Guard Down
March 13th, 2018
“You know what I’d do, Jason?”
A healthy chunk of Bucs fans hoped Tampa Bay would bring in the guy considered the top guard on the market to help turn their running game into something feared — versus something laughed at.
That guard was speculated to be Panthers free agent Andrew Norwell, who Carolina simply couldn’t afford given all their big names on the line. But Joe told you last week there was no chance of the Bucs breaking the bank for Norwell — and now Norwell is gone.
The rich get richer.
Mighty Jacksonville will sign Norwell tomorrow to a deal with $13.3 million per season, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, making him the highest paid guard in the league. Norwell joins the No. 1 running attack in the NFL and the team that allowed the fewest sacks in the league last year.
Ironically, 26-year-old Norwell will replace former Bucs guard Patrick Omameh in Jacksonville.
Man, Tom Coughlin is swinging a big stick with the Jags.
One thing about this deal, it increases the likelihood the New York Giants, with the No. 2 overall pick in the draft, select Notre Game guard Quinton Nelson with that pick. Nelson is another guy many Bucs fans yearn to wear pewter and red.
Joe still likes the idea of the Bucs signing veteran guard Josh Sitton, the former Pro Bowler, when the bell rings tomorrow afternoon. Joe sees him as a younger Logan Mankins type who could stabilize the position that was in ridiculous flux last year with Kevin Pamphile and Evan Smith sharing the gig most of the season.
March 13th, 2018 at 7:56 am
“Speak softly and carry a twig” -Jason Licht
March 13th, 2018 at 8:01 am
Sitton will be a good consolidation prize but we will have some competition for sure.
March 13th, 2018 at 8:02 am
Nelson will either be in New York or Denver. Either way, he’s not falling to Tampa.
March 13th, 2018 at 8:06 am
Numerous reports had him going to the Giants. Show how much the experts know.
March 13th, 2018 at 8:07 am
So the Jags have 40 mil less in cap space then the Bucs, resign Blake and now add a pro bowl Guard. KC and Philly are making big moves up against the cap or OVER it. So, resigning your own guys is nice and all, but at some point, you need to improve this roster, and not just with draft picks. Grimes is a 1 year stop gap, need more CB help, D line and G help. WOnder how this will play out.
March 13th, 2018 at 8:08 am
@Pepsi
That was hilarious. You’ve made my morning.
March 13th, 2018 at 8:12 am
Licht big game hunting with a sling shot
March 13th, 2018 at 8:16 am
As like last 3 off-seasons Jacksonville obtaining proven players and we are waiting for cheap second rated players.
March 13th, 2018 at 8:18 am
Humph was slapped with the second round tender!
March 13th, 2018 at 8:18 am
Giants will get Barkley or QB..Nelson to the Bucs! that’s the pick…
March 13th, 2018 at 8:20 am
Coughlin gets it. Last year he signed the best D lineman, this year the best O lineman. You win up front. J Ville had a top run game, gave up the fewest sacks, and they still add the top F.A. lineman. Licht sucks.
March 13th, 2018 at 8:20 am
I could see us loading up on defensive and offensive lineman in FA and drafting secondary early. Would still like to see a trade down but I think I say that every year and it never happens.
March 13th, 2018 at 8:25 am
The Jags have schooled the Bucs over the last two years and turned their team into winners while the Bucs still look up from the bottom.
How embarrassing. It’s damn hard being a Bucs fan some days.
March 13th, 2018 at 8:31 am
And that’s why I was so against the Cameron Brate signing. We used a first round pick on a tight in last year that should be taking over as starter this year. Cap Space could’ve been used for that guard. Major need at offensive line
March 13th, 2018 at 8:32 am
So if cant get Nelson and only sign a old guard will are back to playing the game of 2-3 years rentals and not really solving any problems up front. Man I am trying to be positive but it is getting harder by the day. If we come out of this draft without Barkley (no way but still) Nelson, Chubb or Fitzpatrick then it will be a major fail in my humble opinion.
March 13th, 2018 at 8:36 am
The Glazers and Licht need to take notes from Jacksonville’s front office in training camp this year. They could learn a lot on managing a salary cap and getting the players they want.
March 13th, 2018 at 8:47 am
Buccaneers are doing nothing so far. They’re going to end up overpaying for older mediocre talent. Brent Grimes is not exactly a long-term fix either. And I’ve been excited about any signing at all so far
March 13th, 2018 at 8:48 am
Welp, I was wrong. Thought Norwell was a lock to the Giants. Money talks.
