Shaq Barrett’s Price Tag Just Went Up
March 9th, 2021
Money dance.
Somewhere, Joe can picture oily Drew Rosenhaus, high up in his waterfront office suite overlooking Biscayne Bay, jumping near the ceiling and punching the air in glee. His star client this spring, Bucs sack king Shaq Barrett, just had his price tag bounce higher than Rosenhaus can sky.
That’s because with the Giants franchise tagging Leonard Williams, Shaq just became the No. 1 free agent at the No. 1 position on a defense: pass rusher (if he wasn’t already).
That’s great for Shaq and a stomach ache for Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht.
Joe has a sunken feeling that the only way Shaq plays for the Bucs next year is if the Bucs tag him. For Joe, if that is the lone option, it must be done. To lose Shaq seems completely and totally contrary to the new Bucs’ mantra of “Go For Two.”
With Shaq and Jason Pierre-Paul and Devin White, you have one of the better pass rushes in the game. Without Shaq, that is neutered considerably.
Joe has stated and will type it again: Without Shaq, the Bucs don’t even make it to the Super Bowl. Don’t @ Joe.
Surely the Bucs cannot commit a football mortal sin the second time in nine years, can they?
March 9th, 2021 at 10:01 am
Tag em.
March 9th, 2021 at 10:06 am
Agree.
March 9th, 2021 at 10:08 am
Tag, your it Shaq. Mgt will not let him walk scott free. Way to valuable. GO BUCS!!!!
March 9th, 2021 at 10:10 am
Tag him and then try for a long term deal next season.
Do not get me wrong. I like Godwin. But the fact is there are plenty of WRs & RBs out there to replace him with.
Effective pass rushers are rare and if you have a proven one, you do everything to keep him.
The Brady Effect will draw players wanting a legit chance at a ring.
March 9th, 2021 at 10:10 am
Tag. Deal with this next year when the cap rises considerably.
March 9th, 2021 at 10:11 am
Only way we keep Shaq is if we let Godwin and LVD walk.
Unless LVD is willing to give a deep hometown discount I just dont see the Bucs being able to pull it off.
Even if we restructure Brady and a few others and cut Brate and Gholston we still dont have enough to bring back everyone.
Finding a productive pass rusher is way more difficult than finding a solid WR to pair with Mike Evans.
March 9th, 2021 at 10:11 am
Shaq is more important than all the other FAs combined.
Top WRs are dropping in value everyday.
Pass rushers are invaluable,
Odell Beckum Jr. is already on record, wanting to be here.
Who would replace Shaq?
(Crickets)
SIGN HIM!!
March 9th, 2021 at 10:14 am
The Big Shaq attack will be coming back. In Shaq first 2 years as a full-time starter he has 31.5 sacks. Mgt knows very well the importance of a pass rush. Just look at the Lombardi on display at one Buc Palace. This will not be Mike Bennet pt2. All those years of a Bucs defense playing like a crash test dummy, being sitting ducks, helpless against even average QBs let alone the top tier ones. Game after game of simply watching other QBs go up and down the field while having a picnic with a nice clean pocket. No not going to happen. Mgt will do everything they can to keep the defensive front 7 intact. Next is Succop, and Godwin comes after Succop. It is about Winning Championships, so based on priority, Godwin slides in at #5 after Defensive front 7 and Succop on the priority list. GO BUCS!!!
March 9th, 2021 at 10:17 am
Let him walk. TB is now NE. Let the guys who want to get over paid walk.
March 9th, 2021 at 10:18 am
Keeping Shaq ‘at any price’ is a fool’s errand IMO. He’s an excellent OLB, but in this scheme with these players. That’s not at all a hit on Shaq; he’s awesome. But the question is … ‘For $19 or $20 mil, could we effectively replace his 8 sacks, 16 QB Hits, 11 TFLs, plus his 57 tackles & 822 def snaps.” Preferably for less BTW.
More than likely we could, although it might be with TWO players, a vet FA & a relatively high draft pick (Rnds 1-3). I’d bet anyone that JL & the gang are going over numerous scenarios just like that right now. It’s all about alternatives … and money.
