Banking On Carl Nassib
August 19th, 2019
Needed.
When Carl Nassib was coming out of Penn State, Joe remembers asking a Bucs scout what he thought of him.
Not much, the scout said. Just a guy.
And of course, Nassib was selected by the then-hapless Browns in the third round. Two years later, arguably the smartest general manager in football not named “Belicheat” released him. Couldn’t even stick with a team that was winless the previous season. On a rookie contract no less.
The Bucs, ever desperate for a pass rush largely due to their own aversion to developing one, swooped in and grabbed Nassib.
All of a sudden, beggars weren’t so choosy.
Albert Breer of theMMQB.com, in twittering his Bucs thoughts after his drive-by to One Buc Palace last week, believes the Bucs are banking on Nassib to be a monster so they have something of a pass rush.
@AlbertBreer: Fourth-year DE Carl Nassib is suddenly an important piece in Todd Bowles’ new scheme, with uncertainty remaining on if/when Jason Pierre-Paul is going to be ready. The Hard Knocks star from last year’s Browns has steadily improved since the Bucs claimed him off waivers.
Here is the one thing the Bucs are banking on. Nassib is in his contract year and many players have standout contract years because they want to get paid. And therein lies the double-edged sword.
The Bucs, without Jason Pierre-Paul, need Nassib in the worst way, like Joe needs a cold beer on an August Friday afternoon. However, if Nassib blows up, he’s likely gone. The Bucs wouldn’t be able to afford to keep him without cutting other expensive players or unless the NFL and the NFLPA hammer out a new labor deal that lifts the salary cap significantly before the 2020 season.
So with Nassib and the Bucs, it’s damned if you do and damned if you don’t.
As for JPP, over the weekend he uploaded videos to his Instagram Stories account that show him still in a neck brace.
In two weeks it is 49ers week. Joe has noticed in recent days fans believing JPP will be back for the 49ers on opening day. Personally, Joe wouldn’t lay a red cent that any guy in a neck brace who hasn’t worked out in months will play in an NFL game in less than three weeks.
August 19th, 2019 at 9:10 am
Nice to be optimistic, but I still maintain that JPP won’t be back this season. Too risky at his age especially. He can still get a couple more years IMO IF he doesn’t rush it. And I’m still betting that the Bucs won’t be paying him that last $7.5 mil for this year, nor will they release him (he’ll stay on the NFI list). He’d be foolish to jump ship anyways … his contract with the Bucs for next year calls for $15 mil and no other team would pay him even close to that coming off a serious neck injury.
August 19th, 2019 at 9:13 am
Good insight Joe. So many jags become great players, just like so many first-round players are busts. I remember Williams cousin, Vernon gholston coming out. Thought he was going to be a monster. Looks like what a defensive end would be if you built them from scratch. Never had one sack in the NFL! You just never know. So often it’s what’s between their ears and what motivates them.
August 19th, 2019 at 9:14 am
… and often what motivates them is $$$
August 19th, 2019 at 9:15 am
Not true Joe. If he doesn’t produce the Bucs lose him and aren’t burdened with a big cap hit. He’s only damned if he does.
August 19th, 2019 at 9:15 am
I’m still not quite sure Joe that you say the Bucs wouldn’t be able to afford him. I’m betting some cash will open up on on the O line. Of course, if Winston earns and gets a big contract that would eat serious cap space, but he is already getting $21M this year, so it would probably not more than and other $5M per year for him. But there are other places that would get more money freed up. You may be right, but I would also wonder how much you think a pass rusher like Nassib could make. More than $12-13M a year?
August 19th, 2019 at 9:18 am
I find it very interesting that all year Joe has coveted other teams high-priced DEs and FA DEs……..but suggests that we would have to get rid of Nassib because of Cap problems next year…..
Like Joe says…..we can find a way to pay for good DEs……
August 19th, 2019 at 9:20 am
scbucsfan- if he doesnt produce… we arent winning games. so it is still bad for us either way.
August 19th, 2019 at 9:21 am
Hm your story missed a piece.
In 2018 on an underperforming (and most likely having already given up on the season) defensive line, Nassib showed grit to get to the QB and some much-needed effort on every single play. He found himself in a starter’s role for the first time in his career by the end of the season and made enough plays and showed enough development so the incumbent coaching staff kept him in his starter’s role.
There you go. Fixed it for you. Not sure why, with the amount of whining this site makes on not drafting pass rushers, the Joes choose to take the attitude towards Nassib it does.
August 19th, 2019 at 9:25 am
they will find a way to keep him.. Unfortunately for JPP coming off a neck injury if he doesnt play or produce if he does play i’m sure he will be gone. This wont be the first or last time these guys have to make room to fit someone under the salary cap. They will work it out. thats what they get paid to do. no need to worry just sit back and watch we will see what happens. Cream always rises to the top.
August 19th, 2019 at 9:26 am
danr we are going to need alot more than Nassib playing well to win games… but I’m hopeful!
August 19th, 2019 at 9:35 am
I didn’t watch Hard Knocks last year. I didn’t realize Nassib was their feel-good story for that season much like Joe Dirt was here.
August 19th, 2019 at 9:36 am
JPP will not be playing football this year, he has a neck injury that he is lucky to be alive and able to walk, since the bucs and JPP are keeping it a secret and he has been away from one buc, I would imagine he is not working out due to the bucs probably would get into some liability issue if he works out or does rehab at the buc palace. Hope JPP does play again for the bucs but 2019 has always been a rebuild year for BA, and then if winston improves, the year to challenge the falcons and saints is 2020.
