David Johnson Contract Confusion Takes A Turn
February 8th, 2020
Super NFL guru Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com has issued a correction for ESPN, illustrating where the four-letter screwed up telling the world that Cardinals running back David Johnson was likely to be cut soon.
Johnson, Joe believes, is a likely target of our beloved Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Per ESPN and other outlets, Johnson’s $10.2 million salary was something the Cardinals were expected to dump by mid-March, presumably before it became guaranteed for the 2020 season. Florio explained that the contract already is guaranteed, and the Cardinals cap hit is even greater than the salary if they were to cut him.
So Florio speculated that Johnson moving on might have to come via a trade, with Arizona eating a chunk of the cash due.
Another possibility could be a trade, pursuant to which the Cardinals pay some of the salary and the new team pays the rest, possibly with net draft-pick compensation flowing to the team that takes on the contract, like the Brock Osweiler hot-potato trade from Houston to Cleveland.
Would Arizona deal Johnson for a seventh-round pick and the Bucs taking on $2 million of his salary? Or perhaps Arizona would want a conditional draft pick instead?
Perhaps Arizona would demand the Bucs hand over running back Dare Ogunbowale in a deal, the man who got more offensive snaps than Peyton Barber last season? (Sarcasm, folks.)
None of this is good news if the Bucs want Johnson. He’s due $9 million in 2021, if his current contract stays intact, which is what would happen if there was a trade.
Still, Joe would expect Bucco Bruce Arians to explore finding a way to bring in Johnson sensibly.
February 8th, 2020 at 10:46 am
Quit picking on Dare….he’s an UDFA…….cheap…..works hard…..does his best. Can we do better…..sure….but that’s no reason to constantly denigrate the guy.
February 8th, 2020 at 10:54 am
^^^here come the bold letters
February 8th, 2020 at 11:00 am
No matter what happens if it’s good it’s everyone but Jameis that made it happen and if it’s bad it’s all Jameis’s fault. That is according to the constant CLUELESS brigrade that fills these boards daily. I frankly sick of these people posting pure garbage daily. We can all just hope that if the bring Jameis back they all just go away.
February 8th, 2020 at 11:01 am
Look for a bargain in the 3rd or 4th Round, IMHO. Younger, cheaper, probably healthier.
February 8th, 2020 at 11:12 am
Ummm…the Cardinals would have to give the Bucs a draft pick to take on his contract, just like the Browns got when they took on the Oswieler contract from the Texans.
The deal is, Johnson already has $10 million this year guaranteed from the Cardinals. He is unmovable, so quit talking about it.
February 8th, 2020 at 11:15 am
F’ this “works hard” s(p)it! It absolutely means nothing. Nothing! The NFL is about PRODUCTION! The very least a man can do making six figures is work hard.
And how do you know Dare “works hard?” Do you have access to video of him at One Buc?
Joe doesn’t care if a guy is the laziest SOB o the team so long as he produces on Sundays.
The NFL is not Harry High School nonsense where dudes get a pat on the back for working up a sweat.
February 8th, 2020 at 11:21 am
Like all things Buc: coulda, shoulda, woulda….
In other words: don’t hold your breath on this one.
Peace, out.
February 8th, 2020 at 11:25 am
I suppose Johnson would be an upgrade over Payton Barber. I’m not too happy about the salary cap hit. I would prefer to draft a RB in rounds 2-4 and keep the salary cap hit low. We are going to need every penny to re-sign the free agents we want to keep.
February 8th, 2020 at 11:30 am
Add Johnson to the list of players not coming to Tampa.
All the hype always amounts to nothing.
February 8th, 2020 at 11:32 am
What did Johnson do last year to warrant a spot on the Bucs for $9 mil?
..we don’t rob money from an already tight budget to pay for a guy who was shelved last year not knowing if he can ever be the same again.
#1 RoJo is a keeper
#2 we draft a RB
#3 we let the rookie and RoJo battle for the starting role and the 2nd spot
#4 we let Barber and Dare battle for the 3rd …easy, peasy
February 8th, 2020 at 11:32 am
@Jean, that was funny. I got a good laugh out of that comment
February 8th, 2020 at 11:36 am
Rather see them spend 11-12 mil on Gordon than 9 mil on Johnson. Also Rivers already trust Gordon and know what he’s capable of
February 8th, 2020 at 12:02 pm
You are all clueless. This team is going to look way different than anything you all are envisioning.
February 8th, 2020 at 12:04 pm
Personally I would prefer giving a late round pick to drafting someone we hope would develop. It’s not like licht has a track record for running back drafting. Reason is we have other needs and it gives us time to see what jones will be and we can draft another guy in a year or two but not this year because a running back wont get us to the playoffs but upgrading the o line will.
February 8th, 2020 at 12:07 pm
Wow…..struck a nerve…..knew I would……he works hard just like Jameis works hard…..and if production doesn’t equal wins…..it doesn’t mean s(p)it……
How do I know he works hard……because BA wouldn’t have him (VH3) He is at the bottom of the roster and would be the easiest to replace….but still there. And as long as he’s a Buc…..i’ll wish him well, show him some respect and leave it up to his coaches as to his value…..no one else.
February 8th, 2020 at 12:38 pm
And per the Usual NDogg sounds idiotic. Bro go be a Dolphins fan or something.
