Posturing
March 27th, 2019
Tactics, not a sentence.
A whole lot of folks — especially those who talked themselves into believing Bucs stud defensive tackle Gerald McCoy has been nothing more than an overpaid Da’Quan Bowers throughout his career — are of the mind the Bucs already decided to throw GMC overboard from the pirate ship.
These same people are jumping with glee with the thought of the Bucs being without one of the better defensive tackles of his era. It’s sad.
Yes, in the words of internationally popular JoeBucsFan.com columnist Ira Kaufman, Bucco Bruce Arians waffled on the status of GMC at the coaches’ breakfast during the NFL owners meetings yesterday. Just like Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht at the NFL combine in Indianapolis last month, Arians refused to confirm that GMC would be on the roster this fall.
To many Bucs fans (most of them have been trying to run GMC out of town the past 10 years), it means GMC’s days are done.
Joe is of a different mind.
This is very public posturing by the Bucs. Arians said the Bucs want GMC back, but the team refuses to commit. To Joe, this is a very open-records negotiating ploy. The Bucs want GMC back, but at a lesser salary.
The Bucs are in salary cap hell. GMC is raking in $13 million a year. The Bucs also have a garbage defense and really can’t afford to get rid of good players unless they price themselves off the roster. It’s why the Bucs didn’t match the outrageous price middle linebacker Kwon Alexander got from Bucs legend John Lynch, now running the 49ers.
Joe is convinced the Bucs are putting the public squeeze on GMC to restructure his contract if he wants to remain a fixture on the Bucs’ defensive line.
“Gerald, we love you, but our love isn’t worth $13 million a year. Help us out or we’ll draft Ed Oliver. We can lose just as easily without you as we did with you.”
Look, let’s take a gander at the harsh realities of the NFL. GMC is on the wrong side of 30 playing a position that takes a physical toll. There’s no telling how many more seasons GMC has left. Judging by what Joe has seen how beat up GMC is after games when the dude can barely dress himself, Joe is going to guess not too long.
Arians said in Arizona yesterday that GMC has lost a step but he’s still a good player. Father Time, as we all know, is undefeated.
Just reading the tea leaves here, Joe sees the Bucs playing a very public game of chicken with GMC. We will soon learn who blinks first.
March 27th, 2019 at 10:04 am
GMC needs to blink quickly. Otherwise, in the second blink he’ll be gone.
March 27th, 2019 at 10:09 am
Maybe he will be like Sapp in one respect after all. Gone after 9 seasons.
March 27th, 2019 at 10:10 am
Just wrote this same though yesterday on PR. Not sure it’s correct, but seems very plausible, especially with being this late in free agency, the draft depth at DT and Suh still sitting on the market waiting for a deal.
March 27th, 2019 at 10:10 am
*thought
March 27th, 2019 at 10:11 am
I think they are holding him until they see what they get in the draft….After that, he’s probably going to restructure or he’s out. When we reference leadership…he’s not exactly a pillar in the locker room but more of a face of the franchise (very good one). IMO…in order for this team to move forward, you have to restructure the leaders in the locker room and that is often done with who is getting paid the most. We’ve lost for a very long time with McCoy….we can lose without the guy. Keep in mind, we were worried when Kwon went down because he was the “heart” of that defense….The defense got better. I think the team is waaaay over due for a passing of the guard and it wont shock me if the defense plays nastier with McCoy gone or demoted.
March 27th, 2019 at 10:12 am
100% agree. Arians wouldn’t have talked about diminishing production if they wanted to trade him.
March 27th, 2019 at 10:14 am
It sure smells like they tried to work a trade and with no takers are eager to rework Geraldini’s contract (via a pay cut vs. restructure) in advance of releasing him outright. Maybe we’re seeing some negotiating through the media btwn BA’s spot-on assessment of Geraldini when he essentially said that he’s not as disruptive as he used to be, and a recent article (referencing the Beau Allen restructure) where it noted that Licht doesn’t like to ask players to take pay cuts b/c of the potential negative impact on the locker-room. Bottom line #93 still holds some value, just not anywhere near $13M. Vea was drafted with all of this in mind too. If Geraldini is released, I doubt many will shed a tear; nor should they.
