Todd Bowles Doesn’t Seem Overly Interested In A Trade
November 1st, 2024
Todd Bowles
Yesterday, Todd Bowles was asked about trading for a player by Tuesday’s trade deadline in order to plug a large hole on the roster.
Is there a setting on the thermometer that is slightly below “lukewarm?” That is the vibe Joe got from Bowles’ response.
Bowles didn’t exactly shoot down the notion of the Bucs trading. But the way the head coach talked, well, he wasn’t exactly enthusiastic.
“We just have to be careful between a need and a want — and that’s two different things,” Bowles said. “If the position is available, depending on what we’re asking and what they’re asking for, you know, a deal could be made.
“If not, we’ll kind of stand pat and go from there. We don’t feel like it’s a desperate need, but we feel like if we need anything if anybody else gets nicked up and there’s an opportunity, we’ll definitely look at it.”
The Bucs are beyond thin at inside linebacker and are thin at receiver. It seems as though the Bucs are hoping to tread water (steal a win before the bye) and then light a bunch of candles that Mike Evans is 100 percent when the Bucs travel to New Jersey right after the bye to play the Giants.
If K.J. Britt’s backups are not ready, as Bowles said yesterday (hoo, boy), and Britt goes down, the Bucs defense is in a world of s(p)it, as Gunnery Sgt. Hartman of “Full Metal Jacket” fame would say.
November 1st, 2024 at 9:07 am
Coach Bowles knows that Licht will not bring anybody, because the Glazer will not spend a dime more…..
Blamming just Bowles is so ridiculous…..
This roster has no depth on key positions like WR CB and Pass rusher…..And that is not on Bowles…..He can be blamed for other things for sure, but not becasue of this roster
November 1st, 2024 at 9:12 am
Joe never understood this. There is a salary cap. The league also requires teams to spend a certain percentage of the cap each year. This year is no different than any other year so not sure how the Bucs are saving or spending more money.
When you look at home much cash the Bucs make on a home playoff game (a division title), it dwarfs whatever cap space the team could save.
November 1st, 2024 at 9:16 am
zzbucs, I agree and will add that this was determined long before the season started. They were betting on no injuries, but unfortunately, they happened. I believe the best chance we have against KC is going straight nickel and dime packages and make Kareem Hunt try and beat us. KC has been having a few offensive line issues so an extra safety in the box for Kelce may help.
November 1st, 2024 at 9:19 am
FMJ classic nice one Joe !
November 1st, 2024 at 9:22 am
Well by the end of this season Bowles may regret not making move for a middle linebacker or edge rusher. Doesn’t feel like the Bucs management is all in on this season. I hope Im wrong and this season turns around though. Go Bucs!!
November 1st, 2024 at 9:25 am
Britt has been such a disappointment. The book is out on the Bucs. Throw over the middle because Britt can’t cover.
November 1st, 2024 at 9:29 am
season over
November 1st, 2024 at 9:30 am
Even healthy the defense has been incredibly dissapointing vs the offense. The offense still moved the ball and put up points regardless of injuries. The defense started OK but has been horrible for too long against too many inferior opponents.
November 1st, 2024 at 9:39 am
Get rid of him he’s done he doesn’t know how to be a head coach leader of 11 not 53
November 1st, 2024 at 9:40 am
Get Thielen. We need a proven a lot guy to play the Godwin role who is physical enough.
November 1st, 2024 at 9:46 am
The problem is that we have too many needs…a trade won’t make much difference.
