Peter King Is Calling The Bucs’ Bluff
February 22nd, 2010
"I am not sure what I should do now Mr. Glazer. Peter King is saying you won't let me make a trade with the Rams."
Rumors surfaced Saturday that the Bucs were mulling over a deal with the Rams to flip first round draft picks, which would give the Bucs the first overall pick. Part of the deal would be sending career-backup quarterback Josh Johnson and a third round pick to St. Louis.
Yesterday, someone on Twitter dared asked King if the Bucs would trade Josh Freeman to the Rams for the overall first round pick. Naturally, King all but blew off the outrageous question.
This morning in his must-read weekly Monday Morning Quarterback column, the longtime Sports Illustrated columnist wrote how he just cannot see the Bucs making such a trade with the Rams involving Josh Johnson.
I think I would be shocked — as would the St. Louis Rams, quite frankly — if the Bucs were remotely serious about trading up to number one in the draft from their spot at three. If you haven’t noticed in the last 15 months, the Bucs are shedding salary the way I wish I could shed pounds, which is to say, with consistent regularity. Paying JaMarcus Russell money ($39 million in the first three years of his Oakland deal) to a defensive tackle would blow everyone in the league away. As one source with knowledge of the inner workings of each team said to me in a text the other night when I asked about the chances of the Bucs and Rams dealing: “About the same as Colgate joining the Big East.”
Joe detailed previously why he wouldn’t be shocked if the Bucs did pull off such a trade. Now Joe is not saying Bucs general manager Mark Dominik won’t make a trade, but consider:
* Sure, trading up means picking manbeast Ndamukong Suh or Gerald McCoy will cost roughly $7-8 million more. If the Bucs were so tight with the purse strings, Joe asks again, why did they wave all sorts of cash in Facestomper Haynesworth’s face?
* Dominik attempted to acquire bratty quarterback Jay Cutler in a three-way deal. This just in: Cutler’s contract isn’t exactly the same wagescale as a common sportswriter.
On Sirius NFL Radio this morning, co-hosting with Randy Cross on “The Opening Drive,” a Rams fan asked King about the trade rumor and King spoke further on the issue.
“If [the Bucs] could do it with some way not to lose a draft choice they may do it,” King said. “But remember, the guy who owns the third pick in the draft is not Daniel Snyder, but Malcolm Glazer. That team is not spending money.
“Are they going to trade up and spend that extra $8-10 million? I don’t see it.”
February 22nd, 2010 at 9:54 am
King is just another fat ignorant fool spreading bullshit across the land. I sure hope all the talk of the Glazers being cheap and not caring comes to end after this offseason when we trade for Brandon marshall and trade down to get Suh.
February 22nd, 2010 at 9:56 am
I really like King so I wont criticize him. In fact, if the Bucs do trade up for Suh and give him a fat contract, that would be a gigantic bitch-slap to everyone saying they are cheap. However, it is unlikely they will trade up so hopefully they will find some way to convince us they are serious about rebuilding the Bucs. Maybe they could accept the offers to sell Man-U and come back to America.
February 22nd, 2010 at 10:14 am
I am confused. Are we addressing the trade as previously posited, or a new situation involving Freeman??
February 22nd, 2010 at 10:22 am
If they trade freemen they should be fired. Reallistically I can see them trading jj but not freemen do know y people keep bring freemen up in a trade he is our franchise qb!!
February 22nd, 2010 at 10:38 am
Joe,
I constantly see where you say the Bucs offered Haynesworth a boatload of money to become a Buc last year. Everyone knows that the money offered was backloaded and he would have never seen the majority it. Please quit with the rhetoric of the Bucs free purse strings. It’s simply not true.
Mark
February 22nd, 2010 at 10:40 am
Mark:
Joe heard from Facestomper’s own mouth how the Bucs offered him more money than anyone else. Joe heard it with his own ears.
What better source can Joe come up with than the player himself?
February 22nd, 2010 at 10:42 am
no its not freeman—-its johnson
just like when tom hanks said: “its not ryan, its ryan”
adam from ny
February 22nd, 2010 at 10:51 am
I would love for the bucs to get peppers and then trade to get suh and I also like for them to get marshall in a trade or boldin In a trade
February 22nd, 2010 at 10:56 am
Joe, yes it appears Bucs offered Hainesworth more money, but as Mark said, it was back loaded and not much guaranteed. If the Bucs deal was so great, why didn’t he take it?