August 19th, 2019 at 9:40 am
Joe – i understand you were skeptical of nassib getting dropped by the browns but GM’s make mistakes and their line in cleveland is stacked. bucs have gotten rid of a ton of good players. he played well last year and you harp on production all the time yet even on the podcast it is the same song and dance on nassib. he came here and performed. maybe it is time we forget the narrative he was dropped by the browns and someone here called him a JAG. not jameis hating but people before the draft said he was amazing and going to fix us yet show me the production that that has actually happened? pre draft evaluations are always wrong so why are we still talking about that with nassib. let’s talk about players who have not performed relative to their draft value and yes all good players leave if they do well but i would rather him do well than not. the same argument is made for all players in this league on a contract year which is the point of free agency.
August 19th, 2019 at 9:41 am
Bucs fan inChina
Well said. Sometimes theJoes are all over the place.
August 19th, 2019 at 9:50 am
Someone’s trash is someone else’s goldmine.
August 19th, 2019 at 9:51 am
“If we are out of playoff contention end of the year,
BA we will trade Mike Evans for a 1st round pick and unload his 19 mill contract
Its BA way or the highway”
Kobe Faker
August 19th, 2019 at 10:08 am
Why are we still thinking Nassib is the savior when Bond, Spence, & Shaq have played well?
August 19th, 2019 at 10:12 am
Nassib will play better than most expect this year.
JPP will be back for game 7 vs the Titans after the bye week in late Oct.
And DR – JPP’s cap hit for 2020 is $12.5M – not $15M.
August 19th, 2019 at 10:17 am
As much as I love the play of Mike Evans, I agree Kobe, I would trade him while he still commands a high draft pick. McCoy was a great example of holding onto a player too long. Should have traded him years ago. Churn the roster baby. This is how you build a lasting playoff contender ala the Patriots. The only exception IMO is at quarterback and maybe Left tackle.
August 19th, 2019 at 10:22 am
Agree with Christopher. Especially Shaq looks terrific.
August 19th, 2019 at 10:35 am
They could have trimmed $30m of fat this year and only cleared a portion of it. Next year, Lavante David can be traded or cut, saving a bundle…especially if White excels.
Barber is certainly gone if he does well…but if Nassib excels, then they will find a way to keep him.
As I recall, one of the Joes did not feel Nassib would be any good. Is that still the case?
August 19th, 2019 at 10:40 am
He will ball out this year.
August 19th, 2019 at 10:42 am
Personally, I believe in Nassib. I don’t think there is a chance in heaven of JPP coming back anytime before mid-season…maybe not at all this year.
Shaq is slowly winning me over though. We may end up not needing JPP.
I’ve wanted JPP here for years, and it was great to see I was right about him. I hope he sticks around.
August 19th, 2019 at 10:45 am
D-Rome Says
“I didn’t realize Nassib was their feel-good story for that season much like Joe Dirt was here.”
It was mainly because of his personality. It looked like he would make the team too…and then they cut him. I remember thinking that was a Browns mistake…and then we got him.
Speaking of Joe Dirt…it’s too bad he isn’t around any more. I would have loved to see what Bowles could have done with him.
August 19th, 2019 at 10:52 am
BB unless he could make him faster it didn’t matter. Had the heart not the wheels.
August 19th, 2019 at 11:00 am
“Standup pass rushers strive in Bowles 3-4 defense,
hand on the ground pass rushers ala JPP, Nassib and Nowhere Spence does not work”
Kobe Faker
August 19th, 2019 at 11:19 am
As long as Evans produces up to his pay he stays and if he doesn’t, offer a cut in pay equal to his production and if he does not take it then trade him. BA’s Coaches will continue to develop low draft picks and undrafted diamonds in the rough picked for them by Licht and we won’t need to pay for high priced draft picks and we will be competitive every year and older players wanting a ring before retirement will take a low prove it contracts from us and we will be in soft cotton every year. By then Bellicheat will be retired along with Brady and we will be the new Patriots as long as we keep our BA Coaches with us and Licht too. By then there will be no controversy about our Super Bowl winning QB Jameis Winston.
August 19th, 2019 at 12:04 pm
Nassib can be successful, he should run-in to sacks, if Shaq, Spence and even Bond can keep in the opposing teams backfield, also with a push up the middle and other blitzes, he just needs to finish
August 19th, 2019 at 4:08 pm
Nassib was a stud at the Senior Bowl. A Bucs scout didn’t think highly of him. Wonder if it was one of the same scouts that liked Adrian Clayborn more than Cam Jordan.
August 19th, 2019 at 4:36 pm
JPP ain’t playing this season. Don’t blame him a bit.
August 19th, 2019 at 4:53 pm
Only licht would keep a dude with a broken neck and missing some digits.
August 19th, 2019 at 6:21 pm
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again here. I’m still waiting for someone, anyone, to make a serious cogent argument on how this team will win more than 5 games playing their schedule?
August 20th, 2019 at 12:31 pm
Why would we trade our best WR we have ever had? Whatever it is those who speak of this are doing should put it down for a few days. Unlike McCoy, Even is a great player, a real superstar player on our team. Crazy talk speaking of getting rid of our best WR ever.
Nassib has done nothing but bring his best play after play after play. He gets noticed by his play not his mouth. He plays the run and the pass very very well. Nassib is Big 6’5″ 280 and has a nonstop motor. Yes he may be at the right place at the right time, but that does not come by just waiting for it. He goes out and gets it. I hope he has a great season and we keep him and he becomes a legend and Ring of Honor member. We have to few players who bring it like Nassib does on our team. Same story from the Joe’s he is not Oliver or whoever they wanted as a DE in this draft so they beat him around these here pages to drum up support for letting him go. Then when he blows up someplace else, it will be like Bennett.
Keep him and sign him long term before he becomes another member of the “Let go For no good reason” club member.
SHOW ME! Don’t tell me, SHOW ME!
GO BUCS!!