March 27th, 2019 at 10:15 am
even if GMC does restructure, we still need to draft queninn williams or Ed Oliver because he wont be here for long…..thats what good front offices do….draft a replacement before the hole is created…..
#REALISTKNOWSNOTHING!!!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!!
March 27th, 2019 at 10:22 am
This team has always paid this guy, two nice contracts. The fact he won’t help the team now tells you all you need to know about this guy.
Let’s please get this stench out of our locker room.
March 27th, 2019 at 10:24 am
Restructuring means more guaranteed money over more years in years which he gets older. What’s worse getting cut or playing backup to some younger player because they are better. It’s not like they can keep waiting to find his replacement, that’s just the business of the nfl just ask Derrick brooks about getting cut. If Q Williams is on the board or they draft another D tackle with the first pick time is done for Geraldine. Not sure why the Joes think he’s irreplaceable now as if he’s putting up stats like 5 years ago. It’s time to find a replacement and lvd’s time is coming also it is what it is. A decade of losing and now it’s time to look to the future. You dog Keon for being a part of the worst defense in nfl history so not sure why that doesn’t apply to Geraldine also
March 27th, 2019 at 10:29 am
If he restructures we keep him and draft a DE or Devin White.
Why draft a guy that takes his place now, like Oliver or Williams.
Then we lose all the money we are paying him, even if it is only $4 million a year. LOL
We gotta replace JPP quick too.
I’m not buying Deone B. is anywhere close to White in athleticism.
Honestly, I think they are waiting till the draft unless someone comes calling.
If Q does fall, problem solved. He’s gone.
If they get Allen or White he restructures or he is gone.
Still a chance we get Simmons or Polite in the 2nd too.
They are both better than GMC.
March 27th, 2019 at 10:31 am
restructure to 8 mil and someone just meet gmc’s people at a local starbucks with a briefcase filled with a cool 5 mil…end of story
March 27th, 2019 at 10:39 am
A dose of reality:
Warren Sapp’s final three years with the Buccaneers recorded 6, 7.5 and 5 sacks in consecutive years. That’s a total of 18.5 sacks over his final three years here. Because of this, there were fans who wanted him run out of town.
Gerald McCoy in the past three years has recorded 7, 6 and 6 sacks, for a total of 19 sacks…half a sack better than Sapp’s final 3 years here.
Fans now wish Sapp had stayed…but absence apparently makes the heart grow fonder. Sapp’s time with the Raiders, was horrible for 3 of 4 years.
The truth is that Sapp fizzled out aside from a final surge of 10 sacks one season of those 4 final years in the NFL.
March 27th, 2019 at 10:44 am
adam from ny Says
“restructure to 8 mil”
That is completely unrealistic. You are asking McCoy to take a 5 million pay cut? That’s not how restructures work. No player would agree to that.
At most, you might…MIGHT…get him down to $11 million.
And by the way…a restructure is not what you actually want. A restructure shuffles money around so that the cap hit comes later. What you want is a new contract for less money.
McCoy knows he can go elsewhere and get at least what he is making now. Don’t doubt that because teams are overpaying for players right now. He;d probably get MORE money than he is now.
So asking him to take $8 million is asking the impossible.
March 27th, 2019 at 10:45 am
Leader of a bad defense every year
The face of losing
Paid a lot and is not a game changer
Great guy in the community but this team needs game wreckers on d and he has never been one
March 27th, 2019 at 10:46 am
Not there yet Says:
March 27th, 2019 at 10:24 am
Restructuring means more guaranteed money over more years in years which he gets older.
^^^ That is not a true statement, as it’s written. Plenty of 3-4 year contracts with no guaranteed money left, are torn up all the time for new contracts of 2 years, with new guaranteed money now introduced, including but not necessarily having a signing bonus involved. Usually player incentives are also introduced to entice the player even more with the new contract.
Bottom line, it’s tearing up the old piece of paper, in exchange for a totally new set of terms.
March 27th, 2019 at 10:46 am
On top of that…the last thing we need before the draft is to do a new contract with McCoy. I love the guy, but if the Bucs draft his replacement, they should not be locked into a contract with him.
