Welcome To Legal Tampering Opening Day
March 11th, 2024
[UPDATE: 3:50 p.m.] So today is the day.
Do you have an ample supply of caffeine? Can you make it through? Do you have the Uber Eats app on your phone? Or pizza delivery ready to go?
Is your index finger limbered up enough to handle the hundreds of times you hit F5 to refresh this here website?
(Joe thinks “Command-R” is the refresh shortcut on Apple products, but not sure.)
At noon today, the gates at the dog track spring open and agents and teams can begin talking nuts and bolts abut contracts with all pending free agents. Players may verbally agree to a contract offer (an “agreement”) but cannot put pen to paper until the free agency dinner bell rings at 4 p.m. Wednesday.
Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht got much of the heavy lifting over with the past few days re-signing the best receiver in Bucs history, Mike Evans, reborn quarterback Baker Mayfield and franchise tagging Antoine Winfield.
Next on Licht’s to-do list is to re-sign franchise icon Lavonte David and clutch kicker Chase McLaughlin. Joe isn’t sure if those guys get their deals done today, tomorrow or Wednesday when the free agency dinner bell rings.
Joe will update this page with Bucs-related happenings on Day 1 of legal tampering. The Bucs sure could use a pass rusher and it wouldn’t shock Joe if they signed an interior offensive lineman, a safety or a linebacker.
Stay tuned and make sure that F5 button is working!
[UPDATE: 12:39 p.m.] Though not directly related to the Bucs, Ian Rapoport reports that the Vikings are signing Houston edge rusher Jonathan Greenard. Does that mean they are washing their hands of Danielle Hunter?
[UPDATE: 1:44 p.m.] NFL Network’s stats queen Cynthia Frelund, speaking on the network’s “Free Agent Frenzy” show, seems to think the Dixie Chicks are in the mix for Danielle Hunter. Otherwise, why waste electricity explaining Hunter’s potential impact on Atlanta’s roster?
[UPDATE: 2:09 p.m.] Zach Rosenblatt of The Athletic reports Bryce Huff is Philadelphia-bound. This has to mean the Eagles are going to move Haason Reddick and/or Josh Sweat.
[UPDATE: 3:08 p.m.] For some reason a handful of Bucs fans wanted this former Bucs corner to return to Tampa Bay. It won’t happen, at least not this year. The Cardinals have signed Sean Murphy-Bunting. Joe has a hunch SMB’s sizzling-hot fashion model girlfriend will enjoy Scottsdale.
[UPDATE: 3:50 p.m.] On NFL Network’s “Free Agent Frenzy,” NFC South reporter Sara Walsh said of the possible Bucs’ re-signing of Lavonte David, “We all believe is going to happen imminently.”
March 11th, 2024 at 4:12 am
I would be shocked if we signed an external free agent in the first wave. A little too spendy after locking up Mayfield and Evans. But, if the right IOL or Edge player is available and it makes sense, who knows?
March 11th, 2024 at 4:43 am
Hoping to see Lavonte and Chase resigned. We are on a roll already and it is exciting.
March 11th, 2024 at 4:56 am
Continue the youth movement.
1st round center. Or trade back and get an extra 2nd round pick.
I want 3 2nd picks instead of one 1st and 1 2nd.
I will always believe 3 2nd round picks hold more value than a 1st and 2nd.
3 2nd round picks?
1. Starting Center
2. Starting LG
3. Starting ILB or FS to pair with Winfield.
Heck. Trade our 3rd 6th and 7th and get a 4th 2nd round pick.
I also believe 4 2nd round picks hold more value than 7 picks in rounds 1-7.
The 2nd round is the money round.
1. Starting Center
2. Starting RG
3. Starting FS
4. Starting ILB
March 11th, 2024 at 5:07 am
Gonna have to put my phone on silent until I wake up. It’s fun waking up at 2 or 4 and seeing what chaos happened while I was sleeping. The joys of 3rd shift.
March 11th, 2024 at 6:46 am
Joe … ‘The Bucs sure could use a pass rusher and it wouldn’t shock Joe if they signed an interior offensive lineman, a safety or a linebacker.’
Agree with all 3 Joe, but we also desperately NEED a bruiser RB to give us a bonafide running game that opponents take seriously. That’d help our passing game (and Baker) tremendously. I’m still in favor of signing AJ Dillon, even though he’d probably cost us $3-$4 mil.
March 11th, 2024 at 6:48 am
Hope to see the o-line improved.
March 11th, 2024 at 6:53 am
Oh and BTW Joe, on Apple keyboards F5 can be used, but you’d have to program it to make it work (not programmed that way by default). Command-R works also. Just as easy to use the mouse pointer on the Refresh button in the Address bar IMO.
March 11th, 2024 at 7:17 am
No way you’ll get two seconds for the 26th pick, imo.
