Did The Bucs Get Played?
March 16th, 2014
Were the Bucs used by Emmanuel Sanders?
Joe knows a lot of Bucs fans were pining for the services of free agent wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders. How so? Because Joe was getting pounded on Twitter about the status of Sanders’ negotiations.
Sanders made the rounds it seemed with just about every NFL team. And Saturday, he finally decided to sign with the Broncos.
But not without controversy.
It seems he had a deal on the table with the Chiefs and went to the Bucs Saturday to try to use the Bucs as leverage before landing in Denver. That’s the word for NFL insider Ian Rapoport, who believes Sanders’ agent played an awful game of lying chess.
Agent Steve Weinberg, on behalf of the receiver, accepted a deal with the Chiefs in principle, according to one team source. Weinberg then engaged in negotiations with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, according to another source involved in the process.
While shopping the Chiefs offer to the Bucs, Weinberg never explained that he had already accepted the terms of Kansas City’s offer. Later in the night, Sanders’ agent had agreed to terms with the Broncos, which is where he is currently headed. Sanders and Weinberg also rankled the 49ers by agreeing to visit, then blowing it off.
Now Joe had been told some years ago that it is an unspoken NFL rule that once negotiations are agreed upon in principle, it is sort of a binding agreement. Apparently, Weinberg decided to ignore NFL protocol to try to squeeze teams. In a matter of words, this isn’t the way to build relationships with NFL teams.
And still, the Bucs are presumably looking for a No. 3 receiver. Unless the Bucs want to try to take a stab at Darrius Hayward-Bey, it may just be better to look toward the draft. Though Joe knows Bucs fans lay awake at night dreaming of Sammy Watkins, this draft is so lousy with receivers, and the Bucs have so many other holes to plug, it’s better off getting a guy later. Joe has been told that the draft is so deep with receivers, a starter can be had in the third round.
Pretty sad the Bucs apparently were played by a bum of an agent.
March 16th, 2014 at 8:03 am
At some point, the bucs will have to draft some of this team. hopefully the draft will pan out a better receiver than the likes of Sanders.
March 16th, 2014 at 8:10 am
@ Buc_Realist This year is supposed to be one of the deepest WR drafts ever., with potential first round talent picks going in round 2 and 3. I hope we go Wr, Qb, Wr in that order.
March 16th, 2014 at 8:21 am
Kind of a moot point considering the fact he didn’t sign with either team. Still, it’s a pretty crummy way to do business and lose your credibility.
…but, I can’t blame him for signing with Elway and Co.
March 16th, 2014 at 8:21 am
No! For the first time the Bucs are making wise choices and refusing to overpay. I’m on board with the approach they are taking. This Sanders guy is a walking infirmary. Glad he signed elsewhere! Realist and Thomas are right about this draft, not a problem.
March 16th, 2014 at 8:21 am
It probably was good that it ended up this way. If Sanders and his team operate like that then the Bucs are better off. There are other WRs out there; some you don’t have to break the bank on too. Austin, Manningham, and Simpson may come at bargain prices and all are very capable of good production for the Bucs. James Jones may be a bit more pricey but if the Bucs want insurance just in case they have to say goodbye to Mike Williams then James Jones is the perfect candidate for them. I’d prefer they kick the tires on these guys before they even sniff Hayward-Bey.
March 16th, 2014 at 8:29 am
Its probably time to turn toward the draft now. I see them trading down and grabbing an OL with the first pick. Don’t know what they’re thinking after that but thats what it sounds like will happen given that were missing our fourth.
March 16th, 2014 at 8:33 am
Mike evens
March 16th, 2014 at 8:34 am
Player agents are leaches in my opinion.
March 16th, 2014 at 8:40 am
I’m disappointed the Sanders didn’t choose TB but if we find a slot CB I’ll be good plus we still have options like trading zuttah or MW to get draft picks to fill that need. Watkins, Evans, Ebron could be difference maker plus there’s starter potential im at least the 3rd round for WR.
March 16th, 2014 at 8:41 am
Why do I push the WR in FA? Yes we can draft two or three potentially talented ones in the draft. But it often takes a year or two to get to the level you need for an everyday starter. Even Cobb took over a year in GB. So if we plan to wait two or three years to get to the playoffs, fine. And maybe that is what the reality is. But honestly, I was hoping that we might sniff the playoffs in the next couple of years.
March 16th, 2014 at 8:42 am
Would rather use the “Sanders” money on a FA CB….and pick WR Sammy Watkins at 7……then pick Oline rd 2 & LB round 3.
March 16th, 2014 at 8:44 am
Seany
I understand your feelings. The Drew Rosenhauses and Steve Weinbergs give sports agents a bad name. But we can’t honestly throw them all under a bus.
