Embracing The Damaged “Peanut”
March 11th, 2014
Don’t worry about the Bucs secondary. It sure looks like the Bucs will replace healthy Pro Bowler Darrelle Revis with another superstar who is 4 1/2 years older and coming off a knee injury and a torn triceps.
There’s plenty of buzz across the Internet and sports radio that claims free agent Bears great cornerback Charles “Peanut” Tillman is nearly signed, sealed and delivered to the Bucs, a mere formality that Tillman will replace Revis when the Bucs trade or cut him.
Now Joe can’t speak directly to what’s happening with Tillman, but clearly Tillman is a trusted favorite of Lovie Smith. eye-RAH! Kaufman of The Tampa Tribune penned a feature about that last weekend.
The Chicago Sun-Times talked to Tillman about his health recently.
Tillman rehabs while he waits. The nagging injury to his right knee that hindered him last season is fine, he said. But his torn right triceps, which he said required surgery at the end of November, still needs time.
‘‘It’s just something I’ve got to wait and see what my doctor says and when he clears me,’’ Tillman said. ‘‘But I don’t think it will be too much longer, though. Rehab is going pretty good.’’
Either way, Tillman figures to be a hot topic when the negotiating window opens Saturday. Tillman’s age — he turned 33 in February — and injuries will be concerns, but he still has considerable value in the pass-happy NFL.
Tillman was playing at an All-Pro level before his knee started to slow him down and his torn triceps, which he suffered Nov. 10 against the Detroit Lions, landed him on injured reserve.
There’s more to the story. Click the link above. Tillman actually seems to take a one-season-at-a-time approach to retirement.
Joe’s not anti-Tillman in any way. Obviously, how much money he commands will be a key component. After all, the Revis situation is all about money, as well.
March 11th, 2014 at 10:35 am
Cutting Revis?
What kinda move is that? There is rebuilding, then there is poking a hole in a perfectly good boat just to watch it sink.
March 11th, 2014 at 10:37 am
But think of all the money we will give our first time GM! Fail safe!
March 11th, 2014 at 10:39 am
If they get Tillman I could see the sense in cutting Revis. Tillman is a gamble though.
I’m against releasing Revis THIS year, but I would not freak out over it if it happens. And I certainly would not blame Lovie and company for doing it. $16 million for a position other than QB is extreme.
March 11th, 2014 at 10:40 am
So the franchise gets some love back from the fans or hiring Lovie, then proceeds to flush it all back (and possibly then some) with the new jerseys and dumping Revis. Glazers have got to go.
March 11th, 2014 at 10:45 am
Glazers have to go? Thats funny. They arent renting, they own the mother lumper
March 11th, 2014 at 10:47 am
Maybe Revis will agree to a reduction and the saved cap money will buy us a “Peanut”.
March 11th, 2014 at 10:51 am
Get ready, it’s just getting started…
You’re all about to witness what Chicago had to witness for the last 5 years of Lovie’s reign.
Bad offense and even worse roster moves….
March 11th, 2014 at 10:57 am
Joe is on point today!!!
March 11th, 2014 at 11:01 am
F-ing unreal
March 11th, 2014 at 11:16 am
Hooray for the new brain trust!!! We’re going to cut one of the top 2 players at his position, after giving up a 1st and 4th round draft pick, get nothing back, and replace him with an injured player who’s 5 years older and has less than half the Pro Bowl and All Pro credentials, and is never mentioned as being in the top tier players at his position.
I picked the right year to give up my season tickets.
March 11th, 2014 at 11:27 am
Replacing Revis with Tillman? That is a sick joke. Now adding Tillman to play alongside with Revis.. that’s an idea I could get behind.
March 11th, 2014 at 11:31 am
Though I like Tillman he can’t hold Revis’s jock… Light and Lovie looking like a bunch of muppets.. Being a Bucs fan for last 20yrs has never felt so bad. To think we signed Mjohnson which I should be excited about young talented rusher but.. nope!