As things stand now, the Bucs can let him walk with no penalties.
Wait for the draft and see what happens.
March 27th, 2019 at 10:47 am
7 mill and no added years for Gerald or let him walk.
March 27th, 2019 at 10:50 am
Curious if GMC”S “enthusiasm” comment BA made yesterday was in reference to the effect 10-years of losing has had on his internal drive to compete, and if that showed up in the film review. Know BA said he still had to evaluate him, but thinking that’s referring to face-to-face rather than film at this point.
March 27th, 2019 at 10:54 am
Again with licht at the helm he has done the bucs no favors. He should of sent GMC packing via trade 3-4 years ago for a #1 when he could have gotten that, but sitting on his hands is lichts best attribute as a GM
March 27th, 2019 at 10:55 am
I laugh at the geniuses who say McCoy should be a team player and give back $5M a year. Because yeah, so many players do that. I know some do but GMC isn’t going to give back to get this team to 8 wins.
All you could hope would be to extend and up guaranteed money, spreading it out longer. Otherwise GMC takes his show on the road. If released he’d be a FA for 30 minutes.
March 27th, 2019 at 10:59 am
you draft QW or EO now not only to replace GMC in a year or 2 but to provide quality depth….after GMC and VV we have who, beau allen…..thats laughable…..
you draft QW or EO to replace GMC in the near future and it’ll also give us great depth for the present…..
that allows the rookie to develop properly and gives the coaches time to evaluate both GMC and QW/EO…..
the last thing we need is to create a hole and then depend on the rookie to be productive like he’s a seasoned vet…..
#REALISTKNOWSNOTHING!!!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!!
March 27th, 2019 at 10:59 am
GMC will be waiting awhile if a Free Agent
Suh is still unsigned they both will be waiting for the other to sign
March 27th, 2019 at 11:03 am
I thought the same thing Joe wrote, before reading the article.
The Bucs want GMC, but not for $13MM per year. McCoy would sign with another team if let go, but my guess is it would be less than $10MM per year.
March 27th, 2019 at 11:15 am
GMC is garbage. Over rated. Joe because you believe he is that good to be a generational dt doesn’t make it true. Actually it’s embarrassing. GMC is a sorry player. Boo boo. Why the Bucs keep him year in and out is beyond me.
March 27th, 2019 at 11:15 am
Bonzi
If another team was willing to pay the crying clown 13mil per year he would have been traded already for a 5th or 6th….Cancer93 has no trade value or any value for that matter outside of bay arena choirboy nuthuggers association led by joe and Hawaiian. Cancer93 is nothing more than a pathetic career loser… results prove it…
March 27th, 2019 at 11:26 am
“Joe is of a different mind.”
Does that mean you are now willing to bet on him being on the roster in 2019?
Or is this a division of opinion between the Joe(s)?
IMO I agree that the public statements are posturing for restructure more than anything. If they simply wanted to move him for a trade they’d play up his talent. They still might trade him if someone makes the right offer. But by putting these statements out there it sets them up to restructure or flat out release. So they can justify it to the fans as “he’s not worth the $$”
March 27th, 2019 at 11:26 am
I’m sure their is a sect of fans that feel like I do about McCoy & and we do not want him gone because of his football ability. We want him gone because he is the face of this defense and we want a new attitude.
It’s not about talent it’s about leadership.
So long as McCoy is around he is the top dawg in the lockerroom. When new players come & want to acclimate to how the Bucs go about their business…..Naturally they will gravitate to the face of the defense to learn the ropes………………This is what we want changed. We want new leadership, a new attitude & a new direction.
Couple that with the fact that we are running a completely different defense this year. There are geniune concerns that McCoy is not a good fit. His job has always been 3tec in a Tampa2 set. That is the most prominent position in that defense. It is not a centerpiece position in Bowels defense………..They want a attacking & physical defense(great fit for VitaV). McCoy I a attacking player. I doubt he is the type of player they would want at the position in a dream scenario.
Only negative I see with losing McCoy is, yes, you do lose a talented player. But last time I checked McCoys salary is fat enough to buy a good player too. Seems to recall somebody wanting to pay D. Ford with that money………I was hoping we use it for P Peterson………..Those are just 2 examples. They are the only options that can play good football.
