13 Million Reasons To Play For
December 11th, 2018
Will the next Buccaneers head coach bless Gerald McCoy with a 10th season on the Tampa Bay roster?
That will be a big offseason question about the team’s 2018 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award nominee.
Now battling to make his seventh consecutive Pro Bowl, McCoy is also battling to pocket the $13 million on his contract for 2019. None of it is guaranteed.
It’s a giant figure for a defensive tackle who turns 31 in February, some would say, but others might call that market value for a guy who’s still a top-8 player at his position.
Joe is fired up to see how McCoy closes this season. He knows the dollars at stake, and Joe knows McCoy certainly wants to keep that Pro Bowl streak alive. Teams and alternates are chosen after this week’s games. McCoy was named NFC captain last year.
How he plays in the next three games could also very well influence the new Bucs head coach, who likely will be scrutinizing film of the roster in three short weeks.
Joe’s been told many times that new coaches and front office types always love to see study players in meaningless games. It often shows how much they love football, they believe, and it also offers a window into how their bodies hold up. (Keep in mind most coaches expect to be playing in January).
What could complicate matters for McCoy is that Jason Pierre-Paul is due $14.5 million in 2019, and he’ll certainly be returning.
Joe hopes the Bucs find a way to keep McCoy. The team is in no position to be ditching good players. Perhaps the Bucs could renegotiate McCoy’s remaining three years, maybe give him some guaranteed cash in exchange for a lower salary, aka cap relief.
December 11th, 2018 at 1:07 pm
restructure or relocate……
KRIS RICHARD 4 HC!!!!!
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!…#PRESSURESONTHECOACHES!!!…GO BUCS!!!!
December 11th, 2018 at 1:13 pm
It’s not apples to apples but JPP is worth every penny of his $14.5, I’m not so sure about GMC’s $13.
A restructuring would have to be in order, I think. And, I agree that it would be wise to keep him until they find his replacement.
December 11th, 2018 at 1:14 pm
Never missed him in games he was not dressed. He’s very, very expendable, at 31 no less. A new regime needs to have a new look and GMAC is the face of Buccaneer losing. Winston should be on a 1 year trial and a new QB should be drafted with the idea he can replace Winston. If a new coach comes in and the losng continues with GMAC and WinSTUNNED as “faces of the franchise”, what progress will the team have made? NONE. Cut the losers and start over!
December 11th, 2018 at 1:18 pm
let this freaking clown walk and make sure he takes dotson with him. not many keepers on this minor league rosters.
December 11th, 2018 at 1:26 pm
If the bucs had any type of a competent GM mccoy would have been used as a tradig chip for a #1 or several picks as well as Djax, but dunnderbox licht sits on his hands knocking back brewskis and leads the bucs to a 6-10 record
December 11th, 2018 at 1:30 pm
“Trade him for a 3rd round pick for the new GM”
Kobe Faker
December 11th, 2018 at 1:32 pm
First I would dangle him as trade bait. If that doesn’t work re-construct his contract. I’m not sure if releasing him outright is a good idea. A good idea is not to give lazy ass D. Smith anywhere close to 12 mil.
December 11th, 2018 at 1:33 pm
GRRRRR!!!!! He reads comic books and that makes me so angry!!!! GRRRRR!!!!!!!
December 11th, 2018 at 1:38 pm
Kobe- We traded a 3rd for JPP, just for perspective. We’d be lucky to get a 4th, IMO. AND, would it be worth a 3rd or 4th rounder? We were lucky, IMO.
December 11th, 2018 at 1:40 pm
Munch, he is also not that good which also makes me angry
December 11th, 2018 at 1:49 pm
Thanks Gerald for being a good guy and a very good player but it is time to part ways and draft a young stud to play your position .
December 11th, 2018 at 1:50 pm
Vikings just fired OC DeFillipo. I guess he’s on the naughty list for HC candidates here.
December 11th, 2018 at 1:50 pm
Duthsty – Except he’s really good, that’s literally what everyone who isn’t hung up on the comic book deal says, it’s literally what people who don’t just repeat what they hear on sports talk radio say. Players who actually play against him (not former players who make $24k a year to host a radio show and need to say “outrageous” things to get listeners) and coaches all say the same thing – he’s a year in and year out pro-bowler and one of the top DTs in football.
Sapp, not talking about McCoy but instead talking about Watts, said when a player is special you have to game plan for them, you have to double team them, you have to bring in guys to chip, you have to focus on them. Watch the tape, watch as teams constantly double on McCoy, constantly chip him, they are focused on stopping him. Guess what that means? That means JPP mostly has 1-on-1 matchups and has had a great season because of it.
