Bucs Plan To Swing Again
March 10th, 2015
The Bucs swung and missed in free agency last spring worse than windmill Karlos Pena.
Get burned once? Oh, well, shove that hand back in the fire again. Gotta grab that log.
That’s pretty much the philosophy of Bucs coach Lovie Smith.
A year removed from largely getting their clocks cleaned (and Team Glazer’s wallet lifted) in free agency last year, Lovie is ready to jump back in the deep end of the pool, types Woody Cummings of the Tampa Tribune.
“It’s not like we’re out of the free agency business,” Smith said. “Just because something didn’t turn out the way you wanted it to doesn’t mean you don’t try to do it again.
“The (2014) football season didn’t turn out the way we wanted it to. That doesn’t mean we stop playing football. So, we’ll get back up on it and we’ll do things better.”
Joe knows Bucs general manager Jason Licht said the biggest lesson he learned in football management came from none other than Bill Belicheat. The lesson? Per Licht, Belicheat said, in so many words, “we all make mistakes. Don’t let the mistakes fester. Cut your losses and move on.”
Anthony Collins? Mistake. Ghostly Michael Johnson? Mistake. Oniel Cousins? Mistake. Joe could go on.
Just writing pink slips for all the mistakes the Bucs made in free agency last spring would be enough to give Joe writer’s cramp.
March 10th, 2015 at 2:13 pm
Carlos Pena
March 10th, 2015 at 2:13 pm
2nd and 3rd wave!
March 10th, 2015 at 2:14 pm
Let the house cleaning begin!
March 10th, 2015 at 2:14 pm
A couple offensive linemen that have actually been successful starters would be nice.
March 10th, 2015 at 2:15 pm
What deep end are you seeing? So far it looks like Tampa has barely gotten their feet wet. If anything, it seems like their being more cautious and looking more at role players than splash players. Doesn’t seem like Tampa is that keen on getting wet this free agency…yet at least. If we can pull some quality second tier players then Lovie learned a valuable lesson. Sure we all want the big names, but cant always get what you want.
March 10th, 2015 at 2:15 pm
C(K)arlos Pena has better eyes for the ball and talent than these Bucs coaches/GM.
March 10th, 2015 at 2:16 pm
“K”arlos Pena for all of his many “K”s
March 10th, 2015 at 2:18 pm
I can see the Bucs waiting for the next round of cuts to pick up players, that seems like it is what they told us they would do. Sometimes leftovers are good (mostly because you don’t have to cook!).
March 10th, 2015 at 2:20 pm
Nope, will always be “Karlos” to Joe.
March 10th, 2015 at 2:23 pm
Murray…really? That’s it…I’m done with this crap…I’m just going to start watching tree hockey, I mean basketball.
Even with the cap space, NOBODY WANTS TO PLAY HERE!!!
We’ll just KEEP shelling out money for junk player effort (ALVIN HARPER ring any bells!???)
March 10th, 2015 at 2:30 pm
My number one free agent wish, Orlando Franklin, wont come true. Other than that im actually happy the Bucs have made an effort to keep some of their own guys around to establish a core. It shows loyalty and that has to be an attractive quality for our 2-14 team. If we have our core and we can go 6-10 or 7-9 then that would be some good progress for a young rebuilding team.
March 10th, 2015 at 2:33 pm
BTW Carlos Pena was a big reason for our ’08 world series run and winning the AL East 2 out of three years. Sure he was a liability in ’12 but I’ll always remember him for changing the culture of the Rays for the better.
March 10th, 2015 at 2:34 pm
CsB Says
“Murray…really? That’s it…I’m done with this crap…”
OMG, you people. It’s rumors only. Probably generated by agents trying to drive up the prices. Get a grip.
March 10th, 2015 at 2:49 pm
Be careful lovie this is your last shot you are a great coach and a below average gm
March 10th, 2015 at 2:58 pm
Joe, do you think Verner, McDonald or Myers lifted the Glazers wallet last year? As you know,methods e were FA’s as well.
I don’t include McClown either since he didn’t sign on to work under an inexperienced, inept OC like Mark Arroyo.
