Legitimate Dynasty Talk
February 23rd, 2021
Bill Currie Ford is a Tampa tradition since 1959. They’re awesome Bucs fans and so charitable in the community. Shop now at BillCurrieFord.com. New year, new deals! And remember their nationwide lifetime warranty on new and used vehicles. Ira loves his 2020 Ford Escape, cherry red.
BY IRA KAUFMAN
It’s nice to have good karma on your side.
For a dozen years, Buc fans suffered from an outbreak of bad vibes. It was a football pandemic of immense proportions. There were bad bounces, bad calls, bad talent, bad coaches and bad executives.
They’re all gone.
We are left with the prospect of a once-forlorn franchise owning this league for the foreseeable future. Yes, it can happen if the football gods continue to smile over One Buc Place.
If Tom Brady remains healthy, there’s no reason to believe Tampa Bay’s rise to the top will be short-lived. The future is now — and that majestic future could last another two or three years.
First, check out the neighborhood.
Tom Brady
The rest of the NFC South appears to be in disarray, including the team from down yonder in New Orleans. When Drew Brees makes his retirement official, the Saints will be in full transition mode.
They are in terrible salary cap shape and among their 19 potential free agents are Jameis Winston, Trey Hendrickson, Marcus Williams, Jared Cook and Sheldon Rankins. Sean Payton continues to talk up Winston as the team’s potential starter in 2021, but he won’t re-sign with New Orleans for $1.1 million again.
Yes, the Saints swept the Bucs during the regular season. They have owned the division for each of the past four years, but New Orleans is sliding and Tampa Bay may be just getting started.
In Charlotte, owner David Tepper is getting antsy.
The wildly successful hedge fund manager isn’t used to seeing deficits on his ledger, so Tepper is hell bent on finding a stud under center.
He’s seen enough of Teddy Bridgewater to decide he’s not the answer.
“It’s a question of who can be that guy that can help you win,” Tepper says. “That’s the most important position on the field. Unless you have that guy for sure that gets you to playoffs and Super Bowls, you have to keep reevaluating that because that’s the only thing that matters is Super Bowls. And until you have that guy, you’re evaluating, evaluating, evaluating every year.”
Carolina has talent on defense, but it’s a young unit prone to mistakes. In a passing league, the Panthers failed to compete through the air in 2020.
They threw 16 TD passes and 16 interceptions. Opponents threw 28 TD passes and seven picks.
That’s how you go 5-11 under first-year coach Matt Ruhle. If the Panthers can’t find a way to pry Deshaun Watson out of Houston, don’t be surprised if they use the No. 8 pick to select Bridgewater’s replacement.
Pain throughout the NFC South, explains Ira Kaufman.
Sporting a facelift, the Falcons now turn to the putrid body of work they have been displaying on Sundays in the fall. New GM Terry Fontenot and new head coach Arthur Smith are starting to realize Atlanta and Tampa Bay are 100 yards apart in terms of personnel.
“We’re gonna think big picture and do the right things,” Fontenot says. “The goal is to have sustained success.”
That probably means 32-year-old Julio Jones and Matt Ryan, who turns 36 in May, won’t be around when Atlanta is competitive.
“The 2020 team is better than a 4-12 record,” says owner Arthur Blank. “There’s no question about that. But it’s probably not better than 7-9 or 8-8 … so we can’t fool ourselves.”
The Bucs are co-favorites with Green Bay to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl and Tampa Bay is a significant favorite to win the NFC South. Unlike Smith, Payton and Ruhle, Bruce Arians has no doubt about his starting quarterback.
You can’t overestimate that advantage in comfort level.
By closing with an 8-game winning streak, the 2020 Bucs served notice that this is a franchise to be feared. There is young talent at every level — except one. Yes, one day, Brady’s age will catch up to him.
By then, he could have a Super Bowl ring on every finger.
Ira! … Ira’s good friend Sean Sullivan, the Bill Currie Ford general manager, is ready to help you personally. Just call, email or stop in, one mile north of Raymond James Stadium.
February 23rd, 2021 at 1:15 pm
WHERE’S THE realist?
February 23rd, 2021 at 1:33 pm
🐐 talk Tom Brady is 1 of only 10 QBs to throw 40+ tds in a season he’s done this twice. Mind you he’s 43 also he is the only QB in nfl history to throw for 50 total tds and win the super bowl in nfl history. Again mind you he’s 43 yea he really just had a Brad Johnson season for the Bucs smh. Respect the 🐐!!!!!!!
February 23rd, 2021 at 1:35 pm
every finger?! Ira’s talkin 4 !
February 23rd, 2021 at 1:44 pm
We aint runnin it back, that’s Kansas City Sh**…WE’RE GOING FOR TWO!!!!
