The Schism Between NFL People And Non-NFL People
August 15th, 2024
Winning is costly.
Joe is not suggesting 32-year-old Matt Judon coming off an injury is the second coming of Reggie White. But he certainly has a better résumé sacking quarterbacks than anyone on the Bucs roster.
So when Joe heard the Dixie Chicks traded a third-round pick for New England pass rusher Matt Judon, who in his last two healthy seasons had double-digit sacks, Joe thought Atlanta got a bargain and Judon will be a major pain in the arse for the Bucs.
Really, a third-round pick for a proven quality player at a defense’s most important position: Edge rusher? Joe couldn’t pull the trigger fast enough.
Joe still maintains the greatest heist of Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht’s career was when he broke down and swapped a third-round pick in 2018 for Jason Pierre-Paul, then 29. Two years later, the Bucs were tonguing the Vince Lombardi Trophy, largely because Licht found an edge rush.
And no, finding edge rushers and winning a Super Bowl was not a coincidence.
Folks in the NFL will wax poetic about how critical a third-round pick is. Yeah, the Bucs drafted YaYa Diaby with a third-round pick. Difference is, the Bucs hope Diaby becomes as good as Judon. This Judon already has proven himself.
Football people ordinarily will moan in pain at the notion of trading a third-round pick for a proven player at a critical position. Just check out the Twitter from Greg Gabriel, former Bears scouting director, who in so many words, thinks the Dixie Chicks got fleeced by New England.
If a team doesn’t have an edge rusher, a third-round pick is highway robbery for a guy who can get after quarterbacks.
Just ask JPP and try not to be blinded by his gaudy ring.
It still baffles me that you can trade one of the better edge rushers in the league or a top WR or any other position who is PROVEN for a 3rd round pick or later. But you trade up in the draft for a player who is unproven in the NFL and you give up the farm. Never will understand
— AQ Shipley (@aqshipley) August 14, 2024
August 15th, 2024 at 6:32 am
We’ll still kick the Falcons arse’s twice this year. F Judon.
August 15th, 2024 at 6:40 am
Yup, Licht screwed up this time. Without the hope of Diaby this pass rush is among the worst in the league. If Diaby is all world and wreaks havoc like a super hero no one will care about Judon. However, Diaby is currently in a Red Cross floppy hat that diminishes the super hero image a fair amount.
JTS and Hall are absolute busts. When you swing and miss that high 2 drafts in a row maybe you need to pay a premium for proven talent. Licht’s ego got in the way this time.
August 15th, 2024 at 6:43 am
I have to agree with Shipley. Proven for me wins over potential. We have NO edge. We have ‘potential’ for a good secondary, but that matters NOT if you can’t make the QB get rid of the ball before he wants to. IMO, the Bucs won the SB because our DLine, namely Shaq got after Mahomes so much.
IF a 1st Rd pick has a 50/50 shot at being successful, what is the success rate for a 3rd Rd pick???
August 15th, 2024 at 6:50 am
I fear this one will end up being a double whammy! Well bemoan no pass rush while once again the falcons get better. The falcons just seem hungrier this year.
August 15th, 2024 at 7:40 am
Hoping this Judon injury and age have caught up and he’s just not the same guy. Why would you trade him? Something seems fishy.
August 15th, 2024 at 7:45 am
LICHT HAS TO BE SMILING
They’re copying Licht’s Super Bowl model. Load up on skill players, sign a QB, sign a vet DE, bring in a coach with Super Bowl experience. They just need “their Suh” and it’s complete. The problem is …
Cousins isn’t TB12
Judon isn’t JPP
Rah isn’t Arians
Licht may have started something. Let’s see if it works.
August 15th, 2024 at 7:56 am
New England usually knows when to dump players and it usually when they are in a decline. This guy had a bicep injury last year and if I’m not mistaken that’s what slowed down JPP.
August 15th, 2024 at 7:57 am
There you go.
August 15th, 2024 at 8:06 am
I tend to agree with Greg Gabriel. A 32 year old edge on artificial turf? Blown knee waiting to happen. Not skeerd!
August 15th, 2024 at 8:15 am
If the Bucs did it, it would be smart.
Now that the falcons did it, it was stupid.
August 15th, 2024 at 8:27 am
Had the Falcons not lost Trice for the season I doubt they make the trade for Judon.
Atlanta Defense has gotten better because of it not as much as adding Judon and still having Trice in the rotation.
Reddick is still available and with ATL’s limited cap space Cousins might end up with a few Brady type voidable years added to his contract.
Would the Bucs risk getting a discontent like Reddick to better it’s pass rush?
Doubt anyone is going to pony up 25-28 million this season for him and he could end up sitting out if the Jets don’t cave. Might end up a great bargain in week 8. Especially if a team falls a couple games behind in a winnable Division like the NFC South.
August 15th, 2024 at 8:51 am
Hassan Reddick is probably too much $$$. Maybe there is an under the radar edge player we can steal somewhere. We got extra Cap with Wirfs extended
August 15th, 2024 at 9:17 am
Oh God, how many hours until Joe writes an article clamoring for Reddick?
August 15th, 2024 at 9:23 am
Licht is annoying AF! How dumb is it tho focus on draft picks for next year when you can win this year.
