Trade Grade
March 23rd, 2019
Fair value?
The Bucs really did have to unload malcontent wide receiver DeSean Jackon the way he was tearing apart the team. It’s as simple as that.
This guy Jackson did more to blow up the locker room and Pearl Harbor the career of the Bucs’ franchise quarterback for so little production, the Bucs simply could not justify keeping the guy around and pay him $10 million.
So when the Bucs found a trade partner, it was too delicious for Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht to pass up. But did he come out smelling like a rose? Adam Rank of NFL.com takes a look.
Grade for Buccaneers: C. I mean, the fact that Tampa got anything for a player who was probably going to be cut loose anyway should be seen as a victory. Jackson and the Bucs had some nice times over the past two seasons (he posted a league-high 18.9 yards per catch last season), but the pairing never really lived up to its potential.
t capital.
Rank pretty much nailed it. The Bucs were going to cut the guy and instead found a taker to cough up some draft capital.
At least Licht can now use that pick to maybe sweeten the pot on a draft-day trade for a better slot.
March 23rd, 2019 at 2:40 am
The Bucs will have a top 10 offense. They have slot players already on the team that can do a good job. Not sure about the defense. I hope they draft Sweat. His heart thing is no problem and he could be great when paired with JPP. Finding really good edge rushers is difficult. He could be a plug and play guy immediately and an all pro by year 2. I see the Bucs having a 9 and 7 season in 2019. Playoffs by 2020. The GM needs to get better at what he gets paid to do!!! this should be a make or break year for him and Winston.
March 23rd, 2019 at 6:24 am
Larry … I HOPE that you’re right about us having a Top-10 offense this year, but to do that we’ll need a RG & additional RB and for Jameis to have a very good year. Not there yet, and how we do in the draft will be huge IMO.
Defense is a whole different story me thinks. Here’s what Arizona’s defense did while BA was there (Todd Bowles was his DC in 2013 & 2014) …
2013 (10-6) … 20 INT – 47 Sacks – 20 FR – 93 TFL – 115 QB Hits … 324 PA
2014 (11-5) … 18 INT – 35 Sacks – 20 FR – 86 TFL – 83 QB Hits … 299 PA
2015 (13-3) … 19 INT – 36 Sacks – 22 FR – 81 TFL – 105 QB Hits … 313 PA
2016 (7-8-1) … 14 INT – 48 Sacks – 28 FR – 105 TFL – 103 QB Hits … 362 PA
2017 (8-8) … 15 INT – 37 Sacks – 18 FR – 85 TFL – 96 QB Hits … 361 PA
Now just for kicks, here’s what the Bucs defense did in that same timeframe …
2013 (4-12) … 21 INT – 35 Sacks – 18 FR – 86 TFL – 85 QB Hits … 389 PA
2014 (2-14) … 14 INT – 36 Sacks – 25 FR – 94 TFL – 75 QB Hits … 410 PA
2015 (6-10) … 11 INT – 38 Sacks – 25 FR – 79 TFL – 87 QB Hits … 417 PA
2016 (9-7) … 17 INT – 38 Sacks – 20 FR – 76 TFL – 83 QB Hits … 369 PA
2017 (5-11) … 13 INT – 22 Sacks – 27 FR – 65 TFL – 79 QB Hits … 382 PA
Compare those same criteria for both teams and it seems to me like those parameters aren’t radically different, even though our W-L records were.
Cards: (49-30-1) … 79 INT – 180 Sacks – 112 FR – 399 TFL – 447 QBHits
Bucs: (26-54) … 76 INT – 169 Sacks – 115 FR – 400 TFL – 409 QB Hits
The biggest difference IMO is that the Bucs couldn’t keep people out of the end zone (duh). During that 5-year span, the Cards defense allowed 1659 PA, while the Bucs defense allowed 1967 PA … over 300 MORE POINTS ALLOWED than Arizona. The biggest difference in defenses that jumps out at me is that Arizona had significantly better stats against the run. They allowed 51 TDs by rushing in those 5 years … Bucs allowed 69 TDs by rushing in 2013-2017. That directly equates to almost half of the 300 points allowed differential, but probably has even more impact than that (if the defense is overly focused on stopping the run, they become more vulnerable to the pass?). Here’s hoping that we do better this year under Todd Bowles.
March 23rd, 2019 at 6:37 am
Defense rules
Dang. You put some serious research into that post. Well done sir.