People that don’t understand what McCoy brings to the team just don’t know football – and it’s not like I’m alone with this – it’s literally nearly everyone currently in football saying the same thing.
December 11th, 2018 at 1:55 pm
GMC is just a guy. He doesn’t make the team any better when he is playing and when he is out with injuries, the D is not hurting at all. Not worth the big time player $$ he is getting. GMC is not a big time player.
December 11th, 2018 at 2:16 pm
Rod I guess the saints didnt get that memo because they ran the ball right at mccoy with very good efficiency and mccoy was good when schiano was here and has been the face of the losing culture ever since. Bucs should have traded him when he was “hot commodity” aaron donald is a great DT, Jonathan allen, akiem hicks, daron payne, chris jones …those are NFL top tier DTs…..GMC wouldnt know if he was there or not
December 11th, 2018 at 2:18 pm
When do the players feel guilty for getting so many coaches fired?
December 11th, 2018 at 2:21 pm
Let GMC take his kimonos and Batman dolls to another city. Most overrated payer in Bucs history.
December 11th, 2018 at 2:29 pm
The top end of the draft will be loaded with defensive tackles. The time to replace GMAC is this next draft!!!
December 11th, 2018 at 2:31 pm
Duthsty Rhothdes Says:
“the Saints ran the ball right at mccoy with very good efficiency”
~~~~~~~~~~~
Um no, the Saints averaged 3.3 yards per run on Sunday.
December 11th, 2018 at 2:31 pm
…or they move to a 3-4 with the wealth of linebackers and Vea gets to be a true nose tackle and add a defensive end in round one.
December 11th, 2018 at 2:32 pm
They should let him go. We drafted Vita Vea for a reason.
December 11th, 2018 at 2:46 pm
Where was McCoy on the series after that punt block? He wasnt even on the field when that drive started.
You need your best players to fight and get some momentum back in pivitol moments like these. Whether it be a big hit, sack, tackle INT whatever.
Fact is, if you wanna be a good football team youre best players need to make plays in these moments. You cannot consisentily win if you dont have players who can impact games in key moments.
McCoy should(emphasis on should) be one of the players we can look for and count on in the clutch.
McCoy was spectating during that game-changing drive. We need ProBowlers who you can’t keep off the field during those moments. I dont not my nd them keeping McCoy but I do mind them trying to build a defense around him(like the past 4 regimes have).
December 11th, 2018 at 2:47 pm
Bye bye Softie!
Loser.
December 11th, 2018 at 2:49 pm
McCoy reminds me of a 500 slugger in baseball that gets all the All-Star votes. But is also the last guy you want at the plate in the bottom of the 9th.
History is littered with players like this.
December 11th, 2018 at 2:54 pm
Joe a picture says 1000 words.
That’s a good photo above. Please add thought bubbles to those guys and reuse.
Im not very bright or I could give you some suggesyions
December 11th, 2018 at 2:55 pm
@JimmyJack…exactly, and the only thing he cares about is recognition to be in another Pro Bowl. He’s a Hollywood pretty boy without the pretty part lol…They call us McCoy haters and yeah, I can say with out a doubt, I HATE THE F*CKIN LOSER! Soft as a marshmallow!
December 11th, 2018 at 3:00 pm
GMC is a starting caliber DT, he is not a dominant, upper level player at this point in his career. He should be payed similar to a middle of the pack DT, and should no longer be the focal point of the Bucs defense. He is a second role player.
December 11th, 2018 at 3:03 pm
Joe Blahak……..And then McCoy got the balls to come up with the phrase “Don’t make me laugh”
Personally I dont hate the guy but he acts like the hate is unfounded. Hey bonehead!!!!! I was looking for you on Sunday and the team needed you. And you weren’t even on the field. Of course we are going to think you dont care. And it’s your own Damm fault cause trust me there are guys in this league who would NOT ALLOW there coach to subsutite them in that moment!!!!!!!
And frankly I dont even get pissed about crap like that anymore. I’ve come to expect nothing from Gerald.
December 11th, 2018 at 3:11 pm
Show Batman the exit to the Batcave and have go off into the sunset with the Joker and penguin.
December 11th, 2018 at 3:14 pm
Let’s hope not. Time to move on. He’s not even worth half that.
December 11th, 2018 at 3:15 pm
That’s funny how will the next three games determine his salary for next year. Last time I checked there are 16 games in a season, where do you guys come up with the crazy narratives. I’m guessing you think the next three games matter because of the disappearing act he did this past Sunday against a division opponent he knows well
December 11th, 2018 at 3:33 pm
Not there yet that is fair. But I do think there should be a grading curve given to our Dline.
