BSPN: Bucs Should Be Sellers
November 1st, 2024
“Jason, I’m telling ‘ya, I’ve got an edge rusher you can use.”
Follicly-challenged Billy Barnwell of BSPN would have been right at home hollering for Todd Bowles to lay down in the final two minutes of the loss to the Crows two weeks ago so Chris Godwin wouldn’t get hurt.
Why does Joe say that? Because Billy typed a story this week saying Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht ought to climb the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, wave a white flag at the passing cruise ships and start throwing starters overboard to build for the future.
With the trade deadline coming Tuesday, Barnwell, essentially told Licht, “It’s over.” The run has ended. Build a stockpile of draft picks for the future.
(Travis Hunter?)
Billy is convinced the choke job in Atlanta broke the Bucs. And the way the Bucs defense has totally collapsed — and the Bucs defense is making so many Week 1 of training camp fundamental mistakes — the Bucs are going nowhere this year.
… …The Bucs have had too many moments in which receivers have found wide-open spots in zone coverage, and when they’ve played man coverage, opposing quarterbacks have gone 23-of-35 for 300 yards, six touchdowns and a 96.3 QBR. That QBR allowed in man coverage ranks 32nd in the league. They could have relied on Mayfield and the passing game to win shootouts — they face the league’s easiest schedule moving forward — but this might become a lost season without Evans and Godwin.
The verdict: The Bucs should subtract at the deadline.
“Subtract,” as in sell off talent.
To be fair to Billy, he makes a good point. Exactly what can the Bucs accomplish with a defense getting flamebroiled worse than The Smiths’? Unless your offense averages 35 points a game, a terrible defense is very difficult to overcome.
Now if the Bucs decided to go out like Buffalo and Kansas City and acquire a decent receiver, with the addition of Mike Evans hopefully for the Giants game after the bye, perhaps the Bucs would then have the firepower to hang with teams that NASCAR their way weekly through the Bucs defense.
It’s sad that the Bucs finally get a good offense for the first time since Bucco Bruce Arians was here — and finally found a guy who knows what he is doing with that offense — and it’s the Bucs defense that is playing possum.
(For the record, Joe isn’t interested in quarterback hunting in the draft. The Bucs found their franchise QB, Baker Mayfield. He played well last year; he’s playing better this year. He’s a keeper.)
November 1st, 2024 at 7:11 am
Bowles is to blame but let’s face it, he’s not going to get fired so we might as well get used to having a horrible defense for the next couple of seasons
November 1st, 2024 at 7:12 am
Mikes streak and our playoff run are over.
November 1st, 2024 at 7:23 am
It’s a sad state when at 4-4 we could lose hope in this team making the playoffs simply knowing that there are teams remaining on the schedule that they won’t beat. One of these seasons, I simply hope to have a team that has a puncher’s chance no matter who it is.
November 1st, 2024 at 7:25 am
ATLBUC – odds are you may be right about the playoffs and Mikes streak. But neither is a done deal. I think I’m gonna wait a couple of weeks to see if we can turn this around. If we can get it done Monday night then I might just think we could get to the playoffs and Mike can sure pile up yards in a hurry if he can get 7 more games.
November 1st, 2024 at 7:27 am
And Billy Barnwell doesn’t know squat.
November 1st, 2024 at 7:30 am
I know they won’t. They never have, but when the Bucs enter the bye week at 4-6, Bowels should be fired. He should have been fired after the Rams playoff game. He should have been fired when he surrendered in the Detroit playoff game. But, they won’t, at least not until the end of the season.
November 1st, 2024 at 7:34 am
Trouble is, who do you sell? Dean? JTS? Whitehad? Hainsey?
I am not sure you are trading away one of your long term franchise cornerstones (Kancey, Yaya, Zyon, any of the starters on the offensive line, Winfield).
November 1st, 2024 at 7:40 am
Godwin, if he was still healthy, as desperate as we are, in a contract year, the smart move would have been to trade him. Godwin wanted to get paid as a WR1, and our money getting tied up on a handful of guys while missing on early draft picks like Hall and JTS simply was not going to make this team better. I know the injury has really made it clearer, but we have to get younger at WR, and it can’t be with late round and undrafted free agent players. I hope McMillan finds his gear, and I know it’s early, but I don’t think he’s a WR1. We have to go WR early next year. Unless Licht and the org believe that 2025/26 is our super bowl run. It’s amazing how spoiled we have been with Mike. We’ve had him for over 10 seasons now. He has been more than just a big bodied 1K yard WR, he’s the tone setter on offense. Defenses have to scheme for him, which has help develop everyone around him.
Regarding other players to fire sale. It’s funny, but that doesn’t appear to be our style of doing business. I can’t remember ever trading a star and/or rising star from this team for draft capital. I look to the last 10 years, especially when we were bad and perhaps, we didn’t have the talent worth trading. And if we do sell off the talent, what does that say for Bowles? Unless they have already made the decision on firing or keeping him, you screw him by giving him an even less talented team to try to make the playoffs with?
