Why The Rush To Extend Luke Goedeke?
January 30th, 2025
Contract year.
Unless Bucs right tackle Luke Goedeke has been telling people off the record he’s going launch Operation Shutdown like left tackle Tristan Wirfs did last year, Joe doesn’t understand the hyperventilating to extend Goedeke’s contract.
Over at BSPN, it seems to be a theme that Goedeke’s contract must be extended. Now.
Why?
Even Eagles fan Ben Solak has joined the parade.
Big prediction for the offseason: A big extension will come down the mountain for Goedeke, who has become a rock-solid right tackle opposite Tristan Wirfs and is approaching the final year of his rookie deal. Something in the range of the Spencer Brown deal (four years, $72 million) would be more than deserved. And after Goedeke’s extension is signed, the conversations with cornerback Zyon McCollum will begin.
Unless Goedeke forces the issue — and he may — why spend money when you don’t have to? Perhaps Licht wants to rework Goedeke’s contract to make it team-friendly so Licht can go out in six weeks and buy some defenders when the free agency dinner bell rings.
If that’s the angle, OK. Joe gets that.
Football is a violent game. What if Goedeke, on the heels of an expensive new contract, suffers a major injury or another concussion? (He missed four games with concussion this season.) Then the Bucs also would have to spend a lot of Team Glazer loot on a replacement.
That’s a good way to screw up your salary cap.
Yeah, waiting until the last minute to re-sign Goedeke might cost extra Team Glazer loot in the long run.
The good thing here is the salary cap, short of a global pandemic, always goes up.
And yes, Goedeke threatening Operation Shutdown is a real possibility. His current rookie contract expires after the 2025 season. Joe just doesn’t see the need to rush. The Bucs can find extra cap room in other ways.
https://twitter.com/FB_FilmAnalysis/status/1868685879541404074
January 30th, 2025 at 6:15 am
I agree about the “violent” sport. I would rather overspend with generous incentives based on production and minimal guaranteed money.
I get that agents want the opposite. I would rather sweeten the incentive pot so that they’ll relent a bit on the “guaranteed” side.
What’s truly sad to me is how the money has changed the game so much. I think the owners make a ton and the players deserve to be paid that’s for sure.
I’d love to see a stat by one of our great research guys here, if anybody has done this, an ACTUAL cost per game for each player at the end of each season.
Not to blame or judge GM’s on their decisions, although that’s obviously a part of it, but to point out the differences in which players earned what by actual games.
IE Dean immediately comes to mind. If you break his salary down by game there is NO way he earned all that money. Not his fault due to injuries but it’s not the Bucs fault he’s fragile. Anybody who gives Dean “guaranteed” money has wasted a significant portion of it.
January 30th, 2025 at 6:55 am
Keep the Oline intact. Now about that horrible Pass Defense….
January 30th, 2025 at 7:07 am
I too would pause extending Luke Goedeke now as it appears Goedeke has concussion problems like Ali Marpet.
January 30th, 2025 at 7:20 am
Id definitely wait before I pay this guy almost 20 million… unless it helps our cap somehow?… If he plays full season this year and kills it again then of course pay him
January 30th, 2025 at 7:22 am
Because it’s cheap to do in terms of impact on the 2025 cap and the contract will be cheaper if you sign him now compared to next year
January 30th, 2025 at 7:56 am
Joestradamas,
You are ALWAYS right on this type critical, strategic thinking.
Jason, please be advised.
January 30th, 2025 at 7:57 am
BamaBuc
Excellent point about concussions. As fans we see the horrible violent hits on guys like Tua (actually the way his noggin bounced off the turf) and think of horrible hits as the prime cause of concussions and CTE.
But I saw a study that showed CTE comes from the REPETITIVE hits not necessarily from the dramatic single occurences. Therefore OL and DL are at particular risk since their heads get “bumped” virtually every play.
I was glad to see Goeddeke fearlessly (in terms of pride) go ahead and wear the protective cover. If the science keeps pointing to their effectiveness ALL players will be wearing them whether they upset our taste or not.
January 30th, 2025 at 8:31 am
at some point there needs to be an adult conversation about not being able to resign everyone to big money deals. Cody Mauch is going to want to get paid too.
