“That Motivated Me To Go And Get It”
February 5th, 2020
Inspiring duo
How many teammates can Chris Godwin and Mike Evans take to a new level?
It’s one of the happy questions of Buccaneers fandom as the team sits on a 12-season, no-playoffs streak.
There was a telling moment on SiriusXM Radio last week as running back Ronald Jones was asked to say what makes him go “wow” when he watches Evans and Godwin play.
Jones passed on talking about specific plays or athleticism. He went right to how he’s been inspired behind the scenes.
“Definitely their work ethic. I see them every day, you know, since OTAs, training camp, and even during the season; those guys don’t take a day off, and that motivated me to go and get it,” RoJo said. “I just want to be like those guys. You know, I want to be a Pro Bowl running back, things like that. So I just got to put the work in.”
Now that’s great stuff, and another reason the Bucs need to be certain Godwin doesn’t get to free agency after next season.
February 5th, 2020 at 1:06 pm
M Evans won Johnny Football a Heisman trophy. He likely helped to keep Winston on the team as long as he has been.
He is a special/HoF player
I am in awe of his greatness. Hopefully we don’t squander his greatness with our continued QB play.
February 5th, 2020 at 1:11 pm
Evans on Madden 2020 drops every frikkin ball, I’m trying to trade him
February 5th, 2020 at 1:17 pm
Trade ME now and go get Brady. Use that money and what they would have to pay JW on Brady and a LT and probably have change left for more FA signings whether it be pass rushers or deep in the secondary.
Brady will make our TE’s look like they SHOULD AND Perriman will pick up where ME left off.
February 5th, 2020 at 1:21 pm
It hurts to say this but Evans needs to be traded. Godwin is the keeper in this offense and we can’t have a ton of cash tied up at WR. Shedding his contract and collecting draft capital at the same time provides much needed flexibility. Be bold, do it.
February 5th, 2020 at 1:22 pm
beeej….you gotta put some crab sauce on those balls!
and we need to draft a QB to tutor under Brady…….doesn’t need to be a big name top pick…just one with a brain, build, arm & patience.
no more idiots at QB please.
February 5th, 2020 at 1:24 pm
If the glazers listened to me 5 yrs ago we’d have 2 SB’s by now………SMH
February 5th, 2020 at 1:24 pm
Robert …Free advice……Synthetic drugs will kill you……You are hallucinating!!!!
February 5th, 2020 at 1:32 pm
Robert, question for you? If all of this is JWs fault, why are you replacing the LT. Joe seems to love him, PFF seems to think he is fair. However, anyone that watches the games know he is lower than average LT. Does he have good plays and blocks? of course he does. Those that watch know that he is consistently getting beaten on the inside, outside and even getting run through. I don’t hate him- I think he can dominate at LG and move Ali back to where he belongs- move Cappa to RT with those long arms. Brady won’t make the TEs look like they should because we don’t use the TE in this offense. It is laughable you think Perriman will pick up where Evans left off. Dude has been cut by 4 teams and had like 4 -5 good games total for us. Most were when our 1st and 2nd WRs were injured. Your knowledge of football is truly astounding.
February 5th, 2020 at 1:34 pm
Now THAT’S gonna be hard … making sure that “Godwin doesn’t get to free agency after next season”. How many mega-million $$$ players can each team afford and still be competitive?
In 2020 we’re ALREADY paying 7 players a total of $77.3 mil (ME13, D Smith, Marpet, LVD, Jensen, White & Brate). And those are JUST the ones on the current roster who are making over $5 mil in 2020. Now add Winston (or another veteran QB), Barrett, JPP, Suh & hopefully Nassib for say another $70 mil (potentially more). That brings us to $147 mil for a total of TWELVE players. So the REST OF THE TEAM … another 41 players … gets to feed on about $60 mil.
And so now folks want to talk about giving Godwin a new contract, which would probably increase his salary by at least $15 mil (he’s making $2.3 mil this year). So now we’d be left with $45 mil for the remaining 40 players.
