$19 Million And Counting
March 3rd, 2014
Lovie wants to spend it all
Data haters can scroll down and stop reading, but money-friendly fans can take note. Per multiple reports on BSPN, the Bucs have $19 million available under the 2014 salary cap.
That’s plenty of cash to sign a quarterback, Jared Allen and Michael Bennett.
Of course, adding stud bookend defensive ends is purely a hypothetical, though it’s one that would let Lovie Smith sleep easily before the NFL Draft.
The Bucs could add to their available cash by extending the contract of Gerald McCoy and restructuring the terms of Darrelle Revis’ massive deal. They also could give highly-paid Davin Joseph and Donald Penn ultimatums that both likely would accept, versus testing the open market.
Remember, Lovie Smith says there should be no nickels left in the vault when it comes to paying players.
The Bucs have options, and that’s a great thing, especially when you only have five draft picks in 2014 — the fewest of any NFL team.
Joe’s still very curious to see how Michael Vick’s future plays out when the NFL free agency dinner bell rings in eight short days. Of course, Joe is rooting for Vick to land in Oakland, or with any team in need of a quarterback that has a draft pick higher than the Bucs’. That can only help the odds of Johnny Football landing in his rightful home — Tampa.
March 3rd, 2014 at 4:44 pm
Johnny Jackass.
March 3rd, 2014 at 4:50 pm
To read this article, and realize that we have 5 picks in the draft and only 19 million, just reinforces how bad this team has been handled that last 5 years. In 2009 begin a total gut and rebuild of this franchise. And this is what we have to show for it. I hope Lovie and Licht hit the reset button, like they have been warning and preparing the Fans of this team for.
March 3rd, 2014 at 4:52 pm
@Joe… Johnny Football will not be a Buccaneer.
However, a slim hope exists if you place a jockstrap on your head and approach the JF alter shouting Man Crush! Man Crush! Man Crush! Then and only then will the JF Gods possibly show favor and allow him to fall to the 7th pick.
This is where the second hurdle comes into play that requires you to wear a ManPon while shouting “Love me some Licht”! If they show favor, then JF will be selected to be a Buc.
Hope this works out for you.
March 3rd, 2014 at 4:52 pm
Johnny Football “rightful home – Tampa” I am starting to believe that Joe actually is yanking our chain about Manziel & he has little desire for the Bucs to draft him which is unlikely.
Obsessive mentioning of Johnny has been included in many articles regardless of topic.
This has been really funny….but if Joe is serious…it is pathetic.
March 3rd, 2014 at 4:53 pm
Alterraun Verner will be available. Only 25 and had what? 5 picks last year?
He could be a player about to make a leap.
March 3rd, 2014 at 4:56 pm
Only need one edge rushing DE. Need an OG or C too!
March 3rd, 2014 at 5:02 pm
Oh God the sky is falling our team is soooooo terrible!!!
lol…
March 3rd, 2014 at 5:04 pm
Everyone deep down realizes that the only player that will make the Bucs great now and in the future is Clowney. Go get him at all cost.
March 3rd, 2014 at 5:06 pm
I think johnny will be available when we pick
March 3rd, 2014 at 5:08 pm
They are terrible PRBucFan. Where have you been? lol.
March 3rd, 2014 at 5:11 pm
Bucs need to extend McCoy’s contract and force their O-line and Punter to take pay cuts.
March 3rd, 2014 at 5:12 pm
Bucs should sign Tim Tebow if Bucs did draft JM,and room them together. IMHO. #MoneyWellSpent
March 3rd, 2014 at 5:13 pm
@PrBucFan
the Bucs have been in the bottom cellar of the NFC south the last 5 years. 4th,3rd,4th,4th and 3rd in the division. I think I read since the Pop-star has ran the team the avg draft position has been 8th overall! That means they are always drafting in front of 24 other teams. And this is the roster. Its Pathetic!
March 3rd, 2014 at 5:14 pm
They had a terrible record with many games that could have easily been wins with better coaching.
Lovie was attracted to the potential he saw on this team hence the reason he came here.
If you honestly think Lovie saw a god awful team and decided he’s rather come here when the Lions who also wanted him were sitting there ripe for the taking I don’t know what to tell you lol.
