Defense First
March 2nd, 2021
Knows which Bucs he’d keep.
The Bucs have loads of weapons and who is to say they can’t find and/or draft someone else to add to the ammo boxes?
But it is defense that wins games and won the Bucs a Super Bowl. Via that line of thinking, both Nick Wright and former Pro Bowl receiver Brandon Marshall believe Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht needs to focus first on re-signing all of the team’s defensive free agents.
And yes, that probably means you wave goodbye to receiver Chris Godwin.
Marshall and Wright, co-hosts of “First Things First,” seen weekday mornings on FS1, are in rare agreement: Licht must re-sign Bucs sack king Shaq Barrett and hang on to linebacker Lavonte David.
They also seem to think foot-rubbing, car-littering tight end Rob Gronkowski won’t break the bank in staying. Both believe Ndamukong Suh won’t cost an arm and a leg and if Playoff Lenny wants to work cheap, OK. Otherwise, feed Ronald Jones.
This is the first time Joe remembers seeing both Marshall and Wright on the same page on a subject. You can hear them spell out what Bucs free agents they would keep and why in the FS1 video below.
Bucs notable free agents:
Shaq Barrett
AB
Lavonte David
Leonard Fournette
Chris Godwin
Gronk
Ndamukong Suh@getnickwright & @BMarshall discuss who should be the priority for Tampa Bay: pic.twitter.com/T8NCrMvfcn— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) February 24, 2021
March 2nd, 2021 at 8:05 am
Bucs can sign Godwin if enough players under contract are willing to rework deals – Go for it NOW while you have the talent! Worry about 2023 in 2023.
March 2nd, 2021 at 8:06 am
For years Bucs stockpiled “Weapons for Winston”, and now it’s time to focus on the D.
WR’s are much easier to come by, even less expensive, than edge guys or sideline-to-sideline LB’s.
Take care of Barrett, David and Suh first. Then see which WR’s and RBs want to play with Brady for a shot at a ring.
March 2nd, 2021 at 8:11 am
One thing is wich players I want to stay, and the other is reality……My guess is LVD and PLayffofs Lenny are gone…..The rest probebaly will stay……
March 2nd, 2021 at 8:17 am
Can’t we use one of the tags on him, and work out a trade? There’s a couple of teams with more then one first round pick that would trade one for Godwin I would think. There’s a lot of QB’s moving to new teams that could use a receiver like Godwin. I say trade him if we can.
March 2nd, 2021 at 8:24 am
Which is more rare: guys like Godwin or guys like Shaq?
March 2nd, 2021 at 8:35 am
^^^ Shaq, by a LOT.
These guys are smart! I think these guys have been reading Harry’s posts on JBF. I love Godwin, but if the Bucs need to save some cap space for the others, CG is the most expendable.
March 2nd, 2021 at 8:48 am
and the talking heads are rarely right.
March 2nd, 2021 at 8:53 am
i think licht stuns the world and brings everyone back plus an outside FA…
GO BUCS!!!!
March 2nd, 2021 at 9:19 am
Priorities= Keep the D front 7 intact, and Succop. GO BUCS!!!
March 2nd, 2021 at 9:29 am
We absolutely, positively must keep this defense together…..use the draft for a loss at WR if necessary….
Also, draft an edge rusher & DT……
March 2nd, 2021 at 10:05 am
@TBBF … “We absolutely, positively must keep this defense together…..use the draft for a loss at WR if necessary…. Also, draft an edge rusher & DT”.
Music to my ears TBBF; you’re on fire.
Could we add a ILB to that in the draft though? Behind White & LVD (assuming he re-signs) we have … oh ya. nobody. Minter is a FA; Cichy is a FA; Bucannon is a FA (and those last 2 saw pretty much zero action this past season). So for ILBs we have … White under contract. That’s it. I suspect that we’ll re-sign Minter, but not Cichy & Bucannon (they were very late-season adds anyways).
BTW, with White being the only ILB under contract, it amazes me that anyone thinks we won’t re-sign LVD.
March 2nd, 2021 at 10:12 am
@Defense, agree with you. Draft BPA, but with a focus on (no particular order) OLB, DT, MLB, OL; actually, that is a pretty good order if the talent is there to do it.
March 2nd, 2021 at 10:12 am
This article is 100% on point!
March 2nd, 2021 at 10:18 am
New Orleans did the right thing by keeping the window open for Brees, even if it didn’t pan out. Open some cap space by extending a few contracts. Licht has to do what he can to keep the band together, particularly the defense.
I don’t expect the tag to be used, not unless Shaq demands compensation that is close to that number.
March 2nd, 2021 at 11:34 am
Keep the defense together.
My preferred order:
Shaq
David
Suh
March 2nd, 2021 at 3:15 pm
They can easily drop oj howard or brate and save 6mil right there. Might be enough to sign gronk
March 2nd, 2021 at 7:01 pm
This clown Max Wright was wrong about Brady and the Bucs ALL YEAR. He’s an admitted Kansas City fan. Why would anybody listen to him now and take him seriously?
March 2nd, 2021 at 7:40 pm
Shaq and LVD. Sign Suh at the right price before the draft. Suh will only play 1 or 2 more years. At #32, you can get the fist or second best DT. If you draft an Edge at #32, you are taking a chance on the 8th or 9th best player at that position. Then draft a LB or OT in the 2nd as the replacement for LVD or D Smith. We’ll know what the Bucs think about LVD if they sign him to a 4 year contact or 2 year contract.
Must keep Succop. Can’t repeat our K problems of the last decade.
Draft the Godwin/AB replacement in the 3rd and IOL in the 4th. The wild card in all of this is RB. You have Vaughn and ROJO. If the Bucs get James White or Dion Lewis as a FA, RB will be a low priority in the draft. If not, it could be a selection on day 1 or 2.
March 3rd, 2021 at 5:35 am
When people say “The Bucs MUST re-sign Ryan Succop at any cost, he’s the only kicker who can make kicks”, do you realize how ridiculous that is? Sure, he was good, it’d be great to have him back, but let’s not get carried away.
This would be the same as if the 2008 Arizona Cardinals had several free agents, two of them being Larry Fitzgerald and Neil Rackers (the kicker). Arizona fans are filling up the message boards that a 25 year old Fitzgerald (Godwin) is expendable, but Rackers MUST be re-signed (Succop). Ridiculous, isn’t it?