Praising (Allegedly) Evil Free Agency
February 16th, 2016
With the chiming bells of free agency freedom set to ring in 22 short days, Joe realizes many Bucs fans think free agency is the devil that leads a team down the “dark path” Team Glazer referenced seven years ago.
Baloney!
What kills teams is failing in the draft and picking the wrong free agents. That’s the lethal combination. Just stop picking the wrong guys! Simple as that.
Look at the Super Bowl champion Broncos with DeMarcus Ware, Aqib Talib and T.J. Ward running wild and dominating in their defense. Both were vault-busting free agent signings by Denver in 2014. Only 19 players on the championship roster were with Denver when it lost the Super Bowl to Seattle in 2014.
Never mind what Seattle did by busting the bank for two free agent defensive ends, Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett, who the Bucs let walk away (all together now) for no good reason.
Last week, Broncos superstar outside linebacker Von Miller, the Super Bowl MVP, spoke eloquently on SiriusXM NFL Radio about how Ware was the big difference-maker on the roster because he showed so many players how to be professional and approach their work with extreme focus. Miller explained how Ware won’t even come to a spring practice in sweatpants. It’s always all business and dedication to every detail.
Ironically, Bucs honchos and players have often said similar things about Vincent Jackson and Logan Mankins, two guys not drafted by the Bucs. Oh, what a horror it was to bring in Jackson and Mankins.
Of course, Joe is not in favor of flushing money down the toilet on garbage players that drag the team down (See 2014). But playing scared in free agency based on the past is not a winning formula. It’s a loser’s anthem.
The Bucs have many holes, and they have a giant pile of money available to spend. Significant dabbling in free agency this year is a no-brainer.
February 16th, 2016 at 5:14 am
Wilkerson is the prize, the jets can’t afford him long term so they will tag and trade . Licht package a 2nd and a 5th and solidify that position for the next 6 years .
February 16th, 2016 at 5:30 am
Free agency is absolutely a great tool when you don’t have idiots picking the players. (Lovie)
Our last double digit sack guy hint (Simeon Rice )was signed how?
If you answer free agency, you’re todays big winner!!!!! Yeaaaaaaa
February 16th, 2016 at 5:54 am
Hunter, a guy tagged like Wilkerson will be, commands a 1st round pick at minimum. Quit living the fantasy bro.
I think free agency was also tainted in this town by stubborn coaches focusing on only their guys (who may have been washed up), and then poor coaching once all these players got into town. Maybe they all wouldn’t have been busts if the coaches could pull their heads out their arse!!
February 16th, 2016 at 6:00 am
I don’t think the BUCS “have many holes”, however, filling them with quality players is very important this year to justify the Lovie firing!!! I am a big supporter of Dirk Koetter and think this team is on the edge of being very good this year. Free agency is the beginning, followed by the draft and finally…..coaching. This off-season is going to fun to watch.
February 16th, 2016 at 6:39 am
Lovie’s (and possibly Licht’s) biggest free agency failures were due to not selecting players at the top of their game. Selecting based off of percieved potential rather than recent performance. Same story over and over. Players who had a one good year, two or three years ago, but for some reason fell off the year before we picked them, and we were dumb enough to think that somehow playing for Lovie would fix what ever issues they had or make them play better than ever before. There are good players to be had, Bucs just need a better approach to finding them.
February 16th, 2016 at 6:40 am
Seattle didn’t bust the bank , they signed Avril and Bennett both for 5 mil a year
Might want to do your research on Avril. Regardless, Seattle then busted the bank for both guys in 2014.–Joe
February 16th, 2016 at 6:57 am
Unfortunately the Bucs need upgrades all over
The Bucs need 2 DE, 1 DT, 1 SLB, 2 CB, 1 FS, 1 SS , 1 OT and possibly 1 OG.
February 16th, 2016 at 7:17 am
More teams fail in free agency than succeed but you can’t be afraid of free agency either
February 16th, 2016 at 8:02 am
@Joe, it’s not they have a big pile of money to spend, it’s that they have a big pile of money that Licht per league rules has to spend 90% of.
