Under The Radar Free Agent
March 12th, 2019
Should Bucs jump at bargain?
So, yeah, the Bucs have damn near maxed out on Team Glazer’s Mastercard. So instead of that summer vacation in the Bahamas, the budget only allows for a road trip to the Ozarks.
To get an idea of what value there is in some free agents, Joe turned to a list compiled by Andy Benoit of SI.com. A name Benoit has listed as an edge rusher jumped out at Joe. That’s linebacker/defensive end Markus Golden, who played for Bruce Arians for three seasons in Arizona and in 2016 had 12.5 sacks before blowing out a knee in 2017.
Benoit has Golden as one of his top edge rushing free agents.
He had a quiet 2018 season coming off his 2017 knee injury, but is worth taking a flyer on given the burst he showed down the stretch in 2016.
You know, this might be the bargain-basement discount the Bucs are looking for given how they are jammed against the salary cap. No one would know him better than Arians. Golden was pretty invisible last year with just 2.5 sacks playing as a defensive end.
But as most Bucs fans should be aware of by now, some knee injuries take two years to fully recover from (hello, Darrelle Revis). If the Bucs can get him cheap, and obviously the Bucs can only afford cheap right now, why not take a shot with Golden?
If Golden really did need two years to bounce back, he could be a jewel found along the roadside.
March 12th, 2019 at 1:07 pm
No question knees take two years.
Anybody that has played sports knows that . Adrian Peterson is the freak exception to the rule.
(Hope 49ers fans know this with Kwon?)
We have to dumpster dive so why not
March 12th, 2019 at 1:19 pm
idk……maybe….
REALISTKNOWSNOTHING!!!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!!
March 12th, 2019 at 1:20 pm
2.5 sacks after sitting 2017 is 1.5 sacks better than our $13.5 million dollar DE ghost over the same period.
Just for fun, Will Gholston made $3 mil in salary and a $4 million dollar roster bonus in 2017. In 2018 Gholston made $6.5 million. He had 46 tackles and ONE sack in that two-year time period.
Any guesses why the Bucs are having a hard time with the cap?!
March 12th, 2019 at 1:25 pm
Yep let’s and to the linebacking injury list, it’s not extensive enough yet. But at this point changing to a 3-4 get some bodies in here to compete to see what you have in a mini camp before the draft
March 12th, 2019 at 1:27 pm
Cordarrelle Patterson is perhaps bargain , could switch in and out with Godwin forming a 2/3 team . The guy really looked good last year !!
March 12th, 2019 at 1:28 pm
Perhaps a bargain
March 12th, 2019 at 1:37 pm
Would welcome a signing like this. Not a big $$ deal but a guy that offers plenty of upside.
March 12th, 2019 at 1:50 pm
Bucs will bring in some good Core players
March 12th, 2019 at 2:01 pm
Sure. It’s no use looking for the next new big name star touching Raymond James turf this year, we already have him. Our best new game charger is: Bruce Arians.
March 12th, 2019 at 2:02 pm
^ Changer
March 12th, 2019 at 2:03 pm
I’m loving the daily morning cup of Joe podcasts this week!!!!!! Way to deliver Steve.
March 12th, 2019 at 2:05 pm
@Issaic,
Patterson would be the speed and return guy Bucs need
March 12th, 2019 at 2:41 pm
They missed out this season boys it’s time to suck it up now and embrace the culture. I can see Terrell Suggs coming in and finishing up his career here for a year or two though. I think they are keeping all veterans on defense and maybe even add a few. Iupati might come as well to serve as a bridge. We’ll get good compensation for losing Kwon and Hump trust me and it will help in establishing our future. We lost big yesterday though I feel like.
March 12th, 2019 at 2:49 pm
Are we going to be the Tampa Bay Cardinals? Jesus
March 12th, 2019 at 2:49 pm
Like so many others we’ve signed in the past, Golden had ONE good year out of 4. That’s it … ONE good year. You talk about ‘flukes’ (as in the Bucs’ defense playing well for Smitty in that 5-game stretch in 2016 was a ‘fluke’), was Golden’s 1 good year a ‘fluke’ or is it what we could expect to get out of him is we signed him.
Also noticed that he was questionable for 5 games at the start of last year due to a knee problem, as well (out for 3 of those) and also questionable for 2 games at end year due to ankle problems (out for both of those). Lots of fans bad-mouth Will Gholston for his play, but I’ll give him one thing … he played a tad over 400 snaps on defense & all 16 games and never once appeared on the injury report. Would’ve loved it if he’d done better on the field, but IMO he’s one of the Ironmen on defense.
Right now we’ve got 2 very good DEs in JPP & Nassib, plus Gholston & Spence. Surely we’ll be drafting AT LEAST 1 DE from this year’s supposedly great crop of DEs. Adding an additional DE beyond that would seem to be a much lower priority than filling some of our other ‘NEEDS’ on defense (like LBs, a veteran CB, and hopefully a veteran Safety?).
March 12th, 2019 at 3:01 pm
Please tell me the Bucs are NOT going to sign Mike Glennon.
March 12th, 2019 at 3:04 pm
Go younger….go healthier…..go cheaper
March 12th, 2019 at 3:14 pm
IMO I think BA will go after less expensive FA that played for him. Keep an eye on Deone Bucannon LB.
March 12th, 2019 at 3:24 pm
Stay out of the Bargain Bins Bucs. Look where its gotten you the last decade.
You gotta have somebody shoppin in them bins who truly knows what they are doing.
March 12th, 2019 at 3:32 pm
Sign Markus Golden and Bruce Irwin. Dump Gholston and Beau Allen. Instant upgrade and it pays for itself ($8+M). No hit to the salary cap.
Look at Mitch Unrein for the same treatment.
March 12th, 2019 at 3:34 pm
Taylor, we have signed one guy from the Cardinals so far. Lol relax.
March 12th, 2019 at 4:17 pm
the bucs need quality players for the rush OLB role. But more critical right now for a position which hasn’t existed in this city for at least 3 decades is just getting affordable bodies that know the position. Especially the way the team’s FA forays have gone under Licht the best approach is to give yourself several chances to find a player who will outperform a modest salary.
March 12th, 2019 at 4:40 pm
@Mike
“Stay out of the Bargain Bins Bucs. Look where its gotten you the last decade.”
But look where it’s gotten the Pats who draft last or next to last every year. They gamble on FA’s and then cut them loose as soon as the FA rehabs his rep and gains value…see Talib and Blount.
JOE made a valid point earlier when he said there is only one Bill Belichek…but copying his techniques wouldn’t hurt. Yes he is a genius but perhaps we could learn from him.
In fact Licht served as a scout for two years under Belichek.