Only Fools Dismiss NFL’s Yoda
September 5th, 2016
Smart to follow Yoda’s lead.
Nothing seems to get Bucs fans worked up quite like when they recognize a name.
Over the weekend, Packers yoda Ted Thompson cut former Pro Bowl guard Josh Sitton.
Bucs fans immediately took to Twitter to ask Joe when the Bucs were going to sign him. Joe wouldn’t, and Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht didn’t, and for good reason, Joe believes.
Sitton signed with the Bears last night.
History strongly suggests that any time Thompson doesn’t want a player, it is for good reason. The player is done or has very limited miles left on the tread.
Oh, sure, Thompson, arguably the best general manager and talent evaluator working in the NFL, cut loose Charles Woodson. How much gas did he have left in the tank? Not much (three years, actually), and the Raiders continued to lose with him.
Sure, the Vikings squeezed two more seasons out of Brett Favre after Thompson tried to force him into retirement (and wouldn’t trade him to the Bucs). Meanwhile, Aaron Rodgers won a Super Bowl with the Packers while Favre was limping around wearing purple.
(Yes, Joe knows Favre also played a forgettable season with the Jets, too.)
The Bucs have history on their side as evidence to stay clear of a Thompson castoff.
Anyone remember the Great Lumpkin, Kregg Lumpkin? Former Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik was convinced Lumpkin could replace Cadillac Williams. While Dominik was smart not to re-sign Cadillac (he was toast physically), Dominik should have known not to sign a guy Thompson had no use for.
Lumpkin was a joke with the Bucs.
Then there was/is then-Evan Dietrich-Smith, now known as Evan Smith. He too was tossed aside by Thompson. The Bucs threw a wad of cash at him and it was largely a waste. Smith has rebounded and he was in a battle to start at center and can start at guard.
Still, the Bucs grossly overpaid for Smith.
Simply put, if Sitton is not good enough for Thompson, there’s a reason.
It pays to pay attention to the NFL yoda of general managers. If Thompson doesn’t want Sitton, then neither does Joe.
Besides, it is not like the Bucs have a garbage offensive line or even a need at guard. And remember, J.R. Sweezy is still out there waiting to heal to rejoin the team later this season — if he heals.
September 5th, 2016 at 6:48 am
Makes perfectly good sense to me.
September 5th, 2016 at 7:24 am
Joe, Sweezy never hits the field this year. Mark the tape. I just don’t see it happening. Can never have enough O-Line depth, especially when the franchise is dropping back in the pocket.
September 5th, 2016 at 7:50 am
We have the money to bring in a 1 year bridge type player…..but we don’t need 3 years at that position….
September 5th, 2016 at 7:57 am
Sometimes, just sometimes, they cut a player due to salary cap issues, or because the roster is too stacked at a position that someone has to be the odd man out.
If a team has a need they need to do their research with each individual. A blanket statement like. “If Ted Thompson doesn’t want him neither do I.” Is kinda silly. Every situation and player are different. Did we over pay Evan Smith? Sure, but he is still a very valuable player on our o line. And when have bucs ever not needed to over pay for free agents? We always over pay, well, at least it wasn’t a Saints o lineman. We swing and miss horrendously at saints o lineman. All in all I gotta disagree with you joe. There are good players released from good teams all the time, even the packers.
September 5th, 2016 at 7:57 am
Between smith and pamphile, we are fine at G depth. Unless marpet is injured long term, but that’s not been the rumor.
Never understood how sweezy got such a huge contract if he was this injured. What got missed in the team physical? Or what happened to cause this injury after the fact? None of this seems clear to me still as we start the season.
September 5th, 2016 at 9:19 am
Totally Agree we should not always pull the plug just to fill a need/hole, unless it is value. OL is not a need and probably the deepest unit on the team as far as experience goes. We do need WR/KR, DT, LB and maybe running back but all 3rd, or 4th on the depth chart. I see DexMc, Hester and Hunter all signed elsewhere. Hope smith can handle the kickoffs. We need to get rid of two TE/FB and pick up the WR/KR ASAP….
King Buc 17
September 5th, 2016 at 9:29 am
I think too many fans are worried about KR the league is doing it’s best to eliminate kick off returns therefore the need is not as important as some suggest.
Joe
Yoda is great no doubt but he needs to give rodgers a defense at some point.
September 5th, 2016 at 9:43 am
I think Sitton will turn out to be a little better than the rest, as there were contract issues involved in this situation, and he, along with two other starting O linemen, would be FA’s next year. If they had another guy that was close or up and coming, they would have been foolish to keep Sitton and cutting the young new guy.
September 5th, 2016 at 10:09 am
Marpet, Pamphile, Smith, Sweezy, Allen … I don’t see the need to try to acquire another guard. I can see adding to WR depth, but offensive line is solid.
September 5th, 2016 at 10:18 am
“the Bucs grossly overpaid for Smith.”
Evan Smith’s 4 year contract averages $3.5M per year. He earns $2.5M in 2016. How is that “grossly overpaid” for a capable, versatile Olineman with years of experience seeing as he nearly won the starting center job this year and is the #1 backup at all 3 interior positions???
Backup veteran OT Cherilous earns $4.5M this year and is unlikely to play anywhere near the # of snaps that Evan Smith will this year. Yet I don’t see you complaining about his contract
You are way off base on that take Joe.
September 5th, 2016 at 10:44 am
They should just worry about getting another WR signed
September 5th, 2016 at 10:55 am
… Another poorly concieved article… Seems like such a small sample size. Also pretty hypocritical or you to hate on apparently poor o-line depth when you have been aching for the Bucs to sign any and every washed up WR on the market all offseason.
Joe hasn’t hated anywhere on O-line depth. Joe has praised it repeatedly. –Joe
September 5th, 2016 at 4:15 pm
Kinda like during the Braves glory days, if Schurholtz & Cox gave up on a pitcher, stay away….
September 5th, 2016 at 4:30 pm
Woodson could of kept playing he was still one of the best at the position when he retired
September 5th, 2016 at 5:30 pm
Lol joe just getting slaughtered
September 5th, 2016 at 7:15 pm
Favre was a play away from going to the Super Bowl in Minnesota…
I agree though, that usually there is a reason why. Just like with Justin Hunter, Arron Dobson, etc.
September 6th, 2016 at 6:50 am
Joe’s blog isn’t the first place I’ve heard that Ted Thompson is the man, Yoda if you want, at evaluating talent in the NFL. So, if Thompson opts to cut someone they probably need to be out of the league.
Likewise, some of you on here are correct when you say, the Bucs should evaluate talent themselves.
However, you’re only correct until “evaluating talent yourself” runs into the adage I heard from an NFL name you would all know if I could remember it (hey, give me a break the memory banks are getting old), to the effect of: “if an NFL player becomes a free agent there is a reason, because teams manage to sign the players they want to keep.”
So, given the fact Thompson released Josh Sitton and that teams manage to resign players they want to keep, it’s probably best the Bucs steered clear of Sitton.