“Embrace The Suck”
February 26th, 2023
A lot of loud voices out there think Bucs management and Bucs fans should welcome a losing this season this fall and the draft fruits that come with it.
Joe hears these calls get louder every day.
NBC Sports super insider Mike Florio, of ProFootballTalk.com, went there during Friday’s PFT Live.
The Bucs crushed it during the Tom Brady years and racked up salary cap debt to make it happen, so breathe deeply and deal with the consequences to right the pirate ship, Florio said.
“The question is how good do you want to be, and maybe they do want to go through a year of pain and lay the foundation for a better future,” Florio said. “Kind of a soft tank. I’ve used that term and it makes some Buccaneers fans upset because, you know, every team wants to think every year they’re going to try to win the Super Bowl. But this would be an ideal year to just embrace the suck, as some would say. Be bad. Get a high draft pick. And try to get a quarterback that’s going to lay the foundation for more than a couple of years of asses in the seats. Somebody who becomes a long-term answer.”
Joe is a little surprised that so many analysts ignore all the talent on the Bucs’ roster outside of the quarterback position.
No fan would be shocked if the Bucs had five or six Pro Bowlers next season. For example, Joe will call Tristan Wirfs, Ryan Jensen, Mike Evans, Antoine Winfield Jr., Vita Vea and Devin White strong candidates.
So it’s really hard to “expect the suck” (to tweak the Florio phrase) with that kind of talent on the team.
If the Bucs really want to play for a premier draft pick in 2024, then they should be unloading a quality player or two.
February 26th, 2023 at 8:12 pm
I don’t think they should do that but… They need to clear cap space, get rid of a few veterans, start collecting draft picks, and see what they have in Trask. Even doing that they still have a lot of talent out there to be competitive for this division.
With the talent they have, and getting younger with another good draft class or two, they could be right back in the mix within two years. Plus this gives them a chance to see how Trask is and if he’s not the guy, draft one next year
February 26th, 2023 at 8:13 pm
No expensive retread QB is going to lead the Bucs to the promise land. Roll inexpensive this coming season. Payoff the superbowl debt, save some money, balance the checkbook and get out of the cap pinch. Be ready for better days to come.
February 26th, 2023 at 8:19 pm
Embrace the suck.
February 26th, 2023 at 8:28 pm
Come on, Mike Greenberg. Do the voodoo that you do so well.
February 26th, 2023 at 8:33 pm
Draft Hendon Hooker to compete with Trask
February 26th, 2023 at 8:40 pm
‘Expect/embrace the sick’ as long as Bowels is HC!
There is a reason ‘Bear’ Bryant’, Nick Saban, Belichick, and others are regarded as great winning HC because they constantly won!
Bowels constantly loses and players usually avoid losing coaches because real competitors want to win..
February 26th, 2023 at 8:52 pm
There are light years between winning a Super Bowl and sucking with a LOT in between.
I’m not holding my breath for a Bucs SB in 2023 although it’s not entirely impossible it is a very long shot.
However the Bucs could field a competitive team and reach the playoffs and most importantly give fans a reason to hope at every game’s kickoff!
The moment I sense the Bucs are tanking for a draft pick my NFL season is over. Netflix has a lot of great shows that are far more entertaining than watching a team of losers LOSE on purpose for some better odds in the NFL annual crapshoot called the draft. Lose on purpose and I shall tune out ON PURPOSE!!!
February 26th, 2023 at 9:07 pm
Pundits seem to forget the Bucs don’t have to be a good team to win this division and host a home playoff game. As for tanking, whether it’s soft or not, that also won’t work in this division. An average or below average Bucs team could still sweep the Falcons with Desmond Ridder or the Panthers with whichever rookie quarterback they end up drafting.
February 26th, 2023 at 9:20 pm
Florio … ‘But this would be an ideal year to just embrace the suck, as some would say. Be bad. Get a high draft pick.’
Florio’s just another talking head trying to set himself apart from others. Bucs tanked in 2014 to get the #1 pick and got Jameis. Whoopteedoo. In the immortal words of Dr Phil … ‘And how’d that work out for you?’ Tanking is for losers.
February 26th, 2023 at 9:33 pm
Never could stand Florio.
stpetebucfan Says
“The moment I sense the Bucs are tanking for a draft pick my NFL season is over.”
This. I’m with you. They tank and it is going against everything Arians and Brady did to change the culture.
The damage would be huge and would set the team back years.
And I have to say, my season would likely be done as well.