March 27th, 2019 at 11:26 am
Wow, sounds like the JBF crowd is all over the place on the ‘Geraldini issue’. Joe’s got it right … “The Bucs want GMC back, but at a lesser salary”. And like Bonzai said, “a restructure is not what you actually want. A restructure shuffles money around so that the cap hit comes later. What you want is a new contract for less money”.
Minor problem however. A “new contract for less money” means the old contract has to be voided BEFORE the new one takes effect. GMC could walk at that point & sign with someone else. Contrary to what Bonzai thinks however, I think he’d stay a Buc for a NEW 2-year contract at $8 mil/year, BUT with incentives. What’s taken its toll on GMC is the ridiculously high number of snaps he’s been forced to play because (1) our other DTs have been meh; and (2) to justify his high salary. At 30-plus, he can’t be playing 80-85% of the snaps & survive for long. And that’s the incentive: a target goal of say 55-60% snaps per game with ‘extra pay’ if he gets more.
My bet: GMC ‘renegotiates his contract’ for less money, and that we don’t draft a DT until about the 4th Round or later. Time will tell.
March 27th, 2019 at 11:28 am
Maybe they can restructure his contract to pay him with a few Kimonos and some Batman comics. Even IF he was ever a good player, 13 million for 17 measly tackles is totally unjustifiable.
March 27th, 2019 at 11:35 am
I want Mcoy to go to NY. I believe it is his destiny to play in Gotham City.
Prefferlaby he will go to the Giant……..Good God would that man look good in blue!!!!
Green is usually reserved for supervillians. I won’t be happy if he winds up on the Jets.
Gerald should do much better as a role player somewhere where he won’t have be responsible for the lockerroom. He may really thrive……….Meanwhile us Bucs can get the type of leadership we have been craving.
Great win/win situation…………Also tell that prick on my radio to go bleep himself with his narritave about it not being fair to Gerald…………..Like honestly dude, go take a hard one you MF………….Don’t tell a friggen Bucs fan about not fair. IDIOT
First let the Bucs get good then we can be great.
March 27th, 2019 at 11:40 am
I mean, how is Geraldini going to respond to BA?
Lots of cuss words, a tote board for loafing, no music at practice (hence no dancing)…
All we have to ask ourselves is WWBBD?
March 27th, 2019 at 11:40 am
I’ll admitt to overacting in yesterdays article. I called out fans for thinking a restructure was a option.
I guess it is but if they do that then they gotta give McCoy multi years guaranteed. I don’t like that idea and I hope the Bucs don’t
March 27th, 2019 at 11:46 am
Jmark…….Never heard McCoy have a problem with any of his coach’s. He has been through a lot of coach’s too.
I never heard any word from anybody that’s been behind the walls of One Buc say Gerald is anything except a hard worker…………The lazy narritive is one that comes from fans who don’t see how much work goes into a football team.
March 27th, 2019 at 11:48 am
“Joe is convinced the Bucs are putting the public squeeze on GMC to restructure his contract if he wants to remain a fixture on the Bucs’ defensive line.”
EXACTLY! – If he goes to another team it is only because he thinks he can get more money on the open market than the Bucs are willing to restructure him for.
Don’t Do It Gerald!!!!!! Stay with the team – they will pay you what you are worth at this point and the team will be better for it. You don’t see Tom Brady being the highest paid at his position and he is a winner. Go get more endorsement deals.
March 27th, 2019 at 11:54 am
The Bucs know McCoy is declining and do not want to risk playing a high cap player when he is more prone to injury. On the other hand, the Bucs need cap relief but do want let him go for nothing in return. The best hope if for him to take a more cap friendly pay or to trade him for a draft pick.
At this point, there is no rush until money is needed to sign the draft picks. Bucs are just waiting to see if any of these scenarios play out.
March 27th, 2019 at 11:55 am
The most overrated Buccaneer of all time.
March 27th, 2019 at 11:59 am
Joel I know. All those Pro Bowl, well, I guess that’s a fluke. The coaches and players in this league must be stupid as we know the Bucs fans aren’t voting for him. Maybe they are confusing him with Lesean McCoy, right?