March 13th, 2018 at 8:54 am
I’m not expecting much from this team I’ve learned my lesson and that lesson is the bucs only value cap space so they’ll be plenty left over when free agency is done
March 13th, 2018 at 8:57 am
Since it’s negative Tuesday the Buccaneers are also thinking about a possible suspension for their starting quarterback anywhere up to six weeks. May be a quarterback should be in their future.
March 13th, 2018 at 8:59 am
Bucs front office suck… its gonna be the same team as last year … licht and koetter are just saying you know what f it … they are just going to go down with theyre own ignorance
March 13th, 2018 at 9:04 am
Wow.
Tom coughlin came in and got green light to spend and he has spent the money amazingly.
Surprised jax has any cap room? They are afc contender for sure. Unfortunately , bortles will be bortles and I am a ucf grad
March 13th, 2018 at 9:09 am
This team I tell you…makes you wonder what goes through their minds each off-season
March 13th, 2018 at 9:13 am
Hodad Says:
March 13th, 2018 at 8:20 am
Coughlin gets it. Last year he signed the best D lineman, this year the best O lineman. You win up front. J Ville had a top run game, gave up the fewest sacks, and they still add the top F.A. lineman. Licht sucks.
^^BINGO!!!^^
they spend money!!!!!….they arent cheap bargin shoppers like licht……
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!!…..GO BUCS!!!!
March 13th, 2018 at 9:13 am
For those freaking out on grimes contract :
Base salary is for 7 mil
He makes 8.5 most likely if he plays in all games
He makes 10 mil if selected to pro bowl, bucs make playoffs and he gets 4 int s. Yah …I wish that happens and I also wish I was 21 years old again with 10 mil in the bank
March 13th, 2018 at 9:13 am
Where the hell did you hear that from @Greg? The Bucs aren’t going to suspend Jameis without any evidentce tha he did anything wrong.
March 13th, 2018 at 9:22 am
Hey Licht follow coughlin…..draft and sign D and O lines! Explosives will come after you beat em down
March 13th, 2018 at 9:29 am
Guard is a priority but not $13 mil…….when are the Jags going to run out of money?
This leaves Nelson on the table for the Bucs if the Giants don’t pick him.
March 13th, 2018 at 9:42 am
jags seem to have money flowing over the last three off seasons…, they have to be in salary cap hell
March 13th, 2018 at 10:20 am
With Marpet and Donovan Smith a year away from signing new contracts, a bunch of these so-called fans are looking to write the biggest offensive line contract in the league for a guy who no one knew of this time last year.
This is what Licht is up against. It’s a Bucs fan life.
March 13th, 2018 at 10:32 am
Senio Kelemete.
He would have been a better option anyway, had anyone done the actual research to find out.
March 13th, 2018 at 10:53 am
Norwell at $13.3M per? or Nelson at $4M per. Hmmm – which Guard would be better for the Bucs I wonder…
March 13th, 2018 at 10:56 am
I like the photo Joe. Licht leaning in like he’s sayin, Tom how come you know football and how to choose players so much better than I do?…. Can you throw me a few Nuggets!
March 13th, 2018 at 11:19 am
@ Tornado Rex
Marpet and Smith have NEVER been to a Probowl or have even come close. Only Lichts dumbass would pay them as such. Especially Smith who is straight trash. Thankfully Lichts trash ass won’t be here to make those decisions on Smith and Marpet.
March 13th, 2018 at 11:21 am
@ PickGrin
Hmm you must have a crystal ball to know that Nelson is gonna fall to seven right? Can you look into to your crystal ball and also tell me what the Powerball numbers are goin to be this week?!?!
March 13th, 2018 at 11:34 am
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THIS IS GREAT NEWS AND MAKING IT EVEN MORE LIKELY BRADLEY CHUBB FALLS INTO THE BUCS LAP AT #7 AS I MOCKED LAST NIGHT!
UPDATED MOCK IF COUSINS SIGNS WITH VIKINGS:
1. BROWNS: Saquon Barkley
2. JETS (trade w/ Giants): Baker Mayfield
3. BILLS (trade with Colts): Josh Rosen
4. BROWNS: Josh Allen
5. CARDINALS (trade with Broncos): Sam Darnold
6. GIANTS: Quenton Nelson
7. BUCCANEERS: Bradley Chubb
UPDATED MOCK IF COUSINS SIGNS WITH JETS:
1. BROWNS: Saquon Barkley
2. BROWNS: (trade w/ Giants): Josh Allen
3. BILLS (trade with Colts): Josh Rosen
4. GIANTS: Quenton Nelson
5. CARDINALS (trade with Broncos): Sam Darnold
6. DOLPHINS (trade with Jets): Baker Mayfield
7. BUCCANEERS: Bradley Chubb
I now have the Browns drafting Saquon Barkley and Josh Allen in both mocks, the Bills drafting Josh Rosen in both mocks, the Cardinals drafting Sam Darnold in both mocks, the Giants drafting Quenton Nelson in both mocks and the BUCS DRAFTING BRADLEY CHUBB IN BOTH MOCKS … the only thing that I have changing is that I have the Jets drafting Baker Mayfield if they don’t get Cousins, and them trading down to a team that will draft Baker if they do happen to sign Cousins.
