A Possible Midseason Shaq Barrett Return?
June 30th, 2024
Still drinking Cam Newton’s Gatorade?
Joe is wondering what the Bucs’ pass rush might look like after six or seven games this season — especially while Joe is also looking at a team with potentially five dangerous edge rushers.
Will Tampa Bay have more than one strong edge rusher? Maybe.
More than two? Highly questionable.
In Weeks 5, 6 & 7, the Bucs face Kirk Cousins, Derek Carr and Lamar Jackson. Hopefully, Yaya Diaby has taken the Year 2 leap by then and someone steps up opposite him. That’s critical because it’s almost impossible to win a Super Bowl without a dangerous edge rush.
The Bucs attacked improving their edge rush this offseason by cutting Bucs sacks king Shaq Barrett and adding Chris Braswell in the draft (Round 2), plus the immortal Randy Gregory in free agency.
The Dolphins took a different approach.
Miami ran out and signed Shaq, drafted Chop Robinson (Round 1) and then signed versatile beast Calais Campbell. Those three will join Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips.
Joe can’t recall seeing a team have so much talent at edge rusher.
Yes, Phillips and Chubb are returning from major 2023 injuries, but they’re still young.
So that has Joe thinking that Shaq might become expendable at the trade deadline on Nov. 5.
Shaq might be buried on the Dolphins’ bench — healthy, rested and hungry — while the Bucs could be aching for edge rusher depth to give them more of a prayer in the postseason.
Joe thinks Shaq is in a very intriguging spot in Miami, a potentially rare situation that could lead the Bucs and Dolphins to trade Shaq back to Tampa, if the Bucs are hurting for help.
Yeah, Shaq will earn $7 million this season, but come the trade deadline, more than half of that already will have been paid by the Dolphins.
Joe is not romanticizing Shaq, whose production fell off last year, but the Bucs might get desperate. And they could do a lot worse than Shaq as a late-season pickup.
June 30th, 2024 at 10:22 pm
That ship has sailed Joe.
June 30th, 2024 at 10:30 pm
It’s an appealing thought. We seem highly likely to need to do something. I had not looked at the Fish’s schedule in any detail but now that I have, it looks pretty soft. Unfortunately they may have the luxury of sitting on him as he gets healthier with an eye towards postseason.
June 30th, 2024 at 10:51 pm
Wait – What? Seriously?
Somebody call ‘that’ Joe – because ‘this’ Joe has completely lost it and needs an intervention….
June 30th, 2024 at 10:58 pm
Barrett was already under contract this year with the Bucs – for $4.9M (on top of the $26M we are paying over the next 2 years for previous ‘services rendered’).
The Bucs cut Shaq months ago for that smallish amount. And now you think they might TRADE draft picks to get him back? Wow
This Chicken Little act regarding Edge rushers is starting to reach epic proportions
June 30th, 2024 at 11:30 pm
Pass. Time for homegrown pass rushing
June 30th, 2024 at 11:30 pm
Say no to drugs Joe
June 30th, 2024 at 11:35 pm
Chip Robinson sucks. Another JTS without the cosmetics line.
June 30th, 2024 at 11:52 pm
The injury Shaq had players recover more in 2nd year. So, shaq could be 100% this year and if we need a edge rusher could work, except Licht is not a big mid-season trade guy.
July 1st, 2024 at 12:17 am
That ship has sailed Joe.
July 1st, 2024 at 2:33 am
I know this is silly season Joe, but you’re taking this to a whole different level. No more Bromosas for you.
July 1st, 2024 at 3:31 am
Miami plays a 3-4 like us.
Campbell is a DE like Gholston. He’s not a pass rusher anymore.
Shaq is a 3-4 OLB.
Shaq hurt himself by coming back 8 weeks too soon.
July 1st, 2024 at 6:02 am
Not worried about Cousins and Carr. They are wild cards. Thinking it will be YaYa’s breakout year. I really like Shaq, but I don’t think he will be back on the Bucs roster.
July 1st, 2024 at 6:44 am
Yeah I’m sure Miami will be happy to fork over Shaq.
We can hope …
Go Bucs!
July 1st, 2024 at 7:24 am
Fantasy land
July 1st, 2024 at 7:28 am
Joe, Joe are you ok?
No SERIOUSLY Joe.
I hope you are back to Earth before training camp. lol
July 1st, 2024 at 8:32 am
Not happening!!!!! We have our new, young pass rushers. We will allow them to develop and not get desperate bringing back an aging veteran
July 1st, 2024 at 8:34 am
If he’s riding the Dolphin’s bench, how is he going to help us?
July 1st, 2024 at 8:38 am
Joe, just stop with the edge rusher obsession. You’ve got a problem, time to admit it. Give it up bud.
July 1st, 2024 at 9:01 am
Talk about living in the past. Unless we have a major injury to Diaby or JTS I am not sure how he would be an upgrade to our rotation.
July 1st, 2024 at 9:48 am
This one is so JBF that it’s an instant classic.
July 1st, 2024 at 10:49 am
You really take loss hard, Joe. You’re still heartbroken about Canales. Now Shaq? You do know the average career in the NFL is only 3 years? Turnover is inevitable. When a player is washed, he’s washed. Shaq had a great run but there is a really good reason he’s not on the team.
July 1st, 2024 at 11:30 am
Good fiction I guess you run out of stuff to write this time of year
July 1st, 2024 at 11:38 am
We let go of a great pass rusher……Devin white……. Should have blitzed him more
July 1st, 2024 at 1:00 pm
It’s sad what the Bucs did to Shaq after the tragic events of last summer…of course his mindset was off last season… Where’s the Bucs loyalty to these players?
July 1st, 2024 at 1:22 pm
I wish we would’ve added Campbell or Clowney.
July 1st, 2024 at 8:27 pm
joe with the deep deep late june / early july thoughts !
🙂
July 2nd, 2024 at 9:42 am
Let it go Joe. We have a youth movement going. Let Braswell get his reps.