Keeping Young Players Is Key
March 18th, 2021
Bucs GM Jason Licht.
Over at CBS Sports, the gang there is really liking what the Bucs are doing in free agency.
The Super Bowl champs have become like your beloved grandmother, in a way.
When she passed and you had to clean out her house, you found bags of silver dollars hidden in the corner of the attic.
Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht found extra bags of Team Glazer loot stashed in the equipment shed behind One Buc Palace, and he used them to help keep key free agents.
Cody Benjamin and Jordan Dajani at CBS believe Licht retaining his young free agents is an overlooked smart move in what they believe has been a winning free agent season for the Super Bowl-winning Bucs.
Notable moves:
*Re-signed OLB Shaquil Barrett (4 years, $68M)
*Franchise tagged WR Chris Godwin
*Re-signed LB Lavonte David (2 years, $25M)
*Re-signed TE Rob Gronkowski (1 year, $8M)
*Re-signed K Ryan Succop (3 years, $12M)Like their Super Bowl opponent, they’ve knocked it out of the park. To retain all their key free agents, save for maybe Leonard Fournette, is a minor miracle. It’s not as if they’re only running it back with old guys, either; Godwin and Barrett are the future.
Grade: A
Joe has not given up on the Bucs bringing back Ndamukong Suh — he’s coming back unless someone out of the blue tosses Suh a serious amount of money that not even his friend Warren Buffet would turn down — and Joe also has good vibes about furniture-tossing, bicycle-throwing Antonio Brown wearing pewter and red in 2021.
Playoff Lenny? The fact Bill Belicheat is trying to coax him to New England has Joe concerned.
March 18th, 2021 at 10:15 am
Joe, it’s time to get over this old narrative that belichick is some kind of savant when it comes to obtaining and retaining players. Have you seen his drafting lately? And not only lately. I don’t see him being hammered with picking a kicker in the fifth round. A kick er who is so good he got replaced by, yes, Nick folk. And I’ve mentioned in many previous posts the players he’s let walk away, obviously with gronk and TB as prominent recent examples. And yes, grunk may have retired but he did so under duress as we now know. And after trying to be traded to another team. No reason to be so concerned that he’s trying to get a decent running back in free agency.
March 18th, 2021 at 10:16 am
If Licht can get suh and brown to come back, that would just be a home run of an offseason.
As for 4net, I’m totally fine with him leaving. There is no doubt playoff/sb Lenny was fantastic but regular season Lenny wasn’t anything to get all hot and bothered about. At a certain point, you either have to call rojo/Vaughn your dudes or finally draft your starter. I would also say of all position groups on the offensive side of the ball, rb could use the most help.
Correct me if I am wrong but Licht has tossed a few picks at that position with rojo being the highest pick (2nd rd).
March 18th, 2021 at 10:25 am
Joe was Rob Gronkowski (1 year, $8M). I though I read it was a 1 year $10M contract?
March 18th, 2021 at 10:32 am
If Lenny were to go anywhere, I would be more concerned with Seattle then New England. The Seahawks are a run first team, with a Bellcow Back. Lenny would be “The Man” in Seattle, on a team dedicated to the run.
March 18th, 2021 at 10:36 am
Young players like the GOAT.
March 18th, 2021 at 10:41 am
Joe – send Lenny a memo. They’re expecting 3 feet of snow up there this
week-end. In Tampa, no snow reported or forecast!
March 18th, 2021 at 11:04 am
Suh…. and the next in the pecking order… AB … Lenny? Nope. Blaine Gabbert. We’ve got no backup QB and Gabbert has the knowledge, ability, and is the most experienced in this offense in the NFL. No QBs on the roster and Brady out until June after knee surgery. I think Gabbert might be signed before Suh. Those two are more important than AB.
March 18th, 2021 at 11:06 am
Joe,
I read where you were worried about James White because Bill cast him off and wants Lenny instead. This is the same Bill who dumped Brady and Gronk as well (remember, he tried to trade Gronk). I think we’ve had a good track record with the Patriots’ castoffs.
March 18th, 2021 at 11:17 am
Agreed Brandon! Suh, then AB. Lenny’s production can and will be replaced. Personally, I’d love to see Javonte Williams sitting there at #32 and we take him there, but I think with this deep class of pass-rushers we take one there. I’d stay defensive with the first 3 picks…Edge-rusher/OLB, LSU DL Tyler Shelvin, safety, CB or OL in the 3rd rd.
March 18th, 2021 at 12:13 pm
Were Bellicheat our coach, he’d have traded LD because he was over 30. (Which is what he tried to do to Gronk) Zero loyalty/ comraderie on that team
March 18th, 2021 at 7:55 pm
When my Grandmother passed, all we found were hundreds of packs of of Sweet-N-Low.
March 18th, 2021 at 7:57 pm
I agree Joe, I think Suh signs before the end of the week.
AB is probably getting hit with the reality that he’s not being offered more than 4 million a year anywhere , so I think he’ll be back now. I didn’t before.
If he doesn’t, I’m excited to see Johnson play more.
I’ve assume from the start that Lenny is gone, and I am OK with that. Rojo is the best running back they have and one of the top running backs in the NFL. The jump from year 1-3 has been remarkable.
I think him with the Vaughn backing him up is a good duo. Vaughn was a hell of a receiver in college. And it’s not like Lenny didn’t drop just as many as Rojo
I think both should improve their blocking with a full off-season working with Brady.
I’m guessing a RB is drafted to put in the mix. Probably rounds 4-6
March 18th, 2021 at 8:45 pm
IrishMist, LOL!! I feel your pain.
March 19th, 2021 at 8:35 am
AB and Lenny are/were luxuries. We still need to re-sign Gabbert far more than we need those two. A backup QB, when we have one QB, and he can’t practice until June, is a necessity. Gabbert knows the offense as well as anyone.