THEN THREE THEN FOUR!!!! LETS GO!!!!
February 23rd, 2021 at 1:47 pm
AL121976 Says:
February 23rd, 2021 at 1:15 pm
WHERE’S THE realist?
somewhere trying to convince folks smitty’s defense was better and licht should be canned….lol…
GO BUCS!!!!
February 23rd, 2021 at 1:48 pm
saints fans wont even look BUCS fans in the eye anymore…lol…
GO BUCS!!!!
February 23rd, 2021 at 1:49 pm
I do hope deshaun watson stays out of our division
That guy is an absolute stud
Cmon texans. Keep him in houston.
Cant wait for free agency and the draft
I hope a few of our players take the brady “team first discount” like he did in his days for new england. Read article where he gave up at least 60 mil And as much as 100 mil to make team friendly deals so they could sign other guys and make team more competitive
February 23rd, 2021 at 2:12 pm
Jim Mora voice. “Dynasty”? I’m just hoping we don’t have to wait 17 years before another playoff victory. KC fans and the media talked all that mess. You have to at least repeat before you can speak that word.
February 23rd, 2021 at 2:31 pm
I work offshore in the Gulf of Mexico with a lot of Saints fans.
They’re usually pretty obnoxious but most of them were congratulating me after the Super Bowl, so I’ll give them a little break.
The funny thing to me is, they’re actually excited about the possibility of JayMiss being their future QB and most are pissed that he wasn’t starting in the playoffs when Brees looked done.
The felt like JayMiss gave them a better chance to win!
I have to laugh and wish them well…. and think…..dam y’all are some desperate sombitches!
February 23rd, 2021 at 3:47 pm
dooosh
lmao!!!!
we’ll see soon enough…
GO BUCS!!!
February 23rd, 2021 at 5:23 pm
Good point tho. Where is the realest and ndog and all those negative “fans” hoping we’d lose? Hmmm….oh well! Good riddance!
February 23rd, 2021 at 6:30 pm
I don’t mind if Watson ends up in Carolina…three first round picks they have to give up and possibly C Mac.
I say go for it…their entire D or their entire O-line will suck for a good two to four years. But hey, they got a franchise QB finally.
Honestly, they should trade for Alex Smith and draft a QB…at least they won’t be complete garbage and may limp into the playoffs.
Man I love being an armchair GM!
February 23rd, 2021 at 7:34 pm
As you today with Tiger, things can change in the drop of a hat. Brady is that person who can’t get hurt if you wanna make another run, the rest can be replaced. It’ll be fun to hear who wants to come, but with all the young talent, don’t bring in the wrong person who can ruin it all. Go dynasty!!!
February 23rd, 2021 at 7:37 pm
Jones and Ryan won’t be leaving until 2022 or 2023. Dead cap situation prevents it.
February 23rd, 2021 at 8:58 pm
Damn Ira, bold prediction! From your column to God’s ears, brother!!
February 23rd, 2021 at 9:54 pm
Same screen name here Joe not a different one as accused but still the same question….. how can a lifelong Chiefs fan write for a Buc blog? Doesn’t make sense. And dont give the lame excuse about Ira being a Chiefs fan for 55 years. So what? If he’s that loyal go write for the Chiefs. You yourself state that you live eat and breath pewter but you have someone on staff who doesn’t. SMH
February 23rd, 2021 at 10:15 pm
Oh well:
If you know of a Bucs fan who has Ira’s experience, talent and has the cell phone number of Team Glazer, Jason Licht, Bruce Arians and every half-assed former employee or player of the Bucs AND has the only Hall of Fame vote in the Tampa Bay area, then let Joe know and he will hire the guy.
You seem quite willing to overlook a simple fact: When Ira grew up, there wasn’t a Bucs team. How could Ira grow up being a Bucs fan when the friggin’ team didn’t exist?
If that’s not good enough for you, then do yourself a favor and don’t read Ira. Seriously. Don’t read Ira. Your irrational hatred of Ira makes no sense.
This may really rattle your chain but the guy who just built the roster of the (Super Bowl champion) Bucs also grew up a Chiefs fan. And the coach grew up a Browns fan. Should those guys be canned too?
February 24th, 2021 at 12:07 am
Good stuff Ira.
February 24th, 2021 at 8:11 am
77% of NFL fans and 80% of football’s talking heads said the Bucs would lose. I haven’t seen a single professional commentator apologize afterwards. Did I miss something? Good job as always, Ira…
February 24th, 2021 at 8:20 am
Some of these commenters are off the deep end(oh well)smh.
February 24th, 2021 at 8:50 am
Iras great the fat joe not so much