Bucs Not Among The Bennett Final Three
March 9th, 2018
More details have emerged on the final chase for defensive end Michael Bennett (that’s not a Vegas police joke).
Pro Bowler and Super Bowl winner Bennett was traded to the reigning champion Eagles this week for a late-round draft pick.
He sure could have helped Tampa Bay, but the Bucs bowed out of the low-cost sweepstakes. NFL Network insider reporter Ian Rapoport told WDAE-AM 620 yesterday morning that only three teams were left at the very end of the negotiations: the Falcons, Patriots and the Eagles. Atlanta offered a sixth-round pick and New England served up a swap of draft picks, Rapoport said, before the Eagles won sending a seventh-round pick to Seattle for Bennett and a fifth-round pick and wide receiver Marcus Johnson.
Adam Schefter of BSPN reported the Bucs and Browns were the fray at some point for Bennett’s services.
Joe is just so confused by the concept that Jason Licht would be interested in Bennett but then wouldn’t make it happen.
Sure, all kinds of things can kill a deal. There’s no limit to the speculation. Rapoport reported later yesterday that the Patriots’ offer was actually better than the Eagles. Joe can understand Seattle not wanting to help New England (who would?) but turning down the Bucs? Please.
What is clear is the Bucs will have new defensive ends this year. Maybe.
March 9th, 2018 at 9:28 am
Maybe it’s time to glean something from Miko’s words.
Licht/Koetter are being set up as lame ducks, and I think it’s fair to wonder whether or not Jason is being told to not touch those draft picks so there’s young talent around for the next group in charge.
However, I’ll wait until free agency before I lose my head like the rest of the fan base.
March 9th, 2018 at 9:28 am
What if he just didn’t want to come back home!! I wouldn’t have! ……There’s PRINCIPALITIES TO THIS THANG!!! Ha ha ha ha ha ha!
March 9th, 2018 at 9:30 am
Joe, you’re looking at it from a total $$$ perspective. Look at who the final 3 were. All 3 were in the super bowl within the last 2 years. Clearly it’s not about money for him. We don’t have the record book to compete with those teams. There’s really nothing Licht could have done about that. It’s like Kirk Cousins. If he wanted a huge pay day then he’d go to the Jets or the Browns. Those two aren’t even in contention right now because he wants more than just $$$. Sometimes these players just aren’t in our market until we’re a legitimate contender and they see us as a team that they can win with, not just get paid with.
March 9th, 2018 at 9:30 am
Not viewing Bennett as a miss by Jason Licht as much as I am Licht whiffing on Robert Quinn. Bennett is a huge distraction and weve learned our lesson with egotistical “me” players.
March 9th, 2018 at 9:32 am
Look at the teams that were considered the finalists…..Falcons, Patriots, Eagles….all contenders. I’ve been saying this all along…..Productive vets that can keep their current salary would prefer to go to teams that will be making the playoffs. Nobody views the Bucs in that tier of teams. The only way those guys come here is for one last pay day and that’s a terrible formula for the team. Our team has glaring instability….the GM/Coaches may be gone after this year….the QB could be suspended and the team just isnt that appealing. Tampa isnt event that great of a city relative to Boston, Philly or Atlanta….heck even Miami despite being a borderline playoff team, the city is much more appealing.
I think Licht owns a lot of that but at the same time, Winston’s investigation hanging over the team cant be making Licht’s job any easier. Winston needs to own a bit of the blame for creating uncertainty about the teams prospects for the upcoming season.
March 9th, 2018 at 9:35 am
Beggers cannot be choosy. Losers must take what they can get. Bennett still got a little ball left in him. And from what I’ve seen from this sorry A..Buc Defense? Anything is better than what they have displayed. Bennett will make Philly better. Why? Because he does not have tp play 3 downs and they will utilize him on special/spot plays. Winners..can do that.
March 9th, 2018 at 9:35 am
What is clear is the Bucs will have new defensive ends this year. Maybe.
———-
Maybe lmao
March 9th, 2018 at 9:36 am
Regardless, theres been reports that Jason Licht tried to trade for both Quinn and Michael Bennet which to me is highly concerning that Jason Licht would go 0 for 2 in FA so far. This shows me hes not being aggressive enough. If your interested in a player, go all in. Dont sit around and just dip your toes in the water. Make something happen.