January 30th, 2025 at 8:44 am
lol damn the offseason really can make fans feel disappointed about the teams season. Guys you already know Licht’s track record in terms of contracts. He’s good but he’s not Wirfs so unless it benefited the team why would he do anything different. There is no rush and it has nothing to do with his play but hopefully he won’t have to hold in next offseason
January 30th, 2025 at 8:56 am
AlabamaBucsFan:
That’s a very good point about Ali Marpet.
January 30th, 2025 at 8:57 am
We trust Jason will keep the band together. Signing guys early is being done all over the league. My very limited understanding of it is
A. It winds up being cheaper
B. It gives us flexibility all over the cap.
Go Bucs
January 30th, 2025 at 9:05 am
the sooner the better, it’ll only get more expensive
January 30th, 2025 at 9:24 am
I don’t know if some people are just more prone to concussions or are just more effected by them when they happen…or are just more unlucky. As has been mentioned, Market fell into that category. He was smart enough to make his money and get out. I see the same thing in Goedeke. Big, powerful, and smart. He will retire after two or three big paychecks. I can’t fault him for that.
January 30th, 2025 at 9:28 am
The Eagles are the prototype. No other team can match their offensive line. Lions too. Game is won in the trenches. Sign him. Yes injuries happen. But if you lose Godeke, you risk mediocrity. Licht knows what he is doing.
January 30th, 2025 at 9:46 am
Who are we kidding, of course they are going to extend him. It would be asinine not to. Any player’s career can be over on one play, that’s football.
January 30th, 2025 at 9:46 am
Seems to me some Agents, are visiting media making some gifts in order to promote their “business”
January 30th, 2025 at 11:18 am
Thinking of paying Geodonkey $18M per is wild. I’ve seen others talking about how Bredeson is gonna demand $10+M too. I know the salary cap keeps going up, but these numbers are insane to me. And I’m not even an old old head. Let’s not forget not that long ago (and granted it was a team friendly deal), Tom friggin Brady was making $25M per. And a very short time later we’re talking about paying a top 8(?) RT $18M…
January 30th, 2025 at 12:27 pm
Jason’s got this. I wish Jason was also pressing for a full time defensive coordinator but, alas.
January 30th, 2025 at 12:35 pm
Uh, well, you keep a guy off the free agent market next year. You lock up a young ascending player for several years, and you potentially save money on the cap for next year while you’re at it. Not to mention, you might get him a little cheaper than you would a year down the line.
So there’s the reasons… Why would you NOT lock up your best young players on longer term deals, especially if it ends up giving you more cap flexibility and roster stability. Plus, keeping the same personnel together on the o-line is a great investment in your offense, if you have the quality they have right now.
Duh. Okay, I’ll grant that a career crippling/ending injury or inexplicable decline in play are risks.
They did it with Vita Vea and it seems like he’s been with us forever now. THat’s been a good deal.
January 30th, 2025 at 12:51 pm
I swear some people read the headline and then go straight to the comments to post.
Joe didn’t say not to extend him. He said don’t do it *yet*.
Of course, those who go straight to the comments to post aren’t reading this comment either, so that’s 45 seconds I’ll never get back!
January 30th, 2025 at 1:12 pm
If he has another solid year, the Bucs will end up paying way more for him. Better to extend him now for a “cheaper” price.
January 30th, 2025 at 2:23 pm
The major concussion Goedeke suffered last season is definitely a reason to wait until next year to sign him to a big deal.
If he’s willing to do 4 years for say – $60M to sign now – then OK – roll the dice to save $15+M down the road….
Otherwise – let it ride and see what happens this season. The Bucs always have the franchise tag in their back pocket.
The Ali Marpet experience is definitely something that Bucs brass should keep in mind regarding Luke. Who played really well this year btw – when he was available….
Our OLine is going to become a major expense over the next 2-3 seasons with all these high draft picks working out so well.
January 30th, 2025 at 3:45 pm
A loyal partner would rip up the old deal and offer their star a fair deal. Likely what happened with Coen. Bucs didn’t strike quick enough and Coen left. You better believe it was the Glazers being cheap. Pathetic.
January 30th, 2025 at 6:12 pm
Never pay the first contract until you have no choice.