Ogbah and Whitehead would be a good haul in free agency. Then draft edge and OL.
March 11th, 2024 at 8:10 am
First and foremost, the Bucs should go get a starting G or C and draft the other. Given the Bucs cap situation, the Bucs should try to get some players in lower cost positions through FA instead of the high cost DE/OLB. S, TE, RB and ILB normally all cost considerably less than a stellar DE. This would also allow the Bucs to double up on positions of need in the draft such IOL and DE.
March 11th, 2024 at 8:15 am
BPA at 26 or trade back for more picks. Would not mind trading CD24 or JTS for whatever we can fetch too
March 11th, 2024 at 8:48 am
I’m still in favor of signing AJ Dillon, even though he’d probably cost us $3-$4 mil.
***
You don’t want this. AJ Dillon is as big as Derrick Henry with tree trunks for thighs, yet could never beat Aaron Jones at GB because Jones ran *harder*. And now GB is letting him go and (presumably) keeping the older Jones. That tells you all you need to know.
March 11th, 2024 at 9:00 am
After paying for Evans, Mayfield and Winfield, I think we are playing with PC money instead of Apple money.
March 11th, 2024 at 9:03 am
Jason licht seems to have more success when they sign free agent pass rushers rather than drafting them so I would rather see him bring in a vet who would also be a great mentor for our young guys also it wouldn’t surprise me to see a couple players contracts be restructured to free up more cap space I’m surprised it hasn’t happened yet honestly and I also believe we haven’t been that great at drafting running backs aside from Rashad White I’d love to see Jason take a crack at signing a good number two running back to compliment White in free agency rather than drafting we shall see what happens
March 11th, 2024 at 9:21 am
Licht likes to fill all the holes in FA. With $32M to spend, I expect a DE, S, MLB, OG/C.
March 11th, 2024 at 9:35 am
I’d like to see us tamper with Saquon or Henry
March 11th, 2024 at 9:39 am
Go up to Wisconsin and select one or two of those giant cheese eating O lineman. Those guys almost always workout in the NFL. Greatest of all was Joe Thomas. Browns hit the jackpot last year drafting OSU OT Dewand Jones in the 4th round. Point is there can be a lot of good finds in the lower rounds when it comes to O lineman. Find a couple and build depth on the O line.
March 11th, 2024 at 9:42 am
The guy I’d like to see us take a chance on as a complimentary “bruiser” RB, is J.K Dobbins. Obviously I know the injury history, but when healthy, he’s really good. And I think getting him ~10~ touches a game could keep him healthy. Could likely be had for cheap too.
March 11th, 2024 at 9:42 am
I don’t expect much considering cap conditions.
However I will say that a proven veteran with a year or two in the tank will allow the Bucs to draft differently and that is to focus on explosive offensive players who are cap cheap and extremely expensive in the FA market place.
We don’t have explosive players at WR and RB .
March 11th, 2024 at 9:43 am
How about:
1) Sign David and McLaughlin, restructure Vea
2) Sign Tyler Biadasz (C) and Chase Young (Edge) and maybe Jordan Whitehead (S)
3) Trade Hainsey, Davis, Tryon-Shoyinka, and Trask for ~5 picks
4) Draft CB, Edge, RB, TE, G, S, WR in whatever order the draft comes to you
March 11th, 2024 at 9:49 am
Pass Rush. Pass Rush. Pass rush.
March 11th, 2024 at 10:01 am
Cam Akers and Whitehead or SMB please.
March 11th, 2024 at 10:15 am
We desperately need a cornerback and I will be ringing that bell until Licht does something about it.
March 11th, 2024 at 1:09 pm
Looks more to me like Kirk is signing with ATL. and the Vikes will have more Cap money to use. Can drop the kids off at her parents in minutes and his Parents can get a $53 round trip flight from Orlando or make the 6 hour drive up I-75.
Fortunately the Bucs won’t have to face those two in MN this season. At least until the Wild Card Round.
March 11th, 2024 at 1:10 pm
Fantasy land shark
March 11th, 2024 at 1:23 pm
Please guys, don’t fret!
We’ve finally got the FO that we all bitched for and a damn good roster too! I bitched for years, time to be thankful !
GO BUCS!
March 11th, 2024 at 1:59 pm
Licht is always slow to react this time of year. A team needs s change every year to instill new blood. Yeah I dont mean Ryan Neal. Otherwise you stay the same not getting better just keeping your head above water so to speak.
March 11th, 2024 at 3:27 pm
Not sure why there isn’t a separate page on all the offers Jameis is getting in FA…
March 11th, 2024 at 4:50 pm
Packers signing Xavier McKinney to a four year, 17 mil. a year deal. So the franchise tag on AW looks like a good deal for this year at least.