Bruce Arians Repeats Claim: “5 Or 6 [Free Agents] We Want To Keep”
February 20th, 2021
Bucs GM Jason Licht
The math is a little fuzzy at One Buc Palace.
Below is list of the Bucs’ Big 8 free agents — eight — yet again Bucco Bruce Arians specifically said this week he’s focused on re-signing “5 or 6.”
He told CBS Sports that “five out of six” free agents would set the Bucs up well to repeat. Arians also told the following to WDAE radio: “For us right now, it’s just keeping this team together. And that’s probably going to eat up most of the salary cap if we can just keep or five or six guys that we want to keep on this football team, and keep the closeness and the accountability factor that we have in the locker room.”
Yes, the rhetoric has changed since general manager Jason Licht and Bucco Bruce Arians declined good beer or good liquor and chugged Bud Lights on their Super Bowl boat parade last week.
Back then, Licht and Arians openly were talking about re-signing everyone.
If Arians is focused on maintaining “closeness and the accountability factor,” then it’s clear to Joe that Leonard Fournette and Antonio Brown do not make the Arians’ top-6.
Shaq Barrett is a great player, but perhaps his expected demand of nearly $20 million per season won’t match his value in the area of “accountability and closeness.”
Would the Bucs dare to let Succop walk? Joe might need oxygen if that happens.
Have fun speculating. The free agency dinner bell rings in 23 days.
The Big 8
Ndamukong Suh
Shaq Barrett
Lavonte David
Ryan Succop
Chris Godwin
Rob Gronkowski
Antonio Brown
Leonard Fournette
February 20th, 2021 at 8:04 am
we must make use of the franchise tag to trade either Godwin or Shaq. Can’t let them both walk for nothing. The realities of the salary cap are that we can’t keep everyone and with several players due for a new contract soon (Vita Vea, Carlton Davis, Devin White, etc) we should make sure that whatever we do we are able to keep our young talent in place.
February 20th, 2021 at 8:12 am
I see the following players being retained:
Suh – because he getting up in age and willing to do a cap friendly contract
Lavonte David – Can’t find an instinctive and fast LB in free agent to replace him.
Succp – Licht does not want another headache finding a kicker
Gronkowski – Wants to play with his BFF Brady
Brown – an affordable replacement for Godwin
Godwin, Fournette and Barrett is impossible with our cap situation.
February 20th, 2021 at 8:17 am
“declined good beer or good liquor and chugged Bud lights..” LOL. Funny how sponsors sway opinions. You guys used to constantly bash craft beer before Big Storm arrived on the scene.
February 20th, 2021 at 8:17 am
Edge-rushers are deep this year!! We can sit at #32 and get a really good one and we should!!! Carlos Basham, Jalean Phillips are my favs after viewing some film, don’t know them off the field. Shaq can chase the money….2 rings now…he’s gone!! 3 yr deal to Lavonte and franchise Godwin! Restructure Evans (he’s already volunteered), Jensen (in his last year), and Donovan Smith (last year). Surely we can find $8M-$12M additional to keep everyone but Shaq.
February 20th, 2021 at 8:18 am
Godwin- will be back
Suh- will be back
Barrett- would love to keep him, but says he “wants to break bank” another team overpays. He’s gone
David- will be back
Gronk- definitely back
Succop- will be back
Fournette- wants to get paid and doesn’t want to share carries, he’s definitely gone
Brown- I think he is back, but some team might be stupid and offer him bigger contract. Not sure if that nutcase is looking for a pay day or is truly trying to turn his life around and wants to stick with Brady
February 20th, 2021 at 8:21 am
Fournette and Godwin may be gone.
February 20th, 2021 at 8:32 am
Also, between Donovan Smith, Will Gholston, OJ Howard and Cam Brate, we could release them and save ober $34M without any dead money!!! Jensen is another $10M if we wanted for a total of $44M. We can be creative if we wanted. Scott Wells filled in admirably for Donovan…just saying! I’d force him to restructure or be released! No way he commands $14M on the open market. Gholston is replaceable, period, and we may already have his replacement on the team. Preferably I’d like to get another NT (Slaton, Fla or Shelvin LSU) and slide Vea to Gholstons spot (did you see Vea rush from the outside in tbe Super Bowl). $20M just for Smith and Gholston. Alomg with Evans restructured deal, we could keep them ALL!!!
