The Pitfalls Of Going Mike Ditka

April 20th, 2017

Dangerous pattern.

Sometimes crazy thoughts, in retrospect, maybe aren’t that crazy.

A few days ago, a loyal reader asked Joe by way of Twitter if the Bucs should go Mike Ditka and trade away their entire 2018 draft for a total of four second-round picks next week.

The reader explained that since this draft is supposed to be so deep, why not load up on second round picks. And if they all work out, that would likely be better quality than four guys in next year’s draft.

Of course, Ditka, when he coached the Saints, made a historic, draft-day move by swapping an entire year’s worth of draft picks (1999) so he could move up and draft weed-friendly Ricky Williams.

Initially, the thought of trading an entire draft class seems beyond the pale, unless you are sure you are picking a future Hall of Fame player. Maybe.

But then Joe got thinking, if this draft class truly is that deep, that potentially could mean four starters. Suddenly, this didn’t seem so obscene.

But here is the trick: One might have to give up more than one draft class to acquire four second-round picks this year. The rest of the NFL is well aware just how deep this draft class is.

It’s a cool thought, but the price is staggeringly steep.

31 Responses to “The Pitfalls Of Going Mike Ditka”

  1. tnew Says:

    This draft is so deep 4 starters can be found by getting 4 picks in the top three rounds. This is why you do not trade up, but like you say, everyone knows that. The best chance to trade back is find a team that would want a QB and be willing to come back into the 1st round for their 2 and 3.

    Easiest Answer would be Cleveland. They already have two firsts. They could chose Myles Garrett add another impact player at twelve in someone like Mike Williams, Dalvin Cook or OJ Howard then come back to 19 and get Deshaun Watson or Trebuisky or Mahommes. With this they could still have a huge draft, take the qb they want and only lose one potential starter.

  2. OneBuc55 Says:

    I trust Licht and his scouts…As we all know, this is a deep draft…There’s really no reason to trade away picks; they’ll be starting caliber players still on the board in the 4th round…As long as we take the best player available and not reach for anyone in particular we’ll be fine. Man! this season can’t start soon enough…

  3. Joeypoppems Says:

    Or they can trade back for extra picks. No need for people to be stupid about it.

  4. tdtb2015 Says:

    ^OneBuc55 read my mind!

    Go Bucs!!!

  5. ARGH_M8E Says:

    HA! Appreciate the effort and entertainment guys… But what’s next, offering up our left nut?!

  6. tnew Says:

    We don’t share a left nut, but since you are offering, I’d have no problem trading yours for an extra second M8e

  7. CarolinaBucFan Says:

    So we mortgage our future to hope and pray we don’t bust today? It’s a total crapshoot and we can’t be sure that whomever we pick will actually turn out alright. At least if we bust in this year’s draft we still have next year’s, but if we trade all those picks away and we still bust….

  8. 941BUC Says:

    Joe I say if their isn’t a legitimate rb contender at 19 we trade out of the 1st rd for this yrs 2nd,4th and next yrs 2nd rounders. That way we get 2 second rounders this year and we can use the extra 4th and our 4th and 6th to get back into the second for a total of 3 2nd rounders instead of trading all our picks for 4 4th rounders.

  9. DallasBuc Says:

    Are we really entertaining all the super wacky scenarios here on JBF that have zero chance of occurring?

  10. DefenseRules Says:

    Bucs could definitely use 2 starters from this class (RB & Safety) plus 1 DE & 1 WR to work into the rotation. That’s possibly attainable without trading away draft picks or moving up. Just a matter of drafting wisely and taking the best of what’s available when we pick. Like many have already said (many times) this is a deep draft in many positions of need for our Bucs.

  11. DallasBuc Says:

    Okay okay I got it… trade the entire 2017 draft class, 2018 draft class and NosBos for 2017 first overall pick so Licht can draft the best Goalie available!!!
    In Licht we trust. Amirite?

  12. Pat Says:

    1. DE Barnett
    2. WR Godwin
    3. RB S. Perine
    4. Best Safety

  13. Buccaneer Bonzai Says:

    Pass. I think that would be career suicide for Jason Licht. The chances of it working out are slim.

  14. Nole on Sat.-Bucc on Sun. Says:

    Is that you Dave??? Why you wanna go and trade me bro???

  15. USFBUC Says:

    It’s also not such a crazy idea if next year’s draft class is super weak. I read someplace the last time there was a really strong draft class the next year was one of the worst in a long time. There is also the fact that as our team improves the value of our picks is diminished as well.

  16. Nole on Sat.-Bucc on Sun. Says:

    I agree with bspn’s Adam Shep, great draft for quality dept. Not sure I see many blue chippers in this class. According to his sources the rave of many teams is to trade back and aquire extra picks.

  17. BCoburn Says:

    I would rather just trade out of the first entirely and pick up multiple 2nd rounders. Anytime you trade future picks the value is always terrible. You lose the equivalent of an entire round. As you mentioned there’s no way you get 4 2nds. You get a single second for next year’s first and then maybe one more if you bundle 2nd, 3rd, 4th. Someone with the value chart link can correct me if I’m off base.

  18. Broy34 Says:

    I love how people say its a deep draft…it is but nobody has a damn clue about what next year will be and I bet there will be a similar number of impact players in this draft as all the others…gonna be a ton of busts as usual which is why guys with cooks mentality of loving football is what will separate it…warrior work ethics rarely bust

  19. Broy34 Says:

    pat…perine is not coming to tampa…period…hes not being looked at, hasn’t visited and isn’t even on a target list

  20. Broy34 Says:

    OOOHHHH THE BUCS HAVE INTEREST IN PERINE…ANNOUNCED TODAY BY PERINE HIMSELF THE BUCS HAVE THE MOST INTEREST…a day ago I was correct but im wrong today…just released the have expressed serious interest..day made

  21. DavidBigBucFan99 Says:

    Nos which Dave you talkin bout? I might not completely agree with you on Dynamite Cook but I wouldn’t trade you mon. You bring some tru color commentary to this here Bucs forum.

