$68,000 And A Dream
May 19th, 2015
The NFL is filled with so many long shot stories. And the more you scrutinize the Bucs roster, the more it seems seventh-round pick, bruising running back/fullback Joey Iosefa, looks like Mason Foster chasing a tight end.
The Samoan running back/fullback out of the University of Hawaii is a hero back home and in his college town. The Star-Advertiser noted that getting drafted earned Iosefa a quick chunk of change, but that’s it.
Iosefa agreed to a $68,000 signing bonus. Last year’s 231st draft selection —defensive end Ben Gardner by the Dallas Cowboys — received a signing bonus of $59,172.
Only the signing bonus is guaranteed. But Iosefa can earn up to $2,190,000 in salary if he is on the Buccaneers’ active roster for four seasons. The NFL minimum salaries for a player entering the league this year are $435,000 in 2015, $510,000 in 2016, $585,000 in 2017 and $660,000 in 2018.
Agent Aaron Gordon said Iosefa plans to make charitable donations in Hawaii and Tampa Bay.
“Hawaii has done so much for Joey,” Gordon said. “Joey wants to give back.”
The Bucs have a deep, young running backs corps with Charles Sims, Doug Martin, Bobby Rainey and Mike James, plus Tampa Bay re-signed fullback Jorvorskie Lane, and re-signed Luke Stocker, who proved capable of being an emergency fullback. James also can handle fullback in a pinch.
So where might Iosefa fit in? Will he even earn any carries in preseason?
Iosefa’s best shot is to play like a caged, hungry animal on special teams. The good news is he explained to Joe that the Samoan tradition is to break bones — he was recruited to Hawaii as a linebacker — so there’s hope.
(Note: Joe is reserving any old school WWF references until Iosefa is actually seen making a play in a Bucs uniform.)
May 19th, 2015 at 12:11 pm
Iosefa aspires to become “America’s Fullback”, a noble and lofty goal. A title like that deserves more than $68k.
May 19th, 2015 at 12:13 pm
Joey Iosefa…..”America’s Bruising Running Back/Full Back”
May 19th, 2015 at 12:15 pm
First, that MF needs to put that tongue back in his mouth. Second, he better wait on those charitable donations. $68,000 isn’t what it used to be.
May 19th, 2015 at 12:22 pm
“Joe is reserving any old school WWF references”
SuperFly Snuka off the top rope into the kick returner?
May 19th, 2015 at 12:24 pm
Lol @ Ray Rice. Yea maybe joe can find a new picture of him in Bucs gear.
Really hope this kid can contribute. Wouldn’t it be great to have a 7th rounder make the team and make some meaningful plays?
May 19th, 2015 at 12:36 pm
Wasted pick. He is a one trick pony. I like the way he runs. Straight forward trampling defenders, but he often runs off balance. We could have picked up Zack Zenner or John Crockett. A lot of Mockers had us picking those guys. Anyways I hope he proves me wrong and does great things.
May 19th, 2015 at 12:39 pm
I’m not sure that there’s such a thing as a wasted 7th round pick. Anyone who is picked there is a coin flip to make the team. Iosefa is as good as anyone else in that spot. Maybe they’re not sold on Javorskie and they want to weigh out their options.
May 19th, 2015 at 12:58 pm
Good point. Any time a seventh round pick does anything, it’s pretty much an accident.
May 19th, 2015 at 12:58 pm
Anyone is a coin flip from rounds 1-7. I guess a wasted pick in terms of in the 4th they traded up to grab Kwon Alexander who the bucs had rated higher on their board. In the 5th we grab a receiver who can jump in the slot and potentially has starting ability on the outside. Than in the 6th they grab a well needed returner. A special teams standout. Than in the 7th you grab not a true FB, but someone whom has potential, but someone you could have picked up as an UDFA. Wasted pick as in if he doesn’t make the team. Head scratcher at the end of a good draft. We could have grabbed A RB, ILB, DE, OL, or Safety. None the less I do wish him the best.
May 19th, 2015 at 1:02 pm
@Danati – To your point, I would have been pretty happy to see them snag up a serviceable punter in the 7th so we can cut our current overpaid, 25 yard average punter loose.
May 19th, 2015 at 1:04 pm
68k?
$hit. JW is gonna drop that in one night @ mons when he makes it rain $100’s
followed by gunshots from his posse and an arrest and MG8 2 the rescue
May 19th, 2015 at 1:14 pm
@Robert 9,
Are the Dolphins that boring? You stayed away for all of a week.
May 19th, 2015 at 1:34 pm
when you get down to RB3 or RB4, you’re probably more concerned with a guy playing all 4 ST units than what his YPC is going to be. he will make the roster over a better runner, because as player 43-53 on the roster, teams aren’t thinking about a guy they can get the ball to on offense. not all good teams have good ST, but they seem to use ST to gather a core of team-first guys that help establish a standard of effort for fringe players and young players
May 19th, 2015 at 1:42 pm
I thought captain doom was actually Barry, except there’s no meaningless hashtags and the end of his comments…
May 19th, 2015 at 1:43 pm
*at the end
May 19th, 2015 at 1:56 pm
Stupid comment of the day… Grand Wizard err Captain Doom. If you don’t like Jameis on the field because of improper reads or too many picks ok. But I am tired of the racist comments like what Mr. Doom just posted.
May 19th, 2015 at 2:06 pm
He will be on the practice squad waiting on Javorski Lane injury.
May 19th, 2015 at 2:10 pm
should have taken collins with the pick.
May 19th, 2015 at 2:31 pm
sorry mons……didn’t realize you were a cowboy and thenthative to the term posse.
yeah, and when are they going to rename the redskins. that really bother me.