February 20th, 2021 at 8:37 am
LOL, general manager Jason Licht and Bucco Bruce Arians declined good beer or good liquor, and chugged Bud Lights on their Super Bowl boat parade last week.
This was an indication, if not an admission, that they are broke.
We shot our Wad last year to play in a Super Bowl, and now reality rears it’s ugly head.
We are gonna loose some players, but I hope we keep the defense together, as much as we can.
Brady has won before with average offensive talent, and a good defense.
February 20th, 2021 at 8:54 am
Don’t forget about Tyler Johnson if we lose Godwin.
February 20th, 2021 at 8:59 am
This is a typical Public Relations guy approach.
They said they were gonna keep everybody.
Ouch. If anyone leaves- thats a PR fail
Now, they say 4-5.
Disappoints everyone, but not unexpected.
They keep 7 of the 8.
Now, they’ve turned a PR mistake, into a PR win.
Most of us dont realize how much we hear from the team, is first ran thru the PR office. Like everything else, its all about the spin.
I still believe we lose Godwin. I think we can hold on to the rest of the “big 8”
February 20th, 2021 at 9:01 am
One thing that is not talked about too much is the “Bowles effect”. Many players on the Defense really really like Bowles. Bowles staying in Tampa could help sway some of the defenders to stay in Tampa, or at bare minimum be one of the factors they consider when laying out pros and cons.
February 20th, 2021 at 9:09 am
Alabama,
You can also draft really good, instinctive LBs too.
They don’t have to be free agents.
Does the name Devin White ring a bell?
February 20th, 2021 at 9:17 am
Godwin and Shaq are probably gone. Not the worst thing. You can expect to get 2 3rd round comp picks in next year’s draft for the contacts they sign, as long as the bucs don’t sign any free agents from their respective positions. Tyler Johnson should fill in nicely and it gives Scooter more snaps. Shaq will be harder to replace but there are options in the draft. Look for the team to double down on edge rushers in the draft. As long a we have jpp, vv, and su the line should be fine.
February 20th, 2021 at 9:18 am
I’m going with what’s behind Door B:
1 – LVD (for $10 mil/yr on a 4-yr contract with 2-yrs guaranteed).
2 – Suh (for $6.5 mil/yr on a 2-yr contract with both yrs guaranteed).
3 – Succop (for $4 mil/yr on a 4-yr contract with 2 yrs guaranteed).
4 – Gronk (for $8 mil/yr on a 1-yr contract).
5 – Brown (for $4.5 mil/yr on a 1-yr contract).
Bucs won’t franchise tag ANY of the FAs (too expensive). Shaq will re-sign after those first 5, and will do it for an average of $15 mil per season on a 4-yr contract with 2-yrs guaranteed. His agent (the Oily One) will sniff around the NFL first though, and figure out quickly that $20 mil per year for Shaq ‘ain’t gonna happen’ this year.
Bucs will cut OJ (before the Mar deadline) but keep Brate.
Several contracts will STILL need to be reworked to free up some 2021 money so we can re-sign most of our 2nd-tier FAs (Gabbert, Griffin, Minter, Nunez-Roches, Auclair, Cockrell, Stinnie and/or Wells) AND to save enough for signing our rookie class and maybe a FA or 2. And that assumes our CAP stays at $198 this year. Dropping it to $180 mil like some have predicted would create turmoil in the NFL, and they won’t allow that to happen IMO.
February 20th, 2021 at 9:18 am
Gone: Godwin, David, Fournette
AB is a better receiver than Godwin
LBs are easy to find in the draft/FA
RBs are a dime a dozen
For god sakes people, stop talking about cutting Howard – he is on the guaranteed 5th year of his deal
February 20th, 2021 at 9:19 am
“Edge-rushers are deep this year!! We can sit at #32 and get a really good one…”.
Shaq is NOT REPLACEABLE. He must be signed, at least tagged again. Some of you put Godwin ahead of Shaq are crazy. Draft an EDGE? Really? The Bucs have been without a pass rusher for how many years and you think we can just draft one with the #32 choice?! We lucked into Shaq – the Bucs paid him $4MM in ’19. Forget 19.5 sacks, with just what Shag did in 2020, don’t you think ALL other 31 NFL teams are kicking themselves in missing out on Shaq?! But we can replace Shaq in the draft🤪🤣🤣🤣
February 20th, 2021 at 9:30 am
@Defense, I can partially agree with you:
2 – Suh (for $6.5 mil/yr on a 2-yr contract with both yrs guaranteed).