WR, LB, OLB, CB, HC
Too many needs
November 1st, 2024 at 9:53 am
Scott, Carolina will not deal within division. Anyhow, the truth is that it is rare to get any help via an in season trade. The Bucs did trade a 6th to the Jets for Steve McClendon and a 7th rounder back in 2020 but that was the last trade Licht has made in season and that might have been suggested by TB12……
November 1st, 2024 at 9:55 am
I don’ think the Glazers are refusing to spend money. I believe it is more the team philosophy, by GM, Coach, staff and yes maybe the Glazers. Bowles is telling you what they have been saying all along. They don’t want to give up valuable draft picks in the future by giving up to much now . Yes believe they are willing to give up on this season to continue to build down the road. That is their big picture. They also want their own players so they can develop.Hence the want and the need Bowles is refering too. They are of the opinion, to which , i disagre they can get by with what they have without giving up picks for the future. It is a lot like buying a car . You want, a new car, but belive the old car will get you by until you find whatever it is you really want. It is clear to me they are settling on what they have for this year and that is that folks.
November 1st, 2024 at 9:56 am
Yeah, but what are you willing to give up that somebody else wants? You mention where we are thin but where do we have surplus? (Nowhere if you ask me). I think Bowles prefers the devil he knows vs the devil he doesn’t.
November 1st, 2024 at 9:56 am
I guess the teams know that BUCS NEED a receiver and or linebacker and the asking price is way too much. Thats why the BUCS are not looking at the trades.
November 1st, 2024 at 10:06 am
Jets had 8 sacks last night and beat the texans because of that not Aaron Rodgers but the Bucs have no need for a pass rusher…..
November 1st, 2024 at 10:15 am
Josh: The Bucs need to use their pass rushers properly, ie not using them in pass coverage. Kancey isn’t a DB. Nelson should’ve put on 20 pounds and been made a DE. JTS should be on the street. Just a few of Bowles failures.
November 1st, 2024 at 10:55 am
What do you expect for a 500 Coach he’s happy with our record as long as the players are happy he don’t care he’s got a big paycheck
November 1st, 2024 at 10:58 am
He is not interested in adjustments and changes in the Defense so i would expect he is not interested in changing the roster either.
Because as we have seen everything is working like a clock, no need for something to change.
Go Bucs
November 1st, 2024 at 10:58 am
This team is going nowhere except the couch with the rest of us watching other teams in the playoffs. We’ve had several chances to improve our Defense this year. And the good teams? They keep getting better via trades. Not us. We hold on to the belief we will get better. We will. Just not this season.
November 1st, 2024 at 11:06 am
I know sonnepnr just like Bowles, stubborn to the point of stupid. It’s not healthy or intelligent tp make decisions based on emotion instead of facts and his emotions are apparently involved here.
November 1st, 2024 at 11:14 am
Like Joe said, the Bucs owners stand to profit substantially if the team makes it into the playoffs. This is not the year to tank. And, this does not look like the year to mortgage the future betting on a deep playoff run.
As far as Bowles, despite significant adversity, this team has not quit. They play to win until the last whistle which shows that the team believes in Bowles. If he keeps the support and devotion of the locker room for the rest of the season, he should keep his job. Then, what would next year look like?
He has the offense that he wants. Running backs, offensive line, and tight end are mostly set. At wide receiver, Godwin will get a new contract, but that contract will probably be a bit more affordable considering that other suitors will factor the injury into their offers.
So, the draft and free agency can be largely devoted to the needs on the defense. Barring unforeseen opportunities, the first four rounds should probably be devoted ILB, OLB, CB and maybe safety. Trading back in or out of the first round could give them critical value if the first round options do not look to be to good to pass up on.
it is clear that the preseason power rankings that put the Bucs in the basement were way off despite the adversity the Bucs have faced this year. Next year, the team the Bowles and Licht have built should really be loaded for bear!
Th
November 1st, 2024 at 11:18 am
His D is a boat with 10 holes and one cork.
