Nick Barnett Pines For The Bucs

July 26th, 2011

Showing up to Lambeau Field this morning, soon-to-be free agent linebacker Nick Barnett learned from Packers general manager Ted Thompson that his days in Green Bay are done, short of him re-signing for the league minimum.

If the Packers cannot find a suitor in a trade for Barnett, he will be released, the ninth-year veteran said.

The Packers starting inside linebacker appeared on “The Blitz” with Adam Schein and Rich Gannon, heard exclusively on SiriusXM NFL Radio, and said there are four teams he wants to play for:

San Diego.

Tampa Bay.

Philadelphia.

New York Giants.

Barnett said he wanted to play for one of those four teams, if released, because “those teams are one step away from a Super Bowl and I want to play in a Super Bowl.’

Gannon asked Barnett whether with a new defense and unable to practice with his new team until Aug. 4, if that was enough time to learn a new defense. Barnett didn’t think that was much of a factor.

“If I was in my second year, yeah, but this is my ninth year,” Barnett said. “Picking up terminology, having gone through four different coordinators and playing a 4-3 and a 2-3, I can get the terminology down.”

Asked if he was healthy by Gannon, Barnett emphatically barked, “110 percent healthy!”

Though few knew whether Barnett would be cut or not, Barnett to the Bucs is not really a novel concept. If Barrett Ruud truly is fed up with the haters in the area and wants a new home, and Paul Posluszny is locked up by the Bills, Barnett wouldn’t be a bad addition by the Bucs.

Barnett to the Bucs is hardly a novel concept. The way Joe looks at it, sans Ruud, the Bucs could do much worse than Barnett.

25 Responses to “Nick Barnett Pines For The Bucs”

  1. Ash Says:

    This could be the nasty we have been looking for!! If Ruud balks at our offer I say make a run at him

  2. WeNeedDefense Says:

    Moving this to this post Joe, where it fits better.

    ESPN’s rankings of FA LBs.

    91 Tamba Hali—– LB Franchised
    84 Paul Posluszny- LB UFA
    80 Quincy Black— LB UFA
    80 Manny Lawson- LB UFA
    80 Takeo Spikes– LB UFA
    79 Stephen Tulloch- LB UFA
    78 James Anderson- LB UFA
    77 Stewart Bradley- LB UFA
    77 Clint Session—- LB UFA
    76 Kevin Burnett— LB UFA
    76 Ben Leber——- LB UFA
    75 Stephen Cooper- LB UFA
    75 Justin Durant—– LB UFA
    75 Kirk Morrison—- LB UFA
    75 Barrett Ruud—- LB UFA
    74 Antwan Barnes- LB UFA
    74 Rocky McIntosh- LB UFA
    73 Julian Peterson– LB Released
    72 Zac Diles——– LB UFA
    72 Leroy Hill——- LB UFA

    Sign:

    80 Manny Lawson- LB UFA (San Fran)
    and
    77 Stewart Bradley- MLB UFA (Eagles)

    And I would be happy.

    Both Singletary and the Eagles know LBs. Plus, these guys would be nice additions/replacements.

  3. Jim Says:

    I say try to sign him for a couple of years until our young linebackers are ready to take over. (does he or can he play middle linebacker?)

  4. Nick2 Says:

    Who cares what Ruud thinks. Sign Barnett and tell Ruud he gets the minimum for minimum bone crushing tackles.

  5. FLBoyInDallas Says:

    Although many Bucs fans don’t realize they have the next Monte Kiffin or Dick LeBeau in the making with Raheem Morris, the NFL players know exactly what he’s becoming and they want to play for him. Notice how the other teams on that list have strong defenses with strong coordinators? Yep…that’s right, Morris haters. Read ’em and weep.

  6. Jesse Says:

    Ill take him. Im a Ruud fan, but I think Collins and Stewart Bradley of the Eagles would make for a nice competition for our defensive QB.

  7. Capt.Tim Says:

    I like Barnett. But I trust Mark Dominick. If he’s the right guy, we’ll get him. He’s had someone in mind for a while

  8. Jesse Says:

    Barnett* not collins. lol.

  9. Mauha Deeb Says:

    If Ruud and The Poz are gone, I don’t see any other reliable choice. Maybe Tulloch?

  10. Scotty in Fat Antonio Says:

    http://www.pewterreport.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=7062:&Itemid=15

    Benn passed his physical today.