Does nobody see a problem with this? (Hint: THE MATH DOESN’T WORK. It’d barely even work if those 40 were all rookies).
February 5th, 2020 at 1:40 pm
I never said it was ALL JW’s fault. but he throws pick 6’s on play 1!!!
that has nothing to do with LT. and Dotson is good, but past his prime. you don’t wait for the need, you anticipate it. we don’t use TE’s in this offense… LOL so, why are the on the friggin roster?
please. Brady could get with the OC and make them into stars. he makes no name recievers into stars…little 5 foot minnie me’s. Brady, Brees, whichever.. I’m no brady boy fan club, hell he’s a smug metro……but he wins and he’s earned that right to be smug. we won’t need ME to catch hail mary’s with a good qb…and there are several available. this team is FINALLY a QB away from making a run. don’t waste another 10 years.
February 5th, 2020 at 1:42 pm
Trading ME would be the biggest mistake/sin or whatever you wanna call it on Bucs history!!!!
And you just dont trade your best player of your roster unless he doesn´t want to play, who doesn´t seem to be the case.
Perriman played 4/5 games extraordinary but do not forget 99% of the Bucs fan base wanted him released!!!!!! That would be a tipical Bucs mistake overpay for a probable wrong player!!!!
February 5th, 2020 at 1:45 pm
DR- DS76 and Brate and Jensen need to restructure. I’m sure there are others too. The worst thing about all of the 1 year deals from Licht is that almost all of them had career years and now they will get paid. I know you don’t like JW but 33 Tds and 5100 yards is tough to replace. His 30 INTs may have saved the bucs 2-3 mill a year- without those ints- we may be talking 33-35 a year.
February 5th, 2020 at 1:46 pm
Defense Rules I totally agree with you!!! Some people throw opininions and they just don´t do the maths…….There is no money for everybody!!!!!!!That´s a fact……
February 5th, 2020 at 1:48 pm
ME- $18,350,000————think about that. IF, thats IF we got rid of JW
I doubt ME would see as many targets, and is just not worth that kind of money if the ball is being spread around.
you pay him that if it’s just him and JW throwing jump balls for the offense….sure….. but you also lose even though the stats look good.
February 5th, 2020 at 1:53 pm
Mike Evans will be a CAP casualty eventually and it’s best to get something in return while we can. Godwin has shown me enough to know he’s a #1 and a mere clone of Ward/Fitzgerald in the BA offense. Evans falls/slides after the catch regularly while Godwin accelerates through the catch and blocks like a beast.
February 5th, 2020 at 2:05 pm
This is really funny now. Get rid of him. So when Godwin went down? Evans went down? All that was left was ? And the excuses were flying. So if they do keep Winston you better hope like hell one of them is avalible.
February 5th, 2020 at 2:23 pm
If Evans becomes a cap casualty, i understand. Godwin is a #1, and Perriman keeps playing like he did those last 4 games….?
We cant have it all. Sometimes players price themselves out. If they can be like Brady and team friendly to chase playoffs, then thats a keeper fo sho!
February 5th, 2020 at 2:40 pm
The number one thing is when the mony gets tight, players and their agents know what the deal is !!! If a player really wants to be here he will sign if by chance some ridiculous offer comes to the table…..we want the players that want to be here!!! TOUGH DECISIONS TO BE MADE…..GO BUCS!!!
February 5th, 2020 at 3:06 pm
Mark my words..the cap will balloon in a couple more years with guys like Mahomes expecting 40 mil. a year for five years. So don’t be sure we can’t afford Evans and Godwin. The key is to improving RT position, the Running game, the QB position, and keeping the D on track…period. Would love to see Perriman here as well, but Miller and another draft pick at WR should be enough.
February 5th, 2020 at 3:06 pm
zzbuc, totally agree. ME’s not going anywhere. Sure, Perriman came on strong the second half of the season, but ME and CG have proven themselves to be consistent and reliable over time. We don’t need 3 #1 receivers. Let Perriman walk.
