Most Interesting Team? Bucs No. 9
March 11th, 2021
Free agency, at least for Joe, is not very interesting when it comes to teams that aren’t the Bucs.
Now the draft is interesting all around. If you follow college football, it is always fun to see where the stars go and, of course, one is always interested to see how rival teams build their rosters — or screw up the process.
For some reason, Joe does not get the same rush from free agency.
Over at Yahoo! Sports, Frank Schwab ranked all 32 NFL teams for their free-agency interest level. He picked the Bucs No. 9 overall.
9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (11-5, cap space: minus-$397K, biggest priority: keeping the band together)
Chris Godwin got the franchise tag and will stay. Shaq Barrett didn’t get the tag and might be gone. Same goes for Ndamukong Suh, Rob Gronkowski, Antonio Brown and Leonard Fournette. Bruce Arians was confident the Buccaneers could keep their free agents, but it won’t be easy. Signing Lavonte David to an extension on Tuesday helped. How the Super Bowl champs navigate keeping their core together for another run will be a big story this month.
Joe would think the Bucs would be one of the most interesting stories, as they are Super Bowl champs and the team publicly vowed to keep the band together.
How were they going to do that with a lower salary cap? That is interesting as hell to Joe — and nerve-wracking at the same time.
March 11th, 2021 at 2:04 pm
Only 9th?! What a slight! Bulletin board material starts early this season. 🙂
March 11th, 2021 at 2:06 pm
Number one.
March 11th, 2021 at 2:07 pm
Well Jaydon Mickens was just arrested on a gun charge.
Doesn’t that raise the interest level a bit?
March 11th, 2021 at 2:14 pm
PassingThru Says: “Well Jaydon Mickens was just arrested on a gun charge.”
Not a big deal, Police stopped him in LA and found a concealed weapon in his car. Most likely will be dropped with a misdemeanor. Not trying to defend Mickens, but I’m sure a lot of players with money have a weapon in their car.
March 11th, 2021 at 2:30 pm
This year’s team will be better. They understand what is required. They know what to do. Gronk and AB are football ready; will be on from the start. The rest know the Brady game, preps, etc. The rest is execution, and TB12 won’t let them slide. #EyesOn8
March 11th, 2021 at 2:31 pm
Little disappointing for mickens, but could just be an honest mistake. Dude isn’t spectacular, but seems solid enough for the type of role player he is. Could get a better returner I’m sure, but is okish and seemed like a gutsy dude when he got a shot at wr. To say he’s a bit buried is an understatement and overall replaceable
March 11th, 2021 at 2:32 pm
You know I have noticed that almost all of the reporters in todays sports broadcasting are completely ignorant in their predictions about teams. When I was a kid they were always right. Today they are always WRONG! They look ignorant later when it shows they were full of it.
March 11th, 2021 at 2:39 pm
Those beer commercials are far less interesting without the dude in the photo.
March 11th, 2021 at 2:41 pm
With Jayden out maybe AB can be our kick return specialist !
March 11th, 2021 at 2:51 pm
Can anyone blame the little guy, Mickens?……..It’s Los Angeles…..a person would be a fool not to carry…
Oh well, there’s a potential $920,000 off the cap……draft a replacement.
March 11th, 2021 at 2:59 pm
Who cares about mickens. Did nothing.
# 1 priority right now is Brady contract. After that acouple more contracts to rework and have $ to add shaq replacement, gronk And more ! When the market opens up in 3 days.
March 11th, 2021 at 3:05 pm
LET’S ALL FACE IT…
Shaq Barrett is LONG GONE.
I just don’t see any way he comes back to the Bucs.
He and his agent know it’s time to get paid and know how much his profile was raised throughout the playoffs and Super Bowl.
If a deal hasn’t been done by now it’s for a reason. Their demands are way too high. He will for sure hit the open market next week and most likely get a huge offer from some team with cap room desperate for pass rush help.
No matter how creative the Bucs get, they can’t afford to offer him what some other team will. He’s in line for a ‘record breaking’ contract and his agent knows it. It’s just timing.
You can’t blame Shaq for wanting to get paid and being set for life with this next contract.
I think the Bucs are already in full “search mode” to figure out who else they can bring in to replace Shaq’s pressure off that left side.