November 1st, 2024 at 11:22 am
Had all the tools to be great 👍👍👍
November 1st, 2024 at 11:41 am
Not only is Bowles not looking to trade, he is not looking to win. He is on the hotseat and tried to take himself off of it by blaming his QB for bad interceptions. The only reason Baker is throwing interceptions is because the “defensive genius’s” defense, can’t get a hand on an opposing quarterback, or keep the opposing team from scoring over 30 points. When the defense was getting a hand on QB’s, and keeping opponents from scoring over 30 points, Baker wasn’t throwing interceptions because he wasn’t having to play catch up. Bowles blaming Baker while completely ignoring his own incompetence is why he should not be a head coach. He is also emotionless. He never pumps up his players or has their back. Even the small things like when a bad call is made on the field. It is demoralizing and it takes away momentum from the team, and having a coach get fired up in those situations helps keep your team in the game. That personally trait does not exist in Bowles and it makes him an even worse coach. Also we have a running back, Sean Taylor, who basically won a game for us and we haven’t seen him since. That in itself is reason for Bowles to go. If he can’t or won’t utilize his best players then what good is he.
November 1st, 2024 at 11:44 am
Doesn’t seem much interested in coaching also.
November 1st, 2024 at 11:53 am
Why isn’t my comment posting?
November 1st, 2024 at 12:02 pm
Hey Joe didn’t you report that the Bucs need to roll over 10-12 million to next season to pay the remaining dead money on Shaq and Jensens contracts? That’s why they wont give a way a pick and they wont sign anyone unless it’s for peanuts.
November 1st, 2024 at 12:29 pm
I’m sure the Godwin injury made an impact on what we do or in this case “not” do at the deadline. I’m sure we will just let Liam do his thing. He will Continue to unveil new wrinkles in his offense which we are just scratching the surface with and prepare for next year. We have a ton of borderline talent that is young and needs to be evaluated. Baker is cemented in the QB and deservedly so HOWEVER if not enough growth is shown in this offense it would not surprise me to see a Will Levis acquired and brought in a year or two since his history with Liam.
November 1st, 2024 at 12:55 pm
Coming down to needs and wants makes sense to me. Coach Bowles is running a business as well as coaching a football team. I trust his judgement 100 %. Acquiring a player just because someone wants you to doesn’t make sense if in Coach Bowles mind he has all the talent he needs, and the players just need to play better.
If someone like Vita goes down for the season then that defines a need for the defense and would justify acquiring another player.
I believe the defensive players we have now just need to play like they are being coached !!
Go Bucs !!
November 1st, 2024 at 1:09 pm
I know it’s not the thinnest position group, but I would float an offer to Miami for the rights to Shaq—a 7th totally contingent on them activating him, with an escalator to a 5th if he plays a certain amount, etc.
Miami will get nothing from him anyway, so they get something potentially positive out of it. And we can’t trade for his rights after Tues., so it’s a playable card later if you want. Plus, he’s on the retirement list, so he doesn’t count against the 53 (or PS) until he does.
What I don’t grasp is how his contract works. $7M with $6.75M guaranteed. At this point in the season (or whenever he is activated), is there a prorata applied to guaranteed money? If I can activate him after the Niners game and catch him up over the bye, give him 5-10 snaps against the giants to go 100mph, and increase it from there as he progresses.
We are one (more) Yaya injury from relying on JTS and Braswell entirely. And maybe his get-off is a little slower…it might mitigate his propensity for neutral-zone infractions! 😂
What is it one of the Joes said about KJ last year? Fresh legs for half a season can be quite the boost!
November 1st, 2024 at 1:18 pm
TF. WTF are you talking about no way they are going trade for Levi’s. Dellousional?
November 1st, 2024 at 2:18 pm
THAT’S WHY HE WILL BE GONE AT THE END OF THE YEAR , OH, THEIR GOING TO LOOSE AGAINST THE CHIEFS…
November 1st, 2024 at 2:36 pm
Toopanca … ‘Barring unforeseen opportunities, the first four rounds should probably be devoted ILB, OLB, CB and maybe safety.’
I agree with you, and in that order too, except for Safety. I think we desperately need a beastly DT to provide interior pressure & run defense.