February 5th, 2020 at 3:19 pm
Defense Rules…….Yes that math don’t work but the salary CAP is not that black and white.
A few ways to save money that youay have overlooked.
-If you extend Chris it’s a huge raise for him probably getting somewhere around 80M guaranteed. Huge bump from the 2.3M guaranteed he’s due currently. That should let the Bucs pay him a more team friendly rate then the 17.3M you are saying.
-Extensions for guys like Brate, LVD, Jensen ect could lower their CAP hits.
– Any long term deals you sign could all be structured to go as a lower CAP hit this year to free up the money we need.
-Cut OJ(personal for me).
And they will have likely let some of them guys walk you mentioned. I don’t see us keeping both Suh and Nassib. Replace one with a draft choice.
February 5th, 2020 at 3:30 pm
@jjbucfan … “I know you don’t like JW but 33 Tds and 5100 yards is tough to replace”. Sorry if I’ve come across that way JJ, but that’s not really the case. Jameis is frustrating as all git-out, but Good Jameis really impresses me. Bad Jameis? Not so much. I’m convinced that there was ‘something’ going on this past year that none of us have really figured out. I’m not at all opposed to re-signing him for another 1-year ‘prove it deal’ just not at $30 mil, and not for a long-term deal. He hasn’t earned either IMO.
You make an excellent point about the 1-year deals but there’s more going on than even that IMO. For one thing, they restructured ME13’s contract a couple of times last year. That helped us gain some salary Cap space in 2019, but it bites us in the arse in subsequent years (for instance, ME13 is now due $18,350,000 … with a dead Cap of $18,150,000). IOW, ME13 ‘ain’t going no-place’ and keeping him will be VERY expensive. The more contracts we write like that, the less flexibility we have to feed all the other mouths.
For another, keeping those 1-year deals will be VERY expensive. BUT to not ‘pay the piper’ risks going back to a lousy defense, and we all know what that got us. Unproven rookies, or even ‘1-year deals’ for OTHER FAs, offer no guarantees that the talent would be even close to what guys like Barrett, JPP, Suh, Nassib & Perriman showed that they can provide.
And we all know how expensive it’ll be to keep Jameis (one way or the other). What we don’t know is not just the COST of the alternatives, but also the CAPABILITY of the alternatives to run the ‘BA Show’. Glad I’m not those guys trying to unsort this mess.
February 5th, 2020 at 5:35 pm
It may be a difficult feat to try to sign Chris to a long term contract after Licht squandered the grocery money on an average diva QB.
February 5th, 2020 at 6:27 pm
I find it interesting that Evans hasn’t spoken about Winston.
If you watch the games, you will regularly see Evans getting pissed or deflated every time JW throws an INT. I hear they are friends but I don’t think Evans truly wants JW as the QB of this team. I think if Tampa goes in another direction, Evans played a part in that decision.
Let’s be honest, if Evans publicly said, “I want Winston to be a Buc,” Winston would be resigned … but he hasn’t said a thing.
Food for thought.
February 5th, 2020 at 6:28 pm
This thread is more stupid than I’m willing to take in for one day.
You people are delusional
February 5th, 2020 at 7:04 pm
Mike Evans is our best player. Chris Godwin not far behind. Twin towers. I’m not trading Mike unless it’s 3 firsts. He means that damn much to our team. He is also a tone setter and a great human being.
Evans will also age well bc he is huge! He has 38 inch arms. Any QB that can throw a jump ball will find success with our inspector gadget receiver.
All of that, and Evans has also renegotiated his contract and accepted a new one before testing the market.
Evans caught 12 TDs from Josh McCown and Mike Glennon. He. Can. Ball.
And, Evans works his ass off. Sorry, but folks shouldn’t think to trade Mike. Save cap space elsewhere. Cough cough QB.