3 – Succop (for $4 mil/yr on a 4-yr contract with 2 yrs guaranteed).
4 – Gronk (for $8 mil/yr on a 1-yr contract).
5 – Brown (for $4.5 mil/yr on a 1-yr contract).
All of the above are bargains OR affordable
Love David, but at $10MM, LVD is the one who can be replaced with the #32 draft pick. Love CG too, but he can also be replaced.
Shaq: ^^^ read my previous post. We have to have Shaq back. No way he is signed after the above 4 or he will be gone to another team. Picture Shaq with Jason Allen and the Jags have lots of FA money to spend. But, YES, I think he signs a 5 year deal with the Bucs for say $16MM, first 3 years (not 2) guaranteed.
So Joe, there is your 5: Shaq, Suh, Succop, Gronk and AB (and Aaron Stinnie)
February 20th, 2021 at 9:30 am
You can replace Playoff Lenny with a draft pick. And you could replace AB by coaching up Tyson or Scotty or maybe a draft pick
February 20th, 2021 at 9:35 am
nc, Donovan Smith will easily command 14 mil as a young free agent left tackle with great durability and now Super bowl pedigree protecting one of the best whoever played. Don’t fool yourself there. His current price tag is a relative bargain among top tier LT’s which is where he’ll be considered by everyone outside of Tampa.
February 20th, 2021 at 9:37 am
I’ll just say..Shaq didn’t look nearly as good when Vea was out. I would not keep him for 20 mil a season.
February 20th, 2021 at 9:39 am
NCBucfan
Really????
“Also, between Donovan Smith, Will Gholston, OJ Howard and Cam Brate, we could release them and save ober $34M without any dead money!!! “
Smith= top 10 LT who only turns 28. He is not going anywhere and if he does we’re screwed because you’re not going to get anyone better.
Gholston- Second best run stuffer on the D line. No reason to release him.
Howard or Brate- One of them may go, but not both
February 20th, 2021 at 9:40 am
Lets use logic here.
We finally developed a pass rush with the additions of Suh and Shaq. They stay.
Kicking became boring again. Succop stays.
Gronk is a great all around, and clutch TE. Stays.
So now we have the rest. Brown may sign for cheaper than Godwin, OR, the Bucs may be looking long-term. Either way ONE of these WRs will likely not be on the roster. We have depth here too.
Fournette was clutch in the playoffs but remains expendable with Rojo’s success. If he’s looking for big $$$, he’s gone.
This may seem controversial to some but, LVD has never been a “great” LB in MY OPINION. He fits well in this scheme and I would rather us retain him. HOWEVER, I don’t think he’s irreplaceable. Not at the cost of losing Shaq or Suh. I think we can replace his production easier than DL production.
February 20th, 2021 at 9:41 am
NCBUCFAN
Howard or Brate, one of them might go.
No way in hell Smith goes anywhere. He’s a top 10 LT in this league, he’s only 28, he doesn’t miss games. People can take off their blinders of hate with this guy and realize he is pretty damn good & consistent & the O line has gotten better and better.
February 20th, 2021 at 9:45 am
Joe.
I think your top six is correct. I would say Minter and Stinnie are more important than Brown and Fournette.
They are great luxuries but neither are real necessary.
Brown may be possible because of his age and history. I see fournette getting a good offer from a team because of his age
Stinnie played great in the playoffs but may have Priced himself out of being a back up any longer unfortunately.
Minter should resign. I hope so because he does a great job filling in when needed.
February 20th, 2021 at 9:52 am
Durable Donnie…… a bargain at any price!
You just can’t find another LT that back peddles with that level of intensity and consistency.
As JayMiss would say……. we’re blessed!
February 20th, 2021 at 10:00 am
Barrett, David, Suh, Succop and Gronk…
Waive goodbye to the rest unless AB is willing to stay for really cheap…
February 20th, 2021 at 10:02 am
Possible alternative if Barrett leaves?
