New Look Bucs
January 29th, 2022
Bucs GM Jason Licht.
Forget for a moment about the quarterback position, though it is easily the most important on a football team.
With Tom Brady retiring, you have to figure that Rob Gronkowski is out the door as well. Not a sure thing but very likely.
And what about Playoff Lenny? Would he not return unless the Bucs have a top shelf quarterback? It’s hard to believe Playoff Lenny will be back if Blaine Gabbert or Kyle Trask is your starter.
Do the Bucs move up in the draft to grab one? It’s slim pickings for quarterbacks this year. A trade might be the only realistic option.
Then there is Chris Godwin. Does he want to return before there’s a plan in place to replace Brady with a veteran and he knows who the head coach will be long-term?
Does Ryan Jensen want to return to block for Trask or does he want to chase another ring?
Then there is Super Bowl-winning coach Bucco Bruce Arians. If offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich gets a job (seems likely) and defensive coordinator Todd Bowles gets a job, would Arians even want to come back? Joe isn’t convinced Arians returns, and yeah, Joe heard him say live he was coming back. Those words were uttered when Brady was his quarterback and his coaching staff was still intact.
This team could look a whole lot different when the combine begins the first week of March.
The Last Touchdown pass of Tom Brady’s career pic.twitter.com/aMMXAotUBp
— Football Is Life (@FootbaIl_Tweets) January 29, 2022
January 29th, 2022 at 4:22 pm
If we don’t get rid of BA he will prolly go with Gabbert. Ugggh.
January 29th, 2022 at 4:24 pm
If BA does indeed hang it up now and we lose Bowles and BL, I would almost say that it’s time to give the keys to Trask and let him battle with a decent veteran backup (possibly Gabbert who is also a FA). But if we at least retain BA and Bowles than we got to try and lockup Godwin, Lenny, either Jensen or Cappa, and draft secondary help because Davis is gone. Maybe try and get Jimmy G and hope he stays healthy and protected behind out O-line? Hard to swing a trade for Russ or Arod with our limited cap space.
January 29th, 2022 at 4:29 pm
Do the Bucs move up in the draft for a QB? The answer is no Joe. Kyle Trask is better than any QB coming out this year, probably be the first pick in the draft based off his last year of college tape. Don’t you think we’d be better off Joe with second year Trask in the same system, than going with a Rook?
January 29th, 2022 at 4:30 pm
The plan should be to keep this offense loaded. Chis Godwin is a must.
We got Tom Brady here because he saw how good the offense was. Keep this offense loaded and keep us a QB away from contention.
Then comes the easy part. Find a great QB.
January 29th, 2022 at 4:30 pm
Throw the house at Rodgers
January 29th, 2022 at 4:33 pm
Cmon cool it. Brady hasn’t made up his mind yet. Believe it when you hear it from Tommy. Shefters gota go
January 29th, 2022 at 4:33 pm
Start fresh: Josh McDaniels HC + Trask QB
Go bold….
January 29th, 2022 at 4:34 pm
HOF class is going to have some big names going in at the same time. Brady, Gronk and Big Ben…. Who’s going to join em
January 29th, 2022 at 4:41 pm
Here is an opportunity to get a lot younger….starting with Brady, Gronk, Suh, JPP…….Maybe Jensen……
Don’t really like it but you could make an argument to go young.
January 29th, 2022 at 4:46 pm
1. Arians already said he is coming back.
2. I love Tm Brady but he didn’t do it all himself. JL has built a strong foundation and overall a deep roster.
3. Free Agency comes early on and other teams will not know (nor will the Buccaneers know) how Godwin’s knee is coming around. The Buccaneers already have said they will do every thing in their power to keep him. 75-25 he returns.
4. The roster includes a number of All Pro talent: Barrett, Wirfs, Vea, White, Whitehead, and Winfield.
5. Lenny is important but not crucial. He is a B+ running back, but running back is not a big deal in the Buccaneers offense.
6. Davis and Dean are B cornerbacks, though Davis could still be an A. The Buccaneers will try to keep them.
7. Jensen wants to stay and he is a high priority. Smith has become a reliable Left Tackle and he too is under contract.
8. In NFC, the Rams and Saints have mortgaged their future and will decline. Dallas and San Fran are likely the teams to beat, but San Fran has issues at QB and Dallas always finds a way to underperform. Minnesota is a .500 team every year.
9. Ludicrous to count the Buccaneers out with the talent on this roster. If Gronkowski also retires, which is likely but not certain and 80 leaves, suddenly the salary cap looks attractive.
