“Another Move Or Two”
July 7th, 2022
Adam Schefter talks Bucs.
Joe has explained this on podcasts and it bears repeating here. ESPN super insider Adam Schefter has a unique pipeline into One Buc Palace and what he says about the Bucs deserves extra attention.
Schefter went to the same high school as Jason Licht’s right-hand man Mike Greenberg, the Bucs’ contract wizard and a guy Licht calls “the real GM.”
When did Licht call Greenberg “the real GM?” It was during his 2021 appearence with Greenberg on The Adam Schefter Podcast. That appearance told Joe how strong the connection is. It may have been the first time Schefter had a team executive below the rank of GM on his show.
Joe brings this up because on NFL Live recently, Schefter was talking about how the Bucs are “missing a lot of targets, production and trust” in the form of injured Chris Godwin and retired(?) Rob Gronkowski.
Therefore, Schefter believes, the Bucs “will still make another move or two here at some point this summer [or during] this season to add the targets that Tom Brady needs and will want.”
Joe does not believe Schefter’s take comes out of thin air. More likely, it’s good intel from One Buc Palace.
It also sort of jibes with what former Jets executive Pat Kirwan said, that Brady will only need a week of training camp work with the rookie tight ends to know if they’re ready to contribute immediately. And then the Bucs can adjust accordingly.
Joe is confident the Bucs and Brady will do whatever they can to maintain their greatest strength, which is being the only NFL team last season that averaged more than 300 yards passing per game.
If that requires a move for a veteran tight end, Joe doesn’t think the Bucs will hesitate, even if Gronk is talking about a late-season comeback behind the scenes.
July 7th, 2022 at 10:45 am
If Gronk DOES come back late, they can move one of them to the practice squad, most likely McElroy
July 7th, 2022 at 10:49 am
Vet TE need is obvious.
July 7th, 2022 at 11:01 am
>”even if Gronk is talking about a late-season comeback behind the scenes.”
What’s the point? Sitting out most of the season and coming in for a few games at the end sounds ridiculous.
Hope Gronk plays, but for the whole season. He’s one of my favorite players and I was psyched to see him and TB break the record for most all-time same QB-WR TDs. That would be an awesome record to set.
July 7th, 2022 at 11:07 am
If the rookie TE’s can play, Julio Jones is available and if Bucs don’t sign him, they may face him against Cowboys week 1.
July 7th, 2022 at 11:23 am
Sorry I’m still not over NFL censoring our 02 chip, and then I turn on nfln just now and hear announcers gushing over RAY RICE. Good to know what is and isn’t acceptable…
July 7th, 2022 at 11:42 am
Jesse James.
July 7th, 2022 at 11:51 am
Julio Jones, Kyle Rudolph & Suh please 🙏
July 7th, 2022 at 12:14 pm
Kody says
Gronk played 2 seasons with Bucs- 2020, 16 games- 2021,12 games with
shoulder injury. He did not come in late in season, as Antonio Brown did in
2020. I think Gronk will be back,after training camp is over ! “GO BUCS” !
July 7th, 2022 at 12:37 pm
Trying to decide if this qualifies for Gronk-a-day……perhaps not
July 7th, 2022 at 12:47 pm
The targets for Brady talk is getting stale and old. The only player that can replace Gronk is in fact Gronk. That is not going to change. If the GOAT cant score and move the chains with all this talent we hear that he is surrounded with, then who will? Likely to get just as much out of Brate as you would any stiff we pull of the street at this point. If that one particular position is a continued problem during the season, you get Gronk back, or you deal with it.
July 7th, 2022 at 12:55 pm
What Uhmm said
I would really feel better about our DL with Suh back, and it would help out our DBs
July 7th, 2022 at 1:02 pm
Cook as the TE for the first 8 games, then Gronk for the final 9 and the playoffs seems most likely
At WR, all the Beckham talk doesn’t fly – he has the same issue as CG and we need a real 3rd wideout for likely 2 months, too long to rely on the 4-6 group
Permian, Miller, TJ are not #3 WR
Julio is too much a slower ME13 clone at this stage of his career
We need juice to take the top off for Mike and Gage to get healthy very quickly
It is so nice to be worrying about a 3 team player rather than relying on a 1st rd rookie to “change a culture”
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 go BUCs!
July 7th, 2022 at 1:12 pm
We are not only missing Gronk and Godwin.
We are missing arguably the greatest #3 receiver of all time.