November 1st, 2024 at 7:41 am
“Nah…we’re good. Stand pat. We just need to communicate better”” Coach Bowles.
November 1st, 2024 at 8:04 am
I doubt we do anything. Maybe a win against KC provides some glimmer of hope but I think management views Bowles the way we view White at RB…..at this point this is who he is. Bowles is a 9-8 coach that limps into the playoffs but will never get you to contend deep in the playoffs. I think management is to the point they’re not handicapping next year for another 9-8 run, that likely still falls short of the playoffs. Bowles has to win convincingly and advance in the playoffs to get another shot. Our OC is too good to lose and our defense is grossly underperforming.
November 1st, 2024 at 8:11 am
Same as last year, it’s was actually a discussion on first take so thank you for that Bowles at least something is consistent
November 1st, 2024 at 8:23 am
if this defense is really shot, it’s such a shame…it means half the guys are scrubs – and i’m not sure if i believe that yet…sure we’ve got a few scrubs in the mix, but bowles usually knows how to overcome that…the next 2 games will be very telling…much more than the final 7…
also joe you mentioned “flamebroiled”…i wish you hadn’t done that, because now i’m craving a couple of whoppers and it’s only 8 am 🙂
November 1st, 2024 at 8:25 am
There is something going on here. This is the same defense that withstood the Lions and whipped that Philly a$$. It should be better as we got Kancey and Winfield back! Too exotic? Maybe. Line up and get it done. Go Bucs!!
November 1st, 2024 at 8:35 am
It’s a very rare thing for me to say, but this Sunday, “Let’s go cowboys”
November 1st, 2024 at 8:42 am
After the grey cup on Nov. 17 CFL players can get out of their CFL contracts if offered an NFL contract
November 1st, 2024 at 8:43 am
could it be a mexican standoff, players vs. organization, to
re-acquire devin white ?
🙂
November 1st, 2024 at 9:02 am
It’s NOT The same defense that beat Detroit, we lost Dennis and we lost two corners, now we have people on the field who shouldn’t be
November 1st, 2024 at 9:03 am
Is Bowles, Joe. It’s always been Bowles.
Over his course of what 6 years Bowles has had some very Ugly
Defeats and during those years his Defense has had multiple
Records set against his Defense. You can see he’s getting desperate
Now because nothing he calls is working. MNF vs The Chiefs thwre will be a desperate cry for him to be fired and Liam taking ovwr.
November 1st, 2024 at 9:04 am
Someone else said it, but seriously who are you going to sell off? The two best players are hurt and won’t help anyone. David is too old and we’re the second youngest team in the league previously first. We have draft picks just no salary cap. If we get any younger it will be like high school in the locker room.
November 1st, 2024 at 9:06 am
until they get Bowels launched and bring in a competent leader and coach, the Bucs will always yo-yo up and down…
November 1st, 2024 at 9:16 am
Devin White has been acquired by the Houston Texans. And no thanks in my opinion Devin lost his love for football and he’s a loafer
November 1st, 2024 at 9:29 am
Billy Barnwell reminds me of one of those elitist NE writers who think that every other team should trade away their talent for pennies on the dollar to the writer’s team/media darlings but if you asked him his opinion about the teams he is a homer for to do the same thing, he will go berserk. Kind of reminds me of how Peter Gammons would almost demand that teams like the Rays, Pirates and A’s trade away their young talent to the teams he basically covered: the NY teams and BoSox but the problem was that Gammons did not think that the big market teams should part with any of their high end prospects in the trades and that the big market eating salary would be compensation enough. Sad thing is that his logic did work with Chuck LaMar and Vince Naomoli who might have been the worst pro owner since Hugh Culverhouse though Tepper might eclipse both.
So in a nutshell, this BSPN hack is a nimrod just throwing junk on the wall and seeing what will stick and then patting himself on the back when he nails 1 or 2 out of 100 predictions, just like Peter Gammons. Barnwell probably thinks the Jets should be buyers instead of sellers.
And BTW, BucnJim is right, who the heck could the Bucs sell off, its not gonna be any of their cornerstones, so who does Barnwell want to be traded? Wirfs? Vea? Winfield? Looks like the dude just threw something together about the Bucs without doing any fact checking…..
November 1st, 2024 at 9:32 am
The problem with the model Barnwell laid out is that most of our quality players are on offense, and most are young. So, you’re going to trade Evans or Godwin? Give me a break. Just focus on defense in upcoming drafts and we’ll get better. Oh, and also, might think about bringing in a DC. Either Bowles has lost his effectiveness as a DC or the league has figured him out and can easily scheme against him. Either way, we’ve got to get a new defense perspective.
