Stay Home
March 15th, 2020In these frightening times of the coronavirus pandemic, where we cannot see the Grim Reaper but know he lurks, everyone from our Chief Executive down to local first responders is telling people to stay home.
A Hall of Fame executive is also advising some people to do the same thing, only it’s for certain free agents to stay put as they would be better off.
Gil Brandt, the architect of the Dallas Cowboys dynasty, has sage advice for Bucs edge rusher and free agent Jason Pierre-Paul:
Stay home. In Tampa Bay. With the Bucs.
Jason Pierre-Paul, Edge, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Bucs coach Bruce Arians said in December keeping the defensive front seven together is a priority for him, but that will be tricky, with Shaq Barrett, Carl Nassib and Jason Pierre-Paul are all headed for free agency. Barrett will likely be tagged, leaving Pierre-Paul potentially free to sign elsewhere. JPP was mentioned in my article listing free agents with maximum leverage heading into the signing period for a reason: He played a significant role in Barrett’s 19.5-sack season. After Barrett’s hot start (nine sacks in his first four games), opposing offensive lines began to focus on him, cutting down on his production — until Pierre-Paul returned from offseason neck surgery in Week 8, forcing opponents to account for two potent pass-rushing threats. Barrett went on to notch 10.5 more sacks in his final 10 games, while JPP added 8.5 of his own. If the Bucs lock down Barrett and make a competitive offer to JPP, he should think about re-teaming with Barrett and continuing to build on the momentum they established in Tampa last season.
This is what Joe has been saying for months. Shaq was a different (read: not as effective) pass rusher when defenses focused on taking him out. Even Shaq admitted as much, saying sometimes he had three guys on him.
That’s why JPP is so valuable. Defenses cannot key on just him or on Shaq. It’s a pick-your-poison kind of thing.
Notice that not long after JPP came back the Bucs defense started to improve? Yes, the young corners got better and the Bucs were also aided from addition by subtraction when Vernon Hargreaves was tossed into the Gulf.
Don’t try to tell Joe that the heat quarterbacks got from JPP and Shaq didn’t help out the secondary.
March 15th, 2020 at 8:07 am
Vitamin vea and suh had major influence on the happenings as well
March 15th, 2020 at 8:14 am
“Don’t try to tell Joe that the heat quarterbacks got from JPP and Shaq didn’t help out the secondary.”
Not as much as playing THREE backup QB’s in the 4 game win streak!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
go bucs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
March 15th, 2020 at 8:25 am
Not so fast with the ‘spin’ El Buco! Backup QBs have *always* had break-out days against the Bucs. The last four games were different (for a change).
March 15th, 2020 at 8:29 am
Suh is far more important than the part time jpp…. realist is right the offenses Bucs faced the last half of the season were closer to dungy the clowns incompetent offense not nfl quality…. secondary is still in diapers the d line is 1 year closer to retirement with most unsigned. There are far more questions on defense than low standard bucfan is in denial over. Desperate short term thinking will set this franchise back another decade. This team is much closer to the basement than a playoff birth
March 15th, 2020 at 8:33 am
Please stay home JPP. Your presence is more than football skills, it’s your leadership.
March 15th, 2020 at 8:34 am
@hawk
Who is spinning??? And let us look closer at those last 4 games you are so proud of!!!!!!!!!! Last 4 games avg for points against was 25.8!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Lol!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The toilet bowl defense has been blown out of proportion!!!!!!!!!!!! Have a good season, then the “real” fans will be impressed!!!!!!!!!!!! Now stay in your lane pigeon!!!!!!!!
go bucs!!!!!!!!!!!!
March 15th, 2020 at 8:53 am
That’s why signing JW at 30+ million hurts our chances of keeping this defensive front intact. Plus there’s also the possibility that JPP will base his decision to stay on who’ll be next seasons QB. JPP didn’t seem real happy with the Winston calamity, claiming it put to much pressure on a developing young defense. So don’t think for one minute that some of these defensive players won’t factor in the QB decision before they make their own decision to resign.
March 15th, 2020 at 8:55 am
*correction* re-sign
March 15th, 2020 at 9:05 am
THIS JUST IN:
El Bucco Realisto Self-Quarantines To Recover From All His Bad Ideas.
