is truly telling, and Joe’s glad Evans brought it up during his chat on Buccaneers Radio.
Evans noted he was very surprised when he saw Shaq on the field for the Bucs’ fourth preseason game of 2019. Starters and the team’s treasured players typically don’t play in that game, Evans reminded fans, and Shaq suiting up stunned Evans because he had seen Shaq play so well through the summer.
Shaq “dominated” in the fourth preseason game and was pulled rather early, Evans said.
Man, imagine if Shaq had gotten dinged up in that meaningless and nearly worthless preseason game. His mere presence there is a great indicator that Bucs coaches didn’t believe Shaq had a 16 1/2-sack season in his 27-year-old body.
Is Shaq a one-year wonder as a Pro Bowl sack artist? Probably. But that doesn’t mean he can’t be a 10- or 11-sack guy for a couple more years while he continues to deliver a strong all-around game.
December 24th, 2019 at 10:10 am
Shaq is great, but he greatly benefitted from our other players. and a blitz all the time coaching philosophy.
This is why it is so important to keep our defense together, if at all possible.
December 24th, 2019 at 10:32 am
re-signing SHAQ should be priority #1…..
GO BUCS!!!!!
December 24th, 2019 at 10:38 am
He’s shown a wide variety of moves. I think he’s legit. Definitely got that “dog” in him. Go Bucs!!
December 24th, 2019 at 10:39 am
IMHO Sign sooner rather than later.
1. Shaq
2. JPP
3. Suh
4. Nassib
5. Winston
December 24th, 2019 at 10:39 am
We needed Dee Ford or Josh Allen…..maybe not…
December 24th, 2019 at 10:51 am
Franchise him, then we’ll see.
December 24th, 2019 at 10:53 am
Shaq has always had above-average production. The problem was that he played behind Von Miller and didn’t get on the field much. This is not a one-year wonder and he should be locked down ASAP!
December 24th, 2019 at 11:34 am
They have to bring back Shaq, with that here’s my Christmas wish list for the offseason
Draft
Rd 1 Jalen Hurts QB- OU
Rd 2 Raekwon Davis DL-Bama
Rd 3 Leki Fotu DL-Utah
Rd 4 Terrance Steele OT-Texas Tech
Rd 5 Ben Cleveland G-UGA
Rd 6 AJ Dillon RB- BC
Rd 7 Derek Adams P-Kent State
Sign/resign
Barrett
JPP
Suh
Nassib
Melvin Gordon
Bryan Bulaga
A actual KR & PR
And last but not least, new uniforms!!!
December 24th, 2019 at 11:39 am
JP 09 is spot on! Couldn’t agree more about new uniforms as well. We fans should get a new QB for Christmas!
December 24th, 2019 at 12:02 pm
Every player benefits from or is negatively impacted by the players around them and the scheme They run. People constantly criticize in a vacuum. C’mon..
December 24th, 2019 at 12:04 pm
What about Tua Tagovailoa -QB Alabama? I know he is injured but that dude can ball. Franchise tag Winston for one year and let Tua learn and heal… If it works out he would be a steal at #19.
December 24th, 2019 at 12:28 pm
It has taken vets like Carson Palmer a second and an entire offseason to excel in this offense. How long do you think it will take a rookie QB? And for those suggesting Jalen Hurts…. how long will it take a 3rd round quality QB that was reached for in round 1 to get up to speed? Seriously, keep your opinions, wants, and desires to yourself if it makes you look ridiculous. A rookie to come in and run an extremely difficult downfield offense and that rookie being Jalen Hurts is a joke, right?
December 24th, 2019 at 12:30 pm
This is the time of year I have learned to hate. We all exhaust our love of football with a variety of ways to fix another losing season. Albert Einstein stated the definition of Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. I agree one man does not a team make which unleashes an unending source of excuses when a team is a perpetual loser. We are all right and all wrong in our quick fix scenario’s. For what it’s worth here is my annual insanity.
1) Franchise Shaq, not that I am saying he will repeat next year, but it is beginning to look like he may be the best pass rusher since the Super Bowl and win and when your team is a perpetual loser it’s always fun to root for a guy that may be the best at what he does. (at least for one season)
2) Resign Nassib, JPP, and Suh. if possible. It feels good to have a return to a respectable defense.
3) DO NOT DRAFT OR SEEK ANOTHER DB IN FA. Let this puppy grow and hunt for another year, I have a feeling 2020 will be a return to our old chant, “Who let the Dogs out.”