November 1st, 2024 at 9:35 am
Who are you gonna subtract?
Winfield? No other team is paying him that contract, Safety is a devalued position in this league
Vea, Kancey, JTS, Loagan hall? All underproducing high picks on a bad defense
Godwin is a free agent after this year
Evans, even before this new injury was not looking great
Why subtract anyone when the return would not be worth it
November 1st, 2024 at 10:15 am
WOW JOE THE MAIN THING WE NEED YOU DONT SEE IT
QB JOE QB!!!! THAT’S WHERE THE FUTURE STARTS JOE I ASK
U AGAIN WHERE ARE WE GOING WITH THIS SO CALLED QB JOE
NO WHERE!!!!
November 1st, 2024 at 10:22 am
I mean, Baker Mayfield throwing to Travis Hunter WOULD be as ELECTRIC as you can get. If you’re an owner in any capacity – relevance rules above all. You wanna move the needle, you’re talked about, you’re in the conversation. And it wouldn’t just be cosmetic, there would be some serious you, juice, speed to the offense. Fans can crow about focusing about this yr all they want – guarantee the exects are thinking long term
November 1st, 2024 at 10:35 am
ATLBUC – I wouldn’t be so sure the Glazers get a lot of heat from people but let’s remember Dungy got fired for being “eh”. I personally loved the guy but 10-6 seasons with just a playoff birth was not good enough hence the trade for Gruden.
Do not be shocked if we go in a new direction even if we get into playoffs. I don’t think 9-8 is good enough for this roster frankly. We are losing games we should never lose.
November 1st, 2024 at 10:39 am
The only 2 guys that I could (hypothetically) see them trading is Vea and Evans. Both are older and when healthy, could put a championship caliber team over the hump.
November 1st, 2024 at 11:44 am
I agree. And, there are no QB’s worth drafting or tanking over this year. I like Sanders, but we don’t need all the BS that comes with him. And, I don’t want Deion as our HC (Vegas is THE spot for both of them). I like Cam Ward, but nah… You wanna go after a QB (on a ‘rookie’ deal), when you already have a stacked lineup entering their prime and on the same timeline, & when you can sprinkle in a few ‘high-end’ veterans to plug your holes with. I think it’s a weak class this time around. With that said, I am definitely, SELLERS. I try to move both JTS and RWhite… RWhite could have some decent value at the right team. If I were the Cowboys (if they win this weekend), I would give a 4th for him… I think they’ll have him for next season as well!? Then, this off-season, I’m moving on from Dean, Vea, & Mike Evans. I don’t know yet, about Godwin… I would try signing him to a ‘reasonable’ 1yr (incentive-heavy) deal. I really hate it for Chris SO BAD… that ‘illegal’ hit has probably cost him over $100-MILLION in future earnings, just because HE ‘played-out’ HIS contract, instead of demanding an extension and holding-out. I don’t want to give Baker a $50-MILLION Longterm Deal (over $200-MILLION), & end up in a “Cowboys-Dak” $60-MILLION per, Broncos (Russell Wilson), Dolphins, Jaguars, or Eagles type of situation. Even, the Giants and Daniel Jones… They were only bidding against THEMSELVES. I mean, NO ONE was giving “Daniel Jones” even $30MIL per & then the Giants hand HIM $40MIL!? Come-On, Man!!!! I’m not buying all of these QB contracts right now… I believe there are only just a HANDFUL of guys worth that kind of money. And, I think we’ve already seen that building the ROSTER FIRST, is the way to go. “Plug-N-Play.” So, I would continue building the roster and developing our youth. I would stockpile picks and make a play for Manning. There was a Sporting News article calling him a “generational talent!” He probably is… Did you see THAT RUN earlier in the season (that 70-yarder)!? He was clocked at like 23mph or something like that… Faster than TYREEK HILL. Now, that is insane. Unbelievable. I would be devastated (just SO SICK), if the friggin’ SAINTS ended up with HIM. You KNOW The Colts Will Be SneakyAF. And, you also KNOW that the Mannings will be working behind the scenes, as they did with Eli (a decent chance he stays at Texas 4yrs). That 2027 WR Class will be SO INSANE… Manning & Jeremiah Smith together, and having them both on ‘rookie’ deals)… OH. MY. GOD. Wow!!!! I think that is more the ‘timeline’ and current trajectory we are on right now, that gives us the best shot at sustained long-term success. I still don’t see Baker as one of “those guys” – I’m NOT ‘all-in’ on handing him the keys over to the franchise & $50MIL+ per year, long term. IF, you have to franchise him ONCE, before being in a good position to draft one, then that could be “okay,” but I’m not wanting to give him well over $200-MILLION.
November 1st, 2024 at 11:47 am
Oh, WOW LoL. I didn’t realize that was THAT LONG!? I was just typing away on my phone, and it was very hard to do… prob doesn’t even make any sense haha.
