V-Jax Forcing A Difficult Decision
December 7th, 2014
Vincent Jackson had 10 catches for 159 yards today. He leads Tampa Bay with 60 receptions. (Photo courtesy of Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
Can Tampa Bay afford to dump a good, productive football player this offseason, even if he’s overpaid?
Vincent Jackson sure is doing a great job forcing the Bucs into a difficult decision. After 10 catches for 159 yards today, V-Jax leads the Bucs with 60 catches and is on his way to another 1,000-yard season. He’s got 861 yards with three games to play.
But Jackson is the Bucs’ No. 2 receiver. There is no debate there. And he’s set to earn eight-figure money next season at 32 years old. That’s way too much for a guy who’s not “the man.”
Joe thinks the players around V-Jax are going to make this decision easy. Heck, combine the 2015 salaries of Evan Dietrich-Smith and Logan Mankins, and that’s about what Jackson would earn.
Barring a massive, positive change for the offense, or a steep decline by Jackson, Joe can’t imagine the Bucs parting with No. 83. The Bucs don’t need another hole and more question marks.
December 7th, 2014 at 6:51 pm
We need to keep him. Remember…Evans is really young and could use the veteran prescense. V-Jac is a true professional.
December 7th, 2014 at 6:52 pm
You and maybe the people that write the checks are the only ones who see this as a difficult decision Joe…
December 7th, 2014 at 6:53 pm
…. and this is with a $hit quarterback(s). Could you imagine what this guy could do with a real QB?!
Letting him go = Steve Smith pt. 2
December 7th, 2014 at 6:54 pm
Who said he’s nimber 2? Evans had a few great games but that doesn’t mean Jackson is all of a sudden number 2. Let’s see after Evans gets past the rookie wall and being double covered and then one can determine if he’s a true number 1. It’s stupid to suggest that Jackson not be on this team next year regardless his salary. He’s a true leader and even its apparent in the future he’s a number 2, he would be the best number 2 in the league and warrants the salary. To suggest otherwise is just stupid.
December 7th, 2014 at 7:03 pm
We need to restructure his salary. VJax is good but should not be making more than $7 million per year.
December 7th, 2014 at 7:08 pm
With the cap increasing, releasing him seems silly.
December 7th, 2014 at 7:11 pm
Get a QB that can think and throw with a great OC and watch the two of them go. Keep him
December 7th, 2014 at 7:23 pm
No, we need him here next year so Mariotta has someone to throw too whose name isnt Mike Evans… there are other players they can get rid of instead.
December 7th, 2014 at 7:25 pm
Who cares how much he makes.
Does it matter? This team is always way under the cap and it doesn’t hurt to keep him. It’s not like we need his money to sign anyone with any importance.
They can afford him so keep him. Stupid to let him go. Would be just stupid.
December 7th, 2014 at 7:31 pm
If we release vjax yet keep Michael Johnson I’m out.
December 7th, 2014 at 7:43 pm
If we trade or release Jackson, we aren’t even trying to win. Simple as that.
December 7th, 2014 at 7:43 pm
The bucs can lose without him! We need a rebuild and if we can trade VJ then we need to do that, By the time this team starts winning VJ will be retired!
December 7th, 2014 at 7:54 pm
Pay him and keep him. See how easy that was?
December 7th, 2014 at 7:58 pm
@Gooberville
Agreed. Both our starting wideouts seem to be complimenting each other. There really isn’t one go-to-guy between the two and Jackson today just reminded us he still has a lot to offer. It sucks that our O-line and QB situation is so bad.
December 7th, 2014 at 8:04 pm
Getting rid of V Jax would make life easier for opposing defenses…
December 7th, 2014 at 8:06 pm
Agreed. No sense in dumping him. He is a legit threat and can only help Evans development. Pay him his last year, he has been a stand up player here in Tampa the last few years, a bright spot among all the darkness.
December 7th, 2014 at 8:08 pm
I agree totally. Vjax I think In last year of contract next year so bite the bullet for one more year. I don’t want to add many free agents next year. Just guys on cheap.
December 7th, 2014 at 8:13 pm
if they get rid of him it will just prove how much of a moron this coach is.
December 7th, 2014 at 8:21 pm
There are plenty of overpaid players on this team who suck, why cut one who can still produce?
December 7th, 2014 at 8:23 pm
Renegotiate his deal! Add some years and security in middle age in exchange for a break on salary cap hit. If VJAX thinks the team is headed in the right direction he’d probably come around to a home town discount He’s pretty involved at MacDill and he’s obviously set for life financially. I think it comes down to his situation.
December 7th, 2014 at 8:31 pm
What the heck happened to Robert Herron? We have no one dependable besides Evans and V-Jax…..Go Raiderssssss
December 7th, 2014 at 8:32 pm
Getting rid of V-Jax at the end of the season is one mistake that Lovie doesn’t want to make. If he truly knows what he is doing he will keep him going into next season. You can’t get better by dumping one of your most productive offensive players, regardless of salary, and Lovie has to know that.
December 7th, 2014 at 8:42 pm
Keep him. Pay him. There are only two playmakers on offense, and he’s one of them.
December 7th, 2014 at 9:01 pm
Keep priductive good players. I don’t trust Lovie to bring in a good replacement. Look at all his horrible player decisions
December 7th, 2014 at 9:25 pm
Easy Decision. Keep him. VJackson has already earned the right to be “overpayed” next year.
