R-E-L-A-X
February 21st, 2024
No need to freak out (yet).
Encouraging words from Bucs Hall of Famer Rondé Barber.
Joe brought word yesterday of how Barber seemed confident about the near future for Mike Evans and Baker Mayfield.
“I know we have the ability to get them both in under the cap.”
Joe wants to flush this quote out a little more.
Please note that when Barber speaks of the inner-workings at One Buc Palace, he is very likely speaking as a voice of authority.
Joe knows who Barber talks to at One Buc Palace. Joe will only state the following: Barber is a member of Bucs AC/DC-loving Jason Licht’s kitchen cabinet.
The two are close friends and it is not out of the ordinary for Licht to bounce things off Barber’s head.
Barber spends more time at One Buc Palace than you may guess. So when Barber speaks about goals and objectives of the Bucs, just connect the dots from the information in the previous paragraph.
It’s not very difficult to piece together where Barber is getting his intel.
To hear Barber speak so positively about the Bucs being able to bring back Evans and Mayfield warms Joe’s heart.
It sort of reminds Joe of when former Green Bay choke artist quarterback Aaron Rodgers, after the Packers started off 1-2 to begin the 2014 season tell ESPN Wisconsin, “Five letters here, just for everybody out there in Packerland: R-E-L-A-X. Relax. We’re going to be fine.”
And Rodgers was right. He didn’t choke until the NFC Championship that year.
So with Barber speaking with confidence that Evans and Mayfield should return, it makes Joe want to R-E-L-A-X.
Maybe Bucs fans should, too.
February 21st, 2024 at 4:12 am
Every year, we all go in a panic about losing our top players.
So does every team in the league
And occasionally we lose one or two(Mike Edwards. jordan Whitehead)
But usually, we keep the ones that Matter.
Despite all the fans prending their are Contract law Accountants.
I will be thrilled when Mayfield, Evans, Winfield Jr., and Lavonte are back in the fold- and our outstanding Kicker.
I have faith in Jason Licht., except when drafting Defensive linemen.
I think he will get everyone signed, plus a few smart Free agents.
The only one that worries me is Mike Evans. He may price himself out of the market.
February 21st, 2024 at 4:31 am
This feels different to me. The last year or two when I watched Evans’s body language he didn’t look too happy or engaged. Plus he lives in Texas. He might come back, but it wouldn’t surprise me if he’s in Houston next year. If that’s the case, thank you Mike for being such a great player for our Bucs, and thank you for helping us get Super Bowl 55.
February 21st, 2024 at 5:00 am
I sure hope it happens for Mike and he stays a Buc. And I agree with Tim too. This seems different. Mikes demeanor, he didn’t look happy, and they have a home in TX with family ties. No matter where he goes, I am still his fan. Hopefully, he stays here. We need both Baker and Evans together. Sad it didn’t get done a couple of days ago.
February 21st, 2024 at 5:15 am
Evans was pissed we didn’t extend him before the season.
He played under the risk of getting hurt and never getting another contract again.
What if Mike had hurt his knee in the playoff game?
We all know Detroit has two “knee hunters”
Kirby Joseph and Gardner Johnson.
What if Mike tore his ACL in the playoff game?
His career would be over.
31? Free agent? Torn ACL?
Of course he’s pissed. Of course he’s going to sign with the highest bidder.
The Bucs disrespected him. Put his career in jeopardy.
We betrayed Mike by not extending him before the season.
Licht messed up.
February 21st, 2024 at 5:29 am
‘Joe wants to FLUSH this quote out a little more.’
Really Joe? Please tell us that’s a typo?
February 21st, 2024 at 5:40 am
How about a scenario where Baker Mayfield re-signs, but Mike Evans doesn’t. I would think that’d commit the Bucs to taking a WR with our #26 pick to pair with Godwin.
So I guess Mike NOT re-signing would cost us $12.2 mil in salary CAP this year (his VOID YEAR cost), PLUS our Rnd 1 pick (whose CAP Hit is projected to be $2.5 mil). We’d be potentially losing a lot of productivity AND the opportunity to draft say a pass rusher with our Rnd 1 pick, BUT we’d be getting a lot younger at WR and potentially setting ourselves up nicely to compete in the futrue (IF we draft well). Decisions decisions.
