Marcus Spears To Bucs Management: Don’t Do Mike Evans And Chris Godwin Like That!
February 20th, 2023
Ex-NFLer thinking of Bucs ballers.
Former Cowboys defensive end and current talking head on BSPN Marcus Spears had direct words for Bucs shot-callers last week.
In a segment discussing the Bucs, Spears felt for Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, two of the best receivers in the game and guys that have gone through a lot in their NFL careers.
Spears saw how both toiled during the Lost Decade and how they thrived during the highest of highs when the Bucs won the Super Bowl and 29 total games in the 2020 and 2021 seasons.
Spears said to the movers and shakers at One Buc Palace that if the Bucs plan to go with an unproven quarterback, show some respect to standup guys while also building your team for the future; trade Evans and Godwin to contenders. Don’t make Evans and Godwin go back to losing Sunday after Sunday in 1 p.m. kickoffs before an 80 percent-filled Licht House.
“I’m thinking about Derek Carr,” Spears said of who the Bucs should target at quarterback. “More and more I’m getting away from thinking he will go to Tampa. But I still hold out hope because it’s about Mike Evans and Chris Godwin for me.
“Where is this organization from a mindset-wise? I look at Derek Carr as a veteran who can come in there and keep these guys in the mindset of winning.
“Unless you are going young or unless you are trying to figure out if one of these young guys [can play] — I’m thinking of the veterans on this team. Lavonte David, Mike Evans is not getting any younger. Chris Godwin who just signed a contract. These guys, to me, don’t want to be in a window where they are trying to figure out if they have a quarterback they can win with.
“That’s why I have been so adamant about Derek Carr in Tampa. They are talented offensively. And they have receivers you can push the ball downfield with which [Carr] has shown the propensity to do.
“So, I look at it from those guys’ perspective. I know Tom walked out the door. I know they won a Super Bowl. But if you are retooling as an organization, you have some vets in that building that might not want to be a part of that.”
Well said.
If the Bucs end up f@rting around with Ryan Tannehill or Drew Lock, it’s just wrong for guys who sweat blood for the organization like Evans and Godwin to endure the crap they went through during the Lost Decade.
And imagine what those guys can bring in draft capital? And then you have the ammo to maybe get in position to draft, say, a Drake Maye next spring.
Yes, Joe would love for #CollaspeForCaleb. To do that the Bucs would have to thoroughly pressure-wash the roster. From public statements made just after the season, Bucs coach Todd Bowles has zero desire to choose that option.
February 20th, 2023 at 4:37 am
I have trouble believing that Evans or Godwin are going anywhere. Well, UNLESS ME13 & CG14 decide NOT to restructure their contracts and then the Bucs wouldn’t have any choice but to trade them. It’d be close to impossible to free up enough salary CAP to do what we need to do without restructuring those 2 huge contracts.
February 20th, 2023 at 6:50 am
Hendon Hooker!
February 20th, 2023 at 6:54 am
Bucs don’t have the salary cap space for Carr.
Trade Devin White as you can’t afford his salary and could use the picks.. Release Brate, Fournette, D Smith and eat all of TB12’s salary this year. I know some say release Succup’s $3.5M salary, but in a rebuild I believe the Bucs will need his scoring/reliability for at least one more year — unless they are tanking — in which case get rid of him. Restructure a number of contracts including Shaq, Evans, Godwin and Vea. To just get under the cap — let alone sign low cost players to fill out the roster. Need to determine your Tackle situation for Wirtfs. RT or LT? Then Goedeke at RT or draft a LT/RT? Bucs must get this one correct. They can’t go through another mess with the OLine.
I think the Bucs should be more creative this year — they have to be. Bring in 10-15 players from non-traditional places instead of retreads who haven’t made the team or practice squad. Identify the top 1 or 2 players at CB, S, WR, TE and ILB in the XFL, HBCs and Div II schools who may be UFAs. Look at lineman, but they seem to be more difficult to find in the XFL. Focus on speed. Plan to provide a small signing bonus to all of them to be sure you get who you want. I’m sure the Bucs could end up with at least 3 or 4 back ups and 1 starter.
This is a year to get younger and faster while getting our finances in line. That means playing Trask.