I do think it takes some patience when you overall a Line like we did in the offseason. This is true with any team in the league who changes that many lineman.
The key is that the line starts playing good during the season and ours has come together nicely. McCoy had two elite-type games coming into the Saints game. I think it’s OK judging him separately based on the Overall play of the Line.
I feel the same way with Winston . If he can continue to keep winning(2-1) since coming off of the bench I will judge him seperalty between his brutal start to the season.
December 11th, 2018 at 3:33 pm
Typos*
December 11th, 2018 at 3:53 pm
Nah that’s not reality jimmjack, I respectfully disagree. Same defense the last 4 years. Duffner has made some changes and the defense has drastically improved. Pass rushing is passing which is nothing like having a new offensive coach and system to learn. All this time in the league but I won’t crush him like I usually do because it’s a waste of time so I’ll just say he’s not worth the price tag. JPP isn’t worth his expensive price tag either but it’s easier to justify paying that over Geraldine price.
December 11th, 2018 at 4:13 pm
The Bucs will have approximately $13.5 million in cap space in 2019 before any moves. Trading or releasing: DeSean Jackson, Demar Dotson, William Gholston, Evan Smith, and possibly Gerald McCoy will put the Buccaneers at roughly $46,218,734 million (that’s with Winston’s 5th year option included).
Re-signing Kwon Alexander, will be their biggest priority this off-season (who will probably come with a lower price tag since he tore his ACL).
December 11th, 2018 at 4:21 pm
Gerald Willis from the U, it’s simple as that, he can get to the QB and may be there in the second round, as we need a LT in the first
December 11th, 2018 at 4:33 pm
I never hear players or expert analyst speak poorly about GMC. I think like many his career would have even been more spectacular if he would have played for a team that had better players around him. Nonetheless he’s pulled his weight for 10 years. That being said the question is how much does he have left in the tank and what are we going to do in the offseason especially if we have a new coaching staff. I agree with joe, you hate to let a formidable player go and maybe you could get him to renegotiate his contract.
December 11th, 2018 at 5:16 pm
So really now, think about this:
If Softie starts tearing it up all of a sudden that would mean he’s only motivated by money.
He doesn’t care about winning, only his bank account.
If that happens then we’d be fools to keep him.
December 11th, 2018 at 5:17 pm
Addition by subtraction….Guatamala 93
December 11th, 2018 at 5:23 pm
@tmaxcon … “let this freaking clown walk and make sure he takes dotson with him. not many keepers on this minor league rosters.” LOL tmaxcon … why don’t you tell us what you REALLY think of GMC & Dots.
I’m torn admittedly on keeping McCoy vs releasing him. In a way he’s kinda like a Timex watch … ‘Takes a licking & keeps on ticking.’ I’m one of those who believes that his impact is a lot bigger than mere stats (Rod, you made some excellent points BTW). And any DT who plays an average of 80% of the defensive snaps deserves an Ironman Award IMO (in Sunday’s game, he played 86% of the def snaps for instance … Allen played 31% & Vea played 80%).
BUT … is it smart to be paying $13 mil for a 31-year-old DT next year and in the years after that? I don’t believe that it is, because we’ve got too many other mouths to feed. Personally I’d renegotiate his salary (to maybe $7-$8 mil), as well as renegotiate Gholston’s salary (to half or less) & release Spence & Unrein (those were both high-risk experiments on Licht’s part that back-fired). Keeping JPP, Curry, Nassib & Vea (as well as Allen & hopefully GMC) would mean that we’d need to probably draft 1 DT & 1 DE plus add the same through FA. Big task but it’s doable.
Bucs will probably also need to restructure their LB corps & most surely their Secondary. We’ve got some young talent to work with there, but we desperately need to add some experienced leadership to pull it all together.
December 11th, 2018 at 5:27 pm
Softie restructured only means much softer.
You’re dense if you think that will work out.
December 11th, 2018 at 5:27 pm
signing a mediocre at best below average more than not lb like kwon who is coming off a major injury is hardly a priority unless you are chasing basement titles. no one loves an average player like bucfan.
Martinii
locker room cancers like mccoy are what hold teams down. this team and it’s young players would have flourished long ago without the cryin clown on the roster.
December 11th, 2018 at 5:30 pm
Well I still will remember that game McCoy had vs Carolina. It was one of the greatest games I have seen him play. Plus beating Carolina means something to me.
I’ll admit I got my But goggles on & I’m trying to hope that game was a sign that Gerald can feed off the energy of this line and have a resurgence in his career.
And yes, I know my hopes will become disappointment. The one life lesson the Bucs have taught me is how to deal with disappointment.