Von Miller is in a club option year with Broncos – he could be a FA in March
February 20th, 2021 at 10:03 am
I would put a transition tag on Godwin…..$14,2…………someone will beat that price and we will get a pick….
Or tag Shaq for about the same…..
That is a no lose situation…..you either get a pick or you get your man at a cheap price….
If Godwin is taken, then keep AB
If Shaq is taken…..use the draft pick to trade up for a replacement.
February 20th, 2021 at 10:09 am
Godwin is most likely gone. In fact, if I had to choose, Godwin, Fournette, and AB would be thanked and let go.
We have OJ Howard who is going to be huge pairing with Brady. Brady loves TEs and OJ would help preserve Gronk’s health. OJ can be split our to slot as well. OJ and Gronk as blocking and passing TEs is going to be amazing. This is why Godwin is not a priority.
February 20th, 2021 at 10:11 am
@Firsttime… I also remember the craft beer bashing… $$$$ has a way of changing opinions apparently
February 20th, 2021 at 10:16 am
To me, you gotta bring back David, Suh, Gronk and Succop. I was on board with keeping Shaq, but if he’s asking for 20 million, that makes me pause big-time. Is he a 20 million per year player? I don’t think so, but I’d pay him 20 million per year before I’d give it to Godwin since we are loaded at receiver. I don’t know what the right call is here, but you better get it right Licht. 😜
February 20th, 2021 at 10:19 am
Gronk signs for less than this year, but obviously stays
Trade Brate for pick..
Let Fournette, Brown, Shaq walk.
Maybe Tom restructures, we keep everybody else.
February 20th, 2021 at 10:26 am
The key to all this is a sit-down with Brady — sign him for 2021 & 2022 and you now have a championship window in place.
Craft all the deals to get us through the end of 2022 without cap jail. WE CANNOT MORTGAGE OUR FUTURE
Draft a QB early in 2022
Start the rebuild without Tom in 2023
February 20th, 2021 at 10:27 am
@Davenport … “stop talking about cutting Howard – he is on the guaranteed 5th year of his deal”.
Dig a little deeper into what that REALLY means in terms of being able to release OR trade him without having to eat his $5.5 mil 2021 salary.
February 20th, 2021 at 10:36 am
I believe the TV contracts are up for renewal, and I’ve been told the money involved will be *MUCH* higher than ever before. If that’s likely, then long contracts with a low-dollar first year might make signings a little easier.
But I’m not an accountant.
February 20th, 2021 at 10:55 am
Imperative to sign these guys
Ndamukong Suh
Shaq Barrett
Lavonte David
Ryan Succop
After that work everything else out with the other FA.
GO BUCS!!!!
February 20th, 2021 at 10:58 am
Senor Henry is a clown!! Shaq disappeared when Vita was gone and was able to take advantage of backup tackles in the Super Bowl! Hell, I recall Cam Gill getting half a sack and another 2 or 3 pressures in limited duty in the Super Bowl. Shaq had 8 sacks in a blitzing defense throughout the season. Its not like we were 4 down lineman and he was consistently whipping the opposing tackle. He was in ognito for at least 6 weeks so no damn way am I paying him $20M a year!!! And he is totally replaceable!!!! Why are you fondling over who is probably on someone else’s roster shortly. I’d pay Yannick (he’s a free agent too) before I paid Shaq and he’ll probably be cheaper. Stick to soccer!!
February 20th, 2021 at 10:59 am
Senor Harry: I appreciate you, my Bucs fan brother, but answer me this…If the Bucs can’t get a pass rusher with the 32nd pick in the 1st Round, how do you explain some of the NFL leaders in sacks being taken after that? For instance, Trey Hendrickson (3rd), Za’Darius Smith (4th), Yannick Ngakoue (3rd)…Heck, Shaq Barrett went undrafted. Shaq was a backup and learned behind Von Miller. While I’d love the Bucs to resign Shaq, his “break the bank” comment left me wondering. If the Bucs can’t resign him, I’d like for them to sign a veteran (my question on Von Miller is his health, and can he stay healthy) who could train a young guy (1st or 2nd Rounder).
February 20th, 2021 at 10:59 am
Senor Harry … Bucs just can’t let LVD go; he falls in the same category as Brooks, Alstott, Barber, etc IMO. Lifetime Bucs … never played for anyone else because they were the Bucs. Kinda like how some describe Chevrolet as ‘The Heartbeat of America’? That’s LVD to me.