4) Draft Best Available OL in 1st & 3rd round.
5) Keep an eye out for Best available RB in FA, RD 2, or currently working at Home Depot.
FINALLY after 5 years we know what we have in Winston. Don’t be fooled into thinking BA will turn him around in the offseason. He is what he is. He has been blessed with great receivers, HIs incredible yardage for the most part was catch up, (playing from behind) and he has been afforded every excuse from no running game, to OLine, to the wind. Fact is he can’t be the face of the franchise and the 30-30 man. He will not be a high value target for QB needy teams with his turnover propensity. If he doesn’t take a team friendly, incentive laden, 1-2 year deal let him walk.
IMO
December 24th, 2019 at 12:35 pm
Shaq was always a productive per snap player in Denver. Just never got enough playing time. I don’t think it’s a fluke really but also don’t see him putting up 16+ sacks a year either. He’s worth the $$ though just for the attention he’ll command/pressure he can get
December 24th, 2019 at 12:41 pm
JP_09 & Pelsbuc61 … Bucs DESPERATELY need to build the trenches, but OLine before DLine for 2020. We’ve got the OPTION of re-signing our own DLinemen (JPP, Suh, Barrett, Nassib & Nunez-Roches), for the right prices of course, but we don’t have as much flexibility when it comes to our OLine.
Dotson’s a UFA & I doubt we’d re-sign him, so there’s one starter’s hole right there. Our best option is to draft an OLineman in Round 1 or 2 who can START in 2020, plus draft another OLineman in about Round 4 who we can develop (and who’ll hopefully improve on our minimal OLine DEPTH). Even picking in the 15-20 spots, we SHOULD be able to find a starter-capable OLineman there.
Marine Buc … Walter Football predicts that Tua will be gone in the Top 5 (they have Miami picking him at #3 I think it is). Bucs NEED to build our trenches AND draft a starting RB BEFORE we worry about replacing Jameis. Other than that, his replacement would have pretty much the same problems Jameis has had. Personally think that the OPTION of trading Jameis AFTER he’s been franchise-tagged is viable IF we can find a suitable partner to tango with.
December 24th, 2019 at 12:42 pm
Lemme just say this……..
He’s dominated the Los this year….maybe his best year
But if he’s an 10 a year sack guy….he’s worth every penny…..pay the man
December 24th, 2019 at 1:06 pm
If you add Gordon and a RT I’ll take my chances with Hurts all day, let me know how many rookie QBs threw 20 INTs this year. Not to mention your down field philosophy is straight BS seeing that about %80 of Winstons INTs have come on short to intermediate routes. Ray Finkle could run this Offense with Evans and Godwin at WR. Sorry your feelings are hurt Brandon
&Marine, I like Tua just afraid of his injury history and like Defense said he’s projected to be off the board already
@Defense, I just think if they could get Shaq, JPP and Suh back you get young DL in now to learn from them. Our OLine is under contract still minus Dot. I would say 2021 is when you go OL in the 1st. Definitely agree through heavy on the trenches either way I’d be happy
December 24th, 2019 at 1:19 pm
Palmer 2013 (his first in ARZ) first 8 games 14 INTs, last 8 games 8 INTs we call that improvement.
Winston 2019 ( His first in Arians Offense) first 8 game 12 INTs, last 8 games (one to play) 16 and counting, we call that regression.
Not worth $30 million
December 24th, 2019 at 1:29 pm
Sacks are great. Everybody loves them. But he’s a pretty damn good tackler too. And his pursuit is relentless downfield. And he’s 100% on every play.
This defense absolutely needs to stay together. Couple more pieces and depth and our lowest bar is an average defense.
December 24th, 2019 at 1:33 pm
one year wonder? probably? dang Joes, why you gotta be like that?
Maybe he hits 18 next year! With us!
December 24th, 2019 at 1:34 pm
Always crying for pass rush….and we finally have it and you got to knock it…SMDH!
December 24th, 2019 at 1:34 pm
It’s funny to hear everybody talk about how hard it would be for a rookie to learn this offense. It’s almost like we are watching a 5th year rookie at this point.
Y’all sure do have a lot invested in JW. You know, you can get a new Jersey on eBay used for a low, low price.
December 24th, 2019 at 1:36 pm
Mad max
That’s because Joe didn’t get the guy he wanted. Been disparaging D White with that savior BS all season. Why not disparage one of other best players too?