March 3rd, 2014 at 5:16 pm
But you can sit there and moan about how awful we are if you want.
I’ll be looking for a quick turnover.
March 3rd, 2014 at 5:24 pm
@PRBucFan
You should buy your playoff tickets now as well. You know, so you get good seats.
March 3rd, 2014 at 5:28 pm
Impossible
But thanks for the suggestion 😉
March 3rd, 2014 at 5:40 pm
Let’s see how much the roster is slashed. This will tell how bad this team is.
March 3rd, 2014 at 5:42 pm
“his rightful home”?? Haha. Joe is just messin’ with us now. Wonder if Joe has a shrine of Manziel in his closet.
Just messin’ witcha Joe 😉
March 3rd, 2014 at 5:42 pm
The Johnny Football sideshow will pale in comparison to the hideous new uniforms…
March 3rd, 2014 at 5:45 pm
IMO, the Bucs are drafting Derek Carr.
Think the kid has skill, but needs to work on mechanics to be great
The real question is- do we reach a bit, and grab him in round one, or risk losing him by waiting til round 2
Either way- pretty sure he’s their guy
March 3rd, 2014 at 5:47 pm
I hope we trade up with either the rams the browns or the raiders.
March 3rd, 2014 at 5:49 pm
You just keep doing that to poke the MGM aren’t ya? 🙂
March 3rd, 2014 at 5:51 pm
Sorry Capt.Tim, we already reached on Freeman and wasted 5 seasons in doing so.
If we can’t get Manziel, we should sign a free agent QB, draft Murray in the later rounds (much better value pick), and keep Glennon on the roster. Let the three battle for the job.
March 3rd, 2014 at 5:59 pm
Here is my take:
Trade Revis for a 1 and 4 to New England.
Sign:
– cut penn and Joseph
– de. Either Bennett or Michael Johnson
– cb Alteraun Verner
– DT tony McDaniel
– lt Veldheer
– cb Zachary bowman
Draft :
1a: Khalil Mack de buffalo
1b: David Yanky g Stanford
2nd: Jimmy garoppolo qb e I’ll
3rd: Travis Swanson C Arkansas
4th: Abbrederis wr wisconsin
March 3rd, 2014 at 6:00 pm
How many times a game do you cream in your pants watching Johnny play Joe? 5 times? 10?
March 3rd, 2014 at 6:26 pm
It would be funny if somehow the Bucs were able to get Manziel. If he turns out to be a very good QB, we would all rave about Joe’s insight. I’m not opposed to the seemingly impossible chance that it may happen. It can’t be any worse than the team’s previous head scratching picks.
March 3rd, 2014 at 6:28 pm
No to trading Revis. Not until the new coaching staff has a least a year to work with the best corner in football.
Regarding Joe’s fascination with Johnny Manziel, the way I see it, the only way Johnny Football has a chance to slide down to Tampa is if Jadevon Clowney goes number one overall, which is very possible. If the Texans pick a QB like Bortles or Johnny himself, then the Bucs have no shot. This is also predicated on Derek Carr being favored by Cleveland and/or Oakland over Manziel, which is possible. With all that said, the draft would have to play out like this (I’m not factoring in trades, of course):
1. Jadevon Clowney – Houston
2. Greg Robinson or Jake Matthews – St. Louis
3. Blake Bortles – Jacksonville
4. Teddy Bridgewater or Derek Carr – Cleveland
5. Sammy Watkins – Oakland
6. Khalil Mack – Atlanta
7. Johnny Manziel – Tampa Bay
Day after day the prospect of Manziel falling to the Bucs looks more and more optimistic, although I’m not giving my hopes up. If Derek Carr continues his rise, we could see the Bucs have a choice between both Jake Matthews and Johnny Manziel. It’s such a crapshoot right now, no one really knows how the draft will play out, but it should be entertaining.
March 3rd, 2014 at 6:32 pm
It would be so much easier if signing free agents and drafting guys was as easy as some people’s “wish list”. Yeah, let’s sign these 5 guys…. sure, it’s just that easy. It’s not like there are 31 other out there that are making offers to players. It’s not like there are other football programs and schemes some players would rather play for/in than the Bucs. And I love how nobody things any of the top 3 QBs are any good, but want a 2-7 round guy to compete with Glennon (why would we assume they’re any better than Glennon, much less the guys selected ahead of them in the same draft). I find it funny the “cut/trade him, sign him” scenarios. As if it’s easy to find that trade partner or to know that the guy (even if a FA) is any better than the guy you have.