May sound strange, but LVD & Suh TOGETHER fill a similar role IMO to what Tom Brady fills on the offense. Brady’s numbers on the year weren’t at the very top of the league, but his LEADERSHIP was vital to getting our offense to play at its’ max potential. LVD & Suh have a similar effect on the defense IMO. Neither is nearly as ‘visible’ as Brady is, but that doesn’t lessen their significance to this defense.
TBBF … Like the transition tag idea. At least we get ‘something’ if Godwin and/or Shaq sign elsewhere.
JMarkBuc … Brady’s contract is really a bargain far as I can see, so not a whole bunch could be gained by restructuring IMO. Besides, we don’t have any guarantees that he’ll even want to stay for 2022.
February 20th, 2021 at 11:07 am
i looove the Big 8, but if it is impossible cause the numbers don’t add up, and if we with PAIN we can sacrifice one to keep Big 7, then Shaq Barrett it is.
February 20th, 2021 at 11:13 am
@ Jbeachbuc Yeah…Hey, good for them getting another sponsor. Just think it’s funny that they used to bash small craft breweries and promoted garbage like Bud Light.
February 20th, 2021 at 11:21 am
The math is simple. Ignore AB and fournette because those deals won’t happen till later after their market is tested.
Let’s bottom line this very UNCOMPLICATED cap issue. It is completely simple!!
The Bucs are the ONLY team in the nfl that hasn’t been doing signing bonus and spreading over multiple years!!! The ONLY team!!
And all though we all think greenburg is a genius, let’s keep in mind the BUCS just haven’t had enough good enough players to have to do contracts like that!!
The Bucs have MORE cap room then ANY team in 2022 and 2023 partly because of no signing bonus spreading.
The Bucs can EASILY open up enough cap to sign everyone at super high dollar!!
It’s simple
1. Redo Brady deal with 2 year extension and do signing bonus reduces 2021 cap to under 5 mil
2. Sign shaq Barrett to 3-4 year extension with 18-20 mil a year and do signing bonus and get his deal under 5 mil cap in 2021
3. Sign Chris viewing to 16 mil a year (no state taxes) and do signing bonus to lower the 2021 cap
4. Sign Lavonte David with a signing bonus also.
The questions isn’t who or if the Bucs will bring everyone back..the question is with finally actually having enough good players to resign and keep will the Bucs change their contract structure and do like 31 other teams. If they do…. they can do whatever they want and still be healthy 4-5 years down the road
February 20th, 2021 at 11:25 am
FYI
Using the franchise tag on Barrett would cost $19.88 million against the salary cap. A 20% increase from last year.
That is the entire salary cap space available including what we need for draft picks.
February 20th, 2021 at 11:26 am
I dont see that happening…
February 20th, 2021 at 11:33 am
GONE: Howard, Griffen, Fournette, Godwin or AB. D. Smith (trade)? To me one of the most important signings should be Succup & Gronk. Of course $$$ is the big thing. Don’t overpay for Shaq or Godwin. Both can be replaced. Suh should resign as well as Minter & Wells. I still say D. lazy ass Smith is highly overrated.
February 20th, 2021 at 12:04 pm
@ Defense – I understand the contract. Why would we ever cut a talent like Howard before the TE room is finalized? That will be after the start of the league year = a guaranteed deal for 2021.
You dont let him go for nothing – his contract is cheaper than Brate’s and he is younger
As for David. You need to take emotion out of it. There comes a time for all the great Bucs to go…. and is should be a year too early, not a year too late.
Its a cold business and you don’t get paid extra for time served on the team. Thats just the way it is.
February 20th, 2021 at 12:09 pm
@ Mike – you said it yourself. The Bucs are the ONLY team to not pay huge signing bonuses. What makes you think they will start now?
Quickest way to cap jail?
Pay large signing bonuses that lead to dead money years down the road.
I want us to repeat in 2021 but more than that, i want to be in the hunt every year.
Does anyone want to go back to talking about the draft in October?
February 20th, 2021 at 12:16 pm
LOL@everyone racking their brains and arguing, trying to solve who stays and who goes…
You don’t make the call guys…
Go Bucs!!! 🙂
February 20th, 2021 at 12:27 pm
What a ridiculous comment…
February 20th, 2021 at 12:28 pm
LOL @ FANS BEING FANS!!!!
