Chemistry Is Key As Bucs Rebuild

March 23rd, 2010

If Vacation Man of the Trotsky-like BSPN.com has a correct pulse on Mark Dominik the main reason the Bucs have not (yet) made a play for Denver wide receiver Brandon Marshall is his baggage.

That’s essentially what Vacation Man told an e-mailer in a recent NFC South mailbag.

Kareem in San Antonio, Texas, writes: Why don’t the Tampa Bay Buccaneers make a strong play for Brandon Marshall? Marshall is at a nice peak of his career and I believe he will get better. He played college football at Central Florida and would be a huge asset to a team committed to staying young. Brandon Marshall would help Josh Freeman, not only develop his game but also maximize his potential. It makes sense, and a couple of draft picks is a small price to pay for such a huge reward.

Vacation Man: Your points make sense and there could be huge rewards with Marshall. But there also are risks that come with him. He’s had some issues and isn’t exactly known as a team player. Yes, Marshall has big-time talent. But the Bucs are trying to build with a young team and I think they also consider things like team chemistry and how a guy might fit into their locker room when they think about moves like this.

Granted, Marshall has a lot of baggage. The guy always seems to find trouble in the offseason. Will that get better if he is back at home in Florida? Joe wonders.

That’s enough for Joe to think twice about pulling the trigger on a move for Marshall. That written, the Bucs cannot go into this season with the worst group of receivers in the NFL and expect anything from Josh Freeman.

37 Responses to “Chemistry Is Key As Bucs Rebuild”

  1. Eric Says:

    They prefer great team leaders like the blocking icon.

  2. the_buc_realist Says:

    I am one that believes that winning cures all. It will even cure empty stands!

  3. big007hed Says:

    Screw the baggage and make the d@mn trade!!! Freeman needs Marshall b/c right now with the WRs we have on the roster we have very little to scare defenses outside of Winslow and he is a TE…

  4. big007hed Says:

    If Marshall gets traded here he would sell Jerseys and seats

  5. zech Says:

    I just don’t know y the bucs can’t find or get a complete widereciever that has the total package! We need a number 1 reciever !

  6. Finerdetailz Says:

    Great. Well have a bunch of nice guys that get along and no one will complain when we win 3 games again. Great idea Dominik. I can’t believe the glazers have this idiot running this team. He is going to ruin Freeman. If he thinks were going to draft a bunch of superstars he’s dumber than he looks. And i I can’t for the life of me believe people complained and are still complaining about Gruden. I was convinced at some point that maybe we do need a change but changing to this makes me realize how stupid my thoughts were. Of course we can hear Duemigs postive spin and how he sees improvement even though we win only 3 games again.

  7. Aldo Says:

    i dont know whats the problem with his attitude, we take K2 knowing he has a lot of….and when we take AB he comes with that too, the deal is how that players work on it, AB still be a diva, K2 was quiet, if Marshall can deal with it man i would take that guy immediately!!!

  8. Eric Says:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icFuomOYYT4

    Why would anybody have wanted this guy as part of the receiving group, when Sammie, Michael, and Ronnie are available?

  9. buccsallday Says:

    To bad the bucs to scared to trade for him….. They already missed out on a good deal on boldin.. / I wouldn’t be surprize if they miss out on gaining a number 1 wr for years to come..

    but who knowsss, bucs might pull the trigger! (sike)

  10. TJ Tillman Says:

    dont understand that chemistry excuse cause they have Talib who fights cab drivers reportly coaches and teammates. They have Winslow who can cause some trouble. To me it is all about if your coach can control his team. Like how Belicheck has kept Moss in check pretty much since he has been in New england

  11. Eric Says:

    I just don’t see how you can say on the one hand you treat players fairly and consistently, based on merit, then on the other hand invite the blocking icon to camp.

    Somebody is just a bit full of it.

  12. DAve Says:

    I like Marshall as a WR, but this team is so young with no Vet leaders. There is no real identity yet. to take a guy like Marshall, with all his issues and arrests in the past is a BIG gamble.

