“Quicker Than We Initially Thought”
July 26th, 2023
New Bucs DT Greg Gaines.
Dollar Store shopping, as the average Joes know, often runs you $3.99 for an item instead of the standard price of $1.25. And that higher-priced item is often a ripoff.
But sometimes you grab a steal with that “expensive” item and that’s what the Bucs think they have in young veteran starter Greg Gaines at defensive tackle. He’s got a Super Bowl ring at 27 years old and a one-year deal from the Bucs at $3.5 million.
Today, Joe asked Todd Bowles for a report on Gaines, who has flown way under the radar despite being a frequent contributor during the Bucs’ voluntary spring workouts.
“Hard worker, very smart player, obviously very tough, a lot quicker than we initially thought,” Bowles said. “He’s got some position flex and I think that’s a positive but Greg has been great since he came in the door. He’s been outstanding.”
Joe’s eyes opened wide when Bowles said, “quicker than we initially thought.” Joe wonders if that means Gaines looked a little slow on film playing alongside Aaron Donald, which many players do.
Joe really loves the Gaines signing. Durable dude with lots of starting experience, including in the playoffs, and he’s a lot younger than the guy he replaced: Rakeem “Nacho” Nuñez-Roches.
July 26th, 2023 at 5:56 pm
He should be motivated & happy playing next to his college teammate….Vita
July 26th, 2023 at 6:18 pm
I hope Bowles is correct in his evaluation. It sounds really good.
July 26th, 2023 at 6:32 pm
An approve average depth player, if he’s more than it’s a win. But I expect him and Nacho are about the same level player, except Gaines is cheaper and younger.
July 26th, 2023 at 6:35 pm
Greg Gaines is making more money per year than he did previously and his totals sack per year is getting better (I.e. from one sack a year to four sacks a year). Win win for Gaines and Licht. I love how versatile Jason Licht is, if we have a defensive minded head coach he gets us the best defensive players and if our head coach is offensive minded he gets us Tom Brady 🤣
On a side note, the media needs to stop demonizing people (e.g. Devin White) for wanting more money especially when they’ve earned it. Society should be based on merit and not entitlement. No person should be condemned because they want what they have earned.
July 26th, 2023 at 6:40 pm
Gaines wasn’t too shabby with the Rams. Considering he had to play second fiddle to Donald. He’s a little bit more than JAG. A good bargain find by JL. Ryan Neal is a steal too. He might be a bullseye like Barrett.
July 26th, 2023 at 6:45 pm
@Jack Clark
White Also “EARNED” the scorn….
July 26th, 2023 at 6:52 pm
Insane lateral quickness for a man his size. I’ve seen a few plays Gaines has chased down RBs in the flat after outlet passes and straight up stonewall cutbacks. Can’t wait to see how he fits into the scheme, I could see him getting the majority of his reps on early down or in obvious run situations as the undertackle opposite of Vea. Def adds some of the beef we lost with Nacho & Hicks moving on.
July 26th, 2023 at 6:59 pm
Gaines brings pressures so yes let teams under estimate him.
July 26th, 2023 at 7:00 pm
Licht does it again. Smh
July 26th, 2023 at 7:01 pm
2023=SPEED
LFG!!!!!!
July 26th, 2023 at 7:16 pm
What is the over/under on the number of hamstring injuries (not including Gage) that the Bucs will have and for some reason their Training Staff can’t figure out how to prevent?
July 26th, 2023 at 7:17 pm
Obvious Says:
July 26th, 2023 at 6:45 pm
White Also “EARNED” the scorn….
Was that before or after he did not get paid for what he earned?
July 26th, 2023 at 7:41 pm
The D keeps getting stronger, except for JTS. Gotta bite the bullet on that one.
July 26th, 2023 at 7:53 pm
Not saying one guy is the other but this isn’t much different than in 2018 when the Bucs signed Eagles DT Beau Allen. Allen was a typical NT/DT hardworking run stuffer with a Super Bowl ring… not entirely different from Gaines. Hopefully it turns out better in this case.
July 26th, 2023 at 9:13 pm
White wasn’t close to a top15 lB last year and the worst part is he’s a make everyone else worse rather than better player and that’s mental / attitude and scheme ……. skilled head case cancer wanting 30 percent more than his play and if you think the above and his quitting on plays was bad before , wait til he gets some more horse money …… He’s out of the league in 4 years
July 26th, 2023 at 9:20 pm
SOUNDS LIKE WE GOT A SOLID YOUNG, EXPERIENCED D-LINEMAN WHO WILL FIT NICELY IN OUR ROTATION !