March 9th, 2021 at 10:19 am
Offer him 4 years $80 million with $40-50 million guaranteed and most of cap hit the last 2 years…
March 9th, 2021 at 10:21 am
Godwin is an excellent player, but he is the #2 WR on this team. In this tight-cap season, you cannot pay your #2 WR franchise player money. It is much easier to replace a WR (especially when TB12 is your QB) than it is to replace a great pass rusher. Gotta tag Shaq!! Keep the band together!!
March 9th, 2021 at 10:22 am
I would Tag him another season. Work on getting the others guys signed then reward Shaq next year with a contract worthy of his skills.
March 9th, 2021 at 10:25 am
The defense has got to be kept together first and foremost. Go Bucs!
March 9th, 2021 at 10:27 am
Tag & try to sign him to a long-term deal…..or tag & try to trade him..
We could use the transition tag and possibly receive draft picks…..but getting them is complicated.
March 9th, 2021 at 10:27 am
DR, I’m with you. We have no idea who the cap casualties will be yet either. much less the option of trading for a player like we did with JPP. Can’t break the bank with one guy.
March 9th, 2021 at 10:28 am
I’m not exactly sure of why Joe has such an infatuation with Michael Bennett, he didn’t exactly have Reggie White-type numbers:
4 years in Tampa, 15 sacks, an average of 3.75 sacks per year
Career, 11 years, 69.5 sacks, an average of 6.3 sacks per year
He was good, but not THAT good, IMHO.
March 9th, 2021 at 10:28 am
No don’t tag him! Shaq operated in good faith and won you a Super Bowl.
They should respect him enough to let him test the waters and get that #1 payout for multiple years, rather than near that for one year only.
March 9th, 2021 at 10:29 am
No shaq. No joe
March 9th, 2021 at 10:29 am
Agree with others. It’s a no brainer. Tag him Dano!!!
March 9th, 2021 at 10:30 am
All of that drama for 8 sacks ?
March 9th, 2021 at 10:31 am
You hearing us Darcie Glazer !!!!! (I think she is the only Glazer that reads your site joe, while she is sitting on the crapper each am.). Tag Shaq and lets move on with the rest of the negotiations !
March 9th, 2021 at 10:32 am
You dont lose, what you cant replace.
You have to keep shaq
March 9th, 2021 at 10:33 am
No Adrnagy, not just the 8 sacks your attempted abortion ! It’s his pressures, and JPP’s and Suh’s which all come from them working as a team ! Lose him and the line is suddenly weak on one end and markedly weaker.
March 9th, 2021 at 10:35 am
In my opinion, the reason SHAQ had so many sacks his first year with us is because Vita Vea played the entire season. You saw a big drop in his production when Vita got hurt. If he wants to “break the bank” we should let him walk. I believe, as long as we can get a decent player to replace him like Lenard Floyd for example, we can get the same production.
March 9th, 2021 at 10:38 am
Let him walk, if the price is insane. Tag Godwin, we can get someone for a fraction of the price and duplicate his 8 sack production. We are basing the season on the Dline hounding a bunch of second string KC linemen? Put the entire season into context, I think Shaq will take the $$$, his agent will make sure of that. If Floyd is less money, plug him in beside Vea. Take a flyer on Reddick, Gardeck, Judon, Ebukam is another one. I don’t want Shaq to leave at all, but he’s not Reggie White, Myles Garrett, so if he is paid as the top OLB in the game, good for him, just won’t be with the bucs. I would like them to try a flyer on a Samson Ebukam type of player, that’s where Shaq was and they gave him the chance to shine. Being lined up beside Vea and Suh, was a big deal and in Bowles defense, other’s can have success as well.
March 9th, 2021 at 10:39 am
Really surprising how so many can be this dumb. LVD and CG are way above Shaqs level at their positions and people are ready to let them walk right out of the door and pay Shaq, who had an above average regular season till injury prone Vea returned to complete to have all the starters back on the dline. I’d rather have a chance to get Lenny back because I think he’ll have a better regular season when he was looking like Payton Barber all year.
Trust me. You’re going to be crying Michael Bennett 2.0 if you let LVD walk.
Chris is an amazing young all around WR.
Shaq is sooo replaceable for $80M. What pass rusher is not going to say no to Tampa Bay with the position open and probably be willing to work out a good deal.
