Bucs Aren’t Shopping — At Least Not Now
June 10th, 2022
Satisfied with current roster.
Teams can never have enough good players. And there are still decent players on the street looking for work.
At this time — June 10 — Bucs coach Todd Bowles doesn’t have any roster concerns. So shopping for a free agent isn’t on his docket.
“Not at this time, but it’s always an option,” Bowles said. “If somebody gets hurt or if somebody becomes available that we’re interested in, we’re always looking at those types of things.”
Wide receiver still spooks Joe (and maybe it’s just Joe). It’s unknown how long Chris Godwin will be out and this mysterious injury to Russell Gage has Joe starting to sweat. Even Bucs quarterback Tom Brady stressed yesterday how critical it is for Gage to get on the practice field so he and Brady can start developing chemistry.
Brady even mentioned that Gage having a strong 2022 is mandatory.
And you know what, an inside linebacker might not be a bad signing. Lavonte David has a lingering foot issue and is sidelined. He’s had this ailment since December. Remember, David is on the wrong side of 30. Older dudes don’t just heal overnight.
Enjoy Part I of Todd Bowles (and much more) on the Ira Kaufman Podcast.
June 10th, 2022 at 7:14 am
I am living that older dudes slow healing thing every day. So I gotta agree with some of the worry. Not sure we have that perfect mix of youth and experience but it’s close. Injuries are always my biggest fear every season.
June 10th, 2022 at 7:16 am
Trey flowers …please stand up….please stand up
June 10th, 2022 at 7:23 am
We’re fine at WR. Darden is very good, just watch. And Grayson will only get better. Johnson is solid. With Evans and Gage, that’s 5 really good receivers even without Godwin. We have no more room there. ILB depth is my only concern.
June 10th, 2022 at 7:32 am
Mandatory? Yikes. Doesn’t sound good at for CG’s timely return
June 10th, 2022 at 7:47 am
Larry Ogunjobi? Sheldon Richardson? Hell bring Nassib back, he had his best years with us. Tak McKinley? Xavier Rhodes? What if Gronk decides the punishment isn’t worth it?
June 10th, 2022 at 8:11 am
Players can heal faster (unreal how fast) with this breakthrough product – neumi.com/spencer1
June 10th, 2022 at 8:28 am
If you believe Darden is good, you must also Believe Biden is giving student loan forbearance to 9 million Americans.
June 10th, 2022 at 8:31 am
I wouldn’t mind a Carl Nassib signing one little bit
June 10th, 2022 at 8:50 am
Yep. Get Nassib.
June 10th, 2022 at 8:59 am
Far too many Bucs on the current roster have a history of recurring injury. Availability is critical, and right now we just have too many whose injury history makes them an availability risk. Depth becomes all-important in certain position groups, and our current depth at LB & DLine especially is concerning. One or two injuries to key players & our whole season could be side-tracked. All-in means exactly that; need better depth.
June 10th, 2022 at 9:00 am
Marine Buc
Don’t forget about Perriman….
And, I think Darden deserves the skepticism……but he may turn the corner this year & if he does, we have a winner.
We ought to be told what the injury to Gage is…..why the secret…..
June 10th, 2022 at 9:02 am
Should have “shopped” Godwin when you had a chance. Find a good RB
June 10th, 2022 at 9:25 am
Stop please, Darden is not NFL material. Beckham, Jones, Flowers, should be the Bucs focus. Also, they need to try to bring back Suh or sign Richardson. Hicks won’t last six games….
June 10th, 2022 at 9:36 am
I think Godwin will be back a lot sooner than anyone is expecting. Saw him at TPA about a month or so ago flying back from ATL. No limp at all and looked to be in amazing physical condition. Was a really cool guy to talk to for a few short minutes as well.
June 10th, 2022 at 9:48 am
Good thing the practice squad rules means we can carry 2 more players and allows for one extra bump up to the active roster per player. Focusing on getting our underneath guys reps & keeping them in tune with what we’re doing offensively this offseason can help mitigate any potential injuries at the position down the road. Still plenty of time between now and the start of the regular season.
June 10th, 2022 at 9:55 am
Has Darden really shown anything on the field to warrant a roster spot?
June 10th, 2022 at 9:57 am
Has Darden really shown anything on the field to warrant a roster spot?
Joe has been fooled twice by a guy balling out in underwear football. And personally, Joe didn’t think Darden was torching the defense. He made some OK catches and got open sometimes. He was targeted often. Joe thinks that was more forcefed than him finding open space.