December 24th, 2019 at 1:56 pm
Brandon- I completely agree with you but but it’s Christmas time so you could’ve said it nicer. 🙂
You know what drives me insane is people repeating that Albert Einstein insanity definition falsehood. Not only is that not the definition Einstein never said it. This definition came from a Alcoholic Anonymous pamphlet in the early 80s.
Insanity isn’t even a clinical term, it’s judicial. If a person cannot conduct her/his affairs due to psychosis, or is subject to uncontrollable impulsive behavior.
December 24th, 2019 at 2:00 pm
JP_09 … Agree with your logic, but I think that JPP & Suh BOTH have 2 years left in them for sure (providing they want to play for the Bucs AND we don’t disrespect them with low-ball offers … they’ll BOTH have plenty of suitors if we do). OLine actually concerns me more right now, primarily because we have next to zero depth.
I’m convinced that the Bucs can be a playoff team in 2020 & 2021 IF our GM doesn’t screw it up. IMO it all depends on keeping this defense together so it can keep building on what it’s accomplished this 2nd half of the season, drafting REALLY smart (which we did in 2019 IMO) AND signing a couple of quality FAs to plug holes. I have no problem at all with bringing Jameis back to run this puppy, PROVIDING it’s at a team-friendly salary (the franchise-tag of $27 mil is the absolute highest that I’d go, and only for 1 year at a time). If the possibility of trading him for say Derek Carr was there, I’d jump at it, providing that the numbers worked out.
And from a TEAM-BUILDING standpoint, Bucs have to stop using the herky-jerky approach like we have been … heavy offense for a couple years, then heavy defense. EVERY YEAR we should be drafting OLine AND Dline replacements, serving as depth at first then growing into starters. Every year we seem to be doing nothing but filling holes, and that’s NOT TEAM-BUILDING IMO. We’ve wasted far too many picks, and we end up paying for it in terms of having to sign expensive FAs to ‘fix’ problem araes that poor team-building created.
December 24th, 2019 at 2:14 pm
Accountability, both good and bad, is foreign concept to the team’s owners. Expect them to destroy whatever progress was made this year. Howard is certain that settling in-fighting over profits between the siblings is, and always has been, number one priority
December 24th, 2019 at 2:17 pm
Sign Shaq, sign all the good players, tag WInston…..keep BA, Bowles happy…..yaddayadda………..it’s all too much effort and total investment for the skittish siblings
December 24th, 2019 at 2:21 pm
He is a classic franchise tag guy. While there was hope he could produce, it’s still his first time doing so at this level. It would be incredibly risky to sign him to a long term deal since there just isn’t a history to work from. I think he can be a 10 sack guy again, but I don’t know about 15, but that’s why you franchise him and see how next year goes. Obviously if he can do it again, you then lock him longterm.
But if the Bucs did get a longterm deal done – where he’s not being paid like a year-in, year-out 15-sack guy, then I’d have no issues with that. But, from what people on this board have said, Drew Rosenhaus is his agent, so there’s no discounts coming.
December 24th, 2019 at 5:32 pm
Why think about what didn’t happen? There’s enough trouble to worry about today with a qb unworthy of a raise asking for $$$30 mil/ year. Give him his walking papers
December 24th, 2019 at 6:24 pm
Shaq had something to prove this year, so he gave his all. There are other great players who are backing up big name starters.
We have another one here, Ryan Griffin. He should get a chance before he takes that long walk.
I am glad that Shaq ended up here I would really like to see a player rewarded for his play and not his potential. All NFL players have potential, some don’t pan out.
December 24th, 2019 at 6:25 pm
I am going to be beyond incensed if we let this guy go. JPP too for that matter.
December 24th, 2019 at 7:39 pm
Buczilla – Well they’re not going to let Shaq go, they’re going to almost certainly franchise him.
As for JPP… I don’t know. If they didn’t do that super stupid move of making him a FA, then we’d know he’d be back. But they made him a FA, so he goes to the highest bidder. I don’t think he’ll back since I think someone else will simply pay him more. I know JPP played college here, but he doesn’t live here, he didn’t rehab here, so I don’t think he really cares to much about returning here. Hope I’m wrong, but just my gut feeling.
December 25th, 2019 at 7:08 am
Marine buc
The Bucs would be smart to sty far away from Tua.
Tua is a Marcus Mariota clone ,only more apt to be injured.
Merry Christmas
Go Bucs
December 25th, 2019 at 11:48 am
Might be his best every year but if he’s good for 30+ sacks over the Next 3 seasons he’s probably worth what they’d pay him
December 25th, 2019 at 11:49 am
*his best ever year