February 8th, 2020 at 12:42 pm
Works hard… “so do washing machines” Art from Christmas Vacation.
February 8th, 2020 at 1:00 pm
I work hard.
I’m not a productive NFL player
February 8th, 2020 at 1:59 pm
Why the hell do you keep banging the table for david johnson? What the hell has he done in the last 3 years?!! Ronald Jones needs to be in the game or replaced with a BETTER player not a downgrade
February 8th, 2020 at 2:33 pm
Jean nailed it. Draft a RB (preferably 2nd or 3rd Rnd) & let him and RoJo compete to be the lead dog. Re-sign Barber cheap & let him be the #3 guy. We’ve got much bigger fish to fry with our limited salary Cap $$$ than spending them on David Johnson. Like BucEmUp said, he hasn’t done anything over the last 3 years (1308 yards total on 363 carries for a 3.6 YPC average). Those are Peyton Barber numbers.
February 8th, 2020 at 2:45 pm
Dare was one of the worst kick returners in Bucs history, IMO. I’m sure there’s been worse, I just can’t remember it.
February 8th, 2020 at 3:14 pm
Joe says…”F’ this “works hard” s(p)it! It absolutely means nothing. Nothing! The NFL is about PRODUCTION! The very least a man can do making six figures is work hard.
And how do you know Dare “works hard?” Do you have access to video of him at One Buc?“
Well, he was voted as captain of specials teams. I think that answers the question on whether he’s a hard worker or not.
February 8th, 2020 at 3:43 pm
If they trade for him I would expect for him and ROJO to battle for the starting RB spot. Now on the other hand there is no way they should trade for a RB that is injury prone. I hope they look to the draft and take a RB in the 3rd or 4th. I’m just curious why BA is not sold on ROJO but made him the starter after the bye week? Then cut his carries and see that on film he produces but wants to state he misses a block he will not play. Thats bull IMO. ROJO was clearly the best RB on the roster and could catch well out the backfield. If they trade for Johnson this will be the third time we try to copy identities from previous Head Coach teams. 2014 and 2015 we were the Bears. 2016-2018 we were the Tampa Falcons. Now in 2019 we were some what the Tampa Cardinals but if they trade for Johnson I’m all in they will be the Tampa Cardinals.
February 8th, 2020 at 4:45 pm
This exactly what most knowledgeable fans have been saying in the comments section.
Here’s a trade scenario. The Cardinals give the Bucs Johnson AND a 2nd round pick to take Johnson and his contract. This is similar to what the Texans and Browns did with Brock Osweiler.
February 8th, 2020 at 5:24 pm
In David Johnson’s best year he had, rushing, roughly the same yardage as Barber and Ronald combined – and he had the same average as Ronald had.
Ronald played his best ball down the strech.
The Bucs do not need a lead RB, it’s fake news.
What the Bucs need is a legitimate 3rd down back who can catch passes. While David Johnson excels there, that’s a lot of money to do the job that Charles Sims also excelled at. In fact, where is Charles Sims, I still don’t get why he disappeared from the face of the earth after being one of the top receiving and pass block backs in the NFL for years.
February 8th, 2020 at 6:27 pm
^^^^I have also wondered what happen to Sims
February 8th, 2020 at 6:48 pm
Maybe after the draft if we can’t score a guy like Zach Miss in the middle rounds
February 8th, 2020 at 7:50 pm
Maybe the Bucs could trade Dare for his sister, Arike.
She was the Most Outstanding Player of Notre Dame’s 2018 national title run, hitting game-winning baskets in both the semi-final and championship game.
February 8th, 2020 at 8:46 pm
Rod Munch Says
What the Bucs need is a legitimate 3rd down back who can catch passes.
_______________________________________________
You know, the Bucs had that RB last year who could’ve been that pass catching threat in UDFA Bruce Anderson III but they let him slip away. Keep an ear open for him. I have a feeling he will emerge somewhere if given a true shot.
February 8th, 2020 at 11:38 pm
“F’ this ‘works hard’ It absolutely means nothing. Nothing! The NFL is about PRODUCTION! The very least a man can do making six figures is work hard.
And how do you know Dare ‘works hard?’ Do you have access to video of him at One Buc? – If we did it wouldn’t matter to your narrow mindedness anyway.
Joe doesn’t care if a guy is the laziest SOB o the team so long as he produces on Sundays. – Might be why you don’t have a job in an NFL organization.
The NFL is not Harry High School nonsense where dudes get a pat on the back for working up a sweat.” – Who insinuated that it was?
– Too bad you can’t produce half the quality articles Ira does, and yet Ira doesn’t come across as a total asshat at times like someone who claims to be a writer on this site.
February 9th, 2020 at 11:58 am
Hell no to that contract. If we get Johnson this team is screwed. We have cap problems. Paying a RB 9-10 mill for 2 years is beyond stupid.
Can’t happen.
February 9th, 2020 at 1:55 pm
Interesting article.
Except guys like me have been saying on this site for 2 months that David Johnson’s salary cap mess makes a trade to the Buc’s impossible. Not only is it a bad contract this year for Arizona or whatever team trades for him but it is also a bad salary cap hit in 2021 as well.
There is a small chance that because it is also a bad contract for next year that Arizona takes the hit this year on the salary cap and cuts him.
A trade – no way.