March 27th, 2019 at 12:17 pm
JimmyJack
Schiano?
I think GMC is a super nice guy, but how many tackles did he have last year? That is his job after all. How many times was he playing patty cake with an Olineman, while the RB runs right past (or behind) him?
There are all kinds of fans…smart, not smart. Those with two eyes can see his production isn’t (and hasn’t been in quite a while) what it should be.
While I’m not in the Tmax camp as far as the vitriol, I think GMC should go the way of Dwayne Johnson, I’m sure GMC feels that way too.
March 27th, 2019 at 12:27 pm
SCBucsFan
Pro bowls are beyond meaningless….. how many cities hold pro bowl parades?????
March 27th, 2019 at 12:50 pm
Defense Rules Says:
March 27th, 2019 at 11:26 am
“Minor problem however. A “new contract for less money” means the old contract has to be voided BEFORE the new one takes effect. GMC could walk at that point & sign with someone else.”
A couple things to correct and clear up here on the above information.
As an actual employee of a minor league baseball club that is privy to both AA and AAA player contracts, a “new” contract is considered just that, and is submitted as a new contract, not as a “re-negotiated” contract, and the new contract is offered by the club based on the player still being employed by the current organization, otherwise the player’s representative would not commence negotiations on the new contract with the current club — which takes care of the falsehood above about the player supposedly having his contract voided and supposedly “going elsewhere”. That’s a release.
The contract’s paperwork that is being terminated and the new contract with new terms are submitted to the league office on the same business day, with the player still under contract by day’s end with the current team under the new contract. No supposed requirement of anything “voiding before” anything else happens.
Just had to clear those inaccuracies up, as it seems the conversation revolves a lot around that. Just so we’re clear.
March 27th, 2019 at 12:53 pm
The procedures for all major sports club organizations are handled the same, with the same union and legal counsel affiliations also used in the ranks of all hockey, basketball, football, European soccer, and automotive racing enterprises.
March 27th, 2019 at 12:55 pm
seffnersal
good info and thanks for some actual inside knowledge….
DR thinks he knows everything….lol….
#REALISTKNOWSNOTHING!!!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!!
March 27th, 2019 at 1:09 pm
Possibly a draft day trade- another team wants to move up and taking McCoy’s salary would be part of deal
March 27th, 2019 at 1:40 pm
Why restructure him? Why put more guaranteed money into a broken down player? He is physically done. He has no bend anymore. He never did have very good flexibility. He never did have very good change of direction, but now ball carries almost have to run directly into him for him to get the tackle. He’s always been an arm tackler because of these issues and that’s the reason why he constantly has biceps and shoulder injuries.
He is done. His prime years were done three years ago. Move on and let the defense transform into what it can be without this guy handcuffing the scheme. He’ll go to the Raiders and slink into obscurity.
March 27th, 2019 at 3:57 pm
He is still good enough to be a starter, just not at $13Ms. $7M and he can stay, otherwise he has to be traded. Too good to release for nothing.
March 27th, 2019 at 5:18 pm
So GMC is called out by media coach and Fans
But Joe still spins it as GMC is a victim
GMC IS GOOD
but not the elite DT he is made out to be
We can’t trade him No One wants to pay 13 million for him
That’s the fact
March 27th, 2019 at 7:23 pm
GMC’s choices:
1. Blink get a long term extension and retire a Buc, hopefully as a champ
2. Hold firm and play for Chucky.
3. Get vocal and refuse to talk and end up playing in Arizona.
Hope he chooses #1.
March 27th, 2019 at 7:28 pm
tmaxcon Says
“Bonzi
If another team was willing to pay the crying clown 13mil per year he would have been traded already for a 5th or 6th…”
And you didn’t think a team would pay more than $8m for Kwon Alexander either.
You do know a trade is a lot different from free agency do you not? Picks are more valuable in many cases. And let’s be honest…you don’t know that some trade offers were not made.
These trades tend to take place after the draft so teams don’t give things away leading up to the draft.
However…I fully expected you to protest my post…you are fairly easy to predict. A One-trick-pony.
March 28th, 2019 at 1:51 am
Just a point, Suh being on the market lowers McCoys value