December 7th, 2014 at 9:29 pm
if we could get a 3rd round pick for VJ, Licht will pull the trigger on the trade. We need to find potential lineman more than a #2 receiver that will be 32/33 in the 2015 season!
if no trades are offered for a 3rd rounder, Cut salary in half and play as a rotation #2 wr with young prospects getting the other half of snaps.
the better value is in the trade.
we are trying to build a NFL team here people!!!
December 7th, 2014 at 9:36 pm
This is a no brainer. Keep him.
He is a complete professional who has never complained for the past three years despite being on horrendous teams.
Mike Williams referenced how much he learned from V-Jax during his rookie season (you know the only good one he had). Too bad the lessons didn’t stick for that knucklehead though.
Mike Evans has referenced how much he has learned from V-Jax about being a professional football player (he is having a pretty good year).
Evans is still a kid and given the recent history of our receivers having a good first year and then falling off the face of the earth (Clayton, Williams), I say its crucial for V-Jax to stay put. In my opinion, he is still a number one receiver, still a threat to defenses, and he is still very productive despite having played for some terrible teams.
If we can pay that bum Mankins $6 Mil this year, then we can pay Jackson the $8.5 Mil next year and look smart doing it.
December 7th, 2014 at 9:58 pm
Getting rid of Jackson should not even be in the conversation. How are you going to make the offense and mike evans better by getting rid of him. How about we start with a new qb and draft all OLinemen in the first 4 rounds. We have the worst opine in the league. A new opine alone would make either of our QBs better and help the run game as well. At this point though I am ready for a new QB along with it. Most importantly though we need an offensive coordinator. This blows. I can already feel the disappointing 2015 season just around the corner.
December 7th, 2014 at 10:14 pm
This is what really p!$$e$ me OFF. Schiano should have coached this year, the final year of his contract. 1) Good chance we would not have wasted so much money on these FA busts as we have done this year. 2) Jim Harbaugh will be available in 2015, just about every source is reporting this. 3) We passed on Manziel but more importantly we passed on Bridgewater. Would love to know who Schiano-Dominick would have drafted. 4) Could of would have avoided the Tedford debacle 5) Still cannot fathom how EDS is an “upgrade” over Zuttah????? 6) How does Jacques Smith (league minmum salary) have double the numbers of the multi-millonaire Michael “invisible man” Johnson? I do not know who deserves the most severe “B!*$&% slap, Glazer Brat 1, Glazer brat 2, Lovie, Licht, all the above or someone else. We are Y-E-A-R-S away from having a team that can even sniff .500
December 7th, 2014 at 10:26 pm
The Glazers need to start springing for a real roster.
We’ve had no depth for years.
We stock other teams with great players that we release because
‘we’ don’t want to pay them.
Stop with the goddamn penny pinching.
Put some real effort into building this team.
Bad owners like the Bucs and Jaguars flat out take advantge
of the NFL. It’s bad for the NFl. It’s terrible for fans. Sure you have a
ridiculously gaudy yacht with sharks with lasers on their heads
but at the same time you’re making a mockery of the institution
of the NFL and the fans.
YES. KEEP JACKSON. KEEP GOLDSON. KEEP EVERY GOOD PLAYER HERE.
December 7th, 2014 at 10:44 pm
He is the one FA signing that actually went well (no MRSA or Adderol!). Why ditch him?
December 7th, 2014 at 10:46 pm
Oh…but ditch the mustache….jeez!
December 8th, 2014 at 12:23 am
Keep him unless they can get a second rounder for him. His numbers are still productive and he would still be the #1 receiver on quite a few NFL rosters. If he is dealt he has to bring back a player that will bring immediate impact; not another ****ing project or the trade will be perceived as a salary dump.
December 8th, 2014 at 12:56 am
You have to keep VJAX if you draft mariota because he’ll need those weapons to open it up for him to scramble but at the right price you could let him go if you draft Winston.
December 8th, 2014 at 8:05 am
This isn’t a difficult descision, it’s a no brainer. Keep your most productive wideout. Don’t make more holes where you don’t need to. Don’t cut good players for garbage free agents like we did last year.
We’d better either keep Jackson or get a HUGE haul for him in a trade.
December 8th, 2014 at 8:36 am
finally joe is making sense, he’s a vet which is exactly what a rookie needs even though it did nothing for glennon or mccowns accuracy. it’s like any elite talent we bring in here will automatically come here and suck, bad fans, bad team, bad media coverage beautiful party weather
December 8th, 2014 at 10:31 am
VJax is a great guy and committed to this team from everything i am able to see, but i am sure there’s a part of him that is hoping the bucs decide to move on. there’s a job opening in New England for an experienced #1 wideout, and maybe he is hoping he is the next lucky soul to “graduate” from Tampa to Winnerville
December 8th, 2014 at 10:45 am
V-Jax is the ultimate professional and a true leader. There is no question he should be on the roster next year. The only question is will his salary be what sends him packing. The Bucs do not have a good track record in keeping good players in their later years.
December 8th, 2014 at 3:27 pm
Both VJAX and Evans likely will go over 70 catches and 1,000 yards. Evans is not like the other one-year wonders. he’s a tough guy with a lot of want-to. VJAX has made him better. VJAX will be here next year. Count on it.
December 9th, 2014 at 12:10 am
Pay cut. Keep him Jaboo will show you what to do with 6’5, 6’5, 6’5