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March 13th, 2018 at 11:38 am
@FireJasonLicht
….lol. Okay.
You enjoy the next 6 months until the season starts.
March 13th, 2018 at 12:39 pm
For me… and I’m a level-headed fan… this is the final indictment on Licht. It’s his fifth year as GM. He’s had enough time to figure out how to ADAPT to a changing market and ideology of how teams operate and get better.
The teams that are pushing the envelope are the Eagles, Rams, and even the Jags with the way they do business. See any results coming from those franchises?
The old school thinking is to avoid trades, hoard draft picks, and be wary of overpaying for non-premium positions. Licht sticks to that like a wet glove. The one time he really went outside the box was one of the worst GM moves of the past decade in his trade up for Aguayo. Since then, Licht has been gun shy and played it safe.
Until recently, it was relatively unheard of for ALL-PRO talents in their primes to hit free agency or become available on the cheap via trade. There were three such players this year. All 27 or younger. All at major positions of need for the Bucs.
Peters
Quinn
Norwell
The Bucs simply whiffed on all three.
Yet – they have no problem giving 10 million a year to a soon to be 35 year old band-aid of a CB and another 7 million a year to a guy who plays the same position as their first round draft pick from last year.
The art of improving in the NFL is to find the advantage over the other 32 teams. You do that by getting creative and having a plan that goes beyond the year in front of you. The Bucs are not doing that. They have the same amount of picks as everyone else this year. And next year. And made zero trades to grab a rare All-Pro in his prime that seldom become available.
They’ll simply play with the same deck as everyone else, while teams like the Browns, Bills, Jags, Rams, Eagles, etc. think outside the box and continue to either get better or accrue the assets needed to do so.
To be more pointed… our GM has simply held to the status quo from a team that went 5-11 last year and is simply waiting until the normal free agency period – like the other teams – to so anything to make his team better. He strived to make zero big moves or changes.
The Bucs will sign some mid-tier free agents that will deliver mediocre football. They’ll draft a few guys, some even with talent. They will make the same improvement that most teams do every year.
Which means the only hope for the franchise is for the players already on the roster last season to suddenly and collectively play better. Okay. Great.
And that requires good coaching.
Want me to get started on that?
IF THEY HAD FIXED THE TRENCHES, THEY WOULD HAVE FIXED THE BUCS!!
March 13th, 2018 at 12:44 pm
tony
good sh!t!!!!!!….I agree….
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!
March 13th, 2018 at 12:45 pm
If the fact that Licht didn’t sign Norwell (despite the fact that he has a choice, we have more pressing needs, and Free Agency has just begun) is the last straw and you’re no longer a Buc Fan…THANK YOU. Goodbye.
Patience
Go Bucs!
March 13th, 2018 at 6:08 pm
Omameh was good enough for the Jags, bring him back!?
March 13th, 2018 at 6:20 pm
Tony, level-headed indeed !! Sadly you are spot on! One of the most lucid and thoughtful comments on JBF, ever!! Thank you brother! Unfortunately the Bucs are too intelligent to read comments from the peasant-class.
March 13th, 2018 at 7:11 pm
BROKE BACK MOUNTAIN SWEEZY STILL HAS A BROKE BACK!!!!! And Dirk and Licht are still gonna start him next year. Get a good RB and OG in FA, trade back with Buffalo and get a good OG in 3 or 4.
FA: RB, OG, DE/DT, CB, OT
Round 1: DE/DT
Round 1: CB
Round 2: DE/DT
Round 3: SS
Round 4: OG
Round 5: RB
Round 6: CB
Round 6: DE/OT
Round 7: K/QB
Ring, Ring. I smell dinner.
March 13th, 2018 at 7:14 pm
*Throw a C in with my FA, also
March 13th, 2018 at 7:38 pm
What the hell is wrong with this guy? Worthless
March 13th, 2018 at 9:48 pm
Bucs need to go get Nate Solder stat.
March 13th, 2018 at 10:35 pm
Draft OG Will Hernandez in the second if Nelson is gone in the first.