Hines Ward Is “Money Well Spent”
March 2nd, 2012
Sign Hines Ward, says Ian Beckles, as long he's at the bottom of the depth chart.
So do you want Sammie Stroughter, Preston Parker or Dezmon Briscoe as the Bucs’ No. 4 receiver, or would you prefer blocking icon — and catching icon — Hines Ward and his 1,000 career catches?
The answer to that question comes easily to former Bucs guard Ian Beckles, co-host of the Ron and Ian Show on WDAE-AM 620.
“To bring [Ward] in here to be the No. 4 receiver for $2 million, that’s money well spent,” Beckles said.
Joe’s not on board, as Joe wrote yesterday, but Beckles’ take that Ward would be a valuable, still-productive mentor has merit given the Bucs’ young receiving corps. Ward also has played with way-too-handsy Ben Roethlisberger, who has a similar on-field style to Josh Freeman’s.
Yes, Ward had 46 catches last year and is a certain Hall of Famer, but if you’re 36 years old and the Steelers cut you after you offer to renegotiate your contract, that’s a big ol’ red flag.
March 2nd, 2012 at 1:34 pm
Not for $2 milllion. Maybe for $1 million he would be worth it to mentor the young corp and be a good blocker and maybe catch 30 balls.
March 2nd, 2012 at 1:34 pm
Dear god no. If he could still play the Steelers would have kept him. They flat out said if they thought he could still play they would have kept him.
March 2nd, 2012 at 1:35 pm
$2m for a 4th string possession receiver for a team with a dearth of possession receivers?
Beckles might want to get in on that NFL concussion lawsuit.
March 2nd, 2012 at 1:38 pm
Sure Ian…let’s cut one of our young receivers to bring in ‘Father Time’. Makes sense to me…..Maybe we can get Fran Tarkenton to back up Freeman too.
March 2nd, 2012 at 1:42 pm
No wide receivers are certain HOFers. Chris Carter was way better than Hines Ward and he hasn’t got in yet.
March 2nd, 2012 at 1:43 pm
Yeah sure. Bring in more WRs that are slow and can’t separate. At least the WRs we have on the roster now are young and have a chance at getting better. Ward is just old and slow. Beckles is a clown that just wants attention.
March 2nd, 2012 at 1:43 pm
I just hope Ward retires with the same class and enthusiasm as he played and doesn’t do the Emmitt/Brett/Namath last hurrah bs…
March 2nd, 2012 at 1:44 pm
Ward might improve under PJ Fleck.
March 2nd, 2012 at 1:55 pm
lol eric
March 2nd, 2012 at 2:09 pm
Not going to happen.
If there’s no speed, there’s no need.
March 2nd, 2012 at 2:10 pm
Bahahahaha! Post of the day right here. ^
I agree. Ward is an awesome person and example for any NFLer, however, we need to develop who we have. Adding a few veterans is fine if we’re talking about LB, CB, or safety but not WR. Especially a FOURTH WR. No way we sign Ward.
March 2nd, 2012 at 2:16 pm
I would take Hines over Stroughter. Everyone knows Hines is past his prime, but sometimes you bring a guy in to add veteran leadership experience. That is what the Bucs need badly, at several positions. I would make the same case to add London Fletcher if no other vet free agent LB’s are available.
March 2nd, 2012 at 2:16 pm
I heard Lynn Swann is a free agent also.
March 2nd, 2012 at 2:21 pm
I agree with Joe on this. I look back a while back and see the Tim Brown Experiment. That didn’t go to well for us did it? now THAT was Gruden’s fault.
March 2nd, 2012 at 2:25 pm
Ward had 46 catches last year and is a certain Hall of Famer
LOL what? No way is Ward a HOF’er, He was never even a top 5 receiver and ANY of the years he played, I dont even know if he gets his name mentioned in that room.
March 2nd, 2012 at 2:38 pm
He could teach Mike Williams how to not get a DUI.
Wait! Mike already has that skill set.
March 2nd, 2012 at 2:47 pm
How can Ian be critical of the Bucs brass and Bucs players when he says something stupid like sign Ward?
March 2nd, 2012 at 2:54 pm
LOL at suggesting Hines Ward is a Hall of Famer.
March 2nd, 2012 at 3:00 pm
Abso-freakin-lutley bring in Ward fo $2mil…The Bucs have NO veteran presence of any wideouts..This team needs leaders and guys who know how to win…Bring him in and more like him…
March 2nd, 2012 at 3:08 pm
You guys are probably the same ones that laughed at the Cliff Floyd signing…oh wait…you didn’t follow baseball back then
March 2nd, 2012 at 3:10 pm
If we were on the verge of a championship, maybe bring him in with the hopes he might make some key catches down the stretch or in the playoffs and make a difference.
Not really in that posture though.
Maybe after another six or seven drafts or so.
March 2nd, 2012 at 3:21 pm
If the Steelers don’t want him for a reduced price, why would the Bucs?
March 2nd, 2012 at 3:28 pm
We had a blocking WR already and that didnt work out to well.
March 2nd, 2012 at 3:45 pm
So nobody thinks he could mentor our receivers and instill some toughness into them?
March 2nd, 2012 at 3:46 pm
Thanks but no thanks! Too old and as you said Joe…if your willing to renegotiate your contract to help the team out and they still cut you. And with all he has done for that franchise. Them cutting him says he is done in the NFL to me.
March 2nd, 2012 at 3:52 pm
Beckles must be smoking the Tanard Jackson if he really thinks this is bout to happen.