Let’s see what he does in August with the pads on.
June 10th, 2022 at 9:59 am
People are under estimating Gage. According to one source was 19th rated for route running last year. That fits Brady to a tee.
Whether we get Godwin back at week 4 or week 12, he will be a stud again. Not sure there is a better three some at receiver than our 3 guys when they are all healthy. Our depth is better than a lot of fans are giving us credit for too. Perriman and Miller and at the end of last season Grayson have shown they can be players when need be.
I am with DR and more worried about depth of D line and LB. But actually the staff may like guys like Cam Gill and Anthony Nelson.
Look of the career path of Trey Hendrickson. Hendrickson went from 19 tackles and 4.5 sacks his 3rd year to 25 tackles and 13.5 sacks. Doesn’t Anthony Nelson’s career path look similar to this point. 3rd year for Nelson 22 tackles and 5 sacks. Would love for him to explode like Hendrickson did.
June 10th, 2022 at 10:13 am
Has Darden really shown anything on the field to warrant a roster spot?
There is a zero percent chance Darden doesn’t make this team. I honestly think coming out of camp, with Godwin out, it’s going to be hard to keep Darden from being the third starter. Darden is and will be that good.
I don’t understand the hate for this guy. I mean, I know why. It ‘s because people fear Scotty will be cut if Darden is good. Well, Bye bye Scotty
June 10th, 2022 at 10:26 am
There is no “hate” for this guy. Thus far, he has provided zero evidence he belonged on an active NFL roster, certainly not one that has very real and legitimate Super Bowl aspirations. That’s not “hate” that is fact.
The 2021 and 2022 Bucs were/are not the 2011 and 2012 Bucs where they were a lousy team and could afford to have a guy learn on the job. Every other player on this team has very high expectations and standards set by his teammates and coaches. Why should Darden be given such a pass?
It has absolutely NOTHING to do with “hate.” It has everything to do with contributing to a team that has very real and attainable Super Bowl goals.
If Luke Goedeke is starting and he is a turnstile and Brady gets hit every other pass attempt because Goedeke cannot slow down his man, are you going to give him the same complete and total pass you wish to give Darden? If not, why not?
When exactly did it become wrong for a guy to earn an important job like returner? Why should a guy be gifted this job when eny other position on the team a guy would be benched for being a total no-show? Is Darden related to the Glazers that Joe is unaware of?
Look, Joe WANTS every Bucs player to ball out. And yes, that includes Darden. Joe doesn’t think he is out of line to expect a returner on a team gunning for the Super Bowl to demonstrate he belongs and can contribute. When did this all of a sudden become some personal crime to expect production from a player?
The only thing people “hate” about Darden is his non-existent production.
June 10th, 2022 at 10:49 am
Darden was super productive in college. He’s apparently been lighting it up in offseason work. He’s got ability but it was a big jump in competition from where he came. There’s still hope. It’s not a guarantee that he’s gonna make it, but we’ll see. Would not surprise me to see his year 2 be a big improvement from year 1.
June 10th, 2022 at 10:58 am
Allen Lofton,
Get the eff outta here with your soft selling and referral links. If you want to advertise do it properly by contacting Joe.
June 10th, 2022 at 11:10 am
Teams are always looking for way to improve. What is bowles supposed to say? Any other answer would be a vote of no confidence in the roster. I expect the bucs to be players at the trade deadline. Some hyped team always falls on their faces. There’s usually a surprise cut or two coming out of camp. This year should be no different. Licht needs to stay aggressive.
June 10th, 2022 at 11:40 am
Darden is by far the most scrutinized 4th round pick in the recent history of this franchise and I find the knee-jerky level of critiques especially hilarious. Let’s bash a guy that played a grand total of 59 snaps his rookie year. If Mickens never got in trouble with the law last year he’d still be here being a mediocre return man with alot more evidence to his mediocrity.
June 10th, 2022 at 11:45 am
Damn Joe that was a article you replied. The name Scotty Miller gets Joe a lot of likes 👍 Darden is given the pass because he was a great college WR who we got in the fourth and It’s his second year! They are not lying about how difficult it is for a rookie to learn an NFL playbook and adjust, especially a WR with Brady.
Of any young player that was drafted high that should be begging for spare change outside OBP, it’s Trask. Raaccad White will be returning some kickoffs
June 10th, 2022 at 11:48 am
*Raaccheed White will be returning some kickoffs. I hope he is not bashed about year two if he doesn’t succeed.
