“The Trade Deadline Is Not For Months And Months Away”
April 19th, 2022
Talkin’ draft.
Joe can tell the freakout is about to come.
For some reason, Joe has a gnawing feeling that either foot-rubbing tight end Rob Gronkowski or beastly defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh won’t be back for the 2022 season. Money is tight. Gronk might have to be lured back (with cash). Suh is a mercenary and he wants to get paid. Or else!
So Joe can see the math some Bucs fans are taking to draft a defensive lineman or a tight end in case Gronk or Suh (or both?) are off the roster.
And if the Bucs don’t draft a defensive tackle or don’t draft a tight end, and Gronk and Suh are nowhere on the Bucs roster come Memorial Day Weekend, Joe can see the freakout coming.
No need to stress, Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht said today. As he prepares for his ninth draft as Bucs general manager, Licht said the draft is not the only way to find a capable player.
“It is always fluid, adding players to our roster,” Licht said. “It doesn’t have to be during free agency. Right now we are focused on the draft. There is a lot of time between after the draft and [when] the season starts.”
Speaking of Gronk and Suh, Licht added, “So it is always fluid. We will leave the door open on a lot of cases whether they are ex-Bucs or have been with us or players that are on the street. Doors are open and we will always keep constant communication [open]. You have to keep that in mind.”
When asked about defensive tackles, Licht seemed to make it clear if Suh bolts and the Bucs don’t draft a defensive tackle, that doesn’t mean he won’t later add one.
“It is a position we will continue to look for,” Licht said. “We have the draft. We have the period after the draft. There are still trades. The trade deadline is not for months and months away. So there are different avenues and different paths we can take to upgrade there and upgrade our depth and get more players in there.”
So Bucs fans, if Licht doesn’t draft a defensive tackle or a tight end next week, there is no need to walk out into the deep waters of the Gulf with no plans of walking back to shore.
April 19th, 2022 at 2:05 pm
The freak out is already here. You can read it in the posts on here everyday from the armchair GMs and analysts.
April 19th, 2022 at 2:12 pm
All in Babe
April 19th, 2022 at 2:23 pm
Isn’t the annual draft always a freakout? It’s just part of football at this point?
April 19th, 2022 at 2:23 pm
Draft DT in round 1 and you get years of lower cost impact before he gets paid. Trade for a guy, if they’re any good, they’re already getting paid… We’re not just looking for bodies, we’re looking for guys who impact the game and have to be accounted for when teams play us.
DT in round 1.
DT in round 1.
DT in round 1.
DT in round 1.
DT in round 1.
Did I mention DT in round 1?
Guard isn’t even in our top 5 needs. WR isn’t in our top 5 needs.
The only offensive position in our top 5 needs is TE.
As far as I’m concerned, we should be trading next year’s picks to get more this year.
April 19th, 2022 at 2:26 pm
no need to panic
April 19th, 2022 at 2:32 pm
LOL, that is so old school, to walk out into the deep waters of the Gulf with no plans of walking back to shore.
Nowadays, people simply jump off a Cruise Ship! We have already had 2 this month alone.
Seriously, I have wondered lately HOW we are gonna sign Gronk or Suh, since money is very tight.
Speaking of Money, Brate is way overpaid IMHO.
April 19th, 2022 at 2:33 pm
Money is tight but we can still free up cash by restructuring D. Smith’s big fat cap hit and maybe Shaq Mason’s $6.5 salary can be restructured as wel.
Pinion can be cut to save another $2.9M. Maybe we draft a Punter in round 7…
So I’m not too concerned about the cap if we really want both Gronk and Suh it could be done.
@ Sasquatch
What if all the higher quality DTs are already gone when we pick at #27?
Now what?
April 19th, 2022 at 2:43 pm
Marine Buc Says:
April 19th, 2022 at 2:33 pm
You’re right. I’m mostly harping on need. If the available DTs aren’t worthy of that pick, I could certainly see picking a CB.
Although I’ve harped on DT over and over, because I think people are underestimating how dire that situation is, I am not a strictly needs-based draft person. I’ve railed against all the WR chatter, but even that I could see if there’s an explosive playmaker available at 27. Even OG, though I disagree that the need is great — I think we’ll have a good LG come out of the competition between the 3-5 candidates there… but I could see taking a guard if that’s clearly the best guy on the board and he could plug in immediately as an impact starter.
April 19th, 2022 at 2:52 pm
Le Freak, C’est Chic
April 19th, 2022 at 3:02 pm
I feel quite confident that Gronk will be back….not so much with Suh…..I think we can find a replacement for Suh with one of our top 2 picks….
