Two Credible Rumors Today At The NFL Scouting Combine
March 3rd, 2022
One involved Bucs center Ryan Jensen.
If Joe was into rumors and wild speculation, Joe would have a daily rumors column. There’d be plenty to write considering all the stuff that comes across Joe’s various electronics.
But today Joe is going there because of where they were heard and who delivered them.
In the past 24 hours, Joe heard the following from a credible New York source at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. Watch out for the Jets making a move on Bucs free agent Pro Bowl center Ryan Jensen. Apparently, the Jets have the need, the desire and the cap room.
The second one is more interesting to Joe because it’s in the NFC South.
The Falcons have major salary cap issues, in large part because Matt Ryan counts $48 million against Atlanta’s cap in 2022. Ryan turns 37 in May and he’s signed through 2023, but Joe is hearing that Ryan is very likely to have his contract restructured again to further kick the can down the road. That would give him a contract for 2024 and let Atlanta cut his cap number way down so they can find offensive line help to protect him. Alex Cappa anyone?
Joe was told that barring a major change in the QB prospects for the Bucs, Panthers and Saints, the Falcons are likely to go all-in as they have the best quarterback in the division and a head coach/playcaller that they love.
Enjoy Today’s Ira Kaufman Podcast. Fresh audio from Jason Licht, John Lynch and much more.
March 3rd, 2022 at 1:15 pm
Makes sense. another team is going to offer a ridiculous sum for him.
March 3rd, 2022 at 1:19 pm
Hate to see Jensen go especially with a young QB on the horizon. You won’t find a harder worker and a tougher individual than Ryan.
March 3rd, 2022 at 1:19 pm
Lots of taxes in NJ……
March 3rd, 2022 at 1:25 pm
The rats are on the rails ready to jump ship. Anyone who doesn’t see that is still drunk from the Bucs’ Super Bowl win.
March 3rd, 2022 at 1:27 pm
Complete rebuild mode…..unfortunately I knew it….all good, we got this!
March 3rd, 2022 at 1:27 pm
Robert Hainsey was playing T at Notre Dame we had him taking snaps at center. I say we just bring Jensen back and move Hainsey to guard. RG could potentially be Cappa/Stinnie or a draft pick. Jensen is just a great mentally, leader, and is the best remaining interior lineman that we have so it might not make sense to let him walk with Marpet now gone.
March 3rd, 2022 at 1:28 pm
Rumors are rumors and it’s no surprise another team would go after Jensen. And Buff may go after Gronk. That’s how free agency works. Yup.
March 3rd, 2022 at 1:29 pm
My policy this time of year is ‘dont believe ANYTHING you hear.’
March 3rd, 2022 at 1:30 pm
And we can start with sending the DC elsewhere….whats his name, oh, mr single cover the best WR (Kupp) at the most critical point at the end of the game….
Yeah, start with that part of the rebuild please Mr. Licht!
March 3rd, 2022 at 1:55 pm
It seems to me that rumors fill the screens & pages of websites on a daily basis….nothing wrong with that….if all you printed or broadcast were facts….that would be quite boring.
March 3rd, 2022 at 2:00 pm
Looks like we’re going to see a stripped down version of the Bucs.
March 3rd, 2022 at 2:07 pm
Another credible rumor Eagles are going all in for Chris Godwin his hometown is about an hour from Philly.
March 3rd, 2022 at 2:14 pm
Looks like 2022 will be no different from 2021 & the years before that; Bucs’ defense gets scraps & the offense gets filet mignon. The big bucks get channeled to QB, WR(s), OLinemen, even TEs (RBs MAY get some of that steak this year too). Meanwhile the defense gets stocked with players on either their first OR their last contracts.
And now in 2022 most seem to want to restock our offense with expensive established players (Godwin, Jensen, etc, etc) while restocking our defense with rookies & ‘whatever else we can afford’ (which won’t be very much BTW). And then multiple JBFers will scream for Todd Bowles’ head (again) when our defense struggles. Golly, I wonder why that is.
Welcome to Ben Dover University. We’re screwed IF we cripple our defense even more in favor of offense. That has to be some level of BALANCE for us to remain competitive this year & beyond.
March 3rd, 2022 at 2:15 pm
Unlike the last 2 yrs, There is a possibility our Bucs might not win the division this year. funny how things can change.
March 3rd, 2022 at 2:15 pm
If the Falcons will ever have a great shot at the title, its likely this year…
The Panthers are in shambles…
The Saints are falling apart….
The Bucs are unknown at the most valuable position…
March 3rd, 2022 at 2:17 pm
Albuc, there’s no place like home. DR, good idea dump all the money on D and rely on Trask to put up 30 a game.
March 3rd, 2022 at 2:20 pm
I’m confused why isn’t Tampa trying to trade Brady’s rights and future picks to get a better QB?
Why has no one called a GB, Seattle, Oakland, Miami, Vikings, Houston?
Or is the team so high on Trask he could be the next Burrow or Herbert?
