Todd Bowles Wants A Shaq Barrett Return
January 13th, 2025
Wanted.
With only five snaps for Bucs sacks king Shaq Barrett in the groin-stomp loss last night, it was clear that head coach/defensive coordinator Todd Bowles didn’t consider Shaq to be a savior of his defense.
Today, Joe asked Bowles if Shaq didn’t prove to be ready for his two-week return from retirement.
“Well, he missed a whole season. You come back, two weeks aren’t going to get you ready,” Bowles said. “The scheme has changed some since he’s played and trying to put him in and do the things he could do in a very agressive call of the defense, so we’re bringing him along slowly and making sure he’s in shape. We didn’t want him to go out there and get hurt. But hopefully, he has a future for us next year.”
Joe would welcome a Shaq return on a very inexpensive contract ($2 million plus incentives?).
Shaq turns 33 in November. Joe has no expectation of Shaq recapturing his full glory, but he certainly could be an effective situational pass rusher. And Joe surely suspects Shaq is a better player than Markees Watts, José Ramirez and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka.
January 13th, 2025 at 2:03 pm
No one cares what Bowles thinks, fire the moron.
January 13th, 2025 at 2:08 pm
JTS needs to be gone he was awful
January 13th, 2025 at 2:09 pm
Situationally sure. But we cannot trot out a 33yo Shaq and a Lavonte David who will be 36. Or should I say, “counting on them” for improved defense. They’re maybe 70% of the players they were in 2020 at best. And for the love of god you cannot have JTS starting again either. Braswell is not a starter. Nelson will be gone. They need 4 new faces at edge alone, they need a lavonte replacement along with 3 more ILB’s. Need to upgrade SS and depth at safety in general, they need 3 new corners minimum. Whole defensive side of the ball can/should be blown TF up. With all those needs, is it even wise to give big money to Godwin? Good receivers are a dime a dozen. Corners aren’t, neither are edge rushers
January 13th, 2025 at 2:09 pm
Yes, I was hoping to see more of him last night. However, yes I get what Bowles was saying. Yes on bringing him back absolutely. Using his leadership , experiene and playing on situational downs, why not. Currently that d line needs all the help it can get.
January 13th, 2025 at 2:10 pm
How is Shaq in coverage?
In this coin flip scheme,
He’ll be required to play man to man and zone.
January 13th, 2025 at 2:13 pm
There you go. No need to draft or sign a OLB now. Get Dean healthy and we can skip the draft and free agency all together.
January 13th, 2025 at 2:17 pm
WE NEED BETTER
January 13th, 2025 at 2:22 pm
Would be great depth signing. PLEASE do it. Hes obviously not going to start but in relief and as insurance for injury it makes a ton of sense.
January 13th, 2025 at 2:48 pm
Shaq Barrett would most likely be brought on as a motivator and teacher for the young edge rushers. While a lot of fans are hopeful he can rekindle his magic and produce double digit sacks, a more realistic goal would be a role player to spell the younger guys.
January 13th, 2025 at 2:50 pm
Dean should be hand his walking papers..he’s not even good when healthy..
Godwin should be retained but at team friendly contract.
His injuries lead me to feel it’s not favorable for us to give him a large contract also will be paying him to rehab.
Unfortunately it’s the nature of the business.
I dint pay you on what you don’t but what I project you to do.
I believe Godwin can return to playing fir but will he always be one play from injury??
How much is a injury prone receiver worth?
Not the money he got last time..
David is worth another year if he wants hack in and I think he will if we get the pieces around him.
He needs to be blitzing more if we can find a cover lb or covering if we can find a blitzing lb..but I can see him playing atleast 1 more year if we can get him a dline..Def ends that can bring hell on the edges..
Is whitehead and Edward’s starters..idk but it be nice to find a guy to pair with Winfield thatvwould haunt qb nightmares but I might be dreaming..
The defense needs a complete overhaul and new play caller
January 13th, 2025 at 2:55 pm
What about Suh, and JPP? Bring back Brooks, and Sapp too! Shaq coming back, championship! What a joke of a coach.
January 13th, 2025 at 3:13 pm
There is no one on this defense who would start for any of the playoff teams. Vita Tea? Every team has a man-beast in the middle, that’s nothing special. Kancey, he’s quick but can’t tackle. Winfield? regressed for some financial reason. JTS? Future manager at Chipotle. Logan Hall? Big nothing. None of the DBs or linebackers would make a playoff practice squad. Lavonte David, great player for many years but passed his prime. Sad to say that this year’s defense with this coaching staff was anything but mediocre.
January 13th, 2025 at 3:37 pm
bowles needs to go
January 13th, 2025 at 3:47 pm
No one knows if Ramirez is good. They don’t let him play
January 13th, 2025 at 3:55 pm
For the love it god, enough with recycling old Bucs players. Broaden your horizons, there’s hundreds of other players out there that can help this team. Whitehead, Edwards, Ryan Neal – enough with the mediocre has-beens.