March 9th, 2018 at 9:37 am
The time to have signed Bennett was before he left for Seattle without an offer “for no good reason” as Joe has said time and again.
March 9th, 2018 at 9:41 am
Blah blah blah,get over it! Next !!!!!!!
March 9th, 2018 at 9:42 am
Question to Joe(s):
If all the really good-looking, wealthy girls were begging for a date with you, would you turn your back on them and choose to hang out with the fat, dumpy, chick who doesn’t use deodorant?
With the W-L record of the Bucs, they’re the latter…..
Wonder why free agents aren’t begging to come here?
Money talks, and these guys weren’t free agents. –Joe
March 9th, 2018 at 9:46 am
Tbbuc
Those “distractions” and “me” players all have championship rings AND are perennial playoff participants. Meanwhile the great men of character that you and others value so much are consistently in last place.
I think you guys might underestimate how the best players in the league react to such statements and biases which could very well be one reason why the Bucs can’t sign good FAs to save their lives.
I’d venture to say that’s some “real” fans disagreed with Muhammad Ali and MLK, probably considered them distractions and un-patriotic too. Amirite?
March 9th, 2018 at 9:46 am
Guys………. Players getting traded have no say in where they go. Jeeeesh! Smh
March 9th, 2018 at 9:46 am
Bobby M
Ya lets blame Winston for not getting Michael Bennet. That is quite the reach there. There is absolutely 0 correlation there. But lets blame him for something that we have no idea if he did or not.
March 9th, 2018 at 9:47 am
Heard on an interview on nfl radio that Seattle is getting rid of players to quote “take back the locker room”!!!!!!!
That statement was pretty telling!!!!!!!
GO Bucs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
March 9th, 2018 at 9:48 am
You know that it’s especially not about money when Bennett is a former player on a FL team and knows how much further those checks go when there isn’t any state tax applied to it. It’s not even necessarily about the wins for him because he was given a better offer sheet by NE and turned it down to be on a Philly line that’s already pretty stacked. I think that goes back to the report about winning a lot in NE or winning and enjoying the game in Philly. The evidence would suggest that Bennett was looking for that formula.
I really don’t think that any of this was an indictment on Licht at all. Unless of course, you want to indirectly lay it on him saying that not putting together a team that has won enough over time put us in this place, but in the micro view I think his hands were tied.
March 9th, 2018 at 9:53 am
Clearly, the Glazer Boys are holding the purse strings shut.
Have been holding the purse strings shut.
Will always continue to hold the purse strings shut.
Please re-read above as many times as it takes to sink in.
March 9th, 2018 at 9:53 am
@SB – ya know what, you’re absolutely right. I got off on a tangent and didn’t even consider that part of it. Good call, man. I guess it really was just about what the teams would agree to. I’ll go sit quietly in the corner now
March 9th, 2018 at 9:58 am
1. Your going to realize the team with the player is in the drivers seat not the Bucs.
2. If they wanted more than Licht wanted or felt the player was worth depending now or long run for the team is his decision and the people he is consulting with.
Get over it. Free Agency and the draft are not even here.
March 9th, 2018 at 10:00 am
Fck this guy anyways. Sounds like Licht had a price in mind and didn’t want to go above that price.
March 9th, 2018 at 10:02 am
Blaming licht is shortsighted at best. Like most he’s been successful somewhere else. Everyone fails whern coming to nfl black hole. Glazers have not got it right in over decade blame falls squarely on the WORST owners in pro sports
March 9th, 2018 at 10:02 am
Didn’t want Bennett. There is a reason why he was traded. I had heard that the Seahawks wanted Chris Godwin for Bennett. No Thank you.
I’m letting Free Agency and the draft play out. Not freaking out about not getting Bennett or Talib for that matter.
March 9th, 2018 at 10:03 am
This is the newest trend in the NFL. If a player is going to be a cap casualty. Team will now trade for late round pick. IF it fits the teams need a player may have some say in where they go. So yes a player does have some say in a trade.
