March Of The Undrafted Free Agents
September 1st, 2023
“Mr. Glazer, my scouts might deserve raises.”
It’s not shocking that six undrafted free agents could make an NFL team.
For example, for an awful team with a lot of roster turnover, that would not be a shock. The Bucs were not that bad, however.
Yes, the Bucs were 8-10 last year but won a division title. So either you could argue the Bucs’ scouting department found a bunch of gems after the draft concluded, or the Bucs had plenty of job opportunities (thanks to massive salary cap issues) for the little-known rookies to win.
Either way, Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht is proud that six undrafted free agents have made the initial 53-man roster.
“We knew there would be a lot of opportunities for new faces,” Licht said. “If you would have told me back in April that we would have kept six undrafted rookies, I probably would have thought you were crazy.
“All of these guys have exceeded our expectations. … I think a lot of them will play big roles for us.”
So with a half-dozen guys that the NFL — including the Bucs — didn’t think were worthy of drafting, what does that say about the Bucs’ depth last year?
It doesn’t say a lot, that’s for sure.
And remember, a handful of starters who played important roles last season are still unemployed. Playoff Lenny, Cam Brate, Akiem Hicks and Logan Ryan spring to mind.
September 1st, 2023 at 12:22 am
WE’RE LETTING MIKE EVANS WALK AFTER THIS SEASON???? AFTER EVERYTHING HES DONE FOR THIS TEAM TO HELP US WIN? AFTER HE ENDURED LOSING SEASON AFTER LOSING SEASON THIS IS HOW WE REPAY HIM??
September 1st, 2023 at 12:25 am
Rick Stroud just reported this will be Mike Evans last season with the Bucs.
September 1st, 2023 at 12:27 am
Mike Evans.. should retire a Buccaneer. He’s restructured his contract so many times to help the team, it’s time to pay the man and make him a Buc for life. I don’t want to see him in a different teams uniform..
September 1st, 2023 at 12:37 am
WTF ARE YALL TALKING ABOUT?
September 1st, 2023 at 12:38 am
Trade mike Evans now and Chris Godwin we have 6 u drafted people on this team were in re build mode!! Get some 2nd round picks fix this crappy o line that can’t run block!
September 1st, 2023 at 12:41 am
Joe checks the calendar… It’s Sept. 1, a long way from March.
Joe checks to see if Jason Licht has a franchise tag card to play… he does.
Smells like an agent doing some saber-rattling.
Wake Joe up in early March when franchise tags are applied.
September 1st, 2023 at 12:42 am
Remember how we’re still trying to fill the void that gronk left behind? We’ll have to do that with Evans. I know we have Godwin, but after him is (1) 2nd year receiver and the rest are rookies. You cannot replace an 81 TD MACHINE with Godwin and a bunch of inexperienced receivers. You cannot. Licht needs to get this extension done YESTERDAY!
September 1st, 2023 at 12:47 am
So these Morons Aren’t Going to Pay Him??? This Sounds Like UPSIDE DOWN AND INSIDE OUT BIZZARO WORLD!
He Couldn’t possibly be asking SO MUCH that we can’t make a deal, FOR MIKE! YOU KNOW THE GUY WHO MADE THIS TEAM EVEN SORT OF RELEVANT! ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?!?!?+? THE MAN BENT OVER BACKWARDS A 100 TIMES TO BAIL OUT THIS TEAM AND THIS IS THE THANK YOU…………………………?
😤😡😤😡😤😡😤😡😤😡😤😡😤😡😤😡😤😡😤😡🤬🤬🤬🤬😤😡😤😡😤😡😤😡😤😡😤😡😤😡😤😡😤😡😤😡😤😡😤😡😤😡😤💩
September 1st, 2023 at 12:51 am
ESPN reported Mikey would walk from bucs at end of season cuz contract talks have stalled.. cuz ESPN is always right with there reporting lol…….
September 1st, 2023 at 12:54 am
Listen. If Evans was as p!ssed as his agent claims, he wouldn’t have been in camp. He would have held out.
No need to freak. Jason Licht can franchise him if need be. It’s not March.
September 1st, 2023 at 1:21 am
I hope Joe’s sense of smell is accurate lol.
