Bucs Lose Top Claim

September 29th, 2015
Bucs GM Jason Licht no longer has the luxury of the first waiver claim for eligible unemployed players.

Bucs GM Jason Licht no longer has the luxury of the first waiver claim for eligible unemployed players.

One benefit — yes, Joe is stretching the word “benefit” here — of having the worst record in the NFL is the top waiver claim.

By winning the Chase for Jameis last year, the Bucs had that benefit.

But it was only temporary and it expired today.

So no longer will the Bucs get first shot at any eligible player knocking on doors looking for work. Luke Adams of Pro Football Rumors explains that, per NFL rules, the waiver claims rotation, for lack of a better word, is determined by a team’s 2015 record.

While four teams have 0-3 records, the Lions currently have top waiver priority, since ties are broken based on a club’s strength of schedule — teams that have faced the weakest schedules get priority. Through three weeks, the Lions’ opponents have a combined 6-3 record, while the teams played by the 0-3 Ravens, Bears, and Saints all have at least seven total wins.

Conversely, the Patriots currently have the 32nd waiver priority in the NFL, based on their 3-0 record and their strength of schedule. The three teams New England has beat have a 5-4 overall combined record. By comparison, the three opponents the Broncos have faced, for instance, are just 1-8, so Denver is at the front of the 3-0 teams in terms of priority.

Adams points out something key hidden in the NFL rules concerning waivers. After the October trade deadline, all players released are subject to waiver claims. Prior to the trade deadline, only players with less than four years vested in the NFL are eligible for waivers. The rest become free agents immediately.

21 Responses to “Bucs Lose Top Claim”

  1. DallasBuc Says:

    Does anyone think any of this really matters? It’s all just a matter of where in the top 5 of next year’s draft incompetent Lovie Smith has this team picking in.
    Come on Glazers, are you really going to let Incompetent Lovie Smith and his little lapdog GM earn and choose another top draft pick?

  2. celly Says:

    Not sure if i missed it, but i didn’t see us making any waiver claims on any players while we had this “luxury”.

    I’m sure there had to be a lineman (OL or DL) or DB that could’ve helped, or at least provide some depth.

  3. Buc1987 Says:

    I’ve never read the word incompetent so many times on blog sites in the past more than I have since Lovie Smith has been the Bucs HC.

    It’s the #1 favorite word of JBF.

  4. mike Says:

    You know it will be a bad year and the coaching staff has no clue when they put 5 waivers in a week before the season like we did. Go through all the ota’s and off season and half to turnover 10% of the roster a week before the season. I guess dj swarenger was a good pick up and others put claims on him but I don’t think we have found anyone else solid.

  5. DallasBuc Says:

    87-
    You are welcome.

    Regards.
    Incompetent Lovie Smith Esq.

  6. Tampabaybucfan Says:

    Speaking for Pablo

    “Pablo wants to add the word incompetente”

  7. Ben the GA Buc Says:

    Anyone that’s ever played fantasy football already knew this. 🙂

  8. FortMyersDave Says:

    Don’t worry: the way Lovie is coaching these guys up it is only a matter of time before the Bucs slide in behind the Saints, Jags (big if depending if Tampa can actually get a W at home) and who ever loses between the Bears/Lions for a pretty high spot on the waiver wire as it is pretty obvious from the gag job in Houston that our Buccos are probably not going to win more than 4 or 5 games this season unless the team improves in all facets of the game: defense, ball control, special teams, penalties, clock manageent, 3rd down conversions on both sides of the ****ing ball, etc, etc, etc…. Bad Buc ball led by L&L will translate into a high pecking order for this season’s waiver wire as well as a high pick in the 2016 draft unless we begin to see some signs of improvement….

  9. DB55 Says:

    Winston Moss for HC!!!

  10. Pawel Says:

    Is there a waiver wire of coaches looking for work?