Defense will be the difference maker. Offense is fine othe then 2 areas you posted in.
I honestly can’t wait to see our new blitz packages.
Something we have never done. Back in the glory days , we sacked the QB rushing 4. I have been watching other teams play /blitzing and kinda wondering why bucs have never incorporated that into our repertoire
However, one thing on offense that has alluded us over the last few years. We drive the ball between the 20’s effortlessly. However, we settle for 3. We need to finish the drives with a TD.
(Especially when our kickers have been less then consistent.
March 23rd, 2019 at 6:47 am
Oops. correction Larry. The Cards totals weren’t correct (gotta go back to 2nd grade for remedial addition). Corrected total numbers …
Cards: (49-30-1) … 86 INT – 203 Sacks – 108 FR – 450 TFL – 502 QBHits
Bucs totals numbers were correct …
Bucs: (26-54) … 76 INT – 169 Sacks – 115 FR – 400 TFL – 409 QB Hits
Looks like the Cardinals did in fact get much better pressure on the QBs, and especially in the first 3 years (2013-2015). A LOT of that pressure came from the LBs by the way. They feasted under Bowles it looks like.
March 23rd, 2019 at 7:00 am
I can’t pretend to put as much work in as Defense Rules…..
Here is my breakdown going forward:
Arizona…..Todd Bowles
Tampa……Mike Smith
New Tampa DC…..Todd Bowles
Now on Djax (as I predicted) we will be subjected to an unreasonable number of articles and mentions of the “malcontent”…….why? Because he disrespected “America’s QB”
March 23rd, 2019 at 7:05 am
TBBF … I like yours better. In all fairness, we had TWO Smiths running our defense (Lovie & Mike). Perhaps the lesson is don’t ever let anyone named Smith near our defense again?
March 23rd, 2019 at 7:19 am
Great work as usual Defense Rules!!!!! It shows how incompetent loser lovie actually was ans how the defense really needed to be blown up and rebuilt!!!!!! Not patched up with old vets!!!!!!!!!! Now lets take a closer look at those points allowed differentials!!!!!!!!!!!
Sheridans DC def 65pts
Loser lovie def 215pts
DC Coach Smitty 28pts
Once again everything lovie should have been flushed down just like his reputation!!!!!!! for some reason the higher ups think that there are pieces worth saving and scheming around!!!! how wrong they are!!!!!!!!!
2019 will reveal answers to the sheep, that the “real” fans already know!!!!!!!!!!!!
Go Bucs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
March 23rd, 2019 at 7:29 am
As far as Djax…….I’m willing to go on the record that Perriman will either match or exceed Djax’s production……and, his price was far better.
He was a good addition to the team.
And, as far as GMC is concerned…..you don’t restructure a player and then let him go or trade him…..so this is likely why nothing has happened…..the restructure will come later…..after the draft….if we are keeping him.
March 23rd, 2019 at 7:57 am
Here is a fun fact I learned yesterday.
If big three gone , I am on the devin white train
Especially with limited quality linebackers on our team and LVD being a year older.
Some say you don’t take an inside linebacker at 5
If he is Luke Keukly , then you take at one.
People are saying he takes bad angles from time to time and he tried to hit you instead of wrapping up so his tackling needs work.
Did you know he has only played linebacker for 3 years ?
Again ..he has played linebacker for 3 years
He used to be a running back. Coming out if high school.
To be this good for only playing 3 years at a position and not entire life is pretty special …his upside is ridiculous …especially with a Todd Bowles type of coach to mold him into the Probowl linebacker he can become.
March 23rd, 2019 at 8:11 am
Our team immediately became better with the exist of MeSean the Malcontent. Based on his Instagram feed, he will lose three steps this season because his head has grown 3X. He’s also getting a little pudgy because of all his good living. Add to that he’ll be back amongst his gang member boys, his work ethic will be more DeSean-esque than normal.
BEST move of the offseason by ANY team.
Addition by subtraction.
Buh-Bye gangsta-wannabe who can’t write one single grammatically correct sentence.
March 23rd, 2019 at 8:12 am
“exit”
March 23rd, 2019 at 8:15 am
Dumbo Licht should have recognized this before the trade deadline and traded DJax,like he wanted, to a Play Off team….and we’d be talking about what to do with the extra 3rd round draft pick….and DJax would be flashing a ring instead of 2 dead fish….now Licht is the dead fish
March 23rd, 2019 at 8:54 am
Realist … I won’t even ask how your takeaway from that analysis was that Lovie was a Loser (I got over him a long time ago BTW). What I deduced from comparing stats for that period is that Todd Bowles is a true difference-maker … as a DC.