Gut feel is that we’ll once again be drafting around #20. Odds of hitting on a beastly anything go way down IMO the further down the chain that you pick. Bucs have been drafting pretty far down the chain since we won the SB in 2020 (top picks in last 4 drafts: JTS, Hall, Kancey, Barton). All the real beasts were apparently gone by the time we drafted (Barton might be the exception; time will tell). And as a consequence, we’ve been starting guys on defense who should’ve been rotational players (under development) as opposed to starters.
November 1st, 2024 at 2:52 pm
Correct me if I’m wrong but Todd doesn’t get to make the call on trades. He can say I need this, or would like to have that, but the GM and owners are the ones who make decision$.
November 1st, 2024 at 3:24 pm
The Glazers have the final say on anything that happens to the team. It is, at the end of the day, their team.
That doesn’t mean they are the ones making a trade. But if Licht liked a deal they likely would not stop him.
Bowles has a lot of input into personnel decisions. For example, he picks the roster. If he doesn’t want a player, Licht likely won’t made a deal for the guy.
It’s a collaboration. It isn’t as simple or black and white as the Glazers order this or Bowles demands that or Licht forces Bowles to accept so-and-so.
The Glazers tend to be hands off and let the people they hired do their job. If results are unsatisfactory, or answers to their questions are not satisfying, then they take measures accordingly.
November 1st, 2024 at 3:30 pm
The last time we drafted an ILB instead of an OLB we got White instead of Brian Burns who is still playing well for the Giant while White is feeding his hayburners Monday thru Sundady.
November 1st, 2024 at 3:58 pm
admin … I’m sure that if you were an NFL HC, you’d want your roster to be stocked with nothing but All-Pros for all 53 positions on the roster. Not reality as we know, because this thing called ‘salary CAP’ rears its ugly head in an attempt to level the playing field. And it actually does a pretty good job of that IMO.
Bucs ‘overspent’ in 2020-2022 in an effort to compete for the Super Bowl when TB12 was here. And winning it in 1 out of the 3 years was quite good. But since then we’ve been paying the piper as they say. Bucs had the highest Dead CAP in the NFL in 2023 ($81.6 mil) plus we had to pay an addtional $11.0 mil for Reserves (IR/PUP/NFI.SUSP) for a total of $92.6 mil. This year we have the 7th highest Dead CAP ($58.0 mil) plus we’re paying an additional $50.0 mil for Reserves for a total of $108.0 mil.
In both those years we lead the league with those combined numbers. Only way to even field a roster with numbers like that is to ‘go cheap’ on your active 53-man roster. And ‘cheap’ we have gone. Our active 53-man roster was at $128.4 mil in 2023 … 5th lowest in the NFL. We outdid ourselves this year though. Our active 53-man roster is currently at $132.2 mil … the LOWEST in the NFL.
The old saying ‘you get what you pay for’ may not always hold true, but usually it does. Last year for instance: 7 of the Top-10 teams with the lowest roster cost had losing records. Bucs (9-8), Packers (9-8) and Rams (10-7) were the 3 teams with cheap rosters that had winning records (and none of us exactly set the world on fire in the playoffs). Talent costs money, and our cup isn’t exactly overflowing.
November 1st, 2024 at 4:13 pm
It’ll be fugly on Monday.
November 1st, 2024 at 4:35 pm
Never deserved a second HC gig and he has not improved since Jets days….
no longer respect as DC either… Bucs in a bad situation!
November 1st, 2024 at 5:39 pm
zzbucs Says:
November 1st, 2024 at 9:07 am
Coach Bowles knows that Licht will not bring anybody, because the Glazer will not spend a dime more…..
———
Holy Jesus… the Glazers are cheap morons are back? Talk about world class stupid.
November 1st, 2024 at 9:25 pm
Anyone new would not understand their assignments any better than the rest of the poorly coached lot.
November 1st, 2024 at 10:37 pm
Just fire this clown already.
November 2nd, 2024 at 10:31 am
I guess all the holes in the roster are only NEEDS if you WANT to win.
I’m so done with this guy.
November 2nd, 2024 at 3:58 pm
Daniel Z, thanks for paying attention!