Report: Bucs Didn’t Shop Vincent Jackson Or Ask Him For Pay Cut
February 28th, 2015
CBS Sports reported this week that the Buccaneers were trying to cut Vincent Jackson’s pay.
This morning, Mike Florio has published a firm statement claiming that’s silly talk and the Bucs love Jackson.
Florio, NFL guru of ProFootballTalk.com and NBC Sports, even says the Bucs were not shopping Jackson at the trade deadline last year, just listening to various offers for the big man making eight figures.
Welcome to the NFL silly season.
The free agency dinner bell rings in 10 days.
What shook up the wide receiver market a bit was Larry Fitzgerald recently accepting a pay cut. Now he’s only making $11 million a year, which is in Vincent Jackson’s neighborhood. Fitzgerald, of course, is a future Hall of Famer, an icon in Arizona, and a little younger than Jackson.
As Joe’s written previously, reality and the truth in professional sports is a free-flowing situation.
If Brandon Marshall is cut by the Bears, for example, a possibility given their salary cap mess, then the landscape could change. Maybe the Bucs would pursue Marshall and simultaneously ask Jackson to take a pay cut.
The Bucs are in no position to be cutting productive, good football players. Jackson is one of those guys, and Joe believes Florio is on the money.
For now.
February 28th, 2015 at 10:51 am
I think that’s pushing it that LF is a future HoF’er. His skills declined rather fast and sharp.
February 28th, 2015 at 10:52 am
I don’t understand why people are so eager to cut some of the few good football players we have left. Went through that last year and picked up several non-football players with higher salaries in return.
February 28th, 2015 at 10:54 am
Thanks for clarifying Joe – I will now come off my soap box with the local fan GMs that know nothing but you can’t beat them claiming to be SMEs regard Bucs operations and decision making.
Why would the Bucs dangle VJax when he’s one of few reputable and productive WRs and players they do have.
Talk about holes already, losing him would hurt the position, lockeroom, and on the field.
February 28th, 2015 at 11:01 am
Winston does not approve of cutting Vincent Jackson.
February 28th, 2015 at 11:07 am
V-Jax has been an incredibly good player for Tampa since he joined the team. I’m glad he will be here for a while longer. A savvy veteran WR like him will be able to teach Mariota a lot about the pro game!
February 28th, 2015 at 11:14 am
At R.O Had Carson Palmer been able to remain healthy last year Fitz was doing great until he got hurt AGAIN!!! Look for Arians to trade up for a QB in this draft because Palmer cannot stay on the field and that is the only piece of the puzzle for that team to make a run in the next couple seasons.
Vjax needs to stay not just because of his skill set, but his professionalism, work ethic and most important continuity on the team. If they traded Jackson I would have to skip watching Bucs games this season and get direct T.V…
February 28th, 2015 at 11:21 am
I guess everybody have forgotten his nickname from last season “V-DROPS”…..He’s an average receiver, not fast anymore, and only has size now.
AVERAGE RECEIVERS DONT GET PAID 11 million a year………period…dot…point blank….
If he doesn’t take a pay cut, then cut him. Mike Evans will take the lead receiver slot.
February 28th, 2015 at 11:27 am
Its all about supply & demand…..nothing wrong with trying to restructue or looking for an improvement with a better-younger-cheaper WR…..if one exists….
I think we should keep Vjax unless we can absolutely improve on the position.
February 28th, 2015 at 11:32 am
Smokescreen!!!
February 28th, 2015 at 11:34 am
Sign Suh, cut MJ, Collins, and Hawk.
Keep VJax
February 28th, 2015 at 11:44 am
Jackson is one of if not the best free agent the Bucs have EVER signed. Why on earth would we cut one of our best players, particularly since we’re not in cap danger.
February 28th, 2015 at 11:45 am
@joe help me make sense of your logic. You make post saying everyone is dreaming and bash the people who wonder the thought of signing suh. But then you post this crap suggesting the bucs waste money and sign another clone of what we got. who’s playing slot? V jack, B marsh and Evans? talk about a true waste of money right there. at least suh and mccoy would wreck opposing quarterbacks which we suck at. Both evans and v jack had 1k yards each. get out of here.
February 28th, 2015 at 11:46 am
If it aint broke don’t fix it.
February 28th, 2015 at 11:46 am
you’re so stupid haha
February 28th, 2015 at 11:55 am
I guess everybody have forgotten his nickname from last season “V-DROPS”…..He’s an average receiver, not fast anymore, and only has size now.
AVERAGE RECEIVERS DONT GET PAID 11 million a year………period…dot…point blank….
If he doesn’t take a pay cut, then cut him. Mike Evans will take the lead receiver slot.
——————
Boy, some people really struggle with intelligence. He had the same amount of yards and more catches than Evans, yet he’s average????? So is Evans average too? Jackson had all the double teams for the first 11 games, played with a broken wrist, and had the worst Qb play I’ve ever seen. And by the way, one of our two wins was his game winning catch. He’s had a few game winning catches with us since he got here. But he’s average because some random person behind a computer says so. What a world we live in!!!
February 28th, 2015 at 12:11 pm
V jax is class personified. Earned every penny pay the man. We love him in TB.
February 28th, 2015 at 12:13 pm
“…says the Bucs were not shopping Jackson at the trade deadline last year…” – Joe
Is “last year” a typo, Joe? Because I don’t understand what the Bucs did or didn’t do last year has to do with this year.
