Michael Bennett In No Rush To Sign
March 11th, 2013
Joe has to give Bucs defensive end Michael Bennett some props. While perhaps not a professional negotiator, he either has a keen instinct about jockeying for a new contract, or he has been coached well..
Just after he spoke on the “Gary and The Commish Show” heard on WHFS-FM 98.7 this morning, Woody Cummings of the Tampa Tribune got a hold of Bennett for follow up questions.
Specifically, will he sign when the gun to start free agency is shot off tomorrow at 4 p.m?
“A lot of teams have called already,” Bennett said. “So we’ll see what happens. But I’m not in a hurry. This is a big decision for me. I’ll probably take a couple days to decide.”
This is just downright smart on Bennett’s part. The longer he waits, so long as it isn’t a month, likely the higher the bidding goes for his services as teams start panicking that he will re-sign with the Bucs, or sign elsewhere.
But also, waiting means his chances of coming back to the Bucs is far less than the 40 percent chance he proclaimed this morning.
As for Bennett’s radio interview, here is the full version.
March 11th, 2013 at 12:23 pm
If this guy’s market value turns out to be 6-7 million instead of 9-10, the Bucs need to sign him back. It would be way better if we held onto this guy.
March 11th, 2013 at 12:26 pm
I bet some team will offer him 11-12 if he waits.
March 11th, 2013 at 12:31 pm
It’s just like selling a house, your 1st offer is probably the best offer. I’d take the best offer to the Bucs to see if they’ll match it, but I’d sign quick if I was him.
March 11th, 2013 at 12:34 pm
Signing Sean Smith and Derek Cox needs to be our top priority. Then finding a threat in the middle of the field, possession WR or a top tier TE. Bennett, while the Bucs want him back is going to be three or four on priority list. Claiborn, Bowers and the guy I can never pronounce his name much less spell give us three good DEs. This years draft is deep in pass rushers or we could find a second tier type guy in free agency.
Its all going to come down to value. I would love to see Bennett back in pewter next year, I just dont believe it will happen. Someone will over pay and MD is not dumb with how he spends.
March 11th, 2013 at 12:35 pm
There are only 2 younger DE’s with 10 sacks last year in Free Agency… Bennett and Avirl.
Unlike the deep CB free agent market, Bennett is sitting pretty.
March 11th, 2013 at 12:35 pm
With all the hype on the NFL draft, i was looking at how our current GM for the Bucs has done. I still cant get over how we have spent 2 first round picks and a second round pick for the following:
Gerald McCoy: $63 million contract/3 seasons played/35 games played…..9 sacks
Adrian Clayborn: $8.5 million/2 seasons/19 games played…..7.5 sacks
DaQuan Bowers: $3.85 million/2 seasons/6 games played…..4.5 sacks
Here’s a little FYI: Stylez G. White Free agent pickup/$4 million (approximately)/4 seasons/63 games played……24 sacks! Our “guru” GM not only let him walk, but has since invested 3 top picks/$75 million/7 total seasons = 60! games played AND ONLY 21 SACKS!!!!!!!!
March 11th, 2013 at 12:45 pm
@bobby
you forgot to put in the Brian Price in there. also the Roy miller in the 3rd, Kyle Moore in the 4th (did he even play)???
The sheep ignore that the boy genius GM has been terrible and we are years behind in the rebuild of year 5 and counting
March 11th, 2013 at 12:48 pm
Bennett is a goner and we need a sack specialist which he is not. Sign a stop gap DE 2 play passing downs and go from there
March 11th, 2013 at 12:51 pm
And to think, we MISSED OUT on Haynesworth, and still sucked this bad on the D-Line. That is most impressive lol.
March 11th, 2013 at 12:59 pm
Sackless Kyle Moore (who played for Wannstedt in Buffalo).
March 11th, 2013 at 1:19 pm
@Bobby
In the raspy, semi-twanged southern drawl often used by Sir Charles Barkely, thats just turrible
March 11th, 2013 at 1:31 pm
Might be the wrong thread but cross Chris Gamble off the list of potential CBs. He has retired after 9 seasons
March 11th, 2013 at 1:42 pm
Harvin to seattle….
March 11th, 2013 at 1:52 pm
Stylez G White went on to do nothing.
Geno Hayes (Bears) went on to do nothing. In fact, we could sign Geno Hayes this year to be a back up LB at backup money. I wouldn’t mind that.
Unless the player went on and lit it up with another team… you can’t blame the GM.
Why pay Bennett max market value? There are 20 other players with more sacks than him in the NFL.
If you are going to pay max value, may as well sign Avril (Lions) who has consistently proven to get ~10 a year for 5 years.
March 11th, 2013 at 2:10 pm
@Buc Fan#238, i cant speak for Geno Hayes, but for Stylez G, I know for a fact he walked away from the game because he was tired of the politics in the NFL. So yes, Dominick let him walk and that’s exactly what the guy did.
March 11th, 2013 at 2:15 pm
“Why pay Bennett max market value? There are 20 other players with more sacks than him in the NFL.”
thats less than one per team…thats pretty elite company. and probably a few of those other players had a much better secondary that would make a qb go past his first read.