A sports agent performs a valuable function. Just as a realtor represents your interests when purchasing a house, a broker can represent your purchase of insurance or stocks and bonds, an agent is simply representing a player’s interests.
Now let’s see if there might be a need for such a service. Young guys fresh out of college and maybe four years removed from a very challenging childhood with poor schools and supports systems. And so it’s this inexperienced, perhaps relatively uneducated young man, up against professionals hired by billionaire owners to represent their interests. Quite a mismatch.
Even WITH agents the owners still have the leverage. Agents aren’t going away anytime soon nor should they. The very best of them frequently act as surrogate fathers for their clients. They make sure their clients don’t end up like too many pro athletes rolling through millions and ending up flat broke in retirement.
But I understand your feelings Seany. And agree that this Weinberg tool does seem like a real POS. As Joe suggests in his piece Weinberg will get his.
There are not that many NFL GM’s. Word is already around the league about Weinberg. Good luck to any player who uses him going forward.
March 16th, 2014 at 8:45 am
Come on guys, everyone knows the bucs are going to trade back and take Ebron….
March 16th, 2014 at 8:49 am
Joe this is a team and integrity in a person is so important, if the player doesn’t have it, we don’t need him because it introduces rot in the locker room.
I would hope that the new receivers we get are fast, shifty, and can catch the ball.
March 16th, 2014 at 9:17 am
take anyone but a Qb at 7 please! Imo None of them are worth a top10 pic.
March 16th, 2014 at 9:20 am
How about Lance Moore Joe? I Think he might fit in great at the slot.
March 16th, 2014 at 9:21 am
Truth be told, I didn’t want him here anyway. I wanted Steve Smith 🙁
March 16th, 2014 at 9:22 am
James Jones anyone?
March 16th, 2014 at 9:22 am
The Buc’s got played by the douche in the last article.
March 16th, 2014 at 9:24 am
he drops a lot of balls anyway!
March 16th, 2014 at 9:25 am
yes to Jones!
March 16th, 2014 at 9:28 am
The thing to do is the Bucs & Chiefs should never have any more dealings with the scumbag, Weinberg.
March 16th, 2014 at 10:03 am
Trade back get evans
March 16th, 2014 at 10:06 am
We need a slot WR badly. Have not had one since… I can’t remember. I agree with Mark2001 in that it typically takes receivers 2 to 3 years to develop, so I would prefer we sign a FA like James Jones. He has averaged between 650 to 800 yards for the past 4 years.
March 16th, 2014 at 10:10 am
“This draft is lousy with receivers”? Did I read that correctly? Mayock and others say this is one of the deeper receiver drafts in memory. Guys that normally would go in the first are slipping to the second and third round…
Wow.
You didn’t read correctly and didn’t click on the “lousy” link. –Joe
March 16th, 2014 at 10:19 am
Extreme excitement going through this whole off-season!! I guess it´s very fun for everyone who symphatizes with the Bucs.
As for Draft and WR´s, i agree with most of you: 1st off, Bucs kept so many great options open with their moves so far.
They could even trade a player to move around with draft posi. They could move down and take WR Evans or M.Lee from USC + TE Ebron/safarian Jenkins with first picks. or solidify O-line (would be pretty wise, so that they keep a nice mixture of high paid and low paid High/low talented mixture; although line doesn´t look too bad as of right now), V-Jacks time will come within next 3 years at best, guess, so gettin at least one WR within first 3 rounds should be calculated (on the other hand there is always FA and M.Colston was a 6th or 7th rounder).
If i were the Bucs, i would look to make a run at Teddy B. Clearly best QB coming out, and would set the franshise for the next 15 years at that top Posi..(barring freak accidents).
They could throw the Glennon and da HawkGoldson in for a trade up – and get a one dimensional true ball hawk instead as FS. Or (if that scenario or sth. similar allows for that) sign a Cromartie, mean A Cromartie to play FS.. M.Barron = true thumper Cro(W) as Hawk replacement to play single high.. Lovie could surely toughen him up, alhtouh tacklin i dont know..
For certain: So many great ways open for the best Florida team 😉
it makes so much fun to think about..
Well Joe, i hope your brain glows, right, like a rainbow, even without the wet dreams about Johnny Footboiy.. Just kidding, but besides Johnny, who´s Most Wanted?
March 16th, 2014 at 10:31 am
Joe the obvious choice is bringing in Hester he can fill the 3rd or 4th receiver spot and also the special teams stuff.
March 16th, 2014 at 10:31 am
Lets get the FSU WR Benjamin, he could replace our no1. in time…or Mike williams. Ofcourse we still need a speedy guy, but we can find one in the later rounds.