July 26th, 2023 at 9:57 pm
I agree with Obvious…EARNED is a loaded term and in the eye of the beholder when you use that term.
And so Gisele Bundchen EARNED more than the NFL GOAT…her former husband.
Did she EARN more than Tom Brady should have earned? Did she risk her noggin on modeling shoots. Were people twice her size literally trying to hurt her.
But when you get to the mega millions…really…11 million is not enough to earn.
I’ll tell you who I think EARNS their money…freaking roofers in Tampa Bay in August. Those guys EARN every penny!! They don’t make millions.
Some people are just blessed or lucky. For my 75th birthday I got a tattoo, a cool shamrock on my thigh that has “Luck of the Irish” inscribed around it. i was a National Merit Finalist and had a great job in TV. Did I EARN that. Well I certainly worked hard for the latter but the former was just a gift…from God for you religious guys.
In Finland they have a wonderful concept called “Enough”. They know when enough is enough!!! They always finish first in surveys of the World’s Happiest Nations. The U.S. never breaks the top ten. Denmark which comes in second most times had HYGGE, a mood of coziness and “comfortable conviviality” with feelings of wellness and contentment. $$$ do not buy that. There is only so much bling, so many cars, so many chicks…for a guy to whine about a paltry 11 million is not cool.
IF D White really balls out this year the top LB’s earn 20 million. If 11 million does not satisfy him what makes him think 20 will. It will satisfy his ego but little else.
July 26th, 2023 at 10:27 pm
stpetebucfan Says:
July 26th, 2023 at 9:57 pm
I agree with Obvious…EARNED is a loaded term and in the eye of the beholder when you use that term
Becoming a Super Bowl winning starting linebacker is an observable, transparent, objectionable fact to justify a person earning more money.
And stop comparing apples to oranges. Tom brady took pay cuts his entire career because he wanted more Super Bowls than more money. Gisele Bundchen wanted to earn as much money as should could in her career and she did. The two are unrelated.
And people working tough, physical, dangerous, dirty jobs like roofing don’t get paid much because it’s something most people can do it but don’t want to. Plus what people pay for getting their roof fixed is no where near as much as how much money people spend on watching football. That’s the same reason why WNBA players don’t make 40 millions a year like NBA players — because their business does not generate that much revenue.
July 26th, 2023 at 11:00 pm
Jack, like your post, however just because you started on a SB team doesn’t mean you are worth a ton of money.
July 26th, 2023 at 11:04 pm
White played like a demon in the 2020 Super Bowl run. Since then he’s been inconsistent.
Besides, we would have to cut $8 million in salary to pay him. Inside linebackers simply aren’t valued the same as outside linebackers.
He’s making almost 12 million so he’s not exactly underpaid for the position. If he plays with more discipline he might get overpaid by somebody. This year’s cap is only $225 million so you can only pay 11 guys $20 million. We were $55 million over the cap to start with. We could only pay nine player that much. That’s why great players get cut every year under the cap system. Without the cap the big market teams hoard all the star level players.
July 27th, 2023 at 2:24 am
Tape I watched of Gaines is very promising. He can take on blockers and get tackles. He moves well for a big guy (6′-1″ 312)
Go Bucs!
July 27th, 2023 at 2:29 am
Tape I watched of Gaines is very promising. He can take on blockers and get tackles. He moves well for a big guy (6′-1″ 312)
I like him plus he’s a car guy taught by his dad. Gotta love that!
Go Bucs!
July 27th, 2023 at 4:32 am
He just needs to do what he did last year and he will he exactly what we wanted.
Gets to play next to another fast player in Cancey.
Also not gonna be doubled much with Vea and Cancey next to him.
July 27th, 2023 at 8:26 am
@Jack Clark…take it easy
The problem we have with White is how he handled his business… he made it very public and drew a line in the sand with Bucs head-office. That’s an immature way of negotiating. Dummy probably also thought by some NBA way, that we’d simply cut him and then he could join the Eagles, who are cash strapped, and go ring chasing with them. This is 53 roster not 5. Budget doesn’t allow for super team building unless you’re playing for free.
His agent had to have failed him because when you look at this team historically, especially in the last 10 years, we take care of our own, there is no drama because the players that perform and deserve, get there’s… period. Name a player of White’s caliber that we drafted and let walk…I have no sympathy for White, he’s peers and mentors failed him.
July 28th, 2023 at 3:57 pm
Someone put this together. Dudes a monster.