March 2nd, 2012 at 3:56 pm
kh said it. Hinesy Dancer is not a “certain” HOFer. Hall of the Very Good? In Korea? Hellz yea! But certain is a big stretch.
Maybe he gets in, during a down year of candidates, but with the kind of talent the NFL has produced the last couple decades, I don’t see it.
March 2nd, 2012 at 3:59 pm
Ian Beckles is a highly qualified NFL insider who really should be a HC/GM. I cannot believe to this day he was passed over for Belichick at New England or not immediately hired when Bill Polian was released at Indy.
Thank GOD we have him and Ron to set us straight about so much concerning the Buccaneers and the NFL. He and Dan Sileo even PLAYED once!
March 2nd, 2012 at 4:05 pm
2 mill is money well spent on a receiver who can’t contribute offensively besides blocking? We need to add speed to our offense, not the slowest receiver in the league.
March 2nd, 2012 at 4:25 pm
5 Super Sized Double Quarter Pounder Meals at once is “money well spent’ for feeding Ian Beckles.
March 2nd, 2012 at 4:26 pm
Why go sifting through other peoples garbage when we have a trash can that’s already overflowing. Hines Ward isn’t a cap casualty for the Steelers, he’s a guy that they know can’t produce anymore.
Veteran leadrership doesn’t mean that we need to find guys that are collecting social security.
March 2nd, 2012 at 4:34 pm
A little off topic, from TBO.com: Head coach Greg Schiano won’t ask much of his players. Instead, he will demand a lot of them, according to WR Mohamed Sanu, a potential first-round draft choice who played for Schiano at Rutgers.
“Coach Schiano is going to expect them to work and he’s going to make sure they’re doing what they’re supposed to do and not messing around off the field or on the field,” Sanu said last week at the NFL scouting combine. “They should expect a very demanding coach.”
Schiano will demand that his players hustle on every play, Sanu said. On defense, especially, he will demand all 11 players fly to the ball, much like former Bucs defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin did.
“I’m telling you, there will be 11 guys – unless they have another assignment – flying to the football on every play,” Schiano said during a break at the combine.
“There are times when (you’re) watching pro football and you may see nine or 10 going real hard. It’s not easy to make 11 guys do something play after play after play. I’m not naïve to that fact, trust me.
“But that’s going to be our expectation. Again, we’re not going to lower our expectations. As I said the day I took the job here, I know you can find 53 guys that are willing to do it our way. We’ve just got to work at it.”
March 2nd, 2012 at 4:38 pm
Ian Beckles, why do you have a job on the radio ?
March 2nd, 2012 at 4:56 pm
This is a rare miss from Ian. I love the Ron and Ian show.
March 2nd, 2012 at 4:57 pm
Though I still think for $1 million Ward could be a player coach type, that can block, and catch maybe 30 passes. I mean the guy never had a lot of talent his impressive career was all effort.
March 2nd, 2012 at 4:59 pm
Maybe we sign Ward to bulk up and play Guard?
March 2nd, 2012 at 5:02 pm
And for everyone blasting the idea of drafting Sanu for his 40 time … Jerry Rice ran a 4.7 at the combine.
March 2nd, 2012 at 5:22 pm
@ALSTOTT
couldn’t have said it better myself
March 2nd, 2012 at 5:24 pm
Ward was a great player, and a great team player!
But, he’s used up.
My not think outside the box, and try to hire him as a WR coach!
He may know a lil more than the dynamic PJ Fleck.
He couldn’t be worse
March 2nd, 2012 at 6:16 pm
Where’s Galloway?
March 2nd, 2012 at 6:25 pm
Joe here,
Joe’s laughing back at those who don’t think Ward is a Hall of Famer. Not first ballot, but he’ll get in there for sure, along with Carter.
March 2nd, 2012 at 7:02 pm
Joe, laugh all you want, but I still think you’re wrong.
How can a guy who was never a 1st team all-pro be in the HOF???
Hines has half as many TD catches as T.O. 3,000 less yards, and a season’s worth of catches fewer as well. Not to mention T.O. was 6 time pro-bowler, 5 time 1st team all-pro where Hines has only 4 pro-bowls and was 3 times voted to 2nd team all-pro. Not to mention T.O. has the distinction of being the only player not just to ever score a TD against every team, but has scored a TD against every team TWICE.
And yet, to some it is debatable if T.O. will be a HOFer. The only way Hines trumps T.O. is in rings, and the fact that he was a Steeler for life, which apparently makes some players holier than others.
The HOF is for people who redefine positions, or were just so good, it’s impossible to ignore their accomplishments. Hines was just another “very good” WR, I’m sorry.
March 2nd, 2012 at 7:04 pm
And I will bet u a six-pack on it!! 😉
March 2nd, 2012 at 8:11 pm
I’ve gotta agree with Beckles on this one Joe. For only $2 million signing Ward for 1-2 years is a no lose deal.
March 2nd, 2012 at 10:51 pm
hahaha Hines Ward? who is this idiot Beckles. you know sh*t about football.
March 2nd, 2012 at 11:16 pm
Ian rooted for Derrick Ward too.
I don’t know if Ward would even want to come to Tampa anyway.
March 2nd, 2012 at 11:32 pm
Bring him in as the ole school player coach- then 1 million won’t count against salary cap, as long as he plays less than 50% of the plays!
It will be payed as coaching expense.
March 4th, 2012 at 5:00 pm
Hines Ward will get in the HOF in maybe 20 years. Chris Carter is a million times better WR over Ward and still isn’t there. It takes longer for WRs to make it. But there are some great players that will make it before Ward. He might get it before he dies if he is lucky…but probably not!!!