Clint Boling Should Be On The Radar

January 5th, 2015
Boling

A true value free agent?

Look, Joe’s not buying all the happy love talk about old man Logan Mankins’ future in Tampa Bay at nearly $7 million a season. And the same goes for center Evan Dietrich-Smith — at about half that price.

The Bucs need O-line upgrades and nothing should be off the table now.

Joe’s been studying the unrestricted free agent market, and Bengals guard/tackle Clint Boling is a guy the Bucs should study deeply.

Boling, 25, started this entire season at left guard and right tackle coming off ACL surgery in December 2013. That’s right, he was back in the trenches for a playoff team, alongside a rookie center, in 8 1/2 months.

A fourth-round pick out of Georgia, Boling has got a lot of grit to him. Yes, Joe realizes Bucs fans are terrified of any free agent from the Bengals (see Anthony Collins and Michael Johnson), but the Bengals allowed the third fewest sacks in the league this year (23), and they featured a punishing running game that carried them to another playoff season.

The Bucs could use an infusion of youth on their line, and Boling wouldn’t come at a top tier price.

Free agency is only the devil when you pick the wrong guys.

22 Responses to “Clint Boling Should Be On The Radar”

  1. BuccaneerBonzai Says:

    Trade Jackson. Sign Ndamukong Suh to play next to GMC.

    Can you imagine how deadly our defensive line would be with both on the team?

    I know…its a dream…but Ndamukong Suh IS a free agent in March.

  2. BuccaneerBonzai Says:

    Evan Dietrich-Smith certainly needs to go. Actually, unless its because of his age, I think everyone but Mankins should go.

    Unfortunately, if we replace the whole line at once, the chances of it being good are low. I’m all for signing Clint Boling, but we should keep Mankins. Why create an extra hole to fill?

  3. theodore Says:

    Trade Jackson? To who, Santa? Old $10 million WRs aren’t exactly in demand, especially since rookie WRs seem to do just fine.

  4. Biff Barker Says:

    An interesting find Joe. It’s going to take two veteran FA’s to shore up the right side and this guy is still just 25 and he can play both positions too.

    I’m not all that put off that he’s a Bungle either.

  5. Tom Edrington Says:

    Suh would never come to a disaster team when he could stay with or go to another playoff team.

    Simple at that……..

  6. bucrightoff Says:

    Signing Suh would rank as one of the 5 worst decisions in franchise history. 1/3 of the entire cap would be Suh, GMC and Michael Johnson (never mind that LVD needs a big raise too). Suh is not taking a discount and will command as much or more than GMC. It’s a Madden dream where the salary cap isn’t real.

  7. Biff Barker Says:

    Suh is going to a contender. No doubt. I’m unsure he’s going to command the mega contract with his reputation though. His payday will look similar to McCoy’s.

  8. JoeJoes Fungi Nails Says:

    Should have let McCoy play out his last year….then go after one of them Suh or McCoy

  9. tmaxcon Says:

    Clint Boling is definitely worth a look.

    I doubt KC let’s him walk but I’d love to see Rodney Hudson replace EDS…

  10. bucs4lyfe Says:

    oh another bengals player nah no thanks…..and we need an upgrade not just OK players. if he was starter caliber lineman he would come at some higher price because there would be more than a few teams wanting his services

  11. Biff Barker Says:

    Don’t see why folks want to dump VJax. Overpaid at this stage in his career? Sure. So restructure him. The guy is a model citizen/teammate and can still play at a high level.

    How much he contributed to Evan’s success is unknown but I’d guess the answer is plenty.

  12. StPeteBucsFan Says:

    “Free agency is only the devil when you pick the wrong guys.”

    The same thing can be said about the draft. Let’s hope we don’t mess up the #1Pick.

  13. Bogiedr Says:

    Please no more Bungles free agents, you all forgot Collins and Casper already? They rated very high in free agency! This would be like drafting more Clemson D linemen, suicidal! And Suh? Really? Clinton McDonald was the one bright spot on this d line. GMC and him combined for 14 sacks, what else do you want people?

  14. DB55 Says:

    So basically a younger mankins from the bengals. Jeez talk about not learning from your mistakes. It’s like we’re in a deep river stuck in a whirlpool.

  15. LUVMYBUCS Says:

    Repost

    LUVMYBUCS Says:
    (December 3rd, 2014 at 6:47 pm)

    If Mark Sanchez can win a playoff game or two. Nick Foles would become trade bait.
    Foles would a great addition, especially if we can rebuild the interior line.

    RG-Marshal Yanda
    LG-Clint Boling

  16. LUVMYBUCS Says:

    RG-Marshal Yanda ←Reportedly will be a cap casuality

  17. Another J Says:

    The Bucs don’t need SUH, or The headaches he would bring out team.

  18. Another J Says:

    * our team*

  19. Fort Myers Dave Says:

    If Boling is decent he will be wanted by teams with more to offer than the Bucs. Perhaps extra coin will help bring the guy onboard but like buc4lyfe I am wary of any more Bengals free agents as they have worked out as well as the Bucs trades with the Patriots have…..

  20. OB Says:

    Over paying free agents is a sin, Paying them what they are worth is a goal.

  21. Big Rob Says:

    Why would we need two guys who make premium player money at the SAME position? Suh is a 3 technique in this defense. Playing him a NT would be a waste of his talent. No thanks…

  22. LargoBuc Says:

    Orlando Franklin…assuming he would walk away from Denver to play for the Buccaneers.