“Value” = Trash
April 1st, 2024
If this is the definition of value, it belongs in the garbage, not on the Bucs roster.
Most of free agency has ended. As Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com points out, out of the top 100 free agents the PFF tribe ranked before the free agency dinner bell rang, only four are left unsigned.
One Joe wouldn’t touch with a 10-foot pole: tackle/walking injury report Mekhi Becton.
(And people whined about Carlton Davis missing time with injuries — ha! This Becton gets hurt just looking at a football field.)
At the owners’ meetings last week in Lakeland-with-a-theme-park, Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht spoke about value shopping for free agents. He also said he wouldn’t be surprised if the Bucs add a piece or two.
If last year’s value shopping is any indication, Licht may not want to waste his time and instead focus on another strong draft class.
Smith pointed out the 2023 value shopping brought safety Ryan Neal and left guard Matt Feiler. Some value! Those two dudes dragged the Bucs down. They were a pair of prime lemons and neither has a team currently.
If Neal and Feiler were “value,” Joe hopes the Bucs are done shopping.
April 1st, 2024 at 12:18 am
Agreed. Let’s stick with what we have got and have another awesome draft
April 1st, 2024 at 1:16 am
Wasn’t Baker Mayfield a “value” signing?
April 1st, 2024 at 1:17 am
I could see an in-draft or post-draft trade. Teams pick up new talent and move on from vets. Logan Mankins, JPP, and Gronk were amazing trades.
April 1st, 2024 at 1:31 am
Well, for what they paid those guys, it WAS value. They got starts, not very good performances, but they needed bodies and were cap strapped. If there are value signings this year, maybe we can afford a tier above Feiler and Neal. Value is still a sound approach rather than overpaying guys who may or may not work out. When you’ve got more money to play with, you might go after the big ticket guys. We signed our own big ticket guys.
April 1st, 2024 at 1:50 am
So much smoke in the air this month every year.
April 1st, 2024 at 2:23 am
Cmon, Joe. You know every free agent signing is its own story. Sometimes you strike gold and sometimes it just doesn’t work. There are a myriad of reasons why FA pickups aren’t always a sure thing, but that doesn’t mean you stop taking shots.
April 1st, 2024 at 3:17 am
Joe … ‘If Neal and Feiler were “value,” Joe hopes the Bucs are done with shopping.’
Hey, some ya win, some ya lose & some get rained out. Such is life. Personally I think the Bucs were ‘value shopping’ with EVERY FA that they signed last year. If you’re picking up someone else’s ‘cast-offs’ you’re most likely bringing them in on a ‘try-before-buy’ contract. By Pro-Football-Reference’s count, JL signed 10 FAs last year (who weren’t on the team in 2022) who saw time with us on either offense, defense or S/Ts in the 2023 season:
o Baker Mayfield (QB) – 1100 off snaps
o Greg Gaines (DT) – 473 def snaps
o Chase Edmonds (RB) – 156 off snaps
o Chase McLaughlin (K) – 65 S/T snaps
o Richard LeCounte (S) – 4 S/T snaps
o Ryan Miller (WR) – 3 S/T snaps
o John Wolford (QB) – 0 snaps
o Ryan Neal (S) – 581 def snaps
o Matt Feiler (OL) – 386 off snaps
o David Moore (WR) – 105 off snaps
The first 7 FAs were re-signed for 2024 (they’re on the current Bucs roster). The other 3? Moore signed with Carolina (personally I wish we’d re-signed him), and Neal & Feiler are still unemployed (at this point). So I guess if the intent of this article is to point out that JL missed on 2 out of 10 FA signings last year, well, that was accomplished. But overall I’d say he did pretty darned good.
April 1st, 2024 at 4:11 am
I don’t understand why ‘MY comment’ will not post on this topic!? Makes ZERO Sense.
April 1st, 2024 at 4:55 am
I have posts disappear ALL THE TIME for no reason, you have to get used to it.
Just don’t post books like others on here and it won’t be terrible.
April 1st, 2024 at 5:29 am
Well written, Defense Rules.
April 1st, 2024 at 6:17 am
The Bucs could finally make up for the Swaggy Baker signing by getting the guy they should’ve when he was younger, Calais Campbell.