March 15th, 2020 at 9:12 am
Wow, can’t believe Joe wrote an article that I completely agree with. I believe all Buc fans agree the JPP needs to be re-signed, as do the rest of the defense. Get Conklin, or another good RT & a Decent QB and I believe we will all be excited for 2020.
March 15th, 2020 at 9:23 am
Bucsfanman Says:
March 15th, 2020 at 8:33 am
Please stay home JPP. Your presence is more than football skills, it’s your leadership.
Yeah missing half the year for a bad choice and refusing to participate in voluntary workouts SCREAMS leadership. Have you become so desperate that your once high standards have now reached the level of bonzi, sc and little stevie…. even a useless public defender could easily make the case that jpp missing half the season and not participating in offseason workouts delayed the defensive units progress resulting in missing the playoffs….. dont blame jameis he was over compensating for a senile head coach, a clueless first year oc and a defensive unit that played at a high school level for half the season but again bucfans selective memory never ceases to amaze me…..
sir you are better than that. Don’t stoop to playing the leadership card for a known and proven multiple offender ignorant FOOL…..
March 15th, 2020 at 9:27 am
This is the Bucs….we cant have nice things or playoffs. I expect JPP to make a me decision, which is the norm in the NFL. If the Bucs do sign Brady, there will not be enough in the fridge to feed him/JPP too.
March 15th, 2020 at 9:31 am
Kind of like those Smitty defenses, eh Realisto?!
March 15th, 2020 at 9:34 am
@EBR & @Hawk:
You BOTH make valid points I am ready for a full 16(or 17) GAMES worth of dominance and consistency before starting we’ve turned the corner. So we must get off to great start in SEPT…. We must also acknowledge it was a breat of fresh air to see WRs covered and backup QBs looking like back up QBs vs what Foles, Paxton Lynch, and Derek Anderson and others ROUTINELY did to our defense over the years.
Go Bucs!!
March 15th, 2020 at 9:35 am
*stating
March 15th, 2020 at 9:42 am
JPP is a Hardy Nickerson type of leader.
March 15th, 2020 at 9:45 am
A good start would be not throwing 2 pick 6 in the 1st game….
2017-2018 flu season was severe for all US populations and resulted in an estimated 959,000 hospitalizations and 61,099 deaths.
In 2019-2020, 3,000 people have the coronavirus and 60 have died
In the whole world, 160,000 have the virus and 6,000 have died
Everybody is panicking
Precautions need to be taken, testing, quarantine for the sick, etc , but this is a media driven BS pandemic
March 15th, 2020 at 9:47 am
Chris@Apple Roof Cleaning Tampa Says:
March 15th, 2020 at 9:42 am
JPP is a Hardy Nickerson type of leader.
I could be wrong but i dont remember hardy blowing off half his hand, driving recklessly resulting in half the season missed nor missing voluntary workouts…. your comparison is laughable and an insult to hardy.
March 15th, 2020 at 10:00 am
@Bucsfanman
No!!!!! Coach Smitty was rightfully fired!!!!! But, also the gm that drafted terribly and brought in all of the slappy free-agents!!!!!!
Did you like that losing 7-9 season???? Did you like the coaches quick fixes that were promised???? Did you like the “reload” turning into a “rebuild”????
The truth was revealed!!!!!!!! And the sheep still don’t understand!!!!!!!!
go bucs!!!!!!!!!
March 15th, 2020 at 10:03 am
Jpp is much closer to Lawrence Taylor off the field than he is hardy nickerson…. you people have zero credibility bringing jpp to a leadership discussion… unless pee wee herman and jesse smollett are the only competition you are comparing him to. I guess by the standards above tonya Harding would be a good leader as well or maybe Jeremy Stevens…. no one can lower the bar like bucfan.
March 15th, 2020 at 10:06 am
Since jpp leadership is so valuable maybe the cheerleader squad should bring in Jenna Jameson, Lindsey Lohan or Tara Reid to help solidify the leadership in thier room.
March 15th, 2020 at 10:16 am
Been saying this for months, glad I’m not alone.
The defense really improved overall this year, but was its best by a far margin when we had JPP on the field. All levels of the defense really stepped up when he was there.