June 10th, 2022 at 12:00 pm
GH therapy would heal LVD up in a much shorter period of time. Wish it were legal for what these guys do to their bodies.
June 10th, 2022 at 12:04 pm
Think about this: Who coached Sheldon Richardson with the Jets? Kacy Rodgers and Todd Bowles. Where are Rodgers and Bowles coaching these days? The Bucs.
Who in Tampa Bay knows Richardson better than Rodgers and Bowles? Very likely no one.
Pretty sure if not confident if Rodgers or Bowles wanted Richardson, he’d be here. The fact Richardson isn’t here but Rodgers and Bowles are should explain a whole lot.
June 10th, 2022 at 12:09 pm
The NFL is a production league, not a hype league. The Bucs need *production* if they want to return to the Super Bowl, not hype, not college stats. Production. Results. Now.
Thus far — key phrase there, “thus far” — Darden has not proven squat given multiple chances that he belongs on the field of a team with Super Bowl aspirations, especially since the guy he replaced was much, much better and did produce.
The Bucs are in a win-now mode which means production-now, not maybe three years from now.
June 10th, 2022 at 12:09 pm
IMO, David’s foot is a real concern.
June 10th, 2022 at 12:16 pm
David makes White without David we are soft in the middle.
June 10th, 2022 at 12:16 pm
Is it me or am I the only one who saw Darden turtle on ST’s? When he gets the ball he runs east to west and is afraid of getting hit. There are so many great players out there why waste time on this guy? Like Joe, would of love to see him succeed over Mickens. A clear case of be careful of what you wish for.
June 10th, 2022 at 12:18 pm
Joe is right about Sheldon Richardson, that crossed my mind as well. Richardson doesn’t have a good rep in this league. The talent flashed early, but the motivation and attitude were absent, stemming from his stay with the Jets.
I’m not so sure if he’s a fit, I would think the Bucs would be more inclined to grab a 3-4 OLB.
June 10th, 2022 at 12:24 pm
No Darden hate. Just a legitimate question. This is not the time for sentimentalism or, as Joe said, waiting for someone to get better. That’s been done before. There’s a reason why he only had 59 snaps.
June 10th, 2022 at 12:43 pm
Joe, that long reply you wrote is a bunch of jibberish
June 10th, 2022 at 1:03 pm
“Wide receiver still spooks Joe (and maybe it’s just Joe)”
(Emphatically waving his hands) Me too, me too! It would be nutso going into the season with just Mike and a bunch of unproven dudes. I’d feel a lot better if we knew for certain when Gage and Godwin were coming back.
June 10th, 2022 at 1:04 pm
@Joe
4th year pro Jaydon Mickens as a returner in 2020:
KR
14 returns
340 yards
Longest return-34 yards
AVG-23.2 yards
PR:
16 returns
99 yards
Longest Return-48 yards
AVG-9.7 yards
Rookie Jaelon Darden in 2021:
KR:
18 returns
359 yards
Longest Return-34 yards
AVG-19.9 yards
PR:
19 returns
142 yards
Longest return-43 yards
AVG-7.5 yards
IDK about “much, much” better, to me it’s about the same and we were in “win now” mode in 2020 as well
June 10th, 2022 at 1:18 pm
Nassib could be signed cheap and would be a good backup that has a lot of special teams experience the Bucs could use.
June 10th, 2022 at 1:22 pm
4th year pro Jaydon Mickens as a returner in 2020:
KR
14 returns
340 yards
Longest return-34 yards
AVG-23.2 yards
PR:
16 returns
99 yards
Longest Return-48 yards
AVG-9.7 yards
Rookie Jaelon Darden in 2021:
KR:
18 returns
359 yards
Longest Return-34 yards
AVG-19.9 yards
PR:
19 returns
142 yards
Longest return-43 yards
AVG-7.5 yards
June 10th, 2022 at 1:27 pm
I’m absolutely stunned that people are actually arguing with Joe about whether Darden is any good. The man played with rolling skates for cleats and folded like a tent whenever a defender came near him. People are in absolute denial about our WR situation. Did anyone watch the games against the Eagles, Saints, and Rams? We struggled without a reliable WR 2 and 3. After Gage and Evans, who do we have that’s reliable? Miller is a one trick pony. Perriman has done absolutely noticing. Grayson is largely unknown, and Tyler Johnson couldn’t get separation to save his life. Thompkins and Sterns are both dwarfs who are bound to make the practice squad.