What is clear to win NFC South you need a QB better than 37y old Matt Ryan on Falcons and better than Winston on the Saints and a better Bridgewater/Wentz/Jimmy G/Draft Pick on Carolina.
If Carolina gets Watson Tampa will have the 4th best QB in NFC South.
It’s almost a universal rule in the NFL the better QB almost always wins the division. With rare exceptions to rookies and horrible tanking rosters like Phillip Rivers had.
It is why Tampa should be all now, as Brees finally retired and Ryan finally aging out and could be traded. If Tampa lets Watson go to Carolina/Saints there goes the next 5y of playoff runs.
March 3rd, 2022 at 2:29 pm
big red is the mindset of the line…
gotta keep him or franchise tag him…
gotta…
bengals or jets could toss him 2 years 30 mil
cappa is the question mark to go…with hansey and stinnie development
March 3rd, 2022 at 2:30 pm
If Jensen leaves I want him to win a super bowl protecting Joe Burrow, and If Gronk leaves, I want him to win a super bowl catching passes from Josh Allen. I want out high impact free agents to make high impacts on contending teams. Each of them can put a contender over the top
March 3rd, 2022 at 2:36 pm
Trade down, Wirfs to LG, draft Darian Kinnard near top of 2nd for RT, Brian Robinson jr RB in the 2nd ………..then we go CB Alontae Taylor 3rd….WR Calvin Austin in the 4th…trade back into the 4th for DT Perrion Winfrey
…im still researching 1 hr in….subject to change….
March 3rd, 2022 at 2:40 pm
Dolphins shut the door on QB Deshaun Watson
Dolphins GM Chris Grier says the team has shut the door on Texans QB Deshaun Watson, bookending a months-long saga in Miami.
Looks like it’s Tampa and Washington and Carolina now
March 3rd, 2022 at 2:42 pm
@MadMax
Why would you move Wirfs??? With all due respect…are you nuts?
March 3rd, 2022 at 2:46 pm
Miami leaving door open for Tampa to trade Brady to Miami.
As per Jeff Darlington guy who leaked fake retirement story and was in the Brady camp, “Tom return unlikely but if he does won’t play for any team outside Florida” he stressed only Florida no 49ers home in Florida now. It’s Tampa or Miami
March 3rd, 2022 at 2:46 pm
^ We need that size, speed and power at LG now….he’s still young, he can handle it….if it doesnt work, go back to the drawing boards.
March 3rd, 2022 at 2:47 pm
Hopefully, the mindset is position by position….not offense vs defense…..
I do think we should get younger….that would mean going with Hainsey…and doing our best to sign Cappa & Stinnie…..
To me, Whitehead makes sense…..Davis, maybe not because of money.
Whatever happens in FA…we still need a home run with our first 3 picks……DT, WR, CB……(not necessarily in that order)
March 3rd, 2022 at 2:50 pm
I could see CIN being the real player for Jensen in FA & Jets taking Linderbuam @ #10.
(Who’d Jensen rather play for – knowing the money is going to comparable – either way…The guys that just got to the SB with a young core & rising superstar QB…Or the Jets??)
Cappa…The FO will find a away to keep him in Tampa. (& Stinnie). Move Hainsey to starting C, with plan to keep OL fairly familiar with each other.
(But draft 2 OL… G early Day2 & Swing Tackle on Day3)
March 3rd, 2022 at 2:50 pm
madmax has lost his mind….
he will be okay in about an hour…
wirfs will never play anything but tackle……..ever
March 3rd, 2022 at 2:51 pm
ok adam…..but you never know till you try
March 3rd, 2022 at 2:53 pm
max he’s pretty much the premiere RT in all of football
March 3rd, 2022 at 2:54 pm
i’m sure he’s been told to stop leaping out of pools too 🙂
March 3rd, 2022 at 2:58 pm
Exactly why!
March 3rd, 2022 at 2:59 pm
sorry. i think outside the box lol
March 3rd, 2022 at 3:15 pm
This “all-in” phrase is stupid. Aren’t all 32 professional teams aiming to win a Super Bowl this year? And every year?
March 3rd, 2022 at 3:29 pm
Listnfrmafar … i remember much too clearly those mediocre (nah, downright bad) defenses that the Bucs cobbled together PRIOR to 2019 when Todd Bowles arrived. Apparently way too many have forgotten, because those defenses were woefully understocked in terms of TALENT … and performed woefully (although Swaggy gave the tree his best). Just look at our defense using the Yardage criteria for the 3 years prior to Bowles’ arrival vs since he became our DC:
o 2016: Ranked #23 overall … Rushing – #22; Passing #22
o 2017: Ranked #32 overall … Rushing – #23; Passing #32
o 2018: Ranked #27 overall … Rushing – #24; Passing #26
o 2019: Ranked #15 overall … Rushing – #1; Passing – #30
o 2020: Ranked #6 overall … Rushing – #1; Passing – #21
o 2021: Ranked #13 overall … Rushing – #3; Passing – #21
This defense wasn’t nearly as talented as some seem to think it was last year, BUT they played reasonably well for Todd Bowles considering the injuries especially. I asked myself & others many times why Bowles kept putting JPP on the field when he knew that he was only operating on ‘1 wing & a prayer’. The only thing that makes any sense is that he needed JPP’s LEADERSHIP & INTENSITY on the field. Same with Suh. And yes, same with LVD (look at White’s stats when LVD was out). Those 3 were the Alpha dogs. Losing 2 of them will smart IMO (and I’m not convinced any longer that LVD is still the LVD of old).