Cards had Ray Horton as their DC from 2011-2012 and they gave up at tad over 350 points/season average. Todd Bowles was there from 2013-2014 and they reduced that significantly to an average of about 310 points/season … and started winning. James Bettcher took over in 2015 and they maintained that average … for that year, but then ballooned to giving up 360 points/season in 2016 & 2017 … and broke even both years.
DEFENSE was the difference between winning & losing while BA was head coach and Todd Bowles was DC. Cards defense ranked significantly better in terms of POINTS ALLOWED than the Cards offense did in POINTS SCORED in 2013-2014. BOTH ranked very high in 2015 (13-3 record), then BOTH slid backwards some in 2016 & 2017.
BTW, James Bettcher was the Giants DC last season. They gave up 412 points on the season. Sure am glad that Todd Bowles came along with BA rather than James Bettcher.
March 23rd, 2019 at 9:06 am
@Defense Rules
Loser lovie’s number just jump off the page!!!! look again if you need to!!!!! And while you might have gotten over it, The Bucs obviously did not!!!! The DC was not allowed to change the scheme, They built around pieces that was schemed for Incompetent lovie’s defense!!!!! They did a patch job instead of how defense ‘s are truly made!!!! By getting younger and faster!!!!! Not older and expensive!!!!!!! But if finally seems that maybe somebody has learned something and they are not scheming around gmc!!!!!!! we could be a couple of years further along, But some sheep and higher ups need to see failure year after year until they seem to get it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2019 season will reveal answers to the sheep, that the “real” fans already know!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GO Bucs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
March 23rd, 2019 at 9:24 am
Sure, they were going to cut D-Jerk but, to give a hated conference opponent the best deep threat in the league with the highest per catch average for a 6th rounder is pathetic! I would rather have given him to Buffalo, Oak., Phoenix or another team with a crappy QB, on principle alone. Heck, use him on draft day to trade up.
They sent him to where HE wanted to go, too!? Screw that! Oak. gave up all that collateral to get AB. You don’t think they would have offered more for DJ than Philthadelphia did had our idiot GM not shopped him sooner or harder. Oak. certainly would not have had a problem with D-Jerks contract, either.
Licht sucks!
March 23rd, 2019 at 9:36 am
The Bucs have a Franchise QB? Really? Geez, who knew?
March 23rd, 2019 at 9:42 am
Realist … Years ago I had a professor who tasked us to write a paper detailing our philosophy of life. We asked him how long it had to be. His answer: not more than 10 words. (One of the toughest papers I’ve had to write over the years BTW). Got my philosophy down to just 5 words: ‘LIFE HAPPENS – DEAL WITH IT”. (That’s still my philosophy BTW … with a 5-word adjunct: “YOU ARE WHERE YOU ARE”).
Believe it or not, gaining Todd Bowles as our DC has me more excited than getting BA as our HC. Still convinced that Bowles is our head coach in-waiting, probably taking over 2 years down the road. This is the perfect opportunity for him to build the defense that can execute his defensive philosophy, but I doubt that he’ll do it in a single year. Our 2019 defense SHOULD be significantly better than our 2018 defense (assuming a solid draft), but it’s the 2020 defense that’ll make the biggest strides forward IMO.
March 23rd, 2019 at 10:16 am
At Defense:
I have a couple of “few word” items of mine:
“Just write the check”
“You never know what’s under a horse’s tail until you lift it up”
“You are who you think you are, until you don’t like yourself”
March 23rd, 2019 at 10:23 am
“If you try to find something that isn’t there…. you’ll never find it.”
March 23rd, 2019 at 10:35 am
Tampa Bay Demon Says:
March 23rd, 2019 at 10:23 am
“If you try to find something that isn’t there…. you’ll never find it.”
Like “collusion”
March 23rd, 2019 at 10:40 am
^^ Haha, well said TBBF!
March 23rd, 2019 at 10:42 am
Seems to me if the Bucs were going to just cut the guy, getting anything for him was an A+.
March 23rd, 2019 at 10:44 am
@Defense Rules:
If tasked with writing a 10-word paper about your personal philosophy, I’d write: If you f@<k with me, I'll kill you."