February 16th, 2016 at 8:43 am
“Stop picking the wrong guys….” Oh, that simple eh? Sounds like every team in the league can be free agent geniuses if it is indeed that simple!
Wow, wonder if the Joe(s) stayed up all night to think of that?
February 16th, 2016 at 8:46 am
Hunter Says
“Wilkerson is the prize, the jets can’t afford him long term so they will tag and trade . Licht package a 2nd and a 5th and solidify that position for the next 6 years .”
If he is given the nonexclusive franchise tag, the requirement is TWO first round picks, which would be way too much.
The 2nd and 5th suggestion won’t work.
February 16th, 2016 at 8:54 am
Ocala Says
“Unfortunately the Bucs need upgrades all over
The Bucs need 2 DE, 1 DT, 1 SLB, 2 CB, 1 FS, 1 SS , 1 OT and possibly 1 OG.”
Way off.
2 DE, 1 CB, 1 Safety (assuming we resign ours). 1 Guard IF Mankins retires this year, 1 WR and KR. Frankly, I think they should bribe him yo play one more year.
It is entirely possible that one of our existing DEs will turn a corner under the new coaches. Banks has developed fine…when starting. Actually quicker than Barber did. Vernon is fine, when used right. We still need a third CB.
WR needs to be fast with great hands. There is currently only maybe 1 FA that will fit that bill…so it will be addressed in the draft.
KR. New coaches might not even care.
February 16th, 2016 at 9:14 am
“$CARED MONEY DON’T MAKE MONEY”!!!!
February 16th, 2016 at 9:25 am
@buccfan305: it was (L&L) who brung in free agents and draft picks the last two years yet LOVIE is an idiot and Jason is…………………well THE BACK-STABBER! THE CONSPIRACY RUNS DEEP!!!
February 16th, 2016 at 10:03 am
BigHogHaynes
stop with the backstabbing crap… LOVIE FAILED ALL ON HIS OWN!!!!
February 16th, 2016 at 10:09 am
Free agency is just another aspect of the game… No different than drafting or game day management you have to win in all phases (offense, defense and special teams) on game days and you MUST win in all phases of the off-season Free Agency, Drafting and Preparation (training camp) playing scared on game days will cost you games just like playing scared in free agency will cost you games. Good teams win at all phases of the game Free Agency, Drafting, Coaching then on game days Offense, Defense and Special Teams.
Losers play not to lose… You must play to win…
You won’t always win with every draft pick or free agent signing but you should never miss like Lovie did with all his system specific, injury prone has beens that never were.
February 16th, 2016 at 11:11 am
Joe, please stop saying that Michael Bennett was allowed to walk “for no good reason”. After his 2012 season with the Bucs where he made 2.7 mil, both he and his agent were quoted as saying he would not consider staying for anything less than a multi-year deal. Their asking price was 8-10 million per year. That salary at the time would have made him one of the highest paid defensive ends in the NFL. After testing free agency, his best offer (Seattle) was 4.8 mil FOR ONE YEAR!! Yes, he turned out to be a nice player since then, but the point is his production was nowhere close to what he was asking for from the Bucs before he tested free agency. All 32 NFL GMs at the time apparently agreed!
February 16th, 2016 at 11:13 am
BUC55:
So a guy who was begging, both privately and publicly, to stay in Tampa Bay wouldn’t have signed for the same price? No need to spin. The Bucs had a productive defensive end at a position that is difficult to fill who they have yet to replace who walked away. For. No. Good. Reason.
February 16th, 2016 at 11:45 am
I just hope that Dirk Koetter, Mike Smith, Jon Hoke, Todd Monken, Brett Maxie and Jay Hayes are all doing their homework with the UFA who are available. They need to pressure Jason Licht to get the checkbook out. We need a complete overhaul of our secondary and we can not accomplish this in the draft alone. A CB, Safety and DE, one each in the draft and FA.
February 16th, 2016 at 1:59 pm
Bennett was allowed to walk because we had a replacement, a young high draft pick who the coaches felt would play to his potential and step into the position. That is how you build a team, and first and second round picks are expected to perform when they get their shot. It was a mistake. A big one for sure, but at the time it was reasonable to think that Bowers would be able to fill Bennett’s shoes.