Hidden Reasons For Release?
March 16th, 2015
Boy, yesterday when it was announced that former Bucs defensive end, ghostly, Snuggle-soft Michael Johnson inked a pact with the Bengals, Bucs fans erupted in anger.
Let’s just say few will have Johnson on their Christmas card list after such a shadowy season.
Remember, Johnson haunted the Bucs so much, the Bucs are paying him $7 million for the 2015 season just to exorcise his presence from One Buc Palace. That’s a hefty sum.
But it seems the Bucs were spooked by more than just Johnson’s invisible play. The “Custodian of Canton,” eye-RAH! Kaufman of the Tampa Tribune, strongly implied other factors besides Ghost’s non-existent results were at play in the release.
@SchaufDS Tampa Bay’s frustration with Johnson went beyond his lackluster play. Work ethic and approach were also factors in his release
— Ira Kaufman (@IKaufmanTBO) March 15, 2015
This is enough to make Joe throw his chair across the room. This is just gutless! The guy is given a king’s ransom to play football, a game most of us would give our left testicle to still be able to play. And this apparition just coasted and watched the checks clear to his savings account. That’s despicable.
What made it worse was Ghost was whining like a homesick child to a Cincinnati newspaper halfway through the season wishing he was back in Cincinnati. Well, he got his wish. And his payday.
A week ago, Joe would have argued that Josh McCown may be the worst free agent signing in Bucs history. Joe believes it is Ghost.
March 16th, 2015 at 8:04 am
He’s a pu**y
March 16th, 2015 at 8:07 am
Absolutely one of the worst signings of all bucs time. Joe, you cant come down on McCown that hard. Especially after this revelation of zero effort with MJ. McCown may not be a Manning, but he did put his heart and soul into this team and gave it his all. I have no ill feelings toward McCown. The Ghost on the other hand….what a piece of garbage.
March 16th, 2015 at 8:10 am
He will probably do good in Ohio, as a manager I have seen over and over again how one guy will shine with one supervisor and not the other. An ex running back comes to mind. Besides, it’s a Bucs life, that is the way of a lot of our releases go.
March 16th, 2015 at 8:17 am
If he’s not the worst, he has to be tied with that WR from the Cowboys we signed who did the exact same thing.
You notice how his ex defensive coordinator didn’t want anything to do with him in Minnesota.
DE position in Bucs defense is like a dream position for any edge rusher in the NFL. It’s like they are the wolf on a leash and the QB is a small lamb. At every snap of the ball your handle unsnaps the leash and says “dinner time.”
Apparently with all that guaranteed money in his pocket, Johnson lost his hunger.
Don’t expect that to change.
March 16th, 2015 at 8:26 am
The guy is a salary cap casualty in 2014, signs as a top free agent with the Bucs, sits on his butt faking injuries for a year, gets cut, goes back to old team, sighs a 4 year contract. COLUSION……
March 16th, 2015 at 8:26 am
Add to this, the Bengals will get a compensatory pick for us signing him last season and may well be entitled to one for Collins as well…
March 16th, 2015 at 8:27 am
If that is true about work ethic and approach his career will never get off the ground again, his only double digit sack year probably was more about those things and motivation. This dude doesn’t think he has anything to prove he probably enjoys looking the past sort of like Dwight Howard
March 16th, 2015 at 8:29 am
ddneast is wrong, The Vikings were the other team after Johnson, his first team visit was with the Vikings.
Now, what happens if he has a good year? what does that say about Lovie and the Bucs???
March 16th, 2015 at 8:30 am
I can say I was at the home opener and watched with my bincoulars Johnson limping and waving toward the sideline calling for replacement. This was I think on the first series.
High ankle sprain is what was reported, my guess it was serious.
We will never know now what a HEALTHY MJ could do…..it is totaly unfair to blame an elite athlete for poor performance while “trying” to play with a high ankle sprain….just saying
March 16th, 2015 at 8:33 am
Does anyone care about hidden reasons for a terrible football player?
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room.
Worst O-line in football. Not one upgrade thus far and they are gonna pin their hopes on rookie lineman through the draft?
Stupid.
5 wins and another top 5 pick next year.
Typical bucs life
March 16th, 2015 at 8:36 am
And don’t give me this crap about over paying.
2-14 means you have to overpay a bit.
Idiots. I’ve lost all faith in this team and orginazation
I’m sick of sitting around every dang year hearing patience or some other form of B.S.
Just clueless.
March 16th, 2015 at 8:40 am
ddneast, I was thinking the same thing as I read the article. The Cowboys receiver you were refering to, was Alvin Harper.
March 16th, 2015 at 8:46 am
bucs4lyfe
You don’t need your career to take off again when you just stole 14 to 16 million from two teams in two years. It’s comic books and kool aid for that POS punk for the rest of his life. Thanks Lovie!
March 16th, 2015 at 8:52 am
Thanks BucsBob.
BucRealist please take a course in reading comprehension or Geography. I wrote Minnesota, which is where his ex defensive coordinator Zimmerman is the head coach.
No one ever said Minnesota was after him. He visited the team but I have read nowhere that the team made an offer for him.
And let’s put to bed this age old lie that every player the Bucs cut, waive or trade go on to become HOF players.
I know of one, Steve Young, who went on to have a stellar career after being trade. Fortunately for Young, he got to sit behind Joe Montana and learn how to play the position in the NFL.
If anyone would like to add to that list, I’d be interested in hearing about all these great HOF players.
March 16th, 2015 at 8:54 am
“5 wins and another top 5 pick next year. ”
great! then winston will have some pro experience and we can get out offensive tackle or defensive end in the draft next year.