March 15th, 2020 at 10:18 am
Realist you are lazy. The defense gave up 17.5-19 points on average the last six weeks of the season when you adjust for Jamies’s interceptions for touchdowns and the number of times he turned it over in the bucs own redzone. You certainly type a lot words but not many of value. Especially throwing a lazy stats like that. Very disappointing.
March 15th, 2020 at 10:19 am
Also I was reading the top 101 free agents. And dt they had at 23 DJ Reader it said if not for Tampa Bays immovable object Vita Vea reader would be the best nose tackle in football. Very rarely do you ever hear on national websites a buc being called the very best at his position. And some people still are mad at licht for that pick. Some of them might be FSU alumni i would bet.
March 15th, 2020 at 10:29 am
JPP meant a lot to our defense even Suh played a major part. We need to find a way to keep them together please, we could have one of the best defense in the league. We need to sign Winston and sign Bridgewater for a back up but let them battle it out for the starting role. 1st round get top OT, 2nd round runningback
March 15th, 2020 at 10:53 am
Whether a leader or not (I think he is a leader in season but not so much in the offseason), the dude can play pro football at a very high level.
Why would you not try to get him back? Do you think a rookie 1st round draft choice replaces him. Less than 50% likely for a rookie at the 14th pick to do all that he can.
I hope we can get him for less than $13 million a year. I am not so sure. He has now made himself more valuable across the league, showing that he can play not only in a 4-3 defense (all those years) but also showing last year that he could play well in the 3-4 defense.
March 15th, 2020 at 11:38 am
Unless you are trading ROJO and eating the dead money, the Bucs don’t need a RB early in the draft. We need a pounding RB in the 4th or 5th round, such as AJ Dillon or Patrick Taylor, Jr.
March 15th, 2020 at 11:41 am
JPP, like Shaq, is looking for a longer term deal IMO. He’s already 31 so my guess is he’s looking for a 3-4 year deal. That’s doable for the Bucs as long as it’s in the vicinity of $13 mil or so per year (say a $40-$50 mil deal for 3-4 years with maybe $20 mil or so guaranteed). We can afford to re-sign Shaq, JPP, Suh AND Nassib as long as nobody gets greedy.
I still contend that our pass rush, unlike some, starts in the DLine interior with Vea & Suh. Without those beasts in the middle neither Shaq nor JPP would’ve been nearly as effective. Like you said Joe, it’s a ‘pick your poison’ situation, especially when the 4 of them are in there together. And since Suh, JPP & Shaq all had very high defensive snap counts in 2019 they’re all on the field together a bunch.
March 15th, 2020 at 11:58 am
Defense rules is right we need to keep them but I am still in for Winston he will be a pro bowler this year
March 15th, 2020 at 12:45 pm
I tend to believe keeping the DEF together hinges on what happens w/ QB1.
(What kind of coin will be committed to QB1??? If it’s TB12 $$$…Several DEF FA will have to go & Brate will need to be traded/cut ASAP!)
March 15th, 2020 at 12:58 pm
Ovweall I really liked what the defense done last year. Need to keep it intact. IMHO don’t need a high price QB to make playoffs. Carr would do nicely or Dalton. Maybe even Foles. Would come relatively cheap. Also need competition for Gay. I’d rather have a kicker with less leg & more accuracy.
March 15th, 2020 at 1:16 pm
it’s obvious tjmaxx didn’t get any action last night and has full keesters…
relax and take a load off…
literally
March 15th, 2020 at 2:07 pm
Adam
Actually did well last night. Thanks for your concern though.
March 15th, 2020 at 2:49 pm
Alan
Stick to football your epidemiological knowledge is nil. Unless of course you agree with our Pres who first said it would just disappear and the said it was a Dem HOAX!I
So Alan do you understand what “flattening the curve” means? Seriously!
March 15th, 2020 at 2:55 pm
BTW Alan your “numbers” on the Coronavirus are bogus and reveal your lack of information.
NOBODY knows how many cases there are because of our horrible delayed testing response. IS We are flying blind right now. The top medical experts are afraid to even hazard a guess.
March 15th, 2020 at 5:46 pm
stpetebucsfan
the world needs a mandatory maximum age of 65 it’s the only true solution to climate change….