All this dude care about is winning the nfc south. Why focus on beating San Fran, Detroit or Philly. Either you are saying we aren’t there yet or you think Ramirez, undrafted watts or this rookie or perhaps Braswell are gonna duplicate Yaya which is basically wishful projection. Yaya is sitting because he’s injured, you have no edge rusher sitting preseason sitting because he’s a stud so you have no one, it’s just stupid because you have no one to pay in the next few years
Or or how about Bowles is so arrogant he thinks his scheme wins not players ala bill belicheat
August 15th, 2024 at 9:33 am
It’s too early to make any judgments and all you can do is wait till we’re halfway through the season. If Judon has a bunch of sacks and 10+ by seasons end, Licht missed an opportunity and Atlanta looks savvy personnel dept wise. If Judon has very few sacks or gets reinjured, Licht looks like a genius on the pass up.
August 15th, 2024 at 9:47 am
Good teams develop their own players rather than chase other teams’ contract problems and fading stars.
August 15th, 2024 at 9:52 am
Why would NE make this trade?……I understand Atlanta’s motivation…..
August 15th, 2024 at 9:53 am
Of course we’d love a stable of Reggie Whites. Pressure on the QB is the key to a successful pass defense. Worst case scenario we don’t get anybody else. We tied for the Conference lead in sacks last year. Linebackers and defensive backs have to continue stunts to get pressure. Secondary needs to tighten up coverage. I do think our secondary has a chance to be better. I believe if we can stay healthy the “ double whammy “ that Bubby fears will be our improved second year guys-Diaby and Kancy- and maybe the rookie Braswell-whammying Cousins aging ass (first whammy) and then (pick a body part) whammying the hard ground (second whammy).
August 15th, 2024 at 9:55 am
@tampabaybucfan… He’s getting older and wants long term money. He is coming off season ending surgery. If you aren’t going to pay him and don’t think he has 3 great years left then you get something for him especially when you aren’t a playoff contender
August 15th, 2024 at 9:59 am
We have high hopes this season but there are still a lot of ?. I agree that we need a proven edge out there to make a difference. Why waste a year of going for it? Having said that… 25+ million for Reddick and 32 yr old coming off injury Judon… risky.
I can see Licht dilemma. You just signed your key guys, you will have more cap space next year, if Coen is great, if the year 2 guys and this years rookie crop reach the potential we see… 2025 is the time to get aggressive. FA edge rushers currently don’t look good for 2025 outside Lawrence but people come available all the time. In house guys got us to the div round last year, let’s see where they get us next year and address the issues. Which Licht has been doing a great job of. (Outside of edge rush so far!)
August 15th, 2024 at 10:07 am
Looks like another season w/o a quality pass rush. I’m not talking about plays designed to bring a safety or an ILB on a delayed blitz, I’m talking about consistent pressure from the OLB position. The Bucs probably won’t have it due to injuries or playing JTS. Sad as this is the only missing link to get far into the playoffs.
August 15th, 2024 at 10:18 am
IMO we still have Godwin to pay.
I also understand we had 7 or 11 sacks in yesterday’s practice.
So many are looking to jump ship. GEEZE!
August 15th, 2024 at 11:22 am
Licht built the roster that won a Super Bowl, deconstructed that roster and has rebuilt the roster that made the divisional round last year through salary cap purgatory, but go ahead and continue to cry about his roster construction.
What about Raheem Morris past makes anybody think he knows what the hell he is doing? Fine assistant coach, fun rah-rah guy, but the leader of an organization he is not.
The Falcons screwed the pooch in the 1st round of the draft and now they’re having to supplement by signing a 32 year old veteran and give him a new contract, when they aren’t even close to being ready to compete with the big boys.
August 15th, 2024 at 11:24 am
Larrd Says:
August 15th, 2024 at 9:47 am
Good teams develop their own players rather than chase other teams’ contract problems and fading stars
Absolutely. Just look at the Job the Bucs did wit Suh, Shaq Barrett and JPP.
August 15th, 2024 at 12:11 pm
The problem with Judon is that a projected mid-3rd round pick is somewhere between fair value and slightly overpaid.
Pros:
Former Pro Bowler
Good work ethic
Underpaid for this season (so far)
Cons:
Plays a position that can quickly grind down a player
He missed almost all of last season
He’s 32 years old
Maybe Atlanta had send a signal to the players and fans by going “all in” to win now. It was weird on draft night when they drafted a QB in the first round, right after acquiring Kirk Cousins. Their defense sucks, it was a good move overall but I think they overpaid a tad.
August 15th, 2024 at 1:16 pm
Its not that the Bucs won’t part with a third round pick. As joe mentioned, they did so 5 years ago to get JPP. It’s that they don’t have enough cap space to sign this guy to a long-term extension. Not to mention he is 32 today and already is starting to break down.
August 15th, 2024 at 9:53 pm
We have no way of knowing if the Pats ever made Jason an offer or got one from him. Probably, this trade was implemented by the Falcons and the Pats apparently jumped at the chance. Maybe the Pats front office knows things we don’t. The last I had heard, the Pats did not want to trade him. Maybe the 3rd round was too good to pass up for a player coming off an injury. Is he even cleared to practice yet? You posters criticizing Jason are all acting like he passed on an opportunity, when you don’t even know if that opportunity even existed. The only kind of haters I like are the ones who hate haters. If that makes any sense. If Judon turns out to be a force again this year, it will suck. But it’s not fair to blame the Bucs front office. More fair to credit the Falcons.
August 17th, 2024 at 6:27 am
Has anyone asked why this miracle pass rusher was on the market? For a third? Asking only.
I think Jason decided quite a while back that he was gonna stick with what we have. But you keep on trying Joe. Maybe we will trade for that RB too.
Go Bucs!