Bucs Wouldn’t Sign Ed “Too Tall” Jones
March 21st, 2011
Readers under 30 might not get some of the irony in this post, since they may not fully comprehend the defensive end manbeast greatness that was Ed “Too Tall” Jones, who played in the 1970’s and 1980’s.
Just think of a 6-9 dude with a giant wingspan who was fast, athletic and exceptionally huge — quit football for a year to box — and was damn good.
Too Tall, a likely Hall of Famer one day, hooked up with Raheem Morris recently and hit it off, per a story on Buccaneers.com. And Too Tall then was invited to One Buc Palace for a grand tour and some quiet time with Raheem and general manager Mark Dominik.
In the story, Dominik gushed over the greatness of Too Tall and quoted Too Tall’s three Pro Bowls and other accolades from his memories of the great Dallas Doomsday Defense.
This made Joe smile.
Joe can’t resist pointing out that Too Tall, if he were, say, a 2011 free agent in the middle of his career, would be exactly the type of player Mark Dominik’s would be completely disinterested in publicly. Too Tall wouldn’t fit the plan. He’d be too old, far too costly, and take the Bucs down the satanic path of free agency.
In his 30s, and just after returning to football from boxing, is when Too Tall had those three Pro Bowl years Dominik referenced in the story.
Joe understands the Bucs’ plan of building through the draft, but Joe also understands the Bucs are yearning for a defensive end, have a pile of money to spend, and there is DE talent out there in the biggest free agent class in history.
Joe wonders whether 60-year-old Too Tall will be the best free agent DE to visit One Buc Palace this year.
March 21st, 2011 at 9:08 am
Joe I think you were reaching to make some sort of point with this article but failed. Because a one in a million guy like too tall was great after 30 we should sign old washed free agents in hope they are the next too tall? Please.
March 21st, 2011 at 9:12 am
Joe here,
The point here is the current Bucs that embraced Too Tall are the same guys who would turn theri nose at him on principle if he were 29 years old and hitting the FA market. …Sorry you don’t get that.
March 21st, 2011 at 9:29 am
Hey Joe – How about a primer on DE FAs? Or do we need a CBA in place to figure all that out?
March 21st, 2011 at 9:42 am
joe said: “The point here is the current Bucs that embraced Too Tall are the same guys who would turn theri nose at him on principle if he were 29 years old and hitting the FA market. …Sorry you don’t get that.”
Joe, you say all the time that the Bucs hate free agency and blah blah blah….going so far as to call signing the top CB in the game “silliness.” I don’t think the Dom and Rah have any concrete mentality against signing free agents, and the facts support my case.
We made more than a $100M offer to Albert Haynesworth….Rah expressed regret for not pushing to sign Julius Peppers. I think the front office has a strategy of building their core through the draft and with young players that will grow together, but much like the Super Bowl team they will begin adding vets as we get closer to the promise land. Guys like Simeon, McCardell, Pittman, Oben, Dilger, The Bull, etc etc.
I’m sorry, but if this team were to add Asomugha and….let’s say Jason Babin….this team would turn into a contender overnight.
Oh wait…..we have EJ Biggers, I almost forgot. No need to upgrade there.
March 21st, 2011 at 10:32 am
Joe here,
@CreamsicleBannanaHammock
Here’s Dominik giving a take on the Bucs’ disinterest in free agency. https://www.joebucsfan.com/?p=44581
Here’s Ronde Barber explaining the Bucs won’t buy a pass rusher.
https://www.joebucsfan.com/?p=42952
Here’s Raheem On Free Agency And It Being the Wrong Way.
https://www.joebucsfan.com/?p=42660
All these above were 2011 quotes/stories. You can keep living in a fantasy land and believe there’s no “concrete mentality” in place if you wish.
Of course, maybe it’s all a big smokescreen and the Bucs really are going to be free agent players.
March 21st, 2011 at 10:35 am
Joe, I think they will and I do think it’s a smokescreen. The Glazers offered more money to Fat Albert than Dan Snyder. That in and of itself speaks volumes in my mind. Now, this was before my time on this board but I was saying at the time that signing Albert would be a mistake.
But adding a guy like Babin (Ill leave Asomugha out of the discussion here) would instantaneously make this D a championship caliber team. It would also open up our draft and give us more flexibility to add depth and weapons for Free.
March 21st, 2011 at 10:41 am
Joe here,
@CreamsicleBananaHammock — Let’s be real. A lot probably comes down to whether there’s a new salary cap floor. Like when Haynesworth was a target, the Bucs might have to lay out a lot of $$ on a free agent not their own in 2011.