When i listened to Brady speak about Gage, I sense a state of nervousness about our WR situation. It’s urgent that Gage and Brady form chemistry right away. Remember Brady’s first year. It was an absolute disaster in the beginning between him and his receivers. There was frequent miscommunication that resulted in picks. Receivers had trouble with hot routes. Not only does Gage and Brady need to work on chemistry on the field, they need to spend some time in the film room. It’s time for Gage to visit that ranch Brady has in Montana where he worked with Edelman and Amendola. I see Gage as a Deion Branch type guy if he and Brady can get their act together.
Joe is “keeping it real” about the current situation at WR. That’s not hate.
June 10th, 2022 at 1:47 pm
Lmao. The NFL is not a hype league? All these friggin people wanna start their mock draft for next year the day after. Love the Bucs, but NFL is nothing but flag football now so these amazing media god QB can score the winning goal with 1:50 (that was some win now sh!t 😃) College and even what I’m seeing in USFL is so much more strive for production than the NFL.
June 10th, 2022 at 1:53 pm
Bucsfan13, wholeheartedly agree. Many here are pumping up players that have done absolutely nothing. It’s fanboyism, plain and simple. Of Brady’s three years here, this is by far the weakest group of pass catchers. That’s the reason they should run more this year. People expecting the same high flying offense as the last two years are kidding themselves
June 10th, 2022 at 2:13 pm
GOB…Until Godwin and Gage can return. Then it’s his strongest corp.
June 10th, 2022 at 4:37 pm
Do we have a great receiving corp when Godwin is injured?
No
Do we have a great receiving corp when Godwin is back
Absolutely. Name me 5 better.
June 10th, 2022 at 5:18 pm
I loved the long Darden/team posts, Joe. He has shown me nothing but maybe has shown the coaches something in practice this year. At least it seems to sound like he still would like to try for a career as a good football player.
June 10th, 2022 at 7:23 pm
Trade. For. Robert. Quinn.
June 10th, 2022 at 7:40 pm
What about signing Jaimie Collins, ILB former Patriot
June 10th, 2022 at 8:37 pm
AB was the Buc’s best receiver and he’s gone. Finally Evans and Brady have a chemistry. To me Godwin is a question mark. In December we’ll know if he’s running the same or not. I feel Gage is a strong No.2. However how many games will it take until Brady and him have a chemistry. Grayson can separate and I’m OK with him.Perriman is a tall target and if he still is fast, I’m OK with him. I read Tyler Johnson is leaner than last season. If that means he’s faster I’m OK with him. If Johnson is as slow now as last season then I have no confidence in him and the remaining not mentioned receivers in moving the ball down the field.Bucs need to sign a fast wide receiver now to help carry the load until hopefully Godwin returns. Beckham won’t be able to play until mid December. Julio Jones has dropped off. Ty Hilton last season had hamstring, quad, and neck disc injuries. Will Fuller does a 40 yard dash in 4.33seconds. and he gets hurt every year. Bring in him and if he passes the physical, sign him. Maybe he’ll stay healthy until Godwin returns.
June 10th, 2022 at 10:18 pm
Unless they are waiting for cut downs and trade options much later, they had better do some serious shopping. The defense is still partially formed, if formed at all, and full of question marks. Besides Sack Barrett, exactly where is the pass rush coming from? Raw JTS in yr 2? Raw untested rook Logan Hall? Workmanlike rotationals? Hicks fills only one of many holes.
Carlos Dunlap, Justin Houston are the only remaining FAs with the kind of pass rushing skill and experience needed. JPP is shopping himself out of town. Nassib is a clear notch down, and would be a cheap addition to the rotation, but he’s never been great.
If they do nothing, sure that’s economical and, sure, “let’s see what we’ve got”. But this is Brady’s final hour. And those damned Rams, Saints, 49ers, etc. all have vastly superior talent that this roster doesn’t match. At least bring some of it up, Bowles. Please.
June 10th, 2022 at 11:49 pm
Good point on Richardson. Still, need depth on both sides of the ball. IMHO
June 11th, 2022 at 1:28 am
When the salary cap pretty much no longer exists we might as well grab any net positive player we can. This is the last sure season to go for it since we can’t predict the future. I mean look at the damn Rams. If they can afford their ridiculous salaries then why not us? Definitely should do a new contract with Evans and do high cash incentives and kick the rest over 4 more years. Sure up any guys you belive are the future with reworked contracts/extensions.