Defensive Overhaul In Offseason?
November 8th, 2019
Busy spring.
The Bucs have the best run defense in the NFL. With Jason Pierre-Paul, their pass rushing has been much better. But the secondary is abysmal.
Even if the secondary was just OK, Jenna Laine of ESPN points out the Bucs could have a massive roster overhaul on defense. In short, the Bucs have a bunch of free agents and expensive players who will not have any guaranteed cash against the salary cap.
The Bucs will have big decisions to make this spring, with Pierre-Paul, linebacker Shaq Barrett, linebacker Carl Nassib and DL Ndamukong Suh all set to become free agents. Linebacker Lavonte David and center Ryan Jensen — due to make $10.75 million and $10 million, respectively — also have no guaranteed money remaining on their deals. Tight end Cameron Brate is due $6 million and defensive lineman William Gholston’s salary jumps to $4.75 million — but neither [has] guaranteed money left on their deals, either (Brate’s $4 million does become guaranteed on March 22 of the new league year if he is to remain on the roster). Right tackle Demar Dotson is likely at the end of his career, but there isn’t a viable replacement on the current roster, nor is a potential left tackle being groomed should Donovan Smith not work out (the extension he signed last year was only good for three years and the guaranteed money in his contract is up in 2021).
Just looking at Laine’s list, it could be possible the Bucs could see five starters leave.
The Bucs are in a pickle. Joe cannot imagine Barrett’s agent, oily Drew Rosenhaus, won’t get his client to free agency. There, he should hit the lottery and all bets are off if he returns to the Bucs.
Giving Barrett a long-term deal is risky. Is Barrett just a one-year wonder? We saw what he did (or to be more direct, didn’t do) when offenses learned how to block him and when JPP wasn’t around to take heat off him.
And that leads Joe to JPP. It seems if he leaves and the Bucs keep Barrett, what stud pass rusher would be on the market to get traffic off Barrett?
And though Lavonte David is playing good ball (what’s new?), paying a linebacker over 30 some $10 million a year is another minefield.
It will be a very busy offseason for Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht. Joe doesn’t envy the decisions this man has to make, assuming he’s the one making them. A wrong step or two and who knows where he may be collecting a check from a year from now?
November 8th, 2019 at 9:20 am
I let Barrett walk – I try and sign JPP, Suh and Nassib to contracts for short term. I comitt to David for a 3 to 4 year deal. I then sign a veteran safety and CB from FA pool. I draft a left OT in first round, move DSmith to RT and draft an OG in third round. I draft a DL in the 2nd round. I exercise a franchise tag on Winston. This should give Arians a chance at turning team around!
November 8th, 2019 at 9:20 am
1st Rnd rnd- QB
all other picks OL & DL
November 8th, 2019 at 9:20 am
barrett is not coming back he will get paid and have choices… no one chooses the bucs if they can get same or better money elsewhere….
November 8th, 2019 at 9:21 am
You forgot to mention JW, not paying him 25+ million would allow
for a draft QB and vet to solidify the position with a bit of cash left for the D.
November 8th, 2019 at 9:22 am
I’m very excited to see how Jason Licht screws up those decisions.
So many possibilities.
November 8th, 2019 at 9:31 am
and so are half the leagues secondary. The Raiders are almost as bad but they don’t have Derek Carr giving the ball away like candy either
November 8th, 2019 at 9:33 am
The vision and planning JL has for the Bucs is finally paying off!
November 8th, 2019 at 9:35 am
Maybe it’s just me but I’ll worry about this after the season is over …
November 8th, 2019 at 9:37 am
Thomas farkas you are spot on except I would not franchise Winston I would try to get him to sign a two year mid range contract.
November 8th, 2019 at 9:37 am
as usual Oline, dline and cb are our needs in the draft.
a running back could be taken too. but those needs are more pressing.
November 8th, 2019 at 9:37 am
Hopefully, from that picture, JL is a MIB, and he’s about to wipe-out our memory of his reign of terror.
November 8th, 2019 at 9:44 am
Who better than Licht Weight to lead the charge?
Signed,
Other 3 NFC South Teams
November 8th, 2019 at 9:48 am
in a pickle, yes…another reason that WinSTUNNED needs a boot in the butt and get lost…pay a fraud huge dollars and destroy the rest of the possible signings? …i don’t think so
November 8th, 2019 at 9:49 am
That is….ASSUMING Licht is still here.
November 8th, 2019 at 9:52 am
Nothing can be determined until they figure out what will happen with Jameis. Free agency and draft talk is too hard to predict until the Jameis picture is cleared up.
November 8th, 2019 at 9:52 am
Who put the team in this terrible situation?? Does anyone know?
November 8th, 2019 at 9:55 am
Jenna is lichts lapdawg, love that joe bucs and ira are getting a little more chirpy about the abysmal personnel moves of jason licht; licht has ZERO business doing anything to see a rebuild of the tampa bay bucs
November 8th, 2019 at 9:55 am
Is there a quarterback in the NFL or in college that wouldn’t want throw to our weapons? We are stacked.
Is there a quarterback that can throw less ints’s and less fumbles?
Any average qback would have great numbers with our weapons. It’s not only JW that can rack up garbage stats. We need a smarter qback. A previous article spoke about how JW is starting to learn how to throw the ball away.
How many more games does he have to give away before you realize he is Fools Gold.
Philip Rivers looked like JW last night. Good and bad. Should we blame the defense?
In BA I Trust!
November 8th, 2019 at 10:03 am
If Licht is the one making the moves it will be another wasted season and I’ll be looking forward to the draft where he and this horrible front office have 0 input on the franchise.