FINGERS CROSSED LOVIE DOESN’T SCREW THIS UP!
March 11th, 2014 at 11:36 am
Good point Unbelievable! The thought of losing Revis just flat out frightens me when I think about our passing D.
We can only assume that with the freed up $$$ that they will try and fill that void. Tillman I just don’t get! Other than the Lovie connection, is he #1 DB or nickel? If you’re bringing the 33 year old vet here for nickel DB I’d say sure. The way it’s being bantered about has Tillman taking Revis’ place.
Time to buckle up fellas! This ride’s going to be interesting!
March 11th, 2014 at 11:37 am
i choaked on my coffee this morning when i heard this news
March 11th, 2014 at 11:42 am
yea it just seems like we already have enough cap space to add some pieces to the front of our D, while keeping him another year in the secondary. Plus we have no depth behind him.
Who else is there? Banks is entering his 2nd year, and will be learning a new system. Everyone else on this roster is a backup at best.
March 11th, 2014 at 11:55 am
Yeah let’s cut Revis and sign Tillman! Great move for those teams that are bottom feeders! Wait that most be us! This is just stupid! If they trade or cut Revis, I have lost all hope for our coach and gm! Yeah I know Revis is highly paid, but he did his do’s! He is the best at his position and I do have a jets jersey just for him! If this is what we get from our gm and coach then we should do like everybody did Schiano and fire them now!
March 11th, 2014 at 12:46 pm
No matter what the Bucs do, they are never going to make the fans happy. They could sign God to this team and someone would complain about it. If you don’t like the team don’t follow them. Every team makes their mistakes in free agency and the draft, it happens. As far as Revis goes, Lovie and Light inherited this contract from Dominick and Schiano. They are the ones who paid him the six millions dollars more than the highest paid corner in the NFL, in order to try and save their jobs, obviously it didn’t work. Lovie and light have been trying to restructure the contract and Revis will have non of it. I believe that Lovie and light were left with no other choice but to trade or cut him. This team needs to much help to tie that much money into one player. It appears the Bucs are trying to make the best out of a bad situation. Lovie said when he got here that they were going to cut players to move this roster in a different direction. Every Buc fan wants a better team, but they don’t want the Bucs to make any moves to make it that way. Just because the moves aren’t the ones you would make dosen’t necessarily make them bad.
March 11th, 2014 at 12:52 pm
Hey John….. You left out how we got lied to by our new coach saying Revis is a key part of our D. When you throw up facts, then throw them! I don’t think I can trust our new regime just because of what they have already stated
March 11th, 2014 at 12:53 pm
flmike
Man. You are negative. Will you jump back on the bandwagon when we start winning?
March 11th, 2014 at 1:02 pm
Yes we overpay Revis but we were (will be again) the worst pass D in the NFL. Drastic times call for drastic measures and if Revis goes, so goes our pass D.
Unless of course we cut every other scrub on the CB depth chart other than Johnthan Banks. If Leonard Johnson is on the roster and Revis is not come opening day then I will be a terribly upset Bucs fan.
March 11th, 2014 at 1:25 pm
John Ensch
Glad to know you are so supportive.
For a team that looks like it’s been by monkeys for the last ten years.
After the Raheem, Freeman, Schiano disasters, you certainly seem to confident they know what they are doing.
If they cut the CB, listed as the best in the league, for nothing- then they have passed Cleveland as the stupidest franchise in the league!
But glad you have confidence in them
March 11th, 2014 at 1:32 pm
wow, not exactly overflowing with confidence about his rehab. this is usually the time that – if the rehab is going even remotely well – a player is blowing smoke about approaching the best shape of his life or being fresh from all the time off etc. always be wary of a player who uses terms like “ok” and “we’ll see” when talking about their rehab.
March 11th, 2014 at 6:09 pm
[…] Joe wrote earlier, Tillman is damaged. Joe can’t hazard a guess at Tillman’s value to the Bucs without […]