February 20th, 2023 at 6:54 am
Hendon Hooker! Just like I said about tony pollard this guy is the real deal!
February 20th, 2023 at 6:59 am
Draft Hooker. Doubt he’ll be ready day 1, but he could be ready to go as a mid-year replacement QB if Trask doesn’t work out. Now, who’s your veteran QB to help teach them? Gabbert? Don’t know if he is affordable, but what about Matt Ryan on a 1-year deal?
Remember, the Bucs have to be creative.
February 20th, 2023 at 7:34 am
Carr sucks. Been a loser since entering the NFL. Has never won anything in pro football. So bad he got cut by the Raiders. Why does Joe want a loser joiing the Bucs?
February 20th, 2023 at 7:59 am
Trading Mike Evans would save $2mil in 2023, but creates $21 mil dead cap, plz plz plz stfu with that one, plz
February 20th, 2023 at 8:02 am
If you go around worrying about pleasing Evans and Godwin, you have the wrong priority…..
You have to let the older FAs go……..probably Dean also.
Brady (older) is gone…..then Brate, Rudolph, Bernard, Hicks, Ryan, Succop, Gholstion, LVD…..
Sure, you could draft Hooker….or bring in a cheap vet FA like Mayfield…..
As far as Bowles not being on board…..he better get on board because he doesn’t have a choice.
February 20th, 2023 at 8:21 am
@Dooley
That sounds like numbers if They Cut Mike Evans, not traded.
And if the Bucs keep Godwin and Evans, what to hear at the end of 2023, how they hated all the run blocking they had to do 2/3 of the plays in Bowles new run first offense.
February 20th, 2023 at 8:46 am
I agree with drafting Hooker and if Trask struggles then you start him. All these talking heads should chill. Evans and Godwin are the reason a decent vet will come here. If Licht trades them he is setting up the future for another GM. Not happening.
February 20th, 2023 at 8:46 am
If they sign a veteran QB like Geno Smith or Carr, Bowles would not be able to resign some of his defensive players. So, 1, 2, 3 Kyle Trask is up to the task!!
February 20th, 2023 at 8:51 am
Bowel’s doesn’t get to choose. If the brass says collapse (which they have not thus far) then Bowels can go along with it or resign.
February 20th, 2023 at 8:55 am
Let me throw out a completely crazy idea.
This team is a rebuild job, three years away from contending again.
Where to start? It starts in the trenches, and it starts on defense.
We need a young stud to line up next to Vita Vea, like Suh did. (No, Logan Hall isn’t the guy, not at only 283 pounds.)
I have five good-to-AllPro players to trade, young enough to give somebody 2-3 good years, but too old to build around for the 2025-2028 era. The other three are DSmith, Jensen (assuming they both can pass physicals), and Shaq Mason. All on the O line.
Now, I look around the league for a team with cap room that needs help at WR and OL, and I see the New York Giants. $44M under the cap, only one WR, a weak OL, and a star NT entering the last year of his rookie deal. Think we might just be able to pry Dexter Lawrence loose?
February 20th, 2023 at 8:57 am
Trask or Hooker… either way, it’s not 1985. The game is designed for rookies to step in and play well. A good OC can get open looks and 1 on 1s for talented receivers. This idea we need Carr or some other retread is silly. A rookie QB can have a respectable year and be right back in the mix the following year. Look at Kenny Pickett in Pittsburgh. You have to grow a QB, not just keep buying them.
February 20th, 2023 at 8:57 am
@ The Tampa Bay Truth – No, it’s the number if they trade him. Even a post June 1 trade moves some of that dead money to 2024 but they’d have to eat it all.
The best move regarding Evans is to extend him or let him finish playing out his contract.
February 20th, 2023 at 9:05 am
Trask is not a rookie. This is his year three. You have to give him his opportunity or else you wasted your 2nd round pick.
February 20th, 2023 at 9:23 am
I might agree with trading 1 but certainly not both. Our next coach might have a good scheme for them. Whoever our QB ends up being will need somebody to throw to.
February 20th, 2023 at 9:53 am
@ DR
Don’t we owe Mike Evans @ $21M in deferred bonus money?