November 8th, 2019 at 10:07 am
Yep Jason is the guy to fix it!!!
Wait…
November 8th, 2019 at 10:12 am
Very fluid. Jason has done a good job and questionable picks. I don’t blame him after taking the franchise that Allen and Gruden left.
Definitely sign David. Nassib. Suh jpp.
Let them walk. Jensen. Barrett. Gholston. Dotson.
But I wouldn’t be surprise if David will be let go since white was drafted.
Sign Winston 2-3 yrs. and draft a QB in the 2-3 rd.
1rd pash rusher. 2nd round DT. 3rd qb. 4th LB. the rest of picks depth.
November 8th, 2019 at 10:16 am
Thomas ..love your O/line moves, T take it up a tree and wait on a deer to come by!
November 8th, 2019 at 10:17 am
I’d say Licht has already made too many wrong steps.
November 8th, 2019 at 10:20 am
Thomas Farkas … You were on a fantastic roll, right up until you said ‘franchise Jameis’. Then we parted ways.
IF we do that, kiss at least 1 & possibly 2 of those FA signings goodbye. It’s called the Salary Cap, and there’s only so much money to go around … $30 mil to a starting QB plus roughly $20 mil to his #1 WR plus another $50 mil or so to an OLine to protect said QB (ours right now is down to $42 mil because Cappa is starting AND we have no real backups worth anything), PLUS say $15 mil to Godwin IF we expect to keep him past next year. Even without upgrading the RB stable or the TEs & other WRs we’re talking well in excess of $100 mil for an offense that looks essentially like what you’ve got RIGHT NOW.
How could we then afford to re-sign JPP, Suh, Nassib, LVD PLUS sign a veteran CB & Safety like you proposed? And oh ya, in the process pay the rest of the team. Making the money work is really really difficult. And ESPECIALLY when you have a GM named Jason Lichtweight who got us into this mess in the first place.
November 8th, 2019 at 10:25 am
Once again, relying on the incompetent GM who got the Bucs into this mess to somehow have an epiphany and get the Bucs out of this mess. Insanity!!
November 8th, 2019 at 10:28 am
Same slots, different draft.
November 8th, 2019 at 10:30 am
TMax-
no one chooses the bucs if they can get same or better money elsewhere….
I guarantee you New York/ New Jersey, California and Illinois state income taxes are a factor
November 8th, 2019 at 10:47 am
This all hinges on the decision on JW and the rest of the offense.
I want to see the final 8 games. We have a kiddie corps in our defensive backfield… a raw rookie with a few games experience at MLB…our guys who are playing well will cost a fortune.
I think right now our actual team has more question marks than answers. Let’s play the rest of the games and see if we can find some.
November 8th, 2019 at 10:53 am
I’d franchise Barrett and see what next year brings. The DBs will be better next year but the Bucs should grab Delpit in the first round.
Then fortify the O-line. Pick a fourth or fifth round QB, they feel that that have something to prove and play harder than first rounders.
They should not try to draft any more DBs, Licht can’t pick em for schnitzel.
If BA wasn’t lying earlier, we should see Griffin at QB for the last six games. If he works out, fine. If he doesn’t find a journeyman QB and trade Jameis for him.
November 8th, 2019 at 11:14 am
Really? Our DBs suck? Who knew?
November 8th, 2019 at 12:05 pm
KEEP JASON–STIR IN SOME EARLY HOPE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SEASON—REPEAT INSANITY.
November 8th, 2019 at 12:45 pm
Of course we’ll get an overhaul. Everyone talked about how smart it was to bring these people in on one year deals…the problem with that is no one will stay after the season if they can get more moeny elsewhere…and they can. We’ll loose Nassib, Barrett, Suh and JPP. Not to mention David will be gone probably.
So really, the defense has made ZERO progress when you think about it.
November 8th, 2019 at 12:47 pm
Craig Says:
“They should not try to draft any more DBs, Licht can’t pick em for schnitzel.”
You don’t know that yet. You have to give them time to develop before you know.
November 8th, 2019 at 1:04 pm
FIRE LICHT
1st Rnd QB
all other picks OL & DL
November 8th, 2019 at 3:59 pm
Who’s in for a Fire Licht billboard on Dale Mabry for everyone to see
Maybe that’ll get the Goazers attention. Apparently the Glazers don’t think Licht is a problem, which is a problem.
November 8th, 2019 at 4:00 pm
It’s a sorry ass franchise and owners that we are always talking about next year’s draft in November.
November 8th, 2019 at 4:01 pm
I hope the “busy spring” caption under Lichts photo refers to the amount of job applications he will have to put in.
November 8th, 2019 at 4:14 pm
Tbbucs3 let’s hope so.
November 9th, 2019 at 9:04 am
You guys are still talking quarterback and our defense sucks. Keep Jamies and build the defense you guys hate Jamies more than you guys care about the bucs wining!!! It doesn’t matter who the quarterback is if you can’t stop the other teams from scoring you are going to lose. We saw this last week and against the saints, Titans, Gaints, we should be 5 and 3 right now and it was because of defense defense defense. I know that Jamies played bad against the Panthers Jamies only had 2 bad games this year. Our defense can’t stop anybody. We need to go offensive line and the first round after that defense defense and more importantly defense if we want to win again!!!
November 9th, 2019 at 12:44 pm
Need to sign Nassib for sure. Also Shaq or JPP. Need to see what Ryan Griffin can do for at least a couple of games. Could make a big difference what they do at QB. Also Smith was a bad signing as was Hargreaves