Just have this bad feeling that there’ll be a lot of gnashing of teeth in Bucsville this season unless we REALLY pay attention to ‘renovating’ our defense as much as we seem to paying attention to ‘renovating’ our offense. Just my opinion, and I hope I’m wrong.
March 3rd, 2022 at 3:35 pm
@DR
Who do you want is prioritizing as re signings specifically ?
You seem very doom and gloom my brother and nothing has officially happened yet. Have some faith ! Go Bucs!
March 3rd, 2022 at 4:03 pm
If the free agents fly the coop for money and the Bucs were fair, so be it. No one expects anything from the Bucs this year due to the schedule and player retirements/possible departures, so they can only please and surprise, not disappoint, right?
March 3rd, 2022 at 4:07 pm
DR, those stats are very telling, talk about one trick pony Bowles. He did nothing in the secondary (ironic because he was a DB) and loaded up on the front. Hey, I don’t know what the Bucs are going to do, they are hurting on both sides of the ball and good receivers aren’t going to hide a bad oline or rookie QB.
March 3rd, 2022 at 5:00 pm
We’ll see how it shakes out.
March 3rd, 2022 at 6:21 pm
I’ve been saying for a while now that Matt Ryan would be a possibility. And if so, a great option, better than almost all of the others listed this offseason. Legit top QB mired with a bad team for a long time. Hell of an arm, would flourish in this offense.
If the Bucs land him, it would be a coup, and you could actually start dreaming playoffs and SB again.
But he’s with a division rival, which kills this pipe dream?
March 3rd, 2022 at 6:40 pm
Lord C … Wasn’t ‘doom and gloom’ until some of Joe’s recent articles. I recognize that FA hasn’t even started yet & the draft is still a ways away, but the writing appears to be on the wall. BOTH the Bucs’ offense AND defense have been gutted right now in terms of talent lost (Brady, Gronk, Fournette, Marpet, Jensen, Cappa, Godwin on one side, and Suh, JPP, Davis, Whitehead, Gholston on the other). Not to mention some of the other rotational/backup guys who are key on both sides of the ball.
Trying to ‘reinvent’ ourselves in 1 year, given our salary CAP & draft limitations, is pretty close to impossible. and it’ll be interesting to see where the priorities fall out. That’ll set the direction of the Bucs for years to come IMO.
March 3rd, 2022 at 6:56 pm
DR, I agree that balance is key. But don’t make Bowles a martyr. I recall Barett and Vea getting paid, while not peak contracts Suh and jpp were not bottom of the barrel p/u, he has what has been touted as the “best” lb duo in the league, and pretty sure the 1st rd has gone to him the last 2 drafts. Bowles has not really improved passing defense statistically and IMHO all of the aforementioned players (Barrett, jpp, David, white, and vea) appeared to have lost their fire/awareness under his tutelage. I agree that Bowles is an improvement over past DCs, but he is not the savior you are projecting him to be. Individual performances (mostly turnovers) have padded his Stat rankings and outshines his 1 track scheme. You continue to promote the notion that better coaches are not available, yet Flores is buried on Pittsburgh’s staff and other coaches who prioritize stopping the pass in a pass happy league are waiting for an opportunity
March 3rd, 2022 at 7:12 pm
ChiBuc … ‘Bowles is an improvement over past DCs, but he is not the savior you are projecting him to be.’
Don’t think I’ve ever used the word ‘savior’ and ‘Bowles’ in the same sentence, but my memory is getting worse. He’s far from perfect, but I doubt that Flores or any other DC who’s available could do any better with the resources at hand. Compare for instance the Rams’ defense with ours position-by-position and I’d venture to say that there’s would probably win out handily. And yet the performance of the 2 defenses was fairly close to the same last season, with ours giving up about 1 PPG less.
Be that as it may, the point was more that we’re hurting on both sides of the ball right now as Listnfrmafar concluded. It’ll be interesting to see how it all shakes out in our 2022 Game 1 roster.
March 3rd, 2022 at 11:21 pm
Jason LIcht without Brady is one of the biggest losers in franchise history.
And…
March 4th, 2022 at 2:35 am
Jensen should get the tag.
He’s the best center in the game.
Sign Stinnie, and draft an OG/C in the 2nd.
Let Cappa sign elsewhere so we get a compensatory pick.
Draft another OG/C next year in the 2nd.
March 4th, 2022 at 10:20 am
I’m surprised the Bucs haven’t hired any of the La-Z-Boy beer guts coaching wannabes sitting around on JBF. So many of them on here, full of it and coming out of both ears. Spoiled children the lot of them.