March 16th, 2014 at 10:40 am
Sorry but i forgot:
If staying put at 7th and Barr is there (even with damaged foot) he is damn worth it. Dude rushes realy good (will translate to NFL for sure) and has good football IQ (feel for Zones) and has the speed/range/agility to cover even man to man (almost LVD like, maybe all in all a step slower; but makes up with his better rush).
therefore: if he is there, he should be heavily considered. Maybe they can play him as SLB, and in situatons where Bucs play just 2 LB LVD plays like the Mike (like he´s done the past couple years).
Important: Mack is not as good as Barr. Although i am not 100% sure about it, but someone already compared StevenMeans numbers to Macks.. Although Macks surely woulnd´t be a very bad pick; Barr sets the bar and Mack is more of an upside player.. Still, almost impossible for Bucs to srew up (at least the first pick in) this Draft..
March 16th, 2014 at 10:59 am
Like Jones as a receiver a great deal…just don’t know he has the speed we need.
March 16th, 2014 at 11:11 am
@ louden
Mack is by far tha better pick than Barr and it’s not close as u think. Barr only can speed rush.Zero pass rushing moves or technique whatsoever. When he’s engaged with a blocker it’s lights out because he can’t shed tackles. He has impressive stats, along with size and speed, but other than that he’s average and needs alot of work. Watch tha film and screw what these paid props pass along
March 16th, 2014 at 11:23 am
I am glad Sanders is not coming to the Bucs… Having screws in his feet may soon become a problem and if so the Bucs would be in the same position they are now…
James Jones seems to be the best option in my opinion… Now if the Bucs soon sign him, most assuredly improvement at the WR position!
March 16th, 2014 at 11:27 am
How did the Bucs get played here? The Chiefs certainly did because they apparently reached an agreement. Nothing I’ve read says the Bucs had an agreement. The agent and his other players are the losers here because in the future some teams, namely the ones involved here, will refuse to deal with him and his players. But the Bucs really didn’t even get in a position to get played.
March 16th, 2014 at 11:46 am
I love the double standard that some of these commenters, and even you joe, show towards NFL players. Teams use players for leverage against other players all the time. Yet when a player and his agent use a team as leverage against another team, the player and the agent are bad guys? Gimme a break. It’s all business and sanders has every right to extract as much money as he can from a deal, just like the teams with which he negotiates have every right to find ways to maximize the value of said deal. That said, I’m glad we didn’t bite. This dude has wheels but suspect hands.
March 16th, 2014 at 11:50 am
Just to double down on what 1bucfan88 is saying, they just release a study this week that shows only 10% of NFL contracts are fulfilled to the length of the terms. Meaning that if we sign 3 more FAs to get to 10, only one of those guys will actually play the entire contract without getting cut or forced to renegotiate.
Which is why I’ll never have a problem with players doing what they gotta do. I can’t blame them when there’s a 90% chance the contract they sign will not be fulfilled.
March 16th, 2014 at 12:36 pm
I disagree. These teams chew up and spit out players all the time. It’s good to see someone treating these teams the same way the players get treated.
March 16th, 2014 at 1:56 pm
[…] as general manager Jason Licht and coach Lovie Smith are not taking the weekend off. After getting used by Emmanuel Sanders, the Bucs went the safe route and grabbed veteran guard Oniel Cousins, late of the Cleveland […]
March 16th, 2014 at 3:47 pm
Would be hilarious if the Broncos and/or Patriots didn’t make the playoffs this year.
March 16th, 2014 at 5:06 pm
These NFL teams deserve no sympathy.
They never honor their contracts.
Players get played all the time!
For once this player played the big boys!
March 16th, 2014 at 5:07 pm
didn’t want him anyway. way overrated. give that money to jared allen.
March 16th, 2014 at 7:50 pm
would like if they made a play for hawkins as a speed in space type guy ,looks like he is going to cleveland though
March 17th, 2014 at 11:50 am
@tha truth: ey, not giving a damn what dey say – “experts” – is exactly why i say Mack isn´t as good as Barr – and i´m hands down on that.. Not saying he is bad (although i think he is the overhyped one this year) and clearly he´s 1st round worthy, but i wouldn´t spend a top 10 one on him.
Barr isn´t just very good at line of scrimmage (no matter the pass rush moves, what matters is he gets the job done and he can be coached up on the next level)
He is also very good in the passing game and has excellent range. Only scarry thing is his knee, but a little fortune here and his body will recover well. Younger bodys have a better chance and i think its his first injury and hell – even a complete healthy LB could get hurt easily – just f´n nature of the game