March 9th, 2018 at 10:05 am
Letting Free Agency and the Draft play out. Not freaking out because we didn’t get Bennett or Talib.
March 9th, 2018 at 10:06 am
DB
When your adding players like Bennett and Talib. Usually it only works with teams are already established like the Eagles and Rams. You can never build a team with players like this. Cause when s*** hits the fan, the players with egos cant handle that and things turn for the worse. The Bucs are that team in the process of building. We need talent but we also need guys that can come in and change the culture.
March 9th, 2018 at 10:11 am
What do the Bucs, RAYS, and Magic have in common?
All three suck super hard
All three havent seen playoffs in years
All three dont spend the money to even have an average team
All three have the cheapest owners in their respective leagues
All three are less than 1 hour from Tampa
All three have a rapidly declining fan base
All three are a joke when compared to the other teams
What a great town to live in!!
March 9th, 2018 at 10:13 am
Ive been saying here for a while that Licht needs to get talented top notch free agents and stop looking for the bargain deals. However, when it comes to guys like Michael Bennett, we dont need him on our team. Look elsewhere.
March 9th, 2018 at 10:20 am
It seems clear to me that we are not willing to part with draft picks. I’ll wait until after FA to complain.
Perhaps we are planning to trade up and need all the picks we have.
March 9th, 2018 at 10:24 am
Reuniting with former Bucs Bennett and Talib would have made the difference between 4-12 and 4-11-1 in 2018. It may have soured the locker room and added to the Tampa PD work load. Kinda kidding but not sure…
March 9th, 2018 at 10:25 am
Once again, this was a trade. Bennett has very, very little control over where he went. His contract doesn’t change so this isn’t the Buc’s offering less money to him. They simply put together a compensation package to SEATTLE, not Bennett, that was inferior to the package put together by Philly. He may have really wanted to come here, but stop with the NONSENSE that the players are avoiding Tampa. The list of players with “no trade clauses” in the NFL is very, very short.
In Free Agency, when (I think there will be some, but most of the time it is to stay with current team or go to a former coach) players chose to go away from Tampa, feel free to speculate as to why they didn’t come here. For now, it is a mute point.
March 9th, 2018 at 10:35 am
@Tampabaybucfan….
You are SPOT ON sir!! Completely agree across the board on your entire take! So few want to see that.
Welcome to the dark side. 🙂 SA-QUON, SA-QUON, is THIS Bucs fan’s preference.
Go Bucs!
March 9th, 2018 at 10:37 am
tmax- Of your many “rants”, this is the one that you continue to hit the nail on the head with. I’m going to put this capital letters in case anyone isn’t sure: LEADERSHIP STARTS AT THE TOP!
Bad owners= Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Good ownership does not tolerate mediocrity or failure.
March 9th, 2018 at 10:38 am
The excuses are endless.
The bottom line is that Licht has had four years to build up a team, and fielded a historically putrid defense last year.
The bucs made it to the NFC championship game in their 4th year in the league. The eagles, who we stomped at their house, have since passed us by as have the rams and even the Jags.
Playoffs or hit the road.
March 9th, 2018 at 10:39 am
@Joe(s):
Money talks to a certain degree, veteran players that don’t have one long to be in the Super Bowl hunt, simple as that…..ask those who don’t have one if they’d trade possibly a smaller $$$ contract for a Super Bowl ring and perhaps you’d be surprised…..isn’t always about the money…..better to compete with a proven winner than wallow in the mire of a proven loser.
March 9th, 2018 at 11:06 am
Bucsfanman
I don’t want. I pontificate.
March 9th, 2018 at 1:16 pm
Ira wrote an excellent column about why Bennett isn’t here and why it was a terrible idea to bring him back.
March 9th, 2018 at 1:21 pm
Every $ saved more $ for the owners.
March 9th, 2018 at 2:59 pm
Another “wishful thinking” scenario. Do you really think a guy that we spit on in the prime of his career wants to come back? Like most veterans they probably said something to the effect of “here’s some teams that are interested. Where do you want to go?” Let’s see…to the SB Champs, The SB runner ups, or the worst Defense in the NFL? Ooh, that’s a toughie.