February 21st, 2024 at 6:27 am
I also think Licht will get Evans and Mayfield deals done. I understand Buc fans concern, I am one of them. However, if the Bucs don’t want to resign Evans, Mike go make your money somewhere else, let the Bucs figure it out. The Bucs already have many wondering is Bowles the guy the get them to the Super Bowl, so if Evans leave it’s makes the big picture a bit more cloudier unless the Bucs have a hell of a plan for the future
February 21st, 2024 at 7:04 am
The Bucs disrespected him… lol
It’s business not a turf war.
Hoping mike and bake chase the money and wish them well doing so. Just read mock draft where we take WR as our 1st pick. I like it! Now build the trenches.
February 21st, 2024 at 7:37 am
Flush or flesh?
February 21st, 2024 at 7:40 am
Free KT
February 21st, 2024 at 7:47 am
Barber is smart enough to not tip off anyone outside of OBP , his statement can also be read by teams seeking ME& BM giving them the impression not to bother messing with the two players, perhaps Joe is being used too , to spread the word.
Didn’t help swallowing 7 + million yesterday.
Damn these Super Bowl cap hangovers seem to never go away.
And being on the gnawed end of FA hurts, it’s one thing to be chewing on another team’s roster and entirely another to be eaten alive.
February 21st, 2024 at 7:50 am
Teacherman, the Bucs did the right thing and you proved the point. What if the Bucs would of given Mike 4 yr 90 million contract and he would of torn ACL last year. The Bucs would be on the hook for a lot of cash.
February 21st, 2024 at 8:00 am
Can tell you’ve never gone quail hunting. 🙂
February 21st, 2024 at 8:04 am
flush /flŭsh/
transitive verb
1: to cause (a bird) to flush
The birds were flushed out of the trees.
2: to expose or chase from a place of concealment flushed the boys from their hiding place. Police flushed the suspects from the building.
February 21st, 2024 at 8:35 am
The tough decision is to let ME go …
I would let that happen …
February 21st, 2024 at 8:46 am
I think Ronde would be an outstanding guy in the front office.
I would think Jason Licht would hire him if Ronde wanted to do it.
February 21st, 2024 at 9:04 am
“transitive verb
1: to cause (a bird) to flush
The birds were flushed out of the trees.
2: to expose or chase from a place of concealment flushed the boys from their hiding place. Police flushed the suspects from the building.”
Yes but that’s not how you used the phrase. Your points are adding context to what Barber said. From Webster’s:
“Think of fleshing out a skeleton. To flesh out something is to give it substance, or to make it fuller or more nearly complete.
To flush out something is to cause it to leave a hiding place, e.g., ‘The birds were flushed out of the tree.’ It can also be used figuratively, as in “flush out the truth.'”
You just flushed me out of my work day so we could flesh out this terminology.
February 21st, 2024 at 9:05 am
Sign Mayfield without Evans you can flush the season. Sign Evans without Mayfield the bucs will still roll. Pick your poison.
February 21st, 2024 at 9:15 am
In Joe’s mind he’s absolutely using the term correctly. To expose, or unearth. Quite literally Joe is thinking of kicking a thicket of brush to flush out the quail (or rabbit if you prefer).
February 21st, 2024 at 9:27 am
teacherman777 Says:
February 21st, 2024 at 5:15 am
Evans was pissed we didn’t extend him before the season.
He played under the risk of getting hurt and never getting another contract again.
What if Mike had hurt his knee in the playoff game?
We all know Detroit has two “knee hunters”
Kirby Joseph and Gardner Johnson.
What if Mike tore his ACL in the playoff game?
His career would be over.
31? Free agent? Torn ACL?
Of course he’s pissed. Of course he’s going to sign with the highest bidder.
The Bucs disrespected him. Put his career in jeopardy.
We betrayed Mike by not extending him before the season.
Licht messed up.
______________
Are you a drama teacher by chance?
Maybe you could write for Days of our Lives.
Bye Mike
February 21st, 2024 at 9:32 am
The best chance for the Bucs to win their division and host a playoff game again is to re sign both BM6 and ME13 as well as AW31! The Bucs management and ownership know this and will do what it takes to make that happen!!
February 21st, 2024 at 9:41 am
I love Evans but I won’t be mad if he leaves. He earned the right to create his own ending to his great legacy. Hard pill to swallow but if you truly love something you will let it go. It will come back if it was meant to be ❤️ u ME 13
February 21st, 2024 at 9:52 am
Sentiment can return after Mike Evans retires and it’s better than even odds he will retire in a different jersey.