No typo.–Joe
February 28th, 2015 at 12:15 pm
DallasBuc Says
“I don’t understand why people are so eager to cut some of the few good football players we have left.”
On this we can agree.
We have far too many needs this year, and I just don’t see the point in creating new ones.
I DO understand cutting underperforming, overpaid players (or trading them), but Jackson does not fit into that category.
February 28th, 2015 at 12:19 pm
Bucs Anthem Says
“If he doesn’t take a pay cut, then cut him. Mike Evans will take the lead receiver slot.”
Cool. So we’ll just create a new need for the #2 spot while we already need a firm #3 WR. On top of OG, OT, Center, QB, DE, SS, FS, and Punter.
Jackson had over a thousand yards with Josh McCown throwing to him behind a horrible Oline. In my book, that’s miraculous.
February 28th, 2015 at 12:27 pm
Amen, Hawaiian.
February 28th, 2015 at 12:28 pm
Good news. Glad to hear they want to win.
Harassing V-Jax would be counterproductive at best.
February 28th, 2015 at 12:36 pm
[…] There was speculation that the Buccaneers would reach out to veteran wide receiver Vincent Jackson about a restructure to reduce his $9-million-plus figure this season and beyond. On Friday, CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora reported that Jackson will not agree to a pay cut and that the team did make an attempt to trade him. However, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reports that Tampa Bay never reached out to Jackson for a restructure nor have they really tried to shop him around (h/t JoeBucsFan). […]
February 28th, 2015 at 12:53 pm
Winston said VJax is key to going 50-1, winning the Superbowl next year and getting to hall of fame! There was no drug testing at the combine!
February 28th, 2015 at 1:28 pm
Hawaiian Buc you are WRONG. Jackson played with a broken wrist, and had the worst quarterback in the league throwing to him. Jackson is no less of a player than he was in 2012. When a guy like Mike Evans emerges, of course his ‘stats won’t be as sexy as they once were. Together they made a great duo. Why would you want to ruin the only strength of this team, our receivers?
So what if he’s slightly overpaid? I think we should all be complaining about the underperforming, overpaid bums on our team like Goldson and ghostly Michael Johnson and not one of our better players like Jackson. I’ve seen way to many good players leave this damn team and continue on playing well with other clubs, while we continue to be in the basement of the NFL year after year.
February 28th, 2015 at 1:36 pm
^^^Sorry Hawaiian Buc, my comment was directed toward the person you were replying to.
February 28th, 2015 at 1:51 pm
Vincent Jackson has earned every cent since he got here. Hell he caught the game winning pass with a broken wrist! He is also a professional who sets a great example for the younger players, especially all the diva Drake wannabe receivers.
February 28th, 2015 at 2:36 pm
With an average Quarterback our average wide receivers would have been both been pro bowlers last year! With a real loser like Josh Mcclown, he turned us into real circus!
February 28th, 2015 at 2:40 pm
What scares me is that where there is smoke, there is usually fire. The same thing happened last year with Revis. There was speculation we would cut him or ask him to take a pay cut, then Lovie said he wanted him, then next thing you know we got rid of him. Maybe the Bucs listen to the rumors and start to believe it themselves. I wouldn’t even doubt it the way this organization does things sometimes. If we do get rid of him, I guarantee you it will end badly for us, just like how it did with Revis. I don’t give a sh!t if Jackson asks for a raise, you give him whatever he wants. He’s earned it. That man has put up numbers with suckage for QB, played through numerous injuries (never missed a game for us), and is a model citizen in the community.
If I’m Jackson and the Bucs even ask me politely to take a pay cut, I extend my middle finger right in their face. I can list 25 players off the top of my head that should be asked to take a pay cut before Jackson. You don’t mess with the good ones who are doing their job. Especially when you are a 2-14 team about to draft a QB (hopefully).
February 28th, 2015 at 3:12 pm
Jackson has been way better than Fitzgerald for three straight years.
February 28th, 2015 at 3:37 pm
Jackson is just as important to this team as GMC or Lavonte David is. Try telling me how he isn’t?
February 28th, 2015 at 4:29 pm
I really don’t like the reasoning of him being an overpaid 2nd receiver, so we should cut him or cut his pay. Since Evans makes less money than most #1’s, should we give him more money? And by the way, he’s not really that overpaid as a #2, especially with his production. Fitzgerald has been a #2 for a couple years now, and that’s what he makes. Jackson is worth whatever he makes, and he better be on our team in September.
February 28th, 2015 at 11:01 pm
We don’t want Evans doubled yet so keep VJ. He will go over 1000 again anyway.
February 28th, 2015 at 11:43 pm
Dude played with broken wrist. V- Drop…..give him a break.
March 1st, 2015 at 2:44 am
I didnt know he was playing with a healing broke wrist! Now thats a MAN!!! Keep him!
March 1st, 2015 at 3:44 am
I say keep him…..but it’s time to start looking for another WR this draft or next.
March 1st, 2015 at 9:19 am
It really is the silky season and it’s driven by the media but they almost try to pretend it’s not. We just drafted a receive in the running for rookie of the year now why on earth would we go get an old basket case like Marshall and waste money? Young at receiver is the way to go for a team with a young quarterback if you already have an aging veteran, you don’t take targets away from Evans