  11. Simpleasthat Says:

    I agree Lovie is incompetent and a terrible evaluate of talent but can anyone tell me who else there going to get to replace him?

  12. Rrsrq Says:

    Thank goodness

  13. DallasBuc Says:

    Simpleasthat- I do not have an answer because finding that person takes a lot of work and some quality football people in place to help find the right candidates. Also, most quality candidates are currently working in their respective roles as it is the middle of football season across the country.
    At this point it matters less who the replacement will be and more that you conclude Lovie Smith is incompetent and as a result not the man to lead this team to success, much less a championship. Square one, again.

  14. bucrightoff Says:

    Simpleasthat Says:
    September 29th, 2015 at 3:08 pm
    I agree Lovie is incompetent and a terrible evaluate of talent but can anyone tell me who else there going to get to replace him?
    ______________________________________________________________

    Anyone? In all seriousness, everyone who wants to keep Lovie basically expects a high level coach to replace him. But as Dan Quinn (already tied with Lovie in wins since 2014) and Todd Bowles (1 game back) have shown us, new blood can do a lot of good. Some rising OC would be ideal to groom Jameis.

    We’re going nowhere with Lovie, so why compound the mistake by acting like it’ll get better? People say that’s what bad teams do, switch coaches every 2 years….but isn’t the reason they have to hire coaches every 2 years the fact they don’t make good hires to begin with?

  15. DallasBuc Says:

    So far in the case of Morris, Schiano and now Incompetent Lovie Smith it is very clear that the hire was a mistake and it is time to move on. Keeping a mistake because you already made two bad ones and don’t want to admit a third is an even bigger mistake than just admitting it and moving on.
    There are no good options when you have already made 4 bad coaching mistakes (if you include the firing of Gruden as a mistake) and are facing the risk of yet another one with new leadership. But doesn’t lapdog Licht love to tell reporters that you don’t keep mistakes and it’s better to cut losses?

  16. JWBUCS Says:

    I suspect we are suffering leadership in the Coaching department!

  17. BuccsFanatical Says:

    See you Guys Are Missing the only issue this Team Really Has to Be a Serious Competitor in the League, The Talent is there We Have All Seen it, We Have a Very Talented Ball Club, What they Are Lacking is The Belief in them Self’s a Lack of Belief in They’re Head Coach and they just Don’t Have the Discipline to Not Shoot themselves, We Need Coach Gruden Back, His Fiery Intensity is Exactly What These Players Need….
    Think about that Combo, Jon Gruden, Dirk Koetter, and Jameis Winston.
    This Team Has the Tools to Be as Special as 2001 Bucs But We Need the Captain of This Ship Back….

  18. TouchDownTampaBay Says:

    @Buccsfanatic – you clearly don’t know what a talented team looks like. They have a rookie tackle, guard, QB and middle linebacker all starting. You have two safeties, a cornerback and a defensive end that wouldn’t be starting on any other team. Bad coaching or not this isn’t a talented team…at all. They are two years away from being competitive and that assumes they draft well. That is a tall order considering the guys taken in the 5th, 6th, and 7th rounds failed to make the team this year.

  19. bucsbedabest Says:

    And the 5th and 6th rounds the year before. You have to draft well or your team..well…

    incompetent – not having or showing the necessary skills to do something successfully, like write a comment in a blog. Inexpert, amateurish, unprofessional, bungling, blundering, clumsy, inadequate, substandard, inferior, wanting, lacking, leaving much to be desired; incapable, unfit, unqualified; informaluseless, pathetic, ham-fisted, not up to it, bush-league. People who use the word incompetent when in fact they do not understand the meaning of the word.

  20. Bear the Bucs Says:

    The coach from South Carolina might be available after Jan. 1st.

  21. Buccfan37 Says:

    The Bucs have to win a home game sooner or later. I think they’ll give it a good shot against the stinking 3-0 Panthers. A close game again not decided until late, that’s my feeling.