The massive downside of not keeping Shaq if it truly hurts our pass rush is that it will expose our WEAK SECONDARY.
Yes, the secondary played better in the playoffs and SB. But we all know it’s a bit of “Fool’s Gold” as we saw them all get exposed throughout the season. Without major pressure from our line that secondary gets torched.
March 11th, 2021 at 3:10 pm
BradyBucs – I suspect your are right about Shaq leaving. But I think Licht will find a decent replacement at half the cost (thus allowing more of the band back). We’ll see. Fun times.
March 11th, 2021 at 3:11 pm
Folks sometimes we forget who is under center. I have been a career Brady fan. Trust me there was several years when the Pat’s offense sucked but Tompa led them to the SB. So relax, take a valium and take a deep breath. we will be fine
March 11th, 2021 at 3:11 pm
@BB…. I think you’re wrong. love SB, but he is replaceable and the chemistry on this team is addictive. I think they will get someone to replace him cheaper and be just as productive….if not moreso (cause SB checked out until the playoffs) and they’ll draft for that position earl.
win/win for both side SB and TB
March 11th, 2021 at 3:26 pm
‘Most interesting team’ is irrelevant at this point IMO. By March 17th (when the new league year starts), all NFL teams have to be down to the CAP (based on the Top-51 number I presume). As of today, 75% of the NFL teams (24) meet that criteria. The Bucs currently rank #25 on that list with MINUS $2.9 mil CAP space. Saints & Rams bring up the rear with MINUS $29.7 mil and MINUS $32.1 mil CAP space respectively. Bummer for them. Good news for us … could be several really interesting players available in just under a week.
March 11th, 2021 at 3:32 pm
AB can return kicks! It would add much demeanor to TB
March 11th, 2021 at 3:41 pm
Shaq will go to Cleveland. They have enormous cap space, and have made no secret about wanting an elite edge to pair with Myles Garrett for a Super Bowl run. They can throw cray money at him
March 11th, 2021 at 3:47 pm
Speaking of relevance
Bucs pick dead last in this years draft (as of now)
Mr irrelevant hold my beer
March 11th, 2021 at 3:48 pm
Chiefs release Schwartz and Fischer. Thought they were the only reason the Chiefs lost.
March 11th, 2021 at 3:53 pm
Suh, Gronk, Succop, and AB should be the focus. We have to find a FA RB and Edge that will sign a cap friendly deal. Other teams like the Jags have too much money, so Shaq will probably be gone.
March 11th, 2021 at 4:01 pm
Barrett’s sack total fell in 2020,(8) annual PFF grade, 74.0 in six NFL season. despite increased play.
Not worth $20M yr.
licht and company have my respect now. Not targeting shaq as a #1 priority says he knows his football/business.
March 11th, 2021 at 4:10 pm
I’m assuming Donovan Smith would probably already be gone if we were going to try to resign Shaq by this point. Let’s all move on to other issues…
March 11th, 2021 at 5:01 pm
I suppose “keeping the band together ” does not move the needle. Players moving teams and “splash” moves are what people are looking for when it comes to free agent news.
March 11th, 2021 at 7:55 pm
Take the #9 ranking with a grain of salt. Schwab has the Saints, despite all their cap problems in the middle of the pack and has the Chiefs dead last. At #1 he has Oscar Meyer’s Jacksonville Jaguars probably due to the fact they have lots of cap room and do need lots of help protecting that Clemson QB they are going to draft, same goes for New England and the Fins.
March 11th, 2021 at 10:55 pm
Without a huge guarantee involved Shaq may find the big contract from a bad team Jets, Jags etc can be fools gold. Not sure Shaq would have 30 sacks and 77 pressures without his stud teammates and a coach who is an expert on pressure. New team may tire of paying 20mm a year when the guarantee runs out. He fits with the Bucs. Our “smaller” contract just may be more in the end game.
March 12th, 2021 at 9:01 pm
No. NINE ? I think “The most interesting man in the World” has had a few too many cocktails too rate our Bucs that low . They should be at No. 1 ! I hate this time of year with nothing but speculation happening ! Let the “chips fall where they be” in a few days . And THEN lets comment .