HOW DARE YOU!!!!!!
February 20th, 2021 at 12:35 pm
Still laughing…
February 20th, 2021 at 12:36 pm
@Mike … “The Bucs have MORE cap room then ANY team in 2022 and 2023 partly because of no signing bonus spreading.”
Salary CAP room for 2022 & 2023 is essentially irrelevant IMO at this point MIke because there’s no common basis of comparison with other teams. For instance, Bucs only have 18 players under contract for 2022 with $169 mil of CAP space but with zero QBs on the roster; Chiefs have 22 players under contract for 2022 with only $65 mil of CAP space, BUT Patrick Mahomes eats up $31.5 mil all by himself. Pretty difficult to draw any comparisons between the two teams for 2022. And even more-so for 2023, and especially since none of us (nor the NFL) even know what the salary CAP for those years will be.
Davenport … Only point was that Bucs do have the option of releasing OJ, but they’ll need to do it soon or else they eat his contract. No different situation than if we’d never picked up his 5th year option. And regarding OJ himself, I’m a huge fan, BUT … availability is HUGE too IMO, and OJ has only played in 42 games in 4 yrs (a little less than 2/3rds of our games), and he ended up on IR in 3 out of 4 seasons (playoff availability kinda low?). Sorry, but for $6 mil this year (a very tight $$$ year at that) he still looks like the odd-man-out in the TE group.
February 20th, 2021 at 1:41 pm
Marine Buc: I’m hoping we’ll all hear about 8 or 9 Bucs players, the highest paid, doing restructures or adding another year to their contract to spread it out. I’ve heard that the Bucs have the most cap space for the 2022 season. So we’ll have to wait and see on that.
Buc1987: You are correct, unless Jason Licht, Bruce Arians, or the Glazers post on here under aliases. Wouldn’t it be something to find out Ndog was really the Glazer brother that wanted to keep Jameis? 😂🤣😂🤣
February 20th, 2021 at 1:42 pm
@ Davenport we have always been talking about the draft in October because the Bucs haven’t had enough talent not salary cap. If the way the Bucs have done contracts was the obvious way to do it then bucs wouldn’t be only one. They just haven’t had enough good players to really press the cap hard on a 3-5 year cycle.
February 20th, 2021 at 2:12 pm
I’ve suggested before…..cheat….pay some of these guys under the table….happens all over the country…
Give Gronk a PR position after he retires for a cheaper salary now.
Give Brady a consultancy after he retires.
Find very nice boats for Chris Godwin & Shaq
Give AB a lifetime membership at Mons & let him sleep with Giselle (again)
Gentlemen, Licht can make this happen after a bunch of Bud Lichts……
February 20th, 2021 at 2:25 pm
Godwin- I hope he will be back but he’s going get some pretty lucrative offers. It depends on how badly he wants to chase another ring.
Suh- will be back at a cap friendly option
Barrett- “wants to break bank” so he’s gone
David- will be back but will also get a lot of lucrative offers for his talent. He’s finally being noticed for his abilities that he has shown us all these years.
Gronk- definitely back to play with his buddy
Succop- will be back don’t need another kicking issue here at ray J
Fournette- is iffy but I think will be back
Brown- I might come back if his legal woes don’t continue.
February 20th, 2021 at 3:13 pm
Shaq will be franchised or resigned, no way we let a man who had 66 pressures and is only 28 years old walk.
February 20th, 2021 at 3:23 pm
….looks like several of our FA guys are going to go to Jacksonville….
Urban Meyer loves champions….he is going to recruit/pay big $$$ to our guys….
and they still are in florida with no state tax…..Jacks is going to be our big competitor in free agency.