General Patton betch slap !
February 21st, 2024 at 9:53 am
If Evans leaves and could end up in KC, he would be making his best career move and certainly raise his national profile and earnings ability. He could join Kelse and Reid and make millions doing State Farm commercials with those guys.
Best coach in the NFL, best owner in the NFL, tied with Green Bay for best fans in the NFL and an offense that would get him the ball.
It would be great if Mike resigns with the Bucs but if he does leave, the Chiefs are a great team to watch and Mike could get get another ring or two. That isn’t happening in Carolina or NY.
February 21st, 2024 at 10:13 am
I think Baker and Mike sign and they draft the center from Oregon.
What scares me is if one doesn’t sign it’s a domino effect. If Baker doesn’t sign, Mike may go to Houston, then LVD may chase some money and a ring, and the organization gets set back two years because they have new young receivers and a new quarterback.
February 21st, 2024 at 10:21 am
I believe you used the term flush correctly, Joe. Flush or flesh could be used in the context you provided.
But I want my pound of flesh, dadgumit! 🙂
February 21st, 2024 at 10:56 am
Flush has been around before John Crapper invented the flushing toilet
It’s a hunting derivative
Similar to “shot his wad” and the original is lost in the modern day common … errr … pedestrian.. usage
RIP Mrs Majors and her red grading pencil
February 21st, 2024 at 11:28 am
A few things:
David: You’re being too optimistic and it’s freaking me out. I kinda liked you better when you were the Red Skull. I also agree that Evans and Baker will re-sign, and love the idea of drafting that center from Oregon in the 1st. Now I’m freaking myself out!
Yeah, Evans was p*seed about not getting re-signed before the season started and feels disrespected. But like the saying goes, “it ain’t show fun, it’s show business!”
Thanks he way Evans keeps himself in excellent shape he could play at a very high level for another 3-4 years. But I’ll have to flush it out more…lol.
February 21st, 2024 at 11:39 am
With Evans, I believe in addition to productivity, there is possibly a sentiment attached with him always being a Buc, taking care of our own. So if it’s a coin flip by the numbers or close, I think they try to get it done.
Go Bucs!
February 21st, 2024 at 12:33 pm
If Kyle Trask had anything remotely close to Mayfield’s ability, the Bucs would LOVE to be able to reallocate $40 million to Evans, Wirfs, Winfield, some free agents to build a ridiculous roster around Trask. Teams simply don’t sit on young talented QBs on cheap contracts, it’s literally the opposite. You can bet if Mayfield bolts, the Bucs will be scrambling to lure someone else. They know what they have in Trask and have little faith in rolling him out.
February 21st, 2024 at 12:39 pm
There you go.
February 21st, 2024 at 1:01 pm
Without Mayfield Evans isn’t interested and without Mike Baker doesn’t think this team will be great, yet neither player wants to do anything to bring back the other player and are seeking “Market Value”.
Baker is worth around $12 million and even $25 Million would triple that. I understand setting your family up for life but they will be. Baker said he thinks there will be some sacrifices but there aren’t. Im SURE the Bucs have already offered both a FAIR deal and neither have budged.
I like both, but not at the expense they want.
Watch tape on Adonai Mitchell from Texas. I think Jeremy Fowler mocked him to us at 26 a couple days ago. He is a GREAT route runner. There are easily 7 WRs that are good enough to replace Mike, yet Baker won’t budge? He is diminishing his own value by basically SAYING he can’t win without ME13.
Personally, Im excited to see what other teams offer. Not with ME13, but with Baker. When a guy doesn’t seem to be honest about “sacrificing” ANYTHING, I don’t ROOT for them.
Wouldn’t surprise me AT ALL if his market is still similar to last year everywhere but Tampa. This is what the front office is thinking also.
The Jets makes the most sense outside Houston for Mike.
Thomas, Coleman and Franklin all have the ability to replace Mike.
It might take away our ability to draft edge in the first round, but it would give us cap space to BUY and edge in FA, which is probably best for this Team anyway.
February 21st, 2024 at 1:02 pm
Flushing Meadows, NY
Little did they know ….