April 1st, 2024 at 6:26 am
Connor Williams- center. 90.5 run blocking grade.
Dalton Risner- guard.
Both would be cheap upgrades for our line. I said that at the Start of Free agency. Still good options.
April 1st, 2024 at 6:50 am
Well Joe, DR makes a solid point and it’s not realistic to say that it’s not sometimes necessary to go to the thrift store. ALL TEAMS have to do it.
In fact, you’re taking a cheap shot at a master of finding HUGE VALUE across the board for some YEARS Now. So Licht has what looks to be close to an 80% value shopping success rate, 80 MILLION DOLLARS IN THE HOLE! And you’re not satisfied with that. That’s cute.
Not a great Idea for an article Joe.
April 1st, 2024 at 7:55 am
Sometimes free agents are hit or miss in a system just like the draft. Value shopping is better than paying big money to miss like uh say Denver broncos and Russell Wilson
April 1st, 2024 at 8:18 am
I agree… great additional info Defense Rule!
These 4 more than make up for Feiler/Neal:
o Baker Mayfield (QB) – 1100 off snaps
o Greg Gaines (DT) – 473 def snaps
o Chase Edmonds (RB) – 156 off snaps
o Chase McLaughlin (K) – 65 S/T snaps (and those 65 snaps accounted for 120 pts)
And Becton earlier in the article? … drafted 2 spots ahead of Wirfs!! We’re very lucky 3 teams passed on Wirfs to draft inferior tackles.
April 1st, 2024 at 9:01 am
Not sure if that Lakeland reference was a put down of Lakeland or Orlando.
April 1st, 2024 at 9:56 am
@BillyBucco
Yep. It’s not the first time! I tried again right after posting that one (since I ‘copied and pasted’ hahah Already Learned My Lesson), & got some ‘weird’ warning message alert saying something like, “Slow Down, Chill-Out… You’re Posting Too Quickly!” Strange.
April 1st, 2024 at 10:24 am
When we’re talking FA’s aren’t we also talking about another surge yet to come?
That’s where IMHO you might find some value. When cutdown day comes more than a few teams will be cutting some talent due to rookies beating out expensive vets. If that expensive vet will take a prove me contract or simply play for less money they can frequently make contributions.
April 1st, 2024 at 10:39 am
Joe, your comment, Lakeland-with-a-theme-park, suggests you don’t get out much. Orlando is much more than theme parks. I am originally from Tampa (Chamberlain High School class of 85) and didn’t know much about Orlando when I moved there in 1989, but I have grown to love the city. Orlando has a world class airport, it’s less than an hour from the beach, you can watch rocket launches from your back yard, and, in addition to theme parks, Orlando has an awesome culinary scene. Orlando’s also a fun sports town, with MLS soccer and the Magic and it was just ranked as the No. 1 Best Sports Business City in the country by the Sports Business Journal. Orlando is much more than theme parks.
April 1st, 2024 at 10:44 am
Ryan Neal sure looked like a great signing at the time. I was astonished he came so cheap. Yeah, it turned out we got what we paid for, but I cannot fault that signing at all. Feiller? He was just a guy, but a pretty big guy for what seemed a reasonable price at the time. That signing was not so laudable, but oh well. The two IOLs we signed last month are probably just backups, but we need at least a few JAGs for depth.
April 1st, 2024 at 2:23 pm
Shaq Barrett. And um, some guy named Baker Mayfield.
April 1st, 2024 at 2:45 pm
What sweti_yeti (swamp ape) said.
Also:
Licht upgraded at S, Jordan Whitehead over Ryan Neal.
Upgraded at LG, Ben Bredeson & Sua Opeta over Matt Feiler & Aaron Stinnie.
Nothing like a ridiculous premise to get lively, heated comments flowing there Joes.
Bravo
^^mtn^^
Since ’76
April 2nd, 2024 at 1:39 pm
Baker, Shaq, Maclaughlin, Clinton Mcdonald, and to some extent Ryan Fitzpatrick were all value signings by Licht.
Taking a bunch of low-risk flyers on guys sometimes pans out and sometimes doesnt.
Fieller and Neal both won starting jobs in camp and were atleast decent depth.