February 5th, 2020 at 7:21 pm
Defense wins championships. That’s where the money needs to go. Any dollar given to Winston is a dollar wasted. Another stud running back to go with RoJo is a must. Draft a QB, sign a bridge veteran QB, and cut the turnover machine. A kamikaze (divine wind) will immediately refresh a stale franchise. Let’s play to win, to make the playoffs, and to win another title. GO BUCS!!!
February 5th, 2020 at 8:23 pm
Goodwin is not a 1 he is a Great 2 and a Great/ awesome slot . The guy is a warrior and a pro bowl player but out wide as a one / hmmmm , BA didn’t really think he was a full time wide 2 . Hard to argue his take !!
February 5th, 2020 at 9:07 pm
Wasn’t this column that is the most recent up….awhile ago??
February 5th, 2020 at 9:12 pm
Anyone who wants to trade ME is just nuts. I’m an old man and even I might riot. There are certain players you just can’t touch IN THEIR PRIME without losing the fans. Losing Brooks at the end was tough to stomach. Losing Lynch after the injury was painful. Trading ME after yet another Pro Bowl with years left in his legs would be malpractice of the highest order… akin to Old Culverhouse’s treatment of Doug. You don’t build teams that way… you condemn them to years of recovery.
Godwin is great and is a #1 talent… even ME says so. We can keep him if we lighten the cap hit on offense elsewhere… OL or QB.
February 5th, 2020 at 10:56 pm
3isabust,
The idea that defense wins championships is outdated . Once again, it was refuted this week. The Chiefs won against a clearly better defensive team.
The truth is, a great defense can win a championship.
A great offense can win you a championship.
A great offense and a top 10 defense wins championships.
I’m not disagreeing with your idea of spending more on the defensive side of the ball. Just the winning championships notion.
*** Trading Evans! Is crack legal now in Florida?
February 6th, 2020 at 6:54 am
If the bucs move on from mike Evan’s, imma be pissed. His stats and records dont lie, he is among the most consistent WR1s in the league. He is the best WR1 the bucs have ever possessed. He is an incredible player, on and off the field. There should be absolutely no debate for keeping Mike Evans. If his hammy holds up next year, he will be the only player in nfl history with 7 straight 1k yard seasons since they cashed their first nfl paycheck. If it comes down to money, I think Evan’s would be the first player to raise his hand for a 1mil hit that would benefit the team.
Shifting attention to Jameis. I think he deserves a “prove it” deal. It worked for Shaq, the bucs paid him his 4mil… then gave him additional millions for his statistical accomplishments. He proved it, he earned his paycheck. Transition that theory to the QB. Give him a lucrative prove it deal. Sign him at 20mil, but give him the incentives to earn 35mil. Bucs pay him Average, but give him the motivation(all you can eat crablegs). Make him earn that paycheck, he will earn that paycheck. His incentive based salary might put us in a negative salary situation… absolutely, but a negative salary situation does not prevent a team from making the playoffs. Prove it Jameis! Earn your crablegs!
Godwin………. ffs, perriman proved that any one recieving a JW pass, is a superstar. Perriman proved that he is capable of being WR1, because he posted incredible stats as Winston’s primary target in the games where he was the best option. Seriously, Perriman would have led the league in ALL relevant statistics, if Winston didn’t have Evan’s and Godwin. Perriman needs to understand his worth, which is the recipient of a QB that makes every reciever look like a superstar.
Winston is a gamble for every team, this one and every team he might possibly land in. Winston needs to understand that his statistics dont justify his existence… because despite his stats, he has yet to prove his relevance. His 5,100 whatever yard, were insufficient to reach the playoffs, his first 33 touchdowns were not enough. Will he take the pay cut to prove he is the answer? I doubt it, because dude steals crablegs and fondled uber drivers. He ain’t the type to take a cut for the team. He will lick his butter soaked fingers, and be absurdly confused when his defense cant compensate for his interceptions… because he just soaked up 5 mil of melted butter..
February 6th, 2020 at 7:32 am
BucFanDuh: IT’S A THIN LINE BETWEEN LOVE AND HATE!