Take a deep breath, fellow fans… some of your dreams/wishes are about to be shattered, some may come true. And remember, we will have the next 2 months to bicker about FAs before we get to the draft and have a few more months to bicker about how right/wrong they were. Then we can all grab a beer, sit next to a fellow Buc fan and LAUGH SO HARD as they come out of the tunnel in the new uniforms. Fire them canons!
March 3rd, 2014 at 6:45 pm
There is no chance that they spend for both Bennett and Allen. NONE. Just one of those expenditures maybe, and then focus on offense. Then draft for pass rush.
March 3rd, 2014 at 7:06 pm
The Rock Star really was in over his head. The cupboard is bare, we are only $18 million under the cap, which ranks 18th in the league, of our 20 free agents only two are true “must keeps”, a long snapper and fullback no less, and we only have 5 draft picks. Ouch. Licht has his work cut out. The entire roster must be overturned.
March 3rd, 2014 at 8:13 pm
I love how Joe is a Johnny Football troll even on his own site lol
March 3rd, 2014 at 8:37 pm
@PR
I with you. With Lovie coaching much is fixable. And if we get a QB and/or MG8 is coached up by Tedford, we could do fine.
March 3rd, 2014 at 8:40 pm
@thegregwitul Says:
“5. Sammy Watkins – Oakland
6. Khalil Mack – Atlanta
7. Johnny Manziel – Tampa Bay”
It seems to be very possible. A lot of mocks have OAK taking Watkins. And I hope it plays out this way. But as bad as OAK needs a QB…. Like Joe says, maybe if they sign a FA like Vick…
March 3rd, 2014 at 9:01 pm
@BamBamBuc Says:
“…I love how nobody things any of the top 3 QBs are any good, but want a 2-7 round guy to compete with Glennon… I find it funny the “cut/trade him, sign him” scenarios…”
What I don’t understand is since MG8 did not have a great year last year, and they don’t want to draft a QB bc “they aren’t any good” and they are ok with just having either over the hill Vick, or backups McCown/Cassell – thats how they want to start the 2014 season? They really have that much faith in Glennon??? I am not saying at all that maybe Tedford can’t coach him up – maybe he can. But hells bells, thats all they want for QBs??
And don’t even get me started on the stupid trade/cut bs…
March 3rd, 2014 at 9:37 pm
I agree with everything you said but the Johnny football statement.
March 3rd, 2014 at 9:51 pm
our team is not that bad.
$19 million is way more than the other teams in our division have. if lovie spends like he wants, we will be in cap hell soon enough and we’ll be screwed ala gruden years.
March 3rd, 2014 at 11:21 pm
Atlanta has $26.7M.
March 4th, 2014 at 12:14 am
I’m not sure they’ll target big dollar big name guys. If the roster flip is going to be as significant as Joe’s reflected it may be, then possibly they stock up on depth in FA, maybe pull a low scale trade and sign a lot of off the radar guys.
Lovie seems eager to shop while Licht talks about value. Husband and wife will put the money somewhere soon…im really looking forward to the next couple months.
March 4th, 2014 at 12:32 am
Please bring us back to the Gruden years….
March 4th, 2014 at 7:25 am
Manziel = Tebow
Great College Quarterbacks
Flame out in NFL
March 4th, 2014 at 7:33 am
$19 Million is not going to be enough to significantly “Flip” this roster.
There will be Cuts, and some will be Players that we don’t suspect or believe are touchable. Maybe even a Captain or two.
This “Win Now” mantra is just smoke.
EVERY Team must win now.
This team was broken and it will take more than new Uni’s and an offseason to fix it.
March 4th, 2014 at 9:54 am
Buc Bonzai,
Have you learned nothing from the past failures? We have a little cash and you want us to dump it on another CB? If Schiano and Dominik were left in charge one more season we would have truly seen what an NFLL team looks like when a 13 year old runs it. Honestly, at this point, I don’t think the Bucs should have to pay those two clowns one more cent as it certainly seemed they did their best to ruin this team with bad contracts on non-essential positions.