February 20th, 2021 at 3:46 pm
L. David – re-sign a market value deal
Succoop – re-sign a market value deal
Suh – re-sign short term contract
Gronk – re-sign short term contract
AB – re-sign short term contract
Barrett – gone
Fournette – gone
Godwin – franchise tag, to see if he elevates into an elite WR, and to allow Scotty & Tyler Johnson time to develop into bonafide starters
February 20th, 2021 at 4:27 pm
shaq is like a sapp…
he doesn’t fit the linebacker mold…
he’s got the little belly pouch…not to deisel…
but he’s like mad slippery and shakes defenders when he really works them…
he doesn’t fit the mold of a basic lb…but he creates an inordinate amount of pressure for the opposing qb…
and pairing him with jpp can make a qb ‘s head foam and swivel…
#EyeSawFoamComingOutOfMahomesHeadDuringThesuperbowl
#BarbasolFoam
February 20th, 2021 at 4:46 pm
First post since before SB. Once they got in the playoff hunt I just sat back and enjoyed the ride. This issue of who to bring back next year is interesting however and several regulars have some good ideas’s. Both TBBF and Defense Rules as usual have a good handel on the situations. (By the way haven’t heard much out of TBBF lately) I agree, we should really try to keep Godwin with TAG, He and Evans are a handful. Shaq didn’t play well without Vea, Keep Tom happy with Gronk and AB. Finally RB’s are cheap and you would sure hate to see LVD on another NFC south team.
February 20th, 2021 at 4:51 pm
Real talk, Shaq was having a down year until Vita Vea came back off IR
February 20th, 2021 at 5:31 pm
Mike is right–it’s time to change the MO and GFI–this is the time to spread bonus $$ into ’22 and ’23 (increased TV revenue) in order to keep all but Lenny. The conference championship and first round bye should be quite doable next year.
February 20th, 2021 at 5:33 pm
Martinii
Thanks…..been in Cabo for a week celebrating our 40th anniversary…..and 2nd SB during that span…..wore my Buc gear all over the resort and received lots of congrats.
As for the cap situation….I am quite convinced that we can’t keep both Shaq & Godwin…..too much money there.
I lean toward a long term deal for Shaq….young & loves Tampa….we need to try to keep this defense together.
Brady can make due without Godwin.
Franchise tag for 21 for WR is $14.2 mil
Someone will likely beat that so, if they do there is a process where we can receive 2 #1 picks……if they don’t we get Godwin for $14.2
IMO we should sign LVD to a 3 year deal for team-friendly money.
We may be able to afford AB if Godwin is gone.
Gronk will be friendly with a $7 mil 1-year deal….any less for him will be an embarrassment,
IMO….we will get comp picks this year for losing FAs……candidates are Godwin, Fournette, AB, LVD, Suh, Shaq……at least 2 of them will receive decent contracts….any FAs we pick up will likely be at lower salaries.
The extra picks will help us move up for better players
…We need to focus our draft on DT, OLB
Any later round players must be able to play special teams.
February 20th, 2021 at 9:20 pm
Shaq, Suh, Sucuup, Gronk, AB or Godwin is 5
I know David is out in this scenario. He’s going to get paid and we’re not going to be able to match that price for our 2nd best inside LB
February 21st, 2021 at 12:57 am
Heres me:
Gronk, Succop, Suh – no brainers
Godwin – franchise unless he works with us on a long deal
AB – unless he’s willing to work with us, make a little more money, but work with us, hmmm, dont know yet, yes I want him back but cap friendly please (just one more year)
Barrett is gone-chasing money and cant blame him (all good)
Lenny – Please work with us….another one we need for cap friendly (just one more year)
Sign Haason Reddick and JJ Watt (if theyre reasonable, will probably lose Gholston for Watt)
Draft:
QB Mac Jones to sit behind Brady
Tackle/Guard Jackson Carman (future high quality beef for the O line)
DT Darius Stills (future high quality beef for the D line)
Then maybe a Center in training….
thats where i am….
February 21st, 2021 at 7:26 am
I have read so much about salary cap management – I won’t front like I’m an expert but I think the thing everyone can agree on is that there are ways to manage the cap. The Bucs approach has been solid, but they’ve never been in this sort of “win now” window. I bet we see them do a couple extensions and signing bonuses to stretch out the cap hits for this year. Just gotta be careful so that when TB12 does retire (2 more years?), you’re not in cap hell. I think the front office modifies its normal M.O. this year and gets back the key players.
February 21st, 2021 at 6:13 pm
This is easy. LVD, Succop, and CG14 will be back. Need to draft a couple of DLs big time, and Bowles/Licht will get it done.
February 21st, 2021 at 7:58 pm
Btw i left out LD54 on purpose, he knows he aint going anawhere….just to clear that up….
SB ring #2 is right around the corner for him….