February 21st, 2024 at 1:05 pm
It’s gone from birds
To turds
February 21st, 2024 at 2:17 pm
I call BS Baker and Mike are not lovers they are football players they are not tied together they both have their own agent neither will care if the other one signs with team as long as long as their own money is right . So stop with the narrative they are tied together .
February 21st, 2024 at 2:31 pm
Bobby that you were at training camp and Trask “outplayed”
Didn’t outplay him enough.
Go through Joe’s (free) archives. Joe said many times and consistently that unless Trask practiced/played so well that Bucs couldn’t pull him off the field that Bowles was going to go with Mayfield. Todd Bowles wasn’t going to trust a guy with three completions to save his career.
February 21st, 2024 at 2:36 pm
Joe … ‘Can tell you’ve never gone quail hunting. 🙂’
LMAO. But then again, I’ve never fleshed the toilet either.
February 21st, 2024 at 2:39 pm
DungyDance … ‘You just flushed me out of my work day so we could flesh out this terminology.’
Amazing how fast things can deteriorate in Bucs World.
February 21st, 2024 at 2:40 pm
U must be one of them hovering squatters?!?
February 21st, 2024 at 2:42 pm
BillyBucco … ‘Baker is worth around $12 million and even $25 Million would triple that.’
Billy I have a hunch you did that intentionally after Pickgrin’s comment yesterday about JBFers needing a Math 101 refresher course. Nicely played.
February 21st, 2024 at 2:54 pm
“Please note that when Barber speaks of the inner-workings at One Buc Palace, he is very likely speaking as a voice of authority.”
Problem is One Buc Palace isn’t the one that sets the figure in Evan and his agents head
I’d be interested to know what barber thought that number was for Mike.
February 21st, 2024 at 3:15 pm
Can I just say? “I love Ronde Barber”.
February 21st, 2024 at 3:18 pm
mike does not have any value. he hamstrings the entire playbook for anyone not named Brady.
rewatch the game last year when he went out and the offense came alive. I think it was a saints game.
We need a big tall WR like him no doubt, but we can get that in the draft. This team is all about running, screens and passed behind the LOS. Those are plays best suited for fast and shifty WR’s. Mike is a vertical threat….but a vertical threat that always drops the bomb lol. That and by the time bake looks him off the other players have already run their routes and the pocket is collapsing.
It’s no wonder our OL became pro bowl with Brady because of his speed of decision and reading the D pre snap. bakes approach is wait on mike and then fight with LB’s……..thats not a QB’s job. His job is to read the D, make quick decisions and deliver the ball. Bake is meh on ball delivery (strong arm but no touch) does not read the D pre-snap and delays the decision until he is surrounded.
Let em both walk, their luck will run out……
Option B is take that 50 mill, build the trenches to fight king kong, a game manager qb, draft WR and get a fullback and TRUE recieveing threat at tight end. Otton may be the guy…….but it’s still a may be on him. get insurance.
February 21st, 2024 at 3:19 pm
basically clone the SF gameplan
February 21st, 2024 at 3:25 pm
“I know we have the ability to get them both in under the cap.”
Except we do not JUST need 2 people signed.
Honestly, our most important free agent right now is Winfield. He’s young and a generational player. We let him get away and we will regret it for years to come.
February 21st, 2024 at 3:49 pm
Better wake up to the reality that the odds are only 2 of the 3 are likely
FA Jenga
Licht is going to have to be skillful
February 21st, 2024 at 7:05 pm
Boss . Bucs O-line was best in NFL before Brady came . It’s one of the reasons he came to Tampa. Remember Jameis Winston threw for 5000 yards the year before Brady came . Brady isn’t stupid he knew the Bucs were very close and Jameis turnover machine Winston was holding the Bucs back .
February 22nd, 2024 at 3:06 am
People may relax a bit more if every other article wasn’t about the possibility of some team acquiring Mike or Baker. Any draft prospects out there Joe? I know how you love a good mock draft. Maybe we can see what Mr. Sullivan thinks, I always appreciate his insight this time of year.
February 22nd, 2024 at 3:08 am
This moderation AI is the borg mindvirus
February 22nd, 2024 at 3:08 am
Borg mind virus is the chat
February 22nd, 2024 at 9:38 am
We’ll get to the draft. Combine is in a couple of days. Then free agency. Once that dies down, Joe will focus more on the draft.
Six weeks of draft talk is about all Joe can stomach.