Someone needs to tell VM to straighten out Peter King. It seems Kings is saying the Bucs are cheap. We can’t have that, can we VM?
February 22nd, 2010 at 10:59 am
Louie:
Facestomper said he was turned off by Raheem the Dream. Thought he had a better shot at winning with the Redskins. He didn’t want to be part of a rebuilding program — even though (at the time) Raheem the Dream told all in the pen and mic club who would listen the Bucs were not rebuilding.
Facestomper also said he didn’t like the fact the Bucs cut Derrick Brooks, Ike Hilliard, Warrick Dunn, et al.
February 22nd, 2010 at 11:11 am
Wondering where everyone heard how that Haynesworth contract was structured since the Bucs have never released details of contracts. Its all speculation as usual.
Like Joe said Haynesworth himself said the Bucs made the better offer.
February 22nd, 2010 at 11:36 am
It’s more like Haynesworth’s “ego” saying they offered me, the great one, alot more and I turned it down! Joe, you’ve got connections. Get a copy of that offer from the Bucs & a copy of his contract. I’d bet that his current contract is much, much better. Remember, I can offer you a “billion” bucks, payable at $5.00 per week for the 1st 5 years, with a cut clause in it, and it is still a “billion” dollar offer! These tight asses aren’t going to come off of money.
I still say do not give the rams our 3rd “round” pick. If they want JJ for that trade you cannot say no. But again, these are the Glazer’s & a 1st overall pick is close to 10mil extra money.
February 22nd, 2010 at 11:41 am
Doesn’t matter. The Bucs ARE cheap. Dropped my season tics three yrs ago, glad I did. Price was going up up up, and I really wasn’t seeing a better product. Worse really. Now they are just bad, and they will have to spend money to improve. The D line is terrible, and needs to get alot better before they win more than 5 games. No playmakers at WR is a HUGE problem with a second yr QB who clearly struggles to be accurate. Going to have to spend some coin now, or we will SUCK AGAIN.
February 22nd, 2010 at 11:49 am
I read somewhere where the Haynesworth deals the Bucs was more money, but had less guaranteed. I can’t find that article, so it may have been a rumor. However, I did see where Haynesworth said the Bucs offered less money initially, then offered the big money after he had agreed to go with Washington. So, I guess you can give the Bucs credit for trying — much like when they were late to the game in the Cutler deal.
This year will be the true test for the Bucs. There is no cap floor, so we’ll see if they spend some money without being forced to do it. I agree that Dominik may be blowing smoke when he says Bucs won’t be active in free agency. With some of the big-name players they are going to have to come up with some signing bonuses. That up-front money may be a show stopper. I hope they start spending some money to improve the team!
February 22nd, 2010 at 11:50 am
The Bucs can clear all this up by signing a couple of good free agents. And I mean ACTUALLY SIGNING, not hypothetically signing or “trying” to sign. How about Dansby or Sharper? Or make a trade for Marshall………..or sign AB.
Or, move up and snag Suh…….
Talk is cheap, lets see some action. This standing pat and waiting for the Dream to develop rookies aint gonna cut it folks.
February 22nd, 2010 at 12:13 pm
Jut an observation but wouldnt’ an extra “7-8 million” be close to what you would have to pay a high 3rd rounder?
February 22nd, 2010 at 2:26 pm
The Bucs can save about $10 million buy cutting Hovan, Simms, Clayton, and Leftwich. If they trade away Ward, make it $12 million.
This would allow them to sign FAs like Dunte Robinson, Antrel Rolle, and Aaron Kampman. Angelo Crowell has also stated he would like to get a second shot with the Bucs.
February 22nd, 2010 at 2:27 pm
I don’t buy into the Glazers being too cheap for a second. If they decide Suh is thier guy, they will move up and pay him him without hesitation.
February 22nd, 2010 at 2:57 pm
Well, Vince Wilfolk is off the table.
http://twitter.com/Adam_Schefter
February 22nd, 2010 at 8:47 pm
shedding salary?? What’s he talking about?? We aren’t spending like the Washington Redskins, but it’s not like we are cutting every player on out team either.
Last I checked we gave some decent free agent money last season to Antonio Bryant, Micheal Clayton , Derrick Ward , Kellen Winslow , and OFFERED over 100 million to ALbert haynesworth.
Shut your pie-hole , and do some actual research King !