If we trade him will the Bucs have to pay that amount in 2023?
February 20th, 2023 at 10:15 am
@Tampa Bay Truth
Evans & Godwin have been willing(and pretty solid) run blockers respectively their entire careers, that’s not going to change because of how you feel about what you think our offense will look like under Canales via Bowles.
February 20th, 2023 at 10:44 am
collapse is loser talk
February 20th, 2023 at 11:34 am
Mike Evans deserves to retire a Buc with all that he’s done for this organization and community in giving, on the field, restructuring his contracts, etc. IF he desire to leave and go to a contender, then accommodate for the right price. BUT if he wants to stay, the org should keep him, he’s earned it.
CG is not quite there yet for me, BUT why get rid of 100 catches per season when he could be ready for a CKupp type of year. I can’t believe having good/great receivers HURTS a new QB. DSmith? cut or trade, C. Brate? same, etc. BUT we don’t do that to ME13 or CG14 (unless offer we can’t refuse) nor LVD. They’re going to give their all, maintain culture and fight to the finish, win/lose/tie.
Remember, we just got Ronde into HoF and during his final years, he wasn’t close to being his best BUT the org needed Ronde in the locker room and on the field.
February 20th, 2023 at 11:38 am
Marine Buc … From what I can see, CAP hits just relate to how the team ‘manages the books’ with the NFL, not with how the player gets paid. If you look on Spotrac, the column ‘Yearly Cash Details’ is supposedly what they actually paid the player.
In Evans’ case, he’s a free agent in 2024. He’ll have gotten all of his ‘cash’ from the Bucs by this year, even though the Bucs restructured his contract in Mar 2022 ($12.9 mil converted to a signing bonus, thus adding another void year to free up $10.3 mil of CAP space last year). It looks like … from a CAP Hit perspective … we’ll get tagged for $12.2 mil in 2024 for his past contract, plus another $4.8 mil in 2025 and another $2.6 mil in 2026.
Since his 2023 CAP Hit is $23.7 mil with a Dead CAP of $21.4 mil, it’d REALLY be in the Bucs’ best interests to give Mike a new contract for probably 3 years so he can retire as a Buc. That’d allow us to kick some of that CAP Hit down the road for a couple years to open up space this year … since we have to clear $55 mil just to get back to our actual salary CAP limit (we have to clear a lot more than that to actually sign FAs & a draft class).
The kicker in all that is that ME13 may very well prefer to move on to a contender after his contract ends in 2023. And if that’s the case, we’re in trouble.
February 20th, 2023 at 12:03 pm
Gotcha – ya I would also like to see the Bucs extend ME13’s contract rather than trade him…
I was under the impression if you trade a player or the player retires (like Gronk and Marpet) all void years become due immediately. So that $21.4M we owe ME would be due as soon as we trade him or if he decides to hang em up.
Either way – I agree. Let’s keep him a Buc for life and give him an extension that will allow us to push a little of the cap hit into 2024/2025.
February 20th, 2023 at 12:10 pm
Oh yea that’s a brilliant move- trade away all your offensive weapons so you can tank and draft a 50/50 QB prospect, who will have…. NO ONE to throw too.
Genius level thinking right there.
Thank god ya’ll don’t manage this team.
February 20th, 2023 at 1:51 pm
Tbbf…..hilarious!
February 21st, 2023 at 1:08 am
The Bucs don’t know how to rebuild any more than they know how to develop a QB. It’s noble to think of, “For the sake of Mike and Chris” but they are professionals and they will help any QB be better. It won’t be Carr or Smith or JG, they are going to get better offers than Bucs can afford.
Brissett, someone mentioned. I think he has potential and has demonstrated good performance. Cannolis would have to coach him up, but, that’s what Bowels hired him to do, right?
Collapsing for some college guy who has a higher chance to be a failure than a success is playing stupidity, and even though most of us want the Toadster fired, he probably doesn’t want to be fired. So he’s not going to agree to a 2009-style purge. No way in hell. And even if he did, he should know he’s getting fired in the first two years of the next 28-52 stretch. Because that’s what it will be if the Bucs think they’ll suddenly be good at a rebuild. It’s not in their persona.