Antonio Brown.
I still miss him to be honest.
He was so fun to watch.
Like a jitterbug. He was pure electricity.
July 7th, 2022 at 1:55 pm
Brown was a malcontent that belongs on the island of misfit boys , because he is not a man.
July 7th, 2022 at 1:58 pm
The free agents offerings are slim pickings.
I’d go with Cook, but not before I’d kick the tires on Jesse James.
James was a productive, complete TE with the Steelers; solid blocker and decent as a pass-catching target. He left Pittsburgh for more money, and after that his career stalled out. You cannot blame the QB in Detroit (Stafford) but maybe his snaps were mostly dedicated to blocking duties. He was in Chicago last season, which was a mess. I’d like to see if his utilization was due to an erosion of skill and athleticism, or perhaps a reflection of what Detroit needed most from him.
July 7th, 2022 at 2:02 pm
If I had to make two moves, I’d consider adding Odell Beckham and Trey Flowers. None of the free agent TEs are going to give you much, in fact you can lowball them with a cheap contract. Spend the money on an additional receiving option, and Beckham is easily the best free agent out there. He’s like Godwin; you won’t have him for part of the season and you have to hope that he gets up to speed before the end of the season. After losing Gronk and AB, I’d feel much better with one more dynamic pass catcher on offense.
The second move is signing Trey Flowers.
July 7th, 2022 at 2:19 pm
@PassingThru
James is a few years younger than Cook/Rudolph and if I had to guess, his signing in Detroit from what I saw was about a big payday and potentially being apart of an offense that actual desires receiving production from TEs.
Solid in Pittsburgh as an inline blocker, but with the talent at WR Pitt has and system they use James wasn’t ever a top priority in terms of generating production. Last season with the Bears he missed some games, but did enough filling in for Jimmy Graham to justify that staff giving him Grahams spot as the #2 TE once JG was ready to return. 6’7 an adequate blocker, could serve as a less relied upon receiver in this offense, but also provide us with another option out of the TE room w/o having to rely on Kieft/Otton to rise to the occasion before their time post-Gronk.
July 7th, 2022 at 2:47 pm
Need to bring AB back…..and I know, most of you hate him. I hate his BS too, but respect the talent he is. New HC and another new try.
Do it Mr. Licht. Nobody will sign him and we’ll get him cheap.
July 7th, 2022 at 2:53 pm
Or we can go ODB if he decides to sacrifice some pay for a chase at another SB….its gotta be a team friendly contract ODB! We cany afford what you’re asking….Look at Brady and Evans. Millions in the bank already, so they work with us.
July 7th, 2022 at 3:31 pm
Easy answer, resign AB.
For the dummies out there that didn’t actually pay attention to how the series of events happened – it was Arians that told AB he was ‘fired’ while on the sidelines, that’s when AB threw his hissy fit. I think if I’m fired in the middle of the game, after claiming I’m injured, I’m gonna be p/o’d as well. Why Arians got a free pass on that, I still don’t know, but I’m also convinced that decision is a big part of the reason Brady retired. It was such a stupid and immature move by a head coach, to tell a guy, who is Brady’s top target, that he’s off the team in the middle of a game… I said at the time Brady was going to retire after the season, and no one will say it, but that is why. Isn’t it remarkable that we find out that Arians himself retired before Brady unretired. I don’t buy there was a running feud between the two, but I do believe Brady thinks Arians cost them that Rams game by taking away his favorite WR and replacing him with Brate.
So with Arians gone, you got a chance at a reset here.
Obviously the team won’t do it, because no one in the NFL can just say ‘we screwed up’, but the Bucs should be all about winning, and out of the options out there that are available, AB is the only true difference maker available.
July 7th, 2022 at 3:37 pm
Yeah. Whatever. He’s had a bunch of reps with Grayson, Perriman, Tyler and Scotty. Those guys all have shown capability. They just need to be consistent.
Now – TE, different story. Watch the cut wire the next couple weeks. I’m afraid Gronk is done.
July 7th, 2022 at 5:53 pm
No way on AB. He’s a quitter.
July 7th, 2022 at 10:59 pm
Sign AB Gronk Suh and JPP-
Ah screw it, I’ll just go watch the Super Bowl Season on replay.
Welcome to the next lost decade
July 8th, 2022 at 4:17 pm
TM 777, This TEAM sure won’t miss AB.!!! A TRUE QUITTER!!!