May 19th, 2015 at 2:47 pm
I am not sensitive I am pointing out that you made a passive aggressive remark that shows that you are a racist.
May 19th, 2015 at 2:53 pm
Collins agent made it public that he would not sign if he was drafted after day 2. I think that’s why nobody went after him in the 6th or 7th
May 19th, 2015 at 2:58 pm
Oh Capt doom, good to know that there is still atleast one idiot left out there. Hey hold your breath they might still get Mariota in a trade… bahahahaha
May 19th, 2015 at 3:00 pm
whatever man.
google the word paradigm and educate yourself
May 19th, 2015 at 3:04 pm
An instant classic:
Robert 9 Says:
February 13th, 2015 at 9:51 am
jameis is gonna fall like a rock come draft day. if he’s there in the second round take him, but other than that let him be someone elses headcase.
May 19th, 2015 at 3:10 pm
who is that LW?
seems like a smart dude.
you aren’t taking into account the guys who picked him are 2-14.
trust their decisions? not me.
talk to me after he hits the strip with his boys on an ego trip.
May 19th, 2015 at 3:11 pm
Doom…Doom,
You’re glib.
May 19th, 2015 at 3:12 pm
UDFA are an even longer shot than a 7th rounder,
Somebody from Hawaii is not going to sign a UDFA with a team on the other side of the world.
Maybe the focus with him is on Special Teams .
In that case, I would have taken the Punter from Portland State
May 19th, 2015 at 3:18 pm
Dont need to google, what pattern would you be referring to ? You mean all those times he made it rain in Tallahassee, oh wait he didnt. Or was it that accusation that was made but was found not to be worthy. Like i said good to know there is atleast one idiot left.
May 19th, 2015 at 3:25 pm
Joe! One of the few times I’ve disagreed with you! Minus QBs! Kid is a beast and is our answer to Tolbert
May 19th, 2015 at 3:26 pm
@mike m
You’re right, but, this has been repeated ad nauseum since January.
Those people are so self absorbed and have torched Jameis so badly, they are more invested in being right, than in wanting TB to be good.
Alas, just enjoy that they are still spending time with Jameis on their mind, as much as they dislike him. They still can’t not talk about him.
Also, I love those who swore they would go root for another team, but, instead, are pathetic enough to create new screen names. We know who you are dummy, syntax don’t lie.
May 19th, 2015 at 3:41 pm
just poppin by to provide some back up for Mr. Doom.
yall need to relax and stop drinkin the man milk through JW’s meat straw ya hear!
talk to me in after he’s stayed clean for more than 6 month’s
May 19th, 2015 at 3:53 pm
^^
At least stroke yourself in private.
May 19th, 2015 at 4:27 pm
LMAO….Some of the comments on here really crack me up.
May 19th, 2015 at 4:32 pm
Should have taken Ifo….first round talent, let him sit and heal.
May 19th, 2015 at 5:30 pm
Plot twist Robert 9 is black.
May 19th, 2015 at 5:54 pm
Ray Rice, you’re a clown. The tongue thing is part of a traditional Polynesian haka, or war dance that most Polynesian sports teams from New Zealand to Hawaii do. Tell you what, go tell the All Black to put their tongues back in their mouths. We’ll watch.
May 19th, 2015 at 6:27 pm
Maybe the team can get Don Ho to sing the Bucs fight song, if he is still among the living. If not, my bad rest in peace Don.
May 19th, 2015 at 6:58 pm
How the hell is “dropping thousands of dollars at Mons” racist?
Some commenters are just too sensitive.
May 19th, 2015 at 8:02 pm
Danati74 Says
“Wasted pick. He is a one trick pony. I like the way he runs. Straight forward trampling defenders…”
The only wasted pick was the returner in the 6th round. The guy only returned one punt in college, and he has ball security issues. Sound familiar? We had several with that issue last year trying for the spot, and they all failed.
THAT’s where we should have taken our punter.
May 19th, 2015 at 8:14 pm
Forgot to add. Mike Alstott was a similar runner, except Alstott couldn’t block or catch the ball at first.
May 19th, 2015 at 8:18 pm
MonsGM Says
“But I am tired of the racist comments…”
Put on the breaks there, soldier boy.
It had nothing to do with race. More to do with personality and previous history.
If anyone is racist, it is you, who assumes the comment was racist because that’s how you view people who go there.
May 19th, 2015 at 9:23 pm
Great observation Love and Warrick Dunn. I have often accused Robert 9 of being a troll from another team and now I know whose.
Joe, do we have to listen to the vile obscene blatent homosexual desires of Robert 9 out here. Isn’t there someway you can block him. His last comment was OOB and rude.
Team needed another FB after Lane went down last year and didn’t have one. Lovie is bound and determined to amp up the running game this year. Also, the kid has soft hands and is therefore not a one trick pony.
May 19th, 2015 at 9:41 pm
Bunch of racists everyone of you.
May 19th, 2015 at 10:09 pm
Sorry but i see no racist remarks.
May 19th, 2015 at 11:15 pm
“Sorry but i see no racist remarks.”
few caucasians do.
hell, loser rice’s comments are very ignorant, too.
May 20th, 2015 at 9:22 am
@lurker
You’re assuming all of us are white?
And, btw…”few caucasians do” is a pretty racist thing to say too.
May 20th, 2015 at 10:51 am
I’m hear to help if anyone needs me
May 21st, 2015 at 1:39 am
Joe is reserving any old school WWF references until Iosefa is actually seen making a play in a Bucs uniform
…….. Well aren’t you a Hypocrite… Americas Fullback locked n loaded 68,000 worth of pineapple stirfry crab legs, with a hint of bullspit