December 11th, 2018 at 8:31 pm
Joe, GMac isn’t top 8 any more at DT, hell he isn’t even top 10. Dude needs to agree to a massively lowered contract, and if he doesn’t agree then cut him.
December 11th, 2018 at 9:59 pm
Some big salary cap decisions in the offseason:
Winston $21M – He’s not worth $21M and won’t get it as a FA. Don’t exercise his option, resign him for $15M in a 1-yr prove it deal.
McCoy $13M – It’s time to trade him for a 2nd or 3rd round draft pick.
DJax $10M – This is the tough one for me; I guess I would say keep him and plan to get his replacement in the draft.
Gholston $3.5M – Trade him for a 5th round draft pick or release him. Some team may want him for rorational purposes. No production.
Anger $3M – Nobody will trade for him, so release him. Not worth the price tag. His distance is going down. Get his replacement in the 7th round or as a undrafted free agent out of college. Hell, get 2 of them and let them battle it out in training camp.
That should give us an extra $26M in cap space with no dead money along with a mid and lower round pick. Maybe we could parlay all of this into an extra 2nd and 3rd or 4th round pick. Others to consider trading or releasing (though they come with dead money) are Noah Spence, Ronald Jones and Ryan Smith. The extra salary cap room? Use it on a free agent offensive lineman. Guard or Tackle. Get one in FA and the other in the 1st or 2nd round of the draft. Get a 3rd round RB and defense everywhere else.
December 11th, 2018 at 10:21 pm
You’re gonna be paying DT Demar Dotson $13 million. We have VERY LITTLE money.
December 11th, 2018 at 11:20 pm
@813BucBoi, I’m on board with Kris Richard all the way. No retread Head Coach please. This guy is a young dynamic leader with defensive skills. Working under Rod Marinelli and Pete Carroll, I like it. Great choice bro, if we can get him and the Glazers outbid other teams and realize a good coach is worth more than any player.
December 12th, 2018 at 5:31 am
One day we will miss GMC. That being said, I’m glad to see he was fighting with JPP. He definitely needs pushback
Salary cap is jumping 13 million. Move on from DJax, Gholston, and other dead weight, we won’t have any problem paying GMC
December 12th, 2018 at 7:25 am
Only a fool would pay McCoy top 5 money. He’s a liability when facing power backs, I’ve seen too many red zone blocks that knock him off his feet or backwards. I’ve seen too many cut backs into his gap and not enough gas in the 4th quarter.
Earlier in his career he had the speed and strength to get off blocks and jump into running lanes to get the back down before he got through the line of scrimmage. Those days are behind him and the next coaching staff will be focused on coaching up Vea to make use of his strength to match it with some technique.
Gerald was a force when healthy in his 20’s but for the past 3 seasons his game has steadily declined. Surely would only keep him restructured and as a rotational player. He can’t be counted on to play all the snaps he does.
December 12th, 2018 at 12:16 pm
This guy’s career has made me question the validity not only of the Pro Bowl selection committee, but of the Pro Bowl itself !!!!
December 12th, 2018 at 3:37 pm
I’d love to see McCoy finish his career in Tampa Bay.
Would really love to see Gerald finally play NFL games in January – have a chance at a ring – AS a Buccaneer.
I believe it is possible for that to happen.
But ONLY if GMC is willing to make major salary concessions.
Starting this year!
Gerald has likely made as much or more money as just about any other NFL player playing the game right now (QBs aside of course). His class was about the last one to not be under the newest CBA which severely limits a good player’s earning capacity vs what the free market would dictate for the first 4-5 years of their NFL careers. So Gerald has earned top end money every single year he’s been in the league starting in 2010 when he was drafted #3 overall.
Its time for some $ concessions Gerald. The Buccaneer franchise has paid you more than handsomely for the last 9 straight years. Its time to “give back” to this organization Mr McCoy.
Initiate the conversation yourself. At the end of the season – tell Jason Licht or whoever is in charge of such things when 2019 rolls around – that you want to re-negotiate your current deal – in the team’s favor – to help make the team better by having more $ to work with… A legit up front offer for a “Home Town discount”.
SHOW that you really want to be here for the next 2-3 years – to hopefully help this team win meaningful games in January and possibly win a ring – AS A BUCCANEER…
If you don’t – then you will more than likely be cut come spring time and have to “start over” and end your NFL career somewhere else – for a good bit less $ than you were scheduled to make next year anyway….
You are a good player Gerald and a valuable asset to this organization even as father time starts to creep into the picture. But business is business. And it makes very little sense for the Bucs to pay $13M for you to remain a Buccaneer in 2019 – and zero sense to pay the $39ishM due over the next 3 years of your contract.
Just Sayin…