February 26th, 2023 at 9:36 pm
All this speculation about sucking, tanking, whatever is getting old. I don’t expect a Superbowl. I expect to compete for a playoff spot in a weak division. One of the Joes, the drunk one, says if you’re not competing for a Superbowl, you should be sucking for higher draft picks. That’s called being a loser. No organization, coach, or player is just gonna throw in the towel, at least not the kind that you build a winning culture with. There’s dignity in the fight, there’s honor… and tanking is for losers.
February 26th, 2023 at 10:09 pm
100% embrace the suck and make some trades to get some more picks for next season. Clear the cap space issue and who knows maybe by some miracle Kyle Trask does have promise like Arians is saying. If not we draft a QB next year.
February 26th, 2023 at 10:12 pm
DEVIN WHITE?!?! He’s awful! Outside of a few splash plays rushibg the QB, he is frequently out of position, allows lanes in the running game, and is a total liability in coverage. We would be better starting a 3rd round rookie at inside linebacker. Great joke!
February 26th, 2023 at 10:22 pm
We had a losing season last season. There is no suck to it because we might win the division again, because they might suck more, or worse, depending on how your mind works.
Trask will come close to what we saw last season. The reason is also our divisions sucking noises.
That will allow Trask to have another season, then we will see if he can build something. Next season there are going to be too many warm bodies and open holes to get past an 8-9 season, but we will be a more exciting team than last season.
I also agree with Jeebs, Devin White is the true suck on this team.
February 26th, 2023 at 10:45 pm
#DontTankEmptyTheBank 🙂
February 26th, 2023 at 10:50 pm
Wait I thought Brady changed the culture and made us a winning culture?? This fan base ain’t giving Trask a chance even if he’s the starter this year. They will hope we lose as long he’s the quarterback just like yall did Jamies. And if they tank this year we will suck the next 5 or 10 years. Caleb Williams won’t have no one to throw to next year and that means they will neglect the defense to get him weapons and we will still be a bad team . And in 3 years y’all will turn on him just like the rest of the quarterbacks the bucs drafted. I hope Trask does well but if I’m Trask I would ask to be release. I wouldn’t ruin my career playing for a team where the fan base don’t support me or a team that’s trying to tank. This is a loser fan base on this site!! Lol 🤣🤣 Look how the Steelers fan base still demand for the team to win regardless who the quarterback is. You ain’t going to never hear the words tank from that fan base or podcast.
February 26th, 2023 at 10:59 pm
Last time we embraced the suck we got Jameis. There is no guarantee. Let Trask get his year in, but there is enough talent on this team to be competitive. Of course you try to win. At a minimum try to create something to build on. Trend up.
February 26th, 2023 at 11:37 pm
And then you get the #1 overall pick, and draft…. Jameis Winston. How’d that work out?
Think Cleveland is happy how their #1 on Baker Mayfield went?
Tanking is no guarantee of anything except having an unwatchable season for 17 games minimum.
February 26th, 2023 at 11:58 pm
I embrace the suck of my favorite what’s her name but not from my favorite football team.
They better play to win, regardless of the roster. Iron sharpens iron.
February 27th, 2023 at 12:56 am
Mike Fiorio is the Mark Dumbazznik of sports journalism.
February 27th, 2023 at 1:13 am
Joe, these aren’t Buc fans. These are media types stirring up controversy for shock value.
February 27th, 2023 at 1:32 am
But, Kyle Trask!
February 27th, 2023 at 5:31 am
Florio is a hack.
February 27th, 2023 at 5:58 am
The Bucs have never ever in their history developed a young quarterback so Trask is doomed from the start and so is anyone they draft next year. Its called a curse.
February 27th, 2023 at 9:33 am
we can fix the cap now and for the future and still be a decent football team and win the south. south is going to be weak again and we just need the team to get hot at the end. Like the 9-7 giants did. no need to tank but we need to make cuts/trades and pay our debts with the cap. or else we will never get out of this like the saints.
February 27th, 2023 at 11:12 am
To my knowledge the Steelers have never yanked for draft position.
They don’t embrace suck.
February 27th, 2023 at 4:46 pm
Most NFL teams have 5-6 potential pro bowlers. Unfortunately the Bucs don’t have a QB, LT, or edge rusher on the list – premium positions.
February 28th, 2023 at 1:40 am
Todd is so screwed. This year we will truly see what they are made of
February 28th, 2023 at 10:51 am
3 POSITIONS AWAY FROM A CONTENDER …
If the Bucs retain their stars, they are really only a LT, LG, QB from contending. Hall and JTS will improve and Shaq needs to return but they are closer than you think.
March 3rd, 2023 at 11:18 am
D White… Pro Bowl? Just blew my coffee out my nose!
You did actually watch some Bucs games this year, right?