March 16th, 2015 at 8:56 am
warren sapp and derrick brooks were cut, waived, or traded and went on to the hall of fame. i know that is not what you meant…but i answered your question.
March 16th, 2015 at 8:57 am
I didn’t see effort from him on the field, so I wouldn’t surprised if there was none off the field too.
March 16th, 2015 at 8:59 am
The Kevin, what in gods name does a bad offensive line have to do with the perceived notion that a DE tanked a season because he got lazy with a big wad of cash in his pocket. You haters really crack me up when you try to put an organ to use that has been dormant for way to long.
Like trying to watch a 90 year old man make love to a 19 yo girl.
March 16th, 2015 at 9:00 am
DNeast………..I believe you are referring to Alvin Harper
March 16th, 2015 at 9:10 am
Michael Johnson should give up half his Buc total salary to a charity of the Glazer’s choice.
Man-up Michael Johnson and give up some of those fat checks you did not earn to a good cause. That is one way to get some of your honor back, and then maybe you can sleep with a clear conscious afterwards.
March 16th, 2015 at 9:13 am
Johnson pretty much s*cked out loud, high ankle sprain or not. Swing and a miss. Bucs gotta keep swinging. Who’d they get so far, a couple of d backs not as good as the one’s already on the roster… Going to need to step it up, and soon.
March 16th, 2015 at 9:13 am
I get irritated by the media describing him as “pass rusher Michael Johnson”.
March 16th, 2015 at 9:28 am
I never understood the hate for McCown. So what he turned the ball over a few times trying his hardest to win some games with the horrible situation the guy was put into with no zero OL and coordinator help. The guy just stayed positive , played hard and got the crap beat out of him and kept trying. We saw the year before what the guy could do given a decent team around him. I think he will go out and play well next year if he gets a chance to start. Should we improve the position and draft Winston, Yes. I just think bashing McCown shows no class.
March 16th, 2015 at 9:30 am
Funny that people on here, Joe included, calling this guy soft, or a pu**y. What was required in getting to the level he is at means he is twice as tough as any keyboard warrior.
March 16th, 2015 at 9:39 am
After a player signs it is up to him to be a man and train, learn and try his best. He obviously didn’t do any of the above. The Bucs did their part and the player did not even try to do his.
March 16th, 2015 at 9:49 am
Not sure how you could say that when he visited Minny first…
I don’t think it says anything about Lovie and the Bucs. You can’t make someone want to play, no matter how much you motivate them.
Like someone said before, he most likely was just looking for a pay day rather than actually wanting to be here.
I’ll take guys like Melton and Carter who actually want to be here vs. guys like Johnson who only chase the money.
Then stop subjecting yourself to the tortue and find another team to root for. You have 31 other options…
…and please don’t come back when we start winning.
I don’t normally agree with Realist, but I will defend him in this one instance. If you say he needs a course in reading comprehension, then you clearly need a course in writing comprehension. You clearly stated that his old D-coordinator wanted nothing to do with him. How can that be the case if he visited Minny first? You think he just went up there for shits and giggles? Obviously the coach called him up for a visit. As a matter of fact:
Per Profootball Talk
I’m guessing you’re going to call Johnson a liar now, right?
March 16th, 2015 at 10:14 am
I heard MJ was upset about all the name calling on JBF…
March 16th, 2015 at 10:24 am
“A week ago, Joe would have argued that Josh McCown may be the worst free agent signing in Bucs history. Joe believes it is Ghost.” – Joe
Charlie Gardner.
‘Nuff said.
March 16th, 2015 at 10:30 am
His off field laziness definitely showed up on the field. He shut it down after getting his big payday.
March 16th, 2015 at 11:04 am
I recall Mike Zimmer saying something to the affect that Zimmer “made” Johnson and didn’t expect much from him. Telling point is it appears that Zimmer didn’t make a strong run at getting him up in Minnesota.
March 16th, 2015 at 12:19 pm
Not all the blame rest on Johnson – look at the people who shelled out the money as well.
When you don’t have credibility and guardians in the lockeroom this BS happens. Someone should’ve raised the flag our the gate that this guy was soft and only collecting a check.
Back in the day Sapp or someone on the team wouldve engaged him and checked his balls but now things are too friendly and “bullying” is a loose term used but in this case someone needed to check this coward!
Lovie cheers to you.
March 16th, 2015 at 12:52 pm
You know what make me sick?
They are saying that Cincinnati will receive compensatory picks for Johnson and for Collins.
How the f*ck does that happen? WE should be getting the compensatory picks, WE are the one who got f*cked by these signings last season.
SMDH.
March 16th, 2015 at 2:22 pm
What’s crazy is everyone but lovie new he wasn’t a good fit
March 16th, 2015 at 4:10 pm
The Bengals get a third round pick.
He keeps his guaranteed money.
The Bengals get him back.
Wow. I hope we play this guy again.
If we still had Donald Penn, who Loves playing for the Bucs,
If Donald was still here, and he played against Mixhael?
Then I can assure you, he would whoop his ass for us!
March 16th, 2015 at 4:33 pm
The Ghost is the 2nd worst Joe. Revis was THE worst. He robbed the Bucs and hauled ass after it was clear we could not afford to keep him. Another SHAT-ON-YO move by the rat only to help out his butt buddy Belicheat. AND how the hell did the Pats not lose any picks or get in trouble for this round of cheating? WFT Goodell is in Kraft’s pocket I bet. I’m surprised the other owners don’t do anything.