March 11th, 2013 at 2:19 pm
Off-topic, but just read on ProFootballTalk, that one of the reasons that Wright has not been cut yet, is that the guaranteed part of the contract has not been voided (or at least made “non-guaranteed”). Wright is disputing the claim, and anticipates getting paid in full for 2013.
This explains some of his arrogance in his conversing with the media or tweeting that “he’s still here”.
Good news is, that a decision is expected tomorrow.
March 11th, 2013 at 2:22 pm
Yeah seriously Joe, I think you need to drop the “rockstar” label. When we actually get to the damn playoffs under Dominick then it’ll actually make sense. Fact is, the last 4 years have been a miserable time to be a Bucs fan. We have not been competing for playoff spots. Dominick should count his blessings. He’s lucky to have a job.
March 11th, 2013 at 2:23 pm
Bleacher is reporting Eric Wright is fighting the voiding of his contract guarantees……
March 11th, 2013 at 2:24 pm
I see T beat me to the punch. Good job T. I think it’s bs.
March 11th, 2013 at 2:36 pm
Just read Wright has filed a challenge to prevent the Bucs from voiding his $7.75 million this season.
March 11th, 2013 at 2:42 pm
And besides the Wright stuff, Bennett is not going to give the Bucs a chance to match, per PFT. Guess that should pretty much mean the end, enjoy Tennessee Michael.
March 11th, 2013 at 2:45 pm
@Bobby
You said “but for Stylez G, I know for a fact he walked away from the game because he was tired of the politics in the NFL. So yes, Dominick let him walk and that’s exactly what the guy did.”
The GM wins on this one. He didn’t overpay for a guy who didn’t pan out in the NFL.
That is GREAT insight on the part of the GM to recognize this.
Has Dom ever let anyone walk and regret it? I’m counting none. Even Barrett Ruud, a guy I wanted him to re-sign considering our lack of LB depth, didn’t pan out.
He and his team of confidants have been right thus far about re-signing guys.
Bennett and Miller could prove him wrong… as could Talib and Wright. We shall see.
Technically, we could re-sign Talib, Hayes this off-season.
March 11th, 2013 at 3:10 pm
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/03/11/bennett-wont-give-bucs-chance-to-match-after-all/
Bennet just wants to be a Mario Williams and earn money.
March 11th, 2013 at 3:42 pm
its hard to let a guy walk and regret it when you are void of talent..but we are about to. still hope Dominik has more brains than the commitch
March 11th, 2013 at 4:19 pm
Buc Fan #238 “He didn’t overpay for a guy who didn’t pan out in the NFL”…..read my first post. $75 million and 3 top picks for 21 sacks in 7 combined seasons or $4 million over 4 seasons for 24 sacks……which one seems like we overpaid???? Dominick didn’t offer the guy a contract because he was an Allen/Gruden guy. All the GM’s want “their” guys, yet if we look at Dominicks picks, there is a ton of money invested in very mediocre production. How can Dominick possibly know football, has he even played? He’s a numbers guy and great negotiator but he has the eye for talent similar to his mentor Allen. Our draft got better this year because of Schiano.
Bennett will be a stud, the guy is a freak of an athlete, has a high motor and is coachable. Notice Bennett has reportedly said he wont give the Bucs a chance to match. Why is that? Dominick has done everything possible to keep the guy off the field and keep him as a quality back up. Notice how much they rotate him, or how they’ve tried to pump up Bowers for two years now. That’s the “politics” i’m talking about, Bennett is giving Dominick the middle finger.
March 11th, 2013 at 4:30 pm
Dom and his entire staff of confidants is what I said.
Oh, your post still didn’t explain the reality that Stylez White never went on to be anything in the NFL ever again. That equates to money well saved as Dom and staff found Bennett, a suitible replacement.
Last year many of your ilk cried that Geno Hayes will move on to be stud and was the next Derrick Brooks and we would regret it.
The year before, that talk was about Barrett Ruud, which I was in favor of bringing back.
ALL THREE CASES ABOVE the Buccaneers did not watch the departing Free Agents move on to become NFL starters on a consistent basis.
This conversation is about no re-signing over priced free agents… not about draft records.
Try to stay on track.
March 11th, 2013 at 5:41 pm
Bennett has proven himself and deserves a contract…….Bowers hasn’t done sh*t yet and is a MORON to top it off. Bringing a firearm to an airport? Talk about having ZERO common sense
March 12th, 2013 at 10:47 am
Buc Fan #238 You’re right, Dominick is doing a phenomenal job, our winning pct and playoff record reflect that as well as the number of games we sell out.
He let White walk and replaced him with not one but two younger DE’s that cost 2x as much and have played less that 50% of their total seasons. White never missed a game in 4 yrs. What a great job Dominick is doing. How many picks have we invested in the D-line. Price, Miller, Clayborn, Bowers, McCoy, Lorig, Moore……none of them have topped White’s best season of 8 sacks. Like i said, 2 first rounders and 2 seconds for less production than what you argue was genius to let go. Tell me again how that makes sense. Let go of a guy and replace him with guys that are more injury prone and less productive….oh and costs 10x as much…..BRILLIANT!