March 21st, 2011 at 10:43 am
can you really blame them for being a little gun shy after the offseason of derrick ward, mike clayton, mike nuggent, and albert haynesworth? they tried to appease the fans that year and ended up taking a money shot to the face.
March 21st, 2011 at 10:45 am
Heres my take on the FA talk …
What Defensive FA has blown up their team and made the team THAT much better in recent years .. WHAT FA DEs have been big time aside from Peppers in the last 4 or 5 years.
The great players just dont make it to FA .. Ray Edwards is the top DE FA this year.. He never reached 10 sacks in a season and had 3 Pro Bowlers next to him … That about that
There are just not a lot of premier Free Agents with the Franchise Tag in the NFL .. and the few that are end up highly overpaid
March 21st, 2011 at 11:03 am
The argument “you cant win the lottery if you don’t play” is not a good argument for playing the lottery. For every Simeon Rice there are 100 Derrick Wards. Why waste the money on that chance? I expect a Reggie Brown signing at DE from FA.
March 21st, 2011 at 11:09 am
They might be forced to participate in FA depending on the salary floor, once the idiots finally get a new CBA in place.
Obviously, they are not going to voluntarily and the decent 2010 season gives them cover to do what they wanted all along – go cheap.
March 21st, 2011 at 11:40 am
Joe .. Also The Bucs do like to go the FA route .. But with trades … Trades are never a guarantee each year but Dominick has said that is a good way to get a decent player.
His first ever FA move was the trade for K2. Alex Magee .. will maybe .. Hopefully open some eyes at DE .. He was a highly touted guy coming out of Purdue.
And I know there is always a Reggie Brown .. But trade is the Bucs best way of possibly getting a Vet DE
March 21st, 2011 at 12:00 pm
Joe said: “Let’s be real. A lot probably comes down to whether there’s a new salary cap floor. Like when Haynesworth was a target, the Bucs might have to lay out a lot of $$ on a free agent not their own in 2011.”
100% agree…..and I’d expect them to overpay some of their own free agents like Davin Joseph and Barret Ruud (maybe even a raise for Freeman, etc) if there is a salary cap floor just so they can reach it.
And not that you care, but just to be clear…I’m not a big fan of chasing a championship with high priced free agents either, but I think this team is close to the cream of the crop in the NFC and a few pieces on D through free agency would really give Dom a lot of flexibility in the draft. To me, the lack of free agency going on right now is the biggest downside of this lockout for the Bucs. Normally you can see what you can get in FA and then plug remaining holes through the draft…..this yr that whole strategy is completely out the window.
March 21st, 2011 at 12:22 pm
If I recall Raheem was a Dallas fan growing up……so it must be really cool for him…off season fun
March 21st, 2011 at 5:55 pm
”Joe here,
The point here is the current Bucs that embraced Too Tall are the same guys who would turn theri nose at him on principle if he were 29 years old and hitting the FA market. …Sorry you don’t get that.”
You are correct…I don’t get it. What does sitting down and showing admiration and respect to future HOFer have to do with us sugning guys that are over 30 years old now?
March 21st, 2011 at 6:54 pm
CreamsicleBananaHammock – I also think the Bucs will sign some kind of free agent DE. BUT I PRAY ITS NOT BABIN!!! That dude scares me. He was in the league for seven years before he finally had a season that wasn’t a total disappointment!! He screams one year wonder all the way to me. I would so much rather have a younger guy like Ray Edwards who has shown an increase in production at a young age and been consistent in that level of production two years in a row now. Hell I wouldnt mind seeing the Bucs sign someone like Cullen Jenkins to be a dominant run stuffing left end. He will come cheaper than the more pass rush oriented guys that will be available and he really is a massive run stuffer who would instantly be the best run stopper on the team.
March 21st, 2011 at 6:56 pm
oh and Jenkins had 7 sacks last year. Not bad at all for 3-4 5 tech. defensive end in limited playing time.
March 22nd, 2011 at 7:17 am
It about timing…do you sign a 30+ veteran player when you have the youngest team in the league, and haven’t even made the playoffs no, you build via the draft and young FA until you make some noise in the playoffs then add the 30+ guys to push you over the top. Having a top DE last year wasn’t going to make us a Superbowl team, maybe it would have gotten us into the playoffs…lets not spend money on guys who will be too old to be productive when the rest of their teammates are just hitting their stride.
Lets sign Ed Too Tall Jones next year or the year after, that makes sense not now it’s too soon.