10. Biggest point is that Brady was not the whole team. He inspired others toward peak performance and he will be missed, but the players will also be motivated to show they can win with another QB.
11. I don’t get the hate for BA. He made a winner out of a losing franchise in Arizona and has now done the same in Tampa. I would not bet against Tampa winning 10-12 games next year and possibly more if they get Carr.
January 29th, 2022 at 4:49 pm
Buddha –I would not make TOO many of those bets ….
January 29th, 2022 at 5:00 pm
Happiest man in Tampa…Ariens.
January 29th, 2022 at 5:08 pm
4-13
January 29th, 2022 at 5:14 pm
Agree with ” HC Grover “
January 29th, 2022 at 5:15 pm
THANKS, TODD.
January 29th, 2022 at 5:34 pm
Bruce Arians’ most recent comments regarding door numbe two could just another be a ploy or another example of “coach speak”. Just more hot air that is.
Then, again, it could be a great big hint that the Bucs have already worked out Plan-B behind the scenes. 😉 😉 At the appropriate moment JL (and BA) will pull out the big surprise with our shiny new and “very capable” quarterback. If so I will “laugh my arse off”.
Go Bucs!
January 29th, 2022 at 5:40 pm
I get all eleven of your points, Buddha. I am in harmony with your thinking, great Arhat. I feel better already. Thanks much.
January 29th, 2022 at 6:12 pm
I said 2 years ago when we signed Brady he would be here 2 years and then we would get rodgersncause they had just drafted Love. 2 years later Brady is gone and Rodgers is on the block. We could let Godwin walk and get devonte Adams and have adams and Evans with Rodgers. How do we afford it? That’s up to the bucs to figure out lol.
January 29th, 2022 at 6:47 pm
I agree w Buddha. I even think you let Godwin walk. Between free agency and the draft we can load up on positions we need. I saw something saying how Arians liked Wentz. I think he could be a nice fit with this offense. I don’t know if trask or Gabbert are the answer.
January 29th, 2022 at 7:16 pm
So many commenters (and media gurus) remind me of Dorothy in ‘Wizard of Oz’. Naive as all git-out UNTIL she gets swept up by a tornado, then all that changes to ‘Hey Toto, we’re not in Kansas anymore’ as a new reality sets in.
Well, if Brady REALLY is retired, ‘we’re not in Kansas anymore’. Bucworld just changed, and it’ll change a bunch. But because free agency doesn’t start until March 16th, we won’t know what those changes are & what the ‘new reality’ is until then. We can speculate all day long, but guys named BA & JL will be deciding what direction the Bucs will take. And those decisions are a ways away.
What I THINK we’ll find though is that the Bucs don’t have nearly the flexibility that many seem to be assuming. 2022 may very well be a very hard transition year (especially with our schedule). BUT … we’ve got a lot of solid, young players AND a decent stable of vets already under contract to help lead them. We’ll get some of our own FAs back; we always do because they like it here and the Bucs get 1st crack at them come contract time. Speculation’s fun, but it’s got to be somewhat grounded in what’s possible or it’s just dreaming.
January 29th, 2022 at 7:46 pm
4-13 is real Destin!!
January 29th, 2022 at 7:59 pm
These conversations are ok because the Bucs won a Super Bowl. Now it’s time for a new regime to come in and rebuild the franchise.
January 30th, 2022 at 5:30 am
Brady is tired of Arians and his senile, unprofessional, disorganised ass.
We lost the game when we were down 2 touchdowns. In Rams territory, it was 2nd and 5, and instead of running the ball two times for 5 yards, we threw deep 2 times, then missed the field goal.
It was that drive that destroyed the game.
We should have ridden Lenny in the 4th quarter.
Horrible play calling lost us the game.
January 30th, 2022 at 7:46 am
Soooooooo here is something interesting and worth looking into. Bruce has been in and out of Arizona in the past few months meeting with doctors. Recently they took a BIOPSY from him. No word on what the biopsy has come back as HOWEVER…..with him having cancer before this is concerning and I wouldn’t be surprised if B.A. hung it up especially if Brady is indeed done. He will most likely need to replace a majority of the staff and players which is a huge undertaking. I guess there will be more to come.
January 30th, 2022 at 1:41 pm
Ya’ll running for the lifeboats when we haven’t even hit the iceberg yet. HE’S NOT RETIRING!
January 30th, 2022 at 8:05 pm
They should go after Rodgers and Adam’s
January 30th, 2022 at 9:57 pm
Hey budda lay off the BUDDA
THE ONLY ALL PRO the Bucs have is Wirfs
The. Other players were anointed by u. Lol