March 9th, 2021 at 10:39 am
@ joe in MI……exactly on MB. He was good, but not that good and proved to be a POS person. If any of these guys were money like Simeon Rice was, in that you could count on him EVERYTIME to get to the QB on a big play, I would say do the deal. They are not even in Rice’s league and are not top tier.
It’s called “best of a bad lot”…..they should replace him. you don’t throw big money at someone because they are the best out of mediocre competition.
Dig deep, and grab one off the trash heap and draft one.
March 9th, 2021 at 10:39 am
Joe in Michigan.
Jr was obsessed with Bennett( so was I), because he was all the pass rush we had- and they let him walk.
And we were horrible for a decade, Until JPP walked in the building.
You can not win without a pass rush. True then, true now.
They should sign Shaq to a long term, back end heavy contract.
Then go to sleep that night, sleeping soundly.
Because we’ll have the two hardest positions to fill in football, signed with 2 of the best, for years to come.
March 9th, 2021 at 10:40 am
Yeah right, let’s blow up a chance at another Super Bowl so some suit at One Buc Palace can stick his chest out and proclaim, “We’re smarter than that!”
Same stunt was tried in 2012. How’d that work out?
Would anyone do that with Brady? Hell no! So why try that with the most important player on a defense?
March 9th, 2021 at 10:41 am
Capt. Tim returns as the voice of reason!
March 9th, 2021 at 10:41 am
Joe*, not Jr
March 9th, 2021 at 10:42 am
Thanks Joe.
March 9th, 2021 at 10:43 am
Really ? I’m starting to think joe is in the same convo with the guys in espn.
Joe says :
So why try that with the most important player on a defense?
March 9th, 2021 at 10:45 am
Shaquille is probably gone. He has a ring now he wants them to show me the money attitude. I wouldn’t pay more than $16,000 a year for 8 sacks.
March 9th, 2021 at 10:45 am
Tag him. Easier to replace Godwin. No brainer like letting Lenny walk.
March 9th, 2021 at 10:47 am
Let me teach you something kid , pressures don’t count unless you for sure kill the play.
So next time you try to be on my level. Give me the accurate pressures = alone and accurate that he was (shaq) was responsible. Don’t just throw stats.
Also. To you and joe I’ll give you 5 players that are FA and can excel 8 sacks and your “pressures” better than shaq in our defense run by Bowles and devin white.
buxsxntkt Says:
March 9th, 2021 at 10:33 am
No Adrnagy, not just the 8 sacks your attempted abortion ! It’s his pressures, and JPP’s and Suh’s which all come from them working as a team ! Lose him and the line is suddenly weak on one end and markedly weaker
March 9th, 2021 at 10:47 am
Michael Bennett was signed by Seattle in 2012, on a 1 year, $4.8 million contract. That doesn’t make it seem like the rest of the NFL was fighting over his services.
March 9th, 2021 at 10:50 am
Very true but pressures makes a quarterback move and a moving quarterback is less accurate and more prone to throw the ball away. The way some Bucs fans think about a pass rush, they’d get their jollies off if the Bucs returned to the good ol’ days when Drew Brees and Matty Ice could order pizzas in the pocket against the Bucs before releasing the ball.
Joe cannot understand this mentality at all. It’s not like the Bucs are paying a punter for crying out loud!
March 9th, 2021 at 10:52 am
If we Tag Shaq, and he gets lazy, it only costs us that one year.
But if we go long term, and he has a few bad or average years, look out.
Today is the day for the tag deadline, and I expect we will use it on Shaq.
March 9th, 2021 at 10:56 am
Joe. We might need to cut the punter. He’s underperforming For $2.8m
We have the grave diggers. The great white. The vea elephant. Other guys can come and perform better than 8sacks for less than $20m
Let’s not get our feeling to attach to the heart.
March 9th, 2021 at 10:58 am
Lol. They make it without Shaq. Of course you need a pass rush. You think its a coincidence the pass rush showed up when Bowles did? Oh you give the credit to shaq? All this boneheaded talk has me now wanting shaq to move on just so u can learn another lesson. Leave Shaq! We wana see Brady do it without ya!!! Yes your replacement is gona get there too!! Bowles will keep on keeping on.
March 9th, 2021 at 10:59 am
I will agree with any and all who say that a pass rush is of the utmost importance. I want the Bucs to re-sign Shaq, but if they don’t, I don’t believe that Shaq is the only guy that can rush the passer. I’ll say it now, before any of you have nervous breakdowns:
There are kickers out there, outside of Ryan Succop, who can make kicks.