    1..According to Orlando-Orange County public records (case 48-2004-MM-012392-O), on Halloween 2004, while a student at UCF, Marshall was arrested in Orlando on charges of assault on a law enforcement officer, refusal to obey, disorderly conduct and resisting an officer.[54]

    2..On January 1, 2007, Marshall was present at “The Shelter,” a nightclub in Denver, Colorado, along with teammates Javon Walker and Darrent Williams. The trio was attending a birthday party held for and by Denver Nuggets forward Kenyon Martin. As the players were leaving the club in a limousine, Williams was fatally shot in the neck after an unknown assailant opened fire on the vehicle. Willie Clark was later charged with the murder.[55] Walker has stated in interviews that the shooter was likely a nightclub patron whose motive was retaliation after being involved in an altercation with Marshall’s cousin earlier that night.[56]

    3..On March 26, 2007, Marshall was arrested in the Highlands Ranch suburb of Denver on suspicion of domestic violence after his girlfriend reported that following a domestic dispute, Marshall prevented a taxi she was in from leaving his house.[57] Charges from the incident were later dismissed on May 25, 2007, after Marshall completed anger management counseling.[58]

    4..In the early morning of October 22, 2007, Marshall was arrested in the Denver-Aurora metropolitan area at the intersection of 14th and Blake St. for driving under the influence of alcohol.[59] A trial was scheduled for September 16, but Marshall instead agreed to a plea bargain four days earlier; he pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of driving while ability impaired.[60] He was sentenced to one-year probation and 24 hours of community service.

    5..On June 12, 2008, Marshall was ticketed for an illegal lane change, then found to be without his license and proof of insurance.[61] The case was eventually dropped as part of a plea bargain for the October 22, 2007 driving incident involving alcohol.[60]

    6..According to an article published in the Rocky Mountain News on July 28, 2008, Douglas County deputies fielded “about 11” calls to Marshall’s home since January 2006. The article stated that one call resulted in Marshall being arrested (the March 26, 2007 domestic dispute), and some did not involve him at all.[62]

    7..A September 17, 2008 article on CompleteColorado.com stated that the solicitor’s office in Fulton County, Georgia filed misdemeanor battery charges on September 10 for an alleged incident on March 4, 2008, in Atlanta, Georgia. Marshall was booked on March 6, then released the next day after posting a $1,000 cash bond.[63] The case was assigned to Judge John Mather in Georgia state court.[64] On August 14, 2009, a jury in Atlanta found Marshall not guilty.[65]

    8..On March 1, 2009, Marshall was arrested in Atlanta for disorderly conduct after allegedly being involved in a fight with his fiancee, Michi Nogami-Campbell. Marshall was released on a $300 bond.[66] The charges were dropped the following day.[67]

  13. DAve Says:

    Most the issues above were dropped or he was found not guilty… but he is just one of those guys who CONSTANTLY is with the wrong people, in the worng places, at the wrong times. It is only a matter of time before it catches up to him.

  14. DAve Says:

    All that said and all the proof of him being a tool……….. I still say if they can trade a second rounder and get him: DO IT

  15. Eric Says:

    From what I can tell of the list, the guy was convicted of DUI, and none of the other stuff.

    Certainly not a sterling record.

    Its a red flag for sure, but given our dire circumstances, id still take the chance.

  16. Eric Says:

    @DAve

    Excellent research!

  17. Gary Says:

    I would trade for Marshall and put a clause in his contract specifically for off-field behavior that way he has a financial incentive to stay out of trouble and if he gets into trouble hit’em where it hurts.

    As someone stated earlier, we traded for K2 and had Bryant on this team its not far-fetched that a player gets his act together. Some players just need a change of scenery.

  18. Gary Says:

    http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=clayton_john&id=5017597

    The rumoured asking price right now is a 2nd/4th and lower pick in 2011 for Marshall. From a purely talent/production standpoint he’s worth the gamble for a 26 year play-maker.

    TB has the leverage (because teams know DEN wants Marshall gone)* and the pieces to facilitate a trade like that.

  19. bucfanjeff Says:

    As much as it would cost to get him, and potential troubles, his talent is easily off-loaded as well…because….wait for it…he has talent. That said, I wouldn’t give up the #3 for him, only a package deal that contained other picks\players.

  20. zech Says:

    I would trade back with denver and get marshall and we could still get a D-Tackle like price or linebacker like mcclain or matthews or spiller!