But I agree, this sounds like a poor ploy from his agent to get contract talks going (faster?). Very rare that a player would announce at the beginning of the season that it will be his last with his current team.
September 1st, 2023 at 1:35 am
The sky is falling! The sky is falling!
Geez!
BTW..That many rookie UDFAs is never a good sign of the quality of the roster no matter how you “spin” it.
Jason has done a good job getting some guys in here for depth but, starting caliber guys? That is the million dollar question which remains to be seen.
Go Bucs!
September 1st, 2023 at 1:42 am
Gotta love it when the slimy agent comes out of the shadows to play hard ball. Now the speculation will begin, is Evan’s doing a Hold In. Not playing in a single PS(BS) Game? Will this have enough legs to get on a hollering hot take show? Will ME13 be available to press now?
Personally, I think ME13 will retire a Buccaneer in 2028. You don’t get rid of ‘Area Code’ receivers, let alone a pillar of the team. Guess this will be a topic on the podcast.
September 1st, 2023 at 1:43 am
Joe has a story currently scheduled for 3:45 a.m. spelling all of this out. 🙂
September 1st, 2023 at 1:51 am
Evans will be north of 30 next year. All great receivers lose their speed around his age. When Mike was drafted, he was running a 4.53 in the 40, not necessary a speed demon for a receiver. When his legs slow down, he’s going to be running in the 4.6’s.
I love Evans but I highly doubt the Bucs want to pay 20 mil per season on a multi-year contract for a receiver that could lose speed overnight. It time to get some young blood at the receiver position.
September 1st, 2023 at 7:28 am
All great receivers lose their speed at 30 except…. Rice, Tim Brown, Fitzgerald, James Lofton, Monk, Largent, Joiner, Cris Carter, Harrison, Moss, Owens, Antonio Brown, Galloway, DeSean Jackson, and the list goes on and on and on. Evans has never been a burner but he will always be big and tall. Even if he did lose a little speed, it would hurt him less than the other receivers because he’s bigger and taller than all of them. Evans is going nowhere. ESPN is irrelevant.
September 1st, 2023 at 7:37 am
Reports are saying Tucker will be the rb2
September 1st, 2023 at 7:40 am
Brandon – exactly!
Speed guys MAY lose some speed with age, but big guys stay big, and skilled guys stay skilled unless they stop practicing, which seems unlikely for Mike Evans.
This is the kind of stuff that reporters put out because it’s clickbait (that’s how they get paid) and agents do this kind of stuff because they’re agents, and it’s a negotiation.
Let’s just focus on playing this season’s games and see where things shake out come February, before worrying about March 2024.
September 1st, 2023 at 8:02 am
Mike got to see how Julio went out, ignominious Eve to a great career. He doesn’t want THAT
September 1st, 2023 at 8:36 am
Beej says: BTW..That many rookie UDFAs is never a good sign of the quality of the roster no matter how you “spin” it.
BBB says: Yup!
If the scouting department was so good, wouldn’t the drafted players immediately prove more talented & valuable to the team than undrafted players? It seems that “Finding” a few free agents out of hundreds of free agents is akin to my wife finding me a few acceptable shirts on a clothing rack of hundreds of shirts.
September 1st, 2023 at 8:43 am
In past years a lot of these guys would have been drafted. Brad Johnson went in the 9th round. #227
September 1st, 2023 at 9:23 am
A wise man once said ” Don’t believe anything you here and half of what you see! ” ME13’s agent is contract positioning with JL.
September 1st, 2023 at 11:29 am
Wirfs is gonna want $25 million. White wants $20 million. Winfield is gonna command $10-15 million. Isn’t next year a contract year for Godwin? Franchising Evens would cost about $28 million. If Baker succeeds he’s gonna want at least $35 million. At some point there’s nothing left for anybody else.
September 1st, 2023 at 11:34 am
Jenson’s restructure is gonna put his cap hit for 2024 at 2
24 million IIRC.
September 1st, 2023 at 9:05 pm
Hey Jay bucs U are right, I understand it’s a business but the principle is pay mike let’s be real, great player and wants to be here I’m sure they can both negotiate! Thank you