March 23rd, 2019 at 10:45 am
I find it interesting and amusing – about how much thought and effort went into the “We want DJax – We’re keeping DJax” charade.
All that smoke blown resulted in swapping a 7th rd pick for a 6th…
I mean hey – kudos. I didn’t think the Bucs could get anything in trade for Jackson.
This attempt at “misdirection” by Licht and BA couldn’t have been much more transparent. But it did work. A little bit.
Its funny in a way how all these teams constantly try to play liars poker with each other this time of year when someone believes there’s even a chance of gaining some little advantage.
March 23rd, 2019 at 10:52 am
^^ No doubt, Pickgrin.
You just don’t want to be left holding Aces & Eights.
March 23rd, 2019 at 11:25 am
If you wanted anything for Djax the time to trade was last year….
Another saying:
SW, SW, SW, SW
Some will
Some won’t
So what
Someone will…
Works good in a bar.
March 23rd, 2019 at 11:29 am
The collusion was there they were just looking at the wrong candidate.
March 23rd, 2019 at 11:29 am
jmiss can’t hit open receiver
receivers fault?
March 23rd, 2019 at 11:33 am
^^ He hits plenty of open receivers not named DJax.
March 23rd, 2019 at 11:52 am
OFF TOPIC NOTE
Devin White already saying he will be looking for $100 million deal in 5 years, and the kid has not made a single play in the NFL yet.
I know there are a lot of you that are big on this kid….
but is that not a bit of a red flag?
March 23rd, 2019 at 12:25 pm
Jackson never had these issues anywhere else. Joe just has his panties in a bunch at the thought that someone cant work with his boyfriend. Get a room already! lol
March 23rd, 2019 at 12:40 pm
If the Bucs arent serious about fixing the lines first ,they arent serious about winning.
It all starts up front my friends,and that means blocking for the running game as well as pass blocking.
Getting someone on the edge is important for the defense.And yes we could use a linebacker or two if Beckworth isnt coming back.
March 23rd, 2019 at 12:41 pm
@TBBF … ““You never know what’s under a horse’s tail until you lift it up.” Awesome!
March 23rd, 2019 at 1:24 pm
Again, the offense will be fine. Overall..even despite Jameis, our offense has
been slightly above average. Even good at times. Its been our GD Defense!
Will it improve? Thats the big question. We left 5 easily winnable games on the fielf last season had we..just had a little Defense. That is and will be the key
guys. Defensive improvement. You can rave about the beautiful spirals and catches all you like. You can’t win in this league by scoring 31 and your
opponent scores 32. We went downhill when our Defense left. Lets hope..
we find the missing keys.
March 23rd, 2019 at 1:38 pm
small axe, he was able to get the ball.to everyone else just fine. Djax never ran his routes at full effort. I wouldnt doubt that he slowed up intentionally just to make Jameis look bad because it worked for all the other guys!!!!!!
Betcha djax fights for catches and gets dirty playing for philly. His effort was complete crap
March 23rd, 2019 at 2:58 pm
@Pickgrin … “Its funny in a way how all these teams constantly try to play liars poker with each other this time of year when someone believes there’s even a chance of gaining some little advantage.”
LMAO. It’s really fun to play liars poker (or liar’s dice) when EVERYONE at the table is a compulsive liar. Kinda like the workup to the draft?
March 23rd, 2019 at 3:01 pm
SW SW SW SW
Say what?
———-
Edjustshootmebucsfan Says:
“The collusion was there they were just looking at the wrong candidate.”
———-
Greg Says:
“Jackson never had these issues anywhere else.”
You’re kidding, right? When the Bucs signed him, the biggest debate on these same pages centered around his reputation in Philly and DC as a cancer in the locker room.
March 23rd, 2019 at 6:16 pm
HEY JOE,
Do us all a favor and please stop using the “Pearl Harbor” moniker and as one of your new over-repeated catch phrases.
I know you mean no ill-will by it, but using a tragedy that cost 2,403 Americans their lives is probably not the best ‘name’ to use to highlight your points about NFL stuff.
That would be like saying, “We definitely shouldn’t sign as he may 9/11 the Bucs Organization.”
March 23rd, 2019 at 6:51 pm
Defense,
Looking over your numbers, one thing that may have skewed them is the NFC West.
8 games a year in one of the worst divisions in the NFC . Don’t know. .just asking is that possible.