In fact EDS gets a pass as well for the same reason and also he was having to cover for Patrick Omenah.
Also Joe, enough with the mentoring. If we are picking someone who has to be “mentored” then we have probably picked the wrong guy to begin with.
“Mentoring” a grown professional man. Such a silly high school concept.
That’s what a QB coach is for.
March 10th, 2015 at 3:03 pm
Lovie – mistake!
March 10th, 2015 at 3:05 pm
Will they cut Johnson, Collins, Cousins? If Licht stays true to his philosophy he will.
March 10th, 2015 at 3:26 pm
Dont sign anybody!!!
Accumulate spending cash for next year,
Trade back, pick up as many picks as possible,
Rebuild our o-line, draft depth,
And rebuild the foundation of our franchise.
Bob Marley is my hero. I love hiphop. I hate racist people.
But I cant stand Winston!!! Hes a punk!!
If we draft a QB, please draft Mariota!!
Hes perfect for Lovies D!!!
March 10th, 2015 at 3:38 pm
@teacherman777
Lovie will draft neither Winston nor Mariota. I understand they are making a play for the return of Freeman.
March 10th, 2015 at 3:54 pm
Jimmy graham to Seattle
March 10th, 2015 at 4:09 pm
There is no truth to the rumor that most young D free agents think the Tampa 2 is a dance step.
March 10th, 2015 at 4:12 pm
The 2 happiest days for a team Owner in free agency is 1. when that coveted. prized star is signed and the 2nd is when they find away to dump that dumb contract.
March 10th, 2015 at 4:16 pm
Foles to the Rams for Bradford? Thank god all the Nick Foles to Tampa can stop now.
March 10th, 2015 at 4:18 pm
No choice but to be somewhat active in free agency. Just like last year. There is no way all our needs can be filled through the draft alone. Bucs need to find about 7 or 8 competent starters via draft or FA this year. And that’s not even accounting for lack of depth. Thanks Dom!!!
March 10th, 2015 at 4:23 pm
The only swinging the Bucs are doing right now is from the dcks of Anthony Collins and Michael Johnson.
March 10th, 2015 at 4:28 pm
Seahawks pick up jimmy graham. Wtf where did that come from
March 10th, 2015 at 4:38 pm
Awful quiet in BUC land
March 10th, 2015 at 4:45 pm
The Saints just traded Jimmy Graham, and Pu$$$y A$$$ ASJ is still the 5th best TE in the division.
March 10th, 2015 at 4:45 pm
DallasBuc just won the internet today. That was good man.
March 10th, 2015 at 4:55 pm
That’s usually par for the course for us when it comes to free agency. We have to over reach and over pay players to come here. Just like last year and just like this year. All the marquis players don’t won’t to come here when they can choose to sign with perennial playoff teams. Unless we back up the brinks truck to lure other teams castoffs, we usually only lure veterans who are on the backside of their careers, or players, who on paper look like they may have upside, with a fair share of reps, but find out later if they work out or not. Even these risky free agents still demand to be paid because the market bears it. You have to admit with their early body of work Johnson and Collins looked liked they had potential upside moving to a new scenery. Once we start winning regularly, FA will get easier.
March 10th, 2015 at 4:55 pm
Lovie spends money like a hoarding wife…….perchase a bunch of crap that will be in the dumpster the following year!
March 10th, 2015 at 4:56 pm
Purchase sorry!
March 10th, 2015 at 4:56 pm
Bucs are close to signing Fred Schrank
March 10th, 2015 at 5:03 pm
*crickets*
March 10th, 2015 at 5:29 pm
DallasBuc, Ray a Rice, Unbelieveable have started posting because day care is over.
March 10th, 2015 at 5:51 pm
DDN has started posting because his mom just paid his cell phone bill.
March 10th, 2015 at 6:11 pm
Preach SAMCRO! Exactly my thoughts…even if we cross over regimes this has been the case for years…pay big or pay old
March 10th, 2015 at 7:59 pm
SAMCRO,
Spot on man. We have to start something good before we can attract the free agents to make us great. This has always been the Glazers mentality. We found an OC with promise (IMO). Get a QB, a safety, and fix the OL.