There are pass rushers out there, outside of Shaq Barrett, who can sack QB’s.
I hope, as you do, that it doesn’t come to this point.
For those of you crying the blues about Michael Bennett leaving 9 years ago…Would the Bucs have won a Super Bowl with him, and the same rotten team around him? They didn’t make the playoffs WITH him.
March 9th, 2021 at 11:00 am
Hey Adrnagy we agree on something! We don’t need Pinion. Not at that price.
March 9th, 2021 at 11:02 am
I repeatedly say NO because it’s a money issue, not because I wouldn’t love to have him back.
Solution…Straight up drop Donovan Smith and easily find a better LT in FA or draft or test Wirfs at LT. Nothing but run around and at some point crumble in the pocket on Brady’s back side and if you don’t notice than you don’t watch Bucs games. Most penalties at OT in 2020. That’s my wish upon the stars to keep this team together.
March 9th, 2021 at 11:06 am
In Shaq’s first 2 years as a full-time starter, he has 31.5 sacks. That is the best in the NFL for the last 2 years. GO BUCS!!!!
March 9th, 2021 at 11:24 am
Joe in MI
“For those of you crying the blues about Michael Bennett leaving 9 years ago”
Lol, I only use the Michael Bennett example cus Joe loves to reference it and you gotta stay on Joes good side, lol.
But seriously, you sign Shaq and let Lavonte walk you’re doing three things:
1. Loosing the master of disaster coverage LB against new era TE (ask Kelce).
2. Breaking up the best ILB duo in the NFL.
3. Kiss the number one run defense good bye.
Taking the return of David ALL DAY over Shaq.
March 9th, 2021 at 11:25 am
Let Shaq walk and sign McCoy as an edge rusher.
Thank you, thank you, I’m here all week.
March 9th, 2021 at 11:30 am
I am all for bringing back barrett, and I wouldn’t scoff if we had to overpay for a sight bit, but as far as DEs or Edges go, Barrett is one of the best this year, if not the top of the mountain, but he is not Elite, although very close. He can be replaced with a Yannick Ngakoue, or other player, even if there is a slight drop off. The loss would be to overpay Barrett by 5 million, and not keep a SUH on the line, or lose L David. Let the boys up front do their math and make the call. Don’t get emotional (even though I will be), but it is a bad rational for judging a decision. I would even take a Bud Dupree and Trey Hendricson over barrett if the two could be had at the same price. As much production and more injury security. I want them to win again, not be the same team.
As for the most important free agent, IMHO, Gronk is the top. Tommy likes Gronk, Gronk helps the locker along with Tommy, If Tommy stays around, a belief in winning does too!!!! And this is no pass to neglect the D.
March 9th, 2021 at 11:32 am
Hey, just throwing this out there…Von Miller has 36.5 more sacks than Michael Bennett (106 sacks), and his career isn’t over yet. You know, the guy that showed Shaq how to get sacks. Still with Denver at this time, though.
March 9th, 2021 at 11:33 am
Reddick out of arizona is availble and is younger and will come at a lower price
March 9th, 2021 at 11:33 am
Try and grab Miller for less. Let him go, it’s getting to ugly now.
March 9th, 2021 at 11:35 am
godwin is being tagged
March 9th, 2021 at 11:36 am
Godwin was tagged.
March 9th, 2021 at 11:40 am
Joe, comparing the situation in 2012 to now is a non-starter. Come on man!
March 9th, 2021 at 11:42 am
SOEbuc: I’d like for most of the Bucs to be back. Shaq, Lavonte, Godwin, Gronk, Suh, Succop, and maybe even AB on the cheap if “Operation Green Light” (Greenberg and Licht) can work some cap magic.
March 9th, 2021 at 12:58 pm
They’re franchise tagging Godwin.
March 9th, 2021 at 1:07 pm
As much it would be nice to keep Lavonte they need to find a way to keep Shaq with JPP then try to resign JPP next year, too!
March 9th, 2021 at 1:53 pm
Should’ve tagged him. Brady got his wubby, now Shaq is gone. Plenty of offense weapons.
March 9th, 2021 at 8:06 pm
Vita being out all that time exposed a lot to the Buc brass.