November 1st, 2024 at 12:07 pm
Bucs have 9 games left ! It’s far from over . If you think so , you should go root for another team ! I heard the AINTS are in need of fans
November 1st, 2024 at 1:05 pm
But we have the most players drafted playing!
Licht is a genius! Outside of the Brady years…Licht is a DUD.
I challenge anyone to prove otherwise. Brady. The GOAT.
That is the only way this franchise won. Not Licht. Not arians. Not BOWLES.
Brady. I can’t see Licht getting the opportunity to pick another head coach.
At what point to you cut bait. His d line picks are awful.
Anyone?
November 1st, 2024 at 1:12 pm
Actually, 6am Tuesday morning, Jason could make a move that would snap the team into paying attention. Liam is interim HC, he hires a “special consultant” to help with the defense, and Jason has meaningful discussions with Bill Belichick about accepting the offensive staff and personnel, focus on fixing the defense and hiring a full time DC. Your new head coach for 2025. Do it now, Jason.
November 1st, 2024 at 2:15 pm
It has absolutely NOTHING to do with not being a fan of the Bucs. It doesn’t mean you are NOT a “fan.” Being a “fan” is being a REALIST, & wanting what is BEST for the franchise’s future, & long-term plans. I mean, you all are SCREAMING to “make moves” JUST to be making moves… EVEN, when it doesn’t make any sense, & is not going to do a damm thing (but compromise our future and putting us in even worse shape). You have to know when to cut bait and do what is best for the future of the franchise. This team is NOT winning the Super Bowl, & they are NOT anytime soon. The FO knows the reality, like it or not… And, that is WHY you didn’t see ANY ‘big-time’ moves last off-season or any ‘panic’ yet, before this trade deadline. THIS is still, a part of their rebuild. They’ve done an AMAZING job with still trying to win games and being competitive (and exciting), while keeping fans interested (and selling as many seats in the stadium that they can). If not for just happening to still have TWO ‘premier’ WR’s making up one of THE BEST WR-tandems in the entire league, it would’ve been a TOTAL ‘rebuild’ – and now (due to injuries) we’re finding ourselves, just in that position. Looking across the current landscape of the NFL, our current timeline and trajectory is telling me… Time to start over. Continue building and developing our defense (O-Line), get into a strong cap position, & then rebuild the LB’s next offseason, then WR and QB/skill-positions (with a new coaching change mixed in there, somewhere).
November 1st, 2024 at 2:16 pm
When they win n Nov and Dec
I’ll remind you all
November 1st, 2024 at 2:33 pm
The defense stinks due to the coach, not personnel.
November 1st, 2024 at 2:44 pm
Who could we even sell? Rachaad White and Jamel Dean possibly only 2 players of any value we could afford to get rid of and they are likely to fetch a 5th or 6th like these other players around the league that have been moved.
We want picks we need to trade for some 2025 UFAs, let them walk in the off-season and get the comp picks. Ala Baltimore with D.Johnson.
November 1st, 2024 at 2:44 pm
Losing Tykee , Dean and Dennis makes a world of difference when there is no depth behind them that can cover. They just need to get healthier and need another corner and coverage linebacker not a wr
November 1st, 2024 at 3:05 pm
I agree on our quarterback is a keeper and at the offense is not the problem. But it’s not yet time to sell out and sell off our good talent. Fort Wayne you’ll crush and lose even the most diehard fans. Sign or trade for a cornerback. Some veteran leadership from a component and productive get to help and lead the young guys. It’s damaged, banged up and limping even, but not done. This season is not lost yet even with two more probable losses in the next two weeks. But no reason they shouldn’t have a good run after the bye. Not quitting on my team, let’s go Tampa Bucs
November 1st, 2024 at 3:17 pm
Corner in round 1, LB round 2 , get true DE in FA select a WR in round 2 or 3 to replace mike as a true X work with McMillan this year.. Godwin may have another year or 2 of play in him. Evans will regress after coming back from injury
November 1st, 2024 at 3:59 pm
Lay another egg and Barnwell would be correct.
I, for one, have little if any faith in this stinky cesspool of a defense.
It is almost like if the O has to punt once, the game us lost.
November 1st, 2024 at 4:01 pm
I want what Peter is smoking.
November 1st, 2024 at 5:41 pm
If the Bucs weren’t completely robbed in Atlanta, a game they had won until the refs changed the outcome of the game – right now they’d be 5-3, and it would feel like a completely different season right now.
November 1st, 2024 at 7:17 pm
Even if we win the division and make the playoffs Bowles got to go next season!! He’s not a super bowl coach!+
November 1st, 2024 at 10:40 pm
Should’ve been sellers in the offseason with a rebuild. This franchise is just spinning it wheels.