  21. zech Says:

    The poeple on the NFL Live show said that the team that would bennefit from havin marshall would be the JETS!

  22. big007hed Says:

    BRING MARSHALL TO TAMPA!!!

  23. zech Says:

    I agree I would love for the bucs to get marshall

  24. Finerdetailz Says:

    Do it!! Do it!! Glazers if you want to create a buzz, Do it! If Dominik and Rah are to scared to handle him then hire someone that can … wait for it… DO IT!!!!

  25. BigMacAttack Says:

    Dave, good thing Colorado has the 9 Strikes and your out rule.

  26. maddog55 Says:

    Brandon Marshall is better than any 2 nd round pick for Tampa. If that is all it takes then do the deal. Don’t give us this bullshit about chemistry and his off the field problems. He had a DUI and 2 domestic violence arrests.

    Can you say Michael Irvin?

  27. Radio Mushmouth Says:

    Yes, Vacation Man is right.

    We wouldn’t players who are actually GOOD messing up the chemistry formed from a team full of SHITTY Players.

  28. bigrattler73 Says:

    LIKE I SAID THEY BETTER GET SOME WEAPONS AROUND FREEMAN. MICHEAL “BUTTERFINGERS” CLAYTON AND MAURICE “I ONLY WORK HARD IN PRACTICE” STOVALL IS NOT GOING TO GET IT!!

  29. bigrattler73 Says:

    LIKE I SAID THEY BETTER GET SOME WEAPONS AROUND FREEMAN. MICHEAL “BUTTERFINGERS” CLAYTON AND MAURICE “I ONLY WORK HARD IN PRACTICE” STOVALL IS NOT GOING TO GET IT!! SO MISTER GM YOU BETTER DO SOMETHING OR GET READY TO COLLECT UNEMPLOYMENT

  30. BigMacAttack Says:

    bigr73, you can say that again

  31. TJ TIllman Says:

    @ dvae have you done a background check on Talib

  32. DAve Says:

    Funny people thinking I did a background check. Like I said, he is trouble waiting to happn…

    BUT I would take him for the Bucs pick 10 in round 2 and throw in Clayton

  33. Eric Says:

    @DAve

    I thought maybe you worked for J. Edgar Hoover!

    I agree with your assessment, a second round pic would be worth it.

    Trading Clayton, however, is probably too good to be true. The bubonic plague was easier to get rid of!

  34. Eric S Says:

    I guess people have never heard of wikipedia.

  35. Gruden Sucks Says:

    This deal won’t be done til draft day but I think we have a great chance to pull this off. Except for two reason that could derail it. One Dallas trades the 27th pick for him. They traded more than that for Roy. E. Williams. Two Jets trade the 29th pick to them. I think this might happen but neither team seems content on giving either pick away. So I think our best chance would be to swap 1st with them and Denver also send us a 4th round pick. We still get a great player at 11 and in round 4 can get a potential starter based off the depth this year. I think the points would be close with this scenario. This is just my opinion!

  36. Gruden Sucks Says:

    Dom said they want to get to 12-14 picks in previous interviews so this would give us 12 picks. And look for our pick 2a and our 4th round pick to be shopped VERY hard this year since the new 3 day format!!! This draft has the potential to be the best draft class ever for the Bucs!!!!!!!

  37. Eric S Says:

    Let me get this straight. Are you saying that Denver would trade their #1 at 11, #4 and Brandon Marshall for the Bucs #1? I think that was what you were going for because you mentioned Marshall with the Cowboys and Jets comments. Denver would be absolutely insane to do something like this.

    If you are saying the same scenario without Marshall, then there is no chance the Bucs would do that. That is a huge drop and the Bucs would need more than just a #4.

    So either scenario I can’t see going down. I personally don’t see any chance at all that the Bucs get Marshall. The Bucs don’t want to give up draft picks because they’ve put all their eggs in the draft. And they don’t want to pay Marshall what he wants. He’s going to demand a huge contract worth more than what Boldin or AB got this offseason. If the Bucs are not willing to pay AB that type of money, why in the world would they pay Marshall that? And as one NFL executive said recently, Marshall is a shithead. So that is three strikes against Marshall ever setting foot in RayJay. Draft picks, money and shitheadness.