April 19th, 2022 at 3:03 pm
Marpet was not just a Guard, he was a really really good Guard, so he will not be easy to replace. I think we have upgraded from Cappa, who I think the Bengals overpaid for. I am not sold on Stinnie but who knows ? He may surprise us all ?
April 19th, 2022 at 3:04 pm
With the first or second pick you simply need to draft a DT. Gholston is average Nacho is a fill in Vea has been injured a couple of times so if you don’t draft one and Suh? time to panic.
April 19th, 2022 at 3:19 pm
I’ll be very surpr8sed if we don’t draft a DT in the 1st or 2nd rounds of this year’s draft, with or without Suh. TE might be more accessible through FA or a trade.
April 19th, 2022 at 3:29 pm
For everyone wanting a DT in the first round, who do you think is going to be available at #27 that’ll make any impact! Wyatt is probably not even on the Bucs board because of his domestic violence arrest, destruction of property and the two incidents he wasn’t arrested for. That leaves no one with first round grade.
April 19th, 2022 at 3:43 pm
I love the trade deadline. Extending it was a great move by the league. Only wish it was longer, maybe week 10. I understand the arguments against. The league should mess with the cap regarding the deadline as well. Maybe let teams role over the cap hit, into the following year.
April 19th, 2022 at 3:47 pm
Idk why everyone is freaking out. The front office is the best probably ever. We have a good staff. We have the GOAT. We have everything we need. Some of us have become spoiled recently. I’ve only been a fan for 9 years, so I haven’t suffered nearly as much as some of you guys, but good grief. The comments here are let’s run so and so out of here. BA sucks. The sky is falling. There’s areas to improve of course, this year will be tough. On paper based on last year, we have the 3rd best team in the conference at worst. Let’s all take a deep breath and just enjoy this while we can.
April 19th, 2022 at 3:57 pm
“You always want to upgrade your trenches. It’s a position that we’ll continue to look for, but we have the draft, we have a period after the draft, there’s still trades. The trade deadline’s not for months and months away. So there’s different avenues and different paths that we can take to upgrade there and upgrade our depth and get more players in there.”
The UDFA period is such an underrated aspect of the draft
April 19th, 2022 at 3:59 pm
Didn’t know about Wyatt’s off field incidents. If nobody available at DE or DT then trade back if possible. Jones UCON or Hall UH both could be available in the 2nd round.
April 19th, 2022 at 4:09 pm
@ Sasq
Ya – CB maybe OLB/DE if no DTs are avaiable.
I know WR is not the greatest need but Olave or Burks would be hard to pass up at #27.
April 19th, 2022 at 4:35 pm
Suh can be replaced and should be. Many excellent options in the draft and still available in free agency.
Gronk, almost impossible. Maximum pressure has to be exerted, beg him to come back. Because if he doesn’t, say goodbye to a high draft pick, and it’s not a good TE draft. Say goodbye to $ and trade assets, because they’ll need to find a starter.
Brate alone can’t do it.
April 19th, 2022 at 4:36 pm
If we trade out of the first round to get a DT with a grade that matches their draft position what type of production would that player have this year in an all in Superbowl run?
April 19th, 2022 at 6:20 pm
Best of both worlds if Seattle wants to trade up to 27 to get a QB trade them 27 for 40 and Noah Fant because Gronks going back to WWE.
April 19th, 2022 at 10:24 pm
I think the Glazers have all they need from some of these maroons right here.
April 19th, 2022 at 10:44 pm
I predict that we will come away in this draft with at least one DT and one TE to fill needs coming up next year. (Not 7th round picks!) This has nothing to do with whether our brain trust believes Suh and/or Gronk is coming back for one more year.
As far as $$ is concerned both Suh and Gronk are set for years to come. If they come back for this year will depend on how much they still want to play and if they feel they want to go through the grind anymore. Money is not the issue.
April 19th, 2022 at 11:25 pm
I think Gronk will show up but I don’t think SUH will. We’ll know soon as they draft a DT in round 1.
They’ll be able to snag some more bodies during roster cuts also
April 19th, 2022 at 11:32 pm
I will keep reminding people –
there are NO tight ends worth taking in the first round. There are barely any for the second round and that’s only because the Buccaneers pick so late.
I could see them picking up a tight end but it would be round 3-5 most likely
April 21st, 2022 at 4:39 am
I know the team wants to get younger in defensive line, most likely draft DT in round 1, But what a young player could learn from Suh is priceless, the same could be said with Gronk. Plus if the player is wanted back there is always a way to find a way to do so
April 21st, 2022 at 4:42 am
I know the team wants to get younger in defensive line, most likely draft DT in round 1, But what a young player could learn from Suh is priceless, the same could be said with Gronk. I think they will find a way to bring them back