I know it goes against everything Todd believes in, but quit going the safe, comfortable route. Take a risk on a player that hasn’t been on the team before.
January 13th, 2025 at 3:55 pm
As long as we continue to lack a true edge rushing threat, this defense will always suck.
Simple as that.
Need to acquire OLB, 2 ILBs, CB, S this offseason. Would prefer the OLB be a free agent and not another draft pick.
January 13th, 2025 at 4:52 pm
Bowles: “The scheme has changed some.”
Trannslation: “Shaq needs to be a better corner back if he wants to play edge.”
January 13th, 2025 at 5:19 pm
So I had a visit with my “life coach” today. I told her I struggled to accept success but grind on myself when I fall short of MY expectations.
She pointed out that “negative thinking” is actually part of our human nature!
When people get lost in thought frequently it’s the negative ones that win out.
That explains why I can never please myself, it also explains all the Bowles/BOWELS trash talk here! I feel sorry when I lapse into negativity and I feel sorry for those of you stuck in it. Good luck!
January 13th, 2025 at 5:31 pm
Bowles cannot develop young guys so he has no choice but to rely on elderly players
January 13th, 2025 at 5:47 pm
@Gofortheface:
Good receivers are a dime a dozen? Tell me you’re a spoiled Bucs fan without telling me…
January 13th, 2025 at 6:21 pm
This is why we should move on from Bowles. He doesn’t want to change. Shaq was tremendous for the bucs for a time, but he’s past his prime. It’s time for Bucs to move on from the Bruce Arians era.
January 13th, 2025 at 7:19 pm
I don’t think either injury that Godwin has/had makes him ‘injury prone’.
January 13th, 2025 at 8:19 pm
@StickinUp4Centers
That’s what I said. There’s so many players on this team that you’re not even really giving a chance.
JOSE RAMIREZ
MARKEES WATTS
KAMERON JOHNSON
DJ WILLIAMS (Depending on what goes on there. They should definitely hang onto him though.)
There’s four right there they don’t really give much of a chance to. I can understand DJ being with Bucky & White but even Tucker, too! They don’t use Tucker as much as they should either.
January 13th, 2025 at 8:20 pm
@StickinUp4Centers
DEVIN CULP & PAYNE DURHAM are two others they should use more, too! They played pretty good when Otton was out.
January 13th, 2025 at 8:28 pm
Rams first drive they go for it on 4th down. Vikes jump offsides Rams score a TD on next play. Bowles would’ve kicked the FG like he did yesterday after our first drive. What a difference a real HC makes.
January 13th, 2025 at 8:32 pm
Stpetebucsfan, I agree with your comment about negative comments. I’m confident the Bucs are in a good position to compete for their 3rd Super Bowl Championship next year !!
Offense check plus !
Defense needs a little help from the 2025 NFL Draft !!
Coach Bowles and Liam Coen, check plus !!
Go Bucs !!!
January 13th, 2025 at 9:27 pm
Todd please change.
January 13th, 2025 at 10:19 pm
I think you need more than a “life coach,” especially when trying to explain why there are so many people fed up with this defense.
We had a chance to get to a 2nd consecutive Superbowl with Brady, but Bowles blitzed Stafford with 40 seconds left in a 27-27 playoff game, and Stafford threw a 40+ yard pass to wide-open Culp to win in the final seconds. Keep Bowles as a HC, and just get a decent DC, and we will be good enough to get to the Superbowl soon!
January 14th, 2025 at 10:44 am
Sad to see keyboard warriors calling coaches and players childish names on this page. Face to face? They’re not that brave.
January 14th, 2025 at 3:41 pm
My goodness …. This ought to make the Glazers take a pause and really think if keeping this .500 playoff loser on hand !
January 14th, 2025 at 7:29 pm
From everything I have seen and heard, the Bowles defense is so complex, most players take a year or more to just half figure it out. If that’s the case, it is completely unrealistic for people to think that bringing anyone new in is going to be a quick miracle fix.
Next year’s draft will be AT LEAST 80% defensive guys and I doubt the Bucs see a return on that draft investment until late in the season, at earliest.
Now, whether or not a more simplistic defense, with or without Bowles as HC/DC, is the answer or not will be a debate that I’m sure will rage on here for many months to come. Know this naysayers, a new DC or HC is not going to be able to fix this defense in a year unless the Bucs are blessed with a relatively injury-free 2025-2026 season. It’ll take up to two years for the free agents and/or rookies that will be drafted this year make any meaningful impact.
January 15th, 2025 at 12:10 am
We need a GOOD return guy, Tre Palmer needs to be gone he’s afraid to run anywhere but the sidelines. He sucks as a receiver too! If you won’t let tuck in as a rb , God let him return full time, he’s the only one who’s not afraid . Cut Dean, he’s hurt 80% of the time, jts, bye bye, work on zyon, too many pi’s. Dump Bredeson he gets out physicaled every game, Hainsey is tougher. Get some big d line guys. Help!