    Forget trading out of the 1st. There is a bpa value at our pick which will add a lot to this team. Now if we can trade back a few spots and pick up a 3 or 2 3s I’d be down. You mortgage any part of the future even for a Stuperior Star like Hulio Jonez and you get what happened to the Doity Boids………you lay a huge egg in the Stupor Bowl because you couldn’t shore up the part of the team you mortgaged for that player. Besides look how long it took them to get there! Who wants a moral victory in the Stupor Bowl????? You stay patient like Bellicheap and build a perennial contender! When you got a great qb you can do that.

  22. Capt.Tim Says:

    Cadillac Williams had a “warriors work ethic” mentallity.
    Kid Loved the game!
    Two nasty kneecap injuries-
    Career was flatlined.
    Cook looks like a great back. Who may not hold up one season.
    First round seems too risky.

    I would love to see Bucs trade 19th pick, for a 2,3,and 5.
    Tnews senerio with Cleveland would be a real possibility
    This draft- more is better

  23. uckinator Says:

    Coming from Chicago, I love Ditka. He literally looks like a Bear ! After Halas came back from retirement, he put Ditka in charge for the 1985 season. Result: SUPER BOWL WINNERS ! Funny story: Buddy of mine had gone into a local seedy Chicago Bar one afternoon and sat down. Only one other person at the end was Mike Ditka. He tells the bartender, hey that’s Ditka, I’m going down there to shake his hand. The bartender looks up and says: No your not. He comes in here to away from fans. And if you did go down there, he’ll
    beat the crap out of you. He’s done it before. This was before the politically correct crowd took over.

  24. Tom S. Says:

    Historically a first round pick next year will net you a second round pick this year.

    You’d be lucky to get a second 2nd round pick with your remaining 2018 choices, and not even Mark Dominik would be dumb is enough to trade a second round pick for a 5th, 6th and 7th round pick next year. So unless you are implying that the Bucs trade their 2018 draft for two second round picks (and you’d be lucky to get the second) from teams then the four 2nd round picks is just purely bad understanding of value. (Ex. Everett Brown was taken 43rd overall in 2009 for Car’s 1st round pick in 2010, Bucs traded the 41st overall pick in 96 for the Chargers 1st in 97 and again traded their second round pick 59 overall to the Chargers in 98 for their first round pick in 2000).

  25. Pick6 Says:

    unless we are suddenly trading with Kevin Costner and the other clueless GMs in the movie “draft day” next week, this tweet from a follower did not seem to merit a post expounding on the idea. maybe next you can analyze the pros and cons of the NFL hosting the 2018 draft on the moon. i’ll tweet at you about it

  26. Brandon Says:

    You could possibly net two 2nds with the first rounder… and then with the 3rd and 4th and so on… you could most likely get another 2nd rounder. That’s three 2nd round picks…. to include with the one of our own. Not bad.

    2nd Budda Baker/CB
    2nd Curtis Samuel/Chris Godwin
    2nd Joe Mixon
    2nd Bucky Hodges or Evan Engram/pass rusher

    That’s four guys that should play right away.

  27. bucs_365 Says:

    Well, it’s not going to happen, so the debates over the merit of the idea are moot. I think, since we’ve never seen an NFL team trade away an entire next year’s draft, it’s either damn-near impossible or considered dumb (by the experts). My money is on that it’s dumb. Though, I wouldn’t necessarily balk at trading away 1 pick next year if it helped us get a guy they really like this year.

  28. mike10 Says:

    Is it just me or have drafts over the past couple years become progressively deeper?

    Didn’t we say last year that 2016 was the deepest draft we had seen?

    A lot of talent comes out college football these days – any move to sacrifice future drafts will just look like an all-in move by Licht to get an extension after this year… and would never get past the Glaziers.

  29. DavidBigBucFan99 Says:

    Uckinator please with you guys politically correct nonsense!
    Warren Sapp was/is the same way and alot of people whine and cry about that! I guarantee if Sapp had done that to you you would be up here telling a whole different story.!

  30. Stpetebucsfan Says:

    Remember the guy drafted has to be able to beat out the player already on the field if he’s a first or second rounder.

    Which positions would those be…RB is wide open…room at least for one more WR and TE….another OL could possibly make the team depending on Sweezy’s health and Benenoch’s readiness. But are there CB’s our there worth taking that we think can replace Grimes or VHG? Everybody assumes that Safety would be an easy position to make on this Bucs squad…for a 1st or 2nd round safety maybe…and it is deep in safeties but I’m not sure I believe on counting on a 4th round or lower draft pick to just come in and beat out one of our three current S’s.

    DL……It seems to me this team can improve across the board but other than RB perhaps there is no real desperation after our FA signings. Again I’m talking the difference between need and desire. Who would you not replace if you could write blank checks and get whomever you want…I wouldn’t change our QB…our #1 WR…after that? I like a lot of our players but I think there are other players as good. I think there are some players who might step up on D and become great at their positions…especially Noah..I have a good feeling about him.

  31. uckinator Says:

    Davidbigdumbbucfan99 – A little thin skinned today, are we ? All this story was about was a time where you gave a person, space, if he didn’t want to be bothered. Unlike today, where fans (reporters) would get in athletes faces. Back then, Ditka would beat the crap out of you and then posibly shake your hand and then buy you an Old Style brewski. Now days, with your politically correct crowd, BSPN would lead with a story on how Ditka is out of control (Head injury?), should be sued, and banned from Football all together.