  11. Mauha Deeb Says:

    That is a list of UFA not all free agents. Nick Barnett is not a free agent yet. He has not been released by the Packers.

  12. FLBoyInDallas Says:

    So far we’ve signed the following players:

    QB Mike Coughlin, Boise State
    RB Armando Allen, Notre Dame
    WR Raymond Webber, Arkansas Pine-Bluff
    WR Detron Lewis, Texas Tech
    OL Matt Allen, Texas A&M
    LB Derrell Smith, Syracuse
    LB Nick Reveiz, Tennessee

  13. FLBoyInDallas Says:

    Oh, and:

    RB Mossis Madu, Oklahoma

  14. Dan Says:

    he puts up similar stats in runstopping and pass defending as ruud so why upgrade to an older and similar model? (im basing my comparison off of footballoutsiders comparison rating of ruud and barnett

  15. Dave Says:

    Dan Says:

    July 26th, 2011 at 2:11 pm
    he puts up similar stats in runstopping and pass defending as ruud so why upgrade to an older and similar model? (im basing my comparison off of footballoutsiders comparison rating of ruud and barnett

    STATS mean nothing. Barnett can plug a hole, Ruud can’t. It is that simple. Maybe they have the same number of tackles, but WHERE are the tackles occuring?

    The Bucs gave up 4.7 yards per carry last year.
    They got Clayborne, Bowers, Foster, a year under the belt of McCoy…
    but these are all unknowns. THEY NEED guys who can stop the run and get after the QB.

    I don’t know if he is a guy like that, but he can’t be any worse in the run than Ruud was…. that is almost impossible.

  16. FLBoyInDallas Says:

    Four more guys signed:

    Corey Brandon (OL, Oklahoma)
    Brandon Heath (LB, Louisville)
    Josh Jasper (K, LSU)
    Christian Yount (LS, UCLA)

  17. Pete Dutcher Says:

    You guys are insane. Are we here trying to predict what the Bucs will do or what we wish they would do?

    You are all forgetting the 28 rule.

    Simply put, in order for the Bucs to even consider a free agent, he must be 28 or younger. That’s not a written rule, but it is the view of dominick and Morris. The only exceptions would be guys already on the roster or maybe…MAYBE…Tiki Barber.

    But all that aside…
    It makes no sense to sign Barnett. You guys are buying the hype. He is no better than Ruud and at least Ruud knows the system.

    There are a couple MLB out there if Ruud decides to walk, but Free Agents are not the only resource this team has. There are also trades.

    We have a decent QB sitting on our roster (Johnson) who could be traded to a good backup veteran MLB that is under 28 years old. There are plenty of teams that need QBs at this point.

    I agree with Joe on this…the Bucs will do their best to resign Ruud.

    Quincy Black might be able to fill in at MLB until Foster is ready as well. (yeah, I’m crazy)

    @FLBoyInDallas
    Thanks for the updates 🙂

  18. Pete Dutcher Says:

    “who could be traded to a good backup veteran”
    Should have been:
    “who could be traded to a goodteam for a backup veteran “

  19. m.wesley Says:

    Mackenzie is the man who will start at mlb

  20. FLBoyInDallas Says:

    Cool. Listening to Mark Dominik live and he just said Brian Price will definitely not start the season on the PUP list. Said he’s healthy and moving well but just needs to lose a little weight and get in shape.

  21. FLBoyInDallas Says:

    Reading between the lines, Dominik also just said that Barrett Ruud will NOT be re-signed. Big risk but exciting news at the same time!

  22. Teddy Says:

    Just out of curiosity, what’s a 2-3 defense?

    I’m assuming that’s a typo (supposed to be a 3-4?)…

  23. FLBoyInDallas Says:

    Actually we played a 2-2 defense in 2009: Our defensive line had the total talent equaling 2 linemen from any other NFL team and our LB corps might as well have been just 2 guys on the field as well. Hence we played a 2-2 under Jim “Worst Experiment Ever” Bates.

  24. Captain Stagger Says:

    M. Wesley…..thank you……there is no way Foster beats out TMac for the MLB. Foster is going to fill the Sam, not sure how the Will is going to shake out though.

  25. BigMacAttack Says:

    The Bucs could definitely do worse than Barnett…………

    They could keep Ruud.

    What a Ruud Awakening that would be for all of us Haters.

    Bubbye Barrett………….

    Crybaby.